Misplaced In The Force

Chapter 2

It had been a long day after the bounty hunter had left the cafe. Customers had poured in none stop and Claire and I didn't get a break until we closed the doors for the day at four in the afternoon. I looked forward to having the rest of the day to myself with no more drama as I headed to my quarters that were just down the street from the cafe in the civilian district of Starkiller base.

The civilian district housed all the menial workers. We owned and operated restaurants, bars, shops, and credit depositories. Most of us got along really well with each other and supported each other's shops. We all stayed away from the actual base that was on Ilum where the First Order conducted whatever business they had on the planet.

It had been decades of work as they drilled into the planet. Rumor had it that the First Order was building an Empire-era weapon but if I listened to all the rumors that were spread around I would have gone insane. Besides how in the hell could someone weaponize an entire planet?

"Hear you had some excitement in your cafe this morning." Frank, who owned the boot shop two doors down, came up beside me as we walked to the apartment building where we both lived.

"Yeah, some bounty hunter and some guy got into a fight."

"Who won?" Frank laughed as he scanned his wrist comm and opened the door to our building.

"The bounty hunter I guess. They dragged the other guy away."

"Rumor is it was that Lieutenant that you used to be seen with until a couple of months ago." Frank gave me the side-eye as we entered the lift.

"Frank, you have to stop gossiping so much." I laughed lightly, not answering him.

"Well if it was I'm sure he got what he deserved. That guy was a real piece of shit." Frank nodded to me as the door of the lift opened and he walked out onto the sixth floor where his quarters sat. I nodded back and stayed in the lift as it headed for the thirteenth floor of the building.

When the door finally let me out of the lift I dragged my tired feet along the shiny floor as I headed all the way to the end where my apartment sat. I had gotten lucky and actually gotten a place with a decent view. Everyone I knew wanted a front view so they could see the base and the ships that came in and out. I wanted a back view of the snow-covered terrain that stretched forever into the wilderness.

I had been on Ilum for years searching and scouting the landscape on my days off. Luckily for me, tomorrow was that day off. It was the only day of the week that the cafe was closed and I spent it out in the elements every single week.

Unlocking my door I headed inside before securing the lock behind me. My apartment was small with a tiny living area and eat-in kitchen, one small bedroom with an attached refresher, and thankfully a decent-sized closet. I headed to my refresher and stripped out of the day's clothes before taking a quick shower and heading into my walk-in closet.

I closed and secured that door behind me before I pushed the clothes on the back wall aside. With a deep breath, I studied the map that was pinned to the wall as I pulled on some sweats and a t-shirt. I had been hunting for years with no luck but something in me told me that tomorrow my luck would change. I only had a few more places that I could get to within a day on a snow speeder. After those were searched I would have to find a way to be out in the snowy landscape overnight and away from the cafe without causing any suspicion.

Clicking my wrist comm I pulled up my holo map and zoomed in. I selected the two caves that I had found the entrances to just last month. I hadn't had time to search yet since last week my day off had been spent at home after a vicious storm had blanketed the land with several feet of snow. It would have been insane to attempt to search the caves in those conditions so sadly I had spent the day planning for tomorrow's outing instead of actually searching.