Star Wars - The Inner Battle

PROLOGUE

Outer space bathes in its eternal stillness, its stars dispersed in the infinite black horizon coruscating like a billion diamonds. Amongst them, the numerous planets of the Outer Rim territories follow their natural course. Moons orbit them as they rotate in their everlasting cycle, flaunting their landscapes the way a monarch would flaunt their jewels, proud and magnificent. All the din from the cities is deadened by the distance and the unshakeable peace of the great unknown.

In the Gaulus sector, in the middle of its own system, a brownish planet named Ryloth shines brighter than its sisters. Clouds embrace the sky, hovering over the valleys and jungles visible even from afar, overshadowing the cities of the planet. Trees peek out through the mist, green and flamboyant, forming a belt around the enormous sphere.

A starship emerges in its vicinity with a whir, heading towards it. The old blue Interceptor pierces through Ryloth's atmosphere, flying straight to the canyons outside Kala'uun. It comes to a standstill and lowers above one of them, beside which stand a lonely house and its hangar. A native creature rushes up to it, watching it land on the edge of the cave. As soon as the canopy rises, the silhouette of a tall woman jumps out of the cockpit.

Teebasha Varn removes her pilot helmet and tosses it on her seat. Her braided bun stays in place despite her swift movement, while two thin brown braids come to dangle before her ears, their ends resting on her collar bones. Slipping the strap of her backpack across her shoulder, her dark brown eyes scan the landscape around her. She searches for her friend, who would always greet her whenever she would come back from a mission. Discerning his shape from the corner of her eyes, she jumps off the wing of her ship and runs up to the green Twi'lek to pull him in a clasp.

"Kassurra, Natelo'or," Teebasha greets him in Ryl with a pat on the back. As she feels the lekku — the tentacles protruding from his skull — tickling her fingers, a grin draws itself upon her face. "I'm sorry I took so long to come back. The mission was harder than I expected."

"I was worried you got into trouble," Natelo'or admits, pulling away without taking his hands off her. "You never know with those smugglers."

"I should've tried to contact you, sorry. Anyway, I'm here now. I must pick the next mission and I've got so many notices to catch up on. An entire pile on my desk."

"Then take your time. Don't forget to rest. I brought you a whole meal earlier. You won't have to buy anything in the city."

With a smile, Teebasha hugs her friend again. Natelo'or hands her a puck — she recognises the shape and the colour of the device in an instant. Another wanted notice.

"Someone from the Guild came to deliver this."

"Is that a new thing of theirs to bring it like this?"

"Well, they said they couldn't get in touch with you. Since I didn't know when you would come back, they left it in my care."

"I see," she sighs, discouraged at its sight. "Well, I'd better get to it."

"Ka'ta, Kocceille Twi'lek."

"Ka'ta, muchi."

Stepping back, she waves at Natelo'or as he marches towards his home. Teebasha buries the puck in her pocket and opens her bag to find her sturdy rope. She kneels down beside her Interceptor and ties it around its wing. Securing the other end around her waist, she tucks it in her belt as she comes to stand on the ledge of the canyon. Drawing in a single sharp breath, she leaps into the emptiness below her.

Blasts of hot air blow back her thin braids, swathing her while her vest flutters behind her back. A sinking feeling settles in her gut, intoxicating yet exhilarating. Reaching the end of the rope, she bounces twice before swinging back and forth, kicking the air until she reaches a metallic bar at the entrance of an underground cave. She wraps her legs around it, spins and lets her feet touch solid ground. Untying the rope from her waist, she encircles the bar with it, keeping it ready for when she needs to reach the surface again. Without wasting a second, she enters the cave. Much to her relief, she is home.

Teebasha drops her bag on the ground, ignoring the red dust floating around it. She glances at her wall covered with weapons, running her fingertips on some of them as she passes them by. Her lips curl up into a smile as she grabs a tiny water bottle from a shelf, pouring its remaining content in a pot occupied by a rare plant from the Rylothian jungle.

Once in the main refitted room, a delicious aroma reaches her nostrils and fills her lungs. On her bed, the tray with the meal Natelo'or prepared for her is waiting to be consumed. Only then does her stomach gurgle, reminding her of its emptiness and craving for something other than vacuum ration packs.

Sitting on her sandy mattress, she takes off her boots and massages her feet with relief. Crossing her legs before her, she picks up the tray and plants the fork in the food before bringing it to her mouth. Moaning at the unique taste of fresh food, she curses herself for having spent months without it.

One of the disadvantages of being a bounty hunter is getting used to wandering far from home and always being on the move whilst tracking a designated target. There can be sleepless days and skipped meals, constant commotion and fighting. Therefore, enjoying a moment of peace and a nice, warm meal, becomes a luxury. Most of the time, one would have to settle for meagre rations — sometimes expired — or an empty stomach.

Young and ambitious recruits often do not last after experiencing such a lifestyle. The home birds grow too homesick to focus on targets, whereas those who ever wished for balance between their profession and relaxation end up burnt out. Those who have nothing to lose flourish and gather enough fortune over the years to secure a pleasant retirement.

Somehow, the notion of danger never slips into the list of reasons why they quit.

Teebasha rests the back of her head against the wall, rediscovering the place she calls home, biting into her warm bread. Thin round lamps she once suspended to the ceiling of the cave shake as the scorching breeze of the canyon blows through them. They bathe her weapons in their light, then the tiny starship models she keeps on a shelf.

An exhilarating feeling of safety settles in.

Once the tray is empty, Teebasha puts it down on the ground. Her eyes land on a massive pile of wanted notices and pucks she has not yet opened. With a sigh, she picks up the first one and examines it. A meaningless target with a poor price put on his head. Teebasha tears the sheet and throws it away.

Unmotivated and somewhat intimidated by the pile, she remembers the puck given by Natelo'or upon her arrival. She grabs it in her back pocket and switches it on. A fan of blue light unfolds before her, illuminating her skin with its glow. A face materialises, spinning to display all the features of the target. Above it, its name appears in bright red Aurebesh letters, while the bounty and the known information about the man flashes up underneath.

The nastiest smuggler of her time. Worth a million wupiupi.

Teebasha smirks and reads the name of the planet where he was last seen.

Ord Mantell.

The world where she was born and where she left her family years ago.

She stares into space as nostalgia takes hold of her. She recalls the large cities of Ord Mantell, its stunning lakes and mountains. She wonders what it would feel like to get back to the Bright Jewel system. Would she see her family again? Probably not. Yet she can feel in every fibre of her being that she will catch this smuggler and earn the money he is worth.

She can sense that going to Ord Mantell will change her life.