Star Wars - The Inner Battle

Chapter 1 - Return to Ord Mantell

             After a few hours of broken sleep, Teebasha awoke, wiping the drowsiness out of her eyes with the palms of her hands. Nightmares and visions of her past life on Ord Mantell had kept her up, flashing under her closed eyelids. Darkness taunted her with the face of her younger sister, drenched with tears, watching her jump inside her starship without turning back. The desperate, high-pitched voice of her beloved sibling calling her name would not stop torturing her. And then, when she thought it was over, the figures of her father in his wheelchair and her mother accentuated the pain and guilt that ripped her heart into pieces.

Years after her abrupt departure and the burning of bridges with her family, the anguish had lingered. Memories flooded in whenever the slightest thing reminded her of them. This time, the sole prospect of visiting her homeworld after so long had triggered another wave. It had submerged her heart and mind, tightening the knot in the pit of her stomach.

As soon as the first sun rays pierced the entrance of her cave, Teebasha sat on the bed and wiped the beads of sweat on her forehead and temples with her wrist. Reaching out for the bucket of water she had filled before going to bed, she plunged her hands into the lukewarm liquid to splash her face and neck. Then, she scrubbed the dirt off her skin and patted it dry with a rough towel. Once done, she hauled herself up from her bed and changed into clean clothes.

Walking over to her makeshift desk, she took what she knew she would not need during this new mission out of her backpack. Then, she considered her best blasters from her wall of weapons — they had to be neither too light, nor too heavy. Just the perfect weight. After shoving them inside the bag, ensuring that the safety lock was activated, she moved on to her last task. Kneeling down beside her bed, she dragged a box she kept under it. Amongst the scrap and loose bolts, she found a cylindrical object wrapped in an old cloth. Without uncovering it, she slipped it into her bag and walked out, leaving everything behind.

Using the same rope she had jumped with to go home, Teebasha climbed until she felt grains of sand under her fingers. Holding onto her Interceptor, she helped herself up to her feet and coiled her rope with her palms. From afar, she distinguished the silhouette of Natelo'or marching towards her, followed by her droid she had left on Ryloth for repair before her last mission.

"Kassurra, Teebasha," Natelo'or called out before coming to stand near her, resting a hand on her broad shoulder. "Going already? I hoped you'd stay longer."

"I hoped so too, but this mission might be the most important one I've ever had yet. This notice you gave me yesterday... The smuggler's worth one million wupiupi!"

The Twi'lek let out a joyless chuckle. Refraining from commenting on how dangerous it could be, he stepped aside and let her R2 unit droid approach her. Natelo'or patted the top of its head and looked up at his friend.

"I've repaired R2. I finished the last little things yesterday evening. He should be in perfect shape to go with you, even if you venture in the Core Worlds."

"Thank you! I don't know what I would do without you. This time, I'll try to come back sooner. But you know I can't promise it."

"You're returning to Ord Mantell, aren't you?"

Pursing her lips as she felt a tuck on her heartstrings, Teebasha nodded with a frown. She stared at her feet, afraid that he might see her visions through her eyes. Breaking the uncomfortable silence, R2 beeped, his head rotating between the two friends.

"Yes, R2. We're leaving in a moment. Natelo'or, thank you again. I'll let you know when I come back."

"Good luck, Teebasha. I'll take care of your plant and your belongings. In return, please stay safe."