Star Wars: Dar'Aliit

Chapter Fifteen: Pawn

20 BBY Caeopa

"Remind me again why we came all the way out here for a body, Booker?"

"Because the general wants us to retrieve the droid."

"Oh, so we're not here for a body. Just a droid. Yipee."

"Can it, Booker, Headshot. Just...get the body."

The voices drifting in and out are familiar. I can hear boots crunching across the dirt toward me but my eyes are still too heavy to open. They should just let me sleep a few more minutes.

"Kriff, this is..." Headshot's voice is right over me.

"I said just collect the body," The deeper voice, Addie, sounds exasperated and...sad.

Headshot mumbles. "Getting it, getting it." He grabs my shoulder and shakes it. "You know, I really wish I could've had one real conversation with the guy."

I jerk my head over. I don't wanna wake up. I don't want to move. "I never wanted to talk to you," I groan.

"The corpse is talking!" Headshot starts. "Permission to shoot it, sir?"

It's too late. I crack my eyes open.

"Kriff it, stand down, Headshot!"

"Sir, he's alive!" A familiar scarred face leans over me.

"I know, Booker!"

Two more blurry helmeted faces appear in my vision. I blink at them both. "Who are you?"

"Sir, it's us." Headshot pulls his helmet off. Booker is beside him, frowning.

Addie kneels down. "Kian?"

"Present and halfway accounted for." I say. I point past him at Scraps. "Watch out for the droid, sir."

"That's a droid head," Booker corrects me.

"We're here to collect R3 and well..." Addie looks off. "We thought you were dead."

I give him a smile and a thumbs up. "Might be."

The captain laughs. He stands up slowly and walks over to me. "You are one stubborn di'kut."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"What is this?" Headshot sniffs a tank and his nose wrinkles. "Did you make alcohol?"

"I made water."

"This ain't water, sir."

"Tasted funny to me too." I can't keep my eyes open. I'm so tired.

The Captain kneels and puts my arm over his shoulder. Another from the other side, Booker, slips around my back for support.

Addie calls out. "C'mon, the ship is waiting– Headshot, don't drink that!"

Headshot's head jerks up from the tank. Moonshine spills out of his hand as he salutes and pulls his helmet on instead. "Sir!"

"Get back on the ship, rookie." Addie keeps a firm grip on my arm. I can feel Booker's worry burning a hole in the side of my face. I almost feel bad. I've had that same fear worm its way into my stomach. But I'm not dead.

We make it onboard and I'm released into the care of the medics on standby. The General is nowhere to be seen. Good. I didn't wanna see his ugly mug anyway.

Bacta is applied. That feels cold and good after the amount of searing alcohol I've been applying. I scan the room blearily. "Where's R3?"

"Up front. We already got him, but he insisted we come out here before leaving. Thought he wanted your body for something."