One Step at a Time

One Step at a Time - Part 9

A/N: I am SORRY I have been away for a very long time! I've been rewriting In Command (new versions on Tumblr and AO3. Wattpad version will be updated once the rewrite is complete) and writing a lot of NSFW stuff that I only post on Tumblr, but now, WE'RE BACK. Heads up for language and just excessive amounts of OCs because I cannot help myself. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND I PINKY SWEAR THE NEXT UPDATE WON'T TAKE AS LONG!!! As always, thank you to Teletraan_1 (AO3) for beta reading and generally screaming encouragement at me!

Lothal wasn't nearly the paradise Sorgan had been, but it would have to do. Instead of lush green foliage and thick forests, the planet's landscape was dotted with rock formations that broke up the dead, yellowing grass that covered its plains. Everything appeared to be a different shade of tan or grey.

Arni had told them that the planet had experienced famine and drought during the war, crippling its agricultural industry. But where the farmers had floundered, the mining industry had flourished. The planet was peppered with veins and cave networks that were rich with various metals and minerals that the Empire found useful, so of course it hadn't wasted any time in swooping in and setting up shop.

Chuckles had been hesitant to travel to any planet that had an Imperial presence, but as Arni pointed out, it was almost impossible to find a world where the Empire didn't exist in some capacity. Their best option was to find a planet with plenty of rural areas to disappear into, and Lothal provided that. There had been a moment where Chuckles considered returning to Sorgan, but he knew that Ry and Oks had likely had to come up with a story for the drunk that had stumbled out and never returned. Showing back up, especially if the Empire was still around, would only complicate things for them, and that was the last thing he wanted to do for the two women.

So Lothal it was.

Chuckles and Arni had selected a small, family-owned mining operation to target for their next place to settle. The Kern Brothers Mining Company was well away from any major cities, and as a result, a small sort of township had cropped up around the mine itself. It seemed to be a fairly new establishment based on the many job postings that Arni was able to find on various forums, and by all accounts, other than the occasional inspection and weekly supply drops, Imperials largely steered clear of the small community, instead relying on shipments delivered by droids or automated vehicles.

It wasn't perfect, but it was about as close as they could hope for.

As Chuckles settled the freighter into one of the crude landing zones outside of the township, the two younglings pressed forward to get a look at their new home. Aside from the mine, there appeared to be one strip that served as a main part of town, and the area was peppered with buildings that had clearly gone up in a hurry to accommodate the workers. Many of the dwellings seemed to be built from whatever could be salvaged in a hurry, or like the Ayyshus, it appeared many families opted to live out of whatever vessel had carried them there. With opportunities coming and going everywhere across the planet, it made sense to remain mostly mobile should they need to pull up stakes and move on.

Chuckles could see Nita was less than impressed, and Arni was chewing the inside of their cheek, eyes darting around and taking in every detail. Chuck grinned as the two kids turned to him, clearly trying to hide their disappointment.

Not much of an adventure compared to Sorgan. But, it's quiet. And probably boring. And we could use boring.

"Not much to look at, is it?" he teased, and he could see both of the younglings relax, apparently considering themselves released from having to pretend.

"It's very... dusty," Nita concluded.

"And dry," Arni added.

"But it's ours," Chuck countered. "And we'll make it what we want. And if not, we'll find somewhere else."