STAR WARS: ADVENTURES OF BUCK RYDUR - BOOK 1 PART 1 FREEDOM'S PRICE

Chapter 5 (cont)

I told Robyn I didn't need to be 'psyched up', but he bought me a half-caf anyway; a hot drink with Bantha cream, Christophsian sugar, and who knows how much caffeine. I didn't like the taste much, but later I was glad I'd drank it. In fact, after an hour in Robyn's makeshift gymnasium in an abandoned storage house, I was ready for another one.

The chamber was huge, probably a couple hundred meters long and wide--plenty of room for running. Robyn set up a maze of stools, chairs, tables, deactivated droids, and whatever else he could find to represent obstacles. He demonstrated how to zigzag through and around, jump over or slide under, then made me try while timing me.

"Way to look sharp, Buckster," he kept saying. "But you can do better. Again."

He mixed up the course too, so I wouldn't memorize a pattern. He let me take breaks to drink water or rest, then we went at it again. Robyn also took it upon himself to build me up physically, promising that once he was through with me, I'd be five times the size I am now.

He made me do star jumps until my arms and legs felt like they would fall off, and stretches that strained muscles I didn't even know I had. I did pushups and chin-ups, and other hard exercises for my legs and abdomen.

When I was about ready to drop, Robyn told me it was time to learn how to pick pockets. First, while I rested, he told me the rules.

"Don't take from anybody what looks poor," was the first one. "They don't 'ave nothin' worth riskin' jail time."

The second rule was to keep a sharp eye out for Coruscant Security and Imperial stormtroopers at all times. Third rule was don't let anybody see you pick-pocketing, and the fourth was if you're seen, don't get caught.

The final rule was if you did get caught, never mention any names.

"'Specially Cash's," Robyn added, more serious than I'd ever seen him. "He's got some nasty ways of dealin' with womp finks, let me tell ya. You rat on him, we'd havta kick ya out the gang. Our partnership would come to an end, understand?"

"I'd never tell on anybody," I promised.

"Not even if they threaten to make ya a slave again?" Robyn challenged.

I met his gaze firmly. "If I survived it once, I can survive it again. I'm no womp fink."

Robyn gave me a half-smile. "I'll hold ya to that, mate."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night my whole body was one big sore--which I'm pretty much used to, but this was a good kind of sore. A couple days into it, Robyn decided I needed to learn self-defense.

"No offense, mate, but you're so little, you'll draw bullies like a magnet. We gotta get ya ready."

He had a professional come give me a crash course in unarmed combat, a professional who happened to be Ooris. According to him, his biological father had been a gonzo warrior who'd taught Ooris everything he knew, including a variety of hand-to-hand combat techniques.

"That was a while ago," he finished shortly. "Before my mother ditched him for another man. Not that I care."

So we got started, beginning with the basics. Ooris taught me how to do kicks and punches, blocks, wrestling holds, and escape techniques from several different martial art forms in case I was ever ganged up on.

The first couple weeks I couldn't get anything right during my training and felt frustrated, embarrassed, and in pain.

Robyn was always patient. "You're doin' prime, mate! Nobody gets it right off. We all had to work at it. Besides, we're overloading your sensors with data. Of course you're not goin' to get it at first."

Ooris was more blunt. "Street life is tough. Deal and put your fists up."

Every day that was what we did. In the mornings my exercises and pickpocket lessons from Robyn, and in the afternoon my combat training with Ooris. During the day when both went out to work with the others, I often went out to beg.

It's not hard, all you have to do is look poor, dirty, and alone, and people just drop money in your hands. But most of the time I went to the public library, exploring everything it had to offer, and it wasn't long before my visits attracted attention. A very tall, thin droid whose model I've never seen before, came over one day while I was trying to read. It had large, glassy eyes, ivory-colored plating, and a long, skinny neck.

"Excuse me, child," the droid said in a voice like silky cool water. "I couldn't help noticing you look rather confused. Can I be of any assistance?"

I was having trouble making out some long words. She helped me pronounce them and explained carefully what they meant, then gave me the names of some written works for children that'll help me read better. I thanked her, then worked up the courage to ask what kind of droid she was.

"I am a librarian droid," she replied. "My unique design was chosen by my owner, who based it on the species from the ocean planet of Kamino."

She showed me on the computer what it looked like. It was in Wild Space territory, an area of the galaxy that's mostly unexplored. When she saw how interested I was, she told me a little bit about Kamino's history, its cities, and its people.

"Wow," I remarked when she finished. "So there's worlds where water actually covers the whole planet? I never knew."

On the days I managed to get to the library, WAN-001 as the droid was named sort of became my teacher, introducing me to system geography, science, history, and a ton of other things I never even knew existed.

She's often surprised at how fast I learn, and how well I remember stuff. Once, when I solved a hard mathematical equation, she nodded in approval.

"You have an unusually advanced mind for an organic," she told me. "In fact many humans twice your age couldn't calculate the answer to this problem without electronic assistance."

I was pleased and set out to learn even more. Once as I was leaving the library, I ran into Maren. We hadn't spoken since the first day we'd met, and I wasn't sure what to say to her. She was so unbelievably beautiful, despite her dirty lekku.

"What were you doing in there?" she asked me, eyeing the building.

"Um, reading?"

She raised an eyebrow as if that were odd. "Seriously?"

I was puzzled. "What? I love to read. Don't you?"

"Not really." She turned away from the library. "Was forced to read a lot in school before I quit going."

"Wish I could go to school," I said wistfully. 

Maren crouched as a strange-looking little animal with wings approached her, pecking the ground. "School is pointless for kids like us," she stated sourly, scooping up the animal and holding her to her chest as she stroked its fur. The animal made contented peeping sounds.

"But there's so much to learn about; planets, systems, other species, space . . ."

"We do learn all that." She stood, motioning at the city around us. "Everything we need to know to be successful in life is out here. Not in some classroom." 

I thought for a second. "Well. I like to know things. There's so much out there. It's exciting."

She put a hand on her hip. "You're really weird, know that?"

"Am I?" I wilted a little inside.

"Very." She gave a shrug and a faint smile. "But it's kinda cute."

We stood there awkwardly until my face felt very hot. I look away from her after a minute, uncomfortable.

Maren glanced at her wrist chrono. "I better go. See ya." Turning abruptly, with the winged animal clinging to her shoulder, she trotted away.

***to be cont***