Remembrances (PART I)
[Fordo's World, Askmar System, Outer Rim]
The cheap smoky cantina was a quiet. It was one of the fringe benefits about being in a small settlement on one forgotten rock within the Outer Rim. This quality establishment was run by a refugee Bothan from Tharomir.
There was an occasional sordid cough or burst of laughter. A half drunken Ithorian was regalling a mixed crowd about well nigh improbable hunts. He could clearly be heard through the bar. The hum and prattle of the remaining clientele was forgettable. A pair of droids were attempting to fix the rear replusor- lift door. A sudden shriek of metal jarring on metal was followed by a loud clang. It broke the chatter and revery.
"Cross-eyed, micro-processor's mistakes yous!!", shouted the bulking purple Sallustan barkeep in half discernable Basic, "order I did to fix door not bantha-stomp." He strode towards the hapless droids and let loose a stream of wild curses. The droids let out a few apologetic beeps.
This was enough to break Vedra from her bantha-wool gathering. She looked down at the bowl before her, its contents were clearly cold. She picked up the small ladle and resumed eating the mynock soup. One taste was enough to prompt a deep frown of disgust,"apparently the cook has missed up his S and P again." She chuckled at her own dry wit and pushed the bowl away.
She grabbed the comlink at her belt. She selected a hyper-space frequency. "Juanito, you there? Any news of a hunt."
Hunting. It paid the bills and nothing more. It was not the best way to live, but it provided a means to train and survive. Unfortunately, the down time between hunts was less than exciting. Browsing festering watering holes such as this, in search of work, was hardly adventurous.
"Nothing so far. I am in the middle of nowhere on Dathomir," came the reply.
She cursed.
"Oh by the way, a holo arrived for you in Spirit. An old friend of mine, Malakia - a jedi, is looking for you. I think your little jaunt with the sabre-wiedling glow-stick lunatics back on Yavin got you noticed. I don't know why you hang around Jedi. They can be trouble," the voice added.
"You should be the one to talk. He is your associate AND a Jedi. I did not even know you two had met. I just helped him out on a little errand in a lab on Dantooine a while back, " she laughed.
"Well, that is my little secret." She could almost see him winking at her. "Whatever it is you did it got noticed. He wants you to meet him in Shady Sands in a few days after he attends to Jedi Council business." He paused briefly, as if to check if he had forgotten anything, " Oh and apparently, he wants you to begin training."
"Are you going to become a Jedi, Vedra? "
"A JEDI?" Vedra felt lost and her mind raced, "What billions have dreamed of, including me... I... I" Her state of shock was so profound she dropped her comlink. The voice from the floor barked, "...and before you start celebrating, he also said 'be properly attired.' Good luck. J out."
The comlink fizzled and turned off. Vedra picked up the now-slightly-abused device. She looked about nervously. There was no-one else in her part of the eating area and she judged it was relatively safe.
Reaching into a small belt pouch, she drew forth a tiny holo display. With a quick press of the thumb she cycled through the various images. Each shimmered a silver hue and some prompted deep sighs. She kept returning to one image .. over and over; one of a young blue twi'lek, who in a cursory glance looked strikingly similar to Vedra herself.
"Your name is burden to bear. But one I bear gladly; for it is an honor," she thought. A tear slid down her cheek, "yet sometimes I think can almost hear you. I know I cannot; but you have always inspired my heart and now ...."
A pair of footsteps approached. Vedra quickly deactivated the holo and almost imperceptably slipped it back into its pouch.
From the dull smoke emerged a scar-snouted pale Rodian and a half a step behind him was an obviously foul-tempered Ghammorian.
"Looky look what we have here", chirped the Rhodian in a faux sing song voice. "A cutesy custesy twi'lek. You dance for us and make Breeyo happy ... real happy." He made an obvious grotesque gesture and wink at Vedra.
"Go away snouty. Take that hairy meatball there with you too," she replied. She knew what would happen next.
This reply was much to the pale-one's dismay and he made a hand gesture to the Ghammorian and hissed, "Breeyo no like that reply ..slave girl and you pay for it."
The Ghammorian charged.
The much maligned bowl of soup no longer graced the table and promptly landed square in the face of Vedra's scar snouted accuser as drew his blaster. He staggered back.
From the recess behind her chair Vedra grabbed a slim shining staff and rolled forward from her chair, ducking under the less-then-gentle Ghammorian's embrace attempt. Her body twirled around with blinding speed and the pole-arm, a prized gift from her friend Altec, connected with the back of Ghammorian's head with a resounding crack. His inertia carried and smashed him into the table and chair. He slid into the wall and then lay unconscious behind her.
The Rhodian lay sputtering on the ground before her and tried to raise his blaster.
Vedra easily knocked it from his hand and in the same graceful swing delivered a none too gentle tap to his forehead. He joined his friend on the floor.
In response to the commotion, the patrons barely noticed, but a small bothan in an apron shuffled over "You!! You mess my poor little establishment. You pay!"
Vedra placed some credits on the the adjacent, undisturbed table. Then paused and added a few more. "I am not going to apologize for the mess. You knew this would happen, " she smirked, "But here is a few creds anyways. As an .... entertainment expense."
She thought for a second and added, "and please do something about the soup."
The Bothan stared in half disbelief at his good fortune, "Who be you to be to kill Breeyo so quickly ??"
Vedra sighed as she picked up her pack and weapon, "they're not dead friend, and I am Vedra Aayla Terek, and I am to be a Jedi," she whispered to him and smiled. She then stepped into the musky bar-room smoke and went through the door and out into the dark night.