EPISODE I - TWO: Planetfall
The pod landed with a thud in an overgrown area that once used to house the region's entertainment district. Now abandoned, it seemed like a good place to plant the escape craft--far enough away from the possibility of any detachments of Imperial stormtroopers that might have been left behind by the Star Destroyer they encountered in orbit.
Dex wasn't entirely sure how far away from Tallin they were, but he felt they were close enough to make it there if they got on their way. They didn't have any weapons, but if they did run into the Empire, it would make them look less suspicious. Unfortunately, Dex wasn't certain that they would manage if any dangerous wildlife may cross their paths along the way.
"What's our plan? Do you even know what you're doing?" Drew continued his protest from the moment Dex and Kalie took charge in the pod.
Dex took the planetary positioning device from the pod and activated it. He looked to the horizon to get his north-south bearings as it booted up. The filtered through the orange and brown haze, which didn't help him determine just how much daylight they had left. He hadn't concerned himself with the convoy's ETA to Taris as this was just a fun day trip with his friends in his grandpa's freighter.
"My parents are going to kill me. I'm sure they're going to think I'm dead when I don't get back this evening!"
Kalie ignored Drew and Dex was too busy calibrating the device to acknowledge him. Dex remained cool to downplay the news; the Tallis sector was a bit farther away than he'd hoped, but it was still a manageable hike.
"Looks like we're about 25 klicks away from where we need to be."
Drew opened his mouth to speak, but was immediately cut off by Kalie, who'd had enough of his complaining.
"I take it once we get to Tallis, we'll be able to get help from the people who were expecting the shipment we were bringing?"
Dex smiled. Kalie was always on top of things, which was why he enjoyed her company. It was an easy friendship and he'd know her since they started school together. Drew--he tagged along and was fun, but he didn't handle stress very well. He balanced out the group and was fine most of the time, but his present mood was beginning to test the patience of the other two.
"Yeah," Dex chuckled. "We just have to Taac Sal and he should be able to help us. He and my grandpa..." Dex paused as the realization that Affret was dead hit him. Shaking his head free of the presently irrelevant thought, he continued, "he and my grandpa go way back. I guess Taac Sal is about as close to being a family friend as you can get. He'll make sure we get home."
Kalie nodded in understanding. "I guess we should get going. The way our luck has been today, it's probably gonna get dark soon and something else will happen."
"Something else? Something else will happen? What else could possibly happen to us," whined Drew.
Dex was frustrated, but only threw him a sly look. "You really don't want to ask that. Haven't you learned by now that asking questions like that only invites stuff to happen?"
Drew grimaced.
"Come on, let's get going," Kalie interjected with as much cheer as she could muster. She picked up her jacket from the grass and noticed the somber expression on Dex's face. "You gonna be okay, Dex?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna be okay. It's just I don't know what I'm supposed to do now." Dex looked down, but shot Drew the stink eye. "And don't start complaining about your parents again, Drew. At least you still have parents."
A muffled harrumph emanated from Drew as he grumpily grabbed his jacket and the emergency rations pack from the pod.
The trio headed through the decaying remains of the suburb and towards Tallis. Dex was confident that Taac Sal would help them get back to Batuu, but he was more concerned about the journey between them and their destination. It would serve them better if he didn't inventory the potential threats they might encounter so he kept mum.
Dex took the planetary positioning device from the pod and activated it. He looked to the horizon to get his north-south bearings as it booted up. The filtered through the orange and brown haze, which didn't help him determine just how much daylight they had left. He hadn't concerned himself with the convoy's ETA to Taris as this was just a fun day trip with his friends in his grandpa's freighter.
"My parents are going to kill me. I'm sure they're going to think I'm dead when I don't get back this evening!"
Kalie ignored Drew and Dex was too busy calibrating the device to acknowledge him. Dex remained cool to downplay the news; the Tallis sector was a bit farther away than he'd hoped, but it was still a manageable hike.
"Looks like we're about 25 klicks away from where we need to be."
Drew opened his mouth to speak, but was immediately cut off by Kalie, who'd had enough of his complaining.
"I take it once we get to Tallis, we'll be able to get help from the people who were expecting the shipment we were bringing?"
Dex smiled. Kalie was always on top of things, which was why he enjoyed her company. It was an easy friendship and he'd know her since they started school together. Drew--he tagged along and was fun, but he didn't handle stress very well. He balanced out the group and was fine most of the time, but his present mood was beginning to test the patience of the other two.
"Yeah," Dex chuckled. "We just have to Taac Sal and he should be able to help us. He and my grandpa..." Dex paused as the realization that Affret was dead hit him. Shaking his head free of the presently irrelevant thought, he continued, "he and my grandpa go way back. I guess Taac Sal is about as close to being a family friend as you can get. He'll make sure we get home."
Kalie nodded in understanding. "I guess we should get going. The way our luck has been today, it's probably gonna get dark soon and something else will happen."
"Something else? Something else will happen? What else could possibly happen to us," whined Drew.
Dex was frustrated, but only threw him a sly look. "You really don't want to ask that. Haven't you learned by now that asking questions like that only invites stuff to happen?"
Drew grimaced.
"Come on, let's get going," Kalie interjected with as much cheer as she could muster. She picked up her jacket from the grass and noticed the somber expression on Dex's face. "You gonna be okay, Dex?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna be okay. It's just I don't know what I'm supposed to do now." Dex looked down, but shot Drew the stink eye. "And don't start complaining about your parents again, Drew. At least you still have parents."
A muffled harrumph emanated from Drew as he grumpily grabbed his jacket and the emergency rations pack from the pod.
The trio headed through the decaying remains of the suburb and towards Tallis. Dex was confident that Taac Sal would help them get back to Batuu, but he was more concerned about the journey between them and their destination. It would serve them better if he didn't inventory the potential threats they might encounter so he kept mum.
