A Life Without Meaning

𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕖𝕔𝕜𝕠𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 (𝕀)

The cockpit was filled with a peaceful calmness. The white noise of the rumbling engines, and the occasional beeping of the control panel was serene enough to keep the child asleep inside of his cradle, which Ellia had propped up on the passenger seat opposite her.

Din was flicking through some things logged in his archive. At one point, he had clicked open the comms, only for a full-body hologram of Greef Karga to appear before him.

"My friend, if you are receiving this transmission that means you are alive. You might be surprised to hear this, but I am alive too. I guess we can call it even." the message began.

Ellia leaned forward in her seat expectantly, remembering the last encounter that she had with the man. Specifically recalling the cool barrel of a blaster digging into the side of her skull.

Glancing over at Din, she watched as he stared back at the transmission as its message continued.

"A lot has happened since we last saw each other. The man who hired you is still here, and his ranks of ex-imperial guards have grown. They have imposed despotic rule over my city, which has impeded the livelihood of the Guild. We consider him an enemy but we cannot get close enough to take him out. If you would consider one last commission, I will very much make it worth your while. You have been successful so far in staving off their hunters. But they will not stop until they have their prize." the man explained.

Ellia's expression slowly morphed into one of worry as she glanced over at the still sleeping child.

"So here is my proposition-" the hologram of Karga continued, "Return to Nevarro, bring the child as bait. I will arrange an exchange and provide loyal Guild members as protection. Once we get near the client, you kill him, and we both get what we want. If you succeed, you keep the child and I will have your name cleared with the Guild, for a man of honor should not be forced to live in exile. I await your arrival with optimism."

With that, the hologram flickered and then disappeared.

There was a brief pause, before Din turned to look over his shoulder at where Ellia sat behind him.

"It's a trap" Ellia said flatly.

"Definitely a trap" Din agreed.

Sighing, Ellia leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We might want to consider some backup." she noted smartly.

Din stared back at her, turning his chair slightly so that he was facing her more head on.

"Have anyone particular in mind?" he asked.

Ellia pretended to think it over for a second, before a small smile formed on her face, a single eyebrow raising knowingly.

She didn't have to say anything more, and without missing a beat, Din turned back to the console, typing in the coordinates before punching the Razorcrest into hyperspace.

. . .

It was nice to see Sorgan again. The lush green of the trees and fields were a peaceful welcome after the last couple of stressful weeks.

Din landed them in the clearing just outside of the main bazaar that had welcomed them during their first visit.

As they walked inside, they found that the common tent was not operating as a foods place, but instead had been crafted into a makeshift arena, an excitable crowd filled the entire space. At the center of it, two people were locked in a laser-tethered brawl.

One of the fighters, unsurprisingly, was Cara Dune.

Ellia, Din and the child had walked in just in time to see Cara land a few good punches, leading to her catching her Zabrak opponent in a choke hold with the laser, ultimately forcing him to tap out.