ʙᴏᴜɴᴛʏ || ᴅɪɴ ᴅᴊᴀʀɪɴ

XXVII

Out over the horizon, the sand begins to shake. It looks almost liquid. Some sand gets blown into the air from the wind that was created. As you look around, people across the town starts running into their homes and the buildings.

"What the hell is that?" you ask watching the sand.

Whatever was under the sand began making loud screeching noises. It swims through the sand down the street, popping its head up at the end to eat a bantha, then dives back down. The wind goes quiet and the sand stops.

"Maybe we can work something out." Cobb says

-

You pick up the child and carry him as the three of you walk down the streets of Mos Pelgo.

"That creature's been terrorizing these parts since long before Mos Pelgo was established." Cobb starts "Thanks to this armor, I've been able to protect this town from bandits and sand people. They look to me to protect them. But a krayt dragon is too much for me to take on alone." He rests his arm on a post "Help me kill it and I'll give you the armor."

"Kill it?" you scoff

"Deal. I'll ride back to the ship, blow it out of the sand from the sky, use the bantha as bait." Din nods

Cobb chuckles "Not so simple. The ship passes above." he nods "It senses the vibrations, stays underground. But I know where it lives."

"Where?" you ask

"Not far." he looks out at the sand.

"Well boys, let's go shall we?" you step down and walk towards the speeder bike.

Cobb looks at Din raising his brows "She always so motivated?"

Din shrugs "Sometimes."

-

While riding out over the dunes Cobb leads the way. As you and Din follow him, he tells a story. He explains what happened to his town after the Empire fell. Their town was taken over by a mining collective. Most civilians were taken as slaves, but he escaped. While he was on the run, Jawas picked him up. That's how he got the armor. Once he got it, he came back and took control of the town once again.

-

Growls echo off the walls of the passing canyon in the distance. Cobb reaches his arm out, signaling to stop. He hops off the speeder and takes his rifle, followed by Din. You hop off last and creep behind them. A massiff steps up from behind the rocks and growls, leading more out from hiding. You aim your blaster nervously then flinch when you hear Din call out in tusken. You turn and look up at him.

His hands were held where his mouth would be and his head was tilted back. He then walks towards the massiffs.

"What the hell you doing?" Cobb stares at him.

Din holds out his hand and speaks to the massiffs in tusken. One of them runs up to him, and he kneels patting its back. You lower your blasters and see a tusken walk out from behind a rock. Din stands and speaks to them. After they reply, Cobb gets Din's attention.

"Hey partner, you wanna tell me what's going on?"

"They wanna kill the krayt dragon too."

The tuskens agree to lead you back to their camp. When you arrive, they build a campfire and set up a few tents. You, Din, and Cobb sit around the fire with some tuskens.

You lean your head against Don's shoulder while he talks and negotiates. You slowly close your eyes, drifting to sleep, peacefully. Until you're woken up by loud voices.