Survived

Cody Togjid

"Togjid, are you coming?" the rough voice of Cody Togjid's boss shouted.

"Yeah." Cody hollered back. He straightened, and glanced around the building. Dark, damp, and smelly. An unusual sight on Lothal. He began walking toward the one source of natural light in the building: the door. He stopped briefly to put his hat into a cubby with his name above it.

"Where were ya yesterday?" demanded the short Twi'lik.

"It was my day off, Riggs." Cody scowled.

"No more 'o' that for ya!" shouted Riggs. His light green skin was really turning red from anger. "The Empire found out what we're up to here, so I'm shutting up shop." his glowering face told Cody exactly what Riggs thought of the Empire.

"I am getting paid, correct?" Cody asked cautiously. Riggs was well known for his temper.

"If I had only paid ya yesterday, no. But since ya haven't had yer paycheck for a while, may as well give it ta ya." snarled Riggs. "Packaging spice ain't what you were built for, anyway." He turned away as Cody felt his face go red.

"Sir, with all due respect..."

"With all due respect Togjid, I highly recommend ya get yer stuff and then pay my office a visit to collect yer pay." Cody scowled darkly as he turned and left the office.

"Packing spice." he growled to himself. "You saw that before you hired me, Riggs." he grabbed a canteen and a small box. As he headed back to the office, he saw other workers packing their things or hiding all evidence that the spice- plant had ever existed.

"Headin' out, Cody?" someone called.

"Yup. Gotta find something else to do." Cody hollered back. He stepped into Riggs office again.

"Here." Riggs growled, thrusting an envelope of credits into Cody's hands. "I highly suggest ye find yerself another job and forget this one."

"I'll remember to forget all that." Cody replied as he headed out the door. He took a moment to look back at the place, but no regret or anger was in his eyes. It was the third job he had been kicked out of because of Imperial activity. He walked a couple streets to his apartment. Shabby, low rent, and filled with bugs, it was the best he could afford here in Capital City. Turning down some steps, he slid his key into the slot and heard a click. He removed it and pressed a button. The door slid open revealing a small kitchen. Sighing, he flung his canteen in one corner and the box in another.

You really need to find some better living quarters, pal." he muttered to himself. He opened the door to a small cooler and pulled out a rotting piece of fruit. He bit into it as he leaned his head back.

"I'll just go to the marketplace." he thought aloud. "Someone there has to have something." He sat up and turning to a secret alcove in the wall, he took two hidden blasters out. He stared at them, memories running through his mind. He shook his head to clear them and hid the blasters in his brown shirt where he could access them easily. He always brought them to the market with him, just in case he needed to defend himself. He also knew the cost of being caught with two DC- 17 hand blasters. Those were illegal now, according to the Empire. But when did the law ever stop him from doing things like carrying illegal weapons around?

"Never," he chuckled to himself. He made sure he grabbed some credits and then headed to the Capital City marketplace.

Little did he know that the simple visit would change the course of his life on Lothal.