The Plot Thickens - 10.200

[Ettagar Veir]

Cloud City

The girl was sitting in the hotel lounge, looking more than a little lost, and Ettagar found himself getting annoyed with her.

“Damn it, Fid,” he grunted, content with just watching her for a moment. What was he thinking, just leaving the girl with him? What was he going to do with a little girl? Never mind simply disappearing for months on end. Never mind returning one day with a little girl and a tale of retribution and vengeance and Ranshe’s finger. Never mind making promises to help the girl, and then suddenly disappearing again.

He frowned, wondering how in the hell (he only thought there was one hell — it was enough, forget the Corellians and their seven) he was supposed to help this girl in the galaxy they lived in.

She looked up at him, and he gave up his simple observation, and stalked over to her.

“So,” he started lamely, sitting down next to her. People drifted past them on their way to their rooms. “Ye hungry, lass?”

It wasn’t a very good beginning, but it would have to do.

[Esther Hadrana]

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml><w:WordDocument><w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel><w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery><w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>2</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery><w:DocumentKind>DocumentNotSpecified</w:DocumentKind><w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>7.8</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing><w:View>Normal</w:View><w:Compatibility></w:Compatibility><w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom></w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]-->“Yes,” she said, trying to parse the annoyance on his face.

Ettagar Veir was much like his brother, in that he was rather expressive. Most of that expression was in various shades of apathetic boredom, irritation, annoyance, and sarcastic humour. But thankfully, though he wasn’t a good person — neither he nor his brother were good people — he wasn’t cruel. She’d tried to reason herself into believing they were good people, but the evidence was there. They were bad people who thrived on the ill fortune of others.

He ordered a sandwich for the both of them and drinks. He got alcohol and she got tea.

“So gerl,” he said in his accented voice. It was breathy and sharp at the same time. “If we’re te find ye someplace te go, we’ll need information.”

She shrugged, which only made him more irritated.

“I don’t know. The only person I know now is my grandfather, Denton Hadrana.”

“Well,” he replied, taking a bite out of his sandwich. “Tha’s a start, innit?”

She started, realizing he was right. She’d gotten used to the idea that her grandfather was gone, but perhaps he’d just been unable to get her... If they could find him and help him, things could work out.

“We were living on Denon,” Esther said, finishing her own sandwich. “Grandfather worked for a university there.”

[Ettagar Veir]

“Do ye remember where ye lived?” Ettagar asked, finishing his beer. She nodded, and he burped, and paid their tab. “Verra well. Let’s get on, snapper.”

They made off, being careful to avoid patrols or get themselves drawn into nasty business. Stopping at the landing pad, Ettagar punched in the code and watched the doors open, revealing a long thin walkway ending in a circular pad atop which sat Ed’s new pride and joy, even if the hyperdrive was prone to breaking down.

“That’s a JumpMaster 5000,” Esther said, surprised. Ettagar was surprised also, and she fidgeted when he fixed her with an incredulous stare. “I’d see them when Grandfather would go and pick up stuff brought back from dig sites. The museum would use ships like these because they were less likely to be attacked by pirates.”

Ettagar turned, shaking his head with a bemused smile and they boarded the ship.

“Welcome aboard the Fiaga,” Ettagar grunted. “Now strap in, and be quiet, yeah? This is goin’ te be a trip an’ a half, and gettin’ me annoyed will only make it longer.”

Esther did as she was told, but watched him work, bringing up the astrogation display and work out their route to Denon.

“This is going to take some time,” Ettagar grunted, ignoring the girl for a moment. With their coordinates in place, the ship turned, and as they left Bespin’s gravity well, the engines gave a high pitched whine while the stars elongated, and they rocketed into hyperspace.