It Came from Nar Shaddaa: Chapter 4

'Dustil?'

Dustil turned and saw the masked woman he had met earlier that day and a teenaged girl entered the hanger. 'Hello, Qwert.' Dustil nodded to the masked figure.

Qwert bowed her head. 'Greetings Dustil, this is my sister, Sasha.' she said warmly, turning to the blonde sixteen year old that stood beside her.

'Nice to meet you, Sasha.' Dustil replied, looking the girl over, wondering why she didn't dawn a mask like her sister's.

'Sir, I can't thank you enough for getting us off this planet!' she smiled and embraced Dustil snuggly.

Qwert, seeing the look of worry on Dustil's face, decided to pry Sasha off of him. 'Sasha means well I assure you, Mr. Dustil. I'm afraid she's a bit over zealous though.' Qwert said, looking at Sasha who only smiled sheepishly and blushed as she shrugged away from Dustil. 'First things first, we need to bet this kolto loaded.

'Hold on!' Dustil rebutted. 'This is going to take a while, and I don't know about you two, but I have had a long day. It's already almost dark.'

'What do suggest we do?' Sasha questioned.

'I suggest we get something to eat, and then I'll show you around the ship.'

Qwert was about to insist they get to work right then, but when she how Sasha's face had lit up, she couldn't. 'Alright, but after that we get started loading.'

'All business today, I see.' Dustil said; glad to see that she actually wanted to work. 'If you insist working without any sleep and on a full stomach, that's fine by me. But don't you think it will take more than three people to load all of this?' Dustil said motioning to the packages of kolto piled high around the three.

'I will let you be the judge of that once you have seen us working.'

'Alright, well let's head to the cantina.'

'The cantina?' Sasha and Qwert replied in unison, looking at each other.

'Look, don't worry about it, I have plenty of credits.'

'Wow, what's got into your caffa? First you agree to give us a ride without even asking our names and then you offer to pay for dinner?' Qwert mused.

'Sounds to me like somebody got a bad case of street rat pity.' Sasha jested. 'Thanks for the offer but...'

'We aren't starved...we will be fine with whatever you've got on board. There is no need to go to the cantina.'

'Between the three of us, the provisions aren't going to last very long.'

'I know this really nice looking shop right around the corner, we really don't have to go to the cantina.' Sasha cringed.

Dustil smirked, 'Oh...I understand.'

'You understand what?' Qwert questioned.

'It's just so obvious!'

'What's so obvious?' Qwert demanded.

'You...you're afraid to go to the cantina.'

'That is not going to work, Dus...'

'What?' Sasha interjected, moving in closer to Dustil, cornering him in the confined space. 'I'm not scared!' She turned swiftly to Qwert, 'Are you?'

Qwert sighed, 'Sasha...'

'Are you?'

It was then that Dustil noticed that Sasha towered over Qwert. 'Well, is my big sister...my role model, who I aspire to be like one day, afraid of going out to eat on Nar Shaddaa?'

Qwert had always known Sasha was a bit prideful, but this was ridiculous. Qwert didn't want to encourage this sort of compulsive behavior, but the rusted blaster at Sasha's side convinced her to let it slide this time. 'No.' She reluctantly turned to Dustil, 'Let's go.'

Dustil sensed a mixture of anxiety and irritation coming from across the booth. Sasha eyed him with a furrowed brow. He looked at Qwert; he knew she must be the one feeling anxious about something. He would have given anything to see her face, to see where her attention was focused...to see what she was hiding.

'So...how long have you two been on Nar Shaddaa?'

'To long.' Qwert replied.

'I've been on Nar Shaddaa for two days and it's been to long. Do you think you could elaborate?'

'We don't elaborate.' Sasha said sternly.

'She's had a mood swing, wouldn't you say? You suppose this is part of a phase she's going through.' Dustil whispered to Qwert. Qwert turned her head quickly to Dustil.

'You've done it now.'

'What?' Dustil asked.

"I heard that you nerf herder!' Sasha yelled at Dustil, rising from the booth.

'Sasha!' Qwert whispered imploringly. 'Don't make a scene.'

But it was too late. You think you know anything about me? You know what I'm going through? I've meet Bantha that could relate to me better than you could!'

'Oh and I suppose you know every last horror I've been through, don't you?' Dustil said, in turn rising from his side of the booth.

'Dustil, Sasha, please sit down!' Qwert said, pulling her mask tighter around her face.

'HEY!' a voice boomed from across the bar room.

Sasha shrank back behind Qwert, who was now standing between the two adversaries. A medium sized man came from across the room. 'I've been looking everywhere for you!' The man turned to Qwert and quickly pulled down her mask. Her lenses fell off. Dustil wanted very badly to spin around and get a good look at her, but given the current state of affairs, Dustil decided that wasn't the brightest thing to do.

'Boss wasn't happy when you went missing; you know you were very valuable to him, Quertine. But now you are found! I'll get a bonus for bringing you back!'

'I'm not going back.' Qwert said firmly.

'Oh, standing with courage, I see. Well so am I!' the man gave a sharp whistle, 'Oh, boys!'

Two bounty hunters came out of the shadows. Qwert leaned near Dustil's ear and whispered 'Remember how I told you about...'knowing' a slave.'

'Vaguely.' Dustil whispered back.

'Well, I never told you how well I knew the slave.'

'Do I want to know?' Dustil cringed.

'No, but you might need to hear it given the current state of affairs.'

'Wait, let me guess, the guy that's got us cornered is that slave, and he's been sent to 'recruit' you into his master's service?'

'Close...' Qwert said turning her bare face to Dustil, who couldn't help but notice that she looked nothing like Sasha, 'I'm the slave.'