Echo

A/N: Okay… this is a little random… I’ve changed the species of Norv about three times now, and I’m not sure if I’m satisfied… soooo… It’s a work in progress. This is pre-imperial so there’s no alliance, no rebels, no vader (*pout* (Vader’s so cool!)) Anywho.. this is probably just gunna be R for a while.

*Love*-
Vicky
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Hollow footsteps clanked along the metal plated, slightly rusted sidewalks of the lower levels of Coruscant. The hard plastic of her boots hitting the ground seemed to echo to eternity and the rest of the underworld seemed dead in silence. Her heart leapt into her throat as she turned the corner and ran strait into a brick wall… or at least that’s what she thought she ran into. As her dark velvety green eyes traveled upward to examine this wall she realized it wasn’t a wall at all. Her tortured lungs let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Norv!”

She stepped back away from the decly nly not-metal wall. She made her way around the large body of the thick, dangerous looking beast in front of her, so she managed to halfway hide behind him. The black-coated Bothan turned halfway towards her and started to growl a question. “You“You have no idea how glad I am to have found you”, she cut him off before he could begin her eyes darted back the way she came. A shiver when up her spine as she felt the presence that had been following her for the past few blocks rush towards them and then sink back into nothing. The same thing that had happened about a half-dozen times this week, her nerves were decidedly frayed to the point of no return. Norv gave worried sort of grumble and she knew that his fur would be standing on edge—if she could see him in the darkness.

“Nothing… its okay…” she whispered, then trying to get the fear out of her voice she grinned at him “I was just looking for a good buddy to go gambling with!” she put on her most cocky, underworld smuggling brat grin. The Bothan, led led at her again, only this time she just waved at him and moved down the street. The terror that filled every aspect of her person just seconds ago seemed to have evaporated completely.

Her hair streaked black, white, and lime green to match the light points of her eyes catches the light and the addition of luminescent creatures to her hair make the white into an almost pear color. She shot the massive Bothan a grin and with a groan, the outcast alien followed, reluctantly.


Two s las later found the two in one of the sleaziest gambling halls on the entire city planet. She leaned over a sabbac table and smirked at the Dug across the sticky, bloodstained table before her. Her eyes flicked down to the hand before her; it wasn’t a particularly good hand, but a few lucky plays in the game that she played up just right gave her a reputation for luck that made bluffing that much easier. She watched the creature fidget in its seat, knowing what it had wagered—a ship, a very good ship, a ship that she wanted more than anything. She’d need a fast ship to pull of her next run.

The Bothan behind her let out a dismayed groan as the Dug folded and spit at the now widely grinning girl. She tossed her cards on the table and gathered her winnings; the deed to a nearly new custom made ship that had cost its original owner a fortune to build. As she pushed her chair back from to table with a painful sort of scraping noise and started to pull herself to her feet. She felt a decidedly human hand on her shoulder. Her eyes narrowed and she turned to give the bastard who dared touch her a piece of her mind.

“You hutt fucking perv—“ her voice caught in her throat as recognition sparked to life through the mild haze of drunkenness. Plopped back down in her chair and folded her arms.

“What am I, Vera?” a patient voice came from over her shoulder.

“nothing” she said with classic stubbornness

“Are you sure?” he asked, leaning over her shoulder.

“Of course, I’d never call a PADAWAN anything obscene”

“You know if you did, your uncle would be cross with you” he scolded playfully

“Jedi aren’t allowed to be cross”

“That doesn’t stop him from restricting your access to… anywhere other than your quarters” she snorted and stood up abruptly shooting him a weapons shop fully of daggers at him with her mind.

“Yeah, if I’m still on this rock”

“Vera, what are you talking about?” the man asked, pushing the chair in calmly, he pulled the hood on his cloak back to reveal his face. More youthful than the patience in his voice would suggest, maybe a year or two older than the smuggler brat in front of him who was holding the deed to the ship out before her.

“This” she hissed, “is what I’m talking about. I won it.” She folded her arms in front of her chest; the plain white shirt she wears is now rather stained with alcohol and a few smudges that resemble blood. Her green eyes flicker over the face of the Jedi trainee. Through all his hard work to control his emotions she could see the hurt enter his eyes.

“You’re leaving?”

“In the morning, Norv too”

The man turned to face the Bothan who shrugged and went back to observing another sabbac game at another table. Then looked back at the lanky girl who was still holding out the deed before her. After a moment his face regained the typical Jedi calm. “for for for the better, I suppose” he said with a detached coolness that she’d rarely experienced from him “Master Kivis said I should be taking the trials soon, I’ll be a Jedi by the end of the month. This way we won’t have to baby-sit you all the time and I can devote more time to my studies.”

“That’s a load of rancor crap!”

“You can ask him yourself, if you even plan on saying goodbye to the man who raised you”

“He didn’t raise me!”

“Who bought those clothes you are wearing? The food you ate this morning? Who keeps you out of trouble with the authorities—he didn’t need to take you in”

“And I suppose he knows what my favorite food is? What I do when you two are off on missions? How many planets I’ve been to? Does he even know any of my friends??” she cast a glance at the Bothan who seemed to be half-asleep. “He’s not my father” her green eyes flared with anger “Good for him if he likes to feed me!” she growled and then turned and stormed out of the bar.

The Jedi-in-training turned to the Bothan, “Thanks for the help, good buddy”.

The alien returned the short comment with a slight bow of his head and a toothy grin. “She’s right, y’know”

“I know” He said and followed his charge out into the lower levels of Coruscant.