Big DLX

[Jimcorpus]

Big DLX

 

            Gold and pink painted the eastern sky as a stranger arrived on a Aratech 2-Z speeder at the south edge of Cold Water. With only a couple people and vehicles scurrying about, the stranger parked near a walkway with no other vehicles nearby. A smooth dismount brought forth a small dust cloud where the stranger’s light tanned rider boots landed on the hard dirt. Square buildings in town and farm fields to the distance covered the landscape. Occasional small animals went about as the speeder no longer hummed.

            The round light tanned speeder helmet with dark visor concealed the stranger, except for wisps of ginger hair protruding out. Scanning the surroundings, the stranger moved to the walkway then strolled it towards the center of town. More people came out as the sky brightened, interested in this new visitor. Murmurs came forth, the stranger’s an outlaw that’s going to do some mean business.

Tight leggings of light tan with a matching midthigh miniskirt stood out. The accompanying poncho came stone colored, decorated at the edges with diamonds of the same light tanned color. The stranger wore a color scheme that accentuated the attire, despite the occasional dirt and pieces of plants on the outfit from the couple hours ride through the farmland. The poncho covered the front and back of the torso, only allowing a light tanned hood to stand out in the back. It did not, however, cover the large DLX blaster that slung at the right hip.

Approaching an elderly Mirialan gentleman, green of skin with grey of hair, the stranger brought forth from underneath the poncho a round object with black edge and white sides. A small hologram popped up from one side, displaying a human man blond haired. Brown eyes stared menacingly. A scar from plasma heat shown at the right temple. Numbers and words also displayed. The age 24, and a name. Hutta Red.

“Looking for him. He around?” came muffled from behind the visor with the slightest of accent.

“Fraid don’t know” came with slight high pitch from the Mirialan. The stranger gave a slight nod, then proceeded down the walkway, satisfied with the answer not spoken. The air warmed as the sky brightened. People whispered, with occasional words reaching the stranger of big blaster, Red, and nasty business.

“Stranger. Don’t want you hurt. Best you leave.” A young Twi’ lek woman, rocking back on a chair in the shade of a roof, twitched her blue fingers intermittently, her eyes darting about. A long sleeve shirt with rugged slacks and boots gave away her occupation as a farm worker. At least she did not dress skimpy for the fields.

“Won’t be long. I’m looking for someone.” The stranger brought out again the round object that displayed the hologram. “Named Hutta Red. Seen him?”

“Not today. I mean. No, don’t know him.” The Twi' lek jerked her head about, as her blue prehensile tentacles swayed with the motion. The helmet moved slightly with a nod, then the stranger turned and proceeded back down the walkway as the poncho moved slightly about.

Continuing on, the stranger noticed then focused on a young man with blue and white striped montrels and head tails. A Togrutan, standing by a door, stared at the stranger then tried to look away.

“You probably don’t know much about this town, nor if Hutta Red is behind that door.”

“Been here many years, stranger. And I certainly know Red is in the saloon down yonder.” He pointed further down the road, then scrunched his face as the stranger started back towards the speeder. The Togrutan couldn’t understand what caused him to reply that way.

“That felt good” whispered underneath the helmet for only the stranger to hear. The stranger didn’t have to see but felt the presence of the Togrutan running down the road towards the center of town. Continuing back on the walkway, the stranger soon came back to the speeder.

 

 

Doors slid open, the Togrutan burst into the saloon. “Red! Some stranger lookin for you. Think for a bounty.”

The blond man placed his sabacc cards down on the table. Taking a swig of his ale, his right index finger slid over the twenty notches on his DC-2 blaster. “Where?”

“Down towards the south side of town.” The Togrutan pointed from whence he came.

Hutta Red exhaled a long sigh. A smile came to his face, with a couple spaces where teeth used to be. After he finished the ale in his mug, he stood as he knocked his chair back, then shambled to the door as he ignored the stares from the saloon patrons.

 

 

“Hi stranger. That’s, um, a nice speeder.” A human girl, probably not even ten years old, stood at the edge of the walkway, holding a bottle of dark carbonated liquid as she gazed at the stranger in marvel.

In one smooth motion the stranger pulled off the helmet while she knelt by the girl. Green eyes peered back at the youngster from a young lady with light skin under a head of ginger hair. An exquisite braid laid on the right side of her head. “Hi there. Yes, it is. How bout you do me a favor? Go inside the building and keep a watch on it from that window, and I will buy you another one of those.” She pointed at the bottle. “Deal?”

With a broadened smile, the girl enthusiastically nodded her head then proceeded inside. Standing up, the stranger went to the speeder then placed her helmet inside the speeder’s back compartment. Peering down the dirt road towards the center of town, the stranger focused. Not on a sight, a smell, nor a sound. The stranger focused on the energy from all living things. Numerous flows of light, but the harm of fear from so many people also came to her attention.

Hutta Red exited the saloon and shambled out onto the dirt road. Slowly he made his way south, staring at the young woman on the dirt road while the townsfolk scurried off into buildings.

With a slight strut north, “Red, you can come in body temperature or air temperature, but you’re coming in for your crimes.” She perceived the focus of his eyes, the big DLX blaster at her side.

“Someone needs shut yer yap.” His right hand moved slightly towards the DC-2 blaster hanging on his hip.

Her breaths even, focused on all around, she picked up the slight twist of his head as the front of her poncho moved to the left side, without either hand touching it. Hutta Red now eyeballed her chest, or more specifically the metallic cylindrical object on her chest. Sitting vertically in a small pouch on the front of her tunic, the object came with buttons, switches, and a handle.

His head moved up a little, eyes staring at hers, until he squinted with a gritting of his teeth. He must not have appreciated the brief lift of her eyebrows.

A quick jerk of Hutta Red’s hand, the DC-2 cleared the holster. Two bolts of orange plasma sped with death towards the stranger. Yet back they came, rebounded from twin green blades of plasma emanating from the cylindrical object. Quicker than any eye could see the stranger brought forth the cylinder with the blades. The orange plasma bolts zoomed back, grazing Hutta Red on the outer part of his right wrist, and the inner side of his left knee.

Down Hutta Red went with a scream as the stranger gracefully moved towards him. As she neared, he lurched his left hand towards his DC-2, greeted by green plasma sticking through his palm.

Profanities bellowed from Hutta Red towards the stranger, who responded with a smile. “Ya know, you must be so tired, overwhelmed by such a presence. A couple days sleep would do you well.” No more profanities, Hutta Red fell to a slumber with accompanying snores.

Focused on the speeder, a whistle left her lips. The Aratech 2-Z roared to life. Moving towards its owner, the speeder halted beside the stranger. She removed cuffs for wrists and ankles, and a gag that went into his mouth. A few stares came to her attention. She couldn’t help but smile. With ease she lifted Red’s body and placed it onto the back of the speeder, then tied him into place with enjoyment.

Walking to the south side of town with the speeder moving besides, the stranger stopped then gazed into a window. The girl staring, the stranger motioned for her to come out.

“You did great.” The stranger pointed at the bottle. “And you’ve earned another one of those. Which store?”

“That one” the girl replied as she pointed to a nearby general store. “Say, you one of those space angels?”

A slight laugh escaped. “No, I’m not a space angel.” The stranger entered the store, then found a bottle of dark carbonated liquid. She moved to the counter and placed the bottle down.

“On the house, stranger.” An older man, probably four times her age, nodded as he pushed the bottle towards her.

The stranger smiled as she dropped a card with credits double the price of the bottle into a tips jar. “Appreciate the house.” The stranger strolled outside as she gave the girl her new bottle. The energy felt different. Reduced fear, less corruption. The force flowed.

Comments made their way back and forth about the speed of the stranger as she approached the speeder. She brought out her helmet as the elderly Mirialan gentleman came up to her. “Stranger, much obliged what you did. But you don’t look like any Marshall. What are you? Some bounty hunter?”

The stranger gently shook her head a few times as her ginger braid moved about. Before she placed her helmet, she blinked then spoke “Jedi.”