None of the Star Wars creatures, species, locations, or names in this story are my property. Ja'ak and Sarai, however, are. Enjoy =P
I wonder where she's taking me,
thought Ja'ak as he followed Sarai through the alleyway, watching her hips swing to and fro in a mesmerizing manner. He'd met her only hours before in the cantina, and then saw her again in the bazaar as he was looking through the vendors' wares. The second meeting didn't seem to be as much of a coincidence as the first. She looked at him and smiled alluringly, beckoning him with her eyes and her finger, mouthing one word: Come. Ja'ak, being curious and more than slightly intrigued, followed.
* *
He had walked into the cantina, partially to avoid a sandstorm and partially to get a drink, closing the door on the harsh twin suns and sand-filled winds of the desert planet known as Tatooine.
I need a drink, a strong one,
he thought. He took a few steps into the main area and leaned against an open spot on the wall to survey the patrons.
Ja'ak, being just short of 2 meters tall and weighing in at about 99 kilograms, was a large man. While not built like a brawler, he had enough muscle to drive home his point in a fight. He hadn't lost one yet. His long white hair, light grey eyes, and dark skin added to the air of mystery brought on by his white facial tattoos and short white horns. He was moderately attractive, to those interested in that sort of thing. Ja'ak wasn't necessarily the smartest Zabrak in the galaxy, even a little slow on the uptake as some would say, but he did alright.
The area in front of him was indeed the hive of scum and villainy he'd heard of.
Mos Eisley cantina.
As he squinted into the haze, Ja'ak was slightly surprised as to the number of different species represented in the cesspool, committing acts of treachery, deceit, and general anarchy. Now feeling less self-conscious of his horns, he lowered his hood and began to slowly make his way towards the bar.
The Empire doesn't have control here, that's for sure. Only credits rule,
thought Ja'ak with a smirk as he noticed stormtroopers in sandblasted armor watching a deep red Twi'lek, slipping credit chips onto the table in front of her as she danced for them, swaying her hips seductively.
In the booth behind the troopers was a group of Rodians, ranging in color from olive to cerulean. The frilled, bug-eyed creatures were almost comical, looking as though they had arrived from a demented child's imagination. The great hunting species now seemed less so, giggling madly and jabbering away. There was a large shisha on their table, with a hose leading to every Rodian hand. Behind the shisha was a small box of what could only be Giggledust.
Of course,
thought Ja'ak as he pushed his way further towards the bar. Making his way past dark dealings in shady corners, Ja'ak reach the bar counter and hailed the bartender.
"What'll ya have, horn-head?" asked the gruff-looking barkeep, wiping a large glass with a rag, an unimpressed look on his face.
"Uhh...Utozz, please, on the rocks. If you have it, that is." said Ja'ak.
"Sure, sure, we've got that, but the real question is, do you have the credits? It's imported you know. Good stuff." The barkeep placed the glass and rag under the counter and came back up with a rounded bottle and a tall glass half-full with ice.
Ja'ak checked his pockets, and, upon finding credits, replied, "Yeah, here. Thanks." He slid the credits over, leaving the rest as tip. The bartender poured out the drink and took the credits, muttering something under his breath about "cheap-ass foreigners". Ja'ak frowned, and then shrugged it off.
Best not to start a fight in here,
he thought,
especially with the barkeep.
He took a sip of his drink and let out a satisfied sigh. Yes, that was what he needed to whet his whistle.
As Ja'ak leaned against the bar, he noticed a Human female with black, shoulder-length hair staring at him.
It seems I'm being scoped,
he thought, amused.
