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.
Ja'ak gave her a sheepish half-grin and brought his drink to his lips again. She backed away from the bar and disappeared into the crowd.
Something in my teeth?
he thought, frowning into his glass. To his right there seemed to be some sort of story being told, the Human telling it using his hands to make grand gestures. Ja'ak looked on in amusement as the man moved with the tale, swinging his arms wide, eventually knocking himself off balance and falling off his stool. Ja'ak chuckled, and then quickly hid the laugh in his Utozz, draining the rest of it. As he placed the now-empty glass on the bar top, there was a tap on his shoulder.
"Huh?" Ja'ak turned around and, to his surprise, there was the woman from across the bar. Up close he could see her features much better; her well-placed cheekbones highlighting her sparkling light blue eyes, her nicely-shaped nose leading down to her full, luscious lips. She wore a sand-colored jacket, opened to reveal a grey tube top, and sand-colored camouflage pants.
What a knockout,
he thought.
"Are you going to close your mouth and buy me a drink, or just drool down your chin?" she asked.
"Oh, uh, yeah...sure, sure thing." Ja'ak said, stumbling over his words. He got the bartender's attention and ordered two more drinks. He hoped she liked Utozz.
"Good boy," she said with a smile. "I think you should follow me to my table so we can have a nice chat."
"If you say so," he replied. He paid the bartender and picked up both drinks.
"This way." she began to make her way towards a booth in a corner of the cantina. Ja'ak followed, drinks in hand. She pointed to the seat with its back against the wall, indicating for him to sit. He promptly complied, interested in the turn of events. She took the seat across from him.
"I noticed you staring at me. It's rude, you know." she looked him in the eyes, raising her eyebrows. "What is your name, boy?"
"Uhm, Ja'ak, I guess." Ja'ak smirked. He was still stumbling on his words.
