What now? It was the most pressing concern on Elis’ mind, slowly followed by unclear questions around how exactly he had gotten to this small, decrepit outpost cantina on Jakku. His mind was fuzzy. There had been explosions, and fire, twice, maybe three times.

The stranger leaped out from the tent’s cover into the glaring Jakku light. Kai had to look down at the approaching four-armed alien as she shuffled over, not without grace. The Ardennian was wearing a long beige robe and what looked like different coloured metal bangles hanging on the wrists of her two front arms, occasionally visible as they peaked out from under her robe as she moved.

It was quickly getting dark by the time the two men arrived in front of the house they were looking for, the home of Brin’s contact who should be able to get Elis a new ID. Brin had gotten out of a few pinches with this hard-assed Duros.

Kai awoke the next morning more than a little sore from having spent the night with only a blanket between her and the floor. In an effort of being polite to her host, she had accepted the offer of staying the night instead of returning to the Comet.

It was already late afternoon by the time Kai and Aine got back to Gurggo outpost. Aine had offered a hand at installing the transpacitor and both made their way to the Midsummer Comet. As they got closer, they spotted two men in the ship’s shadow. Kai had no trouble recognising them.

The first light of day was shyly rising on the horizon when Elis and Brin made their way to the Midsummer Comet.
“Aim and fire. Aim. And fire. Nothing to it,” Elis repeated in a feeble attempt to reassure himself, examining once again the small blaster Vee had given him.

Elis sat in the cockpit of the Midsummer Comet trying not to stare into the dark abyss that felt like it could pull him into nothingness at any moment, distracting himself by guessing what the different switches on the control panel were expected to do.

The air was dense that evening, as though the sun’s heat had been captured by the planet and it hung in the air, lingering before the temperatures would gradually drop to their usual night cool.