> Disclaimer: Star Wars and all of it's Intellectual Properties is owned by George Lucas and Walt Disney, This fictional work and all of it's original characters are however mine.
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After the skirmish, our group fanned out across the sandy ground, rifling through the raiders’ scattered gear. Kado immediately zeroed in on the pile of loot, his eyes glinting with the faintest hint of hope as he started counting the meager pile of wupiupi we’d scrounged up. But his initial optimism quickly faded, and he muttered under his breath, “Just as I thought. Poorer than me, these raiders. Figures.”
Davik, meanwhile, was checking over the speeder, his eyes darting between its various parts and the desert around us, his blaster within easy reach in case more trouble was lurking. Mira, true to form, kept to the perimeter, her gaze sweeping the dunes and rocks like a hawk. She was relaxed but vigilant, every sense tuned to spot the slightest movement in the distance.
I’d gathered up what was left of the raiders’ gear and started poking through it, hoping to find something useful. Most of it was pretty worn, but not completely worthless. Among the random assortment, there were some blaster power cells, cooling units, and a few spare parts that could actually improve our equipment. My mind raced as I examined the pieces, already picturing ways to integrate them into something more functional.
After a few minutes, I’d cobbled together a rough gauntlet from the raiders’ salvaged parts. It was a bit bulky, but it fit on my wrist well enough. I attached a small cooling mod to help stabilize any blaster I might need to use, slapped on a couple of tools I’d rigged up, and even mounted a small, battered blaster directly on it for emergencies. It wasn’t pretty, but it would do the trick. I tested the weight and balance, flexing my wrist and letting a satisfied grin creep onto my face.
Kado glanced over, arching an eyebrow. “Did you just build yourself a tool gauntlet?”
“Yup,” I replied, still admiring my handiwork. “It’s basic, but it should keep things running a bit longer in case we hit another ambush.”
Kado gave an approving nod, and even Davik glanced over from his inspection of the speeder with a faint smirk. “Resourceful,” he muttered, his tone just edging on praise. “Let’s hope you don’t have to use it.”
Once we’d loaded everything of value onto the speeder, we set off again, steering toward the coordinates Mira had scouted for the wreckage. The journey was tense, but thankfully, it was uneventful. No more raiders, no more blaster fire—just the rhythmic hum of the speeder against the backdrop of endless sand as we made our way to the crashed ship.
As we approached the wreckage, the broken silhouette of the ship rose out of the dunes like a skeletal beast, twisted and torn from whatever impact had brought it down. The afternoon sun cast long shadows over its scorched metal frame, and I could feel my anticipation growing. Here it was—the potential treasure trove of tech and parts that could finally give us the upper hand in this desert wasteland.
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The wrecked ship loomed ahead, half-buried in sand with its hull scorched and twisted from the crash. At first glance, its shape vaguely reminded me of the Millennium Falcon, but the similarities vanished on closer inspection. It was smaller, with sleeker lines and sharper angles that gave it a slightly different, almost aggressive look. Burn marks marred its metallic surface, evidence of the rough entry it must’ve had—or maybe a firefight it hadn’t quite escaped.
Bits of the ship lay scattered around, the debris field telling its own chaotic story. Small parts of the fuselage were flung across the sand, some pieces half-hidden beneath dunes, others glinting in the harsh sunlight. A handful of mangled cargo crates lay strewn nearby, their contents long spilled out or taken by scavengers. There were dents and gouges in the hull as if it had been hammered by more than just atmospheric friction.
“Stay put,” Davik commanded, his voice low but firm as he held up a hand. Mira gave a curt nod and slipped away, her posture alert as she scanned the perimeter.
“Can never be too sure around these parts,” Davik muttered as he unholstered his blaster and followed Mira, his eyes sweeping the horizon and pausing to examine any shadow or suspicious outcrop. Watching them, I noted the practiced ease with which they moved, like they’d done this a hundred times before. Kado and I held our ground, standing silently and watching the area, though I felt my curiosity itching to dive into the ship’s remains.
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I held back, watching as Davik and Mira carefully secured the perimeter of the crash site, their movements cautious and precise. Kado waited with me, his gaze flicking from them to the wreckage.
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After a few tense minutes, Davik signaled that the area was clear. “All good,” he called, motioning us forward. Mira returned, looking satisfied as she stowed her weapon.
“Let’s see what’s left of this poor thing,” Kado murmured as we approached the ship.
Up close, the damage looked even worse. The ship had likely been in trouble long before it hit the ground, given the scorch marks and melted wiring hanging from the exposed panels. I circled the wreck slowly, keeping my eyes peeled for any salvageable parts.
I spotted an access panel that had popped loose, exposing some wiring and circuitry. A few parts looked intact enough, though the rust and sand hadn’t done them any favors. After rummaging for a moment, I managed to pull a few blaster components that might still work with some tweaking. One of the thermal regulators even looked adaptable—maybe with some modifications, it could help Davik's blaster run cooler.
“This is promising,” I said, holding up a cooling module and a pair of old-looking power converters. “Not exactly new, but these might come in handy.”
Kado raised an eyebrow, glancing over the pieces. “Better than nothing, and certainly worth a few wupiupi back in town if you know the right buyer.”
Davik, who’d been poking around the debris, returned to the group. “Speeder’s intact and secure. Looks like we’ll have enough space to haul most of what’s worth salvaging.”
Mira crouched down by one of the ship’s panels, prying it open to reveal a compartment that had held up surprisingly well. She examined the contents—a few containers that had likely survived the crash by sheer luck—and began passing them over.
Taking a hint from her efficiency, I got to work on the salvaged parts, crafting another crude gauntlet with a few of the components. With a bit of jury-rigging, I managed to mount another blaster onto it, just like the first. It wasn’t the most elegant setup, but it was something to start with—a way to defend myself, especially in this place where almost everyone seemed to carry a weapon.
Once we’d loaded up everything worthwhile from the ship, Davik took one last look around, nodding in satisfaction. “Alright, let’s head back before we get any uninvited company.”
Without further delay, we made our way to the speeders and left the wreckage behind, the hot winds of Tatooine sweeping away any trace of our visit.
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As we sped away from the wreckage, Mira, who was keeping an eye on her scanner, suddenly held up a hand. "Hold up," she muttered. "Looks like we’ve got some company heading toward the site. Six… no, eight life signatures incoming.”
I glanced over, seeing the faint readings on her device as she keyed in a few commands. Mira had clearly been prepared—her earlier work had involved scattering detectors around the perimeter to map the area, so any movement was bound to pop up on her scanner. She gestured toward a nearby rock formation a bit farther out. “Let’s pull off here. Better to wait them out than take our chances on the open sand.”
Davik quickly steered the speeder toward the rocks, slowing down to reduce the noise as we tucked ourselves into a shallow crevice that offered a decent vantage point. “Even from this distance, it’s better to stay out of sight,” Davik advised, his voice low.
I kept my newly crafted gauntlet with its added tools close, knowing I’d be useless in a firefight but hoping that my quick handiwork could help if we needed to make repairs on the go. That second gauntlet was starting to feel like a smart addition—it was basically a portable workshop on my wrist.
The distant hum of engines grew louder, and I cautiously peeked over the edge of our hiding spot. The group was approaching the wreckage, a mixture of grizzled raiders and scavengers by the looks of them, armed to the teeth and clearly more than capable of defending their find. I felt a cold trickle of relief that Mira had spotted them in time.
Once the scavengers reached the wreckage, they dismounted from their bikes and started inspecting the ship, unaware of our previous raid. Mira kept an eye on her scanner, signaling when the coast was clear. Davik, Mira, Kado, and I moved carefully, pushing the speeder into a slow roll before we accelerated at a safe distance, our engines humming quietly in the vastness of the Tatooine desert.
As we finally got out of range, I exhaled, feeling the tension drain from my shoulders. Kado glanced at me with a faint smirk. “Well, looks like you got your first taste of Tatooine’s finest. Not so boring now, huh?”
I chuckled, more out of nerves than humor. “Yeah… not boring at all.”
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As we sped back toward town, I found myself staring at the gauntlets on my forearms while my mind wandered to bigger plans. Each day on Tatooine made it clear that surviving here was only the start—I needed to find a way to get off this rock and reach the Core Worlds. Sure, my gear was useful for now, but it wouldn’t be enough for the journey ahead. I’d need a plan, supplies, and the right people on my side if I wanted a real shot at getting where I needed to go.
Kado seemed to catch my thoughtful look, raising an eyebrow. “Normally, any extra hands we hire are trouble. The worst ones take forever, either demanding more pay halfway through or arguing over their cut while we’re still salvaging. By the time they’re done, another group’s already caught wind and swept in to strip what’s left. Not profitable, and not worth the headache.”
I nodded, taking that in. So it wasn’t just about doing the job, it was about doing it quickly and staying ahead of everyone else. Kado’s crew didn’t waste time squabbling or demanding more while out on a job—that was likely how they’d managed to stay a step ahead.
Kado glanced at my gauntlets with a knowing smirk. “You’re not the first to bring your own tools, kid, but you’re one of the few who doesn’t complain about the cut.”
I gave a small shrug, thinking of all the things I still needed to figure out before I could even think about negotiating. “Getting to the Core means more than credits. The faster we work, the faster I can get closer to that goal. And every credit counts.”
Kado gave a faint nod, satisfied. “Good answer. Stick to that mindset, and you just might make it off this rock.”
I looked down at my makeshift gear once more, my mind already returning to those bigger plans.
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