Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Rebirth

I awoke with a start, finding the naked thigh of a Twi’lek draped across my leg. At one point of my life I may have been ashamed to recognize that this was not an uncommon occurrence. Years of war and years of witnessing friends and loved ones torn apart before your eyes tends to erode honor and decency. Solace is often found in between the thighs of a woman. This one…was different.

I ran the back of my hand across her forehead gently so as to not wake her. A tender touch, one she is not used to receiving, and one I have not desired to share with anyone else for a long time. Something was wrong. Her flesh was ice cold, breathing now that I looked beyond the swell of her chest was shallow and slow. She was dying.

As quickly as I had laid her down in my bed the night before I lifted her. cradled in my arms. I rushed down two lifts, across the main concourse to the medical bay. I gently placed her upon and examination table and fired up the droid.

“Full body scan down to the cellular level. Search for any anomalies: structural or genetic. Access Imperial records, download basic Twi’lek physiology and known pathogens. Cross reference any anomalies found with known diseases.” The medical droid attempted an off balance salute. I do not know why my droids started doing this. It was not into their protocol programming, but it did begin shortly after my Narglatch used an R2 unit as a toy…

The monotone voice responded after a few minutes, “Scan complete. Genetic manipulation discovered on the 15th chromosome. Gene location is 234.156. Known mapping indicates this gene is responsible for sex drive and physical attachment to another based for the single basic purpose of self-pleasure.” My heart sank. She was an engineered pleasure girl and I had fallen into her trap only the night before.

A hand suddenly grasped mine tightly and I pulled my sidearm without thinking. I looked down, into her green eyes. They welled with tears and pleaded with me, “Maxell, please, help me. The droid is right but last night wasn’t…I need help, please take me home.” I placed a gentle hand on her forehead, running the palm down her face, urging her to close her eyes and relax.

As quickly as I found myself lost in something long forgotten the night before, I returned to what I know best. Leaving the medical bay I returned to the ante chamber to the bridge where my Mandalorian armor waited. Under this, I was shielded from the world. When I remove it, I get hurt in more ways than one. Not this time. I will fix this and things will be different. She may not be mine in the end, but at least she will be free, and someone will be dead for what they have done.