Wanderer Lost, Wanderer Found
"But he didn't."
Na'an's hand at Adelle's shoulder was soft but firm. She sidled past her, coming right up to the edge of the barricade, and knelt so that her eye was at the trembling boy's level. "It's okay, man," she said gently; Kamlen only whimpered in response, his eyes and fists clenched so tightly the tear-streaked skin was turning white. He was trying so hard to face what he thought was his end like a man....trying so hard it hurt just to watch. "It's really okay," she said again, resisting the urge to reach out and touch his hand. All things considered, he likely wouldn't respond to the gesture well. "You're not going to die. Just...just unclench, and look at me."
Moment by moment, his trembling slowed. When Kamlen opened his eyes again, he still looked scared, but his hands had finally opened. "You...you killed Garlo."
"I know. And I'm sorry, Kamlen. But the Force is smiling on you today. You're alive, and that means you have options."
"What the kriff's that supposed to mean."
In response, Na'an pointed towards the open door of the barracks, towards the landing bay. "There's a ship coming to take the slaves here back where they belong. If you want you can get on that ship, and go home to your aunt, and put all this behind you. She'll be glad you came back safe to her."
The boy's mouth popped open, his fear momentarily supplanted by what looked more like suprise."Wait, how--"
"Let me finish." She held up a finger; Kamlen snapped his mouth shut again. "If you're that desperate for credits, you can still get on that ship and talk to the captain. There's good work out there for the taking--not safe work, but at least what you'll be doing won't keep you up at night."
She waited, letting the boy work through the options, although the sullen cast to this face wasn't promising. The fact that both of the options she presented began with him getting on a stranger's ship and flying away from Endor wasn't lost on him. He sat back, chewing his lip, watching her as if looking for a twist that would tell him she was lying. "...What happens if I don't wanna get on your crummy ship?" he asked finally.
"Then you'll still be here when an Imperial battalion comes to secure this place. And a real Imperial won't look twice just because you're a kid. To the Empire, a slaver's a slaver." Na'an leaned in, keeping her eye fixed on Kamlen's. "You won't be the first child they've killed for crossing the line," she said softly.
Between the sudden scrutiny and the intensity of her words, the boy's trembling was back again in force. His eyes shifted in every direction but the one that would meet her gaze, looking for a safe place and finding none. It was clear he knew what she was saying was true--everyone knew it these days. The footage from Bakura, the footage the Voice of Abbaji had spread throughout half of space, was hard to avoid. "How--" he said, his voice cracking again. "How do I know your friends out there won't kill me soon as I leave?"
"I'll tell them not to."
"Prove it. Do it now."
Even terrified, the kid had guts. Na'an sat back on her haunches and twisted at the comm in her ear until she heard a beep." "Hey, Arenais?" she said shortly, making sure the boy could see the comm for himself. Kamlen's eyes widened at the sound of the Arenais name; Na'an allowed herself a tiny smirk as she continued. "I'm sending someone out of the barracks. Early teens, dark jacket, name of Kamlen. Poor guy's scared out of his wits. Make sure he gets on board safe, okay?" When she got a confirming beep, she dropped her hands, holding them out in a conciliatory gesture. "See? All done. Nobody outside of this room even needs to know what side of the cage you were on.
"Don't overthink this, Kamlen. Please, just go get on the gorram ship."
Even with that final plea, it still took Kamlen a few minutes to move. After that, though, he moved surprisingly quickly. He launched himself over the far side of his makeshift barricade, skirting across to give both her and Adelle as wide a berth as possible, and all but sprinted across the barracks towards the door. He cast only a furtive look back at Na'an as he ducked around the smuggler and left.
Na'an's hand at Adelle's shoulder was soft but firm. She sidled past her, coming right up to the edge of the barricade, and knelt so that her eye was at the trembling boy's level. "It's okay, man," she said gently; Kamlen only whimpered in response, his eyes and fists clenched so tightly the tear-streaked skin was turning white. He was trying so hard to face what he thought was his end like a man....trying so hard it hurt just to watch. "It's really okay," she said again, resisting the urge to reach out and touch his hand. All things considered, he likely wouldn't respond to the gesture well. "You're not going to die. Just...just unclench, and look at me."
Moment by moment, his trembling slowed. When Kamlen opened his eyes again, he still looked scared, but his hands had finally opened. "You...you killed Garlo."
"I know. And I'm sorry, Kamlen. But the Force is smiling on you today. You're alive, and that means you have options."
"What the kriff's that supposed to mean."
In response, Na'an pointed towards the open door of the barracks, towards the landing bay. "There's a ship coming to take the slaves here back where they belong. If you want you can get on that ship, and go home to your aunt, and put all this behind you. She'll be glad you came back safe to her."
The boy's mouth popped open, his fear momentarily supplanted by what looked more like suprise."Wait, how--"
"Let me finish." She held up a finger; Kamlen snapped his mouth shut again. "If you're that desperate for credits, you can still get on that ship and talk to the captain. There's good work out there for the taking--not safe work, but at least what you'll be doing won't keep you up at night."
She waited, letting the boy work through the options, although the sullen cast to this face wasn't promising. The fact that both of the options she presented began with him getting on a stranger's ship and flying away from Endor wasn't lost on him. He sat back, chewing his lip, watching her as if looking for a twist that would tell him she was lying. "...What happens if I don't wanna get on your crummy ship?" he asked finally.
"Then you'll still be here when an Imperial battalion comes to secure this place. And a real Imperial won't look twice just because you're a kid. To the Empire, a slaver's a slaver." Na'an leaned in, keeping her eye fixed on Kamlen's. "You won't be the first child they've killed for crossing the line," she said softly.
Between the sudden scrutiny and the intensity of her words, the boy's trembling was back again in force. His eyes shifted in every direction but the one that would meet her gaze, looking for a safe place and finding none. It was clear he knew what she was saying was true--everyone knew it these days. The footage from Bakura, the footage the Voice of Abbaji had spread throughout half of space, was hard to avoid. "How--" he said, his voice cracking again. "How do I know your friends out there won't kill me soon as I leave?"
"I'll tell them not to."
"Prove it. Do it now."
Even terrified, the kid had guts. Na'an sat back on her haunches and twisted at the comm in her ear until she heard a beep." "Hey, Arenais?" she said shortly, making sure the boy could see the comm for himself. Kamlen's eyes widened at the sound of the Arenais name; Na'an allowed herself a tiny smirk as she continued. "I'm sending someone out of the barracks. Early teens, dark jacket, name of Kamlen. Poor guy's scared out of his wits. Make sure he gets on board safe, okay?" When she got a confirming beep, she dropped her hands, holding them out in a conciliatory gesture. "See? All done. Nobody outside of this room even needs to know what side of the cage you were on.
"Don't overthink this, Kamlen. Please, just go get on the gorram ship."
Even with that final plea, it still took Kamlen a few minutes to move. After that, though, he moved surprisingly quickly. He launched himself over the far side of his makeshift barricade, skirting across to give both her and Adelle as wide a berth as possible, and all but sprinted across the barracks towards the door. He cast only a furtive look back at Na'an as he ducked around the smuggler and left.
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