First Steps

[Khar’ynda Chal’istre]

Khar'ynda had decided to use the blanket of night to aid in her exit from Dathomir. She had carefully planned every step of the way and was departing with only a satchel of personal items and her looted rifle. As she kneeled and wrapped her rifle in strips of canvas to hide its true intention, she recalled her time in the clan as a young girl. The hours and hours of hand to hand combat training, the magick spells, and the endless hours learning the ancient art of alchemy. Remembering it all almost made her dizzy. Khar'ynda also was reminded of the expression on her mother's face when the other clan daughters were enthusiastically embracing the nightsister way of life. Khar'ynda was not like the other daughters. This was definitely not her idea of a way of life. Khar'ynda longed to explore the galaxy and discover wonderous creatures along the way. Tonight she would take her first steps on that journey.

The dim light from the stars helped to illuminate her path to freedom. Rancors bellowed in the distance as she made her way along the edge of the dark forest toward where a ship had been designated for her to depart in. Although she had not actually flown a spaceship before, this one had been set up with something called autopilot that would take her to a place far from Dathomir called Mos Eisley, Tatooine. As she made her way across the darkened field, she saw the dim outline of the ship. Khar'ynda boarded quickly, sat down in the cockpit chair, and pressed the button that was labeled "Start" on the dashboard. The engines hummed to life as she nervously looked around and gripped the arms of the chair. This was really it. She was doing this.

The ship's ramp closed up and then she felt movement as the ship climbed into the atmosphere and then surged into lightspeed. A smile of relief came upon her face as the stars streaked by like brilliant beams of light. It wouldn't be too long now. Her future was almost here.

[Khar’ynda Chal’istre]

The details of the trip were a blur to her since her mind was preoccupied with the new planet she was traveling to. Would she be able to find a job? Could she locate a place to stay? Would she meet anyone she could trust? So many questions flooded her mind. Before she knew it, the ship had landed somewhere out in the desert sand, and the ramp had descended. A holopad blinked on the cockpit chair arm, and as she depressed it, she heard an unfamiliar voice.

You will find attire that will allow you to blend in with the locals just under the storage area, along with some credits to get you started. Travel by the dunes to Mos Eisley. Once there, you will find a cantina with various speeders and creature mounts outside. Settle into a booth and observe everything around you. You will be able to determine where you go next. Good luck...

Khar'ynda sighed deeply and then changed into the clothing that was left for her. It was boring tan and brown colored garb, hardly as stylish as her black and red Dathomirian attire, but she would just pack that up and take it with her for a later time. She grabbed her satchel and rifle disguised as a staff and exited the ship. As she moved away from the vessel, the ramp closed up and the ship headed into the sky. She was really alone now, on her own at last. Spotting the dunes just on the edge of town, she walked toward the cityscape.

It was only a short distance from where she was dropped off until she spotted the cantina. It was a very busy place as beings were coming and going constantly. She entered the establishment and was met with a wash of sounds and smells. Seeing the bartender, she walked down the steps and ordered an ale and then just stood there sipping it slowly, while glancing around. All of the tables and booths had at least one person already sitting there, so she just stayed at the bar, thinking about what to do next.

[Khar’ynda Chal’istre]

After a short while, a few booths opened up and Khar'ynda settled into one of them near the corner of the room. She definitely felt more at ease sitting down. This was such a strange place and she had to constantly be on her guard. With her balaclava still loosely adorned around her face, she discreetly pulled out her holopad and began to study the details of this planet so that she would be more familiar with her new surroundings.

A service droid stopped at the table asked if she had an order for food. Since she wasn't familiar with the local cuisine, she just requested the special and hoped that it was going to be edible. The droid rolled away and brought her food back to her booth without much delay.

The droid addressed her in Basic and said, "Here you go, one order of bantha steak soup with Tatooine flat bread and a blue milk. That'll be 75 credits, Miss."

Khar'ynda placed the coins on the platter and the droid departed. Looking down at the bubbling broth, she decided to try a spoonful. It had a sweet and spicey flavor. "Hm, not too bad", she thought to herself. She chuckled and then continued to eat her first meal away from the only home she had ever known.

[Khar’ynda Chal’istre]

Khar'ynda periodically glanced around the room, being careful not to bring any unwanted attention to herself. Just then, she heard a loud commotion as a garrison of stormtroopers entered the cantina and walked over to a large table across the room filled with lots of beings. It was hard to hear but she thought she heard something about a search for contraband. After a few moments, the patrons handed the stormtroopers some credits and then the garrison left the premises. It looked like some sort of imperial fundraising scam in her opinion. But it would be best not to be noticed, so she discreetly resecured her items and then continued eating her meal.

The holopad message said that she would be able to determine where she went next. The Dathomirian had no idea how she was going to figure that out though. It was going to be challenging to find a place to stay and secure a job, but this is what she had always dreamt of... the opportunity to see the galaxy and determine a path to follow. Khar'ynda ordered another blue milk and took the holopad out of her satchel.