Head Start

I don't own Star wars.

"Kal baby!" Lala leaped into my arms and swung me around, laughing madly as she bounced onto the floor. "That was great!" we stood just outside the room we were provided as Oriana walked out, forcefully grinning at me as I frowned. Was something wrong?

"So. I'm thinking something BIG!" Lala smiled, as she wrapped an arm around mine and began leading me back towards the elevator as Oriana scampered to my other arm, taking it in hers.

"I don't care what we pick as long as it gets us off planet." I noted but she rolled her eyes as we arrived at the elevator and it dinged.

"Kal, Baby. We're getting a WHOLE SHIP. For free… -ish." She added as the doors opened to reveal Crazy Candi, standing there with her burly weequay as she smiled at Lala.

"Well. I might be a little nutty, but I'm a woman of my word. Come along. Claim your prize." We stepped into the elevator as the weequay slipped a keycard into an elevator slot, opening a side panel that he hit. Down. Down we went as Crazy Candi hummed to herself, swaying her hips in front of us… the door opened and she stepped out with the weequay. We stepped into what could only be a hanger storage. Dozens of ships lay half-broken, fully broken, or just serviceable all over. The far wall gave way to a massive magnetic field. Obviously so ships could come in and out. Crazy Candi smiled and gestured to the junkyard. "Help yourselves! I'm sure one works."

Lala skipped away as Oriana and I followed her, leaving Candi alone with the burly weequay who leaned forward with a datapad, showing it to her as he whispered in her ear.

"Ooh! This one's shiny!" Lala smiled at a stretched-out transport as Oriana glanced at it and scoffed lazily.

"The Engines are shit. Also, the model has heating problems. This one though… it'll be tight." She noted, gesturing to a much smaller, stealthier design that Lala scowled at.

"No. That's hideous. We won't stand out at all."

"We don't want to stand out we want to leave!" Oriana replied as I took a glance at a large, bulky thing. It was some sort of transport, obviously designed to haul large creatures of some sort. I looked through the open ramp. It was two-storied, with a collection of cages on the first floor, and a moderately sized room, probably an armory or supply story of some sort. And on the second level were small compact rooms and kitchen/lounge, and the far end was the cockpit. Two seats, navigation, at the end of the second floor close to the open ramp were two separate engines rooms for the large adjustable engines.

Other than the various bloodstains all over the ship… it was a rather practical design. Granted it wasn't going to outrun any TIE-fighters… but it was spacious and roomy. "I like this one." I said as Lala and Oriana looked at me, apparently, they were spending most of their time yelling at each other.

"…The Dunas Catcher?" Oriana asked, looking skeptically at the name crudely painted on the side in black. But Lala seemed interested, darting past me to look around.

"Ooh… I'm liking it. I'm really liking it…" she replied, scampering to the first level and running her hands on the cages. "…We could hollow these out. Do some alterations, add some weapons to the hull." She winked at me. "Nice pick Kal, Baby. I agree."

"This thing is going to fly like a rock." Oriana said sourly but Lala waved her off.

"Fixable. We'll just need to get the engines modded I mean look at those they're huge!" gesturing to the adjustable engines with a flourishing hand, then she added straight-faced. "Like your tits!"

"They are quite big." Candi said, approaching us with… a very odd smile on her face. she then glanced around the ship almost nostalgically. "Ah the Dunas Catcher. I still remember the screams of its crew as I asked Blackjaw to butcher them for me." She smiled fondly as Oriana took a big step away. But Lala slapped the ship fondly.

"We'll take this one."

"Good choice." Candi smiled, "Well… you better get going…" she said, almost… unnervingly.

We loaded onto the ship. I frowned as she waved at me and the ramp closed. "…Something's up." I said immediately as both Oriana and Lala headed toward the second-floor cockpit.

"Yeah. Us in a minute." Lala said as I followed them into the cockpit, Lala and Oriana both began running diagnostics, fuel, all sorts of things that I just didn't have the head for. But then… the ship rumbled to life, and we were lifting off. Oriana turned it towards the exit. Then the coms crackled and, looking through the window. Candi waved.

Surrounded by a dozen thugs armed with anti-aircraft weaponry.

"Fuck." I growled angrily as Lala frowned.

"…Well I can't say that's not like her."

"Hi sweetie!" Candi said silkily as her men aimed at us. "So. Fair warning. Turns out your boss Tulba put a BIG sexy bet on my champ to win… and lost. She thinks you hustled her so she put a big 'fuck you' bounty on your pretty pink head."

"…Shit." Lala said, looking legitimately concerned for the first time.

"Since we're friends and I love how your tongue feels, I'll give you a 30 second head start."

"Go. Go. GO!" Oriana hissed as they promptly revved up the slow burning engines as Candi counted down.

We had just reached '10' seconds as the old ship moved slowly to life, and '4' seconds just as we passed the exit. But an anti-aircraft rock hissed by our hull as we turned and headed towards the forest to Nerri's hut.

"Fuck fuck fuck…" Lala moaned nervously jumping from the seat and beginning to pace outside the cockpit. "Fuck!" she cursed even louder as we neared Nerri's home. Luckily, we knew where it was and what we were looking for. Soon seeing the camouflage roof and water collection system. The ramp opened and we lowered down, resting just above the canopy as I leapt down onto the roof.

Making my way inside Nerri, looked up at me in surprise. "You… you've returned?"

"I don't leave people behind." I said, grabbing Oriana's bag of… stuff, and waving at her as she stared at me. "Come on grab your things we need to leave."

She hesitated for a moment, then suddenly ran around the ship, piling up and collecting various tools and supplies. "Help me with my food. We might need it." she said, tossing several fruits and dried meats into a moderately clean crate. I packed it up as she returned with a couple of bags of possessions and a blaster rifle slung over her shoulder. We made our way back onto the roof, and we had to jump but we easily loaded the ship.

Nerri looked around in awe for a moment and smiled prettily at me. "I can't believe you're alive."

"Well if we don't get moving, we might not be!" Lala growled as we felt the ship move and rise up into atmo. We got off Juggalo II. Nerri raised her arms triumphantly, smiling broadly to herself as she sighed.

"…I never thought I'd miss the rumble of a ship… its good to hear again."

"Great! Grand! Wonderful!" Lala shouted from the second floor. "Now what?" she asked sarcastically as I rotated my arms.

"Now I go to Coruscant and you do whatever-"

"No! Nonononono…" she hissed, leaping onto the second floor, ignoring the elevator and jabbing a finger into my chest. "No! Bad Kal, Baby!" she hissed as Oriana, putting the ship on auto pilot, came into the hold. She took her bag from me and walked into the small armory room, apparently changing. "We have a bounty on our heads!"

"You have a bounty." Oriana shouted from the room. Soon sultrily stepping back into view and slid her zipper up her… catsuit… wow that really… really hugs her curves and-FOCUS!

"No! WE have a bounty!" she said, gesturing between herself and me wildly. "You're fine." She waved a hand at Oriana. "We're not." She said gesturing between her and me before showing me a com device. And a rather flattering picture of her with a sizeable bounty beneath her. 100,000 credits: Alive.

I sighed, rolling my eyes. "It says alive."

"Because she probably wants to torture me!" she replied indignantly. And what do you think she'll do when she finds you huh? As far as she's concerned, we're in cahoots!"

"Who still uses cahoots?" Oriana noted as she put her blasters in her waist holsters. She sighed softly, patting them fondly. "That feels so much better."

"…You still have the bikini right?" I asked suddenly as she blush, and gave me a faint, pretty smile.

"…Well it's still in the bag…" she said only for Lala to prod me in the chest with her finger again.

"Hey! Flirt later! What are we going to do?"

"…Can't we pay her back?" I asked lazily, as Nerri, ignored us and went to the second floor. Apparently finding herself quarters of her own.

Lala raised her arms in the air. "Sure! Got the Credits?"

"…You're a bounty hunter why not just take jobs?" I asked as she gripped my shirt, glaring at me now.

"Because I'm not a very good bounty hunter Kal!" she said angrily, "I won't be able to get that sum with one or two bail jumpers! I need to do the big boys for that!"

"Then just do-" I began as she shook me.

"I can't do that sort of work alone Kal! That's team shit! I don't have a team! I just have you!" suddenly she was on her knees, BEGGING. "PLEASE HELP ME KAL, BABY!!" she moaned piteously, wrapping her arms around my waist and squeezing me tight as Oriana and I watched her in morbid fascination. "I don't want to be a hutt's sex slaaaaaaaveee…" she moaned.

"Oh come on she won't have sex with you…" Oriana said, although even she seemed to be a little disturbed.

"Of course not! But there's Asesino. And that creepy Advisor! Or she might just rent me out! Kal! Baby! Please!? Pretty please! Please help me by beating the shit out of some people!

…I do like beating the shit out of people. But…

I opened my mouth and paused slightly. Glancing at Oriana as we seemed to have a psychic conversation. Then… I spoke again. "…Why do I want to go back to Coruscant?" I asked as Oriana's eyebrow rose curiously as Lala stopped her whimpering. Glancing up hopefully at me.

Oriana watched my face for a moment… and sighed. "…You don't. Not really…"

Various things went through my brain. And while everything was becoming much more simple… things were probably going to just get more complicated. I took a deep breath and, with a rather confident smile on my face. I said, firmly. "I need to go back to Coruscant."

"Noooo…" Lala moaned, dropping face first onto the floor like a whining child as I wrapped an arm around Oriana and lead her to the elevator. "You're so mean to me Kal…"

"I need to get some things." I noted as Oriana shook her head, grinning softly to herself.

"Oh?" she said knowingly as Lala looked up more hopeful. "Like what?"

"Like my armor. And my bike." I said firmly as Oriana sighed stepping away to enter the cock pit.

"…You know… I had a feeling it would come to this-" I wrapped an arm around her waist again and pulled her close, her eyes widened as I tipped her head up and kissed her. she melted in my arms as I pulled away. She gazed at me with her bright ruby red eyes in surprise.

"…Well. I need to get what's mine…" I tapped her chin, "And keep it close." She suddenly burst into excited giggle before slapping her hand over her mouth in surprise.

"Right! Got to- thing! Fly! That!" she said… adorably I might add, gesturing and leaping into the pilot's seat and turning the auto-pilot off.

Lala crawled on her knees next to me. Wrapping her arms around my leg. "You're going to help me?" she said, her lower lip quivering and her eyes wide in a puppy dog stare.

"I'm thinking about a bit of a career change… get into bounty hunting." I said as Nerri joined the rest of us, glancing dismissively at Lala before Oriana hit the lightspeed. Taking us to Coruscant… after some sputtering though. It was still an old ship… going to have to find someone to fix it…

End of Chapter.

Bonus.

"Hi Kal!"

"Hello Queenie."

"Hi Kal's girlfriend!" Oriana waved at her with a kind smile.

"Queenie."

"Hi candy lady!" she said as Lala handed her another coruscant sweet.

"Hello… puppy. Lady?" she said, blinking curiously at Nerri who smiled at her as well as they all entered Kal's apartment… after a moment. They all left, Kal carrying a large suitcase. Queenie placed Lala's candy in her mouth as Kal ruffled her head fondly. He was in a surprisingly great mood.

"I'll see you around Queenie."

"Later Kal!" she replied, her voice muffled by the candy as they all left, heading towards the parking lot. Queenie blinked after them, and with a patient sigh, licked her candy.

….After a moment… Kal came charging back, sliding in front of Queenie's window and staring hard at her. "Queenie?" he said coolly, dangerously.

"Yeah Kal?" she said sweetly.

"Where's. My. Bike?" he said, restraining himself valiantly in front of the sweet young twi'lek girl, as his great mood quickly soured.

End of Bonus