[color=C0C0C0]
The settlement gates loomed ahead, their metal frames catching the morning light. By now, the sun had risen high enough to warm the air, casting a golden glow across the patchwork of buildings and pathways inside. The gates stood open, unguarded, a quiet assurance that the newly restored emitter was doing its job. Jet dragged his boots over the threshold, pausing just past the entrance.

He threw his head back and inhaled deeply, the tension in his shoulders easing just enough. The safety of the settlement wrapped around him like an old blanket. For the first time since he stepped off the UA, Jet allowed himself a moment to breathe. He hadn’t realised how much the trek, and the fight, had weighed on him until now. 

Then, slowly, he began his shuffle deeper in. His steps were heavy and haphazard, each one kicking up small clouds of dust that clung to his old battered boots. The broken halves of his rifle hung heavy in his grip, their jagged edged glinting faintly in the mid-morning sun.

As he walked, but a few would turn their heads. Some of them shot him curious glances, their expressions a mixture of surprise and maybe even a touch of concern. While others looked at him with colder–disdain, perhaps, or even satisfaction. Their eyes seemed to say ‘Good. He deserves it.’ He ignored it, fixing his gaze forward.

The scent of oil and rust hit him first, carried on the faint breeze as he approached the scrapyard. The space opening up before him, filled with heaps of metal and machinery piled without a care, their edged silhouettes casting long, sharp shadows. He paused at the edge of the yard, his eyes scanning the expanse for what he might be carrying back, somehow, but his eyes spotted familiarity.

[color=AE91B8] “No…a security module. Not a hyperdrive. “ [/color] Aellyn rounded a large pile of scraps as she stood on top of a medium sized cargo sled. The droid that was operating it seemed a bit questionable. The sled came to a sudden halt, which she immediately reached out, grabbing a hold of the nearest crate. [color=AE91B8] “If I wasn’t needing your help, you would be part of the junk pile. Kriff.” [/color] Sighing, ignoring the droid's beeps and woos as she turned her head. She cracked a smile, seeing the familiar form standing just at the entrance. 

[color=AE91B8] “You have looked better…” [/color] She waved him over as she hopped off the sled. Dirt kicked up as she hit the ground. She noticed the torn jacket and dried blood. He must have been caught by one of the local animal life. [color=AE91B8] “Found a few things, you can look them over and see what you think.” [/color]

He chuckled, it could have been the understatement of the year. [colour=ff0000]“Yeah, I reckon I look worse than that hoverbike you came in on.”[/colour] He walked over to the sled she had moments before been standing on, dropping his scrap-rifle onto its bed, near the side. He grabbed the side with his good hand and hoisted himself up, quickly looking over the scrap Aellyn had gathered so far. [colour=ff0000]“Not a bad haul, all things considered..”[/colour] he tucked his hand into his pocket retrieving the holopad with the requirements. [colour=ff0000]“Not bad at all..”[/colour] He murmured to himself. 

[color=AE91B8] “Thanks, trying to find a security module. The one on the ship is so ancient, a kid could hack it.” [/color] Her stare turned to the pieces of metal that was once a rifle. Must have been a really big animal, she thought. She turned around as Jet examined the contents already on the sled. Bending over, she picked up a piece of scrap, tossing it onto another nearby pile. 

[colour=ff0000]”Hmm, we might be able to turn something up but.. That’s not exactly my area.”[/colour] He turned to the droid running the sled. [colour=ff0000]”We need some new injectors for the power plant, CEC YG-4210, You know where you got some of those?”[/colour] The little guy swirled it’s head in a full circle, letting out a long whistle as he did when the sled jolted forward, Jet grabbing ahold of the rail beside him, dropping his holopad onto the deck as he did. [colour=ff0000][i]”Kriff!”[/i][/colour]

[color=AE91B8]“Hey!“[/color] Aellyn yelled, hopping on at the last moment as the sled jolted forward. 

The sled sped along through the piles of scrap, narrowly avoiding colliding with the stacks, as Aellyn hung onto the side rails. [color=AE91B8]“Kriffing, droid.”[/color] She muttered to herself. [color=AE91B8]“This scrapyard isn’t much. We would have had better luck on Lotho. If we can’t find a module, then we leave it. This place has been salvaged enough and the people don’t have much by the looks of it.”[/color] 

[colour=ff0000]”Yeah, well.. that [i]was[/i] the plan on Lotho but then.. Well, it didn’t exactly go to plan.”[/colour] He spoke with a tinge of hesitance. Not wanting Aellyn to feel like he was blaming her, far from it, even. Her quick thinking actually managed to get them through Lotho with a modicum of ease, if you could call it that. No-one was killed, kriff, no was even hurt, but it was because of the change of plans that he never got the chance there to grab some parts they could use.

[color=AE91B8]“Sorry for stepping in, ya know, changing plans and all. Especially with my contact. It wasn’t right to do that.”[/color] Aellyn finally admitting out loud that she screwed up. 

Without any warning, the sled came to a stop. Despite holding onto the rail, his arm, now effectively a chuck of scrap weight dangling from his shoulder, managed to throw him off the front, landing on his back with a resounding [i]thud[/i].

Aellyn slid forward, one of the stacked crates falling on her. [color=AE91B8]“Kark!”[/color] She shoved the crate to the side as she leaned forward, seeing the older mechanic on the ground. [color=AE91B8]“You good?”[/color] 

He coughed, wheezing slightly as he spoke, the air knocked out of him, [colour=ff0000]“This is not my karking day,”[/colour] he rolled over, propping himself against a nearby heap.

Aellyn hopped off the sled, bending over Jet. [color=AE91B8]“Doesn’t seem like it. We can laugh about it later. Your arm is in bad shape. Tell me what you need, I’ll find it for you and let’s get you back to the ship.”[/color] She turned to the sled and picked up his holopad. [color=AE91B8]“Alright, injectors… Hey droid…where are they?”[/color] She yelled out as the droid's metal dome, whirled around as it made several beeping sounds. 

Jet pushed himself to his feet, [colour=ff0000]”I’m not out just yet,”[/colour] he had been through worse and he wasn’t going to just let a few scratches, a winded chest, a crippled metal arm and a droid going through memory wipe avoidance stop him. He followed Aellyn over to where the Droid had indicated, finding three injectors. [colour=ff0000]”I guess that thing’s not completely lost it,”[/colour] he mumbled to Aellyn, pointing to the injectors, [colour=ff0000]”We only need the two but we’ll take ‘em for a spare.”[/colour] He looked back to the sled and waved to the droid, who moved over and picked up the injectors with the sled's magnetic clamps, and placed it with the rest of the junk they had secured, for the first time seeming to be able to do its job without any creativity, [colour=ff0000]”You good to head back? I’m just about done with this damn rock.”[/colour]

[color=AE91B8]“I couldn't agree more. I need a place with a bit more life and a decent cantina.[/color] She shrugged, watching Jet place the last of the scraps they needed. Once the cargo was secured, both her and Jet boarded the sled. This time prepared for the droid's lack of driving abilities. The sled had stopped outside the local cantina, just at the entrance to the settlement. The little hoverbike still sat there, surprisingly. She motioned for the sled to take off toward the UA. She quickly mounted the bike and took off after the sled. Maybe they would still have some luck and not run into the local wildlife, Jet had already had enough. As Aellyn caught up with the sled, he couldn’t help but snicker. He definitely thought the walk was better than the ride, despite the hazards that came with it.
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