Chapter Five: Ysme

The day started as any other had.  The sun came up, the clouds moved in, and the dust blew.  The same as it had for the last year and a half.  Ysme readied herself for her shift at the Cantina, combing out her ponytail and dressing in her drab leather uniform.  Once the uniform had been brightly colored, but the wind, dust and lack of new dye had stripped it of is luster.

Ysme sighed and hoped that today would be a little more exciting than yesterday.  The biggest excitement had been the almost brawl in the Cantina right before closing.  Someone brought up the anniversary of one of the incidents that had sent the settlement onto its current path of slow destruction.

As she was leaving her apartment she looked in the mirror and noticed that even her skin seemed to be duller than usual.  The communicator on her wrist beeped with an incoming message distracting her from her inspection.  Tapping the flashing button she accessed the message, it was from Shala.

“If you have time, stop by before you go to the Cantina.” Shala instructed.  “I am in the Security Office.”

The message concluded.  Something must be happening.  Shala was always watching for opportunities, maybe she had finally found one.  Ysme set the locks on the door to her apartment and took the lift to the main floor.  The droid at the front desk turned as she came into the lobby.

“Mistress,” it acknowledged. “Master Shala is expecting you.”

“Yes G7, I know,” Ysme responded as she made her way behind the desk to the security office and pushed the access button.

“Ysme,” Shala turned from the screens she had been watching.

“Good morning Shala,” Ysme smiled.  “Anything new happening today?”

“Possibly,” Shala waved to a nearby chair indicating that Ysme should have a seat.  “Nothing that I have seen, but something feels different about today.”

“A vision?” Ysme asked feeling her excitement rising, Shala’s visions were prophetic and often came to pass with amazing accuracy.>

“No, well, not a full one anyway.” Shala sighed, it had been a long time since she had received a vision.  “However, there are ripples in the force, dark ripples and close.”

“Trouble?” Ysme prodded.

“Unknown,” Shala responded.  “I just wanted to make you aware of the possibility.  It might just be a low passing transport, but it could develop to more.  The ripples are slight and hard to pinpoint.”

“Oh,” Ysme was slightly disappointed by the response.  “No communication with the Trade Federation?”

“No, not even an acknowledgement of our communication.  It’s like we are being blocked.  I can’t even raise the nearest city council.” Shala frowned.  “Yet, I can access the holonet.  There is war Ysme.  Corrisant has burned.”

Ysme did not reply.  She had been to Corrisant once and had always felt that the city, planet was much too crowded with buildings on top of each other everywhere.  The force was always felt tainted to her there, so she was not too upset by the news of its near destruction.

“Does that help us?” Ysme asked.

“Unfortunately, not directly.” Shala growled. “Anyway, I just wanted to alert you to the ripples.  I don’t know what it means, but stay alert over the next few days.”

“Will do,” Ysme said standing.  “I will let you know if anything comes of this.”

“Thank you”

Ysme left the security desk and left the Inn.  The sun was surprisingly bright, brighter than usual.  The haze that had filled the valley seemed thinner than yesterday.  Ysme took a deep breath and found that the air seemed to be lighter and didn’t have its customary stench of death.

She had mixed feelings about the smell.  She was just getting used to it.  Shrugging she walked towards the Cantina.  No one was on the streets and no one was watching from windows.  Too busy trying to find a way out, or to get back in contact with the rest of the world.

Ysme entered through the force field door of the Cantina.  Pipe, the barkeep, was re-arranging the tables and sweeping the dirt packed floor.  Sweeping really didn’t do much good other than stirring up more dust.  Pipe looked up and nodded as Ysme entered.

“Sleep well?” Pipe asked distractedly.

“As well as usual, you?” Ysme replied as she headed to the back room.

“Nope, something in the air last night kept me up,” Pipe growled.

“Sorry to hear that,” Ysme tried to sound interested.  “I’ll be right back.”

Pipe grunted and went back to his sweeping.  Ysme went into the back room and took a quick inventory of the stock.  The back room consisted of a storage area, cooler and office that doubled as a change room for any special performers, it had never been used for that purpose.

She entered the cooler and counted eight kegs of ale remained stacked and connected to the mixer.  They had gone through another three since last night.  She turned to the mixer and adjusted the combination of ale to water.  With no ETA on when the next shipment would be brought in or when the scientist would develop something that was consumable they needed to ration the remaining supply.  The patrons would not be pleased.

Ysme left the cooler and went into the storage area.  Her frown increased when she saw that one of the boxes of snacks they used had a corner chewed out of it.  Even the local rodents were finding it hard to locate food.  She moved the damaged box to find that it was much heavier than it should have been.  She dropped the box and stepped back.

“Pipe, bring your broom,” Ysme hollered.

“What for?” Pipe asked coming around the corner of the storage room.

“For whatever is in that box,” Ysme pointed to the box on the floor, it had started to move.

“Damn womprats!” Pipe snarled and began to beat the box with the handle of the broom.

“Just take it outside,” Ysme grimaced as she heard bones crunch.  “We don’t need the blood in here to attract more of them.”

Pipe nodded and pushed the box along the floor, leaving a bloody trail, towards the back door.  Ysme growled.  Great just what the store room needed, a blood trail.  She went back to counting the boxes and was relieved to find that they still had a fair stock.

Ysme left the store area.  She entered the code to the office and entered when the door slid open.  The office was spotless, freshly cleaned.  Yep, Pipe hadn’t been able to sleep, he often when on cleaning sprees when he couldn’t sleep.

She went to the computer terminal and accessed the inventory list, updated it and closed the program.  She checked to see if there were any new messages from previous vendors and was not surprised to see nothing.  There was also nothing from the scientist working on the new ale.

“How is the stock?” Pipe asked as he entered the office and put his broom in the closet with the rest of the cleaning supplies.

“We’ll manage,” Ysme responded.  “I have changed the mix for the ale though, I expect a few complaints.  We only have eight kegs left and no word from the science group on anything to replace them.  Our snack stock is okay, but we can’t keep feeding the rodents.”

“Gotta find out who keeps letting them in,” Pipe stated.  “I’ve checked all the walls again for holes and nothing to be found.”

“Who would want to feed a womprat?” Ysme asked.

“Maybe to eat it when it gets fat enough,” Pipe shrugged.  “Ready to open?”

“I guess, I’ll be out in a little bit, you can handle it right?” Ysme frowned, feeding womprats; their meat wasn’t even that good even when they were fat.

Pipe nodded and left the office.  On his way out he punched the code to change the restrictions on the force field of the Cantina door.  Ysme turned back to the computer terminal; she did a quick search of the recent holonews, but found nothing exciting.  That done she shut off the terminal and left the office resetting the security.

Ysme turned to head back out into the main floor of the cantina, but stopped as she approached the hidden door to her private back room.  She looked around to make sure she was alone and accessed the panel to open the door.  The retracted without a sound revealing a substantial lift that descended into earth below the Cantina.

Entering the lift Ysme entered another code.  The lift moved down into the earth.  When it stopped she faced a large room with durasteel walls, floor and ceiling, her vault.  Dust swirled around her feet as she walked across the floor.  The tools of her real trade hung from the walls, they had not been used in a long time.

She needed a new play thing.  At that thought part of her started to ach.  It had been a long time; she dared not make a play thing from one of the remaining settlers.  It would be noticed.  She sighed and turned back to the lift.  Maybe she would give Pipe the code so that he could clean the dust from the floor.  She shook her head, the fewer who knew about this place the better.

Ysme returned to the hall outside the office, resealed the hidden door and walked out onto the main floor of the Cantina.  Pipe was behind the bar pouring a few mugs of ale for a couple of the regulars who always arrived right after opening.  She smiled at them as she passed.

“What are you happy about this morning Ysme?” one of the regular grumped.

“Can’t I be glad to see you?” Ysme returned.  “If you didn’t show up every day at the same time I would be worried about you.”

The regular made a strange noise in the back of his throat and turned to his mug.  This made Ysme smile more.  Even for all of the troubles the settlement had over the past couple of years, there were still things that could make her smile in earnest.

“Pipe, hand me a cloth will ya?” Ysme asked.

Time to look busy; it was the only way to pass the time.  Stay busy or go crazy.  A few had, gone crazy.  Crazy enough to attempt to leave the settlement on foot.  They had returned after a few weeks lost in the ravines and valleys starved and stark raving mad.  The madness had been exceedingly bad with the last two.  Within days of their return they had clawed out their eyes and started to consume their own body parts.

The council had decided that they needed to be quarantined.  The settlement had developed a quarantine area for use in case of chemical or radiation leaks.  The last check on the couple had revealed only bones.  Ysme shuddered as she recalled the recording shared of the couple’s last days.  No one had attempted to leave after that.

Ysme when around to each table and wiped down their tops.  The sweeping Pipe had done earlier had left a thin layer of dust on everything.  For as much as he cleaned, he certainly also knew how to make a mess.

Regulars came and went throughout the morning.  No one had anything to talk about save the unusual sunny day.  Some were slightly concerned that it wasn’t drizzling, while it seemed to bring up the moods of others.  Ysme continued to serve drinks and clean away the dust between rushes.

It was just after noon when Ysme noticed the Bounty Hunter enter and take his usual seat at a dark booth by the door.  He was later than usual.  Ysme took him a mug of ale and smiled as he glared at her.  They had started off in the right manner, but when she had found out what his intentions were things had turned.  He had almost been her play toy, almost.

“And how are you this day, Hunter?” Ysme asked she never used his true name; the jab of the nickname gave her much more pleasure.

“Same as always,” Killswitch responded. “Anything new to tell me?”

“Nope, unless you wish to accompany me to my private rooms,” Ysme offered, it was a game they played every day, she tried to make him her toy and he refused.

“No, I am not that desperate for release yet, but thank you.” Killswitch made his customary retort.

“Too bad, you could be fun,” Ysme sighed and floated back to the bar, her hips swaying in their hypnotic way.

Ysme knew that the Bounty Hunter had listening devises all over the settlement.  Shala had asked him to install them after the incident.  The council had decided that it needed to know about settler concerns sooner and that listening to certain areas would better make them aware of issues.

Keeping an eye on the Bounty Hunter Ysme went back to cleaning away the dust and attempting to make the Cantina shine.  It was a futile effort, but kept her busy and made the day go by faster.  The Bounty Hunter always knew what was happening before it happened, so watching him always gave Ysme insight into any problems.

However, today was much the same as any other.  The Bounty Hunter sat sulking in the shadows nursing his mug of ale not showing any emotion or indication of excitement.  A few of the regulars started up a Pazzak game to pass the time.  No one had the extra credits for betting so they used the snacks.

A slight tremble of the floor halted Ysme in her tracks as she was walking back to the bar with empty mugs.  She gently tapped the force and listened to the rhythms.  Bikes, swoop bikes, close swoop bikes.  Excitement washed through her.  Visitors, the settlement was going to have visitors.  Had Shala sensed this before her?

“Pipe, you hear that,” Ysme whispered over the bar. “Swoops.  Better start cleaning them mugs, we’re going to have visitors.”

“Wha, huh,” Pipe looked up from the mug of ale he was pouring.  “You sure?”

“I hear them, they are close, lots of them,” Ysme brushed some of the dust from her uniform and straightened her ponytail.

Ysme caught movement from the Bounty Hunter in the corner.  He had jumped in his seat and was grimacing.  There were definitely visitors approaching the settlement.  She hoped that they would stay a while and maybe even help the settlement with their problems.  However, another part of her was scared of what the intentions were.  No one came out this far.

Ysme took the freshly poured mugs of ale to some of the patrons that were seated around the Pazzak table and walked back to the bar.  She watched the door eagerly waiting for the visitors to arrive.  They had to come to the cantina, especially since there had been no chatter of renewed shipments and the council had not met for ages.

Accessing her holocommunicator Ysme tapped the code to reach Shala, the visitors should be properly welcomed and their intentions learned.  Who better than Shala to pick the right people for this.

“Yes, Ysme, what is it?” Shala responded.

“Visitors, we have swoops incoming to the settlement,” Ysme informed.  “Not sure how many, but the Bounty Hunter was disturbed by something a few minutes ago and I have heard them in the force.”

“I will inform the council,” Shala smiled.  “Thank you.”

The communication ended.  Ysme kept the excitement from her face, but had a hard time keeping it from her walk as she delivered a few more mugs of ale.  The trembling stopped.  Ysme looked at the shadows around the Bounty Hunter, he was smiling.

Ysme walked over the where the Cantina players were seated.  The need to make the Cantina attractive was suddenly very important.  The lead musician looked up at her approach.

“Play,” Ysme instructed. “I don’t care what, just play until I tell you otherwise.”

The lead musician looked shocked.  Ysme had never demanded that they play; she had always suggested that they play.  He tapped the table and signaled that the rest of them needed to pick up their instruments.  The musicians settled themselves on the makeshift stage and began to play low soothing music.

As soon as the music started the holodancers were activated.  This created a distraction to the regular patrons.  They did not hear or see the swoops pull up in front of the Cantina.  Many didn’t even see the visitors enter and take a seat in the far corner of the Cantina. 

Ysme approached the table where the three visitors, a zabrak, human and twi’lik, had seated themselves.  They were powerful; the force was rippling off of them especially the twi’lik.  She would have to be watched carefully, though her gaze kept drifting to the zabrak.  He was thrilling to look at.  His skin color was unique, pale, but not quite white, matched with his horn color which was black.  His tattoos seemed to move every time he talked, but it was his eyes.  The color was piercing blue.

“What can I get you strangers?” Ysme asked keeping her voice melodic and gentle.

“Well, being we are strangers what do you serve,” the twi’lik asked in a similarly melodic tone mirroring Ysme’s tone.

“Now that would be the question of the day,” Ysme laughed, this caught some of the regular’s attention, laughter always made the locals pay attention.  “Pipe what’s in stock today?”

Pipe laughed deeply, a reverberating sound that seemed to shake the floor, and wiped what could have been a tear from his eye before answering to her question.

“The same as always darling, Huttese or Lomin Ale,” Pipe responded when he was done laughing. “Make sure their credits are good or they can leave now.”

“We have plenty of credits.” The Crime Lord responded quietly to the server.  “A round of Lomin Ale will do.”

“Three Lomin Pipe,” the zabrak yelled with a smile. “In clean mugs if you will.”

Ysme returned to the bar to wait for the mugs to be poured.  She smiled, the Lomin mix was stronger than what passed for Huttese ale in her Cantina.  It was purposeful as most knew Lomin ale to be weaker.  Pipe returned Ysme’s smiled as he handed the mugs over the bar.

“How would you like to pay for these?” Ysme asked as she set the mugs down.

“Credits of course, will this do?” the Zabrak displayed a golden card, somewhat transparent.

Ysme snatched it from his hand and scanned it across a pad she wore on her wrist.  The pad hummed and chirped approval.  She smiled and handed the card back.    The fully armored lieutenant grabbed one and took a gulp.  Ysme held back a chuckle as she watched his face turned red, then white and then red again.

“Well I am going to say that the local drink is pretty much as strong as Huttese Ale,” the twi’lik chuckled watching the fully armored lieutenant sputter and regain his composure.

“Yah think,” He squawked.

“Sorry I should have warned you about the first taste,” Ysme smiled.  “However, I like to see new patrons squirm just a little.”

“I would caution you on that in the future,” the Zabrak warned.  “You never know who you might be serving.”

“In this backwater.  Who would come here?” Ysme shrugged, turned and went to serve a new patron who had sat at a table on the opposite side of the bar from the Trio.

Ysme kept her eye on the trio while she served the other drinks.  A couple of the regulars asked her who the visitors were, but she had not asked for names so had to shrug in response.  Shala would find out soon who they were and what they wanted.

She looked over to where the Bounty Hunter sat, he was huddled in the shadows listening and watching.  When he realized Ysme was watching him he indicated he was fine so she did not approach.  The Cantina was starting to get busy, the late afternoon crowd had started to arrive, with a few more than usual attracted by the swoops.

Ysme noted that Lord Tareq, Veriag and Shala had seated themselves at a table next to the bar.  They looked calm and as if this action was normal.  It was at this time that Ysme noticed the twi’lik move across the floor towards the musicians.  She was amused to see that the locals in attendance also noted the twi’liks movements and didn’t seem to want to look away.

The twi’lik spoke to the musicians who nodded and again began to play.  This time the tune was lively and extremely rhythmic.  Ysme watched as the twi’lik began to dance.

Shala walked into Ysme’s field of vision, blocking the hypnotic motions of the twi’lik long enough that Ysme realized she had stopped what she was doing and stood mesmerized by the twi’lik.  Ysme shook her head; she couldn’t believe that she was so quickly swept up in the twi’liks sorcery.

Ysme walked in front of Pipe to catch his attention, but found that she could not.  He was fully engulfed in the twi’liks sorcery.  Ysme frowned and walked to the end of the bar where two mugs were waiting for delivery, picked them up and delivered them to the oblivious patrons.

The only group that wasn’t completely enthralled by the twi’liks dance was the remaining members of the visiting trio and the delegation trio.  Ysme did a quick scan of the remaining patrons to see if there was anyone else who seemed to be immune, she found no one.

The song ended and so did the twi’liks dance.  She leaned over and said something to the musicians who smiled their strange smiles in return.  She then moved back to the table where the delegation was seated talking to the zabrak.  Ysme watched as she produced a datapad from seemingly nowhere.

“Ysme, you delivered those mugs?” Pipe asked distracting Ysme from watching the delegation conversation.

“Yah, I should make my rounds,” Ysme responded and moved through the tables to see if anything needed to be cleared.

She kept looking back over towards where the delegation sat.  She knew that Shala would inform her if anything needed to be done in relation to them, but it looked like the meeting was going well and was close to conclusion.  Lord Tareq was saying something and nodding, Ysme was too far away to hear what, but the returned nod from the zabrak indicated some agreement.

With the agreement reached the visiting trio left the Cantina, got on their swoops and rode away.  Ysme looked over to where Shala, Lord Tareq and Veriag sat.  She hoped that they had come to a beneficial agreement.  A table signaled for another round of drinks bringing Ysme back to the bar and closer to the table.

“Ysme,” Veriag called.  “You are about to get a lot busier, you might want to call Ri’ver for some help.”

“Oh,” Ysme responded.

“The bikers are staying for a while and there are quite a few of them,” Shala added her face stern.

Ysme nodded and sent a message to Ri’ver that she would be needed this evening, then went about delivering the mugs of ale.  She had known today would be interesting, but this was going to be better than interesting.  Fresh credits, it was wonderful.