Saga Horizon Line - OC fic ((Angst, Drama, Action))- - Yeah, I know, no one cares.... (12.2.03)

Title: Horizon Line
Author(s): freak-pudding
Timeframe: PT, between TPM & AOTC, closer to TPM
Characters: All OCs: Aerim Thall, Chalis Seppta
Genre: Angst, Drama
Keywords: OC
Summary: Yeah, she?d be fine. She?d just never be the same.
Notes: There will be absolutely none of the canon characters in this story. I'm quite proud that I've started a completely OC-filled story.
Disclaimer: Hey, this may be George's sandbox, but these are my friggin' toys. Hands off. Sadly, I'm making no money from this. Just insanity.

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Okay, this story is probably going to be weird for the first few posts. The idea's been eating my brain for the past three weeks, and I've just barely gotten it down on paper, so bare with me. *crosses fingers*

Oh, damn, I [i]knew[/i] I forgot something! The italics are hallucinations/visions in her mind.

[hr]


[b][u]Pace[/u][/b]


?Best place in the lower quadrants. You won?t find a better deal!?

The woman standing on the threshold of the ancient, crumbling manor was neither surprised nor impressed. The paint was peeling, the steel was rusting, and the wood was rotting. She scuffed her boot against the cracked tile. But it was big.

The small alien scuttling in front of her was not very impressive himself. The species short and deceptive at best, he was the prime of his society?s average. Green feathers tapered down his long neck into his shirt collar. The excitable orange eyes glittered at her from across the room, altogether enticing and yet repulsive. His triple-jointed legs had him on the other side of the enormous foyer in a matter of seconds. Fingers like ribbons, flitting around in the air above him, caught and twirled the dust in early morning sunlight.

She breathed in through her mouth, feeling the air?s dirt settle on her tongue. She swallowed, and reminded herself to mention the dust.

[i]?Tell me again, why did you leave?? They stand alone again, inside that faceless building. The walls and floors are a bare gray, stretching up for miles around her. Thousands of creatures swirl around them, but she only focuses on him.

?You assume that each time you ask the question, the answer will be different and? somehow meet to your satisfaction.? His tone is jovial, teasing almost, as she suspected. He evades the subject, keeping her at a distance. Always at a distance.

??Because? is not an answer,? she replies, closing the space between them. He sits in his favored chair, legs crossed and propped against the nearby table. Reading his ancient?s scrolls, habitually. His tousled hair greets her, again the norm. He never wanted to face her, to look her in the eye. Said it made him nervous.

?You just can?t let it go, can you?? he swivels around, finally facing her. His eyes focus just slightly to the side of her face. He didn?t like eye contact.[/i]

?It?s very dirty in here,? she observed, moving to the curved staircase. ?And old.?

?But it?s big.? The creature scurried back and forth, always willing to please. His fingers rested on her shoulder, and she stared down at him. He withered under her displeased glare, and his sharp teeth clattered fretfully.

?Perhaps you?d like to see the second level?? he proposed, pointing the way up the staircase.

?If it?s still intact.? She brushed past him, keeping her indifference at the forefront. The creature scuttled after her hastily, dismayed at the deteriorating commission.

[i]?It?s yours, you know.? She kneels down in front of him, balancing precariously. Her fingertips swipe at the chair?s arm, but she doesn?t grab ahold. He believed needing support? [/i]any[i] support, proved weakness. And she wouldn?t show weakness to him.

?You can?t keep blaming everything on us.? His gaze is scrutinizing, taking in her every detail. He inspects her like he inspected his drenka cattle. Check for deformities. Terminate the runts.

?[/i]You[i] left [/i]me[i],? she replies, confused. ?I blame only you.?[/i]

?Then it?s large enough for your purposes?? His glances

 

Looks good to me.

lordmaul13

 

lordmaul13: Thanks for being my first reader.

Note: The italics in this chapter are memories.

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[b][u]Sweat[/u][/b]



?Last guy offered me 4500 credits for her.?

Chalis sighed, running a frustrated hand through his sandy brown hair. There was nothing he hated more than dirty market hagglers.

?I?ll give you 4500 and?? Chalis dug out his small red money sack. It had shrunk considerably since he?d left Talnac. His fingers assaulted every crevice of the bag. He extracted his fist and opened it, revealing a small pile of metal coins. ?Ninety-three crindars.?

The seller laughed and nodded, his rounded belly shaking.

?Quite [i]generous[/i] of you. You [i]must[/i] be desperate, friend,? the man chortled, his sarcasm a bit biting as he extended his hand. ?I?ll take it.?

Chalis slapped the coins into the seller?s palm. The man?s surprisingly slim fingers wrapped around Chalis?s wrist.

?And where?s the [i]rest[/i] of my payment?? his tone was quiet and threatening. From this close angle, Chalis could detect the lingering scent of desert ale on his breath. The grey eyes shone at him like a predator?s.

?My ship,? Chalis smirked. ?I think it will? satisfy your 4500 credits.?

The man grinned and let go.

?For a young one, you certainly know how to play the game.?

Chalis laughed with him and steered the man to a nearby bar.

* * *


?You?re making a huge mistake, boy.?

The man ran his hands over the cold steel of the pilot?s console. Chalis leaned against the black doorframe, the impish smile still on his face.

?I know what I?m doing.?

?Do you?? the man turned, studying him deftly. ?This is one of the best star fighters I?ve seen in a long time.?

?Good, then you?ll take it?? Chalis was jittery. It unnerved him to be back in here.

[i]?It?s beautiful, Chalis,? she gasped, trailing her fingers over the polished new leather seats.

?Then it matches you,? he teased, twirling a piece of string in his hands.[/i]

?Of course,? the man laughed softly. ?But why do you want to get rid of this beautiful thing??

Chalis closed his eyes, looking as though the man had dealt him a physical blow.

?I just? don?t want it anymore,? his voice rasped.

?You lost someone didn?t you?? the man?s voice filled with sympathetic consideration. Chalis hated sympathy.

?No,? he snapped. ?[i]I just don?t want it anymore.[/i]?

?You?re lying.?

The man shrugged, unconcerned.

?Not that it?s any of my business.?

[i]?You paid too much.?

?You don?t even know [/i]if[i] I paid.?

?Still, it was too much.?[/i]

?No, it [i]isn?t[/i] your business. Now, have we made the sale or [i]not][/i]?? Chalis seethed with anger. His gloved fists clenched and unclenched.

?Yes, I believe we?re finished here.? The man pressed a few of the switches absentmindedly.

?Good.? Chalis turned swiftly and started away.

?It was girl, wasn?t it??

The question was soft, and filled with emotion. But it wasn?t sympathy. It was something Chalis had never heard directed to him before. The man sounded as if he understood.

Chalis stopped and sighed painfully.

?She left you, didn?t she??

[i]?A toast then??

?To what??

He smiled, swirling the cheap liquor in his glass and leaning down to her.

?To? the future. [/i]Our[i] future.?[/i]

?No?? he closed his eyes, the pain brought anew. ?I left her.?

Hoping he didn?t look to desperate to be gone, Chalis hurried out of the ship and away from the landing bay. The last piece of her was finally gone.

 

lordmaul13: Thanks for being my first reader.

You're welcome.

?No?? he closed his eyes, the pain brought anew. ?I left her.?

Hoping he didn?t look to desperate to be gone, Chalis hurried out of the ship and away from the landing bay. The last piece of her was finally gone.

Dummy. Go after her.

lordmaul13

 

Shameless uppage.

 

Updated the chapters. Thanks to my beta, HandmaidenEirtae.

 

Uppage.

lordmaul13

 

Gah, I didn't update! Sorry, you'll have to wait for tomorrow afternoon!

 

Right, well, I've sent the chapter last week and I'm waiting for my beta to hit my up with it.

 

Apparently my betas have died or just don't care for me anymore...

Anyhow, here's the next part.


Sigh

?I saw your advertisement at the market.?

She squinted against the early-morning sun. The man standing before her was the color of unsweetened chocolate. A few wrinkles decorated the soft skin at the corners of his eyes when he smiled. The teeth were crooked and the front tooth was chipped, but his appearance was altogether charming. Salt-and-pepper hair grew thickly on his scalp. He obviously was due for a haircut.

?And?? She covered her eyes, glancing down at the datapad in her hand. ?What can you do for me??

A petite, rounded woman strode forward, gently cradling a small box that was draped in rich navy-colored velvet. The woman handed the parcel to the man and faded back to the shadows behind him.

?What?s that?? She motioned to the box. The man smiled and pulled off the velvet. Underneath was a perfect cube of delicate, paper-thin glass. And inside that cube, on a small black cushion lined with gold, sat what looked to her to be a primitive kitchen utensil. She looked up at the man?s smiling face and raised her eyebrows, as if to say, ?Is that it??

The smile faded slightly as she frowned, but he spoke eagerly.

?It is a shilqua,? he said, obviously proud.

?What is a shilqua?? Her patience was wearing thin and it was not yet noon. That was always a bad sign.

?It is one of the rarest and most delicate of all musical instruments.?

?I have no use for a musical crafter,? she scoffed and turned away. A few moments passed as she entered a few bits of data on her pad before a small, spherical, pearl-colored ball bounced to the ground at her feet.

?This recording said you needed talented craftsmen, especially those who are skilled with delicate things.?

She leaned down and scooped up the ball. She?d placed about fifty of such recordings around the local markets, hoping that it would generate some kind of dependable workers. This just might be her man.

?Come with me.? She motioned to him with the tilt of her head, not even turning to look at him. She heard his heavy footsteps crunching over the decaying foyer tiles with satisfaction.

They wove back and forth through small piles of rubble and debris. A heavy dust of crumbling plaster and rotting wood burdened the air, more so than before. The cracked and rotting tile had been kicked up and formed painfully sharp obstacles as they wove their way forward. She was leading him to the crumbling staircase. The banister was once painted pure white and lined with delicate gold leafing. If he was the craftsman he claimed to be, he could restore that gold.

?This.? She pointed upwards, indicating the grand staircase. The man let out a low whistle, running his calloused hands gracefully over the deteriorating wood. He carried the air of a candid professional, and she found herself trusting him, despite her best efforts to the contrary. ?If I hire you, this entire area will be your work.?

?All my life I?ve dreamed of rebuilding one of these ancients,? he replied wistfully. She got the impression that he hadn?t really heard a word she just said. ?Me and the wife have talked about wanting one of these.?

He dared a sidelong glance at her.

?Not that we could afford it,? he continued, caressing the worn stone steps, ?but? I would kill for a job like this.?

?You needn?t kill anyone,? she smiled, confident in her advantage. ?I?m willing to give the job to you.?

?I?ll take it,? the man smiled at her, taking in her features. Had he been younger and with fewer responsibilities (namely his family), the man could imagine himself chasing such a wily and pretty female halfway across the galaxy.

She possessed beauty, though not in the traditional sense of the word. Her raven-black hair was swept back in a clumsy knot and several sections gathered around her face. She wore only simple trousers and a sleeveless tunic. Her arms and lower legs were a milky white and covered in tiny pin

 

Should I honestly even bother?

 

Well, I feel really frustrated with people not looking at my fan fic too, so I have taken it upon myself to help boost the moral of poor writing people like myself. so yeah continute..... I saw this act of desperation at the end so I haven't read the entire thing yet, but I should have time after reading through math class

 

freak_pudding Write for yourself, darn it all to heck! And don't put self-deprecation in the title line, it just saps your self-esteem and makes you seem miserable. Write on, fellow fan fic fabricator, write ON! Be darned if no one replies, keep writing! Consider that there are a lot of people lurking who never post (those butt-nuggets, I know, I live on feedback too)! Did Howard Dean stop after Iowa? NO! He bellowed a barbaric yawp and sallied ho!

 

I have to agree with GuerreStellari - you should only be writing for you! i know it can be really annoying when you get no reactions (Trust me, I KNOW - my best story has received one Three line reply. Woo. The other goes for two pages: but it took TWENTY FIVE chapters to get there. needless to say, most of the replies were mine) but you have to stick with it!!

because i like your stories Keep it up, please! To convince you, here's a good Upping, ok?? no go forth and be creative!