Saga The Diary of a Dead Man; Written for the Dear Diary Challenge; OCs; updated 2/7

Poor Nathanael, he's been through a lot while I've been away!

It looks like he's landed in the middle of a very interesting group, but I can't help but wonder exactly what they do for a living...

 

You have to watch out when people with fangs serve sausages.

 

The society does not make a lot of sense right now, but neither does Nate.
What is he doing all day, and why is there somebody top keep him from hurting himself? Did I miss something?
It does sound rather suspicious, though. I mean, wouldn't they tell him what they did, if they were legal, or at least not highly illeagl?
Or didn't he dare to ask? Young and shy, mabye?

So many questions, I hope to get an answer to some of them in the next update.

 

I'm curious about this little group. It will be interesting to see what's going on as you reveal more details to us.

At dawn, every morning, a hearty breakfast is served?usually bread and some kind of sausage and gravy?and then everybody disperses to somewhere. Everyone, that is, except one of the numberless underlings, who stays with me, to make sure I do not hurt myself?I suppose?at least, I can feel his eyes on me all day.

At any rate, Ked, Acheron, Bane, and the others return around 1700 hours, and an equally hearty dinner is served. The rest of the evening is spent in merrymaking.

I wish I knew what it was they do all day.

Me too!

 

Rhodna: Yes, he has...Keep on wondering. All will be revealed in due time.

oqi: Indeed....

MsLanna: Well Nat is basking in a warm place to sleep at the moment, and has no more clue of what's going on than you have.

VaderLVR64: Soon enough. Patience, patience...

Update soon, everyone!

 

Day Twenty-one

I have finally found it out, and it is much worse than I ever imagined. I have been dropped into a den of thieves.

My guard?for so he is, I realize now, and I am no more than a prisoner?is in the ?fresher, and I have been left, for once, to my own devices. I just looked into a room which is usually kept locked, but happened to be open just now.

It contains a pile of loot. There is nothing else to call it. I saw hundreds of wallets, purses?weapons. There was a veritable arsenal of blasters and vibroblades mounted on the walls of the treasury. I shudder to think what my jailors use them for.

He is coming out. I must stop now. If he catches me writing, he will ask what I write about, as he always does, and of all things, I cannot tell him this. At least my writing is in an alphabet and tongue unintelligible to him.

I do not know when I will be able to write again.

 

A ha! I thought so. It seemed a little "Twist-ish" to me.

I'm enjoying this. Send me a PM when you update, please.

 

Great twist! Can't wait for more!

 

I love dens of iniquity and sin and thieves too.
Excellent!!!

 

Lain Snowtrekker: Yep. definitely one of those too-good-to-be-true situations. Glad you like it. Consider yourself added to the pm list.

VaderLVR64: Your wish is my command (at the moment, at least)

oqi: Thank you.
____________________________________

Day Twenty-six

And so it comes about that I am a thief, as well as a murderer. I cannot claim to have had much of a choice in this matter, at least. Ked had a blaster with her, and even if her words did not actually tell me she would be glad to use it on me if I failed to cooperate, her face more than compensated for the lack.

Yesterday, she and Acheron came to me, and told me what was expected of me - Bane has never said a word to me, though his eyes follow me, as long as I am not watching him openly. On occasions, I have glance up just in time to see his eyes shoot away, and even when I do not catch him at it, I can feel his eyes boring holes into my back. I do not know why he stares, so.

But, at any rate, Ked and Acheron told me that I would be expected to contribute to the community wealth if I wanted to continue to eat. So this morning, they brought me out with them. I must say, my guard appeared relieved to be going out, rather than being forced to stay and baby-sit me.

Acheron went off alone - "He works better, alone," Ked said, as he left - and Ked took me into the richer part of the area; that is the part that gets a few rays of sun every now and again. This is the first time I have been out since I had the misfortune to meet Ked, and I had not realized just how far beneath the surface we were.

Then I saw something I knew. Not from personal experience, of course, but from the holonet at home. There cannot be more than one building on Coruscant that has the size and magnitude of the senate building. I froze. Ked took hold of my wrist and dragged me along. "Oh no ya don?t," she said harshly. "Too late to chicken out now. C'mon."

Suddenly she shoved me. I ran square into the worst possible person I could ever hope not to run into: Senator Ziv Tabi'anun, the Shiri'anun senator from Meridi. Aran Forge, our human representative, walked by his side, as she always does: Senator Tabi'anun understands Basic perfectly, he still cannot speak it well, though they have been here for two and a half years.

"Watch where you?re going!" Senator Forge cried in Basic, as the pile of papers, and other objects Senator Tabi'anun was carrying scattered. Some of it landed on the walkway; the rest fluttered over the guard rail, lost forever to the depths of this monstrous planet.

I kept my eyes on the ground and muttered in the best Basic I could muster, "I - I'm sorry." I crouched to pick up some papers that had landed by the toe of my boot. They had some typed information, and the margins were black with scribbled Meridian. Two words leapt off of the page at me: "Barra", and "murder". I shoved the paper into Senator Forge's hands, and turned away, headed off at a run. I did not stop when Senator Forge cried in Meridian for me to wait.

I did not run for long before a thin hand in a sleeve that was too short for the arm it encased took hold of my wrist. It was Ked. "Look here," she crowed, holding a six-inch long razor sharp knife blade and a large golden medallion before my nose. "Ya did great, kid. I haven't had this good a haul from one person in years. That cat thing is real gullible, and the human wasn't much better. Look at this thing. Don?t it look wicked?"

It is the most I had heard her speak at one time. "They are ceremonial objects," I said. "The medallion shows Senator Tabi'anun's rank within his clan, and the knife is a sign of his warrior-diplomat status."

"Oho," Ked said then. "So you know those two. They from your homeworld?"

I did not answer. I am more ashamed to have been a part of that endeavor than I am to have killed a man during the Festival of Lights. At least Reuben Ssacco deserved his fate. Senator Tabi'anun worked hard to earn that medal

 

EEK!

I kept my eyes on the ground and muttered in the best Basic I could muster, ?I-I?m sorry.? I crouched to pick up some papers that had landed by the toe of my boot. They had some typed information, and the margins were black with scribbled Meridian. Two words leapt off of the page at me: ?Barra?, and ?murder?. I shoved the paper into Senator Forge?s hands, and turned away, headed off at a run. I did not stop when Senator Forge cried in Meridian for me to wait.


Wow! small galaxy.


So very glad to see an update!

 

Awesome update.

Poor young man!

Thanks for the PM.

 

Incredible update!

I did not run for long before a thin hand in a sleeve that was too short for the arm it encased took hold of my wrist. It was Ked. "Look here," she crowed, holding a six-inch long razor sharp knife blade and a large golden medallion before my nose. "Ya did great, kid. I haven't had this good a haul from one person in years. That cat thing is real gullible, and the human wasn't much better. Look at this thing. Don?t it look wicked?"

It is the most I had heard her speak at one time. "They are ceremonial objects," I said. "The medallion shows Senator Tabi'anun's rank within his clan, and the knife is a sign of his warrior-diplomat status."

"Oho," Ked said then. "So you know those two. They from your homeworld?"

I did not answer. I am more ashamed to have been a part of that endeavor than I am to have killed a man during the Festival of Lights. At least Reuben Ssacco deserved his fate. Senator Tabi'anun worked hard to earn that medallion and knife. Right now I would give much to be able to return it to him.

Poor guy!

 

oqi: Absolutely.

Laine Snowtrekker: Thanks! He is having a hard time, isn't he.

VaderLVR64: Again, thanks.
______________________________________

Day Twenty-nine

My apologies if this entry is absolutely illegible. It is late at night and quite dark, for I dare not use a light.

My entire body hurts.

Every day, Ked takes me out with her and makes me help her rob some unsuspecting victim. I have no choice in the matter, but I loath the life I am living now.

Today I dared to tell Bane himself that I would have nothing more to do with his band of thieves. The entire room fell silent when I spoke. Bane stared at me for a moment in silence. I thought perhaps he had misunderstood me; my Basic is still far from good, though I spoken it almost exclusively since leaving home. I repeated myself.

Bane spoke aloud for the first time that I have seen since coming to this horrible place. His voice is soft, scarcely above a whisper, and all the more frightening for it. Thinking back, I think I would have preferred that he roared and raged at me, then spoke softly, lisping because of his evil-looking fangs. ?People don?t usually live to cross me twice, boy. You?re still new, so I?ll let you off light because you don?t know how things work yet; don?t expect me to be so generous next time. The minute you came down here, kid, you pretty much sold yourself to me. You don?t like this? Well you can starve tonight.?

He snapped his teeth together then. The room was so silent the click echoed. Then Ked and Acheron took charge as Bane went back to his usual quiet, unobtrusiveness.

This is when it got very bad. My father is not one of those ?modern? parents, who believe punishment is detrimental to a child?s development. Sara and I were punished many a time, and the punishments were not light. Too well do I remember the nights that I ate my dinner standing, because it hurt to sit.

But those were nothing compared to what I have experienced this night. Ked is stronger than any human woman I have met before, and Acheron is even stronger than she is. And they were not gentle.

What am I to do? I cannot stay here. That will be the death of me, for if I fear and distrust Bane, I believe every word he said to me tonight. If I cross him again, he will kill me. But neither can I spend the rest of my life helping a band of thieves (and murderers, as well, I am sure).

I must think of a way to escape.

At least I have some peace right now; everyone except the Rodian is asleep. The Rodian, I think, is on guard, to be sure I do not try to escape.

As though I could move anywhere quickly, or quietly, for that matter.

My whole body is one great bruise, I think.

I dare not write anymore, except when I am alone. The last time I wrote Bane eyed me suspiciously, and had words with Acheron, all the while gesturing at me. I am afraid if I write in front of them they will ask me to see it, and when Bane cannot read what is written, for the Meridian alphabet differs from the alphabet of Basic, he will probably destroy my journal, and that, of all things, I could not bear.

 

Talk about a turn for the worse!
How is he going to get out of there?



And Bane better not destroy the journal.

 

Oh, no!

How will he get out?

I'm worried for a story character.

It means you're doing great with this story!

Thanks for the PM.

 

Another great update! I'm really worried for our guy here.

 

oqi: Well, we'll see. Pretty soon, actually.

Laine Snowtrekker: Thanks!

VaderLVR64: Bane's a pretty harsh person.
___________________________________

Day Thirty-three


I cannot decide if I am saved or doomed. You see, I have been caught. I was working with Ked, again. This time she shoved me at a couple of humans who did not look particularly rich. As I stumbled into them I wondered what she could possible think they had. Both were dressed in serviceable leather slacks and boots, and comfortable, shirts, neat, but lived in.

As a collided with them, both cried out in surprise. Again, I bent to pick up the items they had dropped?tools, this time?and put them in the hands of the man, still muttering apologies.

However, this time, the man felt Ked?s hand in his pocket. She was too fast for him. I was not. His hand closed on the back of my neck so I had no hope of escaping. My last view of Ked was her back as she ran away, leaving me to my fate.

So now I sit in a tiny, windowless?of course?closet, staring at a closed metal door, waiting for the stern looking man to execute judgment on me. Perhaps the woman will speak for me. She seemed to pity me.

At least they left me my journal, so I can relieve my mind at least partly.

later; hyperspace

I truly am saved this time. My faith in the galaxy is restored.

First of all, to make the explanation easier, the woman?s name is Meredes, and she is the captain of the Chimaeraion, the starship that is now carrying us away from that horrible, planet-wide city. The man is another Hidaasa, a species called ?Clawdite?. His true form is somewhat between a human and a reptile. His voice is raspy, and a bit hissing, but I like him nonetheless, now that I do not fear for my life. His name is Andras.

After they caught me, Mercedes and Andras brought me not to the Imperial Police, as I had feared, but to their ship. This puzzles me still. Why would they choose to deal with a clumsy pickpocket themselves??not that I am complaining. This choice is only to my benefit.

As I wrote earlier, I could hear them talking quickly in Basic. I could not understand what they said, because of the thick metal door, and my somewhat limited command of the language.

It was only about fifteen minutes, but it seemed like an hour?finally, the door slid open. I was tense, ready to run if I had to. I truly do not know what for. With Andras there I would never have made it far, but I think the deepest parts of my mind at least wanted to try.

I never got the chance. Mercedes slipped inside, and the door closed again. I kept my eyes on her as she sat down on the bench and patted it, intending me to sit as well.

If nothing else has come of this horrible life I have been leading, I have at least learned caution. I hesitated before sitting, but she smiled?she has a nice smile: much kinder, more sincere than Ked?s. I think when Mercedes smiles, it is because she is truly happy; not because she is laughing at you inside.

I sat.

?So,? Mercedes said then. ?You wanna tell me how you got yourself mixed up with that lot??

I tried to retain the caution. Truly I did. But the words would have their own way, and poured from my lips whether I wanted them to or no. For the second time, I told the whole story, beginning with the brotherhood ceremony, and the knife thrown in the street, going through to when Ked first shoved me at the Meridian senators, to when Andras? iron grip took hold of my neck.

As much as I hate to admit it, I did weep again. I am not sure if I wish to know if all seventeen year old boys are as quick to weep as I have been in this past month.

But it felt so good, to again lift the burden of my life off of my shoulders, if only for a few minutes.

Now we are, as I have already said, on our way off of that horrible monstrosity that calls itself our capital. However, this explanation must wait until tomorrow, for it is very later, and I am very tired. The bed

 

Yeah! He got out!

But is it from the frying pan and into the fire?

I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks for the PM.

 

Yay, he got out!

I wonder where they are taking him, or if they will keep him.
I hope they are really nice this time.

 

So things are looking up. For now.

Can't wait to see what happens next.

 

Laine Snowtrekker: Yes, you shall have to wait and see (I can be cruel when I want to be )

MsLanna: Yup. He didl. We'll see soon enough....

VaderLVR64: So they are. But will they stay that way?
_____________________________________

Day Thirty-five

To continue:

It was an accident, really. Mercedes and Andras did not want me to come with them. They were going to Alderaan, they said. Had no need of another crew member. But then the inspector came aboard. I do not know what he found, but it was not what he expected to find. He and Mercedes exchanged hard words, and he threatened her somehow. I know not how. But either way, as he left, he threw threats of the exposure of something over his shoulder. He was scarcely off the gangplank before Andras shut it, and Mercedes started the engines, muttering apologies to me. ?We can drop you anywhere you want,? she said.

In truth, it suits me this way. I like these two. They are kind, soft spoken, and walk around with good smiles?not like Ked?s. I rather hope I can convince them to let me stay with them, for a while, at least.

At any rate, now that I am caught up, I can describe the Chimaeraion. She is not a very large ship: many of the merchantmen that land in Thallai are twice or three times her size, to say nothing of the tourist yachts. But she is comfortable; rather homey, if you will. She consists of a cockpit, a galley, a common room, of sorts, two cabins, a few storage closets, and, of course, a cargo hold?what ship has no cargo hold, even if she is a courier vessel, as Mercedes has told me the Chimaeraion is? When Andras first brought me aboard, I was placed in the largest of the storage closets, which happened to be empty at the time. Now he ungrudgingly shares his cabin with me. It is not much of a sacrifice, seeing as all my gear but this journal, which resides on my person at all times, lies still in the warehouse in the lower levels of Coruscant, probably in the room with the rest of the loot now, but I still deeply appreciate his willingness to share with one who has no right to be here.

My professors at school always complained that in my essays I could never keep to the subject which I was supposed to be writing about. I never understood until I received this journal from my language and writing teacher.

To continue on my true subject:

Chimaeraion is a sweet little vessel, very ?weatherly? to use the term our salt-water sailors on Meridi use to refer to ships and sloops that scud across the sea smoothly and easily. This ride is much smoother than the ride I had on Ashthar?s clunker, the Iska. I slept well last night: Andras does not snore, as Ashthar did, either.

And, yet again, I have changed the subject. Mercedes and Andras are couriers for the Senate. This means that they carry messages to various parts of the galaxy, and must have a fast ship. Mercedes mentioned that now they are carrying a message from Emperor Palpatine to the Alderanian senator, Bail Organa, who spends most of the time on his home world with his wife, and two year old baby girl, Leia.

The fact that they are couriers could mean well for me. There is an old story that states that after our ports were closed because of the ash-rose plague thousands of years ago it was a pair of couriers for the Republic that first landed on our planet and reintroduced us to the galaxy. Perhaps, if there is a way for me to go home again, it will come from these two.

I think, for the moment at least, I want to convince Mercedes that I can be of service so she and Andras will allow me to stay.

 

Hmmm. The plot thickens!

Good entry. Can't wait till the next one.

Thanks for the PM.

 

It looks as if things were about to happen.
First I was afraid that he'd arrive on Alderaan just in time to get blwon to pieces, but it seems he'll get some breathing splace.

But the Empire is already at odds with Bail.

He can't stay on topic.
I can SO relate. Essays were alway the hardest thing to write, a squirrel before the window and I wasl already -- oh, shiny!


I wonder what job he'll get.

 

The plot DOES thicken indeed!

Can't wait for more! I REALLY want everything to turn out well for him.