Chapter 8 - An Expensive Droid (2/2)

- ”well, they are not very much”- said Unkar Plutt who was more interested in BB8 and Rey could tell by the way he was looking at him- ”the five pieces are worth... let me see... one half portion.”

- ”What?”- Rey thought she had heard wrong. That price was ridiculous even for the standards of Blobfish- ”last week they were half portion each and the laser guns have to be worth more than that...”

- ”It's the price I give”- said Blobfish with no emotion whatsoever but Rey knew he was trying to bluff- ”now if you want more... what about the droid?”

- ”What about him?”- asked Rey who did not understand why the droid was related to their bussiness.

- ”I'll pay for him”- Unkar Plutt said while grabbing a big quantity of portions from the back of the counter- ”60 portions.”

Rey was astonished by that quantity. 60 portions was enough to feed her for at least 10 months and she could even negotiate some of them to trade for other goods. Her eyes shone and she couldn't help but go to the counter and grab the portions that were in front of her. However, she did not pick them up and she looked at BB8 while thinking.

- ”This is fishy”- she thought remembering the way Lando and Blobfish had seen BB8- ”there must be something else here.”

Rey knew Unkar Plutt and she knew he never suffered a lost. Even for a new droid, Blobfish would try to buy for no more than four portions and he would never add even an eighth more, so there must have been a powerful and definitely dangerous reason for him to offer such price. Rey saw around her and then she moticed the envious and even murderous looks she was receiving from the other scavengers. If she took these portions she doubted she could keep them long before she was attacked by a mob. It was not wise to have so much food on her since the blessing could transform into a tragedy. She looked at BB8 again and she could noticed the shock and worry on him.

- ”It must be related to the so called secret mission BB8 was talking about”- Rey thought and she started to feel a weird feeling as if someone was about to fall on her to hurt her.

It was better to analyze the situation and retreat for now. She would talk to BB8 and make him spill out all the beans. She did not want to die not knowing even the reason for her demise. She took her hands apart from the portions offered and just took the half portion she had been given before.

- ”Actually... the droid is not for sale”- she said before turning around and walk away as fast as she could knowing that now she was a target- ”Come on!”

After she went away, some of the scavengers followed her and the droid and Unkar Plutt took the portions inside his counter and took a radio that had a direct line to his thugs.

- ”Follow the girl and get that droid!”- he ordered and closed the counter leaving many scavengers without a way to trade food for the day- ”and check on Lance. I'm sure he has already moved”

Rey went through the streets as fast as she could and did not have to look behind to notice she was being followed.

- ”Follow me very closely and don't get delayed”- she said very seriously.

- ”Bap bick!”

She started to run at her fastest and took a predetermined route that she had been planning for years in case the things went wrong like now. She could hear the footsteps of her persuers going behind her but after 10 minutes and about 300 turns and deviations she managed to lost them and she entered hut that was empty.

- ”Ok, BB8”- said Rey kneeling down to be at the same level of the droid. Her attitude was very serious- ”I wasn't planning to pry into your situation but as you have seen we're in trouble and I need to know as much as I can.”

- ”Brip po ibak!”

- ”No!”- said Rey placing her hands on BB8- ”a lot of people seem to be extremely interested in you and they will not stop until they get you. I want to know why!”

BB8 heard many people ran past outside the hut and the little droid started to panic and he started to plead Rey not to ask more, but Rey looked at him with cold eyes and stood up taking distance from BB8.

- ”Now, if you want my help... You will tell me what is happening now”- Rey spoke clearly and slowly and every word was said with absolute decision and without a shred of doubt- ”Otherwise, I'll abandon you and leave you here. I don't want to die, especially for someone who doesn't trust me enough to tell me the situation. Now choose! They will find out this place in no time!”

BB8 knew he was absolutely cornered and that Rey would do what she said without a doubt. BB8 understood that it was only fair and he was about to start telling the situation when the door was kicked open and a thug entered and threw himself over BB8 as soon as he saw him. However, he could not even touch it before a lightning speed hit made him go to sleep.

- ”We have to go, now!”- said Rey after hitting the man and immediately ran out the hut only to find herself surrounded by four thugs who had knives and other blunt weapons. Rey stopped her tracks and prepared her quarterstaff- ”I hope you have some weapons incorporated, BB8.”

- ”Beep boom bap!”

- ”I don't think they'll give us the chance.”- said Rey and started to look for a chance.

(...)

Finn finally could see the post in the distance after hours and hours of what seemed infinite desertic nothingness and he felt like crying in happiness. It had been long ago that he had throw away his stormtrooper armor since it had lost its meaning and it was too heavy to carry. However, instead of continue going, he felt to his knees and felt an incredible exhaustion and his body started to beg him to stop. He started to feel angry... angry at himself and at the First Order and at Poe for letting him crash so far and then he felt pity for himself and for his situation... This was the normal situation when one had reached his physical and mental limits and the majority of people would just stop there and literally die in front of the safe point not being able to deal with such mix of emotions. However, Finn was not like that and even if he hated the First Order, he had to admit that they had trained him well and he started to remember his training.

- ”Self control is everything”- had said one of his instructors- ”self control has emotional and mental ties with the body. An emotion will have an idea nehind it and an idea will have emotion behind it and both will affect the reaction of your body and the opposite is also true. So if you say that you're tired and can't continue, you'll feelings will give power to that and your body will just refuse to move. And when your body is at its limit, it will affect your mental process and will also affect your emotional state. Everything is link and that is why you must control all these three aspects since if you fail to control one, it will affect the others and it will be over for you.”

Finn accomodated in a sitting position and applied the big four skills immediately. He closed his eyes and started to control his breathe. Breathing helps you control your emotions and to calm down even in the worst situations. It sounds easy and effective but it is not and it is something every soldier has to train constantly.

- ”There is water and food”- he started to say to himself. He started to use visualization to boost his own morale. He imagined the feast he would have once he arrived to the Niima Post- ”there will be meat and delicious milk. I'm sure they have chocolate, too. Man... I want chocolate. I'm sure they have showers where I can refresh myself and a comfortable bed where I can sleep until tomorrow.”

The effects were immediate and he felt a little stronger and he then used that small strenght he had gathered to stand up and and continue walking. The breathing permitted to control the emotions and then the visualization gave you the power to rule over the emotions to gather more power.

- ”I'm the best!”- he started shouting while forcing his legs to continue- ”I'm the number 1 stormtrooper! I avenged the people of Tuanil! I'm a damn hero! This is nothing for me... they should have given me a farther objective!”

The third step was what his trainer used to call ”Extreme Positivism” and it was the idea that mental ideas affect emotion and the body so what you have to do was to cheer yourself shouting your accomplishments as a crazy person. As the trainer said, since there was none to deny your affirmations, you could very well say whatever you wanted and it was true.

- ”This Boss is so amazing that he will arrive to that rock and will then announce his most amazing feat to date!”

The final step was to set ”small accomplishable goals” since it was too overwhelming to set big goals, just set small easy goals until you complet the task. And so, Finn advanced slowly but surely to Niima Post setting small goals, shouting as a possesed man, imagining the delicious experiences he would have and controlling his breathe. And after two hours of a painful and exhausting walk, he finally entered the Niima Post. He did not see the guards nor he cared for them. He had a new micro goal that needed to be accomplished immediately.

- ”Water!”- he said in low voice looking as a madman everywhere- ”do you have water?!”

He started to run into the tents where merchants sell everything one can imagine but it seemed that none had water in sight and even when Finn beg them for some, the merchants just ignored him since he looked like a beggar with no money. Finn started to falter and he felt another wave of exhaution that almost made him faint. He managed to grab a post to avoid going to the floor since he knew that if he went down, he would not be able to stand up again. So he tried to control his emotions again when he heard the beautiful sound of water being splashed. He immediately turned around and saw a big trough filled with water being consumed by a Happabore who seemed to be enjoying the cool liquid.

- ”Hell yeah!”- Finn thought and immediately rushed to the trough forgetting all previous tiredness and he would have just jumped into the pool if not for the Happabore only letting a small space for him to drink.

He went to his knees and immediately started to gulp as much water as he could as well as using some to wash his face and hair and cool down. After some time his head cleared and he could finally feel the taste of the water and he wanted to throw up when the aftertaste burned his mouth. However, he did not let the water return and he ignore the horrible flavor while gulping more and more water until he felt full and could not drink more. The happabore then seemed to feel that he had stolen enough of his precious liquid and just pushed him aside.

- ”I get it!”- said Finn standing up and starting to think about what to do next when a shadow ran past him very quickly.

When Finn saw the figure better, he noticed that it was a girl that had a long stick in her hands and she was trying to escape from many people who was behind her. After she ran some more meters, he realized that she had been surrounded and a violent fight started in front of him. The girl put on guard and prepared to fight. Finn admired her bravery but he knew it was going to be useless since the enemies were six and should be able to reduced her quickly. Finn decided to go away and avoid trouble when he saw a little droid of orange color next to the girl.

- ”No way!”- he said and he remember what Poe had said while he was piloting the TIE fighter- ”A BB unit droid that is one of a kind!”