Day 8

Don't think I'll get two "days" up today. Ah well; I think as long as I don't miss any more days I'll be all right.

This isn't very long, and I'm not sure how much I'm making sense at this time of night, but no matter. I have a feeling this could be loosely termed as Star Wars fanfiction, but as I'm not consciously using any terms or concepts from the series, save "droids," I think I may be all right.

A rough draft, as per usual.

***

Herlon was the largest city Nia had ever stepped foot in. As the only spaceport in the outerlands that wasn't all that surprising; anyone with business in the region had to come through here. And yet, according to Mertel, Herlon was like a small village when compared to the capital.

Standing in the shadow of the ship docks, Nia was having a hard time believing it. How could any place be bigger than this? Tall skyscrapers, glittering in the sunlight, rose so high they were lost in the clouds, and the crowded market streets stretched for blocks in every direction.

Closing her eyes against the barrage, she was assaulted with the smells of hawker stalls, meat cooking on open flames, and the coarse shouts of sellers promoting their wares. Someone bumped her roughly behind and she stumbled, eyes flying open. Nia winced as a particularly enthusiastic vendor let out his shout right next to her ear, and she fled to the dark doorway of an establishment.

It was quieter here, and Nia stopped to catch her breath. Looking up at the sign she saw it was a shop selling droids and she smiled. She tried to peer through the grimy glass, but didn't venture in. She couldn't afford a droid, and the proprietors wouldn't look kindly upon her "skulking" around the shop.

That thought made her frown, but she banished it from her mind. True, she was no thief—she'd come to Herlon for honest work, from whomever would have her—but they wouldn't know that. Never mind that she could fix just about any—

No. Nia shook her head. She wouldn't do this. She was here to take any work she could have. Mertel might have fancies of "doing what he loved" and "getting off this rock," but look what that had got him. Nothing but disappointment.

***

[Edit: Continued on Day 9.]