emile fischer

Meira: A new home

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Planet Muugrah

" I have one !!! »

While an arm brandished an ion connector above a pile of scrap metal, a few meters away a smile appeared on Méïra's face. She clapped, then put her hands over her mouth to shout, "Well done sis!" »

Maranka, her junior by only 11 days, descended the metal slope like a surfer and threw the red cable to Méïra. The two twi'leks ran towards each other and the younger threw herself into her sister's arms, who spun her around, caught in a moment of excitement.

When she put it down, the eldest saw the same joy in those red-rimmed green eyes staring at her. It must have been the last ionic connector on the planet. We made more like that. And an adapter would have cost too much. Ah, the joys of the abandoned junkyard.

" That's it ! At last ! …Hey, it fits huh? It's going to work ? asked Maranka, worried.

"There's no reason it shouldn't work, it seems waterproof, quite long, … yes, it will work!" his sister assured, inspecting the room from all angles. Maranka jumped for joy, clapping her hands.

It's so nice to have a sister like her, thought Méïra. A sister who was also driven, dedicated, and ultimately playful for the happiness of others. It must be said, she had to take it from the family. With two generations of altruists, it's passed on.

“Okay, we're done here… Unless you find parts for your sculptures, we can go. »

Maranka shook her head. “Nah, it's mostly rusty and rough here. My piece is about lightness remember. »

Méïra shrugged, and led the way towards the speeder. Behind her, her sister followed, hopping even harder. A real kid in her head, but a strong, determined, cheerful Twi'lek in all situations. With each step, led like dance steps, her little brown lekkus flew up, then fell. The golden chains adorning his headdress levitated, refracted the light of the suns, then fell towards his head. The fake little white horns that decorated those chains pierced the air, and fell with the rest.

Méïra was used to this spectacle and looked rather in front of her, on the sides, her hands on her two eternal companions, a pair of custom-made blasters. This landfill was abandoned, but within everyone's reach. A real treasure for handymen much more ferocious than the jawas. The Twi'lek Lethan and her sister, Darian, were also prime targets for slavers, since they weren't in a Republic sector. One stumble, a trickle on the ground, or a nice, well-prepared ambush, and they were done.

A rat womp crossed the small path in front of Méïra at full speed. She almost crushed him. How reckless.

"Ahhhhhh, no…no no no…nnnno!" exclaimed the brunette twi'lek who hated these critters. She stamped her feet on the ground and shivered. Meira was more curious than her sister. She watched the beast flee toward a rusty iron tube, then turned her head back to where it had come from. A beautiful mountain of spare parts stood there, solid despite the pile of so much scrap metal. She continued to walk a few more steps, while her sister behind her remained erect as an isk, as if standing on a chair, surrounded by critters. The hill of iron, steel and plastoid then revealed to Meira, as she advanced, a huge thing.

The twi'lek gaped. Maranka pulled herself together and shivering one last time, she walked towards her sister who was no longer listening to her.

“Ahhhhhhhh, I hate that stuff. Did you know that womps can give you the… wooow! »

The two girls felt very small in front of this mastodon, this metal giant, … a ship.

“He's… magnificent…”, pronounced Méïra, her violet eyes full of stars.

“He's… screwed up. corrected her sister, less optimistic.

She wasn't wrong. The XS freighter was buried under another mountain of spare parts, all its windows were broken, one of the reactors was missing, another was exploded and lay on the ground, the turrets flying away, the landing gear broken. In short, a ruin, hidden by thousands of pieces of other ruins.

"He'd make a good cabin..." Maranka suggested, raising an eyebrow, not taking her eyes off him. “As long as we manage to force the trap door… Well, shall we go? »

The young twi'lek had already left, then she turned to her big sister.

“Hey, are you coming? »

Meira did not move. She stared at the freighter, her hands loose, her breath calm, covered by the giant's shadow. She wasn't going to move. She had found her happiness.

After a good moment of reflection, she took a deep breath and turned to Maranka.

"  I want it.  »

Her younger sister looked at her with a puzzled look.

"  Uh... it's a Méïra wreck. He will never fly.  »

Meira had made her decision. This ship was going to fly. No matter how much time they had spent looking for the last parts for her parents' freighter, which she was to inherit...she had never really liked it. No matter if it was going to take months or years  : This was the one she wanted, and he was going to fly.

Thus, in the weeks that followed, Méïra and Maranka left Ryloth almost every day and went to Muugrah to raze the mountain of scrap, free the monster, and finally embark it in the big parental freighter to bring it home.

The parents were shocked but not surprised when they saw their daughter come home with her discovery. They had a good garden, and in one corner the cargo ship XS was stored. Initially, the girls used it, according to Maranka, as a garden shed. On several occasions, they took their blankets and spent the night together in them, telling each other stories of space pirates, playing cards, and observing the stars through the broken windows of the cockpit, before falling asleep. .

The freighter thus remained a cabin for 4 years. The wonders, stories and memories that were born in this metal box will remain engraved there forever.

One day, Méïra got down to it. She scoured all the dumps she knew of, all the stores and parts vendors, searched the family cellar for all the tools she needed, and bought or made herself all the others she didn't have. A sublight engine from Czerka's junkyard, repulsors from Rendili, new transparisteel windows, seats were from Corellia, and the turrets were old modified Taim & Bak turbolasers. She set up a bar, a dejarik table, a private room and dormitories there. Outside, she redone the paint, using pink and brown, taking inspiration from the skin color she and her sister had. The shapes and lines recalled a mixture of the patterns of their combined lekkus… She spent well half of her time on this titanic project, impossible in the eyes of many.

One evening, Méïra and her sister entered the ship with the very last part  : the main handlebar. It was an intense moment. When Méïra finished installing it, it was late.

"  We will test it tomorrow...  she suggested.

Maranka, suddenly seized by an emotion stronger than herself, threw herself into her sister's arms and closed her moist eyes.

"  I will miss you sis.  came his torn voice.

Meira was quite surprised. She hugged her youngest for a long time, caressing her cheek against his.

"  Hey... I'm not leaving forever. I would often come to see you.  »

Maranka sniffled and exhaled a light laugh.

"  I know you sis. You are an adventurer. You will travel the galaxy, find the smallest treasures it has to offer, make great friends and help those who have none...  she stammered on the verge of tears. "  I know...*sniff* …and we'll wait for you. Whenever you're in trouble, we'll stand behind you; every time you help someone, we will think of you  ; and each time you come back, we'll be there, arms open. Promised. *sniff*  »

Meira closed her eyes and swayed gently from right to left, like a little dance, while Maranka played with her lekkus and followed suit.

"  Thank you sis...I love you...  »

"  I love you too... *sniff*  »