Barry Stue: This Fire

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𝓔𝔂𝓮𝓼 𝓫𝓾𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪 𝔀𝓪𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓶𝓮

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a week before the Battle Royale

Zakuul

Gary Stu’s Palace. A relic of a time long past. Its halls were now empty, its seats collecting dust. Save for one, the old throne. Seated in it, Barry Stue waited. His mother hadn’t returned. Barry couldn’t sense her presence. It had been a month since the wheels attack on the sues had driven him from the suedom. Zakuul had been the Hideout of Gary Stu, Barry’s father, as well the rest of Gary’s children during the sue wars. So many of his brothers and sisters brainwashed and sent to their deaths. Now Barry was all that was left. There had to be a reason, that out of hundreds, HE was the last sue. Perhaps it was punishment. He had spent so long trying to be his father, and then his mother, and now this galaxy left him with neither.

“Dee, you still there?” Barry called out. In response, DM-2375, Barry’s personal droid, walked back into the throne room. It was humanoid in appearance, but quite short, standing at only 5 feet.

“Yes, yes I’m here, what is it you need.”

“Start up the gartic, we’re leaving.”

Dee nodded, turning and walking off back to the ship. Barry looked up to the stars, holding his hand out as if to catch one.

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𝓔𝔂𝓮𝓼 𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓸𝔂𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓼𝓸 𝓼𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓽𝓵𝔂

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Coruscant, one month later

The Red Terror had come to the Jewel of the Core. Barry had chosen the wrong damn time to have dee take the Gartic back to Zakuul. Barry ducked underneath blaster fire. Soldiers fell all around him. They were the planet’s militia, fighting for the Tea Empire. Barry aimed and fired, taking out several consortium soldiers. For every one he shot though, 2 more seemed to take its place. A defense wasn’t sustainable. A retreat was ordered and Barry began to fall back. He reached the senate building. It seemed this would be their last stand. Barry had to do something. If he fell here, the sues would be left a figment of history. As the doors to the building closed, Barry thought. There was one way to walk of of here alive.

“「 made in dairy 」”

Time slowed, to the point of nearly freezing. Barry ran down the halls of the building. The leaders of the defense were in the chancellor’s old office. He opened the door to it, stepping inside. There they were, giving out communications to the defenders. With them dead, the entire defense would collapse. Barry raised his gun and fired, he would do whatever it took to survive.

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𝓝𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓪 𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓷 𝓶𝓮

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one month later

The Battle Royale was over. Barry stood on a crowded speederbus headed for the lower levels. There was a ripple in the force. Barry turned his head, looking among the people in the bus. He noticed one of the engers making their way to the back. His eyes followed them as made their way past a few engers, barely noticing the small piles of credits levitating out of their pockets. A pickpocket then. As long as it wasn’t his money. As the shuttle landed, people began to make for the exit. Barry waited as people left the bus one by one. Just as he got off the bus, he felt that same presence from earlierright behind him.

“「 made in dairy 」” he whispered under his breath. Time slowed, to the point of nearly freezing. Barry quickly turned, seeing the pickpockets hand reached out for his credits. He only had a few seconds before time would speed back up. He walked behind the thief, grabbing their shoulder. Time sped back up.

“Going some-“

Barry was immediately interrupted by the thief’s elbow smacked into his stomach.

“What’s your problem!” She turned and yelled at him.

“You’re the pickpocket!” Barry yelled back

“Hmph, prove it.”

Barry held out his hand, lifting the dozens of credits out of her pockets. She promptly force pushed him back, turning and running. Barry gave chase.

“Hey, get back here”

She ducked between alleyways, using the force to try and block Barry’s path. Barry kept up with her, finally reaching out his hand and yanking several crates in front of her, blocking any means of escape. She tried to open a vent grate between them but Barry stomped on it, keeping it down.

“What’s wrong with you?!” She yelled out to him.

“you tried to rob me!” Barry responded.

“It was just a few credits, what’s it matter to you”

“You’re still a thief”

“You don’t know a thing about me. What if I’m just a poor, poor refugee escaping the EVIL red terror. Or an orphan looking to feed her family of loth-cats.”

Barry frowned and the girl sighed.

“Look, this isn’t a life that I want, but it’s one this galaxy has forced me into. Id get out of this place if I could, but I can’t, so I’ll do whatever I can to survive.”

The words rung familiar in Barry’s head.

“Fine, you’ve made your point, just let me have my credits back.”

The girl sighed, “Fine, fine, it’s only fair”

She held out the credits.

“STOP, underworld police, throw down your weapons.”

Barry turned, coming face to face with two policemen.

“There’s been a misunderstanding officers, we’re on our way.”

One of them reached for their pistol

“Officer this really isn’t necessary”

Barry glanced at the girl, who pointed down. The vent! Barry continued to stall the officers as the girl lifted the grate behind him. He then ducked, and she sent the grate flying towards the officers. As they were hit, Barry jumped into the vent, with the girl following after. They landed in a series of large sewer tunnels and began to run. After what seemed like forever, they finally climbed up to the main floor of the level.

“Never quite caught your name” the girl said

“What’s it matter to you”

“It’s always useful to know people, it’s the least you can do after I saved your skin.

“Barry, and yours. It’s the least you can do after I saved YOURS”

“Hmph, the names Petra, I suppose I’ll see you around”

“Yeah, after you give me back my money”

Petra smiled, “I was counting on you forgetting”

She tossed over the credits.

“Y’know I’d never take you for a thief”

“Hey, hey, those rich asshats on the upper levels already more credits than they know what to do with them, there’s no harm in taking a couple off their hands.”

“I am many things, rich isn’t one of them, you still robbed me.”

“Yeah, well, you looked rich, there.”

“I’m flattered.”

“You should be, probably the first compliment a girl ever gave you.”

Barry chuckled. “Yeah, well, I’ll see you around, hopefully not looking through my pockets.”

“Hey, try it before you deny it. You wouldn’t make a bad pickpocket.”

Barry rolled his eyes and walked off. It would be a good way to make money. Eh, if he got really desperate.

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𝑨 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒔

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a month later

Barry exited the jail building. His first try at being a thief had gone south and that landed him a couple nights locked up.

“Try before you deny.” He said to himself “what a load of shit.”

Barry senses Petra’s presence

“Guess I was wrong”

Barry spun around. Sure enough, standing behind him was Petra.

“And what are you stalking me for”

“Heard you got pinched, guess beginners luck is a lie”

“Hey you’re the one who got me to try it”

“Ah whatever, so, what happened”

“Well I tried to grab the credits with the force, but they snagged against the guys pocket.”

“Ah, that’s happened to me once or twice. Why didn’t you get away.”

“It was a bus in midair”

“Ah, that’s the thing, you gotta wait for it to be landing, then you strike, makes it easier to escape if you need to. Y’know you should’ve come to me before starting out.”

“Y’know you should’ve let me know where to find you so that I could’ve”

“Ah, fine, better late than never, cmon”

Petra took Barry’s hand and began to run off. After a few minutes they arrived at a small apartment block.

“Well, here it is. My house in all its glory.”

She walked up the steps and dragged Barry to her room. Opening the door, she stepped aside for Barry to take a look.

“So how do you like it”

It didn’t have that much, only a bit of furniture.

“You’re pretty poor for a high class thief”

She pushed him inside.

“Hey shut up, says the one who just walked outta jail.”

“No, but it looks fine.” Barry took a seat on the couch. Except for the cheesy poster over there.”

Barry pointed to the poster. Splayed across it were the words “On Tanalorr, paradise awaits.”

“What’s your issue?” Petra replied, her demeanor seemed to change.

“Nothing, it’s just, so many people have died in search of Tanalorr, it seems to me like it’s just an illusion”

“So you’ve looked into it”

“No, I’ve just been around, and heard a lot”

“Sounds like you got quite the opinion Mr. travels the galaxy”

“It isn’t like that-“

“Isn’t it, never met someone from here who’s ’been around’.”

“The rest of my family is gone, for so long I’ve tried to be like them, even though the whole time I knew that I could never be like them. I chased something I could never be”

“So why even try.”

“It’s what they would’ve wanted from me.”

“Is that what you want though”

“What I want?”

“you’re not your family, you don’t need to be like them.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“You’re your own person, you should chase what you want”

“Easy to say coming from someone who already know what they want”

“Hmph… you said it was an illusion. Yet it’ll always be better than this shithole. Can you blame me for wanting to get away from here?”

Barry took a moment to think. Maybe she was right, Barry hadn’t been there long enough to know.

“Cmere, I got something to show you” Petra grabbed his arm and dragged him into her bedroom. Rummaging around a bit, she grabbed a small book and sat down. Barry took a seat next to her.

“It’s your lucky day, I’ve been looking for someone to show this to.”

The opened the book to reveal several drawings. Barry flipped through the pages, looking at each one.

“It’s my imagination for what Tanalorr is like.” Petra said

“Hm, these are really good, you could probably make enough money off of them to actually get yourself there”

“Haha Mr. Sweet talker.”

“The drawings have made me want to see the planet for myself, that is the power of art” Barry said, in a very sarcastic manner.

“Ah you’ve ruined it” Petra took the book back, storing it back away. “No more drawings for you, not today.”

“Ah, what a shame, what a shame.”

“Hey, count yourself lucky, I’m really giving you everything, first compliment, first time she invites you over.”

Barry frowned “Oh blah blah, like I said I’ve travelled, I know people. How about you, you seem like the ‘I work better alone’ type.”

“Oh me, no, no. I’m actually part of a crew”

“Really?”

“Yeah, we operate not to far from here.”

“Hmm, maybe a certain special someone could put in a good word for a rookie who needs some training”

“Fine fine, I’ll let Leon know about you”

“Thanks, and thanks for showing me your place but i should probably be on my way.”

“Ah, alright, I’ll see you around then.”

“Yep, cya”

Barry made his way towards the door. He’d made a friend, maybe even found a crew. Things were looking up. As he stepped outside, he looked up at the neon lights all around, flashing in the otherwise dark lower levels. He reached his hand out again towards them.

“Special ain’t the half of me.”