Prattler’s Pilgrimage Pt. 1
A former Imperial Number Cruncher turned travel blogger sets out on a tour of food and sightseeing in the outer rim.
A few cycles ago I asked myself, what would I do if I wasn’t a bean counter anymore? I spent years working in manufacturing, but not on the lines with the workers. Up in an office, analyzing the work processes. Cleaning up inefficiencies, simplifying procedures. Real fascinating work. It quickly became clear to me I was burnt out. Throw in the fact that imperial jobs are in flux right now, job security became reliant on a willingness to relocate. There were half a dozen logistical jobs that opened up in imperial space. Steady gigs that would have afforded a comfortable life, at the price of extreme mundanity. And now increased risk. The Rebels destroyed DS-1 three years ago. And while there are rumors of a second station being built, I don’t think I can see myself springing to work on the next one.
Well, wouldn’t you know it, I got furloughed! So I’m taking my six months of severance and I’m stepping out on my own. I’m going to be writing about food! I tapped my friend, Shak Tel Mot, in logistics for some tips for chartering cheap fares and I secured trips to Toshara, Kijimi, Akiva, and Tatooine! I’m excited, I’m nervous, but dank farrik I’m going to do it! I’m Prat Pinnok, and this is Prattler’s Pilgrimage.
The flight to Toshara was pretty uneventful. For a cheap seat in a cargo vessel, the crew was accommodating and mostly helpful. I’m sure they were thrilled they had a little freeloader mucking up their space, but they shared meals from their galley and gave me a little bunk room to call my own. The Foreman grew up with Shak, so I’m sure I was treated well by threat of some kind of punitive action. Nevertheless I got to Mirogana around 4am local time and dragged my way to a little hostel for a few hours of rest.
A few hours later I wandered into the central market of Mirogana. What a charming little hovel. Hovel isn’t quite the right word, but the unpleasantness I local might feel frequenting the market was completely lost on me. The smells, the dust, the loud conversations and arguments between venders and patrons, all mixed together into a wonderful mosaic of newness. Being stuck at a desk for the last ten years really opened me up to really any other experience. I grabbed a vest and some pants from a Rodian textile vendor, popped into a bathroom to change out of my boring attire, and slipped back onto the streets of Mirogana looking the part.
I found my way past a few gambling dens filled with folks betting on Fathier races and competitively playing a variant of Sabaac they call Kessel Sabaac. Seemed easy enough to pick up. Maybe when I start getting my severance pay I’ll slink up to a table and try my hand. I’m not sure I would be accepted around these tables though. While I assume its not as exclusive as a table on Tattooine, I spotted some shady gentlemen in the corners of the room who appeared to be keeping an eye on things. Besides, I was hungry, so I made for the biggest Cantina in walking distance, Makal’s Gambling Parlor.
Makal’s entrance is built with this amazing golden-red, windswept stone, something I’ve noticed a lot on Toshara in just my first few hours. First, I stepped up to the bar and grabbed the first drink I could see. The bar back quietly obliged and a few moments later produced a tall glass with a bright purple liquid in it. No ice, no garnishes, just a glass of spirits to start the day. Luckily I didn’t take a sip until I started walking away, it was strong. I paced around Makal’s for a few minutes before finding my way out onto the balcony overlooking Mirogana and the Tosharan countryside. What a beautiful place. I met a Twi’lek out there named Suda Draak. Seemed like a nice fellow. He was a company man, some logistics outfit that supplied all the bars in the sector. We chatted about Toshaal, the massive planet on Toshara’s horizon and the immensely strong winds it produced, leading to that stone I mentioned earlier. He also told me to stay in at night. “Mirogana is an alright place during the day, so long as you stay on the streets with lights. But venture into a dark alley, or onto the roads at night, and the environment would stop feeling so welcoming. Very quickly.” I thanked him for the advice, cheered him one last time, and made my way out of Makal’s and over towards the Market District, which overlooked the market itself. Suda had mentioned a food vendor called Irio there that made the best “Che Mosskà” he had ever had. Not know what Che Mosskà was, I was intrigued. Plus I wanted to get some food in me before whatever I drank started to affect me. Didn’t need to drunkenly wander into the very obviously Pike controlled areas.
Irio was a small vendor with a little bar affixed to its outer wall. It sat nestled in a corner of the Market District food court. A sizeable soup room sat on the other side of the court, a place I promised I would return to the next day, as I didn’t want to push my luck stepping out at night. I had to wait a bit before a barstool freed up, but eventually I scooched my way to the bar and ordered a Che Mosskà. For 200 credits the dish was massively generous. Four grilled Mosskà on the cob, skewered and placed on a small grill with hot coals, served with mashed deikkò root and jerà peppers. Watching other patrons eat, I picked up that you are supposed to blow on the coals under the Mosskà, causing the cobs to pop and crack. I’m not sure how many people are going to read this, but anyone who does has to make a trip out to Toshara to try this dish. I would recommend getting the smaller portion, for just 75 credits. But I was beyond pleased with the portion size of the 200 credit full order. I took the rest with me to my hotel as I checked in and ate it later that night, in my room, switching between fathier race feeds and a corny drama called Baradium Dynasty. Altogether, a very successful first day on my journey.
Catch up with Prattler’s Pilgrimage next time to find out what I did on day two of my stay on Toshara.