Prattler’s Pilgrimage Pt. 2
A second trip to the Mirogana Market and a short ride out to Jaunta’s Hope
Welcome back to Prattler’s Pilgrimage, a clumsy journey around the rough edges of the galaxy.
My second day in Mirogana, the dusty metal capital of Toshara, would prove to be an even more interesting day than my first. I woke up with a strong desire to see a bit of the Tosharan countryside, though finding a means of exploring safely would likely be a challenge. Toshara is a beautiful place, but the distance from the central systems makes it an ideal hub for, lets say less than savory activities. Eyeing a couple enforcers milling about in the gambling dens will quickly clue you in to this. Still, I seem to have discovered, if you don’t appear to be worth the trouble, or sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, you can move relatively unaccosted.
I started by stepping back to the Mirogana Market. Following my nose I found my way to a stall serving small fare and warm drinks. Unfortunately I’m not entirely sure what I ordered, I just asked for a repeat of what the patron in front of me ordered. I’ve found it makes it a bit easier to seem like you know what you’re doing. The small boat of seared meat and fruit went down extremely easily with the piping hot cup of caf I got. Surprisingly good caf for a little stall in a crowded market. I am used to the exclusively plain and steadfast caf served in Imperial food halls, so my taste is pretty limited. Still, I caught myself humming gleefully after my first sip, something worth noting.
I headed for the spaceport, food in hand, and met Valith Nuulvys the speeder mechanic. I was curious if there was a process for renting speeder bikes. Valith was less than thrilled to be chatting with an obvious tourist, but he gave me a rate and some advice, both of which I am sure were inflated by his perception of me. While I wasn’t thrilled about the 1,500 credits to rent a bike for the day, I figured I would live on the edge a bit and go for it. I was also fortunate enough to run into Suda Draak again, while he loaded crates back into his ship. He mentioned Jaunta’s Hope, a frontier establishment a few kilometers southwest of Mirogana. I told him I already had it on my list. I shook his hand and thanked him for the advice concerning the Che Mosskà. I could tell by the smile on his face, he was very genuinely pleased I took his advice. For this reason he offered me a bit more. “Stay on this main road out of Mirogana. It heads straight to Jaunta’s. There is an Imperial and Pike checkpoint along the road, but they only stop people moving inventory. But stay on the road, in the afternoon, and you’ll be fine.” He let me distract him for a bit longer before I went on my way. Turns out he has a few deliveries to make and then he plans to stop off in Jaunta’s before heading off-world. If I enjoy my time in Jaunta’s I may head back tomorrow to catch him. Who knows.
The ride out of Mirogana was stunning. I’m so used to the structure and life of mega-city living, being in the countryside was truly amazing. The winds on Toshara are so strong and constant it made the first few minutes a bit scary, but once I learned the strength and direction of the prevailing wind, I was able to lift my head and take in the windswept hills and rock formations. Just as Suda said, the Imperial checkpoint had no interest in my light ride, and the Pike’s waved me past a loaded skid they had stopped. I drifted into Jaunta’s Hope around midday and found the small frontier town bustling with activity. I quickly made my way to the cantina in the center of town, The Daruda Diner, and parked my bike beside the entrance. Immediately I noticed the more friendly nature of the people walking around Jaunta’s. I was met with waves and short but courteous greetings.
I wandered around town for a bit and then made my way into the diner. The menu is short and kindly priced. I stepped out the bar, ordered a bowl of Empona Noodles for a meager 7 credits, and a local draft called the Daruda Dry. Upon my first sip of my drink I knew I would be having a few more, and the noodles were really a pleasant surprise. A warm, slightly spicy, salty broth that complemented the Dry well, and noodles with good bite. I sat like a plant for the next couple hours, nursing a few more Dries while listening to the scuttlebut at the bar. Mostly local news, some political banter, and an intriguing story of an Imperial chase that started right here in this bar a few weeks back. Made the tension I sensed in the stormtroopers make a lot more sense.
I made my way back to my hotel just as the sun began to approach the horizon. Toshaal glowing large and bright in the night sky. I grabbed a pack of death sticks on my way out of town though, and took a moment to try one sitting on a small observation deck on the Mirogana Spaceport. Taking in the constant meteor showers that stark the night sky over the city. Why I spent so much time cooped up in a little office is beyond me at this point. I know this trip will eventually come to an end, but I’m only a couple days in and I can already tell, what comes next is going to have to be drastically different from my previous life. Come back to Prattler’s Pilgrimage next time as I wrap my short stay on Toshara and head to my next destination…the icy Kijimi!