「你咁靜嘅,」Vos喺佢哋準備起飛嘅時候咁講。
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「我無嘢好講。」
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好明顯,Vos有。「我知,我都好唔安樂。我哋不嬲都係去刮啲人渣監躉,而家要去救返人哋老婆仔女,係有啲唔習慣嘅。」
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「佢出得起錢,我咩人都會幫佢刮。」
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講就容易,但係Ventress知道呢個係一個大話——亦唔係佢第一個同Vos講嘅大話。無幾耐之前,Ventress同人拍過檔,佢加入過Boba Fett帶領嘅一隊賞金獵人。佢隊人嘅任務係要護送一箱神秘又貴重嘅貨物。Ventress發現箱入面嘅「貨」其實係一個叫做Pluma Sodi嘅少女。個女仔睇落只係得十𡃁歲,被擄走送到去一個叫Otua Blank嘅Belugan財主佬手上逼婚。Ventress無將Pluma Sodi好似禮物咁樣送畀個咸濕伯父,佢放走咗Pluma,然後塞咗Boba落去個箱度。有陣時Ventress諗個𡃁仔會唔會就咁算數,不過佢無後悔。就算係咁佢都唔鍾意嗰段往事,嗰陣時Ventress心軟,而現實生活教識佢呢個銀河系唔會可憐心軟嘅人。[註19]
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Vos望住佢:「真?」
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「真。」
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佢鬆一鬆膊頭。「你鍾意啦。」
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「收聲入Mustafar嘅坐標啦。」
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「Yes Madam!鳥語花香Mustarfar~~ 係人紅噹噹都靚㗎啦。『成為賞金獵人,探索銀河系啦!』」
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Ventress唔會講出口,但係雖然有啲時候佢好想鏈死Vos:佢永遠都好似唔會心情唔好,一分一秒都唔會;但係有陣時佢嘅活力又幾得人鍾意嘅。Ventress都唔係話對Mustafar有乜興趣,正常人都唔會。喺嗰個星球唯一有用嘅就係岩漿;肯住喺度嘅就只有一世搵命博嘅採礦工人、黑日(佢哋覺得岩漿最啱毀屍滅跡),同埋各種各樣唔想畀人搵到嘅生物。
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喺大殿一聽到目的地係Muatafar,而對手又係黑日,Ventress有諗過就咁算。不過出面仲嗰個睇Marg Krim頭。雖然所有嘢都要低調,但係如果攞到佢嘅人情,就比起嗰筆巨額賞金更加之著數。
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邊個想一世風平浪靜?
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脫離超空間,眼前出現一個赤色星球。Vos擘大口想講嘢,Ventress就擰轉面舉起一隻手指警告佢:「唔準講話紅色點點點吓。」
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佢大聲笑得好開心:「你點知㗎?」
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「如果有機會搞爛gag嘅,你實講。講幾多次都唔厭。」
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Vos作狀咁嘆氣:「Madam,我認罪。」佢鬆鬆膊,就似佢本身根本無諗住攞紅色嚟搞爛gag。Ventress駕駛喪妖號穿過厚雲同黑煙,降落喺一個破落嘅曠工小鎮平台。
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平台,同小鎮本身,都危立於壁架之上,懸崖下係一河滾滾岩漿。假如呢度係Naboo或者任何一個住得人嘅星球,然後下面條河透心涼咁藍,樓價一定升到嘭嘭聲;但係呢度只得一堆寮屋伴唱,去等一班靠採集岩漿為生嘅淪落人返嚟。Ventress諗一諗好無戴埋氧氣罩,最後都係決定唔使。如果喺度日捱夜捱就有必要戴,幾個鐘頭應該問題不大。
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熱力逼人,但仲可以忍受到。呢個星球嘅原居民Mustafarian喺熔岩附近做嘢嘅時候個個戴住面罩,為其增添一份統一嘅神秘色彩。當行人好奇咁觀察佢哋,Ventress先發現得太遲面罩可以幫到佢哋隱藏身份。
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「最憎啲鎮仔,」佢同Vos行過去一本地人自古馴養嘅岩蚤(lava flea)度。「個個都係熟人。」[註20]
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「係,但係今次幫到我哋喎。」
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「弊在唔使一個鐘頭,成村人都會知道我哋嚟咗。」
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佢哋行埋去個駝背嘅Mustafarian老闆度租兩隻岩蚤,傾掂咗價錢就一手交錢一手交貨。
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「呢度有啲㷫哦可?」Vos騎上佢隻岩蚤咁講。個阿叔睥住佢,粒聲唔出。Vos繼續問到篤:「有啲口渴㖭,去邊度飲返杯好呢?」
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阿叔把聲畀面罩揜住咗:「去最後一酲(The Last Resort)。」
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「嗰度就係最好嘅酒吧?」Ventress問。
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佢大笑:「唯一一間吧。」
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「咁就去嗰度啦。唔該曬。」Vos拉一拉韁繩,隻岩蚤就聽聽話話咁跳起,向市中心出發。Ventress照住Vos咁做,但係佢隻岩蚤只係扭扭擰擰咁郁咗下,好猶豫咁跳咗幾跳。佢將一隻手放喺閃令令嘅甲殼上面,跟住諗:要撳扁你都唔難呀?佢唔識心靈感應,但係佢透過原力注入自己嘅目的。隻岩蚤就木口木面咁追住Vos嘅方向爬。
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濃煙醃到眼出水,Ventress單憑意志堅持住唔咳,集中控制住隻岩蚤去市中心。狹窄嘅街道人逐漸多起上嚟,呢度啲工人物種五花八門。佢觀察到大部分人都係去緊同一個方向。
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「睇嚟礦山夠鐘放工,我哋跟住班人啦,」Ventress話。
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一大群礦工就好似熔岩咁流動,兩隻租返嚟嘅岩蚤唔使點鼓勵就隨波逐流。唔使幾耐,[i]最後一酲[/i]就出現喺眼前。地方大就大,不過同個鎮其餘一樣咁翕耷。
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「睇嚟搵到我哋間吧啦,」Vos話。佢勒緊韁繩,令岩蚤停喺其他泊好嘅同伴附近。佢哋落馬行入間吧。
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室內聞落比起出面熔岩嘅煙霧好少少。Ventress突發奇想:無論裝修、人客係咩級數,呢種地方永遠都係同一種感覺:絕望、厭世、飢餓、久唔久嘅一時之快。
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不過喺呢度,一種悶人嘅疲勞係主宰,蓋過其他感覺。呢度嘅曠工日日被壓榨,做到人都吽吽哣哣——
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Ventress擰轉頭,跟住酒吧中眾人枯燥中嘅一絲狂妄。佢目光落喺一班Falleen大隻佬身上。佢哋嘅裝束無標明黑日徽號,亦根本無必要。佢哋嘅身材同座姿強而有力,唔單只係因為體力勞動,而且係食好瞓好,同飲到半死嘅鄉下佬完全唔同。
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其中一個Falleen自己一個柄埋一邊,伸直雙腳一飲而盡。佢起班點嘅青面上一副無心裝載嘅不屑。
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就好似讀到佢心咁,Vos話:「搵到個佳麗囉喎。」
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甚至易過頭。「坐定定等睇戲啦,」Ventress話。「呢舖我搞掂。」
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「你想點做?過電眼?必殺技?」
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「梗係出殺手鐧啦,」Ventress答。隻自大嘅Falleen實好傷心,兼好奇怪,佢啲雄性魅力點解無料到。
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Vos眼仔碌碌:「睇你表演喇。」佢退後一步融入黑影同人群之中。Ventress按兵不動,由得嗰個黑日馬仔望到佢先。當四目交投,佢慢慢行過去吧檯度,坐喺佢隔籬。
「咁啱呀靚仔。」
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佢戚起一邊嘴角:「咁啱呀靚女。賞面飲返杯嘛?」
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Ventress舔一舔嘴唇,保持住眼神接觸。「唔想飲酒喇,」佢挨埋啲咬耳仔。「呢度真係......好難傾偈啫。」佢側側頭,一隻手指翹一翹頭髮喺耳仔後面。呢個係佢同Vos第一次用呢招捉個海盜反骨仔嘅時候嘅暗號。佢眼角睄到一個身影離開酒吧。
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個黑日馬仔對自己咁有信心,今次實好好玩。
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「係呀,又真係好難......傾到偈。」
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「咁我哋走啦。」
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個Falleen仆到起身,爭啲就整跌張凳。Ventress單一個眼,拖住佢手帶佢穿過一班可憐蟲,行入黑媽媽嘅走廊去洗手間。佢好猴擒咁一手推開道門,仲用隻腳翹後踢返埋佢。「嚟啦靚女~」佢捉住Ventress膊頭隊佢埋牆,烏低身錫佢。
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Ventress一隻手撳住佢心口,笑出聲:「咪住先靚仔,我哋行出嚟唔係想好好傾下偈㗎咩?溝女都要落啲咀頭㗎。」
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狗公企返直個身:「好,你鍾意吊高嚟賣?」
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「你估都估唔到呀,」一把歡樂嘅男聲話。
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個Falleen嚇親,吓一聲望到Vos喺隔籬個格度一路等緊佢哋嚟。睇住Vos一手劈落去,Ventress無辦法唔奇怪黑日係咪已經一蟹不如一蟹。個Falleen咳咗兩下,仲反應得切去還拖。佢動作係快,但係Vos用佢嗰種超自然咁快嘅反應就避開咗,一腳踢落去佢菠蘿蓋。佢痛到縮埋一嚿,Vos就一個過肩摔撻佢落癡立立嘅地下,跪住佢喉嚨。以防萬一,Vos捉住佢隻手向後拗。
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Vos抬頭望住Ventress依起排牙嘻嘻笑。佢都回佢一個笑容,單膝跪起個馬仔旁邊,眼神之中係同剛先嘅熱情相對嘅冷酷。
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「你係乜水呀?」個Falleen左望右望咗問。
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Ventress無理佢。「條肉參呢?」
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「肉參?」佢扮到乜都唔知咁,個柒樣真係唔啱佢。
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Ventress歎一口氣:「BB,唔好敬酒唔飲飲罰酒。」Vos一點就明,壓多少少力落去佢條頸度、將佢隻手拉後少少。個Falleen就即刻投降。
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「佢哋喺大倉度!喺大屋入面!」
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「講多兩句好喎,」Vos話。
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「唔得,我唔講得㗎,佢哋會殺咗我㗎!」
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Ventress不嬲都無乜耐性。個黑日馬仔就係佢一路最睇唔起嗰種人:嗰啲無目標、日日淨係識得聲色犬馬嘅死飛仔。佢抽劍出鞘,嘶一聲撻著:「你梗係講得啦,唔係咪我哋殺咗你囉。」
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「好啦好啦!」Vos鬆開佢喉嚨。馬仔咳咗兩聲,然後話:「左翼上層。倉門全部都裝咗機關,全日都有十二個人當更,六個樓上六個樓下。」
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Ventress一笑收起光劍,拍拍佢面珠墩:「有幾難啫?」
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就算嚟到呢一刻,隻狗公個樣都好有希望。Ventress難以置信咁搖搖頭,一拳鍾落佢個雙下巴。佢雙眼反白攤咗喺地下。原本係想殺咗佢嘅,不過Vos話最好都係唔好畀黑日多個藉口尋仇。老實嗰句,佢都係要個馬仔唔好阻頭阻勢,夠時間潛入雕堡,救Krim老婆仔女走人就得。
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「唔使擔心,」Vos拉個Falleen去嬲尾嗰格。「佢無咁快醒嘅,你請咗佢食個招牌拳頭呀嘛。」佢停一停,然後靈機一觸,幫隻狗公擺咗個不文姿勢。
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Ventress忍唔住笑。「行啦,成座雕堡等緊我哋爆。」
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[註19] TCW 4.20
[註20/圖5] Lava Flea/岩蚤:於EP III首次登場,由Sang Jun Lee設計。附圖出自Eric Tiemans:https://na.cx/i/N5tZBXg.jp229Please respect copyright.PENANAuLQdgdN3KD