I originally did this for one of the KFM duelling circle challenges, and had so much fun with it, I thought I'd post it here.

Ever wonder why you end up with a crate of gizka on your ship on Tatooine? Well, here's your answer. :)

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Pookie

“Oh, no. Geordan’s going to be so disappointed. Are you sure that’s what the memo says?” Mayran asked.

“I’m lookin’ right at it, Mayran,” Jor-ul said. “I know Geordan’s going to be upset, but he’s a big boy now. He’ll get over it. Besides, she’s got beady little eyes, and they’re only cute when they’re young.”

“Let me see that,” Mayran said, grabbing the datapad from Jor-ul’s hands. “What do you know? She’s the cutest little gizka I’ve ever seen. And she has such personality.”

Her eyes darted back and forth as she scanned the datapad, looking for any possible way to get around the directive.

Memorandum on Gizka Policies
To: All Anchorhead residents
From: Czerka Corporation Tatooine Governor, Ardis M’ran, MBS
Re: Non-compliance with Gizka Ownership Policies

It has once again come to my attention that there are some Anchorhead residents who have apparently not been educated on Czerka Gizka policies. This memo is being sent out to make very clear what our policies are.

Gizka are not to be owned by any residents. We are trying to eradicate the hairless little frog-faces because they breed faster than a Jawa talks. They’re chewing up our cables faster than the Sand People can steal them, and the replacement costs are killing us. Despite the fact that they’re small and can only hop around, trying to capture them is like trying to hang on to the greased handles of a speeding swoop bike. It’s bad enough trying to catch the wild ones without citizens adding to the problem by taking them into their homes and feeding the things.

I have heard any number of excuses on why So-and-so should have a special dispensation to keep one as a pet. “They’re cute.” “They don’t chew on the cables at our house—you just have to train them right.” “We always police their guano when we take them for a walk.” My personal favorite is “We only have one. You have to have two to make more gizka.” Well, whoever said ‘If you own one gizka, you own a hundred’ made the understatement of the millennium. We’ve had more gizka pop up in the last two weeks than we had in the last two years, and frankly, I’m tired of seeing their chirpy little bug-eyed faces jumping all over Czerka stuff and making more gizka. The only way to keep the prolific little buggers from making more nuisances of themselves is to rid them from Anchorhead entirely.

You have three days to remove all gizka from your homes. Czerka will provide euthanasia services for free for the next three days, a 58 credit value to you. After that, you will be fined 500 credits for possession of a gizka, and it will be removed anyway.

If there are any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

“But our gizka’s too young to breed! Well, I think she’s too young to breed, but we don’t let her out, anyway! They can’t do this to a child. He loves Pookie,” Mayran said in dismay.

“Mayran, we don’t have 500 credits to pay the fine if they search us and find the critter.”

“I can’t stand the idea of putting her down. That’s too cruel. There has to be another way,” Mayran said, tears beginning to brim.

Jor-ul ran his hand over his smooth head, trying to consider his options. “I don’t know, Mayran. I don’t have a lot of ideas here. We’ll just have to tell Geordan we took her out to a farm.”

“Geordan’s young, but he’s not stupid.”

“I gotta get to work. Ships don’t dock themselves, you know.” Jor-ul put on the robe that prevented the blowing Tatooine sand from scouring his skin.

“That’s it!” Mayran exclaimed.

“What’s it?” Jor-ul stopped, hand still on the doorknob to leave.

“Here’s what you need to do. Just make sure you find a nice pilot….”

* * *

“You the Ebon Hawk’s owner?” Jor-ul asked Revan after the customs official finished with him.

“Yes.”

Jor-ul swallowed hard. This owner, Revan, seemed to see right through him, almost as if he could read thoughts, and Jor-ul briefly reconsidered his plan. There were no other ships scheduled to dock for the next three days, however. The only other ship in port was owned by a nasty Trandoshan who looked like he could eat Pookie alive. Jor-ul was out of options, and he could feel the sweat beading on his forehead. He hoped this Revan would just think it was the heat.

“You gotta sign this delivery order. We put crate 42-B7 on your ship.”

“A delivery? What order?”

“This is the Ebon Hawk, right? Docking bay 32? We got an order to put this crate on your ship. Says right here on this datapad. Crate 42-B7 goes to Docking bay 32. I’ll get in trouble if I don’t deliver it right. You gotta sign it.” Jor-ul hoped his hand wasn’t shaking too badly as he handed over the datapad.

Revan scrutinized it for a long minute while Jor-ul held his breath.
“All right,” Revan said finally, putting his thumbprint on the datapad and handing it back.

Jor-ul felt the weight lift from his chest, and he could breathe again. “Thank you, sir,” he said, with just a little too much exuberance.

Revan caught and held his gaze for a moment. Jor-ul felt the searching and thought of anything but gizka.

“You’re welcome,” Revan replied after a pause that seemed to Jor-ul to last an eternity.

Jor-ul trudged away, at least until he was out of Revan’s presence. Then his walk lightened as he headed for home, enjoying his success at saving his son’s pet. “Mayran, I put her on the Ebon Hawk. Looks like she’ll be OK—I saw a young Twi’lek there. I bet she’ll take care of that gizka almost as good as Geordan.”

Mayran cried a bit at the loss, but then said, “I suppose Pookie’s lucky. She’ll see more of the galaxy than we will.”

* * *

The Ebon Hawk slipped into hyperspace after leaving the dust-bowl planet.

“Aw, look guys, check out this cute little gizka!” Mission exclaimed to the rest of the crew, smiling broadly. “She had some babies, too! Now everyone can have their own!”

“What idiot let her on board?” Revan asked, looking suspiciously at the young blue Twi’lek who was now cuddling the gizka in her arms. The gizka cooed as Mission scratched her knobby head.

“Excited statement: Gizka make excellent target practice, Master. It will be a pleasure to remove them from the ship,” HK-47 noted.

Mission, still holding on to the gizka, jumped up from where she sat and stuck her finger in HK’s face. “Oh, no you don’t, you nasty little assassin droid. She’s mine. And no ‘accidents’ either, or I’ll take you apart while you’re powered down.”

“Indignant reply: I am not little.”

Revan held a hand up to forestall the droid. “I take it you let her on board, then. Those damn gizka will be hopping all over this ship before long, Mission,” he said, trying to control his frustration and not quite succeeding.

“Oh, no, I didn’t bring her on board. I found her by this broken crate in the cargo hold. There was a note inside that said her name is Pookie, and the owners wanted us to save her from Czerka. They even left a bunch of gizka food for her. Isn’t that great? Can I keep her? Please?” Mission put on her best ‘help a poor starving orphan Twi’lek’ look, trying to charm Revan into agreeing.

“Oh, no,” Revan groaned. “Let me guess. Crate 42-B7?”

“Hey, that’s right. Those Jedi senses of yours must be pretty darn good.”

“Yeah, they’re good all right.” Revan replied, putting his head in one hand and sighing.

You stole on of my ideas! *crys*

Just kidding. Great job, as usual.

awesome! but just one thing, HK's statement beginners (yep, that the only thing i notice :D). he only says one word before starting the sentence, as far as i have played through KotOR and i have uncovered 98% of his dialogue. so, i gues hiss statement beginners would be just plain "Statement:" and an "Indignation:" for the "im not little line"
great work overall! :thumbsup:

awesome! but just one thing, HK's statement beginners (yep, that the only thing i notice :D). he only says one word before starting the sentence, as far as i have played through KotOR and i have uncovered 98% of his dialogue. so, i gues hiss statement beginners would be just plain "Statement:" and an "Indignation:" for the "im not little line"
great work overall! :thumbsup:

RC, the HK expert (igyman being the other) is at it again :lol:.

Anyway another good piece Jae, I'm looking foward to more of your works. I'd just been reading the Doc's and I decided to read yours as well, seeing as how there is nothing else to do.

I've also done a Short Fic too. Soon I think everyone will do one.

I haven't started a fad, have I...?

I haven't started a fad, have I...?

Why yes, yes you have.... :D

Thanks folks. I had to write it fast for the KFM challenge to get it in on time (in fact, I didn't think I'd even get to enter the challenge because I had so many other things to do at that point), so it was a little rough. However, it was too fun to pass up, and I snickered the entire time I was writing the Czerka memo.

Nice work Jae. I thought it pretty funny. Gives a good explanation as to why the gizka on the ship.

Dear Jae:

I always wondered why all of those silly gizka wound up on my ship. I hated
having to kill them, too, because as Mission says, "Check out this cute little
gizka!" "Pookie" gives a very funny and believable explanation of what the
gizka delivery guy was thinking when he put that crate on Revan's vessel.

My favorite part of this story was the Czerka memo detailing the hazards
(and the penalty) of gizka ownership. *LOL*! This, in turn, was the memo's
best part:

"I’m tired of seeing their chirpy little bug-eyed faces jumping all over
Czerka stuff and making more gizka. The only way to keep the prolific
little buggers from making more nuisances of themselves is to rid them
from Anchorhead entirely." Sounds like the Czkerka people were on
the verge of a nervous breakdown when they sent out this directive!

"Pookie" is a refreshing change from my own fic, even, because mine
is so often "dead serious" in its tone and message. I loved yours
because it made me laugh, and also because it answered one of
my most irritating questions about KOTOR I and the quests I did.

Nice work, Jae! I give this a FicSpot 9.0, for "superb!" Even though
it didn't have any dark secrets or jaw-dropping revelations, I realized
I didn't need those from "Pookie." I just needed a dose of intelligent,
well-thought-out humor to balance out what I was trying to put in
MY fanfic! :)

Sincerely,
Tysyacha

they breed faster than a Jawa talks.

Now that's just classic! :rofl:

I'll keep it short and sweet: Great work Jae!

(igyman being the other)

You forgot to mention that I'm the founder of the ''Learn the HK-47 language'' school as well as the ''Become an HK-47 expert'' one hour course. :D

A cute little story Jae. I too always wondered how the gizka ended up where they did. A damn shame to have to kill them too, but they're too cute for their own good.

Nah, I always take them to the Selkath you meet not too long after getting off the ship on Manaan and have him take them all off my hands. If my persuade's high enough, sometimes he'll even pay _me_ for the chirpy little frog-faces. :D

Great Fic Jae, its a good explanation as to why those damn things get put on the Hawk.

@ Athos: you find the Gizka "cute"? i feed each one a gizka poison so that i can watch them suffer :D

You forgot to mention that we're the founder of the ''Learn the HK-47 language'' school as well as the ''Become an HK-47 expert'' one hour course. :D

fixed! i tipped you off on starting the school, iggy :xp:

This shortie fic was one of the best I've read so far, great job! I love HK wanting to use them as target practice, very HK-like.