Past Due

[Sanis Prent]

Two Years Ago

I sniffed in the cockpit for effect.

"Practically smell the money in this system."

Muunilinst, of course. The banking clan hub world bustled with activity below us as we exited hyperspace. Of course, our trip was just to pass through. Our good fortune had landed us enough credits to top off fuel and even afford repairs.

Couldn't quite relax though. It was still Imperial territory, though not nearly as under the banner as a core world. My precious cargo, seated adjacent, meant that I always had to keep my eyes peeled.

"We'll be putting into Home Port station over there."

I pointed off in the distance at an immense space station, tethered over the Muun capital of Harnaidan.

"Muuns charge for dock by the hour so, lets have a good time, but maybe not too much of a good time."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

With a critical eye the Lupine, Loklorien s'Ilancy, let her gaze travel over the station that Sanis had gestured toward. She leaned back a little more in her seat, unsure of how to feel about their being... well, here. She bit her lip, shifted her weight, and let out a long breath. She had no plans or intentions on having a 'good time', or even a time really. She was perfectly content to stay aboard Layla during their stopover.

"I'm sure you'll manage to have a nice enough time for the both of us," she finally got out.

It wasn't said to provoke, rather her tone was of a strange exhaustion. Re-acclimating to spacetravel had taken a bit, and s'Il found her body revolting in much the same way that it used to, so many years before. It was never anything so disastrously sickening as it used to be, but more of a flighty, slightly nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Tell me again why we can't simply go planetside?"

[Sanis Prent]

"Docking rates are cheaper up top."

I spoke matter-of-factly as we approached, mindful to load one of the stolen transponder ID's I'd collected. Let's see, today we'd be Nuri's Charm, a venerable little hauler registered out of Bespin.

"Besides, there's always the skyhook."

I guestured to the tether holding the station in place

"Planetside's just a ten minute jaunt down the line if you'd rather.

Hm...thats odd."

I noticed a large ship berthed on the station's docking ring. Being the sort that likes to be in the know, I ran it against MARCUS's library of known vessel configs. It came up as...

"...a Korri class battle galleon?"

It was a Cizerack ship of the line, sure enough. The ship's burnt-orange hull and unique shape gave it away.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Idly scratching at an itch on the periphery of the upper portion of her scar, s'Il gave him a sidelong look. Mildly interested in his reaction, she continued to scratch.

"And that would be... ?"

[Sanis Prent]

"Cizerack warship."

I paused. Maybe that wasn't quite right.

"Or, uh, capital ship at least. Don't usually see them outside of the Carshoulis cluster unless there's some amount of business being done."

I tapped the comm that would link me below deck with the engine room.

"Cirr, you might want to catch the viewfeed."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr paused in his quest to find the toys that Tak had randomly strewn about the engine room, and sat up from under a manifold, wiping sweat off his brow with the bottom of his shirt.

"What now?"

He leaned over to the little troublemaker who'd turned his engine room into a play pen and handed her a few more toy tauntauns, with a look that implied she needed to find somewhere else to hide them.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She paid no amount of attention to the look Cirr was giving her. Instead, the little Lupine smiled wide, hopping her way over to him like a taun taun would, arms drawn up and her head bobbing and waggling. She even made taun taun noises like she'd heard on the soundbooks Sanis had given to her!

"Mmmyuh! Nergle nergle nergle!! Bruffpptptptptt!"

Crashing into the big Cizerack, Tak joyfully climbed up into his arms to tickle at his eartufts. He was the BEST playmate EVER!

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

His ears switched out of the way to avoid a tickling, as he tucked her under one of his arms like a load of cordwood, while walking over to the viewer to switch it on. His face quirked in confusion.

"That's a Cizerack shjip."

He stood there, perplexed.

"What arre they dojing therre?"

Really, there wasn't cause for alarm, it was just really unusual.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Always one to see the best in her situations, Tak giggled in his hold. In a feat of acrobatics that only children can possess, she managed to grab a hold of his tail. She was mindful enough at least to not tug too hard, but she did shake it about.

"A'kaha'ss'a Khu'e'ss!"

She knew well enough that Cirr had no clue what she'd said, but it didn't-

"Teagan!"

She froze, Cirr's tail still in hand and eyes suddenly very wide. That was Dama's voice on the comm, and apparently she'd heard what the little Lupine had said.

"Ueh'khudeh an'ue'k Kheh'du ou'ss'eh'ara. A'hga'na."

She grumbled just a little in answer to Dama's scolding, her body a bit more limp in Cirr's hold.

"hGa'na, Dama."

[Sanis Prent]

"Probably just pulling in for a loan like everyone else."

I replied dismissively over the comm as I broadcast Nuri's Charm's ID to the station for docking clearance. A few seconds later, we were being directed to a smaller dock, and the billing rates showed up on my computer up front. Not cheap, but it could be worse.

"No matter, just thought it was unusual. How long are we looking at turnaround over here?"

Cirr's voice came through over the comm, over Tak's giggling and carrying-on.

"Forr fuel and rrepajirrs, thrree hourrs. Not long."

I gestured to the vox as I looked at s'Il, confident that my mechanics's estimate would meet with her approval.

"See, not too bad, right? We could probably even make it planetside for a real meal too."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The thought almost made her stomach growl. Almost.

"How real of a meal are we talking?"

She'd eaten the normal spacer food for too long; the kind of food that Sanis had seemed more than happy enough with it, and he'd certainly been jealous, but the Lupine was ever-so-slowly beginning to reach a stage of withdrawals from her normal fare.

"Better yet, how about you let me stock your galley this time around?"

[Sanis Prent]

"Sure thing, you buying?"

If she wanted to spring for premium that was fine by me, but I was usually trying to make sure the ship was fueled and not falling apart, so I was naturally less picky.

We eased to the docking pad at Home Port, secured our moorings, and the extended pad lowered into the main hull, as a hatch sealed over the hangar. The Muun operator gave an all clear when atmo regulated, and I finished up the power-downs.

"Alright Cirr, we're off. Use what we've got in the balance to pay our meter for three hours, top the fuel, and whatever you want to patch for 2000 credits. Lock up, and meet us at the skyhook in an hour."

"Surre thjing, boss."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Standing, a bit stiffly - thought she'd never admit to such - the Lupine rolled her shoulders back while stepping out to stand behind her vacated seat, her eyes on Sanis.

"Of course I'll pay. It would do you good to have some substance to your food."

A conspiratorial grin as she leaned on the headrest of the co-pilot's chair.

"You always seemed to enjoy what I made on Cathar."

[Sanis Prent]

"That's hit or miss, but I'll chance it."

I remembered some of her "experiments". Some were good, and some...were horrifying.

We exited Layla and promptly left the hangar area. A team of Muun engineers were already gathering to meet with Cirr and Tak. Cirr kept the little girl somewhat mollified while he talked to the techs about what he wanted as far as service for the ship.

It wasn't much of a stroll for us to reach one of the main concourses on Home Port. It was an enormous domed vista, with stories and stories of balconies and walkways overlooking kiosks, places of business, and other such things. Everything was very stark and formal. Muuns had some sort of thing about columns and domes, and I felt like I was under-dressed at times for the scenery.

"Well, first thing we should do off ship is get a drink, I think."

I pointed across the way at a bar, conveniently located next to the docks.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A worried look flitted across her features for a fraction of a second. She'd not had a drink in long enough that her desire for alcohol was a distant memory. Even the times that she'd been with Dan following her self-imposed exile were spent with him partaking, and her abstaining. So unlike how she used to conduct herself during her time with the Rebels.

But, the Lupine was not about to allow Sanis the satisfaction of seeing her balk, and s'Il only gave a nod to the affirmative.

"A drink would be nice I suppose."

[Sanis Prent]

We stopped at the nearest watering hole and pushed our way toward the bar. There was a cosmopolitan crowd around, and for once, most of which weren't Muuns.

"Two Corellian whiskys!"

I got the barkeep's attention with an itemized chit as I slapped it down on the counter. The Muun dipped his bulbous head in understanding as he pocketed my payment, busying himself with filling two shot glasses.

It was about then that I picked up on the half dozen or so red-tinted uniforms around us.

"Looks like the crewers from that galleon are on leave."

Our shots arrived, and I passed one off to s'Il, running my own under my nose.

"About time somebody had the real deal. Too used to malastarian dregs and whatever somebody cooked up in a coolant tank."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She held the small glass for a moment, looking down at its' contents and then back up at Sanis. How long had it been since she'd had whisky? She smiled, though it might've been a grimace, and sniffing at the brownish liquid, she blew a short breath from her nose, angling her head away.

"I'd forgotten how strong it smells."

[Sanis Prent]

"That's the smell of hand-tended love and smoke and wood barrels right there. You just don't get that in any regular interstellar hooch."

I rocked my head back, tilting the glass at my lips in tandem to rifle down the strong liquor. Swallowing, I grimaced, which eased into a smile.

"Ahh....man I love it."

As I went to ease my shot glass back to the counter, I was jostled a bit as one of the red-clad Cizerack officers pushed her way onto the stool adjacent to mine. Apparently I had my arm leaning a bit too far to the side and she just saw fit to push it out of the way, rather than taking the time to ask.

"Excuse you."

Blue eyes looked down her nose at me from under her black officer's cap, and her ears switched back a bit.

"Complajin to ssomeone who carress, forrda."

It didn't take an idiot to figure out that you shouldn't start shit in a bar that was rolling deep in a dozen folks on the other team.

Grudgingly, I scooted over a bit, gesturing for the Muun to fill my drink once again.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The slight altercation - if it could be called that even, only elicited a raised eyebrow from the Lupine before she upended her shot as Sanis had. It burned a blazing trail of fire down her throat, and s'Il let the barest of coughs escape. She frowned, lifting the shotglass to examine it, as though it posed further threat to her tastebuds.

"I've... never drunk whisky like that before. Usually it was taken in a glass on the rocks."

She made another face as the memory of the taste resurfaced.

"This is... different."

[Sanis Prent]

"On the rocks? Only people I know take it that way are old men or people who drink more expensive stuff than I afford."

I gave the countertop a pair of knocks with my fist to indicate the Muun barkeep should let me ride a tab on the chit I'd passed him. He added the balance to what I'd authorized.

"You feel it quick. Warms you up, loosens you up, makes you relax."

The conversations around them grew more frequent and louder, with the sing-song cadences of Cizeri heavy in the air as even more Pride soldiers and officers arrived.

Again, I was jostled, this time by the same overbearing officer. Except this time, she was grabbing me by the shoulder as a command that I turn to face her.

"Forrda woman." She looked past my shoulder to s'Il. "jYou and jyourr man, drrjink wjith uss."

Bottles were procured from somewhere and sat at a circular table a distance away, where shot glasses were also set up.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A bit put off at the brusque behavior of the Cizerack woman, s'Il set her shot glass on the bartop.

"Oh, he's not-"

She stopped then, a moment of thought as her brain bade her to reconsider, and a quirky sort of twist beginning to curl at one corner of her mouth. Sanis - her man. It was a funny thought at least. As though he'd do anything she asked. Right. And perhaps Cirr would try his hand at Ithorian veganism.

Looking at the circular table a short ways off, the Lupine gave an idle nod. She had no expectations of partaking of anything beyond the one shot she'd already taken; one of those was more than enough for her taste.

And despite what Sanis had said moments before, she very much preferred her way of drinking whisky. She was old, after all.

"Delighted."

[Sanis Prent]

I looked back at s'Il with the briefest bit of horror in my expression, as her words caused a buzz of swagger around the Cizerack's table. The officer took a seat, as did two more of her subordinates, and two males.

"What the hell are you doing?"

I tossed my head back and whispered to her, just as a shot was pushed into my hand, and then one into s'Il's.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Well. This wasn't exactly what she'd expected. The Lupine had thought they would sit, share the latest news, and that would be the all of it. She stared at the shot in her hand while slowly lowering herself to sit. She made a slightly pained face, unsure if she truly wished to relive the burning sensation in her throat once more.

"I'm... not sure," she mumbled in answer, her eye going up to stare at Sanis.

Had her perception of 'sharing a drink' been off? It had never been like this with Dan, or even on Cathar.

s'Il finally ventured a question that she was suddenly very sure she'd not enjoy the answer to.

"Have I made a mistake?"

[Sanis Prent]

If the changing of hands of credit chits at the table was any indication, they were going shot for shot, and fully intended on us doing the same.

"One hundrred crredjit bujy jin forr each of jyou, forrda."

The officer pointed to s'Il, gesturing to the money in the center of the table.

"Whoeverr's left sstandjing takess jit."

I brooded over my shot, smelling the spicy-sweet notes off the liquor. It wasn't Corellian whisky, and judging from the glyphs on the bottle, something a little bit closer to home for the home team. I looked to s'Il to answer her question.

"Um...yeah?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Pursing her lips, the Lupine turned to look at the table, and the growing pot that was in the middle of it. She blinked. Perhaps this wasn't an entirely well thought out decision, but with a resigned sigh she reached into a pocket to retrieve two credit chits at one hundred credits of value each.

These she set on the table before her.

"Very well. We will participate."

A bit at a loss on how to conduct herself, s'Il slid the two chits forward so that they were beside the rest of the money.

She'd never quite participated in such a game, and there was a slight mixture of worry and boredom beginning in the back of her mind.

A drinking game had not been on her list of things to do while out and about with Sanis. Of course, she wondered if it was really all that surprising considering that, well, she was with Sanis.

[Sanis Prent]

The opposite side of the table thrummed with Cizeri as they all pitched in money on the outcome. I looked at s'Il with a grim sort of expectation as the signal was given and we all took our first shot in unison.

"Ai'shaafai!"

I knew enough that it was a toast, and the other side of the table shouted it out in unison upon finishing their drink. I took the drink down and aped it, still getting used to the thicker booze on my tongue. It lingered a bit.

"Dammit..."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She'd followed suit without hesitation, and a surprised look came over her as she tasted the alcohol going down. It was nothing like Corellian whisky; this stuff was actually good! It had a spicy, heady aroma and the taste to match. It reminded her strongly of Cathar, and with an unexpected smile the Lupine set her glass down.

She licked her lips and looked at Sanis with a suddenly bright glint in her single eye.

"That was much better than the Corellian drink."

[Sanis Prent]

It was way too rich. I felt like I'd just took down some whole blue milk.

"What the hell is this?"

The Cizerack officer, removing her cap, gave a toothsome grin.

"Freithaahee, blood ljiquorr, forrda. Drrjink up!"

The rest of the Cizeracks laughed. I figured about as much. This wasn't my first go at Cizerack spirits. Just the...thickest. I held my shot glass up, remnants of it still hugging the contours with a translucent red patina.

"Fine, let's go again."

That elicited cheers, and we all loaded up for another shot. I looked at Lok and shook my head.

"It's going to take a bit to explain to Cirr what we're doing, you know."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Watching as the Cizerack blood liquor was refilled in her small glass, the Lupine ran her tongue across the inside of her teeth. Yes, she could stomach this much better than the Corellian alcohol. The bite was still there, but the accompanying flavors were far more numerous and almost drowned out the taste of hard alcohol. All in all, it was a far better experience. She smiled, looking at the red liquid.

"Oh, I'm sure it won't be that bad."

[Sanis Prent]

We rocked back another shot, and prepared for another. As they were being refilled, the officer looked to s'Il, drumming her nails on the table.

"What'ss jyourr name, human?"

I got my next shot, the spices off of it were thick and easily sniffed out as I waited for the signal for everybody to go again.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She afforded the Cizerack a sideways glance, and with a slow motion leaned back in her chair. With one hand around the shot glass, s'Il tapped a fingernail against it with absent thought.

There was no harm in giving the name most called her.

"s'Il."

[Sanis Prent]

"ss'jIl."

The woman tried it on, frowning as she stumbled around the foreign name. Shrugging, she afforded s'Il a thin smile.

"jI'm Aissendrraa. What bussjinesss brrjingss jyou to Muunjiljinsst? jI notjice jyou fljy a Correlljian sshjip. jYou haul carrgo?"

I kept my tongue, brooding over my next shot. Figures the woman would think s'Il was the owner. Only natural, I suppose.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

This elicited a bit of an amused smile from her.

"Not my ship," she answered with a shake of her head.

She gave Sanis' hand a light pat.

"It belongs to my friend, here."

[Sanis Prent]

The call for a shot was given again, and up I went, not all that gracefully. By now, I was definitely feeling liquor in my system. I gave the slightest of burps, vapor-heavy air stinging at my nose as I exhaled.

Giving a tight smile, I extended a hand to the rude and presumptuous bitch.

"Jax Beyton, captain of Nuri's Charm out of Bespin."

She gave my hand a shake with a grip a bit harder and more brusque than I was ready for. The disappointment was clear on her face.

"A Captajin then?"

Her interest done with me, she turned to s'Il again.

"And what jis jit that jyou do then? jYou look ljike jyou lead a..."

She gestured to the side of her face in a top-down motion with her finger over her eye.

"...dangerrouss ljifesstjyle."

One of the junior officers looked me up and down in a way I remembered from my old days on Carshoulis. I let her look. I knew what I looked like.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il gave a smirk, running a fingertip along the inside of her shot glass, and pulling it out, sucked it clean of the blood liquor remnants left over from the last refill. She raised an eyebrow at the question posed to her. It was different, to be with Sanis yet remain the center - so to speak - of attention.

"Would you like the honest answer, or the far more glamorous concoction I've managed to build up over the years."

[Sanis Prent]

The officer's eyes gleamed in interest at that. As the next round of shots were poured, she leaned forward slightly, her ears doing the same.

"jI ljike a mjyssterrjy. Talk ljike that, almosst ssoundss ljike the ssorrt of thjing an outlaw would ssajy. Arre jyou an outlaw, ss'jIl?"

I sat like a bump on a log, feeling warm and buzzy but otherwise just taking it all in. One of the women pouring shots leaned in close on her pass around me, placing a hand on my shoulder for leverage as she poured. Whether through intentional action or just a byproduct of the moment, I could feel her claws sliding in and out repeatedly as she gently poured. Each extension of claws bit into the skin at my back just barely and caused me to stiffen a little. After the second time, I was pretty certain it was on purpose.

"Ai'shaafai!"

Well, here we go again.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Her drink was taken with ease. Far from her nervous expectations, the Lupine felt... fine. There was nothing to indicate she was in any way affected by the Cizerack drink, and for a short moment she wondered if it was the sort of alcohol that didn't hit a person until they tried to stand. Of course, a look to her side at Sanis proved that thought wrong. He had the look about him. Or at least, the beginnings of it. She'd seen him drunk before, and it never failed to entertain. As well, it never failed to exasperate either.

"Hardly," the Lupine answered genially, and not without a small chuckle. She liked this Aissendrraa. The woman was direct yet quite entertaining.

"But a wound garnered from a raid upon a pirate vessel has a certain ring to it that a wound from an old speeder accident does not."

[Sanis Prent]

The cycle kept going on. I vaguely kept an ear on Lok and Aissendrraa's conversation. I was paid little mind at all as they apparently assumed I was there simply as 'the help'. I almost laughed at s'Il's yarn about pirate hunting. She talked in half truths and half fictions, and Aissendrraa talked, apparently, about being a junior officer on a Cizerack galleon. As I continued to sauce my brain, the gist of her talk was that usual macho military vibe. She joined to see the galaxy, for discipline, for university stipends, etc. She lamented not getting to have as much sex or blow as much stuff up as her recruiter had suggested she'd get to indulge in.

By the time her sad story was done, we were another half dozen shots in. By now, I could feel that Cizeri demon pounding thick like honey in my veins and completely fucking around in my brain. Was it just the booze or something else? I hadn't had this one before, but they all sort of went down sickly sweet like pancake syrup.

My mouth felt dry, and my face felt a little buzzy. Fortunately, I could start to tell that at least others around the table were beginning to feel it. The conversation was turning loud and boistrous. The drink pouring junior pip was missing a little here and there, and her clawing at my back was a bit more frequent and, er, deeper.

"jYourr man lookss a bjit tanked."

Aissendrraa giggled, at least a bit under the alcohol as one of the passing Cizerack males thumped hard at my ear.

"Good thjing he'ss got a woman ljike jyou to look afterr hjim, though jI have no jidea how jyou talked hjim jinto thjiss, orr how jyou'rre farrjing sso much betterr."

"Yeah!"

I got a second wind and took another shot, but a bit earlier than the rest of the table. I wiped my mouth, made a kissy face at miss junior pip, and played with my shot glass a little.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

To be honest, s'Il couldn't entirely explain why she felt so unaffected either. A rather self-impressed stare into the glass, and she set it back on the table with a shrug.

"I've never had Freithaahee before," her pronunciation was perfect. "Delightful drink I must say."

Sadly, sobriety it seemed had not stayed with Sanis. A cautionary hiss, and the Lupine gently batted at his cheek as he made his faces at the junior officer.

Aissendrraa was right; it was a good thing she was here to look after him, and with a precise movement s'Il slid the shot glass away from him.

"You've had enough I think," she cooed in a motherly tone.

[Sanis Prent]

"Give me that."

I willed myself into a bit more sober state of mind as I reached to recover my glass. My bit of insubordination elicited a round of "ooooo's" from the felinoid gallery across from us.

"Rai'shaeeth."

I spoke (badly) one of the two dozen or so words of Cizeri I knew, effectively telling our hosts to bring it on. This elicited howls of laughter, and junior pip grabbed a handful of my hair on the back of my head, pulling my head back as she poured a shot into my surprised mouth. Liquor ran in thin ribbons at either corner as I finally took down the overfilled dose of liquor. My completely idiotic show of bravado brought wild applause, and Aissendrraa just shook her head.

"Everrjyone take two sshotss forr that. Thjiss forrda'ss trrjyjing to sshow uss up!"

I sat back, again wiping my face as the rest of the table took two shots. I bought myself a reprieve, but now I was really feeling it.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She followed along, taking her two shots with the rest. This manner of drinking was so different than what she was used to, but it was highly amusing, if not for the fact that those around her were quite entertaining. And the more they drank the more entertaining they became.

Especially Sanis. His rebellion against her observation was met with bemusement more than anything else, and the Lupine made no issue of it simply due to his state of mind. The boy was fast approaching singularity it looked.

s'Il watched him from the corner of her eye, a smirk ticking up one corner of her mouth for a brief moment before her attentions were once more given to Aissendrraa.

"Dear Aissendrraa, what is it that brings you and your companions here, to Muunilinst?"

[Sanis Prent]

Aissendrraa's expression turned mildly incredulous.

"The Galactjic Trrade Ssummjit jiss all thjiss week. Muunjiljinsst jiss prractjicalljy the hub of hjigh fjinance. We carrrjy ourr bussjinesss leaderrss herre forr the talkss."

I stared for what seemed like forever at the shot in front of me. Was it time already? My teeth buzzed. I grit them together, my brow knit in intense concentration. I waited for the Cizeri toast and threw it back. The spice and the alcohol were long-since gone. My tongue was essentially dead. I could taste vague sweet, and the weight was still there, but nothing stung or burned or anything anymore. My mouth was incurably dry and I had to pee.

I didn't notice another Cizerack enter the bar. This one had a bundle of thin braids pulled back with a red band. The conversation around us seemed to quiet down a bit as she entered, which probably wasn't a good sign. Even junior pip, who had until then been whispering things in my booze-addled ear that would make a zeltron blush, seemed to stop what she was doing.

"At easse."

Did that officer's name badge read Meorrrei?

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Galactic Trade Summit? Having been so isolated for the latter half of her life, s'Il could only stare and nod vaguely at the name Aissendrraa had given her. She even offered an apologetic shrug and a murmured "I don't get out much" apology.

The Lupine was still as sober as when she first walked in, or at least she felt that way. There was the slightest bit of warmth beginning to buzz about in the bottom of her stomach, but her mental clarity remained strong and in control.

The arrival of another and the subsequent drop in conversation that followed was cause for interest in itself, and folding her hands around her small glass, the Lupine leaned back in her chair, happy enough to simply watch.

And keep a mindful half-an-eye on Sanis in case he decided the floor was more comfortable than his chair.

[Sanis Prent]

T'yeellaa Meorrrei, or rather, Huntress Captain T'yeellaa Meorrrei approached the table. One of the males present nearly fell over himself to vacate a seat, which she sat in. Beset with a serious expression, the woman briefly regarded the shot of alcohol passed to her as she tilted it back, and looked to Aissendrraa.

"Enjojyjing jyourr leave a bjit closse to the sstarrss, Ljieutenant?"

Aissendrraa nodded, the alcohol now in effect in her system as she giggled. She explained to her Captain that she felt it best to find the first decent bar and make a point of hitting it hard. The Captain gave a small laugh at that, before inevitably traversing her eyes to the female forrda at the table.

"And meetjing frrjiendss, verrjy djiplomatjic. jI'm Huntrresss Captajin T'yeellaa Meorrrei of the Haaifaa'Iro'Iro."

Captain Meorrrei matter-of-factly extended her hand to s'Il. She'd had to get over her predispositioned attitudes on forrda to some extent upon gaining her command. After all, the galaxy tended to be full of them.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il accepted the offered hand, her grip firm but not overbearing - rather it seemed to convey a status of equality between herself and those around the table. In her eye was a large degree of calm sobriety that rested above the others.

"Huntress Captain Meorrrei," she inclined her head with respect. "It is a pleasure.

"I'm s'Il, and this - "

A quick look to Sanis, and the Lupine let out an exasperated sigh.

" - is the drunkard that I travel with."

[Sanis Prent]

My eyes and hers met, and through the ridiculous amount of alcohol, I finally figured it out. Too bad she figured it out too. I saw the brief surprise in her eyes flash, and then the same self-assured, smug, and domineering expression I'd seen years before.

"Captajin Ssanjiss Prrent."

Rather than answer her, I reached for my again-filled shot.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Outwardly the Lupine showed little surprise at the Huntress Captain's recognition of Sanis. Inwardly however, she had to wonder if this was about to lead into territory that she'd rather avoid. Which meant the possibility of dragging him out by the roots of his hair no matter what drunken slurs he hurled at her.

s'Il licked her lower lip, and with a bit of a put-off air, she turned to Sanis.

There were no words that needed to be said on her part; the look she gave him would be more than enough.

[Sanis Prent]

My shot taken, I carefully sat it down.

"Well, ladies and gents. It's been bathroom, but I've got to go to the fun."

I went to stand up, my legs buckled under me, and I propped myself at the table slightly as I tried to find both my balance and dignity.

T'yeellaa eased over to my side of the table, helping me to my feet.

"Don't worrrjy Ssanjiss, therre wjill be plentjy of tjime forr that...jin mjy brrjig."

I looked down at my feet with a dejected expression.

"Oh."

A mere glance to Aissendrraa was all it took, and two of the male entourage members were at either side of me with restraining cuffs.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

This new turn of events was enough to make her blink, and sitting back in her chair, eyes facing forward still in a confused gaze to no one in particular, s'Il felt her shoulders sag somewhat.

Her eyes slowly closed, and she pursed her lips. When she spoke, it was to Sanis.

"What. Did you do now."

[Sanis Prent]

"Nothing...uh..."

I spoke in a quieter tone.

"...I may owe somebody some money."

T'yeellaa for her part gave me the same familiar greeting she'd given me years ago, an uncomfortably-firm hand at my crotch.

"Yes, ow, uh, I should let you know I need to piss so please stop."

The Huntress Captain rolled her eyes and glanced to the soldiers holding me in place.

"Gjive Captajin Prrent a one mjinute ssuperrvjissed trrjip to the lavatorrjy, then brrjing hjim back to Haaifaa'Iro'Iro."

I was more or less drug toward the restroom as the Muun barkeep just lowered his head and stayed out of it. T'yeellaa turned to look at s'Il.

"jYou'rre hjiss woman, human? Come wjith me."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

As if her body weighed the same as a truckload of durracrete slabs, the Lupine ponderously pushed her chair back, taking an equal amount of time to rise to her feet. There was a slight buzzing in the back of her head - no doubt from the drink - but other than that she felt... fine.

"Very well."

Scratching at an itch on the lower tip of her scar, s'Il pushed her seat back into the table; an old habit.

She should've stayed on Cathar. She never should've allowed Dan to talk her into leaving. She never should've come out with Sanis to have a drink.

[Sanis Prent]

T'yeellaa gave a curt nod to the woman's acceptance.

"jIf jyou arre...apprehenssjive..."

She leaned in close to whisper to the woman.

"No harrm wjill come to hjim."

She paused, her ears cocking at odd angles as she thought of her words.

"Morre than ljikeljy, jI sshould ssajy. To clarrjifjy, jif jit werre anjy otherr than Ssanjiss, jI could not ssajy ssuch."

She looked to Sanis, then to s'Il.

"Mjight jI assk, whateverr djid he prromjisse jyou? The man hass hjiss charrmss, but he'ss an accompljisshed ljiarr."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il, folding her hands together before her, angled her head slightly to afford the Huntress Captain with the undamaged side of her face, her blue eye locking with the Cizerack's. She was a good bit shorter than the felinoid, but her posture and mannerisms made the two seem as though level with one another.

"It's a... bit of a long story."

Which was the polite and diplomatic way of saying it was none of T'yeellaa's business. Her tone was even; gracious but even.

[Sanis Prent]

T'yeellaa understood the implication, and she smiled politely.

"Parrdon me one moment."

She stepped away for a moment, speaking in Cizeri on a wrist comm. The conversation lasted but a minute, and as soon as it was begun, it had ended.

Returning to the conversation, the Captain smiled politely.

"We have a...sspecjial guesst...on mjy sshjip. Sshe would ljike to meet jyou. Would jyou agrree?"

It wasn't, regrettably, in T'yeellaa's power to demand it. She was bound by her legal jurisdiction, which rested on Sanis alone.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

If there was an option to the alternative, she couldn't readily think of it. Of course she could simply refuse, let Sanis stew in whatever troubles he'd gotten himself into, let him claw his way back to sobriety alone...

She could never do such a thing. Ever since he'd first tried to steal from her back in Imram'Lien she'd not been able to allow him to face whatever hardships he'd walked through without her company. There was nothing that she could do when the two were apart, but at least since coming aboard Layla she'd been able to keep close to the boy.

Now, it appeared that during one of those times of separation he'd done... something to owe a person money.

"I will meet your guest," she answered respectfully.

[Sanis Prent]

"Come wjith me, then."

Captain Meorrrei's entourage formed up to escort s'Il back to Haaifaa'Iro'Iro.

She paused by Aissendrraa, who stood to attention, returning her black cap to her head.

"jYou'rre not too out of jit to handle Captajin Prrent, arre jyou Ljieutenant?"

Aissendrraa wiped at her mouth, closed her eyes a moment, and looked up to her commander.

"Of courrsse not, Captajin."

That was enough for T'yeellaa, who continued to walk on past.

"Ssee that he'ss brrought to the brrjig. Ssoberr hjim up, howeverr jyou pleasse."

She didn't wait for the affirmative she knew she'd get. She looked to s'Il.

"Let'ss go, forrda."

The trip back to the Cizerack galleon was a rather short one.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Forrda.

For some inexplicable reason, the Lupine found herself bristling at the word she'd been called. It was a normal thing, she knew, for Cizerack to use it when addressing those not of their race, but still.

Her shoulders squared back as she was led from the bar, and she grimaced. She held a small amount of worry for Sanis, rather familiar with what exactly might happen to him in the near future. She was no stranger to Cizerack culture and social practices; they were certainly not anything that she would care to practice. Aside of course, from their culinary offerings. Perhaps now she would be able to get a decent meal for once.

But, T'yeellaa's last command had not gone forgotten. They were in a lift when s'Il broke the silence.

"Do not call me forrda."

[Sanis Prent]

T'yeellaa nearly rolled her eyes at the human's offended sensibilities.

"jYou'rre bejing jinvjited on mjy sshjip, human."

She tested the waters to see if this ridiculous compromise was acceptable, and continued.

"The numberr of favorrss jI'm jincljined to gjive jyou bejyond that jiss ljimjited. A verrjy jimporrtant matrron wantss to meet jyou."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

There was a bit of a coy look in her eye as s'Il ever so slightly rocked back in a partial pivot on her heel, her gaze meeting T'yeellaa's. Ignorance on her own status overlooked, she supposed the reaction to her request was understandable. That she was called human now was even more amusing, and a quirk curled at both corners of her lips before she turned away to stare ahead.

Tickled at T'yeellaa's further words, the Lupine felt more than a bit of self-satisfaction.

"And why, may I ask, does she wish to meet me... ?"

[Sanis Prent]

An exasperated sigh, as much at her frustration with that very same question as anything.

"Sshe doess not ssajy. Sshe sso rrarreljy doess."

The lift finally arrived. The interior of Haaifaa'Iro'Iro was lit by vibrant, diffuse light, almost as if it were sunlight. The wall panels were mainly white, with gentle warm colors accenting different controls and hatches. Every so often, little nooks and vantages would open up in the corridors, where some manner of plant stood, usually specked with inviting flowers. Behind others, artificial waterfalls trickled down behind durapane glass. The effect was an almost-Ithorian sort of ambiance, but yet subdued enough to still remain at its essence, a utilitarian ship. The Cizerack ships of the line were not warships in name, but like claws, that capability was sheathed and always capable of being extended.

T'yeellaa and s'Il continued to walk, the Captain's entourage holding back at a very respectful distance.

"All jI can ssajy jiss that Ssanjiss owess herr, and sshe hass been farr morre lenjient on hjim than jI would be."

They arrived at an adobe-colored sliding door with blue glyphs on it. T'yeellaa swiped her badge across an ID reader, and the door opened. The interior was spacious, and looked for all intents to be a luxury apartment of some kind.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Oh good, jyou'rre fjinalljy back, come jin alrreadjy."

Taataani pushed away a datapad at the end of her massage table as a manservant continued to knead her back. Tail swaying, and her body covered only by a towel draped below her waist, she propped up just slightly on her forearms as she watched T'yeellaa bring the older human into her quarters.

"Sshould jI contjinue, mjisstrresss?"

The manservant over her queried, the v-neck of his silk tunic hanging down a bit as he stooped to her side. Annoyed, the Meorrrei clan matron slurped at her nearby glass of wine, setting it over again as soon as she'd had a moment to steal a sip.

"jI djidn't ssajy sstop, djid jI?"

Her ears switched back in aggrivation as she snapped to another manservant standing at attention.

"Fasshieerro, a chajirr forr the human. Ai'fa, ai'fa..."

Clapping for emphasis at prompt action, Taa watched as the lighter-skinned felinoid hefted a large plush chair and sat it down opposite of Madame Meorrrei's massage table.

The matron looked up to the Huntress Captain, her young daughter.

"That wjill be all, Captajin. Ssee that Captajin Prrent jiss well taken carre of, howeverr that majy be."

She delighted in keeping that intentionally vague as her attention finally switched to s'Il.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Carefully, and with calculated ease, s'Il lowered her slim frame to sit in the chair that'd been set for her. She gave no indication of her former curiosity, the expression she wore now being rather passive and neutral. The site of the matron's nakedness was not awkward in any way, as she herself held no reservations over any lack of apparel. A simple byproduct of who and what she was.

She did however allow a patient smile to touch her features, and a quiet nod in thanks at the hospitality thus far offered. Still though, it was a mystery as to why this woman had sought her company. s'Il would humor her regardless. The woman had a look about her that was hard to place given this first impression, despite the obvious.

For herself, the Lupine knew it best to show respect. She knew enough of Cizerack culture to have at least learned proper greetings and the barest minimum of conversational Cizeri.

"Ja'iirra korra nai."

And again, her pronunciation was flawless.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani's eyes took on a gleam of fascination as a faint smile caught on.

"Nai a'keenaa, jaaffrri. Verrjy good. Humanss tend to butcherr the motherr tongue."

Her voice pitched slightly as she spoke, due to the massage she continued to receive. Eventually, her tail whipped up, slapping her manservant across the chest. Stopping his work, he went to fetch Madame Meorrrei's silk robe as she stood, her body arching into a prolonged stretch as she took to the massage's desired effect. Her claws unsheathed as she crossed her hands over her head and yawned.

By the time she recovered, her manservant was at her back, draping the robe around her. He cinched the belt at her waist, as another chair was brought for her to sit in as well.

"Sso...ss'jIl...how long werre jyou jin the clussterr?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Not long," was the answer.

"But what time I spent there I spent it well."

Crossing one leg over the other, s'Il folded her hands in her lap.

"I'm afraid that you have me at a bit of a disadvantage however, Rrou'fai... "

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Respectful when she needed to be, good. Taa gave a conciliatory nod as she sniffed at her wine glass.

"Of courrsse jI do. Betterr to gjive equjitjable trreatment at wjill, rratherr than bjy cusstom jI thjink."

She let the human ruminate on that idea for a moment as a manservant approached s'Il to offer her a drink. Taataani nodded to permit the kindness.

"But enough crrueltjy. jI am Taataani Fai'sheea Igaarrai Meorrrei, Matrron and Rrou'Igrraa of Housse Meorrrei. Norrmalljy jI would not expect a human to know the djisstjinctjion but jyou arre a currjiossjitjy."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Accepting the offered drink, s'Il inclined her head in thanks to Taataani rather than the manservant. It was, after all, her will and no one else's that the Lupine be given anything.

"I wouldn't call myself a curiosity; rather more well-traveled in my youth."

A first sip, and she closed her eyes, tasting the wine as it passed over her tongue and down her throat. It was exquisite, and was as good as any of the wine she and Dan kept on Schwartzweld.

She regarded the glass and its' contents in appreciation.

"There is always something more beyond every horizon."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Alwajyss."

Taataani agreed, reclining back into her plush chair as she regarded the human woman. Her tail, every few seconds, lazily flipped up, and back down as she talked.

"jI admjirre the passsjion to look forr that. jI have no patjience forr people who arre morre complacent than currjiouss. And jI am asssumjing that verrjy nettlessome charracterr qujirrk jiss what brrought jyou jinto Captajin Prrent'ss nefarrjiouss companjy."

Taa smirked a bit at the thought.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Nefarious... such a harsh word."

She swirled her drink in idle thought.

"I've known the boy for so many years that I consider him a part of my own family, frustrating as he can be at times."

Another delicate sip.

"My decision to travel with him was more an economical arrangement than anything else."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taa gave a boistrous laugh at that, nearly spilling her wine as she flicked out a folding fan with her other hand.

"Well then jit would sseem we arre rrelated bjy ssome fancjiful extenssjion of the terrm.

No, nefarrjiouss would be apt, jI thjink. jI am wjithjin mjy rrjight to tearr out hjiss entrrajilss and eat them whjile he watchess, jin compenssatjion forr hjiss trrouble."

Taa swirled her wine and sighed.

"Werre he anjy otherr forrda, jI perrhapss would."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Now this was curious, and s'Il leaned back in the plush seat to study Taataani. The Cizerack woman was certainly interesting; stately, proper (by Cizerack standards at least), and well spoken. It did not take long for the elder Lupine to decide she very much liked this woman now sitting across from her. She would've fit very well into Lupine culture.

Her repost was given with her glass to her lips, her broken gaze inviting and playful at once.

"I have a feeling that he's not worth consumption in such a manner. In fact, I daresay you'd become sick."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Sstjill sskjinnjy and underrfed then?"

Taa shrugged, finishing her wine as she set the glass aside.

"jI alrreadjy know he came herre jin that ejyessorre of a Correlljian frrejighterr, and loathe asss jI am to ssee jit agajin, jI'm tempted to rreposssesss jit. He sstjill owess me ten thoussand crredjitss on the thjing."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A piece of the puzzle fell into place, and s'Il gave Taataani a look of partial surprise.

"Ah, so it was you he got the ship from. He never told me.

"And Cirrseeto... ?"

[Taataani Meorrrei]

So he was still with him then? Good.

"Mjy sson, madame ss'jIl."

A brief smile of relief crossed Taa's face.

"And Daanarri, mjy daughterr."

Taa saw the light of recognition in s'Il's eyes and continued.

"Then jI take jit jyourr famjiljiarrjitjy wjith mjy chjildrren meanss thejy arre sstjill wjith Ssanjiss?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A nod, as she smiled.

"Very much so. Both are wonderful companions. Cirr has a knack for Layla. I dare say he loves the ship as much as Sanis does, if not maybe a little more."

So then. Taataani was Daanaari's and Cirr's mother. What an interesting turn of events, and one that made the Lupine feel far more comfortable in the woman's company.

"I have a daughter. She thinks the world of your son."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

That was a touchy subject, wasn't it?

"Cirrsseeto hass alwajyss been gjifted, and jI thought jit wrrong to denjy hjim the chance to usse hjiss gjiftss, even though jI fearr he hass a farr lesss prrjivjileged and ssafe ljife than the one he left."

At a mention of a daughter, Taa's ears quirked.

"Can jyourr daughterr prrovjide a good ljife forr mjy Cirrsseeto?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She was in the midst of another sip as Taataani asked her last question, and gave a small cough. Had she truly heard correctly? If so, it was amusing, this misunderstanding.

"I beg your pardon?"

[Taataani Meorrrei]

In her zeal to parcel off Cirrsseeto to somebody who might properly look after him, Taataani realized her error. Ears drooping slightly, she placed an apologetic hand at her chest.

"Apologjiess, jI wass thjinkjing jyou werre asskjing to gjive mjy sson to jyourr daughterr."

Just to hedge her bets, she quickly added.

"jI can't legalljy pajy a dowrrjy, but thejy would be well looked-afterr, asssumjing jyourr daughterr wjisshed jit."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

An apologetic smile of her own was given, and s'Il raised her hand in a gentle gesture of alleviation.

"Teagan is only six years old. The thought right now of her chasing after young men is one I hope not to have to ponder for many more years."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Noting her misunderstanding, Taa looked downward, a wistful smile still on her face.

"Of courrsse. Daanarri jiss closse to herr age. Besst to enjojy the eassjy jyearrss. Thejy become ljittle kee'fasees laterr on. jI thjink afterr fjifteen cubss, jI'm about done wjith all that ssorrt of fooljisshnesss."

A manservant came by to fill her wine, and Taa continued on a different topic.

"jYou trravel often wjith Ssanjiss and mjy chjildrren then? What do jyou do, madame? jI've hearrd the one jyou told mjy daughterr'ss offjicerr, jyou can ssparre me that one."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il gave a chuckle at that. No, Taataani was no fool, and the Lupine found herself respecting that.

"I suppose that story was a bit too fanciful, no?"

Still though, she was cautious.

"I was living on Cathar when I first met Sanis, and for so many years before as well. I suppose my younger wanderlust reared up once more though, and I felt it time to leave. Sanis was the only one I wished to travel with, despite his... tendencies... and I have been with him for almost two years now."

s'Il gave a wry smile as she sipped at her refilled wine.

"There is never a dull moment at least."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Mm."

It was Taataani's only reply to that yarn. There was enough that was still left vague as to park a star destroyer in between the lines. The matron declined to push the issue. There wasn't any real need.

"One moment."

A smile, and she tapped at a comm built into her chair's arm rest.

"Daughterr..."

The voice on the other side seemed a touch exasperated.

"Motherr, pleasse, jI have a tjitle..."

She smiled at s'Il.

"Ah, hm...jyess. Captajin Meorrrei, pleasse have Captajin Prrent esscorrted to mjy quarrterrss."

She could hear the tension and hesitation in the second of silence on the other end, and she imagined T'yeellaa would protest that he was in no condition to be seen. When her daughter spoke again, her smile returned.

"At once, Rrou'Igrraa."

The line went dead. Taa thought a moment, sat up, and snapped her fingers at a nearby manservant.

"Fasshieerro, ssend an orrderr down to the sstatjion forr a caterrerr. Ssomethjing majinsstrream, forrda food, jI don't carre what. Captajin Prrent and ourr guesst wjill be thankful."

Wordlessly, the manservant nodded, leaving the quarters at a brisk pace.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Actually - " s'Il declined to look up at the mention of a meal, but her desires for dining on Cizerack food proved too overpowering. She busied herself with briefly checking the undersides of her fingernails. Such an old habit.

"Sajoi. I would love some."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taa quirked an eyebrow at that rather odd request. She met the eyes of another manservant who was responsible for the matron's own meals and he nodded with the understanding that it would be service for two.

"jYou contjinue to jinsspjirre currjiossjitjy, ss'jIl. Sajoi? Harrdljy the ssorrt of thjing even humanss jin the clussterr eat."

The need for cooking not being present, all that was needed was to retrieve the Meorrrei matriarch's food. The manservant she dispatched returned only a moment later, wheeling a wooden cart beset on all sides by not only sajoi, but other such light items like oysters, nala tree frogs, spotted snails from Dac, unhatched songbirds from Ithor, and Thimiar.

"Make mjy table jyourrss."

Taataani gestured to the spread as she herself fetched a Thimiar, food rodents lightly larger than the Cizeri sajoi, and brought into vogue by the Togruta. Grabbing one by it's middle, she cooed at it momentarily and ran a finger from it's snout over it's head a few times to calm it's shivering. The moment the Thimiar relaxed, lips parted, teeth flashed, and she stuffed the creature in, biting in half at it's middle. It thrashed momentarily in death throes, and Taa held onto the back, chewing and swallowing the front as she pushed the rest of the morsel in for the second mouthful. She swallowed, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, gave an appreciative belch (it was rude not to), and was on to cull the more bite-sized sajoi.

"Sso, jI take jit jyou arre a woman of ssome fjinancjial meanss to afforrd passsage wjith Captajin Prrent forr ssuch an extended perrjiod then?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il plucked one of many sajoi from the glass bowl that had been set out, letting a silence hang in the air between the two women. A thought occurred to the Lupine, and she smiled in self-amusement at it - that as much as Taataani was the matron of her house, so to was s'Il. And though she'd not chosen to regale the Cizerack with her full title as the other woman had seen fit to introduce herself with hers, the fact still remained.

A light hrm escaped her lips, and she held the sajoi up by its' tail, watching as it bobbed to and fro. A few helpless squeaks as it flipped itself up to grab a hold of s'Il fingers. She smiled at the valiant and utterly useless attempts at escape.

"Oh, I have a few accounts here and there; spread out. Of course, I also suppose you could call me a part of his crew. In return for living space aboard Layla's shuttle, I help him stay alive, as it were."

[Sanis Prent]

Just then, Captain Meorrrei chimed at the door. Taa motioned for her manservant to open the door, and the Captain breezily entered, pushing a hoverchair with Sanis half-slumped on it. He had a black eye, and was somewhat drooling on himself.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Half of her sajoi gone, with the tail end still in hand, s'Il turned a lazy eye to watch as Sanis was brought in.

The Lupine frowned, but made no other outward appearance of her disapproval as she finished the sajoi in one clean bite. Swallowing, she leaned back and crossed her arms, angling her head so that her sightless eye was now trained on Taataani in a look that was less than impressed.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani, in turn, gave the same look to her daughter.

"What jiss that?"

She gestured at Sanis with a chirping sajoi still held between two fingers.

"He passsed out. jI trrjied to wake hjim up."

T'yeellaa looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. Rolling her eyes, Taa ate her sajoi and eased up from her seat, a perturbed look on her face.

"jYou sstubborrn bantha, trrjy and act ljike jyou have ssome classs."

For emphasis, Taa popped the officer's cap off her head, prompting the duly-shamed Captain to retrieve it.

"Go on now. Let me know when the delegatjion jiss rreadjy to meet. Let me...handle thjiss."

Taa looked at Sanis, placing her hands at her hips. She shook her head and cursed in Cizeri as T'yeellaa left her quarters.

"Kaa'faiee, e shafeeta."

She snapped her fingers at a manservant, who quickly retrieved a carafe of the potent Cizerack caf she demanded.

She looked at s'Il with a shake of her head.

"How much djid he drrjink?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"We both had the same amount," she shrugged. "Eighteen rounds of your blood liquor."

Daintily, the Lupine picked up another sajoi.

[Sanis Prent]

"Hiiii mooooom....."

I sort of fell forward, draping my shoulders heavily around Taa's neck in a sloppy hug.

"I'm having a party....and....."

My head fell forward, forehead saved from pitching all the way down by resting against the matron's inviting, pillow-like breasts.

"...nevermind..."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"What werre jyou thjinkjing?"

Retrieving Sanis's errant head by grasping the hair at the back of his head rather brusquely, she looked at s'Il, ignoring his slurred pleas for her to stop.

"jYou'rre gojing to make hjim even morre of an jidjiot than he jiss."

She looked at the male human, blue eyes narrowing dangerously. She extended two claws, hooked each just barely inside each of Sanis's nostrils, and exterted just the faintest bit of upward pressure.

Lo and behold, he walked.

"Ooooowowowowowowow!!!!"

Now awake and with tears in his eyes, Sanis looked at Taa with his head wrenched backward a bit.

"I'm gum sneethe..."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

With another sajoi in hand, the Lupine looked on at Taataani and the oddly effective hold she held on Sanis.

An admonishing tone as she countered the Cizerack.

"He will be fine. He's young; he'll bounce back."

And out of Taataani's sight, s'Il gave the barest flick of a single finger, banishing the sneeze and soothing the sensitive nerve endings in his nose despite the barely extended claws in each nostril.

[Sanis Prent]

I gingerly extricated myself from Taa's painful hold of my nose, only to nearly fall back down to my seat. The Meorrrei matron was quick to grab my shirt by the collar, holding me up while I got my balance.

The room was still a little spinny. The Cizerack blood liquor was the sort of apertif that art school flunkies used to tip and start writing poetry or whatever. Something in the spice-laden concoction was not only a nice preservative, but also had the effect of tapdancing on your brain even moreso than just the alcohol.

"Either this wallpaper goes, or I do."

I looked about a bit, blinking heavily as Taa held me in place long enough for the manservant to deliver a steaming glass of kaa'faiee. The stuff was earthy and powerful, and a whiff of it seemed to knock the humming sound out of my ears.

"Drrjink, Ssanjiss."

Taataani doted on me, like she'd done occasionally when I'd been no less miserable. I gingerly sipped the hot drink as she carefully put it to my lips.

"I told you this was a bad idea, s'Il."

It was a start, but I was recovering.

"What happened to my face?"

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Mjy daughterr punched jyou, want anotherr on the otherr ssjide to match?"

Smiling playfully, she eased Sanis's body back to the hoverchair, placing the cup and saucer of kaa'faiee in his hands.

"jI've jusst been gettjing to know jyourr frrjiend ss'jIl, what a deljightful woman. Whateverr arre jyou dojing jin the comanjy of ssuch a rresspectable perrson?"

Hands on her hips, Taa arched an eyebrow at the young human. While s'Il might cleverly evade her questions, she knew she could cut the truth right out of Sanis, even if he wasn't sauced enough to be flammable.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Dividing her interest between Sanis and her scrabbling soon-to-be-meal, s'Il lifted a hand to allow the small rodent to rest upon it rather than simply hanging upside-down by the tail. Tiny, bony paws clutched at her fingers, and she blew gently on its' nose.

From the corner of her eye she could see Sanis, sitting in his chair, cup in hand. Whatever it was smelled increasingly strong, as its' scent reached her even over the small distance between the two. It wasn't a bad odor, but to her it wasn't entirely pleasant either.

[Sanis Prent]

Still buzzy, I sipped the kaa'faiee a bit more, feeling a little better.

"Oh s'Il? She's a Je..."

Oh shit, what was I doing?! I needed to buy myself some time, so I sipped loudly at some of the hot drink, nearly burning my tongue in my haste.

"Jester. Travelling. Uh. You know, in a circus."

Even my own face rejected the absurd scramble for a lie, as I grimaced as soon as it was out.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taa didn't even bother to scold Sanis for trying to deceive her. She knew he'd try, she knew it wouldn't work, so why bother even making him squirm more than he was making himself?

"A Jedji?"

Taa's smile was radiant, her ears turning fully toward s'Il as she paused to find the words.

"Oh, jI ssjimpljy musst hearr thjiss...how excjitjing!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

How stupid could he be??!!

The sajoi was instantly dropped to land on the carpeted deck with a bounce, a squeak, and quickly moving legs to take it into the nearest nook it could find to hide within.

The Lupine felt much the same, and a part of her wished that she too could scurry away to hide in any tiny crack that might be in the room. Instead, her head snapped to look at Sanis, eyes narrowing as she rose to her feet.

There was nothing that she could say to undo his words, and even if there was she knew that Taataani would never believe them.

And so she stood, shoulders back and a severe expression marring her features, her eye locking with Sanis' with a look that could, if possible, bore a hole through his head.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

s'Il's body language, and Sanis's own lack of a response just confirmed what was already known.

The woman was understandably upset. Taataani knew how dangerous it was to be a Jedi in this galaxy. That Sanis had seemingly kept her alive for so long was a surprising testament to his competency.

Taa eased back to her seat, and found an oyster to open as she talked.

"Madame ss'jIl, jI have no quarrrell wjith Jedji. jYourr ssecrret wjill sstajy wjith me."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Her gaze lingered a few moments more on Sanis, but as Taataani spoke to her the Lupine slowly turned her head to look down at the Cizerack. The muscles of her jaw clenched, and with a cautious movement she once again lowered herself back into her seat.

"... My thanks," was the careful reply.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Sanis continued to drink his kaa'faiee, too ashamed or embarassed to say anything in his defense.

"jI wjill tell jyou ssomethjing. Come wjith me."

She gestured to the woman as she rose again, not quite dispensing with the oyster as she carried it along to an isolated corner of her suite. What she had to say, she didn't care to make Sanis privy to.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Her body had become wound tight, but the Lupine rose as well, her hands folding in front of her as she followed after Taataani. Her appetite had fled, as Sanis' little slip of the tongue had changed the mood of her entire day. Whereas before she had been rather enjoying herself, now s'Il felt herself on edge.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

They approached what was a window to a small arboretum. Sensors detected their approach, and the light amplified to reveal the flora in the circular artifical garden. Taa leaned on a wooden rail, deep in thought.

"jI mjysself have neverr fearred forr mjy ljife. jI don't know what jit meanss to do sso. Perrhapss that jiss a blesssjing jI take forr grranted."

Her tail swung wide and slow as she thought of her words.

"But jI can't tell jyou how manjy njightss jI losst ssleep overr Cirrsseeto. Mjy sson jiss an outcasst, djid jyou know?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"That is a shame."

s'Il stood straight as an arrow, her back stiff as she looked to Taataani. The Lupine declined to lean against the rail as her Cizerack host did. Unsure of how to respond properly without trivializing what Taa wished to say, s'Il maintained a respectful silence, waiting to hear the rest of what was to be said.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taa attempted to express the issue matter-of-factly, but the emotion in her body language betrayed her. It always did in manners so close to home.

"We have no worrd forr djivorrce. That'ss a forrda jinventjion. When a mjistrresss beatss, demeanss, and outrrjight torrturress a male, therre jiss no rrecourrsse forr hjim."

Hand clenching into a fist, Taa stammered, snapping her fingers for a manservant to retrieve her pack of stims. She extracted one and lit it, letting it help soothe her as she talked. The manservant retreated back from where he came.

"jI love mjy people and ourr culturre, but sso much rremajinss that jiss hopelesssljy backwarrd."

She exhaled a breath of lightly-spiced smoke.

"Cirrsseeto could do nothjing about hjiss lot jin ljife, but jI djid."

She locked eyes with s'Il, her expression surprisingly serious and resolute.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Her ears ticked back imperceptibly at the smell of the stim, but s'Il said nothing as it appeared Taataani needed it to calm her nerves. One hand went out to rest upon the railing, then the other as the Jedi moved to partially rest herself against it.

"You sent him away with Sanis."

Now it all made sense; this preferential treatment of sorts that was given to him that others would most certainly not enjoy... even Taataani's doting on him earlier hadn't gone unnoticed; in fact it rather reminded s'Il of herself to a large extent.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani nodded in affirmation to her question.

"jI hjirred Ssanjiss forr one thjing orr anotherr, but the mosst jimporrtant thjing he everr djid forr me...wass to get Cjirr out. The prrjice mjy sson pajyss...we pajy...forr that jiss that outssjide of the Prrjide, nejitherr jI norr anjyone jin mjy famjiljy can everr ssee Cirrsseeto agajin."

She turned away from s'Il a bit, eyes closing shut on pools of moisture that threatened to roll down as tears.

"Not a njight goess bjy that jI don't prrajy to Nomaani, psh, and jI'm not even rreljigjiouss. Prrajy to Nomaani to watch hjim becausse jI can't."

Her voice wavered a little, and she turned her attention to the arboretum fully. A songbird chirped on the branch of a tree, then hopped to an adjacent one.

"jYou too arre a motherr, sso jyou musst know what jI feel. Then know thjiss. jI've trrussted Ssanjiss Prrent wjith the mosst valuable carrgo jI can gjive hjim. Thjink how dessperrate jI musst have been to assk that of ssuch a djissrreputable forrda."

Calming herself, she looked back to s'Il and put a hand on her shoulder.

"He neverr betrrajyed mjy trrusst when jit matterred. jI prromjisse jyou, jI wjill not ejitherr."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

For a long moment, s'Il stood at the rail, her gaze cast downward. She understood the message that Taataani was conveying, and pulling in a long breath, she gave a barely perceptible nod. The Cizerack woman's hand on her shoulder passed along the earnestness of her voice with a tactile sensation that was unmistakable.

"I have nothing to give except my respect and my utmost thanks."

Finally, she looked up to Taataani, their eyes locking, and with an elegance that only a Jedi could possess, the Lupine gave a shallow bow to the Meorrrei clan matron.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

A few puffs from the stim, and Taataani's vulnerability was smoothed over, and she resumed her easy demeanor. With one hand on her stim, she drew another around s'Il's shoulder to keep her at a friendly proximity to her as she walked.

"Well, now that we have that underrsstandjing, jI would love to hearr of jyourr sstorrjy."

She shook her head for emphasis.

"Ssanjiss hass told me nothjing of jyou, and jif jit would not offend, jI would be a captjive audjience to hearr of jit."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il allowed herself to be led once more back to the table, her mind more at ease as she watched Sanis with an odd look. He too knew nothing of her past, and she'd often wondered why he never asked. In fact, he'd never once inquired how old she truly was.

"It is... long," she warned.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani could pick up on the cues well enough to consider it best to let it be for now.

"Well, perrhapss anotherr tjime, afterr all jI know jI'm takjing up sso much of both of jyourr tjime."

Again seated, Taa found a sajoi that had nearly scampered to the top of the slippery bowl, and she rewarded it with a quick pop in her mouth.

"jI know dockjing farress herre arre not cheap. How much arre jyou pajyjing, Ssanjiss?"

The human, somewhat recovered, coughed, and grumbled.

"One hundred creds an hour, mum."

Taa's eyes traveled from Sanis to a manservant in the background. It was all that was needed to cover the tab.

"Well, jI haven't even sseen mjy chjildrren jyet. Let me take carre of jyourr expenssess."

She looked to s'Il.

"Pleasse, help jyourrsself. At the admjittedljy rrjisskjy prrosspect of becomjing an accesssorrrjy, jI would love to hearr morre. jYou arre on the lam, jyess? And Ssanjiss jiss carrrjyjing jyou, but to nowherre jin parrtjicularr?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Her appetite once more finding her, s'Il wound a finger around a sajoi tail, and a quick pinch brought the unfortunate creature up out of the bowl.

"In a manner of speaking I suppose, yes. It is safer to keep moving with no real destination in mind.

"I've known Sanis for... " she had to think for a moment, "... almost ten years, and he was the only one that myself and... " another pause, as the Lupine stared at the sajoi, unsure of how to classify Dan. 'My baby's daddy' had a certain horrid ring to it, and she certainly considered him more than that.

"... a dear friend of mine felt best for the job."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani looked at Sanis with a strange expression as she said that.

"He hass a sstrrange qualjitjy to appearr to be much lesss of a messs than he jiss when he needss to."

Ten years. That seemed like a long time to be on the run. She couldn't imagine having to look over her shoulder for so long.

She leaned back a little, sinking into the plush seating somewhat.

"jYou know, jI have manjy vjillass back home. jIf jyou arre lookjing forr sshelterr..."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The sajoi was dispatched with little fanfare, bones crunching between her teeth as she bit it cleanly in half. Succulent was the only word s'Il could think of to adequately describe the taste. It had been far too long since she'd been able to treat herself like this.

At Taataani's offer, the Jedi gave a smile.

"Your kindness is appreciated, but it would probably be best if I stayed where I am.

"Perhaps in the future however."

A look to Sanis, and she watched him for a short while as he sat, almost dejected-looking, cup in hand.

"You look tired, Sanis,"

As much as it was spoken to him, it was also a careful request to Taataani to have him removed to a much more comfortable location so that he could properly recuperate from his overindulgence; and so that she could have privacy with the Cizerack woman.

[Sanis Prent]

"I'm feeling better."

I sat up a bit after noticing somebody was talking to me. Sniffing a little, I took another drink of the kaa'faiee.

A grimace.

"Face still hurts. Is it swollen?"

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taa grimaced.

"Oh jyou ljittle Ya'grretta, come, rresst wjill do jyou sso much good."

For want of any real place of recovery, Taataani opted to put him up in her own master bedroom. A gesture to a manservant brought him to the forefront, helping Sanis to his feet while he put the hot drink aside. Sanis was fortunately too worn out to really question it, and was brought inside the bedroom and put on the bed. His shoes were pulled from his feet and set aside, and a few layers of blankets were heaped over him as the manservant left, closing the door behind him.

Taa shook her head.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Watching as the door was closed, s'Il turned back to Taataani, and leaning back in her chair, the Lupine settled herself - much like a mother hen - into a comfortable position. Her hands folded in her lap, she brought in a long breath, exhaling.

"Now."

With Sanis safely tucked away, she felt more at ease with talking of her past years. That he'd never asked was most likely a sign that it wasn't time for him to know.

She stared at Taataani unabashedly, wondering exactly how to begin; where to begin.

Finally, she decided on the most prominent and well-known point in history.

"I was at the Temple when Order 66 was given."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Jedi history was not a strong point of knowledge in the Pride, but even they knew of the betrayal of only a few decades ago.

"The Emperrorr'ss purrge of the Jedji Orrderr?"

Her brow arched. That was quite some time ago. And yet the woman seemed far too young for that to be a human.

"jI djid not thjink anjy ssurrvjived the temple."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Not many did," was the concession.

"Personally, I never took part in the Clone Wars, but I learned well enough about war in the years following."

For the following hour, the Lupine went into some detail of the hardships that she'd endured, the hard-lived years spent in trenches and in burned-out buildings, with nothing but the clothes on her back to keep warm. Her exact relationship with Zem she skimmed over; Dan's as well. Some things did not warrant full disclosure just yet.

The Sith however, she did mention, as well as the encounter that had cost her her eye.

She spoke of Cathar, of living a life of self-imposed exile, of giving birth to her daughter.

Such talk was therapeutic, and when she paused, she looked down at her hands in her lap.

"On some days, it is enough to make me feel much older than I already am."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani nodded.

"Age, jit would sseem, jiss asss much a frrame of mjind asss anjythjing."

She pilfered an oyster, splitting it expertly as she tilted the half shell back for a bite. Setting the shell aside, she finished another glass of wine, now a bit more casual, and sitting sideways in her chair, her head against one arm rest and her legs draped over the other.

"jYou've had enough jyearrss out of the ssun. When jyou fjind the good jyearrss, jyou'll feel asss jyoung asss jyou pleasse."

She paused, careful to broach the subject.

"How much longerr do jyou plan on rrunnjing?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"When the time is right I will rejoin my old comrades in the Rebellion - " s'Il had to catch herself, as she fell into old habits. The Rebellion as it were, had become so much more since she'd left.

" - well, Alliance, I suppose I should call it."

Taataani was being softly diplomatic, but the Lupine desired to pry directness from the Meorrrei clan matron. The two were fast approaching a plateau that would allow such interaction.

"For as many closed doors as we may face, the Force will open others. It will lead us to where we truly need to be."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani frowned a bit at that. It was, after all, the answer she expected.

"When thosse doorrss open, what wjill Ssanjiss and mjy sson do? Wjill thejy jojin jyou?"

The thought of sparing her son harm only to cast him into the crucible of the greater galactic civil war seemed painfully ironic.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il shook her head.

"That I truly do not know. What Sanis does, I can certainly not devine, nor do I believe anyone else could either. Your son... "

She thought for a moment, then smiled.

"Your son will do what he feels in his heart to be right. Since I have known him, he has shown himself to have convictions; whether he actually realizes this himself or not. I have seen this, and that is all I need to know."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taa averted her eyes, and busied herself with gesturing to a manservant to refill her glass. That done, she took the glass again, swirling it slightly as she thought about her words carefully.

"What a monssterr jI've crreated jin hjim. Werre jI to tell hjim now what to do, jI wonderr jif he'd even ljissten."

She slowly shook her head.

"The chojice jiss hjiss, jI know."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

There was a glint in the Lupine's eye. Feral, yet expertly controlled as she leaned forward a hair's breadth.

"You have created nothing of the sort.

"Your son is his own man. He is so very much more than what he could have been had you not given him such limitless possibility."

An impish smile played over her features then, as s'Il took a sip of her wine.

"Even if Sanis is his best friend."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

She nodded at the Jedi's intuitive observation.

"He wass sso ssmarrt asss a cub. Felt wrrong not to encourrage hjim. Boyss, asss thejy grrow, arre taught djifferrentljy, jyou ssee. Gjiven domesstjic sskjillss, talentss a mate would want jin a man."

She sipped at her wine again.

"He knew sscjience and math, ljike...jit wass a naturral language forr hjim. He tutorred mjy daughterrss when he wass ljittle. jI gave hjim what jI could to encourrage hjim, becausse thatss what jyou do asss a motherr. Eventualljy, jI knew jI'd have to sstop, and brrjing an end to the fantassjy, but jI jusst couldn't."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A smile as she set her glass down.

"He is lucky that you did not."

A rather introspective look crossed her features as she fixed her gaze upon Taataani.

"What would his life be like now, if you'd not done what you did."

It was less a question than a statement, and one that the Lupine hoped would bolster her hosts' spirits.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"jI don't rregrret what chojice jI made, Madame ss'jIl."

She nodded in a conciliatory fashion.

"But a motherr hass a rrjight to worrjy. Asss well asss mjy sson hass made a ljife forr hjimsself, jI worrrjy that he'll now go off jin jyourr warr, and..."

She shook her head, finishing with a deep gulp of wine.

"No morre morrbjid thoughtss. That wjill do nobodjy anjy good."

Thinking about Cirr and Sanis, and what she had mentioned previously, made her laugh.

"Besst frrjiendss, jyou ssajy? Now that'ss causse forr concerrn. Two maless ljivjing jin closse prroxjimjitjy all the tjime...asss long asss hjiss grrandmotherr doessn't know."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il gave a knowing smile.

"Sanis is a man devoted to the fairer sex," she grinned.

Enough time with him had shown her that much.

"I'd not be surprised if he managed to catch the eye of my own daughter when she comes of age."

A pause, and the Lupine frowned, her brow furrowing as the thought took a firm hold.

"Force willing I hope not," she murmured.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Oh, jI have no doubtss about Ssanjiss."

She countered with a laugh.

"He deflowerred one of mjy jyoung daughterrss, but that jiss a long sstorrjy.

No, mjy concerrn, asss jit sshould be, jiss that Cirrsseeto needs to be marrrjied. He needss to fjind a woman to make a hussband out of hjim. jIndependence, ssurre, but ssurreljy he can fjind ssomeone."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"A woman to possess him... "

s'Il allowed her broken gaze to cut through Taataani's exterior.

"Is that what you truly want?"

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"jI know mjy sson. He'ss gojing to go hjiss own wajy, ssurre, but he wjill want to have a famjiljy. He wass marrrjied forr jyearrss beforre he met Ssanjiss, and whateverr fajilurress hjiss mjissstrresss majy have dealt hjim, he jiss a good hussband."

She shook her head and laughed.

"Then agajin, majybe jI'm jusst old fasshjioned about that ssorrt of thjing sstjill."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A sweet smile then, and the Lupine reached forward to give a pat to Taataani's hand.

"Then it seems that we are the same person."

In the next movement she'd plucked an oyster from the tray.

"Sometimes being 'old fashioned' is much more preferable to how things are done now."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"A bjit of old and new then, jyess?"

A knowing smile as she again sought consolation from her wine.

"Tell me ssomethjing, s'jIl. jYourr Jedji powerrss, can jyou rread thoughtss?"

A growing idea was forming in the matriarch's mind, tying s'Il and Sanis's fortuitous arrival with her own business on Muunilinst.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The oyster was delectable, and s'Il licked her lips while giving a slight shake of her head.

"That is something that I've never been able to do. My training was always far more combat oriented, tempered with meditation. The closest I'll ever get to actual mind reading is detecting impressions and emotions."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Her brow knit. Well, so much for that thought.

"jI ssee. jI wass underr the jimprresssjion all Jedji had thjiss powerr. jYou wonderr whjy people would naturralljy be afrrajid?"

She shrugged and fetched another sajoi.

"jI have an annojyance to deal wjith on Muunjiljinsst named Parrack Bell. jI do not thjink jyou would have rreasson to know hjim. A bankerr of ssome powerr herre."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Indeed she'd not heard the name. In fact, there was a great deal that s'Il did not know when it came to the galaxy at large, and how it'd changed in her absence. A year and a half with Sanis aboard Layla was not a significant amount of time to once more acquaint herself with things. Though, every day it seemed she was relearning - and in some cases learning - how to conduct herself in galactic society.

"You would be correct; I've no dealings with anyone on Muunilinst, much less a banker."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Sso much the betterr forr jyou."

She shook her head and snacked on another chirping sajoi as she passed a datapad to her newfound Jedi friend.

"Mjy companjy jiss competjing wjith anotherr fjirrm frrom the Corre ssjysstemss, obvjioussljy aljigned wjith the Empjirre. We'rre lookjing at the ssame contrract forr trranssjit rrjightss on the Hjydjian Wajy, and Mjissterr Bell jiss the decjiderr. Hjiss bank wjill fund whoeverr he choossess."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Taking the 'pad, she thumbed it on to casually scroll through the information it held. Most meant nothing to her.

"And you are here to 'encourage' him to allow you the contract," she murmured, sipping once more at her wine, eye still on the 'pad.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"That'ss the jidea, jin theorrjy."

She gestured at the pad flippantly.

"But to be honesst, we have verrjy ljittle leverrage. The Empjirre would rratherr deal wjith humanss, and the Muunss want to gjive thejirr ssharreholderrss a rreturrn. Unlesss therre jiss ssomethjing done to put a wedge between the jImperrjial contrractorr and the Muunss, jI don't ljike ourr chancess."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"You strike me as rather resourceful -"

The datapad was placed on the table as s'Il lifted a tree frog up, inspecting its' eyes and the frantic scrabbling in her grip. From over the tops of her eyes she looked to Taataani.

" - and not one to let opportunity escape easily."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"jI don't ljike to losse. ss'jIl."

Now for the delicate part.

"Anjy opporrtunjitjy to prrevent that, jI would ljike to take jit. An opporrtunjitjy ssuch asss a Jedji and a rressourrceful sscoundrrel comjing to mjy companjy now would be...laa'saa heetha, morre than cojincjidence. Ssomethjing sspecjial."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She relished the treefrog, biting the legs off first before popping the rest in after. Chewing slowly, s'Il gave a knowing look to Taataani. Ever one to play as deviously as possible, it seemed. Funny how it mattered not a lick to the elder Lupine.

She raised one eyebrow, and leaning forward to shift in her seat, she scratched idly along the lower half of her scar.

"It would certainly seem that way."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Would jyou help me jin thjiss ssjituatjion?"

Taa's ears swung forward a bit as she propper her chin in a hand as she leaned towards the Jedi.

"Whateverr jyou can do to convjince Mjissterr Bell to ssee thjingss mjy wajy?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il blinked, dipping her head as she felt the corners of her mouth tick upward.

"I will help you."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Her smile broadening, Taataani's tail accelerated in its swishing at her side.

"Wonderrful! Oh, jyou've made mjy dajy."

She paused, thinking of the minutiae of the proposition.

"Do jyou have an jitjinerrarrjy? jI sshould onljy need jyou a dajy, two topss."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"My schedule is as free as the wind."

Taataani's smile was infectious, and s'Il found herself grinning.

"My time belongs to you for however long you wish."

She finished off the dregs of her wine, giving the Cizerack woman a wink from over the top of the glass' gold-trimmed rim.

"... within reason, of course."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taa rose with a satisfied look on her face.

"Then jit jiss done. Would jyou ljike accomodatjion on mjy daughterr'ss sshjip? jI know the sshjip jyou came jin on, jI can onljy jimagjine the horrrorr. jI can have executjive quarrterrss drrawn forr jyou on herr command."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

It was a tempting offer, and one that s'Il found herself entertaining with seriousness. The Cat was home in a way, but it would be nice to vacate Layla for a day or two. She nodded slowly.

"As long as my daughter may stay with me, I will gladly accept your hospitality."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Anjythjing. jYou wjill be asss mjy famjiljy."

With a smile, she nodded at another manservant, who was already turning to communicate his mistress's request to the ship's Captain through a comm terminal.

One last thing for the day, Taa's smile diminished a little.

"jYourr captajin jiss assleep, and though jI technjicalljy own the sshjip, jit would be wrrong not to assk perrmjisssjion to ssee jit."

And my children... was the implied, but unspoken reason.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The silent request was met with a knowing nod, and s'Il rose to her feet as well. Taataani was a good deal taller, but the Jedi carried herself with such confidence and ease that the two appeared at the same level.

"I think, it would be wise if you did."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

30 minutes later

Given time to change into proper attire for the alien space station, as well as to give instructions to her servants to treat Captain Prent with undivided hospitality, Madame Meorrrei accompanied her new-found Jedi friend to the economy berths of Home Port. Taataani let s'Il lead on slightly, keeping up her pretenses by not getting too close to the forda hoi polloi that crowded around them.

"Saanjarra'ss tearrss, jI thjink the sshjip actualljy got ugljierr..."

It was hard for the matron to hide the disgust in her voice upon seeing Layla again.

"Neverr botherred to pajint jit...that doessn't ssurrprrjisse."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il laughed silently to herself at Taataani's reaction. She herself had never quite been bothered by Layla's appearance, and actually found herself growing rather attached to the ship. She was a sturdy thing. Had to be, to put up with the rigors Sanis put her through.

"I think you and I both know that if Sanis painted it, he would promptly find a way to scratch, ding, and dent it off."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Well, jI ssupposse jI won't let a ljittle rrusst denjy me now."

She scowled a bit, but it quickly went away as she headed toward the gangplank that led up toward the cargo hold, her expression of disgust quickly melting into one of anxious expectation...

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

"O'leh'o! Ou'la ou'eh'la! A'khu eh'lu'eh!"

It was not quite a shrill cry; more of a giddy, breathless yell that sounded from the interior of the cargo hold, and one that no doubt belonged to an energy-filled little girl.

Tak, having decided to hide as many of Cirr's tools as she could, had taken to her new game with a vengeance. Any tool she could get her hands on effectively disappeared, and now, with a spanner clutched in a two handed grip, the little Lupine was running through the hold intent on hiding it behind one of the landing struts outside.

She looked back as she ran toward the gangplank, yelling at Cirr, wherever he was.

"O'leh'o! A'na'leh'a ss'u'da!"

And what about Daani?! She'd not seen her playmate for a long time, and Tak knew that the little Cizerack would've loved to help her hide Cirr's tools.

She'd have to go look for Daani after she was done hiding the spanner.

Turning forward however, she ground to a halt at the sight of Dama and another woman walking up the boarding ramp, and the spanner fell from her hands to clatter on the deck.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

The sight of the child brought out something very natural in Taataani and her eyes sparkled.

"Ja'iirra korra nai, Teagan. jI am Taataani Meorrrei, a frrjiend of jyourr motherr."

The young girl was filthy, no doubt from running more or less unchecked through the equally filthy freighter.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

There was something to be said of leaving Teagan with Cirr for any amount of time; it was a forgone conclusion that the little Lupine would end up dirtier than Layla's engine parts. What was worse, it seemed to not bother the girl at all. Whereas s'Il was nearly manic about grime and dirt in general, her daughter was far less neurotic over such matters. It was a constant subject of bickering between the two.

At the sight of Teagan, grease-smudged and breathless, s'Il couldn't help an inward groan.

"Na'ni'ouleh. Ama'meh'ss'e'k uleh'atra."

Spoken quickly, the order for Teagan to clean herself up was met with no resistance for once, and turning about on her heel she scurried to the stairwell that led up to the airlock for the Cat. She looked back one last time before ducking inside.

s'Il gave a sigh, rubbing at a temple.

"My apologies," she began, having reverted back to basic, "She... is still learning basic. When you live on Cathar, there's really not much need for anything but the native tongue."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Teagan, wherre djid you put my hydrrospannerr?"

The trundle of heavy feet down the ladder telegraphed Cirr's arrival, and as he slid the whole way down and cleared the ladder well, he saw two familiar faces waiting at the gangplank. Cirr's mouth opened and shut, as he stammered for something to say. The sheer surprise of the situation had pulled his voice from him. His ears tilted high as his tail flitted back and forth rapidly.

He walked just a few steps at first, afraid somehow this was an illusion that would just disappear. She walked the same distance, and suddenly Cirr gave himself to the euphoria of the moment.

"Mama!"

He rushed forward, paying no heed to his dirty coveralls, and wrapped Taataani up in a full hug, hoisting her in the air.

"Arre you rreal? jIs thjis rreal? Rreally?"

His eyes were welling up as his voice trembled, looking from Taataani to s'Il and back.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A contented smile spread across her features, and s'Il stood watching as Cirr lifted Taataani up off her feet. Hands folded in front of her, she caught sight of Teagan out of her peripheral vision, peeking out the hatchway from above.

She stepped back a small distance, giving mother and son their own space to reunite for the short time allowed.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taa embraced the moment just as much as her son.

"Mjy cubljing!!!"

She didn't care that he had likely dirtied her dress in the affectionate response. She showered his cheeks and forehead with kisses as she lapsed into Cizeri.

("I can't believe it's you! Every night, every night I've prayed for you to be safe! You've grown so much, ohhh...you're a true man now. My baby Cirrsseeto. I wanted to see you again, but...I wanted so much for you to be safe. Am I terrible for not being there for you?

Is your sister alright? Have you been good to her, taken care of her, kept her safe? Oh, I have to hear everything that's happened!")

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirrsseeto's floodgates opened and he bawled as he held onto his mother, his face a mixture of relief and joy. He replied in turn in Cizeri.

("Mama, I've done what you told me to do. I've been a good brother to Daanarri, taken care of her, and worked hard to make a life for myself. I've missed you. Missed the rest of the family. I wish I could come back to visit.")

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The flowing Cizeri language filled her ears, and though she could only understand some of what was being said, it was more than apparent that both Taataani and Cirr were in the throes of familial elation. It made the Lupine smile, and closing her eyes, she lowered her head.

A sound from above, and she cracked her good eye open, angling it up to the sight of Teagan, having hurriedly cleaned herself as best as she could, looking down at the two Cizerack. Breathing deeply, the elder Lupine moved forward to place a hand on Taataani's shoulder.

"Come, what little I have is yours; share your time together in the shuttle."

Though not as refined as what was aboard the Cizerack ship, it had its' own sense of comfort and beauty that the matron would no doubt appreciate.

Daanarri's absence had been quite noted as well, and s'Il had a bit of an inkling of why the little cubling had made herself scarce. While Taataani and Cirrsseeto spent time together, the elder Lupine would spend time with Daani.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani looked sideways as she kept the embrace with Cirr, and mouthed a silent Thank you with a knowing nod. The long-separated mother and son dried their emotional tears, and with smiles that could not go away, climbed the ladder up to the shuttle deck.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

With mother and son both spending much-needed time together, s'Il turned from the closed hatchway to look out at the expanse of the cargo hold below her. She leaned on the metal railing, expression softening as she reached out with her thoughts. It was not hard to find Daanarri, and sighing, the Lupine pushed away to begin a slow descent down the stairway. Teagan, looking on with a small amount of puzzlement, stayed where she'd been told. For how long that lasted no one could say, but surely it would not be for very long.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taa and Cirr headed toward the Black Cat, catching up on the past couple of years since they'd been together. It had been Taa's decision to let her uniquely-responsible son watch over her youngest daughter, to give her a taste of the galaxy beyond the Cluster, and as much as the caught up on their own, Taa asked Cirr how her youngest had fared in such a rough and tumble environment, and he began to tell her about their extended travels.

She hadn't decided whether or not to bring the eight year old back home. Eventually she would have to enroll her in an academy. Long-distance holoschooling was only so effective.

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani sulked in her hiding place in one of the smuggler hidey-holes hidden under the deck of the Layla. Mama was here.

Mama would want her back. Daani would need to go to school, and wear shoes all the time, and wash her face and she wouldn't go, she wouldn't, and no one could make her.

Not even Cirr!

Hot tears ran down her cheeks, and her loud sniffles could be heard in the passage above her head, making the effort of hiding moot. So far no one had come looking for her.

Perhaps they'd all forgotten about her. Daani didn't want to go back home and learn how to be a lady.

jI'll stajy herrre and become a smugglerrr ljike Cjirrr, and marrrrjy Ssanjisss and jI'll neverrr hafta go back to Carshoulis and business school. Orrr eat mjy vegetablesss! Daani sniffled again, loudly, and curled herself up into the smallest ball she could. In all the excitement of getting a new job, and visiting a new planet, even Tak had forgotten about her.

Majybe Mama doessn't want me back. The thought dropped into her little heart like a rock, and the cub cried even more.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The closer she got to Daanarri's hiding spot, s'Il picked up faint traces of the girl's sobbing. She felt her heart go out to the little Cizerack cub, and as she neared the small compartment nestled in the deck, s'Il slowed to a stop before carefully crouching down.

Daani's crying was unmistakable now, and with the softest of knocks with two knuckles on the decking, s'Il spoke in a soothing, low voice.

"Come out, child. It's not so bad as you think, and your mother will never 'not want you back'."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani choked on a sob, and held her breath for a moment. Lok rrread mjy mjind! It was so cool she almost forgot how upset she was.

After a long silence on both sides of the compartment, the cub reached out and popped the metal top free. Sliding it to the side, she crawled out of the hole, her face reddened and puffy from crying. "jYou don't know that. Ssshe djid send me awajy, afterrr all."

Daani sniffed mightily, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "Not that jI don't ljike bejing herrre! jI love jit!" She clutched at her chest dramatically. "Mjy hearrrt jiss bejing rrrjipped jin two!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Reaching out, s'Il brought the girl in close for a small hug, wiping away the tears that had trailed down her cheeks with a gentle touch.

"She sent you away so that you could learn about the galaxy, not because she didn't want you with her."

Shifting slightly, the elder Lupine kept her arm around the little Cizerack's shoulders while brushing Daani's bangs out of her blue eyes and behind an ear.

"She wants the best for you because she loves you so much."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani sniffed again, melting into Lok's arms with her whole weight. "jI guessss ssso." She buried her face into the Jedi's shoulder, crying against her shirt, "jI want to staaaaajy!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il wrapped her arms around the cubling in a hold that was all at once strong and comforting, one hand going up to run down the length of Daani's blonde hair a few times. She let the girl cry.

A few minutes later, and the Lupine whispered soft words into Daani's ear.

"I'm sure if you ask, your mother will let you stay with us."

She gave a smile that no one saw, her voice taking on a matter-of-fact tone.

"... after all, you haven't finished teaching Teagan how to speak Basic."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani brightened a little, sniffling and wiping at her nose. "That'ss rrrjight!"

Then she sighed. "Sshe'll sssajy no." Her ears drooped with sadness, but the cub squared her shoulders. "Mjight asss well ssstop puttjing jit off." She let Lok take her hand and lead her down to the cargo area where Mama was waiting to sweep her back home. Or maybe she could stay, after all!

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il gave a reassuring squeeze to Daani's hand as they walked, and with a deft motion positioned herself just behind the cubling, hand-in-hand and the other atop Daani's head.

She suspected that Taataani dearly missed her youngest as much as she missed Cirrsseeto, but for women who had lived past a certain point, they'd come to know the value of the knowledge that was bestowed upon those who strove to reach beyond the boundaries.

"Your Dama," she chose to use the Lupine moniker, a smile on her face, "... just might surprise you."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Wherre'ss mjy ljittle one?"

Taataani, accompanied by Cirrsseeto, again descended the ladder to the lower cargo hold deck. Cirr was by far the accomplished deck-hand, and he waited on his mother with a gentleman's touch, offering his hand as he helped her to the ground.

Her ears tilted forward as she spotted the little girl alongside s'Ilancy. Her blue eyes seemed to brighten a bit at the sight, and Taataani promptly swooped in, snatching Daanarri off her feet in a full embrace.

""Wa' essaai farraafi mjy ljittle gjirrl jyou arre sso bjig now!"

Her enthusiasm palpable, the Meorrrei matriarch showered the girl with kisses.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr waited in the background while Daanarri got swarmed by mama's affections. He had a feeling this was more than a little bittersweet for Daani, and while she wanted to see Taataani, she probably wasn't ready at all to go back home.

He smiled, glad to see some semblance of family coming back together. If only they could all be here.

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Mushed against her mama, Daani hugged her back fiercely. "jI mjissssed jyou," she said, muffled against Mama's chest as Taa kissed her hair.

She pushed back a bit, though, and said, "jI'm an Admjirrral now. An' jI can fljy the ssshjip! But Sssanjiss doesssn't let me do jit all the tjime."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"jYou can? What a talent, ljittle one!"

The sparkle came off Taa's smile to a degree as she looked over her daughter's head to Cirr, in a I hope to Saanjarra she's not serious expression. Cirr, plagued with a chronic case of honesty, wore confirmation of the truth on his face.

Still accentuating the positive, Taataani made a note to scold both her son and (mainly) Sanis later.

Giving Daani a little air, Taa eased her daughter back to her feet, keeping both of her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"Well, jI musst know everrjythjing mjy genjiuss daughterr hass learrned durrjing herr tjime jin sspace. Prrobabljy could teach jyourr mama a thjing orr two, eh?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

By now Tak had come out of wherever she'd scurried off to, and moved to stand by s'Il. The elder Lupine acquiesced to the silent request to be picked up, and lifting the little girl up into her arms, set about idly straightened her hair while watching Daani and Taataani share in their moment of reunion. It was a heartwarming thing to see, and made s'Il smile lightly.

Tak's own eyes were wide as she too watched, silent as her mother.

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

"Oh, jI learrrned lotssa sstuff! Ljike Sabacc! jI even got a purrre sabacc once and djidn't hafta brrrusssh mjy teeth for a week."

That had been a great game. They didn't play for credits but for chores and favors in the hand pot. The sabacc pot had been 'winners choice.' Daani grinned, showing off her pearly whites.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taa again skewered Cirr with a look in response to Daani's confessions. Sabacc was a game for swindlers, cheats, and scoundrels. Figures that hood-smart Sanis would make sure to teach a full course on it. Nevermind that the elder Meorrrei was most certainly a sure hand at it - it did, after all, afford a distinct business advantage.

"Well, jyou have to be verrjy ssharrp forr a purre one. Takess morre than a bjit of math to plajy. jI bet, jin fact, jyou'd tesst hjigherr than otherr cubss jyourr age forr sschool."

She gave a grin at that.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr had a quizzical expression on his face, and broke into the happy reunion with a question.

"What brrjings you to Muunjinljist, mama? On a galleon at that?"

Mother had always been powerful, but he'd never quite seen her travel in such a fashion.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Looking a bit chuffed, Taa responded to her son's query.

"jYourr ssjissterr T'yeellaa jiss the Captajin of the Haaifaa'Iro'Iro, a mosst prresstjigjiouss posstjing.

Sshe'ss esscorrtjing me to talk wjith the Muun bankjing commjisssjionerr, to brrokerr a deal wjith the Empjirre overr thejirr Hjydjian Wajy trranssjit contrractss."

When talking about matters of money, Taa had even more incentive to be animated. Her voice raised a bit as her ears perked.

"jIf we'rre ssuccesssful herre, we'll ssecurre one of the rrjichesst contrractss we've everr netted!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Watching as Taataani seemed to grow even more lively at the thought of business, s'Il gave a quirked smile. She knew that Cizerack culture was more than a little business-oriented, but time spent with Cirr had dulled her memories - the burly felinoid had been so much more concerned with Layla.

A gentle pat to the top of Teagan's head, and the Lupine spoke up, correcting Taataani's word usage with a confident smile.

"When you are successful here."

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

"Mama alwajyss getss what ssshe wantss," said Daani, hugging her mother's arm tightly as Taa carried on a conversation with the other adults. "An' when jI'm olderrr, jI wjill too."

And she wouldn't brush her teeth for a YEAR! Maybe she wouldn't take showers either.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"jYess jyou wjill, ljittle one."

Again, she doted on little Daani with a series of kisses to each cheek, and looked up to Lok.

"About that, Lok. jYou'll be comjing wjith me tomorrrow to Parrack Bell'ss offjice, ne? jI thjink jyou'll prrove a betterr negotjiatorr than he'ss prreparred forr."

She gave a knowing smile at that, and looked to her son.

"Cirr, mjy darrljing. jI beljieve jI have ssomethjing of jyourrss jin mjy quarrterrss, back on Haifa'Iro'Iro. Ssome Narr Sshaddaan lookjing rratherr worrsse forr wearr. Can jyou ssee to that poorr thjing. jI thjink he'd prreferr jyou do jit rratherr than jI."

Her son, knowing full well what she was talking about, gave an understanding nod, and the four of them headed from Layla, back to the galleon, no doubt to regroup for the evening and to plot out the next day's events.