Daughter of Kronos: Whispers of the Past

[DarthHERA]

With a push of her thumb against the bottle, Hera sent the lid spinning and it unthreaded itself from the neck of the bottle of vintage rum she held in her hand.

It was rare that she did this... began to drink at 3am in the morning. Not that the Sith Master didnt feel that any time was a good time for rum, but to rise from her warm bed to do so was unusual, even for her.

But, it had happened again.

Restlessness brought unbidden thoughts to her mind to where she couldnt lay still a moment longer. They weren't memories that troubled her and stole sleep from her...not exactly.

They were "feelings" - ghosts of another age. Spectres from a time she had forceably made herself forget and would not - would not- remember. They were shadows of a past she would not even acknowledge, let alone wish to revisit. And they hadn't tried to return for a long, long time. Until now.

Perhaps it was because she had not been as busy as she had been used to. Her business was doing well, and had enough contractors so that she did not have to do as many 'runs' herself as before. But, idleness is the devils playground and the dark one now wanted to have some fun, it seemed.

Pouring a generous amount of the dark smooth liquid into a cut crystal glass, it's heavy weight as she held it in her hand, lent itself to a feeling of peace, of reality, of the things she understood and could control.

She closed her luminous blue eyes and touched the glass to her lips.

[DarthHERA]

.....The hand that held her own was soft, gentle and protective. The warmth of it touched more than just the surface, but generated into her entire being. The love and nurturing, the unending care of a mother for her child was epitomised in that one small gesture- one hand over anothers. A stronger, braver wiser soul holding gently that of one who's potential was only just unfolding. A protective and guiding touch to a life that was fledgling, readying to be launched in due time to find all the beauty and experiences to come. It was a feeling she had always known, always taken for granted, it was as natural as her own breath.

It was a strong hand, steady, sure. Unwaivering in purpose, unyeilding in committment, unselfish in motive. It was a secure feeling, the one that encompassed her. A feeling of belonging, of a right of place, a feeling of trust and assurance.

There was noise in the background...voices. A niggling feeling of uncertainty - far off and ambiguous, yet unsettling in its persistance. She recognised the voices, but could make no sense of what was said. The feeling of fear made its presence felt. Something was coming her way, the realisation that she was not untouchable in her cocoon of family love. The slow dawning that something was terribly terribly wrong, and the unravelling of all that was her world began to assail her small child mind. It made a nauseas churning inside her stomach. The voices were much louder, angrier. She felt frightened and began to cry.

The hand that held her - so soft, so gentle, so protective - released her own and let it drop to slap against her side.

Her mother slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her with finality.

A coldness took the place where the warmth had been. A feeling on her skin of chilled air and a great void...


Clenching and unclenching her hand trying to rid herself of the familiar, bitter feeling, Hera tilted the glass and drank deeply of the smooth and numbing liquor.

[DarthHERA]

Why the memory, or rather - the remembered sensation of loss - should come again to visit her, Hera could not figure.


Time makes these experiences all but vanish, and then, seemingly from nowhere, something is triggered in the mind, and there, with stark clarity one is blindsided without warning.

Her eyes harden, and a cold steelyness enters them.

She would kill her mother if she had a chance.

Then the memories would stop.


And she would have fonder ones to replace them.

[Eliessa Corta]

As Hera brooded in her rooms, her dark soul comforting itself with visions of blood letting and vengence, another older, gentler version of herself sat doing some brooding of her own.

Eliessa was waiting on Prent's return, and again she wondered when, if ever, he would return and hoped nothing untoward had happened to him.

They had stopped at an independant space station 4 parsecs from the Carshoulis Cluster. Primarily for a turbo thruster to replace the one that had been fried in a sudden and unfortitious circiut surge that blew the main conduit and had the "Layla" limping into drydock. Secondary to that, was information gathering. ShadowFaene Fortress was not an easy place to locate and so far everyone they had spoken to had had nothing of value to assist them. Or at the least, the said that hadn't.

Eliessa sat, forcing herself to be patient - and failing miserably. This station bar was a horrible place. It smelt bad. And there were so many unsavoury looking people here. She shuddered and once again searched for a glimpse of Sanis.
<a href="http://216.73.105.30/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26290&highlight=Eliessa">
She had only known him a short while,</a> but he had proven himself resourceful, and he was quite knowlegeable about a great many things. Eliessa had enjoyed is own particular brand of company and found she felt safe when he was around.

Right now though, he was no where to be seen.

[Sanis Prent]

"Where are the coordinates?"

The pirate grinned at me maliciously, which could be a good thing, or a bad thing, or some amalgamation of both. That's the way things worked out here.

"I don't think I've seen you around here before."

I sighed. I was running around in circles. The last three I'd talked to had said the same.

"Yeah, it's a big galaxy. You got the coordinates or not."

The pirate laughed.

"Oh make no mistake, stranger. I do. And you don't."

I nodded, and reached for my chit case. The pirate stopped my actions with a firm arm on my hand.

"I don't think you get my meaning. You don't got the coordinates. That further means there ain't nothin you got that'll buy them, either. At least, not from this here space dog."

I paused.

"Well, maybe there's something..."

Instead, I reached lower, rotated my shell gun over my thigh, and blew the pirate off his seat. The murmuring in the bar ground to a halt, and dozens of eyes turned in my direction...

...and then turned away, and back to their conversations. A sure sign of a nice place. I shrugged, finished the dead pirate's drink, and used whatever credits he had on his person to pay for it, and left the establishment empty-handed again.

Time to link back up with Eliessa. I felt like I was treading water in this dive.

[Eliessa Corta]

It was something about bars. Or maybe it was just anywhere that people sat drinking, alone, despite being amidst a crowd of people. Whatever it was, it somehow always led to introspection and self-crimination. And once again, Eliessa's thoughts turned to her regrets.

Choices of the past had changed her life - much to the better and had brought her a great deal of hapiness. But at such great price. She could still see the anger and hurt in her husbands eyes the day she left. She had been selfish to leave, but other emotions had out-ruled the possibility of her doing otherwise. Back then, it was the right, and only thing to do. Perhaps that still held true.

Her daughter's face, pretty and soft with the innocence of youth rose in her minds eye and Eliessa's head bent further downward.
Then why did she feel so unsure.

Prent dropping himself into the seat opposite her, shook her from her reverie and she lifted hopeful eyes to him.

"..Well?"

[Sanis Prent]

"Don't ask."

My face wasn't exactly a source of inspiration, so I figured she'd get the gist.

"I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve though."

The question was if I was willing to play the cards to use them though. Everything in the trade was done on favors. Either you owed them, or they were owed to you. You never wanted to be in somebody's debt, and the trick to getting what you wanted was to find a way to get it yourself. Cashing in favors was like swallowing a mouthful of bitter pride, and you were always worse for wear.

"I know a droid named Eetoobee. I think he's still here, unless he somehow found a way to purchase a new set of legs. That, and if somebody didn't get fed up with him and purged his memory. He's fairly up on his information. If that doesn't work, there's always Aileenda. She's bound to know where it is, but..."

Well, lets just say that I hadn't seen Aileenda in years, and that was on purpose.

"...she's not the best of company."

[Eliessa Corta]

Eliessa was intuitive enough to read between the lines, and Prent's lack of enthusiasm regarding this Aileenda brought obvious scenario's to mind. First the Cizeracks, now this woman...Seems Prent had a knack for getting into dubious situations.

"Then perhaps our best option is the droid.."

Anything would be better than just sitting.

"Do you know where we'd find him?"

[Sanis Prent]

I pointed across the room, to the rather rusty-looking protocol droid behind the bar. It's eyes winked on and off erratically, probably due to a power glitch. However, it's arm appendages were suprisingly fast, and were currently moving three cups on the bar counter in rapid succession, as a pair of Gamorreans looked on.

Gentlemen, gentlemen, step right up. This is the chance of a lifetime. All you need are five credits, and you can double your money if you find the cup with the dujak bean inside. Really, a game like this is so simple a Gamorr...er....well it's simple enough, really!

The Gammorreans drooled, and grudgingly paid the entry fee to the droid's con game. I glanced back to Eliessa, and smiled a half smile.

[Eliessa Corta]

A doubtful smile returned Prent's own as Eliessa looked over at the shabby droid. She was not an expert, but it seemed to her it threatened to short circuit at any instant.

Looking back to Sanis, who himself was less than stellar in appearance - (she really wished he would at least shave and maybe change his shirt) - her hopes, surprisingly, lifted. Prent hadn't failed her yet, and to look at him....well, he definitely would not be hired by "Star Tours" anytime soon, but she honestly could not want for anyone better.


"Do you need money? Will he want payment for his help?"

[Sanis Prent]

"Not if I can help it."

I didn't have much else to offer, except for a cheesy 'Trust me' smile. With that, I stood, approached the bar, and just as Eetoobee was finishing his rounds.

Gentlemen, gentlemen...time to decide. Which cup will be the lucky one?

"Want me to answer that?"

I appeared on the periphery of the portly porcines, lighting up a stim as I made my entrance. Eetoobee looked up, and his visual receptors seemed to glow a little brighter.

By faulty logic, I don't believe it. What are you doing back here, Sanis?

Exhaling a jet of white smoke and taking my sweet time in answering, I replied.

"Well, isn't that how the solar wind's blow? One day, you're on one hunk of rock, and the next day, you're not. Seems you haven't found a technician, or an oil can since we last met."

The droid's eyes dimmed a bit. If it were possible for a droid's demeanor to become icy, it did.

And judging from your bedraggled clothes, Mr. Prent, it seems that you still haven't...shall we say...'made it big' yet?

Of course, like all shady people, Eetoobee and I had a history. Some years back, on some other planet, we'd been partners in the short term. Of course, things like that never stay the same.

"Maybe."

To be honest, I didn't feel the urge to defend my honor. It was painfully clear that the tin can wasn't making it off the station very often these days, so I really didn't need to prove a thing to him. I knew where I was, and he wasn't in a position to peer out of the litter box he'd fallen into.

I smiled again.

"How's the shell game treating you? Still got that holoprojector?"

The droid jerked back, suddenly nervous at my question.

Mr. Prent, whatever do you mean? I am a protocol droid, and as such, would have absolutely no use for holoprojection equipment, and of course, you know this, so I must protest...

"Cut the crap, Eetoobee. You were always a predictable con."

The silence in the air was palpable, save for one of the Gamorreans snorting.

"Now, weren't your friends here about to be the next winners?"

It was sad. Three years later, and the rustbucket was still making ends off the same tired scheme. I almost felt pity for him. After all, he had what it took to make things happen, he just found himself on the face-down end of a karma coin. Then again, if it was me or him...there wasn't room for pity in the bed I made.

Of course, he could now be thankful that he was only losing 20 credits, instead of his arms. Gamorreans, like Wookiees, don't like to lose. Knowingly, Eetoobee reached to the cup the Gamorreans selected, and lifted it up. As he did so, a cleverly-hidden holoprojector activated, and displayed the hidden bean, conveniently right where it should be. The Gamorreans snortled in victory, as the droid begrudgingly paid off their spoils. I glanced back to Eliessa, as if to say 'It's alright, come on over'.

Eetoobee, frustrated with the intrusion, said goodbye to his attempted cons, and faced the music with Eliessa and me.

Well I know you aren't one to simply stroke your ego without fattening your wallet, Prent. I suppose you're looking to turn a profit on my misfortune now.

I shrugged.

"I wouldn't exactly call it misfortune. You're still in one piece, more or less."

[Eliessa Corta]

Sitting high in her chair and bobbing about for a clear view through the bodies as she watched from where she sat, Eliessa followed Sanis as he approached the droid.

She might have been mistaken, but Eetoobee looked less than thrilled to see him.

Eliessa didnt have long to speculate though, as Sanis turned to catch her eye, nodding her forward to join him.

The Gamorreans and Eliessa crossed paths as they left and she arrived, the latter excusing herself as she squeezed between them, the former snorting rudely in reply. Her face was still in a grimace resulting from their unique stench when she came up along side Prent.

She stood next to him, and intimated in a low voice all the while looking the droid over curiously and a tad cautiously.

"Does he know?"

[Sanis Prent]

"Good question."

I smiled, looking back to Eetoobee.

"You wouldn't happen to have the coordinates to the Shadowfaene outpost, would you?"

The droid paused.

My apologies. You seem to be in far more trouble than I, if you are seeking those coordinates.

I frowned. He always was a sucker for cryptic responses.

"Yeah well...I got things to take care of. Trust me, I can make it worth more to you than some meager pickings in a stacked shell game."

The droid nodded.

That is most likely true, Mr. Prent...but I'm sorry to say that I suffered an unfortunate memory wipe one quarter cycle ago. As such, I no longer have access to my navicharts.

Which, considering my luck recently, seemed about right.

"Son of a gundark, you really are one unlucky pile of rust."

The droid shrugged, and stacked up the cups on the bar.

I would say that it takes one to know one, Mr. Prent. Surely it must be obvious by now that neither of us will ever be, how do you say, 'High on the Hog'?

"Ehhh..."

I waved off the droid, and stood up, taking Eliessa by the hand.

"Dammit, that settles it. Let's get out of here."

[Eliessa Corta]

Prent tugged her through the haphazard layout of tables and chairs, winding their way toward the exit. Behind them, she could hear Eetoobee's artificial voice picking up where he left off, "Gentlemen, gentlemen, step right up. This is the chance of a lifetime..."

Thankfully leaving the smoke-filled bar behind them and stepping into the relative clean, recycled air of the stations corridor, Eliessa pulled Prent to a stop.

They still were hand in hand, but it was now more a case of her holding his, than the other way around.

"We cant leave yet. We dont know where to go." Sanis was looking down the corridor and not at her while she spoke. "Mr. Prent! Are you listening to me?"

She tugged on his shirt front with her free hand and Prent slowly turned his head in a show of giving her his full attention.

"Please. What about that other girl.."Aileenda"...Can we try her?"

[Sanis Prent]

"No."

I shook my head.

"No way."

Of all the seven hells of Ishmagon, Aileenda was the last person I wanted to see in this, the armpit of the galaxy.

[Eliessa Corta]

She looked up at him firmly and Prent had seen enough determined women in his lifetime to recognise that this would be a losing battle.

"Unless you have a better idea..I dont see we have another choice."

[Sanis Prent]

"How do I explain this...I would rather catch Neimoidian crotchrot than to see her again. She..."

I looked at Eliessa, and she had that 'adamant' face. Stewing, I paced around, and finished my smoke.

"Alright, alright. But this is the sound of my generosity stretched to the breaking point, got it? You really caught me on a bleeding-heart day, because even I have no idea what the hell I'm doing."

I whirled around, muttering curses.

"C'mon, lets go meet the tail-head then."

[Eliessa Corta]

Eliessa's eyes softened with relief that Prent was willing try this other contact, but also with appreciation. He was a softer touch than he cared to admit. One day she would make it up to him if she ever had the chance.

For now, all she could say was "thankyou" and follow his "storm the gate" stride to what he considered a fate worse than death. Or Nemoidian crotchrot at the least.

"Sanis..are'nt we going the wrong way? All the living quarters are at the other end of the station...?"

Prent flicked his cigarette into the wall ahead of him as he rounded the bend in the corridor. Its red ash flowered in a shower and then it landed to smoulder out. He didnt reply, but continued forward to the high-security grid.

[Sanis Prent]

"Don't remind me."

I took each step one at a time, making my way to the place I knew by heart. Down two sections, right four more, down four levels, across the promenade. It was like each footstep was sizzling closer to hell, and I could hear Satan laughing as my bootheels echoed on corrugated durasteel. Eliessa didn't know any better, and even if she did, she couldn't see past her own situation...

...which was why she was paying for my services. Great, now I didn't even have a crutch to lean on.

There. At the end of the corridor was the familiar office door. The cheap, loud colors slapped on like a hooker's lipstick on a full moon night begged me to come in, but didn't bother to read me the disclaimer. The two door guards were equally tacky. A rail-thin Cizerack and an unintimidating Rodian. I paused, and allowed them the brief courtesy of looking down their noses at me.

"I'm here to see....Aileenda."

"Do jyou have an appojintment?" The Cizerack tightended her grip on her blaster rifle.

"No."

Her ears swiveled back. The Rodian's swiveled forward.

"Ah'chu apenkee?" The green alien seemed to speak with rising bravado, asking who I was.

Getting the runaround from the guards was getting tiresome, and now, in Huttese. I humored them, for now. I thought my name had gotten around to these parts anyway...

"My pee kasa..."

"Sanis Prenta!"

The door threw itself open onto my own personal Pandora's box. At five feet four, she smirked at me, blue lekku signing something hidden and obscene in my general direction, no doubt.

I nodded.

Aileenda grabbed me by the collar, and dragged me into her office, Eliessa close behind.

And no, it was not in a friendly way.

[Eliessa Corta]

Stumbling in behind Prent, with the added assistance from the Rodian pushing his blaster against her back, Eliessa came to an abrupt halt beside Sanis.

"Maybe you were right..this isnt such a good idea." she said under her breath.

Prent's withering look was enough to say 'ya think?'

An apologitic half-smile was all she could return.

[Sanis Prent]

"Coona tee-tocky malia? Keel-ee calleya ku kah!"

Aileenda's emphatic Huttese was mirrored by her lekku in quick motions that didn't leave much to the imagination. Her pink eyes glared at me, then narrowed into a cold, scornful gaze.

"Aileenda...I meant to call...soon as I made it to Coruscant. Just that I think they jammed your frequency."

*SMACK*

Grimacing, I turned back to face her, rubbing the red handprint on the side of my face. Ok, that was the wrong answer.

"You know I've missed you!"

I tried a convincing smile, but I think I missed the delivery, as she smacked me again.

"Bona nai kachu, Sanis."

She smirked, and gestured to the Cizerack guard, who muscled me into a nearby seat.

"Yeah, yeah, I probably deserve that, and more. I've been a real jerk."

The Cizerack female brandished a long, menacing dagger.

"Hey! Not that much of a jerk! C'mon!"

I leaned away from the blade.

"Look, I know I caused you a lot of trouble and grief, Aileenda...I just can't stay pinned down for too long."

Aileenda smiled toothily and paused, gesturing for her Cizerack muscle to do the same. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now that sounds more like the Sanis I remember."

Her smile widened and seemed to soften a little, as she resorted to speaking Basic.

Which I didn't like at all.

[Eliessa Corta]

One didn't need to be fluent in Huttese to get the gist of what was happening.

Eliessa exclaimed in surprise and protest each time Sanis was slapped, but she just as well might not have been there at all for any reaction it got. Sanis was taking Aileenda's attention completely.

The rodian poked Eliessa in the ribs roughly with the gun, directing her to a corner. Eliessa shuffled obediently, if not reluctantly, to the side while admonishing the rodian that "prodding was not really necessary". He didnt seem to understand her though, and persisted, prodding even harder.

She caught Prent's eye, and he could read the nervousness easily in her face.

Sanis was used to these "fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants" situations - Eliessa quite definitely was not. That much was obvious by her clumsy, yet polite attempt to interject herself into the conversation where experience in dealing with such a one as Alieenda would have abstained.

"We" she meant herself and Prent "are sorry to disturb you Miss Alieenda, but we were wondering.."

Eliessa didnt get any further before the rodian swivelled his rifle around and butted her on the back of the head, making Eliessa collapse with a squeal to her knees.

[Sanis Prent]

"Hey!"

I made a move to rise from my seat, but the female Cizerack put a stop to that. Aileenda crossed her arms over her chest, smirking.

"Still got a soft spot for a pretty face? I remember when I used to be that pretty face."

I sighed. I knew I'd have to grovel a bit, but she was pushing it.

"Aileenda, you gotta understand. If the circumstances were reversed, I would have gladly spared the boarding for you on the outbound flight. But...y'know...money's tight."

Aileenda's faint smile disappeared.

"Hi chuba da naga, Sanis?"

Well, at least we were getting somewhere. She knew me better than I'd hoped, and knew I was after something besides her. I tried to humor her.

"Well, uh...after spending some time in your good company, Aileenda, I was hoping to get the latest coordinates of Shadowfaene station from you."

Aileenda laughed boistrously, her lekku quivering with the hilarity of it all.

"Smeeleeya whao toupee upee."

She was apparently having a good time making me jump through hoops. On command, I smiled as sincerely as I could.

"Aileenda, I would love to spend time with you....er....over dinner, even."

At this, the Twi'Lek smiled a little, and her lekku seemed to relax, which was a good sign.

"Sanis, I would accept your offer...it's just that...."

"Just that what?"

Her smile broadened.

"It's just that such information is expensive. I've decided not to kill you or your employer, but lets just say you're far from being out of the woods yet."

I licked at my lips, regrouping mentally.

"Ok, how expensive are we talking about?"

Her smile turned cruel.

"Duhonocha jujumon."

"OH COME ON!"

She scowled.

"Pay it or leave empty-handed, Sanis. I'm the only one you can turn to, and you know it."

"Dammit."

I glanced over to Eliessa.

"Hey...you don't happen to have any more money, do you?"

[Eliessa Corta]

The room was slanted now, or the floor was moving, or something. Her head was throbbing horribly and to lift it to answer Prent was almost more effort than she was capable of.

"I...I can pay what is needed"

Aileenda's interest piqued slightly, smelling a cashcow. Beside Eliessa, the rodian said something in his native tongue and his tubular ears swivelled.

Aileenda nodded her agreement. Prent was in it for a paycheck (surprise) but the woman, however, was in it for something more. It was personal. Her desperateness was evident in her voice, in her eyes. Too bad she had gone through Sanis - a virtual fortune could be made off the woman if he was not around to watchdog things.

Prent read Aileenda's intentions easily and she knew he knew what she was thinking. Insincere smiles were exchanged between them and Aileenda chuckled guiltily. Looks like it was going to be one of those dinners.

[Sanis Prent]

Aileenda approached Eliessa, and for a moment, it seemed like she might do something dire. Instead, she reached down, offering to help Eliessa to her feet.

"I'm sorry for the...ill treatment. Sometimes, I can really get carried away."

She smiled sweetly, and the general body language of her lekku seemed to relax, which also caused me to relax.

"See, everything's fine. We're all fine."

My smile broadened.

Aileenda looked to me, and smirked.

"Yacha neechu."

"Wha? HEY! NO!"

The Rodian and the Cizerack took me by each arm, and forcibly removed me from her office, to whearabouts unknown.

"YOU'RE MAKING A MISTAAAAKE!!!"

The door slammed shut behind me, separating myself from Eliessa and Aileenda. Where she was having me taken away to, I had no idea...but I didn't want to go, not one bit. With that done, Aileenda returned her sweet expression to Eliessa.

"I know that 3500 might seem an expensive fare, but I assure you, it is all for a good cause."

[Eliessa Corta]

Eliessa feigned some doubt over the price, though it was more an effort to buy herself some "thinking" time, rather than true concern for the Twi'lek's attempt at extortion.

"It is a bit pricey..." she hedged. "...Sanis said - "

Aileenda cut her short, waving her hand dismissively and "pffftt-ing" thoughts of Sanis. She assured Eliessa that Sanis Prent was famous for being greedy, and not to mention, unreliable. "Just ask anyone."

Eliessa ventured a smile and nodded that she believed Aileenda, the whole while afraid for Mr. Prent and wondering how she will ever get him back from where it was he had been led away to.
She weighed that her best chance would lay in remaining a non-threat and lull the Twi'lek into thinking her a complete flake.

"So....then Miss Aileenda, you know where ShadowFaene is? Really? I would be very grateful for your help...Of course, I wouldn't be able to go without Sanis. You aren't going to hurt him are you?"

[Sanis Prent]

Aileenda smiled, lekku slinking around her shoulders in a passive manner.

"You care about Sanis?"

She seemed genuine in her question.

"Hm...so did I, once. What did he promise? Did he smile?"

Aileenda sighed.

"I bet it was the smile. Out of all the scum and mercenaries you could've gotten to seal the deal, you fell for a pretty face?"

Laughing, Aileenda walked to her desk, brandishing a purple bottle, and dispensing liquid into two glasses. One, she handed to Eliessa.

"Here's to being gullible...both of us."

<center>Meanwhile...</center>

....sssshiiiing.....
....sssshiiiing....
....sssshiiiing....

I sat in a poorly-lit room, but with just enough lighting to see that the female Cizerack was still fastidiously sharpening her Kai'jeenka dagger. Occasionally, she would look up at me, and the pale light from above would amplify in her blue eyes, creating an eerie effect. The Rodian...well...he'd conveniently ducked outside for a stim. That didn't bode well for me. There was no such thing as "Good Thug, Bad Thug". There were bad thugs, and then the ones that enjoyed the job a bit too much, and let the bad thugs go out for a smoke break.

I swallowed audibly.

"So....Cizerack, huh?"

I smiled, a bit nervously. The female paused, removing her blade from the whet stone.

'Mjy, jyou'rrre a sssmarrrt one." she mewled sarcastically.

[Eliessa Corta]

"Well, yes..." she said following Aileenda's lead to the desk - her apprehension mounting, "...he does have a very nice smile."

Eliessa took the offered glass.

"Its the dimples, I think."

The Twi'lek waited for her to drink, and Eliessa hesitated, making a great show of sniffing the clear liquid first.

Stretching out a finger to tilt the bottom of the glass to her guest's lips Aileenda grew impatient for her to drink, and she watched as the fluid ran toward her mouth. Eliessa did a little stretching of her own, and as her fingers wrapped around the bottle set idly on the bureau, she lifted it and slammed it with as much force as she could muster into the Twi'leks head.

Aileenda rocked backwards, not having expected such an action, and threw her hand to her head in shock.

Eliessa was shocked too..that was supposed to have knocked her out. It always did on the holovids she watched.

In a desperate act, she pushed her unscrupulous host, and Aileenda tripped to fall backwards, banging her head on the corner of the desk as she descended, and there lay still.

Placing the glass that was still in her other hand onto a side table, Eliessa bent over Aileenda to assess the damage.

"Are.....you.....awake?"