Under the Beskar

Secret Surprises

NIA'S POV

She didn't expect to fall asleep like that the whole night. She must've been exhausted. There was a moment, between her sleep and awake states, where she felt him touching her hair. She knows it wasn't just her fantasy or that she had imagined it. She remembers the feeling of his thick fingertips running through her smooth locks. He confuses her. One minute he's irate and bitter, the next he's softly stroking her hair while she pretended to be sleeping. The sudden switch from loathing to tenderness, and how quickly he changed his attitude is uncanny. Yes, she could have stopped him, but it just felt so enticing and soothing that she didn't want it to end. She didn't want to move or disrupt anything.

As she left the room, the clinic was still dark and empty. The morning light barely visible through the two windows in the waiting room. She walks into her office and notices the yellow light on her personal comlink was blinking, indicating a new message. She closes and locks her door before pressing the play button.

"Arica, it's been awhile. I have another client who requires your services. You should expect to see him today or sometime tomorrow. He has the credits and I've filled him in on your demands. My finders fee has been deducted as usual. Pleasure doing business with you. Take care."

It's been awhile since she her associate contacted her for her services. It's actually a good thing that she hasn't had to counterfeit chain codes in the recent months, which seems that the Guild may have finally improved it's resources. Normally she's delighted to help an innocent person on the run, however this is an unlucky situation now that there's a bounty hunter in her care. She rummages through her storage bins for empty data cards and is able to find one that hasn't been used. She begins the process of uploading some basic information into the chain code before putting it away, then leaves her office to unlock the front door to the clinic.

Once she opens the door, a tall young Aqualish man stood in the doorway. Big round black eyes, tan colored arachnid-like tusks, and thick brown fur covering his arms, face and body. He's wearing a dark red poncho and brown shirt with black pants, and a blaster pistol holstered on his belt. He lets out a series of muffled grunts and gurgling noises with hand gestures. Usually she carries a personal translator with her, yet she uses it less and less nowadays. Throughout her travels, she has learned to speak Aqualish, Huttese, Mando'a, Ithorian, some Rodian and is always looking to learn more.

"I am here to see Arcia. I was sent by Void," the Aqualish man grunted in his native tongue.

"Please follow me," Nia replied in Aqualish and leads him into her office then locks the door. "Did Void tell you I require payment up front and no refunds? So this is your last chance to back out."

"Yes, I was framed I tell you! Hunters are after me!" The Aqualish man blurts out as he placed a pouch of credits on the desk.

"Ok. Hold out your hands," Nia instructed him as the man does what she says. "Now be still..."

Concentrating on the Force, Nia is able to use her psychometry ability to scan the alien's memory. Images of his recent past tells her that he was indeed falsely incriminated by his employer. For punishment of his debts, he is being accused of sabotaging a New Republic cargo shipment of military supplies. No one should have to be treated so harshly just because of their inability to pay off their dues, especially someone so young.

"What....what was that?" The alien gurgled as he rubbed his forehead. "What did you do?"

"Just making sure you are not lying to me," Nia replied as she released him and prepares the chain code on her datapad. "Now I'm going to help you, and if you report this interaction to the authorities I will simply deny it."