The Bad Batch: Flash Forward

"Aguilla! It's been too long! Where have you been? You left so suddenly!"
Aguilla and Hunter turned swiftly to meet the voice. A tall man, almost 7 feet, was walking toward them with three tough looking aliens.
One alien at his left, a Rodian; another at his right, a man; and one behind, a Wookie.
Hunter slipped in a sentence before the man met them.
"Aguilla- what is going on?"
"He's not supposed to be here!" Aguilla whispered rather harshly.
"Who is he?" Hunter asked but with no time for his partner to answer.
"What? No hug for your old friend?" The tall man frowned and held out his arms. Aguilla chuckled nervously and hugged him awkwardly. She mumbled a few things Hunter couldn't make out.
Hunter quickly identified the man after Aguilla parted from his grasp.
Janik Lysar. A young influencer Aguilla had told him about; her old boss, and though she claims to never have had a relationship with him, Janik sure seemed to think so.
In fact, he made his intentions quite obvious.
Aguilla was most uncomfortable. This man knew her when she was scrambling for a living; and he most certainly knew that Hunter and she were not rich entrepreneurs. Their cover was definitely blown.

Janik greeted Hunter with a smile.
"Sir! It's great meet you! Please, both of you, come into my office for a drink!"
He walked through a nearby doorway motioning for them and Aguilla reluctantly followed. Hunter glanced at the three guards.
Janik turned into the room and offered drinks, privately.
"Meel or Kava?"
Aguilla shook her head and Hunter followed with the same.
Janik pressed a button on his desk and a shot cup of Kava appeared.
Janik smiled.
"So..." He sipped his drink slowly. "What brings you to me after all these years, Aguilla, dear?"
Janik looked at Hunter as if he expected a response too.
Hunter stared intensely at Janik.
Janik stared back.
Janik looked at Aguilla again and her face looked like it had just been slapped.
"We'll-" Aguilla hesitated for a moment. "You see- I'm a businesswoman now!" Aguilla knew she couldn't lie, at least to him. She smiled awkwardly.
Janik sipped his drink again. "And this young fellow beside you?"
Aguilla answered, "He's- uh- my bodyguard."
"Oh? You two seem pretty close." Janik smiled and glanced down. Aguilla just noticed she had been holding on to Hunter's arm.
Hunter turned his head slightly, just enough to see Aguilla's hand slip away like lighting.
Janik sipped his drink again. "Aguilla, dear. What is it you are hiding?"
Aguilla shook her head and said, "I don't know what you're talking about I'm-" Janik cut her off.
"No more of this lying business!" He shouted as he stood up from his chair and spilled the last of his drink.
"I remember you when you were so poor you couldn't pay your rent! You wouldn't tell me why you were so poor!" He pointed a finger at Aguilla. "You said you were too ashamed to tell me. I knew you were lying! And now, here you are, a woman of wealth and influence! I knew it!"
Aguilla froze but took the opportunity to keep her cover.
"Janik, I-" she began but Janik continued.
"You had to hide from me!" He was angry. "You had to hide from all of the people looking for you! I knew it!" He grabbed Aguilla's arm and looked her square in the face.
Aguilla cringed in pain. She felt like biting his face off but she was so confused trying to figure out a new story for why she was there.
"No more lies! No more hiding! No more-" just then he turned and punched Hunter in the face. Before Aguilla could rip him apart, Janik cupped her face and whispered, "Are you alright? Are you ok? What is he making you do?"
Hunter came back around, readied his fist, and then stopped as he heard those words. He looked at Aguilla and then at Janik.
Aguilla stopped Janik from going at him again. Janik wasn't a fighter but he would do anything to protect his loved ones; or his good businessmen. Both men settled down but all was still tense.
"It's alright. " Aguilla said. "I'm here for a job." Pleading for peace.
Janik snapped back from Hunter and looked at Aguilla.
"A job? What kind of job? You're not with the military are you?" It was so easy to believe that he cared.
"No. Just a job." Aguilla said.
'Hehe, military' she thought as she glanced at Hunter. It seemed awkward to see him out of armor.
"Ok. So-" Janik looked at Hunter. "Where did you come from?"
"He's not important." Aguilla said abruptly. "I mean- we can discuss this later."
Hunter sighed.
"Intergalactic space." Hunter said simply.
"What? Why did you say that?" Janik looked confused.
"No reason. It's just where I'm from." Hunter answered. Aguilla gave him an unpleasant stare. Hunter just shrugged.
"Ok. So, what 'job' exactly are you doing here? At my party?"
"Your party? This isn't your party! Is it?" She hoped he'd say no. Janik loved to brag about things that weren't his.

Janik had a slight smirk on his face.
"No. It's not my party. I'm here to meet a client. Metla Giorin." He paused and stared, still smirking, and pointed at her. "She's the reason why you're here, isn't she?"
'I hate it when he's right' Aguilla thought.
She nodded.
"Tell me everything." He was radiantly smiling now. If he ever knew a superhero, it was Aguilla; a superhero for business.
Aguilla sighed. Janik always wanted in on anything juicy; Good or bad; Old or new.
"Metla Giorin is the daughter of Chesmin Giorin and soon-to-be owner of GiorinTech. I need to get in contact with her; as a business partner." Aguilla hoped the lie would hold up. "She doesn't know me but she needs me."
Janik nodded.
"Not a problem. I'll just tell her you're here."
'Maybe he does care.' Aguilla pondered.
Janik snapped his fingers and the door behind him opened. Two aliens walked in.
"No!" Aguilla shouted, "I mean- no, it's alright- we'll introduce ourselves, thank you." She said awkwardly. Hunter scrunched his face up. He liked Janik's idea better.
"Well," he sneered somewhat handsomely. "If you're not going to be a pleasant businesswoman, we are not going to continue this further." Janik sighed and stood up.
"Ok, well, I mean-" Aguilla stammered.
"GO!" Janik ordered and left with the two alien guards.
Aguilla and Hunter looked at each other.
"Well. That was quite pleasant." Aguilla said. "Wasn't it?" She tried to smile.
"You've got a lot of explaining to do," he pulled her closer than she was comfortable with, "but for now," he drew her closer still, close enough to feel her rising heartbeat, "we're going to focus on Metla Giorin, and getting her pretty little piece of technology."
Aguilla shuttered but quickly remembered her pride. "Oh stop! We'll get it!" She sneered and regretted it as she got a little too close to his dark face.
Hunter chuckled and Aguilla surprised herself when she blushed.
"You crazy Twi."
Aguilla replied, accidentally in a whisper. "You got that right."