What I Lost (Qimir/ The Stranger)

Chapter 2

When the doors opened, the conversation between the captain of the pirate fleet and the Hutt was cut short. A Twi'lek woman walked through. Her lavender skin contrasted with the purple stripes that covered her body, she wore hardly any clothes, but her attire was much more elegant and jeweled than the other women he had seen in the brothel. He recognized her instantly, Irith, the one he had heard so much about from his fellow smugglers. She moved in such a straightforward way, she almost seemed to float around the room. All her gestures were soft and gentle, demonstrating total submission to the eyes of the others. But when their gazes connected he could see what the Twi'lek really was. He found himself before those yellow eyes, riddled with orange specks, which gave off: disgust, hatred, fear, resignation, but most of all strength. Before her eyes all those gestures were perfectly calculated, she could see the cracks in that facade. But there was something else, she was sensitive to the force. The jumble of power was intertwined between her emotions, almost hidden, it was thick and forceful. He hid his smile when he saw how she tensed slightly, as she moved away towards her owner. The obscurity of his captain, Danel Blanqe, for that woman was so great that he even lost his voice, he cleared his throat a couple of times when he realized that his mouth was open. She had totally lost the thread of the conversation, in a negotiation she was winning. Irith looked at them for the last time, with those rebellious eyes but ended up adopting that docile gesture of submission.

 I had arrived there following the stories of the strange deaths around that brothel, where the only witness was always the same woman. The bodies were found lifeless after spending the night with her, they showed no signs of aggression, they seemed to die a natural death. Rumor had it that men succumbed to the pleasure she gave them, to the point that her demand grew throughout the Hutt system. But if so, why had her owner taken her off the market? The fact that the Twi'lek was force-sensitive raised questions he had never asked himself during his Jedi training, could it be killed by the force? And if so, how? It was a knowledge he desired with great fervor.

Qimir studied her slyly, watching as Irith glanced from time to time at her owner, making small, almost imperceptible gestures of approval or denial. Coincidentally these coincided with the half-truths their captain was telling. They had been debating for some time, their next smuggling mission, and it seemed that the woman had the final decision. The benefits had flowed from one to the other, in a strategic battle that would prove who was the better negotiator. Both crime lords closed the deal by toasting with their glasses full of wine. After that Nam the Hut invited them to celebrate in his brothel.

The music was at full blast, the artists did not stop playing, while on some stages women danced in skimpy clothes, contoured in a sensual way, delighting their audience. Some of them let themselves be groped, others, after a while, withdrew with a client to darker areas of the club. But among them all, Nam the Hutt stood out, lying on his couch in an elevated position, where he could study the entire room. At his feet sat Irith, staring blankly. The Hutt was being fed by young slaves. He could see Nam gesturing for Irith to fetch more drink and she obeyed without complaint.

Watching her walk around the place was an otherworldly experience. She seemed to float around the place, as people turned away from her, as when the sea receded from the beach. Everyone avoided touching her, few avoided looking at her. Her aura was such that it was impossible not to see her, as if she were a shooting star, she crossed the room to the bar area. Qimir did not take his eyes off her, he gawked at her as the smuggler would have done, that alter ego he had created to go unnoticed. When the Twi'lek reached the bar, he was ready to engage her in conversation. He tipped the glass over, spilling the liquid next to her prompting the woman to look at him. The liquid stained her dress and some of her skin, causing the paint to run. Irith tried to pull away, but the damage was done. With a frown she looked at him, then turned her gaze to Nam, who was distracted by the spectacle.