Backseat Slavedriver- 9.012

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

The flight to Carshoulis Prime was not a short jump, although it was fairly close to the Core, because of all the ridiculous checkpoints the Cizerack had in place around the borders of the Cluster. Obviously one could plot a course to avoid them, the known ones, but then you ran the risk of running into a uncharted interdiction zone and being instantly tagged as a smuggler or worse.

Sasseeri was prepared for a ridiculous and invasive search of her yacht as they were checked out by an uppity Huntress Captain and her tiny fleet of Keerta-class ships backed by a single Korri-class battlecruiser. So, it was surprising when they were allowed to pass with a bare minimum of harassment. Perhaps the Pride was growing soft.

She walked the passages of her ship to the small but lush hydroponic garden she'd had installed in the center of it. It was arranged in such a fashion that when one was in the middle of the garden you could barely tell you were on a ship at all. The crew of the ship were not allowed inside, and so she did not expect to see anyone there at all, except that this time there was a being in the garden.

It shouldn't have surprised her that it was him. "jI see you arrre makjing yourrrself at home."

[Sanis Prent]

I crunched defiantly into some kind of fruit I'd never seen before, and hoped that it wasn't poisonous. Fortunately it tasted awesome, so I continued playing my part. I still wore a bit of bruising from taking both barrels of Miss Reeouurra's scorn, but no regrets, man. No regrets. I sat on a bench, completely at ease.

"Oh yeah." I talked with my mouth full, going ahead and cramming another bite without swallowing.

"All this...heh...top notch, gotta say."

I took a moment to swallow, crossing a leg atop a knee. Honestly, if I hadn't been killed yet, I was of some use at least. Of course that didn't mean I wouldn't be used up and disposed of later, but for now I was an asset. It paid to make yourself look good, and Sasseeri Reeouurra wasn't hiring a meek librarian, was she?

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

She stared down at him, one eyelid twitching slightly. Was the man completely insane? If it wasn't going to be fun to watch him be captured by the Cizerack fleet over Calan she might have just put him into an airlock and been done with him. She was never going to get her money back out of this moronic buffoon, and worse he seemed to think he was valuable to her.

Maybe she would strip him naked and leave him tied to the fountain in Carshoulis Prime's public market. Sasseeri smiled a little at that, and then sighed. "The garrrden jis decorrratjive."

She took a seat on the bench across from Sanis, and eyed him as he messily enjoyed the fruit. She had no idea what it tasted like, but he seemed to like it. "Tell me, Mjisterrr Prrrent, why jis jit you jimagjine that you arrre stjill aljive?"

[Sanis Prent]

She was trying to insinuate something nasty, and I let it slide off my back. Leaning forward, I propped my elbows on my knees.

"Probably because I'm the best pilot on your roster, and you've got me for a bargain."

I looked up, taking a break from the fruit for a moment, to see how right I was. I shrugged a little, giving her some room to fill in the blanks.

"You've obviously cared enough to keep tabs on me. Tabs enough to know what I can do, and where I can do it. I imagine us coming here has more at stake than simply unfinished business."

I scratched an itch at the back of my head.

"Do you have a stim? Look, I'm not even fronting like a primadonna, but I've been cold turkey for a few days and that habit's more or less necessary to grease the wheels."

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

"jI don't smoke," she replied coldly. "Perrrhaps jif you djidn't owe me morrre crrredjits than yourrr ljife jis worrrth you could buy some when we land." Sasseeri raised an eyebrow.

"jIf jI was keepjing tabs on you, Mjisterrr Prrrent, jI would not have had to put a bounty on you. jI would not have forrrgotten who you werrre. You'rrre a small fjish, Mjisterrr Prrrent, and the only rrreason you'rrre stjill aljive jis because jit amused me to keep you. You arrre becomjing less and less amusjing wjith everrry cocksurrre worrrd that comes out of yourrr mouth."

She shrugged, "You werrren't that good of a lay, and the only rrreason jI'm forrrcjing you to stjick to ourrr barrrgajin jis because jI'm surrre you'll be caught and kjilled by the Cjizerack Hunterrr Forrrces and that, Mjisterrr Prrrent, wjill be amusjing. You'll djie a small tjime smugglerrr who bjit off morrre than he could chew... and you stjill haven't realjized jit yet."

[Sanis Prent]

Her words ran down my spine and caused my feet to tingle. They were soft, mirthless, and deadly honest. I didn't have a lot to say in response.

"Huh."

I took another bite, a bit more deliberate and careful, mulling over what she said. The fruit at least helped to offset the sudden dryness in my mouth.

"Well, guess that makes me a condemned man."

I was beyond hoping that she'd humor my arrogant posturing. I kept my eyes low, still looking down at the fruit in my hand.

"I'm broke. I lost my ship. I have no pride, and too few friends in this galaxy to matter."

I let the fruit drop to the ground and stood up, so that I now looked over her by a half foot.

"If you're gonna feed your ego with my dead body, that's gonna be hardly a snack."

Inwardly, I was terrified. I liked to think of death as something that would probably grab my stupid ass for doing something dumb, but come at me without warning. I didn't like the idea of staring a sure thing in the face.

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

"jI ljike a good snack, everrry now and then. Whets the appetjite." Sasseeri looked up at him, her expression blank. Then she winked. "Don't get too deprrressed, Sanjis, jI'm surrre you can thjink up a way to jingrrratjiate yourrrself to me. jIf not, however..."

[Sanis Prent]

"I already told you I don't have any pride."

She was playing with me. All I could do was to hang on for the ride.

"But it's safe to say I've got an imagination."

Turn me on, turn me off. On. Off.

I stepped closer.

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

An aide coughed politely somewhere just beyond the greenery, and Sasseeri cursed the other female's timing. "We are entering Carshoulis Prime's orbit, Ms. Reeourrra. You asked... to be informed."

"Thank you, yes jI djid." She stepped back neatly from Sanis and turned her back on him, walking briskly out of the garden. The transition from plants to bulkheads was abrupt. "Any trrrouble?"

"None yet." The girl trailed behind her as she stalked up to the bridge. Sanis was following as well. To be honest, she was looking forward to seeing how imaginative he could be.

[Sanis Prent]

"Not expecting any, are you?"

Didn't make sense to be here if she did. You didn't get to be a Vigo without being keenly aware of when to put skin in the game, and when to let someone else do that. No, she would've been sure to grease the right palms and make sure that her business here at least appeared on the ups beyond a truly deep dig.

The planetary corona of Carshoulis Prime dominated the viewscreen. I never felt at ease coming here. There was money to be had, but it wasn't usually the sort of place a guy like me could balance risk and reward and come out thinking he'd got himself a deal.

As we watched, I saw the familiar sight of a Seeva class picket frigate prowling between star lanes. Our presence didn't register any deviation of flight plan whatsoever. I overheard the comms, logging our request for entry, and taking a flight plan assignment to the surface. Nice and routine.

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

"Not antjicjipatjing any, no." She looked sideways at the smuggler. "The Cizeri Hunterrr Forrrces arrre notorrrjiously fjickle, howeverrr. Expect the unexpected."

Sasseeri settled into what was probably supposed to be the captain's chair of the large freighter, watching the planet loom large in the viewscreen. The last time she'd been in the Cluster it had been to visit Fey'dann and to indulge in a little archaeology. That had ended spectacularly in an enormous clusterfuck, and she'd lost a lot of money on the venture. Her lips curved slightly in a tiny smile despite the bitter memory. As always she'd managed to land on her feet, even though the deal had gone sour.

She remained seated until the freighter was successfully docked at the enormous spaceport/trading center that dominated a sector of Carshoulis Prime. Sasseeri stretched, nodded to Captain Whatshjisname, and collected Prent on her way out of the ship. Her luggage would be taken to her hotel by her employees, so she didn't give it a second thought as she stepped out onto the duracrete and humid sunshine of the capitol planet of the Cizerack Pride.

[Sanis Prent]

Despite her order for me to keep my eyes peeled, there wasn't a thing for me to do about this mess. I just watched the whole approach drag out, and pass without incident.

Back to Carshoulis Prime.

Like all things Cizeri, the Cizerack homeworld was a busy, clashing mix of things to delight and disgust. It was as warm as I remembered, a balmy day where you could (and many did) wear the bare minimum. The pastel colors splashed on thick urban sprawl and patches of well-coiffed flora seemed to do their best to fool you into thinking you were somewhere other than a crowded and cluttered city-planet. It always seemed slapdash and mis-designed, lacking the bouts of collective planning that Coruscant offered. It was a big ugly painting viewed from a distance that got prettier the closer you zoomed in.

The barrage of Cizeri language assailed my ears, at dialects and speeds I wasn't at all prepared to parse. Living on the motherworld all those years ago got me just enough of it that I could pick through it with somebody who was patient. Of course, it was probably easier to find a vegetarian here than a patient person. The cut of my ears, the color of my skin, and what swung between my legs was plenty enough advertisement of my value to anyone who glanced my way.

I followed Sasseeri and her retinue along, not caring to test the length of my leash just yet. If I had two ideas to rub together to form a plan, I could sprint 30 paces to my left or right and disappear in a crowd. That wasn't a smart option unless I had something else to follow it, and as of yet I had nada.

I caught a whiff of familiar purple smoke, and my stomach knotted, reminding me how on edge I was. It kept my head on a swivel, for what I didn't know. Maybe the KAR? I'm sure if we warranted that kind of attention (and I'm sure Sasseeri did) I wouldn't see them coming anyway. Still, sometimes its hard to keep a thing like that out of your head.

Again I was having to laugh off certain death and pretend it wasn't just standing right over there.

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

Tick and Tock hulked nearby as she strolled through the spaceport, waving away a flock of cubs with beaded necklaces and other trinkets to sell. The twin Twi'lek males would normally dominate any room with their height and build, but on Carshoulis Prime they were surrounded by large Cizeri manservants and therefore blended into the crowd a little more than normal. A female employee darted off to make sure the rented speeders would be ready by the time the group got to the lot, and Sasseeri looked over her shoulder at Sanis Prent.

The human looked uncomfortable, but who could blame him? She didn't feel all that relaxed, herself. Plus the safety within the Reeouurra, Inc travel party was only an illusion for the smuggler. And additionally... she slowed a step to walk beside him.

"You may notjice that the males jin ourrr grrroup all arrre collarrred. Nonsense jin the Empjirrre, of courrrse, but jin the Clusterrr jit jis an jimporrrtant safety prrrecautjion. You werrre to be jinforrrmed and gjiven one prrrjiorrr to leavjing the shjip, but apparrrrently that djidn't happen." She glared at the nearest Black Sun employee, a slight human female who happened to be an expert in some sort of bizarre martial art, but got little satisfaction from it. Snapping her fingers and pointing at Prent got a slim leather collar placed in her hand. It had a plain metal closure intended to snap together at front of the neck, and an Ident chip embedded in it designating what female the wearer belonged to.

"You can wearrr jit orrr not, but jI'd rrrecommend jit. jI'm surrre you know what happens to uncollarrred males arrround herrre."

[Sanis Prent]

I cracked a bit of a smile at this latest affront, glancing left and right to see Sasseeri's bodyguards wearing the humiliating jewelry. Maybe I was wrong, and I had a little pride left after all.

"Keep it."

After all, no sense giving this little kidnapping any legitimacy. Nevermind the fact that neither of us were under any illusions that I was anywhere other than under the Vigo's thumb. Maybe she'd find the defiance arousing, or infuriating. Maybe it fed my false hope I'd still escape. Maybe I was more comfortable with my prospects for living as a free agent on Carshoulis Prime, so to speak. Even with my best luck I doubt I'd find another Taataani Meorrrei, but maybe if I gave my captor the slip, and maybe if I found a matron obtuse enough to swallow a well-fed lie, I'd make it off this rock after all.

"I'd never say yes to less than gold. Well, maybe silver. Even for a Carshoulis courtship, my lady."

It was fun to entertain fantasies.

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

She smiled, hiding her irritation. "Perrrhaps jI'll fjind a sujitable female to sell you to, then. jI do rrrememberrr hearrrjing somethjing about yourrr co-pjilot. My nephew, jif you rrrecall. He has a mjistrrress arrround herrre somewherrre."

Sasseeri laughed, flicking the collar at the person who'd handed it to her, and rubbing her hands together. "Djidn't that have somethjing to do wjith the bounty hunterrr who capturrred you? No matterrr. Don't wanderrr off and cause an jinterrrgalactjic jincjident orrr jI wjill put you in a feedjing pjit beforrre we leave."

Then the group was separating into speeders, and Sasseeri was spared his company as Tick put a hand on his shoulder and guided him into one while she and her personal assistants were getting into another. The hotel was only a ten minute drive from the spaceport.

It was really too bad he'd refused the collar. The GPS chip hidden in it would have helped keep tabs on him discretely. Now he'd just have to submit to the subcutaneous chip that Tick was probably inserting in his back right now.

[Sanis Prent]

At the sting of the needle going in, I winced, realizing that my choice had in fact been no choice at all. I wasn't surprised, and offered little more than a line of profane backtalk as resistance to the Twi'lek enforcer.

Time away from Miss Reeouurra gave me moments in my own thoughts. What were we doing on Carshoulis? Exactly none of us wanted to be here. I was surprised that she'd get that close to unpleasantries, but perhaps even crime bosses needed face time applied in the correct amounts. She mentioned one of her casinos not bringing in its fair share, but how serious was it that she had to clean house in person?

Must be more to it.

My back ached. Whatever I got shivved with, it was done with no subtlety.

"So...we going to the casino?"

Why not make small talk? I had the free time. Maybe I'd get an answer. Maybe not.

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

Tick looked at him silently, closing up the kit that had contained the tagging gun as Sanis adjusted his shirt. Then he nodded.

[Sanis Prent]

Before I could get proud at guessing correctly, my mind skipped forward to the next bit. What did Sasseeri's casino business have to do with me? My only experience with casinos was losing money in them, a fact which Sasseeri certainly knew. If she was just needing somebody to crack skulls, it looked like she had no shortage of brawn, so that wasn't it.

Not knowing made me uneasy. At least I didn't feel like I was on my way to eat a blaster bolt. At least not yet.

The massive Carshoulis cityscape blurred past as we travelled, catching height to reach a skylane that would ferry us to the district we needed to reach. I adjusted in my seat to minimize the throbbing in my back, and tried to let my mind go blank.

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

Draa'guurra'naatarr, or Twilight's Delight as it was in Basic, loomed up ahead. As the group of sleek speeders pulled up to the front of the casino a cadre of droid valets and Cizeri bellhops swarmed around them, relieving the Black Sun group of luggage and speeders alike. Sasseeri walked straight through the organized chaos into the main lobby of her base of operations in the Cluster.

The casino sparkled with crystals, both real and synthetic. An enormous blown glass chandelier dominated the center of the high ceiling, dripping down toward the floor like spilled honey. She walked across imported tiles created by Ithorian craftspeople, her heels clicking importantly as she beelined for a bank of transparisteel turbolifts. Her aides hurried to keep up, and a concierge managed to meet her at the 'lifts and pressed the button for her.

"Yourrr rrregularrr ssujite hass been prrreparrred, Ms. Reeouurra," the full-blood female purred. "Meetjingss wjith the lawjyerrrss arre ssscheduled forrr tomorrrow morrrnjing -"

"Move that up to tonjight," Sasseeri interjected. "jI want to get thjis overrr wjith as soon as possjible." She walked into the 'lift and turned to face the door, the concierge, Tock, and her assistant-of-the-week entering with her. As the doors closed and they shot skyward, she caught sight of Sanis and Tick entering the lobby, and narrowed her eyes.

[Sanis Prent]

Now this was cruel. A long slow walk down an admittedly gorgeous casino floor. On instinct, I reached in my pockets for chits that weren't there. Tick, sensing my hesitation, put a big hand on my shoulder and gave me a push forward. Damn, damn, damn.

At least I didn't have to worry about delusions of escape here. One thing about a casino, you always knew you were being watched. I snapped my fingers at an attendee - a male Cizerack wearing a well-cut silk tunic of some kind. Nevermind all that, what was important were the complimentary drinks. Indeed, there wasn't any fuss as I plucked a flute of fizz from the tray he carried.

"Thanks, friend."

The felinoid gave me a strange look, and looked beyond me to the Twi'lek, and figured it beyond his pay grade to ask any questions. With a flip of his tail, he turned to service a thirsty group of women at a craps table. I lingered as much as I could to get a view of a few, before I was on my way once more.

"All work and no play, huh?"

At least I got a drink.