Private Stowaway

[Neesa]

"You have an answer for everything don't you?" Neesa snapped. The anger didn't reach her eyes. She couldn't really hold the question when she stumbled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

He was tall, very tall. Her pride wouldn't let her ask for more help and she doubted he was going to offer it. Slowly, she shifted her weight back onto her own feet and gave a sharp nod.

"Thank you," she muttered.

 

[Shar'tala]

"You're welcome."

The thank you seemed as if it took all her willpower to say, not because she was injured but due to her own pride. Thoss was looking at the situation from merely the standpoint of helping a lesser being. Chiss were typically prideful in the fact they viewed themselves at the ultimate pinnacle of evolution in the galaxy and Thoss was no different. As such, it could be seen as a duty to help those who were perhaps more feeble than the mighty Chiss.

His free hand grasped her bicep firmly, steadying the girl. A waif, easily blown over on her own too feet it seemed. How she made it this far was a complete mystery to himself. One he would be contemplating the entire flight.

"Guest cabin is down the corridor off the galley. Smaller of the two"

 

[Neesa]

Neesa didn't even take her boots off. Face-first she planted on the bed and within seconds she had drifted away. No dreams assailed her during the night. The room was plain, but it was far from those who would try and finish the job.

Pain found her when she woke. She could hear her Chiss host moving around in the galley. She had no idea how much time had passed. Neesa carried no datapad, could see no clock.

She gingerly pulled herself to sit up. Wincing in pain. The bacta had started some new skin growing where it had been burned by lightning. She undid both of her boots and slid them off.

The door to her cabin opened slowly. She padded out one step and then reached out to hold the door frame.

"Where are my swords?" she asked bluntly.

 

[Shar'tala]

Thoss had peeked in on his stowaway a few times in the trip to ensure she was breathing. The Chiss didn't want a dead body lingering on the mattress for long and lucky for himself(and her) she had been breathing when he checked. He suspected she would wake on her own accord and besides, his medical knowledge was limited to ambulatory first aid. His passenger seemed to know a bit or was just incredibly lucky at being able to survive attacks. Thoss suspected it wasn't her first run in that required medical care.

Spatula was pushing across the pan as his ears picked up her footsteps first. He didn't have to wait long to hear her voice. Smirk graced his features before composing himself and turning around.

"Good morning to you too." Sarcasm again. "Right where you left them in the cargo hold."

 

[Neesa]

"Well...yes. Good morning," went Neesa. She looked around furtively, but it was clear that she could feel a touch of embarrassment. Her fingers flexed at her sides. The nagai could sense the blades and the magic etched into them. She had felt a little panic that he might have airlocked her belongings for his own safety.

Neesa tilted her head back a fraction, looking towards Thomas and what he was doing.

"What are you, er, making?" she asked. Teeth tugged at the corner of her lip. She was frightfully hungry of a sudden.

 

[Shar'tala]

"Breakfast. Take a seat and I'll bring you some."

Thoss had debated on making the woman forage for herself but in the end it would end up being more work for himself. Who knows what she would mess up or ruin. Not an ideal situation when he had a certain set of supplies until her reached Nar Shadda. The Chiss moved across the small space and placed steaming caf on the table. A moment later and he returned with a hot saucepan and the spatula, dishing out breakfast for the woman in front of her.

It was a thick hot cereal he had thrown nuts and dried fruits into. It was clearly something utilitarian and obviously something a Chiss would eat. Every. Day.

"Surprised your still alive."

 

[Neesa]

"As am I," she muttered, "though probably more pleased about it than you."

Neesa would take anything right now that was offered. The previous day had drained her reserves dry. She was glad she was still able to walk and move around without too much pain.

"Do you...have a spare tunic I could wear?" she asked, looking thoroughly ashamed of herself.

 

[Shar'tala]

"I can't say I have a particular preference. I don't feel dead or alive makes a difference in my life at this moment."

Thoss was living life as he had planned when he first set out upon his trip. The emergence of his stowaway had made little difference beyond the added layer of worry about being killed. Being in space alone meant that worry was a near constant to begin with and Thoss had kept a level head when the swords had been brandished at him. The Chiss refused to play into her hand.

"I have several I can bring out. They will be too big of course."

 

[Neesa]

"And I do have a preferences, quite a strong one, ya know?" Neesa replied. He seemed to have made her point for her whilst also vehemently disagreeing. That annoyed her wholeheartedly when she had just managed to mellow herself out a little.

"If you could. Please," she replied through gritted teeth.

 

[Shar'tala]

Spoon scraped the bowl as he finished the hot cereal, the woman making her preference known for being alive. It made sense, most beings had a strong desire to stay alive - himself included. Thoss waited a long moment, finishing his breakfast and setting the bowl into the sink. Thoss sized her up in a clinical manner, trying to decide what garments would be appropriate.

"One moment."

Thoss disappeared down the corridor for a long moment. The young Chiss returned with a handful of fabric, placing it on the table in front of the woman. There were various pieces, tops and bottoms including some loungewear. Thoss thought the elastic would be appropriate to cinch if needed.

"One of these may work."

 

[Neesa]

Borrowing clothes from some lowly smuggler. This fell pile a gut punch. Like a particular low in her life.

"Thank you," she mumbled and marched away with half of the heap. Neesa kicked the door shut behind herself and tossed it all down on the spare bed.

First she had to peel away her current clothes, burned and torn as they were. She breathed heavily and whimpered as she pulled the black fabric from the lightning burns. Despite the bacta some threads were stuck to her wounds.

When it was done she needed several minutes just to try and relax, to let the pain ebb away.

Neesa finally padded out of the room. He was so tall that she had eventually stopped trying to tie off and roll up his pajama bottoms. Instead she just wore a long sleeve top as a dress, her ghostly pale nagai legs on show from half way down the thigh.

"How long did you say the trip was again?" she asked. "I know I asked last night but..." She trailed off before admitting how close to death she had been. Her memories of that encounter were a little hazy.

 

[Shar'tala]

Busy cleaning up the galley, he had hardly paid attention to the stomping off of his unwilling passenger. He was coming to realize that it was going to be best to ignore most of her behavior. Thoss would continue to observe of course, on alert for the possibility of being murdered or for the stowaway to try to take command of his vessel.

Bowls were returning to their spot in the cabinet when he turned around to look at her. Eyebrow raised slightly.

"Two weeks. I'll be docked on Nar Shadda for three days once I arrive."

 

[Neesa]

Neesa hopped up onto a stool in the galley. Everything was usually stuck down on a ship just incase the AG gave out. She folded one leg over the other and adjusted the hem of the tunic downwards.

"Nar Shaddaa," she mused. "The Hutt world?"

She could find work there perhaps. Not that she had much to start off with. Her swords and a handful of credits. That could be enough.

 

[Shar'tala]

The stowaway seemed to settle into the barstool to talk to him. Interesting. Was she trying to glean information or had she given her a few moments to accept the situation? Thoss wasn't sure. Perhaps it was a ploy to throw him off and make him comfortable. He found it difficult to tell human motives at times despite being amongst them for a few years at this point.

"The Hutt Planet? I suppose so, not certain of the current ruling party. I cannot say I have been paying attention to their politics."

 

[Neesa]

Neesa didn't know much about Chiss. At least beyond their biology. It was a point of pride to know how to kill almost any species in the galaxy. In that respect they were not so different from humans, though a few different poisons were most effective.

She could have killed him. Then she would be trapped on a ship she didn't know how to fly.

"Do you go there often?" She snapped.

 

[Shar'tala]

Thoss blinked. Was this a rhetorical question? He did not understand yet kept his face passive. There was no reason to fall deeper into her trap and he was realizing this was going to be the status quo for the duration of their trip. It was tiring but Thoss was suspecting thats what she wanted, to wear him down slowly so she could take over.

"No, I do not. Should I? Is there something I should know about?"

 

[Neesa]

"No, I was just fetching hoping you might know someone I could go to for work," she muttered. Of course she was laboured with the most dense pilot in the sector. That much was apparent from the fact that he had let her live.

"I've not exactly..." She started to chastise before trailing off. "...anyway. Sure i'll find someone. But can't exactly pay you for food until I do."

 

[Shar'tala]

"I know nothing about you, not even a name, how am I supposed to know you would like work? I had to give up my psychic abilities once I left Chiss space."

Thoss rubbed his temple. This was going to be an extremely difficult trip. In his opinion the stowaway needed to lay low until they docked and parted ways. Typically he could figure out humans but this one was a bit more than what he had first suspected. If he didn't murder her before they exited hyperspace it would a miracle.

"I'm not concerned about repayment."

 

[Neesa]

"Well...good," she replied curtly. That was one less thing to be worrying about.

She looked him in the eye, with an air of defiance that was entirely spoiled by the fact she was wearing one of his oversized shirts as a dress.

"I am Neesa and I kill people for a living," she replied.

 

[Shar'tala]

"Do you? Does that pay well or do you have busy seasons?...Ever get attached to a target?"

Thoss wasn't sure if the stowaway - sorry, Neesa - actually killed people for a living. Did she look as if she did kill people for a living? Yes and no. Thoss certainly had pegged her as a freelance bounty hunter upon first discovery. It would explain the wounds and attitude. Yet Neesa mentioned only the killing, perhaps she fancied herself as some sort of assassin.

Neesa