A Doctor Walks Into a Bar

[John Ash]

Nar Shaddaa had calmed down after a few days without the Hutts being able to find the person they were after. Most of them had actually given up after a couple of days, but a few more tenacious ones had been looking up till the other. So with the coast now clear, not that they ever knew who he was, John was wandering around the streets of the city without having to keep a closer eye on the crowd than usual. The area around the space ports was thankfully nicer, cleaner, and more secure than the districts away from them. Even the people of Nar Shaddaa understood that trade on and off the moon was the only reason they were able to stay alive.

So John walked into one of the better bars outside of the business district not far from the space port. The inside was more like a club than a dive bar with clean furniture, good music, and people dressed in nicer clothing walking around. The drinks were not watered down and food that was actually edible was being served to people sitting at tables. This was a sight that was welcomed more by outsiders than the one a few days ago with a sudden fire fight breaking out over nothing more than some boredom.

The counter was empty of customers as the bartender served drinks to one of the many wait staff coming for their guests' orders. John walked over to one of the stools and sat down. He held a hand up and caught the bar tender's attention. He said, " Whiskey on the rocks and the skewered nerf." He got a "sure thing" in response. A screen was playing a pod race coming from somewhere out in the galaxy. A small crowd of gamblers had gathered around one of the larger screens as a bookie was taking bets from the poor saps. Yup, this was much better than a few days ago.

[member="Rashae"]

 

[Rashae]

For the love of the galaxy, she had been stuck here for several days. At first she tried asking directions, but the analytical discerning eye quickly garnished that it lead to no where. This occurred three times, shot someone in the knee and now she hadnt bathed properly in three days. She was a bit disheveled. Fortunately, she managed to find food and refreshment at least. What promised to be lodgings more often than not was wamp rat abodes. The doctor was having an absolutely horrid time.

Rashae got a break by trading her skills to treat blaster wounds cleanly for actual real directions to the space port. It got her a few credits as well as she followed their directions. It got her to the business district and then further onto that she discovered better shops and accommodations. Talk about relief. First a decent meal and then maybe a good bath before she tried to locate the space port. Straightened herself as best as she could and entered the establishment.

She walked in with her posture properly erect and put on the icy expression that usually carried with it a sternness. Despite the disheveled appearance of her clothing, her elegant features and waist length straight raven hair was a striking image. It seemed those ice blue eyes gleamed when the medical insignias at the mandarin collar glinted. “Lemon spritzer and the soup and salad please. “ It was elegant and inexpensive. She didn't know when sh e was going to get off this place not to mention the constant look over he shoulder. The usual self assured woman was less so at the moment despite the cool expression she gave to most people.

The doctor didn't care about the pod race. She didn't even look at it or pay attention to any of the usual attractions. Without thinking the furrow of worry crossed her face as tired as she was, it was easy to replace the usual ice princess demeanor. Once the raven haired lady's drink and meal was placed before her, she provided a polite and cool Thank you to the server. Part of her wanted to splurge on something stronger, other part of her wanted to splurge on Alderrean seafood. Something closer to home. The practical side stayed her hand as she was in a pickle. After mulling over the pickle her situation was causing her fork was going over the salad aimlessly before she started eating with small elegant bites. The food was at least edible.

[member="John Ash"]

 

[John Ash]

The gambling crowd got loud as the pod race came to a close. A couple of betters cheered but most howled out in frustration at the results. How were they suppose to know that the human kid was going to beat out the winner of the last ten races at the last second? It was like some kind of made up poodoo to push a terrible plot along in a movie. So credits began to exchange hands as John's glass of whiskey with a single chunk of ice in it arrived with his skewers. The smell of the nerf meat seasoned with exotic spices (not the addictive kind) began to drift off all around him. He took a deep breath in as he savored the scent of his meal.

As John exhaled, he noticed a woman had sat next to him. She had a soup and salad with what appeared to be a lemon spritzer. Seemed someone was either low on credits or watching their weight. He began to study her over for a moment as that thought crossed his mind. Nope, definitely didn't need to diet. In fact, she might be better off with a little more meat on her bones. Speaking of meat, his meat skewers were still waiting for him on their little plate. He turned his attention back to them and reached down to pick the first one of them up. He bite off the chunk of meat on the very end of it and slide it off into his mouth. The juicy fat glided over his tongue as the tender nerf meat seemed to just melt. He didn't know what spices they used for it, but it tasted amazing. He closed his eyes a moment as he couldn't stop a satisfied noise escaping his chest. He chewed it up then swallowed as his mouth continued to water from the lingering taste. He picked up his glass and took a drink from his whiskey. He had made the right choice tonight it seemed.

[member="Rashae"]

 

[Rashae]

She was slowly getting her wits about her till her neighbor's meal came. The smell of meat was glorious. It was tortuous. Rashae looked at it briefly and continued to eat her meal. It was a hell of a lot better than what she had been getting. The doctor then trailed her eyes up as she saw the side of the face of the man who was judiciously enjoying the bite. Those eyes locked, the face froze in spot as she recognized as one of the people on that awful day.

“I have the worst luck. “ She sighed as she dabbed her mouth with a napkin. Those ice blue eyes became colder as she stiffened completely up and shook her head slowly.

Rashae had no idea what his name was but that face equaled a bad day. Not the worst day but definitely up there on the top twenty percent. There was a deep breath in and an even longer exhale. “I don't suppose you know where the space port is? Without the pyrotechnics or spacer flare. I could do without any of that. “ She asked tightly. Her com went off at that point.

She looked down as her face broke from the iciness as she answered. “What!!. I told you I don't .. Why did you leave me here? Fourty-Two... “ She screamed into the com. She was trembling. As she slammed the Com into the table hoping to smash it into a million pieces. It was sturdy and she wasn't built for such things.


The distraught woman pushed herself from the bar as she started to turn to walk out as she became embarrassed from making such a scene leaving her meager meal partly eaten. It had already been paid for and now she has lost her appetite.


[member="John Ash"]

 

[John Ash]

The skewers didn't last that long nor did the whiskey. John really needed a good meal. He hadn't had more than ration packs since the incident. So this perfectly seasoned nerf meat and glass of actual whiskey hit the spot. The person who had sat down next to him began to speak to him. He heard what was said and it peeked his interest. What did they mean by no pyrotechnics or spacer flare? He turned to look at who it was that was speaking to him. It was that person who claimed they were a doctor from that day at the bar. Great. Was she a part of the hutt cartell or working for them? He was about to question her when she suddenly began to mess with her com system and even attempted to bust it on the counter. She then just left the bar.

John sighed as he knew he couldn't just let thing one go. There was too much that could go wrong for him to not follow her out. He pulled out credits to pay for both of their meals, since the bar tender seemed to think they were meeting up for a hook up or something of the likes. Why was that always the first thought of why two people of the opposite gender would meet around Nar Shaddaa? He followed the woman out into the street. It took him a moment to spot her in the crowd, but he managed to do it. He went after her and when he came up to her, he put his hand on her shoulder gently. Never knew if someone had a stun gun on them or a shock glove. He said, " Where are you going doctor? Don't you need to know where the space port is?"

[member="Rashae"]

 

[Rashae]

Rashae didn't expect to be followed out. She didn't even see him as her finger and thumb was on her bowed head as she tried to get herself together. The hand on the shoulder set off a hair trigger of anxiety and emotion as the back hand came around. She took a couple of steps back and straightened the disheveled clothing. She gritted her teeth as the way he said 'doctor' left doubt of her ability.

“Yes, the space port. “ She said lifting her chin with that chilled velvet voice.

Then she huffed a chuckle, not one bit sorry for the smack. “Fourty-Two sent you didn't he? If my life isnt already miserable enough already. You can tell him, I don't have it. I never did have it. Just tell me where the space port is and stop jacking with my life. “ She said with no small amount of venom.” It would be just like fourty-two to keep jabbing her in the side like this.

Huoriel folded her arms and glared at him through ice blue hardened eyes. She was fit to eat metal and spit out molten metal at this point. She was as tightly wound as a durasteel spring and out of her element. She wasnt just lost, she was completely lost in this den of blaster carrying hulligans and ruffians.

[member="John Ash"]

 

[John Ash]

The woman flipped out and even smacked John across the side of the face with the back of her hand. He frowned as he listened to her rant on about some fouty-two. Likely was the name of a person, but not their real one. John used aliases more often than his own name after all, so it was no one bit odd to him if that was how it was. She just went off on him and spewed her own problems onto him. He didn't like any of that one bit. His parents had taught him to never hit a woman because it was crude behavior, but kark that right now. He went to slap her across the face as she had him. He made sure to keep his palm open so that it would not bruise, only get red at best.

" I don't know who this Fourty-two person is or what it is they want from you, but don't you ever slap me for no reason again." John gave her a hard look as he said this. He folded his arms in front of him so that his hands were not near his pistols. He didn't want to set her off again or give her more reason to be so paranoid. He added, " If you want to go to the space port I would not suggest it. Seems like you got someone after you and going through a public transport would just make you easier to track."

John studied her over after he finished speaking. She was attractive, aside from that chilly look on her face. She also had the look of a medic or doctor, but looks were as often deceiving as they were accurate on this moon. He wondered what was going on here. It smelled like trouble to him, and trouble in his profession meant their was credit to be made. She seemed to have the personality of someone from wealth as well, but again could all just be illusions. He should just walk away right now. He should. But he couldn't. He said as he finished studying her over, " What sort of trouble are you in anyways?"

[member="Rashae"]

 

[Rashae]

She was scared and lost. The doctor was beset by a lot of problems. Her smack was rewarded with a smack of his own. It wasn't hard but it got her attention. Rashae had seen far worse and taken worse much as she would like to forget. It shocked her enough into reality to a more thinking mode. He was taking no shit. Part of her wanted to hope he was more serious and steady than he portrayed. The other half of her wanted to wish she had a nerf prod.

He still thinks her problems are some mediocre set of issues solved by a paid body guard. She about crumbled when he said that going to the space port would be dangerous. “I got to get out of here.”

Those hands meant to save lives at a moment's notice trembled as she melted onto a bench. Something caught the edge of her eye as she turned it slightly to see the flickering half that disappeared around the corner. Sure as death, the man was right. They wont leave her alone. “My trouble is I shouldn't come here without backup. ” She said in a shaken tone. “We can't talk here. “ she whispered looking around as her paranoia resumed. “Might be best if you left me alone. I have real problems.” Those ice blue eyes looked him right in the eye with a critical seriousness that was not rehearsed or acted. Rashae had absolutely no idea what she was going to do and she sure as hell couldn't afford much.

 

[John Ash]

The woman was just a bundle of nerves and paranoid reactions. It seemed that the slap had done her a little good and gotten her into a bit more calm state, but she was still freaking out. She was close to breaking from what he could see. John didn't know what she had been through up to this point nor what could have gotten such a strong headed woman as she was trying to seem so close to shattering into pieces. She began to whisper about not being safe to talk here, which made it seem like she needed someone to talk to. She then backed up and suggested he leave her alone. Did she even know what it was she wanted?

John sighed a bit as he noticed the look in her eyes. It was the same kind of look he had in his eyes after he first came to Nar Shaddaa himself. He didn't like doing things for free, but he owed too many nameless faces for his freedom when he should have been a slave by this point. This was the only chance he would get in who knew how long to pay it forward a bit and repay some of that debt. He looked down at her with a serious look on his face. He said, " Come with me. My speeder is parked nearby. I know a place that no one will bother us at." He waited for her to respond before he went to get his speeder bike. His house was at the edge of the city and anyone who was following her would not be able to keep up long enough once he got to the bike to track her further. If she played her cards right then he might even offer her a ride in his ship off the moon.

[member="Rashae"]

 

[Rashae]

Was that hope that was blinking at her? Should she trust him? Trust seemed to get you in a lot of trouble. She looked him in the eyes. There it was again. Some kind of hope. Her head turned to either side of the area they were in as if it was going to reveal anything or see something different. She was no spy or covert operative. The doctor was running out of options. Running out? There were none. With an exhale of breath she got up. She gathered what wit she had left and walked towards the speeder bike.

“I dont think I ever rode one of these before?” She said looking at the thing. “Oh wait, people race these things, right?” She said as she inspected the bike. The woman followed instructions on getting on the bike. Once the bike shot forward her grip tightened strongly. “oh, fricken hell. “

It was fast as things wizzed by. Rashae wasnt built for this. The woman buried her face into his back shoulder as she tightened her grip around his waist. She closed her eyes tightly and didnt open them till they stopped. Even still she had to be told they were stopped so she can release her death grip on the man. There was an actual blush as she realized how tightly she was holding on. The doctor wanted to crawl into a sewer as embarrassed as she was.

Once inside and she was sat down she started laying it out. “Check my record. You will find a corporate espionage charge and a black mark. I was a member of a team for a private corporation on a very classified project for a compound. This compound was created from transgenics. Not to get too deep into it but transgenics geneticaly manipulate plants to produce medicines, vaccines and such. Very useful to grow yoru medicines in with food. We got the plants to grow other drugs. The project I was on grew within the proteins of the plant, a drug that would render a person open to suggestion and very leadable. Once the compound was processed it could be integrated into any food. We then started working on the anti-serum. Corpoate cant sell a product without the anti-serum. I was on that team also. “

She looked down as she took a breath before continuing. “To make a long story short, I got involved with another researcher who stole the formula for the anti-serum, deleted all the research material from the databanks and left. The doctor in charge of the project also disappeared. I was blamed for the whole thing. I spent a year in solitary confinement in a prison. Mind probes, torture, things. “ She said in short bursts. “When they couldn't pin the charge, I was let go. Their operatives have been dogging me ever sense. They still think I know where it is. If someone gets a hold of the compound and anti-serum, they could easily take over sections of a city. It has a potential of being used to take over systems with little to no conflict. “ She added to the last. “As long as that anti-serum remains hidden and they cant figure out how to make it, they can't sell it. “

“No one has seen the Doctor in charge of the project. He is still missing. “ She said with no small amount of pain. He was like a father. “Since then I have been disowned by my family. I am alone.” There was probably a decent amount of information not being said about it but the technical details would probably not be well understood by most.

[member="John Ash"]

 

[John Ash]

The trip to John's home went by rather quickly. Whoever it was that was trying to track [member="Rashae"] couldn't keep up with the speed that John went at nor his erratic route that he took. They were ditched long ago and so things managed to be smooth once he got near home. The only little issue with the ride was how the woman clung to him the entire way. She held him tightly and was pressed into his shoulder the whole way. This might normally seem like something a guy would want happening from a woman, but in this situation it made it a little hard to take those tight turns he had to make. If only it hadn't been such a desperate situation and he might have been able to enjoy it properly. But they were at his home now and it was all over with.

Once they had gotten inside of the place, she began to tell John everything. It seemed she did need to chat with someone about it. The story was a little strange that she was telling him. A compound that could turn people into happy, mindless sheep and a serum that could cure it. It sounded like one of those science fiction stories that were popular on the holonet lately. The idea of it was enough of a killjoy if it was true, and John had a feeling it was. Companies were always doing that kind of stuff, especially at places like Nar Shaddaa where a few people going missing wasn't an issue. There was enough precedence of similar things and enough strife to support it too. This story was completely feasible.

" No wonder you were in such a panic." John said as he sat down next to her. He didn't have a lot of furniture. " Why was your company making something like that? It sounds shady. Surely there must be a client already lined up or in mind."

 

[Rashae]

It was actually good to tell someone neutral about it. John didnt ridicule her. He didnt scoff at it nor did he get credits in the eyes. Rashae had her share of that. Her brow furrowed at his questions.

She chuckled at John's initial question. “Why does any corporation put time and money into developing anything, credits, millions of credits. Biological warfare has a good sized price tag.” She said it in a calm cold and direct manner. It was the truth. “I was very good with the transgenics and genetic fusions. “ Rashae said this matter of factly. There was no need for pride or arrogance when simple truth did enough of that.


“I dont know who the potential client was to be or maybe still is. If the circumstances leak out, their competitors will be after it too. Its the way corporate galactic research and development goes.” It could have already leaked out as far as she knows. “My reputation is trashed so no one will listen to me. I cant get a decent job at a hospital or research facility. I can get work in back water clinics and smuggler operations, but that's my problem not yours. “ She put her face in her hands to massage her temples.

For once in a few days she didnt feel like something was always watching her. “As long as it is believed that I still have the formula or know where it is, they will keep coming after me. “ She said this as if almost resigned to the firing squad. “Im a doctor and a scientist, not a spy or a warrior. “

What would happen next she had no idea. Possibly get a hot shower and some rest finally. Maybe by some miracle get back to the Lady Liberty somehow. If there were other options, she couldn't think of them.


[member="John Ash"]

 

[John Ash]

Credits ruled the galaxy and the doctor seemed to be on the wrong side of the exchange. Everything that [member="Rashae"] was telling to John came as no big surprise to him. Every company was like this. They would invest credits into a project on the promise of an outcome that would profit them exponentially more. And when investing credits didn't work, they would invest even more credits. Credits were everything to companies and it would seem this woman was worth plenty to them. What sort of secrets did she have on them? She said she didn't have this formula, but she was a part of the team that developed it. John could understand why they expected she was lying to them because of this fact. Perhaps she was telling the truth though and didn't know, or perhaps she was lying and just looking for a safe place to sell it from. Either way, she was a target and targets of people with lots of credits didn't tend to last long on their own.

John looked over to the doctor as he said, " Sounds rough. Scientists don't always go through this do they?"

A message beeped at his computer hooked up to the holonet. John got himself stood up and walked over to check it. A job popped up. It was a public one that went out all over Nar Shaddaa. An unnamed group was looking for a woman that exactly matched the doctor, and if that wasn't good enough they also included her picture. Yup, definitely the doctor. The price for information of her whereabouts was high, higher than it normally would be for this kind of job. It would be enticing and he was in a position to claim it. Those credits could get him closer to a more comfortable life.....

John spun in his computer chair to the doctor. He said to her, " Your friends put up a large price on information on your whereabouts. I suggest you buckle down and don't plan to leave my place for a few days. You are welcome to leave though and take a chance on someone on Nar Shaddaa not aiming for some easy credits."

 

[Rashae]

The harried doctor was just about to relax a bit more as they continued their discussion.

“Depends on the corporation I guess. They generally keep their list of scientists fairly secure and tight. Its not unheard of for one corporation to steal a scientist, much less classified and new research. Its brutally competitive. For all I know those after me could be of another corporation. “ She shrugged.

It was rather irritating that he answered his computer instead of paying attention to his guest. Rashae had to quickly remind herself that a lot of people didn't operate under the rules of the social elite. Quite the contrary. As his words sunk in her eyes widened and her heart rate increased.

She was trapped. That feeling when she was in solitary crept up into her mind. The panic was rising quickly. This John could cash in on it or they could find her. His laudatory comments didn't help as she started breathing quicker and quicker. Her hands shaking uncontrollably as she hugged herself “No no no.. please no.” She closed her eyes. It wasn't quite a sob. This was long past that petty thing. It was the gasping breath of a soul trying to claw out of the muck and mire of a hole she was shoved down in.

“i cant go back.. I cant. I wont..” She repeated this a couple of three times. The trauma clear in her mannerism. Her Com went off as a roguish voice came on the com. She answered it simply and succinctly. Logen Brunner kept track of his crew and she was a bit overdue. The com was crackly as the way she banged it up did it little good for transmission as it cut short.

She cleared her throat. “I need you to get a message to Captain Logen Brunner of the Lady Liberty. I am delayed. “ her voice was almost robotic and as cold as she could make it. It was how she made it that whole time she was in solitary. “I need to get out of here. “ She said in a strained voice. The lady didn't move but the way she rubbed her own shoulders up and down and rocked a little, she was panicky and jumpy.

[member="John Ash"]

 

[John Ash]

What was with this woman? She began freaking out and going into full shut down mode on him. John had seen some people like this before, but they were soldiers and others in violent lines of work such as his own. He had also seen a few people who had been victims of war or raids act like this too, but so far this woman had not said anything to suggest having dealt with any of that. She claimed she was a doctor and mentioned being black listed by her company, but what did that have to do with her behavior? If she was dealing with PTSD then there should have been a cause and a trigger of some kind related to it. What was it she was saying? I can't go back. I can't. I won't. I need to get out of here. That suggested she felt trapped, but he had told her himself she was free to leave if she was willing to risk being spotted out there. Great. Now he was going to have to deal with her being unstable on top of figuring out how to keep her hidden until enough time had past to let most of the interest in her die down.

John sighed softly as he stood up. He walked over to his cabinet and pulled out a bottle of quality red wine. A kind from Alderaan he had taken along with a few other things from a client who thought they could skip out on paying John. He grabbed a glass along with the corkscrew then closed his cabinet. This [member="Rashae"] seemed like the kind of person who would turn their nose up to cheap stuff. She was already a handful, so he didn't want to deal with complaining about how bad his liquor was. He set the glass in front of her and opened up the bottle. As the iconic pop of a cork leaving glass sounded, John said, " Drink this. It might calm your nerves."

John poured the red liquid until it filled up half the glass then stopped. He remembered how this was how all the "cultured" clients always poured their wine. He got the cork back in with the screw still stuck in it and set it on the table. He walked over to his medicine cabinet and began to look through it. He should have had some anxiety pills in here somewhere. The things helped him deal with jumpy clients, so he always kept a few just in case. The less trigger happy his client was, the better his jobs usually went. He took a few too many early shots to the back when a client reacted to a rat knocking over a pipe or other loose item. He didn't want to deal with that here.

The pills were right where he had last left them. John grabbed them and closed his cabinet. He set them down in front of her and looked at her to see what she would do. Mixing alcohol and anxiety medicine wasn't always the best idea, but he wasn't going to let her overdo it. A pill or two with some wine was the most she was getting. He said as he kept his eye on her, " How are you feeling? Any calmer? Would a shower help? You are welcome to one. I'll do something outside while you do."

 

[Rashae]

Rashae continued to rub her shoulders with her own hands crossed over herself in a defensive manner. All she saw around her was stark grey walls. A little sheen of sweet even started forming on her brow. When John put the glass in front of her it made her jump a little and blink. The wine glass was properly filled and the sweet scent of an Alderaanean red wafted to her nose. The grey walls went away. It had been forever and a day since she smelled a wine from Alderaan. She stared at it as if it was an island so far away.

He had sat the glass in front of her. She looked at him and back at the bottle as the icy blues for a few seconds questioned the whole situation. A shaky hand came out slowly to be steadied by the glass. The delicate other hand came to steady it further as she took an experimental sip of the wine. Her eyes closed as the complex sweet notes of chocolate, rose and berries blended on her tongue. She bit her lower lip ever so gently raking her teeth over the bottom as the taste was utterly velvet in her mouth. Rashae took another more substantial drink.

She twitched a small jump as the bottle of pills was placed in front of her. The analyst in her picked the bottle up as she red what it was. The medication was commonly used for its calming effect. It wasnt a sedative as she took a ragged breath in and exhaled as his words sunk in. Maybe it might be best. Her medkit was low in certain things and her nerves was at their wits ends utterly. She nodded at his question if she was any calmer.

From his offer of a shower, there was probably no tub. A long hot soak would be marvelous but just being clean would be nice. “ A shower would be nice. “ She took one pill and drank the wine like a lady. It was too good of a wine to gulp it and she wasn't going to disrespect the wine by doing so. He mumbled something about doing something outside to give her privacy.

The doctor poured a second glass and went towards the shower. It felt like she had to peel off the clothes she had on. Placing them in a pile by the shower door. She was lightly tanned through out, lean with a small bit of muscle tone. Her raven hair fell down straight down to her waist as it was let loose. Rashae's fingers went through it to loosen it up and massage her scalp a little. She stepped into the shower and took a very long hot shower. The wine and the medicine both doing its job.

When you finally relaxed after having a harrowing few days with little sleep and all your muscles tensed up, it sort of catches up to you. The blue eyed doctor didn't quite recall when it was she fell asleep but she found his bed and laid down as natural as you please and was soon sleeping like an angel. The bed was comfortable. It actually had pillows and it didn't take much for nature to take its course.

[member="John Ash"]

 

[John Ash]

The wine and the pill seemed to be doing their job. The woman was not a big pile of nerves anymore. She even accepted that offer for a shower as well. That meant John was gonna need to go find something to do outside for a bit. His house sort of lacked walls so she would have no privacy if he stayed. Some guys might have have found a way to peek at her, but he was beyond that. Nar Shaddaa was simply too easy a place to fulfill carnal desires. If he wanted to see someone without clothing on, all he would need to do is head down to the entertainment district.

John went down his ladder down into his speeder garage as [member="Rashae"] was pouring her second glass of wine. The speeder they had just been on before was still parked where he had left it. On a workbench not far away was a set of tools. A plasma torch being the most obvious one was hooked onto a board so it hung over the bench. He had used plasma torches several times on jobs. The tool made it easier to get past doors or to make it harder for others to follow him through them. Just a great tool overall. So it was natural he picked it up when he went over to his speeder bike. There was a few cracks he needed to fix, and there was no better chance than now for it.

After a period of time had past, John decided now would be a good time to stop. It seemed nearly an hour had past so she must be done by now. He got everything put away and went back up the ladder into his living quarters. The room was quiet. There was no sound of running water. No sound of movement. Just silence. He frowned a bit at that, and began to look around. Had someone sneaked in while he was distracted with his speeder. As he got towards the middle of the room, he noticed the pile of clothes on the floor near his shower. He also noticed the sleeping figure of the woman on his bed. She had past out it seems. He dropped the tension in his muscles and walked over to the bed. He pulled covers over the woman so that she wasn't laying there bare. She had a nice body under those stiff clothes. Once he was done getting her tucked in, he went over to her clothes and picked them up. They needed to be washed because he had nothing else for her to wear. So to the cleaning machine they went before he got onto his computer and began going through the job and bounty listings.

 

[Rashae]

How long she was out was unclear. It began with a lazy lengthen of a leg that slid like silk beneath the simple cloth sheets. Her head nuzzled into the pillow as there was a little soft exhaling sigh as she started waking up. Her eyes fluttered open as it slowly dawned on her where she was at. The doctor slowly rose up from the waist holding the sheet against her form. The previous day a bit of a blur.

Those talented fingers ran through the straight blue black raven hair and massaged her scalp as well as settling her hair to fall down her back. Gathering the sheet around her, she looked around. Rashae started rummaging around the drawers and found a t-shirt and a pair of thick cotton bottoms one uses for exercise. The t-shirt she balled up and up ended in between her boobs to form a bit of a midriff halter top kind of look. The bottoms she had to roll down the waist band a few times for it to stay on her hips. The woman didn't know much about domestic chores as she put the sheet she had around her onto the disheveled bed.

The woman started looking around for her host as she wandered towards the refrigeration unit and opened it to see what was there to eat. She bent over to take a closer look into the fridge. She didn't see anything to heat up or dehydrated meal to do up or anything made. She cant cook and so she frowned and grabbed a fruit juice. She walked away with it open expecting it to close on its own. She looked for a glass and poured the juice in it. The picky woman wasn't going to drink out of a bottle that was just not done. She then really looked around in earnest for John.

She sat down with a sigh as she evaluated things. People were after her and now she was holed up with this unknown man who was a bounty hunter but is not taking the bounty on her. Why? Not that she was ungrateful but most bounty hunters would have cashed in on it. It would have been easy money for him. Why did he help her? She pulled her knee to her chest and rested her chin on it. The wealth of her long blue black hair falling to one side as she stared at the wall thinking about these things.


[member="John Ash"]

 

[John Ash]

There was nothing worth taking. No bounty and no job seemed worth it to John right now. Not after he made 54 million credits from that one bounty not long ago. Every thing was seeming like small change now when before he would have been happy with taking it. Was this really what credits did to you? Did it always happen this fast or was it just him? It certainly left some questions, but he didn't have time for that right now. He needed to worry about babysitting a woman who didn't seem to get how things worked. Like putting on clothes after getting out of the shower and not passing out naked on top of someone's bed without covering yourself. She could have at least put her clothes in the wash herself instead of him having to handle her dirty garments.

The washing machine dinged as it finished its part of the process. The ones on Coruscant had been better when he was growing up there because of being done faster, but he had good one for Nar Shaddaa. Cleanliness was not a big concern for most who lived here, and as such the tech for it was limited. He got out of his computer chair and walked over to it. He glanced at the woman in his bed. Still sound asleep despite the noise from the washing machine. The pill must have hit her pretty hard. He got everything moved over to the dryer and started it up. The clothes rolled around and around as he headed back over to his computer. He might as well look into a little project he always wanted to do but never had the time or credits for it before.

The woman finally woke up before the dryer had time to finish. She just sort of went about making herself at home as she wandered to his desk then his kitchen. He just sort of watched her do her thing. Had she never lived in a house before? Was she one of those people who lived at their work and forgot how to live in the rest of the galaxy? It certainly seemed that way to John right now. When she finally settled and began to stare at the wall, he finally got out of his seat. He walked over to her and just stared at her for a moment. Why was she staring at the wall? Whatever the reason, he decided to leave her to it. He turned around and went back to his chair. He sat in his chair and turned back to his computer.

[member="Rashae"]

 

[Rashae]

She did that. Rashae would go quiet and stare off into nothing when she was thinking about things. The doctor has been accused of overthinking simple things. Some things in life didn't need to be analyzed. She has heard it all before. It didn't keep the scientist from doing just that. Her head swiveled to see the man who was keeping her from harm. She blinked a little as if seeing him there for the first time.

That was not far from the truth. Rashae didn't notice John there at first. Once the raven haired woman did, her eyebrows went to her hairline as she smoothly got up from the chair. Those legs moved in a scissor, figure eight motion as she had a smooth walk when not stiff. The woman leaned over to look at his screen as her long straight hair fell down across her shoulder.

“Morning, John.” Rashae ventured. The serious woman often did not use good with anything these days. It was a better morning but not what she would consider good. On retrospect she was glad to be alive and not running. She asked one simple question that would offer up an olive branch of sorts. “What are you doing?”

No she didn't know how to cook, use a washer, do dishes, mend clothes, none of the domestic things. She sipped on her glass of juice as she peered at the screen and listened to whatever his answer would be to that. She was hungry. “I am sure we could both use something to eat. Is there anything to eat, maybe call in the droid chef and have a brunch of something?” If he looked in her eyes, it was an utterly serious question. She used to be a lot more high maintenance. Rashae does not consider herself high maintenance now as she wasn't nearly as arrogant as she used to be. On the bright side, she was in a much better frame of mind. She slid her hip over on the table, tilted it up and half sat and leaned on the desk he was working on. His jogging pants barely hanging onto her hips.


[member="John Ash"]