Deep in Depression (Open)

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

It wasn’t easy, Ervisa mused, making money. Not anymore. It had been once when commanding the Force was easy, when gambling always went her way, and when she’d been sober enough to get jobs as a pilot. Now she was always smoking and under the influence of alcohol or spice, or both at the same time. Then there was the occasional death stick, maybe once a week. That had killed her edge at gambling, wiping out her supply of credits in the process. It had been three weeks of addiction, and the first one had been the hardest.

No cash. No hope, aimlessly wandering the spaceport begging for the chance to fly a ship for credits. But no price was offered for a high pilot. Her twitching and her bloodshot eyes gave her newfound addiction away, betraying her. Honest work eluded her. Some part of her resisted the urge to steal for her living. She had a remnant of honor about her, a better nature that hadn’t completely fallen apart with time, that hadn’t decayed with neglect.

The second week she’d thought in her moments of clarity between spice, and she’d realized she had one skill left. Sex. She’d always given it away for free before, and easily. So why not just charge for it? It was her skill really, apart from piloting the only real talent she had on her side now. And it gave her a twisted pleasure too, a false sense of intimacy. For a few brief moments she mattered to someone, and even if it was merely physical there was a pleasurable connection.

A half-pleasure.

She didn’t forget Asyr, and she didn’t forget Morwynn. She doubted she’d ever be able to forget that. But when she was high she didn’t care about it, it didn’t really bother her. Ecstasy did that for her, pleasure washed out her pain. It did something even better than sex. Sex had become a mundane act now. Her body still reacted naturally, but when you engaged in sex acts so many times a day…

It all blurred together, and what might have been great pleasure before became something much more clinical. She’d been getting used to it between lines of spice. And yeah, it was distasteful, but it got her money to get spice. And to pay for the cheap one-room apartment she used as home.

Ervisa Therani walked into the corner diner she usually visited on what passed for her breaks now. It was flexible hours, selling your body. And what she had commanded a fair price, a price that she didn’t have to split with anyone. She didn’t have a pimp, and she didn’t need one. She found her own clients, she serviced them herself, and she kept the money. And she parted with it as rarely as she could, which showed in the way she looked. Yes, she had the requisite clothing, thigh high boots, stockings, a short skirt. On the job she looked cheap in more ways than one.

The diner was what passed for refuge in a sea of troubles, a place where one credit could buy as much hot coffee as you could drink. And a place where they didn’t mind you smoking inside, and where they didn’t force you to order food. Food was something that came rarely for her now, since it was expensive. She normally ate at home with the cheapest food possible, but she needed something warm during her work days. And she needed the occasional break. Also she needed the caffeine to keep her up all night. Not that it mattered.

Coruscant was a city that never slept, with nonstop traffic of every shape and size all day and all night. As a result it wasn’t uncommon for her to pull 24 hour days when she needed a big pile of money. She’d already succeeded in getting in debt to her dealer once, which had met with one of those long days. And she was on another one now, taking her quick break before going back to work on her back and on her knees.

She sat at the counter of the greasy spoon where she was known by sight, lighting up a tabac cigarette, keeping the pack out for the inevitable extras. A cup of coffee was brought over to her without her asking even as her stomach growled at the scent of cheap food. Cheap food that wasn’t cheap enough. She had to go without. It was food or it was another line of spice. A full stomach or emotional pain…

No contest, she thought dejectedly as she sipped the hot liquid. No contest at all.

[Foxfire]

Darkness had hidden the comings and goings of one rare reptilian species, but now the time to emurge from the darkness for a bit to make another run for it had come for one Je'Baru Nargruk. He had lived and worked with in the very belly of Coruscant to live while he cleared his name. Yet still the mistake was still there for every bounty hunter to stupid to know the differance between a regular noghri and a Sith noghri had death coming to them.

Je'Baru had slipped into the back of the diner to get the payment for the job he did for the diner. A simple matter of a customer skipping out numberous times on paying their bill. Now here he was holding the full payment for a job too easy. Not finding the manager in the back he went to the front and was quickly met by the owner. Although the owner was two heads taller than Je'Baru he was not able to move him not could by his steeping forward into the noghri's bubble.

A hiss made the owner jump and run for the payment taking with him the moneis collected. While the owner was gone Je'Baru looked about the diner the same bland customers. Though one of them did peak his intrest the female had the same dead eyes that Reina is girl friend had when he first met her. Moving to intercept Je'Baru caught a waitress and ordered two full meals before setting down across from the green female.

Looking cold into the others eyes Je'Baru wondered what made creatures of this verse end up like this. The only thing he could think of was the loss of hope. The food arrived as quickly as the owner and his payment. Taking the payment and hidding it in the folds of his star black jacket, he pushed one of the two meals at the female.

One can run only so far on caffine alone. Take it, you look like one that should eat more. Don't worry I won't bite unless you want me too.

He tried to sound cheerful but with out Reina's influance it came out a bit on the harsh side of things.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

(OOC: Sorry it took me a whole week to get around to this. Moving and finals have been crazy.)

Ervisa looked up as she noticed someone sitting across from her. It was a species she'd never seen before, which was beginning to be a surprise. Of course she didn't feel much novelty in the surprise, and she had to say there wasn't any real curiosity. Generally a species was a species the galaxy over, though if she was into culture she would have recognized that wasn't quite the case.

People were still people though, and she didn't exactly have a high opinion of those. Gritty. Real. Well, more like surreal. A few lines of spice and you were transported away. Mix in a death stick, and there were bright colors. It was like a kaleidoscope, a psychedelic rush. Of course sometimes it was bad, but she kept coming back to it again and again. She had no choice anymore.

She was reasonably unaffected now, in between her highs.

The Mirialan woman stared down at the plate sliding toward her, which she recognized as the blue plate special. Some kind of meatloaf, with a starchy vegetable mashed up and topped with gravy. Better than she usually ate.

"Thanks," the Green ex-Jedi said while avoiding eye contact. Previously she might have had a cheerful quip on her tongue, but she didn't feel it. Not any more.

It wasn't often that she encountered charity. By and large, no one went out of their way for a w*ore. Pretty face, nice body. No one was interested in anything more than that.

And she wasn't used to accepting charity. Ervisa Therani had once been a beacon of self-sustaining preservation, adept at making money from nothing while still keeping her hands reasonably clean. Well, they were filthy now and she needed the help. But it still felt awkward.

She ventured a glance up at him, again aware that she'd never seen his species before. Her own eyes were still a placid grey with blue flecks, but they were bloodshot and weary. Not quite dead, but almost there.

[Foxfire]

The mood of the female was getting him down he had seen this with Reina, yet this one did not want a white knight she had all the looks of someone how wanted death and would be happy if it can and soon. Je'Baru was not exactly death but he brought many a being to the unseen one, a hand of death if you would say. Yet it was only Reina that kept him from going to far he had to get back to her, find her again. He had heard that Ithor was her last place seen, so all he was doing now was waiting for his transport ship to arrive and he would be off this rock and back into th verse.

He now wondered if this dying creature before him would want to fly from this dying hell she had made for herself.

I'm leaving the planet tomorrow after noon. You would not know of a place to bed-down for the night. I'd pay for the info or if you had one then we could dcome to an agreement of some sort.

Je'Baru had noticed how the others around them were staring at them as if they were awaiting for that such question of proposial. Yet they were mistaken by his words all he needed was a room nothing more.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

The wheels in Ervisa's mind were turning quite quickly now. She was a prostitute, not a hotel service, but this was a good opportunity. And fortunately he wasn't trying to pick her up professionally. The Mirialan woman had learned standards of ugliness could be lowered, HAD to be lowered, but there were still limits. This man was anything but attractive to her, and if it were a matter of servicing him she might have said no.

But letting him sleep in her apartment for money?

That wasn't entirely ridiculous. Yes, there was a danger he'd still her sofa or something, but it wasn't very likely he'd go to all that trouble. And if he found her stash? Well, that would be a trouble. If he went, she went with him. Which meant she'd be taking an early night.

To prevent red in her ledger, she knew she'd have to get money out of this man for lodging.

Ervisa took a long drag from her cigarette and exhaled the smoke slowly, letting it envelop her like a wall of mist. Then after a pause she spoke.

"I've got a place near here. You can stay until morning. Credits up front. No questions asked. Give me your offer."

It made her feel somewhat predatory to be honest, taking someone's money for something as simple as lodging. But she had to get the money, she always had to get the money. Everything was about it now, not just the sex, but also the simple things like food and clothing.

She needed the money.

[Foxfire]

Je'Baru watched as the gears turned with in her addle brain pan. With the aggreement to the room, money up front, Je'Baru knew that this one was in that medicaded need of another fix. If she was going to kill herself then why not speed her on her way. Also the manager owned him a bit for the services rendered.

Looking over his shoulder toward the kitchens wondering what happened to the manager he noted that the waitress was looking very nervous toward the kitchens.

Sighing Je'Baru got up and said.....One Sec hon... I'll be right back.

Moving to the kitchen area he heard voices from out int he alley way over the roar of the kitchen fans. The manager was begging for his life. That is when he heard the thug spout off..... .....you's ownin' Heba lots of creds poodoo. He'in don't like waits forever. We take it from your skin now.

Slipping through the kitchen door and to the alley way door Je'Baru moved unseen. The charging of a pulse weapon started charging up as Je'Baru dropped a flash grenade in the mix. the sonic boom and the shreiks of pain were short lived. Je'Baru moved fast and hard against the thugs. The fat pig-like one had his head back and did not see it coming. As it hit the ground Je'Baru was on the gungan and had him pinned to the ground and mashing a few pressure points it could not move a muscle.

Tell Heba this eatary is mine and I will gut him when I find him got it bleeder.

The guggan's eyes said it all for him. Moving the manager back inside and bolting the door Je'Baru turn to the owner and said ......That's double now and I'll rid the verse of Heba while I'm at it.

The manager simply handed the full amount over to him. Walking back to the table he took out five thousand credits and dropped it on the table.

There will be another five when we leave Coruscant in the morning.

With his breath steady and his muscles still charged by the quick kill Je'Baru was not going to take a no..... not now not ever.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Ervisa didn't even bother to following the stranger with her eyes or senses when he got up, instead she delved deeply into the meatloaf, sawing off pieces and devouring them as if she hadn't eaten in days. In fact, it was possible it had been days. She couldn't remember.

However, even with her dulled senses, she couldn't suppress what came next. Violence. Fighting. Her fork froze halfway to her mouth and she silently closed her eyes and prayed she wouldn't have to get involved.

Maybe there was some god to answer her prayer, because the spike was soon gone, and calm was restored. The fork continued its travel to her full lips and she repeated the process with rapidity.

The stranger came back and did something that made the fork fall from slender green fingers and rattle on the table.

There were five thousand credits on the table in front of her.

Greedily, Ervisa grabbed them and swept them into her bag, unable to believe her good fortune. Five thousand credits? That was enough to wipe out her debt, and guarantee her a high for the next month at least. And doubled tomorrow? It was like a blessing sent from heaven. She was up on her feet and halfway across the table for a hug when she froze.

"What do you mean we?" One grey eye narrowed and Ervisa's demeanor became alarmed.

She wasn't about to go anywhere.

[Foxfire]

Je'Baru saw the mid-stride halt as some thing comical. He had information about this restrant and the customers knew nothing about. This place was Heba the hutts just time five minutes ago and soon it would be fore a w\hile till the noghri's blades finds the hutts neck.

Yea we, that is if you don't mine being in a hutt owned restrant who's spies are serving you food laced with hunger additives and drinks that have micro tracers in the ice.

He had heard enough about this Heba to know how these places work and the sooner they were gone the better.

That is if your fine talking to a being that called out the hutt as well and agreed to house him for.........oh ten thousand credits. They might go easy on you for after all your half zoned out of your sane mind as it is and I'm just taking advantage of a poor female like you. -pointing to the crowd in the restrant- You can see it on their faces they fear for your imperfect and sinner of a soul, that I might dishonor a beauty like yourself, even though they know what you are. So Do we still have and agreement ten thousand for one night and flight or five and being hunted or worse not making the night and ending up a hutt sex slave?

The time in the depths of Coruscant had given the noghri a wicked perxeption at life and how things work in the depths. Yea he had physical blade to twist in a being's gut but the better of the weapons that Je'Baru worked with as of late was, .... words.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

How do they find me? How do they all find me? Ervisa silently looked up at the ceiling as if whatever god controlled her life would look her in the eye and apologize for sending the crazy people to her.

Sometimes they came with knives and claimed the voices were telling them things, and in this case he was promoting insane conspiracies about Hutts and tracking ice cubes. It was the sort of thing only a paranoid lunatic could come up with.

Ervisa massaged her temples and more than ever wanted a hit of space, but she realized as long as he was in her apartment she wasn't going to compromise her safety one iota. Her lightsaber was in her purse, and she could still kick ass if she wanted to.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say Joe, I'll run from the big bad Hutts. On Coruscant." She was hardly concealing her weary sarcasm, because she couldn't bear to.

She'd take the 10,000 then ditch him at the spaceport.

"Follow me, apartment's a block away."

The green prostitute stood up and walked across the floor of the restaurant, the improbably high heels of her boots clicking on the floor. She passed through the sliding door and into the night air, the glow of her cigarette in her hand casting an orange sheen on her face. She didn't even need to get her bearings to know which way to go, she had the path memorized, and she set down on it.

[Foxfire]

Je'Baru could see from the non-belief of her posture that is words went over her head. Yet again the verse was laughing at him another being of skill and deadly motives pass-over as a misplaced stool. So what would he do? Have a fairly good night sleep and be gone from this planet with or with out the tag-along.

As she moved out of the resturant he set down a bit of cash to cover the bill and followed. His footsteps were silent his movement calm and quiet. The many years of training of the noghri arts and the harsher training from Marcus is hunting teacher he did not have to worry about loosing her. His presonce became quiter than the wind. Moving in and out of the moving crowds he kept pace. He often and out of habit moved from shadow to a group of beings taller than himself as he followed her. He never really thought about silent stalking any more he .....just did it.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Ervisa’s path led her along the street, around the corner, and into a very run-down tenement building that had obviously seen better days. Better days being perhaps fifty or sixty years ago. There were burned out lights, and the whole area was filthy. Ervisa’s room was on the first floor, and she passed by numerous doors before stopping before number 27, at which point she put her back to the stranger and keyed in her entry code, accompanied by the swipe of a keycard.

The door slid open to reveal the apartment inside.

The very first impression anyone would take from it was ‘spartan.’ There were no decorations in the entry, from which a kitchenette and a living room were visible. The furniture itself was, while not quite threadbare, definitely in need of replacement. There were no windows whatsoever, and the clear focal point of it was a Holonet monitor on the wall.

”Well,” the Mirialan woman said with a tight-lipped expression, ”Home sweet home.”

Of course, this was the first home she’d had since leaving the Jedi those years ago. She showed little care for it, and didn’t particularly feel any attachment to it. This was just a place, just walls. There was no power here, no sense of attachment like the Jedi Temple, or despair like Felucia or Rodia. It was as blank for her as the walls themselves.

There was nothing sweet about it.

The green woman excused herself and headed back to her room for a moment, locking her door behind her as she disrobed. Off came the boots, and the skirt, and the absurd top. Off came the stockings. And then, looking into the mirror, she frowned. Her ribs were showing. She looked boney, with circles under her eyes. As she washed off the makeup, that became even more pronounced. But as she clothed herself in normal attire and slid her lightsaber to the small of her back, she looked more wholesome.

She looked sad now rather than dirty. Of course to some she would have looked sad before, but precious few in the galaxy ever judged a book by its content and not its cover, and when the cover was a lower city prostitute? No one gave it a second glance.

A flash of anger shot through her as she recalled where she’d been before her fall. Successful pilot, valued crew member. Then she’d swooned like a teenage girl for Asyr, had her heart broken, and looked for consolation in all the wrong places. Why couldn’t she just content herself with drinking like she did before? How had it come to this?

Ervisa pulled a blanket around her shoulders and walked back out to the living room.

[Foxfire]

The building and the scene was what Je'Baru had seen many times before. In fact the appartment he had rented looked simular to this one except that it had less furnature. His had a bed and a roll mat for a bed. Je'Baru didn't care to really take a hard look around the appartment before sitting on a couch of sorts. Sighing his stomuch rumbled reminding him that he failed to eat when had ordered. Opening his back pack he removed a chunk of dried meat. To keep from it going to waste he dug further into the backpack lifting out the shoto that his hunting master had. He never really use it for what it was, a blade. Often he used it to light fires or as in this case, heating while cutting a slice of meat.

The day had gone from old to tiring. Even the haired slug that was purched upon his head which everyone seemed to miss sensed it to as it crawled from his head to rest in his lap. Digging out a few food pellets for the slug he layed the slug on the table as he cut another slice of dried meat. His eyes moved from the meat to the female whose home he was in. Seeing her but not eyeing her he turned back to the slice another piece of meat.

Handing it out he asked.....You want some?

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Ervisa stopped short as she heard a familiar sound cutting through the air. She took her next few steps quickly, her hand almost on her lightsaber’s hilt. Sure enough, she had a view of a lightsaber out and ignited, in the hand of the stranger. However, it was being used to cut some sort of food rather than threaten her.

She stayed frozen for another few seconds as she debated what course of action to take, whether to play it cool or rush to defend herself from a possible threat. It was in that period that he asked her if she wanted any.

He didn’t seem like a threat. He certainly wasn’t acting like one. And try as she might, she couldn’t sense force sensitivity from him. Maybe he just happened to be a random man carrying a lightsaber? Or her senses were so addled by the drugs that she couldn’t tell anymore.

Just as she’d resolved to wait and see what happened, she noticed something else. His hair literally crawled off his head and slithered into her lap, revealing it to be some kind of crawling creature. Her lip curled in protest and she looked at it askance.

“Uh… No thank… you.” She managed as she pulled the blanket a little tighter around her. “I’m going to make coffee. Do you, uh, want any?”

As she asked she turned the corner into the kitchen and promptly grimaced. What the hell was that thing? And what was he eating?

[Foxfire]

Je'Baru could firstly see the female's surprise at the blade in his grip. He was so use to being alone that he often forgot about others views on things. Shutting it down and packing it away swapping it for a native crystal blade of his, a Khabac. He almost erupted in laughter as she nearly crawled out of her skin as the haired slug moved onto her lap.

She seemed to Je'Baru to be nearly at running speed when she made for the kitchen. Coffee? He hadn't had any in a very long while. Reina was the one that mainly drank the stuff but liked it well enough. Mainly due to the Rylothian herbed spice that she would put in for him, did he drink it. Remembering that she had packed a small portion for him on that off chance.

Speaking up.......Yes please. I'm sorry for my haird slug she usualy doesn't move to much. She must smell the chemicals off of your shin. This slugs from my home land feed on poisons and toxins. In return they give off a chemical not unlike that of battle stems. Heightening your senses and reflexes past your normal levels.

Je'Baru ripped a piece of the mystery meat off and feed it to the haired slug. Then he snarled a chunk for himself and swallowed it. Thinking again of the coffee he dug into his bag and dragged out a fancy and very girly box filled with a dark nutty cinnimon like spice. Setting it next to the meat on the little table, he then gathered the haired slug in his arms and gently stroked it till it's eye stalks rose from the hairs to look at him.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

The coffee brewed quickly, and soon Ervisa emerged carrying two mugs. They were both handleless, and simple. As to the coffee, it was strong and black. Perfect for causing grimaces and ulcers, but the caffeine was unadulterated.

The Mirialan woman set one mug down in front of the man, then carried herself over to a battered armchair. She swung her legs up under her and leaned heavily against the arm rather than the back. The blanket was wrapped snugly around her, and her eyes had taken on a slightly livelier look after the first sip of the bitter brown liquid.

They were still sunken and bloodshot though.

Ervisa sat in silence for a few seconds, that may have lapsed into minutes. Here she was, with a stranger in her abode. It was the first time she'd ever had anyone in the apartment besides her. She never brought in customers, and as far as she could try, her dealer didn't know where she lived.

With a sigh, Ervisa decided the long hours of the night wouldn't pass fast enough without conversation.

"So, where do you come from?" She asked as she pulled errant locks of her waist-length hair off her face. It was flowing like a night-colored waterfall, unruly out of the braid she'd once frequented.

[Foxfire]

Honoghri, it's near Kessel and Nar Shadda or abouts in that area. Not many realy knows where it's at. I don't really feel the need to go back myself Since most of my family are dead or being skinned by the other stronger clans.

Je'Baru's emotions slumped a bit as he spoke about his homeworld. Shaking it off he looked at her and asked......If you could leave a world behind and forget every thing in the process would you?

Sitting back into the couch he sighed and gently stroked the haired slug as it began to hum in contentment. Marcus had taught him many things but he hated burning a world just to make a run for another.

I hate being hunted. Especially when I'm not the right target. Blasted Republic hunting the wrong noghri. Can't they tell that there is something wrong about him. Look this is the holo-vid recordings I could dig up from the incursion at Subterrel.

There in the holo-vid showed four republic soilders standing about as a shadow moved in amoungst them and proceeded to rip them apart. Some with the claw but the last two a ruddy red glow shown with in the darkness and proceeded to cut and gut. Then the shadow stepped into the light and there was a noghri in stary black clothes and raising his head he roared in defiance and then he reached out his arm toward the camra and the signal died. Two seconds later the holo-ended.

See it's wrong none of my race could do that.

He reached out his arm and waved it about as the other did. It was quiet obvious that the vid and this monster got under his skin.

Yes granted it has all our normal skill sets but this*waves*is altering how he uses those skills. It must be put down at all cost, because if not the verse is not safe. Power for a noghri is a drug that is why the females are the ruling class of our world. Yet even there the stongest, most respected, and honored of them are chosen by the whole not taken by force.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Ervisa continued to sit in silence in her armchair, up until one question that made her think a little, genuinely think. The Mirialan woman was not cerebral, or particularly well-educated. She’d been a slightly less than average student, and to date was only fluent in Basic while many of her Jedi peers had moved on to other languages. Apart from that, she didn’t generally spend much time in quiet contemplation. Life was either too rushed or too tiresome for that, and she just left it behind.

But now she thought. If she could leave a world behind and forget everything… Would she?

Her gut told her yes. Everything that had happened in these past months told a sad story of decay, negligence, and despair. And when she actually thought about it, she had no one to blame but herself. Her fault for making a complete ass out of herself in front of Asyr, her fault for reacting to his romantic interests as she did, and her fault for delving into spice as a coping mechanism. There was no one else to blame.

That was another reason not to think much.

Yes, she would. But before she had a chance to open her mouth and say so, the strange alien insisted on showing her a video of something causing violence, and she looked at it with unseeing eyes, letting the images wash over her rather than sink in. The Mirialan woman had had enough of violence, been dealing with it too much in her life. And now she was working on the streets, where people could be stabbed for the credits in their pockets.

Apparently this man was mistaken for the one in the film. Why that was, she couldn’t quite say.

She also couldn’t determine if this video warranted comments from her, so she shrugged but remained silent. Ervisa was used to silent evenings anyway, and the company of her coffee was all she needed or desired. For the moment. Other concerns were all far away.

Finally Ervisa spoke, venturing a comment.

“Power corrupts. The more you have, the worse it is.”

And that was as close to wisdom as she’d ever been capable of, almost a flashback to her days as a Jedi Knight giving lessons to her Padawan. That merited a wince, and she went back to her coffee.

[Foxfire]

Je'Baru quickly under stood her position on his cares. He was projecting is worries on her. When she spoke that short set of words he could almost feel Marcus Foxworth's hand hitting him in the back of the head again. He had a way of over thinking or caring to much of the little things.

Sorry..... I guess it don't matter not for those in the core with their own problems. Here, it's the rest of the payment. I have a feeling that we won't see each other in the morning. I should have realized that you have roots here and are not caring for a wander's problems given your current job placement.

Picking up his small bag he tossed the other change pouch to the girl he grabbed a small pillow from the couch and went to a corner that was farthest from the door and the windows. Talking out a grey fibro-sheet he covered himself as he curled in the corner. The haired slug soon followed and crawled on top of the motionless mound. From the look of Je'Baru covered one would have just assumed that it was just some tossed bedding or rubbish waiting to be dealt with.

Sleep well, I'll guard the place for this night. Since I don't sleep very long on any night lately. Oh and thanks if ever you need help you can contact me and I'll help you out no matter what the problem is.

With that no more sound came from the pile that was Je'Baru.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

The stranger handed Ervisa the last credits, and just like that she had ten thousand. She didn’t dare to touch it, not yet. But it felt good to have more money than she’d ever had at a given time. That was deeply fortunate. It was one of those little rays of sunshine in a dark life, or like the moon and stars peeking through a cloudy night, casting a silver sheen on an otherwise black landscape.

This was her silver sheen.

Her guest crawled to a corner of the floor and covered himself in a blanket. He then excused himself and lay still. Ervisa took that to mean he was going to sleep, and in exchange she rose, pocketing the credits, and walked back to her bedroom and lay down on the bed. She took the lightsaber from her hands and placed it on the night stand, and lay down, left to her own thoughts.

What came next? She had enough to start a new life, but could she?

No. She couldn’t. It was too hard to change, and she couldn’t just leave the spice. It wasn’t that easy. But at the same time, she was loath to waste the money. No, it would be saved.

In case it was ever needed.