New Home [lmr/Ob]

[0bserver]

Naboo...

A beautiful green planet filled with lush plantlife, and populated by friendly people. Fresh waters, good people, wondrous architecture, all that... It has become the brand of peaceful living in the Republic, surpassed only by Alderaan.

Nika was having flashbacks every time she visited this place. After all, it was her new home, her family having migrated here from Ryloth some time ago. Her first time here, she was a scared stowaway, seeking to find a way to help a friend in need. She failed, that failure haunting the green twi'lek ever since. Or... she perceived it as one. Even if, realistically, there was nothing she could do to help.

But now, maybe, conscience would ease on her a little bit.As she followed a familiar, narrow, but well-lit street, hold another twi'lek's hand. The twi'lek who she saved during her latest escapade. Sinya. That poor thing was just so helpless and alone in this world that Nika did not have the heart to just leave her be. She would've ended up in ... less compassionate hands if she did.

- So, how do you like Naboo, Sinya? Beats Sleheyron by a longshot, doesn't it? How's your shoulder, by the way? - the older twi'lek chuckled, patting the lethan's shoulder, and keeping her closer. With age and size difference, she almost felt like a parent, and... well... Maybe she actually needs one...

People were passing by, some of them recognizing Nika and even waving friendlily, and some were just curiously staring at her 'friend' so to speak. There was no malice or lust in their eyes though, just curiosity. As they were approaching a house, Nika nudged the lethan, to get her attention once more:

- You're going to stay at my mom's and dad's house for a while, we're going there. You'll like em, they're nice and comely people...

And I will have to find the girl's parents as well... But if they're still on Sleheyron, there's no way I'm bringing her back to that backwater planet...

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

The trip to Naboo had taken forever and ages in Sinya's opinion, as she'd completely lost track of time. In actuality it was about four days, and Sinya had been very uncomfortable the whole time, barely eating and drinking.

She'd never been in the habit of eating much or often, rarely having more than a few mouthfuls each day. With her long days spent mostly staring at walls, she didn't need many calories to fuel her. Her activity on the trip had been just about the same.

No one could pretend that Sinya had been anything but hesitant upon their final arrival, when she'd clambered out of the cockpit, nursing her dressed wound, and promptly looked around with a small degree of curiosity and a large degree of fear.

Yes, she knew this was Naboo. A Republic world where slavery was illegal and everyone was well-known for being happy and prosperous. Nevertheless, the Lethan Twi'lek had had a sense of anxiety in the first half hour breathing different oxygen. She was generally nervous and skittish, and invisible phantoms lurked behind every archway. Phantoms, and bounty hunters just waiting to reclaim Loro the Hutt's prized slave.

Already she was nervous and frightened about being recaptured. Sinya barely knew what freedom was, and already she was petrified by the prospect of losing it. For her, there was only one constant right now.

That was Nika.

The green Twi'lek had swiftly become Sinya's everything. Savior, sister, mother, and master. Lacking the knowledge on how to be anything but a slave, the red girl had decided to replace Loro with her new 'owner,' constantly looking to her for approval on every little thing.

"Naboo is nice Nika," Sinya said softly, her voice the hesitant whisper it always was, as if she was still afraid of being caught talking by a guard. "My shoulder is fine."

The truth was that her shoulder had a dull pain constantly bothering her, but she was afraid to be a nuisance and didn't want to comment on it. Why bother her nice master?

"Yes master," The Lethan Twi'lek said automatically after Nika told her the plan. She didn't even realize she'd said it.

[0bserver]

Nika only let out a sigh, when Sinya finally spoke to her, breaking the aura of forced silence around herself.

The green twi'lek was no psychologist by any rate, but even she could imagine the degree of mental instability, from these simple replies. And... by the way Lethan called her 'Master', all of a sudden. That word made Nika shudder a bit, and stop, frozen in her tracks, looking at Sinya with a bewildered stare.

- Don't call me Master, Sinya. Don't call anyone that way. I did not save you to become my servant or something. Hell, you saved me just as much - if you didn't shoot that lizardman, we wouldn't be standing here chatting! - Nika sighed and shook her head in disapproval.

And she's lying to me about the shoulder too...

Though that observation was more in her competence than psychology. The green twi'lek had changed to her normal clothes mid-flight, having spares, now, once more, looking like the confident mercenary she was. But Sinya was still in that derogatory slave dancer outfit, which was catching gazes of passing males here and there, as they went on. The uncomfortable twitching of her shoulder was not hidden by these thin fabrics. I will have to show her to the doctor later... But now...

Her family's place was right across the street! It was a small, relatively old house, of typical Naboo architectural design. But despite that, the painting and decorations were those that could be seen on Ryloth, her father made them this way to remind him of home. Mom was against, not liking memories of Ryloth very much, but Dad didn't care. And Nika supported him in that. Memories and heritage must be kept, no matter what they are...

- Now... be careful not to call mom or dad 'Master' either, alright? They're good people, like me!

With that, the green twi'lek approached the green door, and knocked three times. She was used to doing that, even though there was a fancy comm hanging at the side, and a button to activate the doorbell. Some hustling and bustling was heard inside, steps getting louder, until finally, the door opened.

And in the doorway, stood another twi'lek. Much like Nika in appearance, only older, taller and ... less war-like? Or perhaps it was the apron over brown shirt and tight pants was giving the impression. The two twi'leks gazed at each other for a few seconds, before Nika stepped forward and locked the older woman in an embrace.

- Hi mom! Missed you!

- Sweetie! Umpf... Not so tight... Lemme breathe a bit!

With a chuckle, Nika released her mom from her hug, still grinning widely, and looking around, as if searching for someone.

- Where's dad?

- At work as always. You never inform us of your unexpected arrivals, otherwise he would've taken a day off... How's your adventuring? Are you keeping yourself safe? - the older twi'lek asked with concern ringing in her voice. It's been hard for her to come to terms with her daughter's decision, and even if she did, she still didn't like it. Looking over Nika's shoulder, the taller twi'lek spotted Sinya, and blinked curiously, looking at her, at Nika, then at her again.

- Is this your friend, honey?

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

"Yes mas- Nika," Sinya said awkwardly, correcting her error midway through, knowing that it made Nika unhappy. And she didn't like making Nika unhappy. After all, she was good and kind, and Sinya had to obey her now. She took care of her after all.

Sinya followed Nika up to the door, but she stood back, slightly in the shadow, though it couldn't hide her vivid skin. There was some distance though, reflecting the fact that this was the green Twi'lek's life, and not the red's. Sinya was a guest, an outsider.

After all, this wasn't her own family.

The door opened after Nika knocked, and another green Twi'lek answered, wearing an apron. There was a distinct family resemblance, and if it was any indicator, Nika was going to age very well.

Sinya stared awkwardly at the doormat as she overheard Nika's family conversation, only looking up tentatively to see the mother again when she asked about her.

One purple-gloved hand waved slightly as Sinya promptly stared at the floor again, a little frightened to make eye contact with a stranger again. Her gazes were tentative and brief, but her eyes kept darting back to Nika's mother.

So far, the only person whose gaze she was able to hold for more than a few seconds was Nika, and then only when she was smiling. On a more somber face the eye contact died much faster.

The red Twi'lek, naturally, said nothing at all.

[0bserver]

Nika silenced for a bit, when her mother finally noticed Sinya's presence, and asked a rather fitting question. Despite the red twi'lek's gaze was dodgy and unstable, the older twi'lek's was locked directly on her, slowly moving to assess her appearance. The girl was afraid, shakey, quiet, and wore clothes someone who lived on Ryloth would recognize all too well. Fashion for slaves did not seem to change much, be that Tatooine, Ryloth or Sleheyron. And the shoulder patch, which was getting red from crisped blood... Nika noticed the awkward moment, and was about to answer the question:

- Um, yeah Mom, her name is Sinya, she's...

- I'm sure you'll tell me more about how you two met each other, in a more private setting. Don't you just stand there in the doorway, come in, come in! My name's Sienn, I'm Nika's mother. Happy to meet you here!

Nika noticed that her mom's voice and eyes were unusually soft and kind towards the 'stranger', but whenever she shot a glance to her, they were becoming sterner. She swallowed a bit, knowing full well what that meant. I'm in trouble now... If I tell her the whole story of my escapades, I'll be grounded forever...

Yes, even when a full-grown adult herself, Nika still was fearful of her mother's wrath. But then, if a parent found out their child narrowly escaped death and slavery, wouldn't they be worried sick? Nika could not relate to that - she did not have any children.

- Mom, err... Sinya has literally nowhere to go now... Would you mind if she stayed with us for a while? - Nika asked nicely, though her eyes were saying that she would not accept 'No' for an answer. Sienn nodded in agreement, giving the red twi'lek a warm smile. She waved a hand, gesturing to follow her into the room, and Nika stayed a bit behind, taking her boots off.

Sinya would not need to wait for that - her 'shoes' resembled stockings more than actual footwear...

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Sinya started to feel a little better. Sienn, the name she'd been told, was apparently very nice, and she seemed friendly and warm. While she nodded, she didn't say anything, still having trouble finding her voice.

She did, however, let out a sigh of relief when Sienn didn't turn her away and agreed to let her stay. Or so she assumed from the nod. Certainly Nika didn't seem to have trouble with the reaction, so it had to be good then. Nika wouldn't approve of something that wasn't good.

Just inside the doorway everyone was taking off shoes, and the Lethan teenager was no exception apparently.

The teenage ex-slave loosened the tops of the skin-tight boots that rested on her upper leg, and slowly shifted them off, pulling them off of her rather long legs, revealing a very large amount of bare reddish-pinkish flesh, and the impressions of the bands holding them in place on her thighs.

She rubbed at the skin a little before watching Sienn and Nika again, unsure of what to do next. Her gaze kept shifting between the two green Twi'leks, and she almost thought about asking what came next. Almost.

Instead she remained completely silent and decided to be dutifully obedient to anything either of them said.

[0bserver]

Nika was beginning to get a bit suspicious.

With her mom, it was always like that. So she kept her mind focused and sharp for any trickery the older woman might be using to get the truth out of her... or Sinya. She was already thinking of a fake story that would make her look as heroic, while being not too dangerous to her own person. Parents needed not to know about her adventures in detail, did they? For their own sake.

While Nika sat on a chair, her mother drifted between her and Sinya, inviting the latter in the living room with a gesture, and a smile. Though in her eyes, there was quite a bit of pity and compassion, as she watched the girl silently get out of her shoes, almost as if to show off her pretty, long legs.

- Nika! Would you mind bringing my robe here? The house is big and not exactly warm, and our guest's clothes are not much warmer than a pair of underwear... - Sienn called, making her daughter stand up from her chair, almost at attention, and nodded.

- Yeah, good idea... Uh... where are those again?

- At the washers, hun, drying. I washed it recently.

And with a sigh of laziness, Nika went. The trouble was that the washers were on the other side of the house, and knowing what kind of 'Order' was in that place, it would take a while to find it. Oh well, can't be too bad...

And while Nika was going, Sienn remained with Sinya, alone. A few moments were spent in silence, before the older twi'lek would also sit on the couch, next to the lethan, looking at her with an attentive, studying, and ... somewhat haunting glare. But there was a pinch of pity behind all of that, at the bottom, after all.

- She would be looking for that thing for a while... Now, tell me, Sinya, if it is not a secret... How did you and Nika meet?

Mothers know their daughters... But not always daughters know their mothers...

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Sinya followed Nika and Sienn into the living room, and when they both seemed to want her to sit, the Lethan girl lowered herself onto the couch, surprised by how comfortable it was. She hadn't sat on comfortable furniture in three long years, and now it felt positively amazing.

Sienn instructed Nika to go get a bathrobe, and Sinya felt a momentary desire to stand up and volunteer herself to do the work. After all, she was the slave. Slaves worked.

With Nika gone, there was a long moment of silence, with Sinya starting to shiver a little over her bare skin in a slightly chilly room. It wasn't anything like Loro's dungeons, but it still felt a little uncomfortable, though she wouldn't ever say so.

It wasn't in her nature to bother other people because she was uncomfortable.

Sienn asked her a question, and the red Twi'lek looked at the older woman, understanding her perfectly as they were both speaking Ryl. She wanted an explanation, and it was quite a story. And Sinya was no story-teller.

"I was a slave Mrs. Sienn," Sinya said softly, her voice the usual whisper. "On Sleheyron. I met Nika in the dungeon where I was being punished, and she rescued me and took me here. She-"

The Twi'lek teenager stared awkwardly at the floor as she dared to venture beyond the world of mere facts and into the realm of offering opinions that weren't asked for.

"She was very brave and very kind."

[0bserver]

Sienn only nodded patiently, finally managing the shy girl to get to talk. And her words have confirmed things that the older twi'lek was having hunches and guesses about. She was a slave. Sienn lived enough in this Galaxy, and have seen slaves before. The attitude was very recognizable. Timidness, fear, and general obedience. All that covering deep psychological trauma underneath. The fact her daughter saved a person from such a fate was admirable, but... The dungeon... how the hell did she get there in the first place?!

Though... words about Nika being very kind and brave did resonate in Sienn's heart, something akin to pride glinting in those yellow-ish eyes of hers. She chuckled at the commentary, and nodded approvingly. What kind of mother would not like their children being praised?

- She has always been like that. She was the main catalyst of our entire family moving here. It's a long story, I'll tell you one day. Or maybe Nika will, if you ask her nicely. Be warned though, she loves to brag. - chuckling at the last phrase, Sienn walked out of the room, and into the kitchen, only to return with a cup in her hands. Gentle aroma coming from it immediately filled the room. It was a herbal drink native to Ryloth - she was still making, and very much fond of it. Like tea, of sorts. Passing the cup to the girl, the woman added:

- Here you go, it will make you feel warmer. Hope you would like it...

Muffled curses and slurs came from the other side of the house, all of a sudden. Nika seemed to be having trouble finding the blasted robe, to which Sienn smiled all-knowingly. It was hard to find a black cat in a dark room, with a blindfold. Especially when the cat isn't there.

- How did Nika end up in the dungeon, Sinya, do you know? - the woman asked between chuckles, seemingly careless, however, those attentive eyes never left the red twi'lek for a moment. In a motion of comfort, the female put her hand on the girl's healthy shoulder, it being much warmer than the girl's skin. She really was cold.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

She liked to brag?

Sinya didn't know Nika very well. Sienn did, so if she said it, it had to be true. Still, the teenager felt that if Nika said it, it had to be true. And wasn't bragging something undeserved? If she'd earned it...

But she didn't want to contradict Nika's mother...

The Lethan girl stayed quiet.

The green Twi'lek woman got up and went into the kitchen, emerging with a hot cup that she handed to Sinya, and the red girl took it, sniffing at it tentatively, looking for an additional sign before she sipped it. However, she ultimately sipped it anyway, and instantly the spicy and flavorful liquid pouring down her throat made her feel a bit warmer.

The sound of cursing made Sinya's eyes widen, and she flinched, as her exposure to strong language was entirely bad. Just about every time she'd heard it in three years it had been directed at her. Now that she was free, it seemed just a little more painful.

However, Sienn's touch soothed her fears a little, and Sinya answered the question, resisting the urge to reply nonverbally, and instead becoming a little bolder.

"I don't know, she never told me. I just know they took her in and she was hurt like me, but not like me. They were very cruel, but she was strong."

And I wasn't.

[0bserver]

Sinya... really shouldn't have said that.

Because the moment she uttered words about Nika being brought in that dungeon as a slave herself, and was hurt, Sienn's face twitched in a frozen mask of pure, unadulterated fear, eyes widening, and jaw opening slightly. She fell back on the couch, hand pressed against the chest, where the heart was, and breathed deeply, in and out, in and out. The heart beat so quickly the older woman expected it to jump out of her throat this instant. It took her a little while to regain control over herself.

Nika... My little girl, enslaved? H... hurt? She escaped this time... Who's to say she would be so lucky to do so next time around? Curses... curses...

- T... thank you Sinya... for telling me... I did not know how deep in trouble my daughter was getting... - her words fell as a quiet whisper, the female looking considerably... paler. And at this very moment, Nika came back from the washers, with a somewhat disappointed expression on her face.

- Mom! I could not find it anywhere! I have no idea where have you stuck it into, but I rummaged through everything, and... Mom? Are you alright? You don't look so good... - Nika's voice cracked with worry, as she noticed her mom was not looking too well. Sienn removed the hand from her chest, and stood up a bit, on an elbow.

- Yes, I am... alright. It's just the weather. The robe must be in my room then... - she said, and stood up, walking out of the room to get it. There was unusual flightiness in her walk as the door creaked, and the older twi'lek disappeared from the room. Nika shrugged, looking back at Sinya, who was carefully sipping her tea.

- What happened to Mom? She looked like she had seen a ghost... - Nika asked, as her eyes followed to the closed door, before, suddenly... widening, mouth opening a bit in a gasp. - You didn't tell her anything about the whole rescue business, did you?

Because if you did... Oh God, I'm in trouble now...

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Sinya stared at Sienn's horrified expression with confusion, wondering what she'd said wrong. Should she have lied? The older woman thanked her though, so Sinya's confusion died a little and she sipped the hot tea again, just as Nika came out, without the bathrobe.

The teenage dancer stared at a piece of art on the wall, oblivious to their conversation, as she didn't want to intrude or be a nuisance. It wasn't her family after all, it was Miss Nika's family. It wasn't her place to speak unless spoken to. She remembered that much.

When Sienn left, Nika looked at Sinya, and her expression quickly turned into a gasping, wide-eyed portrait of displeasure, and the younger woman looked at her guiltily.

"I told her the truth Miss Nika, I'm sorry," Sinya said weakly, sniffing slightly. "Please don't send me away."

The Lethan teenager wiped at her eyes with one gloved hand, convinced she'd ruined Nika's life somehow, and that she was going to be banished from her family and kicked to the curb.

While it was a patently ridiculous notion to anyone who knew Nika, Sinya's perspective was a little skewed. She'd been tortured, beaten, bloodied, thrown into dungeons, and raped by guards over three years for reasons as trifling as ignoring an important guest's advances, or resisting Loro's touch.

For her, this was unexplored territory. She'd never had a kind master, and she'd become so engrained to cruelty that it still dominated her mind and her reactions. If she'd said the wrong thing, surely she'd be punished. If she'd harmed Nika in some way, she felt certain there would be some kind of pain to follow.

That was just a fact of life she accepted. If you made a mistake, you were punished. If you said or did the wrong thing, there was pain. Not once so far had it occurred to Sinya'anu that maybe someone would show her kindness and not want to hurt her when she failed.

[0bserver]

Well, that escalated quickly...

And Nika suddenly found herself between her mom about to have a heart attack, and Sinya about to burst into tears. She sighed, resting a palm over her face, and stood like that for a few moments. And who's to blame for all of this? Yep, Nika has to be the scapegoat. She shook her head, frowning, and approached Sinya, sitting next to her and petting her lekku - the green twi'lek noticed before that it had a calming effect on the Lethan.

- Don't worry, Sinya, nobody's going to send you away... Only I am going to have a loooong talk with my mom about my 'job'. It's just our in-family problems, not yours... - Nika whispered into the girl's ear-cone, before standing up and following Sienn into her room. Nika found her mother standing at the window, drinking a calmant pill with water. And at that moment, the younger twi'lek felt so... sh*tty.

- Mom, I...

- The robe's hanging on the wall next to you. We will talk about this when Dad gets home. - Sienn said, her voice both stern and somewhat shaky. Nika felt like she was in high-school all over again. I guess age doesn't matter to parents...

The green twi'lek returned a moment later, holding the robe in her hands, and leaving mom to put herself together, for a while. The robe was long, made for a taller twi'lek, of velvet-y material, dimly reflecting the light from its surface. It was of grey-black color, with pink flowers donning it here and there. Nika urged Sinya to stand up, and would put the robe on her shoulders, arms wrapping around the lithe frame, buttoning the whole thing together.

- There, does that feel better?

Any kind of harsh emotion melted away when it came to Sinya... Honestly, how could have those evil men abused such a thing...

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Sinya could feel the tension dissipate, sliding off of her taut neck like water droplets sliding down a glass window in a rain storm, only no new drops were falling at the moment. No one was going to send her away. Nika even said it.

And as far as Sinya was concerned, whatever Nika said was the truth.

It was both sad and endearing that Sinya's whole new life and inspiration was just one person, and that she was horridly and hopelessly dependent on the green Twi'lek to look out for her and help her. But perhaps it wasn't so surprising.

The Lethan Twi'lek was beautiful, but all but useless. She lacked the initiative or street smarts to go out and find a job, even if she could perform one properly. Perhaps she might have been able to be a dancer in a cantina, but she was far too innocent, naive, and broken to function properly on her own.

Like it or not, Sinya'anu was like a child, a very hurt and broken one in the body of a nineteen year old. It wasn't even so hard to imagine her as such when she only rose to five feet.

When Nika came back with the robe and encouraged Sinya to stand, she did instantly and without question. It was more than just an ingrained servile state of being, it was trust. Nika saved her, Nika was good. Anything she told her to do had to be good. It was for her own benefit.

The taller woman wrapped the robe around her, guiding her arms through the sleeves, and fastened it around her. It fell low on Sinya, and her hands were inside the sleeves by several long inches, but it was warm, and already she felt a little better.

"Yes Miss Nika," Sinya answered her question with a nod and a tentative smile. It was thin and fleeting, but it was a smile, and she hadn't been in the habit of smiling much for a long time.

[0bserver]

- Eh-heh... Looking good!

Nika couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Sinya wearing a robe made for a woman who was almost a foot taller than she. It made the tiny female look even more child-like, like a kid who was trying to wear adults' clothes. Well... maybe she was just a kid. Barely 5 feet tall, heck, Nika has seen 14-year old ones being taller than she. Sitting on the couch again, the green twi'lek smiled, and said:

- We'll find some more fitting clothes for you later on. There should be some of my old stuff around here some place, and then we will go buy something specifically fitting to your body. Oh, and Sinya... don't call me 'Miss' either. It sounds so cold and official. Call me just 'Nika', okay?

Sienn has been watching this from a bit of afar, silently leaving her room soon enough. A faint smile appeared on her otherwise shaky face. Even if reckless, and completely disregarding personal safety, her daughter did have a good heart, that was obvious, by the way she treated basically a nobody, a stranger! If only she listened to me... - Sienn thought, and silently as a ghost appearing behind the two girls.

- Dinner is coming soon. What would you girls want me to cook today? - she asked, making Nika stop talking, and blink a bit, before turning her head to face her mom, a bit of an awkward smile appearing on the green's face.

- Err... maybe you can make me that Rylothan stew thing? Been a while since I last tasted one. And Sinya... what d'ya want for yourself? - she inquired, nudging the red twi'lek on the shoulder a bit, to gain her attention. Knowing how much she liked to space out randomly.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Nika promised to buy her clothing.

That promise of generosity only enhanced Sinya's growing conviction that her new benefactor was a pure and virtuous guardian sent from heaven to watch over her. It was like a blissful dream for her, and sometimes she felt like pinching her arm just to see if she was going to wake up in Loro's palace.

Except she didn't truly fear that outcome. She'd never had such beautiful and happy dreams before. That was how she knew it couldn't be the case.

The instruction not to call Nika Miss was a little awkward, as Sinya felt like she was an inferior who had to use her best manners with her superior. She wasn't quite capable of comprehending equality when it came to herself.

"Yes Mi-" Sinya stopped midway through the word, wincing a little at her mistake. Nika had told her not to do something, and she'd almost done it anyway, and that was bad.

"Nika," She corrected.

For once, Sinya wasn't zoned out and oblivious, and Nika's touch on her arm was seen in advance. What Sinya hadn't anticipated was that 'you girls' included her, and that her opinion counted. Never before had her opinion counted, and yet now it did.

The Lethan girl blinked a few times in surprise. What DID she want? She hadn't picked her own meal in three years, instead relying on whatever flavorless gruel was given to her by a guard. So now it was a little surreal having a say in what she ate. However, she didn't want to be trouble or to make them go out of their way.

"I... I'll have the same," Sinya said hesitantly in Ryl, looking first at Nika and then Sienn for approval. However, almost as an afterthought she whispered out one tiny little request that sprang into her mind.

"And maybe munch fungus, if it's not too much trouble."

Sinya had vague memories of the bread-like fungi, eating it served warm, the rich earthy taste in her mouth, and the sensation of being happy with loved ones. It was all a bare recollection, still shadowy and vague, but it had remained in her memory for the whole duration, and she felt drawn towards it again now.

[0bserver]

- Munch fungus? Why yes, we have plenty of that. Dad loves them too much for his own good, we have to hide it from him.

The green twi'leks then broke out in a bit of laughter, the tensions of the moment slowly passing away, colors returning to the older twi'lek's face. She nodded, saying that she would get right on that, and soon disappeared into the kitchen, that little room soon filled with sounds of chopped vegetables, and a soothing smell of fungi being warmed up. Nika remained with Sinya for the time being - the daughter knew little to nothing about cooking 'proper food'.

- Yeah... that should not take too long. Poppa's coming home soon, and we'll have a family dinner together. You'll be with us. - she smiled, running her fingers against one of those pinkish Lekku again. But then, a thought crossed the green twi'lek's mind. She was here, with her own family, and was happy with them. But... What about Sinya? She had family somewhere too, didn't she?

Asking, though, would be somewhat hesitant. Nika did not know how Sinya ended up being a slave. And touching the issue that could be sensitive might hurt the sensitive soul again. She almost cried just because I was mildly displeased with her... I need to be careful... - the twi'lek thought to herself, in an attempt to formulate the question the most harmless way possible. It was hard to come up with, however, still... Eventually, Nika gave up, and decided to ask it bluntly, and hope that what she planned to say next would be enough counterweight for that:

- Sinya... can you tell me about where you lived before... uh, bad things happened?

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Sinya thought back, not afraid of her family memories. It wasn't as if they brought up bad emotions or in some way hurt her; they were just vague and fuzzy. It was like being blindfolded with a semi-translucent material. One could see through it, but not make out many details.

In this case, she knew on some level what she was looking at, so she was able the fill out a few blanks in her head as she searched for the answer.

They'd lived in the Lower City, midway between the tibanna refineries and the mercantile district. She could remember that much, but the numbers were a little more vague. Maybe it was 118 Southeast? Or was it 130? Maybe...

"We lived by the maglev train station, they called it..." Why was it so fuzzy? It shouldn't have been so hard to just remember the name. It had been a little silly, but it had always reminded her of daddy's work...

Sinya closed her eyes.

---

Hey there little one, Dinek had always said coming home every day, kissing his wife and saying hello to his children. He'd always been especially fond of his Lethan child, his special little one.

Daddy!

She'd been rather fond of him too as a little one. She liked his deep voice and his lovely purple skin. Above all, she liked the way he'd come home with little candies in his pockets to give to the children. And he always had a little caramel just for her, every single time. She never even had to ask him.

Sinya.

The red girl had always clung to papa's leg, and she'd always asked him silly questions that he found answers to.

Why do we live in a place called the Pipeline?

That's because the first pipeline to carry tibanna ran through here for many years...

---

"The Pipeline," Sinya said softly, her sapphire eyes flickering open again. "We lived in a house by the Pipeline, in the lower city."

The Lethan teenager was pleased with herself, and a very tentative and hesitant smile crawled onto her pretty features, her face lightening up a bit, making the fading purple bruise on her cheek seem a little more subdued.

Continuing with her success, she started to recollect what she could recall, the aromas of Twi'lek home-cooking helping with the flow of old memories from a lifetime ago.

"I... I have two brothers, and a sister. My mother's name was- was... Numa. And Daddy, he was Dinek. I..."

Sinya started to get a little misty-eyed as she remembered names and voices, but she couldn't recall faces. They were blurry shadows, and she couldn't remember what they looked like. It was as if it hovered at the edge of her memory and jumped out of her grasp every time her fingers brushed up against it.

To be honest, she felt like crying.

"I miss them so much," She said as tears started to form. "But I can't remember them."

Sinya buried her face in her hands and lay on her side on the couch, pulling her legs up to her stomach and hugging them to her as the tears flowered more freely.

Perhaps the saddest thing to an observer wasn't that she was crying, but that her sobs were barely audible. She was so dismally quiet that it took a keen ear to hear the sounds of her grief. The Lethan teenager had been so indoctrinated into keeping a low profile that she couldn't even cry properly, like a normal girl.

[0bserver]

There... wasn't really much Nika could do here, was it?

And she let out a quiet sigh, seeing Sinya collapse into sadness from just a memory of days long past. The green twi'lek could relate to it somewhat - her life was filled with departures, and leaving people and places she used to care about behind. And she knew full well, that prodding an old wound was not a way to go. But in this case, it was done for a reason. For... greater good. The green twi'lek put her hand on Sinya's shoulder, gently stroking down her back, and said:

- Sorry I asked...

Still, she fished out of this tale more than she hoped to receive. She was given names, and approximate place of where to search for these people. If anything, finding them should not be too much trouble, unless said family moved away after their daughter had been enslaved. I wonder if they looked for her though... I want to believe that...

Nika left Sinya to cry for a little bit, crying helped relief stress and sadness after all. The next few minutes have passed in silence, disturbed only by quiet, almost unnoticeable sob sounds let out by the Lethan. Only here, nobody would hit and abuse her for crying. No... In fact, Nika hated when people cried, she could not stand watching that without flinching. And, at that very moment, an idea was formed... I will make it so that any person who would dare making you cry would regret it... Or better yet... you will do so yourself.

Suddenly, her arms reached for the red twi'lek's shoulders, pulling her out of her sobbing embrace, and now holding her in front of herself. The look on her face stern and somewhat determined. Being a fragile flower was maybe one thing... But even a flower had to grow some thorns.

- Listen, Sinya... The situation on Sleheyron for now is too dangerous - Loro will be looking for us, and probably issue a bounty. When things quiet down for a bit, I will go there, and find your parents. And by the time that happens, you will be able to stand for yourself. Okay?

Nika tried to sound as confident and sure of herself, and of Sinya, as possible, as she looked directly into those icy-blue eyes. And hoped that at least an ounce of that confidence would pass to the red twi'lek.

I'll do it.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Nika pulled Sinya up off of the couch by her shoulders, exacerbating the poorly-treated gunshot wound, which prompted a wince and soft intake of breath. However, the effect the abrupt motion had was much more simple, and chilling.

The Lethan girl cringed. Her eyes squeezed tightly shut, and her face had a look of fear. It was clear that being jerked to her feet suddenly had resurrected her sense of powerless suffering, and she was now actively bracing for the worst.

For Sinya, being suddenly grabbed and moved had never been a good thing. If she'd been grabbed, it was to be thrown across a room or immobilized for a kick to the stomach. The idea that it could be something good was wholly foreign to her, and the look of betrayal that flashed across her face showed it.

As Nika talked however, Sinya slowly opened her eyes, though she stared in every direction except Nika's. By the time the green Twi'lek finished her speech, there was eye contact, albeit only briefly. The younger and shorter woman had absorbed very little of words, only that she had to stand for herself, and that perhaps Nika was going to find her parents someday? It was the former that really caught her attention though.

The look of fear was back at the prospect of standing for herself. Sinya didn't know how to do that. She wasn't strong, and she wasn't capable. All she could do was sing, dance, and look pretty. Somehow she didn't think that was Nika meant by standing. Yet even though she felt wholly inadequate, the Lethan teenager couldn't defy Nika. She was too frightened and intimidated by being grabbed to say anything to the contrary.

"Yes Miss Nika," She whispered softly, the fear noticeable in her voice, staring at the floor instead of the other Twi'lek.