Jast adjusted the jacket one more time in an attempt to make it look more… something. Formalwear was not a look he was used to seeing on himself. Cleanly shaven, staring at himself in a navy suit in the ‘fresher mirror, he found himself to look like another person entirely. It wasn’t a terrible way to look, he decided, and stepped out into his rooms.
The suite Khulbe had prepared for him was exquisite, which wasn’t a word that came to his mind often. Jast had stayed in some nice places—and some that were very far from nice places—but he could not think of one hotel room or suite that compared to the opulence of Khulbe’s palatial estate. Rich cloths of crimsons, whites, golds, and blues; a bed, softer than a cloud and perfectly comfortable, that could fit four or five people his size; a fully stocked bar with whiskeys, brandies, and gins from across the galaxy and crystal tumblers to match; marble surfaces, gold trimming to every fixture.
He moved for the liquor, pouring a couple of fingers of a pale blue liquid into one of the crystal tumbers. His commlink buzzed as he considered the bottle, and he answered. “I’m at the door. You ready?” Telsa asked.
“Yeah, come in,” he said. The door slid open with a wave of his hand over the marble counter’s electronic sensors.
Jast heard her step in, heels clicking on the tiled floor, and looked up to find her garbed in a red dress, tight, sleek, and elegant. He was suddenly conscious of his gaze.
She flashed a sparkling smile. “Never seen you in a suit before,” she said, approaching the counter. Jast slid the tumbler toward her and poured another for himself.
“I’m trying it out,” he said, finishing the pour and holding his glass up. The crystal tumblers came together, and he took a sip. The blonde pilot tested it with a probing taste, and then tipped the glass back. “You look good,” Jast said as she set the empty tumbler down.
“You too,” she said, and stepped in further to explore the room. “This is incredible.”
“Yeah. Must be good to be king here, I guess,” Jast answered, leaning against the counter. Telsa ran a hand across the bed’s plush covers, her wandering eyes settling on a series of art pieces hung across the walls. Jast wasn’t one for abstractionist art, but he assumed they were valuable pieces. It would be odd if they weren’t.
“You’re lucky you’re cute,” she said, looking back at him over her shoulder, “because I like expensive things and he’s way richer than you.” Jast laughed, and poured another half shot of the blue liquor.
“Just let me know and I’ll stick one of those in my bag on the way out,” he said.
“Don’t tempt me,” Telsa replied. “Don’t get drunk, we have a date,” she added. He tossed the shot back quickly and set the tumbler down.
“Right. After you,” he said, and followed her to the exit. As they made their way into a vaunted corridor that matched his suite in design choice and luxuriousness, he wondered if they’d just been flirting.
- - -
The Raven Trespass – Boqorro
“The captain's orders are the orders. As I said, you are free to stay aboard or go, as you please. You haven’t committed any crimes here though, so the local authorities wouldn’t have anything to do with you,” Boqorro explained. "Aside from sell you, perhaps. The criminals and law enforcement here on Nar Shaddaa are often not so different." Having relieved her of her possessions, moved his hands to the IV. “You have access to the ship, now, so no need for this. You are free to visit the galley.” He wasn’t quite sure about the Zelosian diet, but the
Raven was fully stocked on general provisions. If nothing else, they had water. He removed the shunt from her arm and set it aside. He stood and offered her a hand to guide her to her feet.
“Most people on Nar Shaddaa looking to fulfill their potential leave Nar Shaddaa,” he added. “I wonder what Zelos must be like. You have a sense of optimism that I think you will find does not suit this world. I lived here a long time. I think you should trust me when I tell you it is better that you come with us, wherever we go next. I think there are many better places in the galaxy for you to be than here.”
“Sense of optimism” had not been the first phrasing that had come to his mind. “Stupidity” might have been closer to what he meant, but he kept that to himself.
