Hey all! This update came much more quickly and was easier to write. I know it's a little on the short side, just like the last one… Sorry! Happy late Mothers Day to any moms out there! As always, thanks so much for the reviews and follows!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Kiya and her story!

Chapter 20

The Morning After

Apprehension danced along Kiya's spine, swirling into her stomach to tie it in a knot as she reached the kitchen. She knew it was early, but how early she didn't know. She hadn't seen a chronometer anywhere in Fett's quarters. But the smell of frying sausage reached her through the door, and she could hear others moving about. She hesitated just to the side of the door. How was she going to explain not being here this morning? Or having vanished last night. For the first time, she thought about what everyone would think. Not that it really mattered. Still, the knot in her stomach grew. Everyone would think she had shared his bed. Beyond that, him stepping in last night the way he had took it to an entirely different level. One way just made her a concubine, and she was optimistic her present disheveled state would add to that illusion. The other would… Kiya shut the idea down. She wasn't sure she wanted the scrutiny or notoriety that went along with any of the implications. An association with Boba Fett wasn't something an intelligent sentient wanted, and now she had one.

Taking a deep breath, she gathered her hair over her shoulder again and twisting it as best she could, she lost her hair tie last night. She stepped into the kitchen, stopping at the edge of the counter by the door. Her hand returned to her arm, holding it protectively to her chest.

Porcellus stood at the stove on the left side of the room, his back to her, chef's hat on his head. Steam rose from several pans he labored over. Kiya opened her mouth, closing it just as quickly. She had no idea what to say. She couldn't seem to continue on from the spot she had stopped moving either.

"Kiya," Toroga said, stepping past her with a box of fruit in his hands. Phelgmin followed close to his heels with another. They both placed their burdens on the prep table.

Toroga turned his attention back to Kiya. "Well, you look like the south end of a retreating orback, but you seem to be in one piece."

Phelgmin snickered, leaning his filthy upper body against the table and rested on his elbows.

Kiya's brow furrowed, but she said nothing. Again she didn't know what to say. She had never been confronted with a situation like this before. "I'm fine," she said a moment later, holding Toroga's hazel gaze.

Phelgmin snickered again. "We heard you spent the night on your back," the youth sneered, malice in his blue eyes. It was like he found pleasure in her perceived fate, and given the nasty side she had seen to his temperament, she was not surprised. He was the type of kid who would pull the legs off of sand beetles just because he could. He reminded her of her cousin. Kiya knew first hand what kind of atrocities and evil Philo Shesh was capable of, and she wore the marks to prove it.

"Enough," Porcellus reprimanded sharply. "Go wash your hands and sort through that fruit."

Phelgmin blanched, and he righted himself scurrying toward the sink. Toroga turned and made his way across the room, retrieving bowls from one of the shelves covering the wall next to the doorway.

Porcellus stepped around the end of the large worktable, wiping his narrow hands on his stained apron. He stopped just a few feet away. An awkwardness settled around them both as Toroga and Phelgmin went about their tasks.

"Are you alright?" Porcellus asked, his blue eyes searching. Kiya was almost surprised by the genuine concern in his gaze. She had to look away.

Her attention returned to him, but he wasn't looking at her. She nodded despite that. "Yes."

"Did he.." The chef began clumsily as though he didn't know how to ask what he wanted to ask. "He didn't hurt you?" he went on. His attention was glued to the floor like it was something fascinating.

"No," she said, shaking her head again.

This time he did look at her. He looked a little green as he studied her. Kiya watched Toroga as he placed his burden of bowls on the counter.

"Good," Porcellus began, business as usual. "Set the trays out on the table, then go get cleaned up."

Kiya didn't say she didn't believe she could carry them. Instead, she made her way to the shelf where the clean trays were stacked near the bowls and plates.

Kiya pulled them toward her with her good arm, sliding them just over the lip of the shelf. Kiya hissed loudly as she tried to lift her arm, she grabbed the appendage, cradling it to her chest again.

Porcellus was by her side in less than a second. "I thought you said you were okay."

"My shoulder was dislocated," she explained. His gaze shot back to her. "It wasn't Boba Fett."

"Go get cleaned up. Once you get back, I'll find something for you to do."

XxX

Yarna was in the bed she usually slept in. Kiya hurried across the dancers' dorm as quietly as she could. Lyn Me, the Rodian whose name Kiya hadn't learned, and Sy Snootles were all asleep in their usual places near the door. Neelah lay on her stomach in the bed next to Yarna's. Nola curled up in a tiny ball beside her, a red and black stuffed toy tucked to her chest, her green head tentacles twitching as she slept.

In many ways, it was a relief to not find the Theelin present. She rarely was here in the morning, but today Kiya was thankful. She was emphatically sure that she'd rather put their meeting off for now. She was also glad to find Nola with the girls this morning. Kiya's attention stayed on the girl's small form as she approached, her stomach coiling tightly. She couldn't even imagine what Nola thought or how she would have handled what happened yesterday. Kiya supposed there was every possibility Nola would act as though she didn't know, just as she did with her father.

Squatting down bedside Yarnas sleeping form, Kiya leaned closer. "Yarna," she said softly, casting a cautious eye back across the room. She didn't want to wake the others.

The Askijian mumbled, throwing an arm over her eyes.

"Yarna," Kiya said a second time, a little louder.

The Askijian grumbled again. "What?" she hissed, eyes still covered.

"I need your help."

Yarna's arm slid back from her eyes, taking several layers of her makeup with it and smudging the rest. "Kiya?"

Kiya nodded. Yarna sat up quickly and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Kiya.

"Ouch," Kiya hissed, pulling back from the other woman as her shoulder throbbed to life with new vigor. Kiya shot to her feet, her hand going to her upper arm.

Yarna stood as well. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Kiya nodded and breathed out through pursed lips as the pain slowly faded. She lifted her eyes to find Yarna's drifting down her frame.

"They did hurt you last night," she observed.

Kiya nodded.

"Neelah saw them," she explained. "She said you were favoring your arm." Her attention dropped to the arm Kiya cradled to her chest.

"One of them," Kiya confirmed.

"And it's also true; you spent the night with Fett then?" She asked carefully. Her brown eyes held Kiya's.

Kiya's dropped, color bursting across her skin. She swallowed. "Yes."

Yarna's attention moved past Kiya. Kiya assumed it landed on the trio sleeping near the door. "Let's get you out of here."

Yarna stood, and the two females silently made their way across the room. When they reached the pit, Yarna cast a look around the room. Her attention returned to Kiya drifting over her frame.

"What do you need?" She asked.

"Porcellus told me to get myself cleaned up, and I can't braid my hair."

The other female's attention dropped to the arm Kiya held to her chest. "Why don't you take a quick shower, and then I will fix it for you." She added a moment later. "Melina is sleeping off last night with one of Jabba's guards. She won't be back for a while yet." She didn't wait for Kiya to reply, and the idea of a warm shower was far too appealing for Kiya to pass up anyway. Kiya followed her to the fresher.

A half of a time unit later, Kiya found herself sitting in one of the many chairs in the pit. Yarna ran a brush gently through her damp hair. The Askijian washed her face after she helped Kiya untie her sandals and left her with soap and a towel. Kiya had never seen the other woman's face completely free of paint. Her skin was smooth, and she looked far younger than Kiya had thought she was. Kiya had cleaned herself as best as she could with one functioning arm. Her shoulder and arm still felt coated with the bacta Boba Fett had sprayed on her last night. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation, and the rest of her was clean, which wasn't either.

Yarna carefully eased tangles from Kiya's hair. "Did he hurt you?" She asked.

Kiya looked down, biting her bottom lip, her brow furrowed. She wished she could tell Yarna what had happened. He hadn't told her not to, but she wouldn't. Some things just went without saying. He had helped her because she warned him, and no one would believe her anyway. "No."

"He helped you with your arm?"

Kiya simply nodded again. She seemed to be doing a lot of that this morning.

Yarna's lifted an eyebrow. "How magnanimous of him. He helps you then takes his payment." The second half, she mumbled. "You have to be careful with him, Kiya," she warned. "You said you were smart enough not to attract his attention."

"It's not like I tried."

"It isn't just him either."

Kiya held the other female's dark-lashed gaze. "Rystáll was furious last night." Yarna separated her hair into three sections and began braiding it at the top of her head and working her way back. "Zuccus appeared, and Boba Fett left her standing near the dais, and then she saw you two. "

"Zuccus?" Kiya questioned. She didn't know who that was.

"He is the Gand that hangs around the Cyborg and Trandoshan part of the time, and the Lom-4 droid the rest of the time."

"Do you mean he found Fett because of me?" she asked, her voice doubtful. He had been standing there last night.

Yarna shrugged as she continued to work Kiya's thick hair. "Maybe. But Rystáll can be dangerous, Kiya."

Kiya had been warned about Rystall many, many times, and she didn't take the warning lightly, but there was nothing she could do. "Don't worry about Rystall. She'll bluster, but I don't think there will be a repeat of Fett and I." Kiya was not sure that she shouldn't worry, but constantly being warned wasn't going to change anything, and she was positive she would never share his room again. "She can have him with my blessing."

"Huh," a voice scoffed from the door. Kiya shifted her gaze in the mirror to the doorway. Rystall Sant stood there, her graceful form leaning against the door frame, inspecting her nails. "Your blessing? Like I need it," she said scathingly. "I already know I have nothing to worry about. You're just a little slave turned whore who caught his eye. I am sure he has tired of you already. There's no way someone like you could keep a male like him interested."

Kiya met Rystall's gaze in the mirror. For one brief moment, Kiya had no idea what to say. "I'm sure. You would know far more about males than I would."

The Theelins eyes narrowed, contempt lighting them. "You would do well to remember your place, slave." Her words dripped with disdain.

Kiya didn't reply, she held the other females' gaze evenly in the mirror. Rystáll pushed away from the doorframe, sauntering closer. She paused beside Yarna, lifting a strand of Kiya's hair. "Course as an orback's tail just like the rest of you," the backup singer said, flicking Kiya's hair from her fingers.

"So similar to your singing voice, you mean?" Yarna questioned innocently.

Rystáll turned her attention to the other female, glaring at her. Yarna finished braiding Kiya's hair, tying it off with a length of black cording. "I mean, that is why you sing backup, isn't it?"

Kiya silently watched the exchange. It was clear the backup singer comment was something Rystáll took seriously. She started at Yarna a moment then, spun around and stormed out of the room.

"She's a real class act, isn't she?" Neelah said, drawing both female's attention. Kiya hadn't even known she was there. "Or is it a no-class act in her case?"

XxX

Stretched out on his stomach, Boba dropped the targeting mechanism on his helmet down. His attention was on the Krayt dragon one hundred yards down the canon. She growled, and two smaller heads popped up beside her. After he was here the last time, Boba had wondered if the female wasn't guarding her clutch, and it turned out he had been right. Her having babies was less than ideal. Not that he cared for any other reason than the difficulty they represented. Boba Fett knew when you were fighting a battle, you couldn't win. Baby Krayt Dragons could take out full-grown Bantha's, and the Tuskens didn't easily tangle with them either. If a race as hard and accustomed to life on the dune sea as the Tusken Raiders didn't mess with them unless necessary, then it was worth noting.

If anyone just tried to go in there and take her or her babies, they wouldn't make it out alive. He could tranq all three and leave the babies if he had to. He could also sell the babies; there were always collectors. The latter meant more credits, which was always a good thing, but he wasn't sure if it was worth the effort to take this one when there had to be others. And without prospective buyers lined up for the spawn mates, he would rather do things easy, not hard.

He had taken a speeder bike and left just after they left his room this morning. It was a rare creature that caught him by surprise, and she had managed to do it again. She had a habit of not behaving like other sentients. She was honest with him again. Brutally, unabashedly, honest. He wondered if it even occurred to her that such honesty could cost her her life if she chose to exercise it with the wrong sentient. Her grandfather had been known as an honest man also. If you could use terms like honest and smuggler in the same sentence about the same sentient.

Maybe Xo was right, and Shesh's granddaughter wasn't a Rebel, but Boba doubted very much that would keep her from doing something stupid. She nearly had yesterday. His jaw tightened. What good could it have possibly done her? Her friend was already dead. The probability of her reaching Fortuna with that knife was slim. The same knife he now had tucked into his belt. He would have had no choice but to kill her and, if not him, then someone else would have. Now that he had repaid the debt he owed her, it should mean nothing to him if she chose to get herself killed. Despite what Jiliac wanted, he didn't plan to be Kiya Shesh's keeper.

Boba Fett stood, heading back through the maze of rock formations to where he had left the bike. He wanted that one hundred thousand credits but not bad enough to take on a mother with younglings. Krayt Dragon were territorial beasts; he would need to do some more recon, but he would find another.

Boba cleared the brown and red stone rock formation a few minutes later, already in the process of calling Slave 1 down. He would use the ship's sensors to help map another probable location and hope this one didn't house a mother and her babies.

Later That Day

XxX

"I'll take it," Kiya said. She might not be able to carry a tray, but she could hold a bottle. Her arm did feel much better, to her surprise, but she was still in the phase where her brain wasn't sure if it wanted her to use it. Porcellus has given her a makeshift sling he'd fashioned from an old apron to wear while she was in the kitchen. Kiya carefully slid it off, laying it on the counter.

Kiya stepped through the door beside Han Solo a few minutes later, a gilded decanter in hand. The band was playing, but there was no one singing. Kiya's attention drifted almost immediately to the platform.

A queasy feeling stirred in her chest. Fett was there like she expected he would be. Rystáll Sant was plastered to his side. The Theelin hadn't noticed Kiya yet, but Kiya expected more of the same when she did. Pulling her attention away, Kiya lifted her chin and continued toward the steps that led past the Hutt. She tried to not even look at them out of the corner of her eye. When she reached the bottom of the step, Kiya glanced in that direction despite her intentions. Rystáll Sant watched her, with a smug smile on her face, her long thin body pressed to Boba Fett's side. The beauty ran a hand possessively across his upper chest next. Fett didn't even seem to notice.

Kiya's attention shifted to his helmet, and she looked away, taking the steps two at a time. Earlier today, Rystáll had looked ready to dig her eyes out, now she was smug. Kiya had meant what she said more than once: the Theelin hybrid was welcome to him.

Kiya placed the decanter on the counter and turned, heading back to the steps. Kiya gave a sidelong look again as she jogged down the four steps, despite how it made her shoulder throb and found his head turned in her direction. Kiya pretended not to notice and hurried back across the throne room to the hidden door. She paused, one hand on the warm sandstone and snuck a glance back at them. Heat scalded her cheeks when she found his head still turned in her direction. Kiya slipped through the door.

XxX

Bib Fortuna watched the slave girl disappear through the hidden door. His long skinny fingers steepled in front of him.

Fett extracted her from her predicament late last night, and they spent the remainder of the night alone in his room. Bib was glad that Boba Fett stepped in. He had already decided the girl might have the potential for something beyond a scullery maid; Jiliac Desilijic Tiure favored her. It was evident to all. And as the old adage went, waste not want not. The Wroonian girl had proven to be a waste. Maybe her friend wouldn't. The girl was competent and knew how to comport herself, and Bib Fortuna would rather she remain in one piece. As much as her knowing how to behave had surprised him, Fett's interest had surprised him more. Actually, it intrigued him. In the year's Boba Fett had been coming to Jabba's palace, he had never shown interest in any of the girls; Bib had offered him more than one. There was Rystáll, but Fett never singled her out, she singled him out. Bib had made it his business to see just how far it went, and that was nowhere beyond Rystáll's imagination. Though Bib Fortuna bet, most didn't realize the relationship was platonic. He'd thought Fett was far too cold and callous for such fleshy things.

But this one seemed to be an exception. Maybe the secret was the scar. Maybe Fett liked scars. Bib could concede there might be something about marred beauty or imperfect perfection. A shroud that kept something's true worth hidden from all but the few who noticed. Bib highly doubted the girl would be even remotely close to perfection even without the scar, but she had worth.

Before now, every female Bib had offered Fett was beautiful in her own way—flawless examples of their own races, mostly exotic ones at that. The slave girl, Kiya, was a human or near-human. She wasn't uncommon, but it would bear watching to see if the Mandalorian showed her marked attention again.

Beyond that, there was more for Bib Fortuna to think over than Fett's interest in the girl. He had no idea where the Mandalorian went this morning, nor did he know what actually happened on Jiliacs return trip to Nal Hutta. Fett didn't act as though he knew anything, but that meant nothing.

Jabba had informed Bib they would be traveling to Nal Hutta for a full council meeting soon to discuss the marriage. They had found what they thought was a solution that worked in the Desilijic clan's favor. Gorga would be offered to marry the she Hutt instead. Maybe he would bring the slave girl with them.

One of Bib's pale brows lifted as he watched Fett lift Rystáll Sants hand from his chest and step away. "Interesting," he whispered to himself.

Thanks for reading! ;)