A roomful of Gammoreans later, Aminta tried in vain to unlock the inner sewer door. "I've picked locks on doors all over the galaxy, from the richest of mansions to the stim addict's hideout, and I've never seen one like this before!" she exclaimed, kicking the door in frustration.

"Aren't you lucky that you have me then?" Mission asked, a sly grin lighting on her face as she set to work on the lock that Aminta had moved away from. "I ran into locks like these a few times while exploring these tunnels. It took me a few weeks to figure out how to get them open the first time, but these old things aren't too hard to pick once you get the hang of it."

Aminta's eyes widened with wonder as the lock clicked, and the doors began to slide open. "You're going to teach me how to do that," she said with a low whistle.

"So long as you can teach me a few of the tricks that you have up your sleeve."

The door opened enough for Mission to squeeze through, and the girl did just that once she caught sight of her Wookie friend on the other side. "Zalbaar!" she exclaimed, as she ran and threw herself into the Wookie's furry embrace.

":Mission, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to leave…You could have been hurt:" Zalbaar exclaimed.

"Aw, Big Z! Don't treat me like I'm a baby. Besides, a friend helped me! Zalbaar, this is my new pal, Aminta Jae." she said, gesturing towards Aminta.

Zalbaar looked the tiny human female over, vowing to reserve judgment until he saw more than merely her appearance. ":I thank you, human, more than I can ever express for helping Mission, and saving my life.:" he growled.

"Big Z says that…" Mission began, but Aminta cut her off by speaking in Wookie, a feat that should have been physically impossible.

":You are welcome, Zalbaar.:" she growled back, drawing shocked stares from both Mission and Carth.

":You speak my tongue:" Zalbaar exclaimed, his opinion of the slight woman raising a notch. ":Very few humans are ever able to master the language of my people.:" he said, impressed.

Aminta grinned and placed her hands on her hips. ":Yeah, well, that's what you get for staying a few months on Kashyyk.:"

Zalbaar stared at her, before lowering himself to one knee. ":You have saved my life. In gratitude for what you have done for me, I swear to you a life debt.:"

Mission gaped at her friend. "A life debt? Come on Big Z! You can't be serious. This is huge, and you don't even know her…"

":I know that she saved my life, and helped you reach me when no one else would. That tells me enough about her character for me to put my life in her hands.:" Zalbaar told his young friend.

"A life debt?" Carth asked, knitting his brows together. "Isn't that some kind of self induced slavery?"

Aminta shook her head. "Not quite. He has sworn to honor me all of the days of his life, and to protect me from any and all harm. It is a Wookie custom to do such a thing to show deep, heartfelt gratitude for a great service that you have done to them," Aminta then turned to Zalbaar. ":I accept your life debt, and in turn, I promise you that I will honor you and your wishes:" she said with a little bow.

Carth gaped. Aminta Jae, smuggler extraordinaire, was the last person that he would ever expect to willingly take on something so serious. He'd assumed she wouldn't want the liability, especially with all of the risks that she took. But then, on second thought, maybe it would be good to have a Wookie around for precisely that reason.

Mission put her hands on her hips, and stepped close to Zalbaar. "I go where he goes, so it looks like you're stuck with me too," she exclaimed, daring them to defy her demand.

Aminta grinned. "It's good to have you aboard, Mission." She turned to Zalbaar. ":It is good to have you with us as well:" she told him with a slightly larger smile.

Mission grinned back at Aminta. "So, it looks like I have to get my end of the deal done now, huh? Well, all we have to do is get to the Eastern end of the upper Sewers, get past that nasty old rancor, and…"

"Whoa, girl! Take it back a few steps there!" Carth broke in. "You never said anything about a rancor!" he exclaimed angrily.

"I didn't?" Mission asked, her eyes wide with feigned innocence.

Aminta ran a hand over her face. "This sounds like fun," she muttered, and glared at Mission briefly. "Although a rancor definitely wasn't in the game plan."

Mission quickly put her hands up in the air to stop a verbal assault. "It might not even be there anymore. I mean, it has been a long time," she said with a nervous chuckle. Carth was silent, but continued to glare at her. "Anyway, like I said, the entrance is somewhere in the Western end of the upper sewers."

Carth strove to count to ten, but his control broke at five. "Earlier you said it was the Eastern end. Now you're saying Western. Which one is it?"

"Ummm…One of the two?" Mission shrugged, and inched closer to Aminta and Zalbaar.

Carth took a deep breath. May all of the gods in all of the galaxies help me! There's two of them!

After much deliberation, and quite a few outbursts of anger and disagreement, Aminta, Carth, Mission, and Zalbaar decided to go east once they reached the Upper Sewers. Zalbaar had reasoned that since it was the first direction Mission had said, and Aminta backed it up by saying that she had a gut feeling on the matter. Carth was getting sick of her being right, but knew better than argue. Mission, for the most part, had put in her mouthful whenever anyone questioned her.

And so they had set off due east, with Mission guiding them in the front and Zalbaar protecting their rear. Apparently, Mission and Aminta had decided to take the time to become even better acquainted with each other's stories, and Carth decided to try and talk to the Wookie rather than risk hearing something that he'd have rather not known. Such as what they were speaking of at the moment: Why females weren't attracted to Rodian males.

The teenager frowned as she studied the walls, abandoning the topic until a later time. "Hey, I recognize this place," she informed the trio who were now giving her their full attention.

"I don't see a difference in this tunnel from the last one we were in," Carth observed, glancing around. In all honesty, they did all seem the same. Each tunnel had a metal floor, and rusting pipes with the occasional leak.

Aminta frowned lightly as she studied the walls. "Actually, there is a difference. These pipes are running in a different pattern than they were in the other tunnels," she corrected him, and glanced over at Mission. "Do you think that you can lead us to the base from here?"

Mission furrowed her brow in thought, and then her face cleared, her look of concentration quickly replaced by a smile. "You betcha! It isn't far away now! I remember exactly how to get there, follow me!" She exclaimed, before dashing off.

":Mission, wait! Something could harm you if you run off by yourself:" Zalbaar called after her.

"Well then, you'd better hurry up so that you can protect me, huh Big Z?" The girl answered over her shoulder, and Zalbaar hastened to catch up with the quick twi'lek.

Carth and Aminta burst out laughing, and Carth slung his arm back over Aminta's shoulders. Surprisingly, she didn't pull away at the contact. "Should we follow the kids again?" he asked with a broad grin.

"I think that we're going to have to run to keep up with them," Aminta replied dryly.

———————————————

"If the smell is any indication, I think that we've found our Rancor," Aminta choked out as she covered her mouth and nose with her hand. Similar reactions from her companions let her know that she wasn't the only one to be troubled by the smell. Why, even Mission looked a bit green.

"Yeah," gasped the teenager as she struggled to breathe past the stench, "We are definitely in the right place. Me and Big Z would never be able to forget how much one stinks. Zalbaar growled his agreement, and Aminta was amused to no end that a giant Wookiee could be overpowered by just the stench of a rancor.

Carth was the first to recover…well, somewhat, his skin was still tinged a sickly green color. "So, how do we get past this thing?" he asked, peeking out into the cavernous room. When he saw the pile of rotting corpses and bones, the green pallor of his skin deepened a few shades.

Mission chewed on her lower lip. "I've snuck past him a few times by using a stealth generator, but Big Z doesn't have that skill."

"Neither do I."

"I do," Aminta said, frowning in concentration. "Mission and I could sneak through to the base, and…"

"No! There is absolutely no way that I'm going to wait in this sewer and pace around while you're up there doing the dirty work!" Carth exclaimed, butting in to what she had been saying.

Aminta impatiently brushed a lock of stray hair back from her face. "You got a better idea, flyboy? If you have a better idea, I am most certain that I would be glad to hear it." Carth was tempted to argue with her, but then thought better of it when he glanced over to the Wookiee standing beside her…the Wookiee that owed her a lifedebt.

Carth was silent for a few moments, thinking. His hand strayed past a bulge in his pocket several times before it came to his attention. When it finally did, he pulled out a plasma grenade. He looked at Aminta and raised an eyebrow, and her face promptly broke out into a grin.

"You know, flyboy, you do occasionally have your uses." She pulled out a concussion grenade, and several frag grenades, along with a few more miscellaneous items. Carth wondered how she could fit so many weapons onto her person. "Now that was a good idea," she told him, her grin broadening. "Mission, Zalbaar, do either of you have any grenades?" She asked as she continued to dig through her pockets, finding a poison grenade.

"Geesh, Ami! You are a regular walking bomb!" Mission exclaimed when she saw the pile of grenades that Aminta had pulled from hidden pockets all over her body. Aminta laughed at the girl, and dug around through her pockets for more. Mission then reached into her own vest and pulled out two more grenades, and Zalbaar did the same, coming up with three.

Aminta knelt to the ground, and counted the pile. "Do you think fifteen grenades are going to be enough to get him down?" she asked as she pushed herself off of the floor. The standing trio looked incredulously down at the pile, and then back to Aminta. Somehow, the slight woman had managed to fit eight grenades in the hidden pockets of her amour.

"Definitely," Carth told her, looking back at the pile. "So, what's the game plan?" He asked, turning to face Aminta.

When did I become the leader of this operation? Aminta wondered, trying to ignore the stab of annoyance that the thought brought her. It must be my sweet and charming personality, she mused sarcastically.

Aloud she said, "I'm going to go in the rancor's den and throw the grenades at the thing. It'll be as easy as getting a green Deralian boy drunk on Tarisian ale."

"Is it true that Deralians can't hold their ale?" Mission cut in. It was so like the girl to pick up on the least important statement in a sentence.

"Nope. Not at all. We actually hold our ale better than most. I honestly have no idea where that expression came from," she confessed with a slight smirk. "Anyone have any objections to the plan?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.

"What makes you think that you can go in there alone?" Carth asked, obviously worried. Secretly, he was also slightly angry with himself for caring about whether the rancor wanted to use her as a chew toy or not.

Aminta rolled her eyes, but smiled at him. "Because whoever goes in there needs to do it in stealth. Only two of us here have that skill, and no offense, but you'd just be a hindrance. Unless of course you wanted to be the bait. Then you would be useful. Of course, I couldn't guarantee your well being…" Carth paled a little, and Aminta laughed. "And I'm a better candidate than Mission because I've had plenty of grenade target practice, and I'm faster." Carth still didn't look too pleased.

Aminta rolled her eyes, grabbed a handful of grenades, and ran into the rancor den before Carth could objects further.

Six explosions sounded, each followed by a particularly nasty roar and heavy footsteps that made the trio still waiting in the hallway shake with the impact. Aminta came running in after the sixth one, breathing heavily, and wiping a stray lock of hair back from her face. She put her hands on her knees, and bent over to catch her breath. When she finally could breather normally again, she let out a little laugh. "That damn rancor is more stubborn than I thought! He's giving me a workout out there."

"I'll take over for you!" Mission eagerly volunteered, reaching down to pick up a few grenades. Aminta quickly stilled the twi'lek's hand.

"I'm fine, Mission. Just needed to catch my breath. He'll be down in the next couple of shots," she assured the teenager before grabbing a few more grenades, and running back out. Once back in the Rancor den, Aminta considered her next move. She wasn't having mush luck with the hit and run tactic, and she couldn't think of another way to kill it.

The rancor roared, and charged at her. Suddenly, an idea struck Aminta, and she decided to go along with it. She didn't move from her position as it got neared her; rather, she firmly planted her feet and stood her ground.

Once it was less than five feet away from her, Aminta aimed at the creature's mouth and threw the grenade. The rancor stood still for a second as the explosion sounded, before it stumbled and fell. Aminta quickly dove out of the creature's path, rolling to break her fall. However, she didn't roll far enough, and she let out a scream as the beast fell on top of her.

Carth was the first to react, and ran out of the safety of the hallway as fast as he could. What he saw in the Rancor's den made his heart stand still. The rancor had collapsed, but Aminta was nowhere to be found. "Ami?" Carth stood quickly, and dashed over to where the rancor had fallen, searching for Aminta. Please don't let me find a body, he prayed to every god that he could think of. Finally, he uncovered an arm, and he had a sinking sense of familiarity, remembering the time not three years ago when he had unearthed his wife in so similar a fashion. He pulled at the seemingly lifeless arm so that more of Aminta was available to sight, finally reaching his hands under her armpits and dragging her from beneath the weight of the dead rancor's grasp.

Mission ran beside him, and stilled when she looked down at her friend. Aminta looked lifeless. Carth pulled the young woman onto his lap, and felt for a pulse, breathing out a sigh of relief when he felt one, albeit faint. He then put his head down over her mouth and nose to see if she was breathing, and he let out a little gasp when he found that she wasn't. "Her damn stubbornness is going to be the thing that killed her," he muttered under his breath as he performed CPR.

Mission stood behind him, tears running down her cheeks. "I shouldn't have let her go back out there! She was too tired! I should have gone, and made her stay behind!" she sobbed, and the sound grated on Carth's already frayed nerves.

"Shut up!" he screamed at the hysterical twi'lek before turning his attention back to Aminta. The girl was too scared to yell back at him, and she muffled the sounds of her weeping by putting her hand over her mouth. Carth immediately felt guilty, but he didn't dwell on it. Rather, he focused all of his attention on getting breath in and out of Aminta's body. Finally, she took a gasping breath on her own.

Carth didn't give her the space she needed to regain her breath, crushing her in his arms instead. He could feel her shaking against him, and he covered her mouth with his, kissing her for all that he was worth. It took a second for her to respond, but she did so eagerly, wrapping her arms about his neck tightly. When he finally drew back, she was no longer shaking, but staring up at him, her eyes wide.

Once the terror and immense relief had diminished, anger filled him. He sprung to his feet, grabbing Aminta by her forearms, and dragging her up with him. "What the hell did you think that you were doing?" He demanded.

A pale and trembling Aminta could barely speak, but she managed to begin to stammer out a reply. Carth quickly cut her off. "You could have been fracking killed! Do you like putting yourself in fracking impossible situations? You damn well should have taken Mission up on her offer!" He practically screamed at her, followed by several more choice words and curses.

Aminta finally managed to control herself, and looked up at Carth with a faint smile. "You know, you curse a lot when you're scared," she told him lightly, trying for levity.

Carth stared at her. "Scared? Scared? I was terrified! I was so terrified I nearly peed my pants!" he screamed.

Aminta chuckled and rested her forehead against Carth's, smiling slightly at his heavy breathing. "I could have gotten out of that on my own you know," she murmured, and Carth sighed sharply, the sound hurting Aminta's hear.

"Of course you could have," Carth muttered as he set her away from him. "Next time you do something that crazy woman, I swear I'm going to put you over my knee!"

Aminta smirked up at him. "Is that a promise, flyboy?"

"Aw, come on!" Mission exclaimed from across the room as she stalked over to the pair of them. "Get all lovey duvey somewhere else, will ya? When I'm not around!"

Carth flushed, and Aminta grinned at his embarrassment, deciding to push things a bit further. "Mission, if Carth and I feel like getting it on in a rancor den, we'll get it on in a rancor den."

"Aw, gross!" Mission exclaimed, and Carth flushed a deeper shade of red. Zalbaar growled out something that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle, but he turned his head when the trio turned to look.

————————————————-

Aminta swung her vibroblade around in an arc, and neatly sliced the head off of her attacker. She spared herself a glance back to see how her friends were doing. Mission was pretty good with her blasters; much better than a teenager should be. Zalbaar was handling himself wonderfully as well, not even needing his bowcaster to strike down his prey. Carth was holding up pretty well too… and he was even doing a pretty good job of keeping his face its normal shade when she walked by.

She had no time to think on Carth's embarrassment further as another Vulkar assaulted her, and she quickly gave him a deathblow to the chest. As the green twi'lek slid off of her vibroblade, an eerie quiet descended over the base.

"Lucky for us that most of the Vulkars are at their party, huh?" Mission asked, finally breaking the silence, an impish grin on her face. "They probably won't realize that this baby's missing 'till morning. And then they'll be too hung over to do anything about it!" She exclaimed as she hefted the heavy prototype engine into her arms.

Zalbaar quickly snatched it from her grasp. ":Mission! I thought I told you not to touch that! What will happen if you drop it:" He asked, protectively wrapping his furry arms around the prototype.

"Aw! Big Z! Just because I dropped that priceless crystal vase doesn't mean that I'll drop this."

":You forgot to mention the specialized computer hyperdrive, that porcelain figure you stole and dropped in the store, the…:"

"Geesh! Okay, okay, I get it! I'm not allowed to hold anything valuable!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting. After a few seconds of glaring, her eyes narrowed as she inspected Zalbaar. "Big Z, you look like you've got a bunch of tangles in your fur. You need a good brushing!"

Zalbaar stepped back, horrified. ":Mission! Wookies do not brush themselves! It is very undignified:" he exclaimed indignantly, glowering at the girl. Mission frowned and put her hand on her hips.

Aminta choked back a laugh, and covered her mouth with her hand to hide her growing smile. Carth was in a similar position, although a chuckle escaped him.

Mission and Zalbaar whirled around in unison. "Were you making fun of us, Geezer?" Mission demanded. A series of growls from Zalbaar let Carth in on what the furball was thinking. Both he and Aminta burst into laughter at this point, no longer able to control themselves.

Aminta grinned, as she stepped forward and took the twi'lek's arm. "You know, Mish, I think I could help you out with this whole brushing business. I actually happen to have a few pieces of pink satin ribbon with me. How are your braiding skills?"

Mission grinned impishly. "Pretty good, I guess, although I could always use a little practice," she said, casting a sly glance at Zalbaar. Zalbaar growled out a protest and a threat, but Aminta ignored him.

"If he objects to getting groomed when he's awake, we can always just sneak in on him when he's sleeping."

":I won't sleep for days now! And if I finally do, and find my fur braided, both of you will… Well, I'll think of something:" Zalbaar exclaimed angrily, tightening his hold on the prototype.

Mission winked at Aminta, and blithely continued. "Now, while we're in there, we should definitely brush those chompers of his. His breath is starting to smell like that rancor den that we just came through!"

"I have fresh mint, and cinnamon toothpaste. Which do you think he'd prefer?" Aminta asked playfully, both girls now casting teasing glances to Zalbaar.

":However will I manage:" Cried Zalbaar. ":I now have two Missions to deal with:"

Aminta and Mission burst out laughing, and Aminta wiped at the tears forming in her eyes. "Let's just hope that I don't turn blue and sprouting lekku. I rather like myself the way I am. Besides, it would be a shame to lose thirteen years growth worth of hair."

Mission rolled her eyes. "What is it with you humans and your hair? I'll never get it."

Aminta shrugged and gave the girl a broad smile. "I guess I am as attached to my hair as you are to your lekku," Aminta said as she headed towards the exit.

"Lekku and hair is not the same thing! Hair is dead stuff, and if you cut it off, it'll all grow back again. If you cut off a lekku, it won't grow back, and it would hurt as much as sawing your arm off!" Mission objected as she followed Aminta out.

Zalbaar and Carth were left alone in the room together, and they shared a long look. ":They are going to be the death of me:" Zalbaar cried mournfully.

Carth couldn't understand the words spoken, but the tone mirrored his own thoughts. In all honesty though, he was happy to see Aminta acting out a bit. Being bitter and sarcastic had got to take a toll on your health after a while. Maybe being a kid again would be good for her.

"Women," he said aloud with a slight laugh, and the two males hastened to join their female counterparts.

———————————————

"Zaedra has informed me that you recovered our prototype from the Vulkar base. I must say, I am very impressed with you," Gadon told Aminta as she stood before him at the Bek base.

"Nice speech Gadon. I did my job, now you do yours," Aminta replied, shifting her weight and crossing her arms over her chest. "Or are you going to go back on your word?"

"Such impudence!" Zaedra seethed, stepping forward. "I told you that she was nothing but trouble, didn't I Gadon?" she demanded, glaring at Aminta. "You should just send her packing right now!" Aminta smirked and raised an eyebrow at her, looking pointedly towards Zalbaar. Zaedra paled, and turned back to Gadon.

"Zaedra, calm down! She fulfilled her end of the bargain, and so I will fulfill mine," Gadon replied rather calmly. Due to their experience with the Beks, Carth guessed that Gadon had learned to deal with the paranoid twi'lek. "You may ride in the race, as I promised," Gadon said, inclining his head towards Aminta.

Aminta nodded. "When exactly is this race?"

Gadon looked to Zaedra. "About a standard week," the woman replied reluctantly, glaring at Aminta. Aminta grinned back at her.

"That's good. At least I'll have time to do a few practice runs."

"You might want to do more than a few! These bikes are very difficult to handle," Zaedra spat, and Aminta rolled her eyes.

"I know all about swoop bikes," Aminta replied smugly. "Anything that I do would just be a refresher course."

"You've raced a swoop bike before?" Mission exclaimed, cutting into their conversation.

Aminta let out a little laugh at her young friend's sudden enthusiasm. "Yes, I was quite familiar with swoop races. It was a… um… an outlet."

Mission's eyes grew wide. "Did you ever win?" She asked, her voice bubbling with excitement.

Aminta shook her head in amusement, and then nodded. "I wasn't a champion by any means, but I do hold several records on Nar Shadaa."

"Wow," Mission exclaimed, staring at the older woman in a new light.

Carth had been following the conversation, and couldn't help but to say something. "Hey, who said that you were going to ride the bike?" Carth demanded, and then steeled himself an argument.

Instead, Aminta gave him a small, sly smile. "You gonna come through on your promise flyboy?" she murmured softly, and Carth flushed when he remembered the incident in the Rancor Den.

Gadon smiled slightly at the exchange, and then he answered Carth's question. "Mission is too young to qualify for the races, and you are too heavy Carth. Aminta is the only one whom this would work for," he said, pointing out through logic why Aminta was the best candidate.

Aminta smirked at him and then turned back to Gadon. "So, when do you think I should come back here to practice?"

Gadon closed his eyes thoughtfully. "Three days. That way you'll have another three days to practice, and a day to relax before the race."

"Works for me." Aminta turned her back and walked out of the room. "Thanks, Gadon!" she called back over her shoulder, and Mission waved back enthusiastically.

"Are we going to the Upper City?" Mission grabbed Aminta's arm and stared at her with wide eyes.

"Yep. Our hideout is up there," Aminta replied casually, smiling slightly when she saw the grin that broke out on Mission's face.

"I've never been there before!" she exclaimed eagerly. "What's the apartment like? Are there lots of windows? Are they nice views? How many bedrooms are there?"

Carth held up a hand to halt the flow of questions with a laugh. "Easy, girl! It's an apartment, not a palace."

Aminta smiled at the pair. "In the order of your questions, Yes, Yes, one."

Mission stilled for a second. "Oh. I guess me and Big Z will get the couch then, huh?"

"What?" Carth turned to look at the girl in confusion. Where had that come from?

"I mean, you and Ami probably don't want to be interrupted and all…"

Carth sputtered, and Aminta raised a hand to keep him from saying anything. "What exactly do you think is going on between the two of us?" she asked with a broad grin and a wink in Carth's direction.

Mission flushed a deep shade of purple, and Zalbaar growled out a chuckle. "I-I-I… um, well, you know!" she finished rather lamely.

"We're not sleeping together." Aminta said firmly, and Mission flushed a darker purple before nodding.

"I…um…" Mission was spared from further humiliation when the sound of a chorus of little girl's crying caught Aminta's attention.

Forgetting all about their conversation, she hastened to the noise, and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw what was going on. A haggard looking woman, with unkempt blonde hair, and who was obviously heavily pregnant was bouncing a baby on her hip as a slaver was inspecting her oldest daughter, who looked to be no more than nine years of age.

"She's pretty enough, I suppose. It's a shame that she's been ruined. Davik likes virgins," the man muttered as he fingered a lock of the girl's golden curls. The little girl whimpered, and looked up to her mother, who seemed not to realize that her daughter was standing there. Aminta's throat went dry. The situation was so familiar that it was like looking into a mirror.

"How much will you pay me for her?" The woman demanded, tapping her foot in frustration. She jostled the baby on her hip so that the child began to cry, and she made no move to comfort it.

The slaver made no move to answer the woman's question, and instead turned his attention to the little girl standing next to her sister, who couldn't have been more than five. The little girl shrank from his touch, but that didn't deter him. "Is this one still an innocent?" he asked, looking the girl over with a critical eye. The little girl sniffled, and bit back a sob when he stroked her hair.

"Yes, she is! And the little one here is too, though I think she's a bit too young for Davik's taste." she said, gesturing to the crying baby that she held.

The man smirked at her. "She is for now, but if she grows up to be as pretty as your other daughters, I think she will suit Davik's tastes wonderfully, in time." he said as he looked over the baby. He seemed to think hard for a moment, before pulling out a wallet filled with credit chips. "I'll give you three hundred - a hundred a head," he announced as he began to count the credits into his palm.

"A thousand, and not a credit less!" The woman demanded, eyeing the man in an attempt to judge his reaction.

"Five hundred."

"Seven," she countered, and glared him down.

The man met her gaze for several moments before sighing, and counting out more credits. "Done."

Carth felt Aminta stiffen beside him, and he touched her arm with his hand. She was shaking. Before the slaver could pour the credits into the woman's palm, Aminta hurried over. "How dare you?" she cried out, standing before the woman, her face contorted with rage. "How dare you sell them? Are they property for you to buy and sell? No! They are children! You carried them inside you, raised them from infants, and now you decide that you don't want them any longer? You cannot sell them to this man! What kind of life will they lead in a harem?"

The woman glared at her. Her once pretty face was sunken with hunger, and her eyes held the glint of desperation. "Do not presume to tell me what I can and cannot do, stranger! I can barely afford to feed myself, and they are draining my income!" she shouted, pointing at the children.

Before Aminta could stop herself, she slapped the woman, hard. "Don't even try to justify yourself," she spat and turned to the little girls, who cowered away from her. The eldest one had the oldest eyes Aminta had ever seen, and she knew instinctively that the girl's childhood had already been stripped from her.

Aminta fought down the urge to scream and instead settled a glare on the woman. "I will pay you double his amount," she said hoarsely, looking the woman dead in the eye. "Fourteen hundred credits. That's four hundred and sixty a head, you realize. He is only offering you two hundred and thirty per girl."

Carth's mouth dropped open. "So much?" he whispered, and when she turned to him, the look in her eyes broke his heart.

"They are worth far more," she told him softly, before looking back at the woman. "Do we have a deal?" she asked, her voice cold and impersonal.

The woman's eyes glinted. "Show me the money before I hand them over. I have to be sure that I'm getting my fair share." She held out her free palm greedily, bouncing the crying baby harder, which made it only wail louder.

Aminta quickly pulled out her purse of credits, counting out half of what she owned into the woman's hand. The woman followed every movement that Aminta made, to be absolutely certain that she wasn't being cheated. Finally satisfied that she had all that she felt she was due, she thrust the baby at her. "This is Nailah," she said as she shoved the little girl into Aminta's arms, and then pushed the middle child towards her. "This is Raeanna," she said, and then pushed the oldest of her daughters to the younger woman. "And this is Vianka. They are your problem now," she told Aminta with a toss of her head, and scurried away.

"Mama!" Raeanna cried out, and went to run after her mother, but Vianka pulled her sister into her arms and held her there. Aminta felt her throat constrict, and she set about calming Nailah, who stopped crying the instant that Aminta spoke in soothing tones, and stared up at the woman, mesmerized. By all the gods and Galaxies! Did the woman not once show her daughters any affection?

When the two younger girls were quiet, Vianka stood, and addressed Aminta. "What are we to do in your service ma'am?" she asked as she dropped into a little curtsy, Raeanna clutching her hand with one of hers, and was sucking on the thumb of the other, great tears still pooling in her violet eyes.

Aminta handed the baby to a very awkward looking Carth, and she knelt down to the girl so that the two were eye level. "You are free. I didn't buy you, I want to be sure that you understand that," she told the girl softly. And then she leaned close to the girl's ear. "My father sold me to a man like Davik. I understand," she whispered so that only the girl could hear.

Vianka stared at the woman for a few seconds, tears gathering in her violet eyes and spilling down her porcelain cheeks. She then leaned close, and wrapped her arms around a crouching Aminta. Aminta hugged the girl back, and looked over the child's mass of golden curs to Carth, and was surprised to see that a glimmer of tears shone in his eyes.

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Mission smiled at the baby Nailah, and made faces at the girl that caused the baby to giggle. She had never been around kids before…at least not ones this little or cute. She was a street urchin, so the only other children that she met were just like her. It was useless to have friendships anyway. Most street kids were abducted or killed when they were on their own, and making a friend who dies just added an extra heartache.

Mission looked up from Nailah, and briefly turned her attention to the couch, where Aminta sat with the two older girls, telling them a story. Mission had never had the privilege of hearing fairy tales. Her parents had died when she was very young, and Griff… she didn't even want to think about that schutta. Looking at the children, Mission felt a twinge of jealousy.

What if someone like Aminta had come to rescue her and take her away when she was little? What if she was living in a wonderful family right now? Those thoughts caused her head to spin, and she immediately chastised herself. Geez, Vao! Get over it already. If someone had come to take you away, you wouldn't know everything that you do now…like how to pick locks, or win a game of Pazaak! Get a grip! She quickly turned her attention back to Nailah, and baby-talked to the child, earning her a toothless grin.

Aminta finished her tale, and looked over at Mission, who wasn't quite able to hide her discomfort. Aminta slid Raeanna off of her lap, stood up, and then plopped down next to where Mission sat. "So, Mish, are you out of your mind with boredom?" she asked with a smile, and then looked down at Nailah, whose face was currently scrunched up like a Kinrath pup's.

"I'm dealing." Mission said dryly, and turned her attention from the baby to Aminta. "Of course, you've got us to keep you occupied, so you can't be too bored."

Aminta laughed, and shook her head. "You'd be surprised." she looked down at the baby for a moment, and then grinned. "You might want to hand her over soon," she said.

Mission's eyes widened. "Why? She's adorable!" the teenager exclaimed before looking down, and tickling the baby's bare stomach. The little girl let out another gurgling laugh. Mission grinned, and continued to tickle Nailah, until she smelled something putrid. Quickly realizing the source, she pushed the baby into Aminta's arms. "Okay, you were right!" she exclaimed, backing away.

Aminta shook her head and grinned, but accepted the little girl into her arms. "I wonder when Carth and Zalbaar will be back with the groceries. They've been gone a long time," she said, looking down at her chronometer. She needed formula for Nailah, and she was acutely aware of the need for diapers.

"I don't think Carth likes kids. And Rae is afraid of Big Z, so he'd leave to keep her happy. I think they deserted us," Mission said when she saw the time. The men had been gone for two hours already.

Aminta grinned. "They wouldn't dare," she replied confidently, and snuggled Nailah against her breast. She placed a gentle kiss on the baby's head and then smiled at Mission. "After they get back, what do you say the two of us go and have some girl time?" Aminta asked, drawing a shocked stare from Mission, followed by a huge smile.

"Really? You mean it?" the teenager exclaimed. "Like cantina hopping and all that?"

"If all that includes shopping and going out to lunch, than yes," Aminta replied, shaking her head with wry amusement at the girl's huge grin. Mission quickly wrapped Aminta in a tight squeeze, though she was careful not to suffocate Nailah, who was cradled in Aminta's arms. Mission had never had 'girl time' with anyone before. Griff's schutta of a girlfriend certainly hadn't wanted to hang with a ten year old kid, and the Beks didn't have time to 'baby-sit' her.

"That would be so awesome! I mean, I've never been anywhere to eat but that cantina in the lower city, and I've never actually been able to buy anything from a store! And the shopkeepers wouldn't even let me window shop. They said that I might swipe something! Oh, I can't wait! I really hope the guys get back soon!" Mission gushed, unable to control her flow of thoughts.

Aminta chuckled. She had completely underestimated what Mission's response would be. "They'd better," Aminta said dryly. "Because if they don't get here within the next ten minutes, the two of them get to change Nai's diaper."

Mission plugged her nose. "Do all babies smell that bad?" she asked, practically gagging now that the subject had been brought back around to Nailah's present condition.

Aminta choked back a laugh. "You want kids one day, don't you Mission?" Aminta asked.

Mission raised her eyebrow at the apparent change of subject. "I'm a girl. Of course I do," she said cautiously, not quite sure where Aminta was taking things.

"Then you might as well get used to the smell now."

Mission made a face. "I don't think twi'lek babies smell as bad as human ones," she muttered as she disdainfully sniffed at the air, before covering her nose again.

Aminta just shook her head with a bemused smile, and looked over to where Raeanna and Vianka were sitting on the couch. "There's another way to fix a dirty diaper, you know," she told Mission with a grin. Mission looked at her inquisitively, and Aminta put the baby back in the teenager's arms, much to Mission's dismay, although she was unwilling to relinquish her new-found charge. "How long has it been since you girls have had a shower?" She asked the two children.

Mama didn't let us take very many. She said they were too 'xpensive," Raeanna said. Vianka looked down to her bare feet, saying nothing. The nine year old with exotic violet eyes, creamy complexion, and golden hair never said much. She spoke when spoken to, otherwise staying silent. Though so young, she bore the eyes of an old woman, and it broke Aminta's heart.

"Well, I think the two of you might need one," she told them with a kindly smile, although most of her attention was directed at Vianka. Besides the hug that the little girl had given her after their first meeting, the child had shied away from all physical contact. Aminta didn't want to think of what had been done to her. "Besides," she continued, "Nai definitely needs something done to get her clean."

Raeanna's face scrunched up. "I don't wanna bath. Whenever Mama gave me one, she's always got soap in my eyes. When I cried, she'd make me eat it," she said with a little pout. Vianka stilled beside her sister.

Aminta swallowed back her rage. All of the little things that the girls…well, mainly Raeanna… had mentioned about their mother reminded Aminta of a rancor beast. How could one woman be so cruel to her children? How could she bear to be so cruel? She wondered. She carefully put all trace of her emotions from her voice, and smiled at Raeanna. "I promise you I won't get soap in your eyes, okay?" she asked with a slight smile.

Raeanna appeared to be lost in thought for several moments before she grudgingly nodded. "Okay," she said, although she still pouted. Vianka looked like she would bolt from the apartment at any given moment, but she gave a slight nod of her assent to the situation before walking to the refresher with Aminta and her sister.

Aminta quickly set Mission to work bathing Nailah, something that the teenager did with much trepidation and reluctance, while she set about warming the water for the two older sisters. Raeanna smelled at the soap that Aminta had pulled from her bag, and gave the woman a huge smile. "It smells pretty!" She exclaimed, before taking another deep whiff of the exotic scent, getting some of the liquid up her nose.

Aminta laughed, and grabbed a tissue for the girl. "You're not supposed to breathe it, Rae!" she exclaimed with a grin, as she held the tissue up to the child's nose. "Blow," she commanded, and the little girl obeyed, relieved to have the stuff out of her nasal cavities. Aminta quickly disposed of the tissue, and felt the water coming from the shower to be sure it wasn't too hot or cold. Finally satisfied of the temperature, she helped Raeanna undress before turning towards Vianka. The child shrunk away from her, staring at her with wide eyes. "Vika, its okay," she reassured the girl, concern ablaze in her blue eyes. The child swallowed, but took a step closer to Aminta, allowing the woman to undress her.

Aminta's breath hitched in her throat when she saw the bruises that marred the little girl's back. Some were brand new, and others were just beginning to fade. Vianka hung her head in shame and looked away from Aminta, tears rising to her eyes.

Mission turned around to see what was going on, her eyes widening when she saw what Aminta was looking at. She stared at Aminta for a moment, before finally manage to regain her voice. "Ami…" she began, but Aminta had already begun to speak.

"Who gave those to you, sweetheart?" Aminta asked, barely able to keep her emotions from pouring into her voice. She suddenly entertained all kinds of horrible thoughts of what she'd like to do to the person who had done this to an innocent child.

Vianka furiously brushed away a tear, and sniffled. "Mama's friends," she said softly.

"Who were Mama's friends?" she asked, attempting to keep her voice cool, and nearly failing.

"They came over to see me. They hurt me a lot…" the little girl trailed off, and tried to check the flow of tears. "And then they'd pay Mama, and she'd hit me for crying," she said as she pressed her fists to her eyes to stop the tears from falling.

Aminta had a few moments where she didn't have any coherent thoughts. The world around her seemed to fade, and anger swiftly filled the void. Once she was finally able to see clearly again, she reached for Vianka, but the little girl jerked away, the fear apparent on her face. Aminta quickly took the little girl in her arms, and Vianka buried her face into Aminta's shoulder.

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Okay guys, another chapter finished, and in record time too! Anyway, Aminta is starting to open up to people! Let's get a collective Aw!