Scene 17 – With Somebody Who

Vacy recognized the blind fury that tightened Corso's features; she'd seen it in another. It never ended well, and it wasn't going to take long for management to notice that there was a distinct shortage of dancing girls out around the tables in the room. So she ducked forward with a little laugh, trying to redirect his attention. And bless him, the man did try. But clearly, more drastic measures were needed.

So she kissed him.

He tensed, which she kind of expected – it was Riggs, after all – but then he slid his arms around her waist, pulling her against him, and his lips parted, ardently returning the kiss, and desire shot through her, and the plan for a smooch and a quick escape was obliterated by the base need to have him touch her – more – again –

When he broke the kiss, it took a few moments before she noticed anything beyond his smile. She shivered, for in that smile she saw the hopes she'd tried to smother, shining brighter than ever.

Focus, girl. She broadened her smile and purred, "You take me backstage, yes?"

He bent slightly and scooped her up behind the knees like it was nothing. Off-balance, she gasped, clinging to his shoulders. But as he carried her through the room, he held her snug against him, and she relaxed in his arms.

"Riggs?" Vacy kept her voice low to try to avoid attracting attention. "Did you break that man's nose with your face?"

He chuckled, and the sound thrummed through her. "He deserved it. But…" They ducked behind the heavy curtain that separated the main room from the backstage area, and he set her down gently. "Captain, thanks for not lettin' it get out of hand. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't…." Corso blushed. "Sorry about that, by the way."

Vacy lifted a brow. "Riggs, that was a fantastic kiss, so if you ever again apologize for it, I will shoot you." She leaned close. "And I will shoot you right above the thigh, and I will make sure that I, personally, am the one to strip you down and dress that wound," she purred.

Corso's blush deepened. "Well all right then." They hurried along the hallway, turned a corner, and Vacy gasped. There in front of them was a middle-aged twi'lek woman, bound and gagged. Dropping to one knee, Vacy grabbed a vibroknife from her boot and slashed the woman's bonds. "What happened?" she asked. "Who did this to you?"

"He did!" cried the woman, pointing past Vacy.

Flashy was out of his holster and in her hand as she whirled around, ready to fire. But the only one standing anywhere behind her was Corso. Vacy frowned. "Riggs?"

He lifted his shoulders. "Didn't think the others'd be too comfortable with her along," he said. "She was the one who was responsible for the dancers."

Vacy froze as this sank in. All expression vanished from her face as she turned back to the woman. With deceptive calm, she asked, "How could you do that to your people? To your fellow women?"

"The men who own the club – they are the monsters! I kept those girls safe from them," the twi'lek babbled. "As long as they bring in lots of money, the owners are happy." Still crouched on the floor, she scrambled backward. "I did what I could – I had no other choice!" she pleaded.

Sliding forward, Vacy jammed Flashy's barrel under the woman's chin. "Those aren't reasons. They're excuses," she replied smoothly.

"Captain, they likely would've killed her if she'd refused," Corso broke in. "And we gotta get – there'll be guards coming after us any second, and we've gotta let Arri know we're ready to hold them back so's the van can leave."

His voice broke through Vacy's fury, though all she did was blink. And in that moment, the scene shifted, and she was no longer looking at a twi'lek, but at another woman who had begged for her life. "Do not mistake this for mercy," Vacy said, re-holstering Flashy. "He's right; we've got to go, and so I simply don't have the time to treat you as you deserve."

The Mirialan leaned even closer to the other green-skinned woman, their faces inches apart. "Run and hide," hissed Vacy in a voice barely over a whisper. "And make sure you hide well, because if I ever find you – and if you mix with slavers again, I will find you – I will start at the ends of your lekku and cut them off in two-inch slices, fry them in butter, and feed them to you one slice at a time."

The twi'lek, her face a significantly paler shade of green now, dashed away.

Vacy stood. "Let's go, Riggs."