Getting to Know You

Written by Sailor Bothawui

Inga grinned as she ran up the stairs. Her multi-colored hair flew behind her as she jumped the last few steps up to the third floor. She was ecstatic, she finally had money. Her last bounty was a good sum and she was eager to spend it. She spun and back flipped down the hall toward the girls rooms. The furry girl hopped onto her feet and knocked onto Suri's closed door. There wasn't an answer so she carefully tried her door and found it locked.

"Suri! Open up, it's your Kitty!" She leaned against the door as her long ears drooped. Still no answer.

She sighed and suddenly jumped up. She cart wheeled over to Ilié's door and knocked.

"Just a minute." A muffled voice was heard along with some rustling.

Inga kept her grin as the door opened. "Ilié! Come on, let's go out!" She reached out and grabbed the girl's arm, pulling her into the hall.

"Oh sure! Let me get ready." The blond reclaimed her arm and went back into her room. Inga followed.

"Please don't take as long as Suri. She can take forever." She plopped onto her friend's elegant bed and watched as Ilié looked through her closet.

"Where are we going?" She looked over her shoulder toward Inga.

The Bothan shrugged. "Anywhere our feet take us."

The former handmaiden looked back in her closet, took some clothes off hangers and took them behind her dressing screen. Blue eyes followed the figure behind the screen then let her attention flow over the design of the screen.

"I actually like the flowers and symbols painted on your screen." She sighed as she waited for her friend to dress.

"Thanks! It was a present from someone special." Ilié stepped out and twirled. "Well?"

Inga raised and eyebrow. "Uh, very pretty and elegant..." She eyed the wispy pastel shirt and ruffled white skirt. "Have anything, darker? Something more...durable? Something that might match what I'm wearing?"

The blond looked at her friend's attire: black pants, green midriff baring halter top, black wrist bands, brown belt pouches. She frowned. "Looks like your ready to brawl."

The bounty hunter grinned. "Ready for anything."

Ilié sighed and picked out a dark maroon scoop necked top and a black short skirt that layered over dark blue pants. "Weapons?" She asked as she went back behind her detailed screen.

"Can't go anywhere without them." Inga playfully shrugged then fell back onto the bed and stared at the white plastered ceiling.

Clacking down the street, blue eyes took in the sites and shops. "I've never been here before." She stopped and stared at a passing flashing billboard.

"See something?" The Bothan asked after she had to back track a couple of steps.

The blond nodded toward the advertisement. "Looking at clothes and fashions."

Inga eyed the brilliant sign. "You would wear that?" She made a sour face.

"Oh, you wouldn't understand." Ilié eyed the sign one more time, trying to imprint the fashions into her mind, and then turned back to the street.

"Guess not. I'm not as sophisticated as you." She stuck her tongue out.

Ilié lightly shoved her away, laughing. "I didn't mean it that way..." The furred girl playfully winked at her.

Inga suddenly pointed down the street. "Look! Let's go into that store." She grabbed Ilié's arm, pulling her along.

"Sure. Could we stop at a restaurant next? I'm really thirsty."

Inga readjusted her new knife hair pins.

"You can barely see them... actually," Ilié tilted her head. "You can't see them."

"That's the idea." The bounty hunter smiled then sipped her drink. "So are you and Race going out yet?" Inga looked coy.

The blond blushed. "No, w-we..."

"Uh, huh." A small chuckle was heard despite the noisy crowd.

"No really! I can't stand him!" Naboo pouted and crossed her arms.

"Surrre." The Bothan stirred her drink with her straw.

Ilié took a big swallow of her drink to calm down. "How about you?"

"What do you mean? Race? Yeah, right! We don't exactly see eye to eye." The furred girl leaned back in her chair as she shook her head.

"Not him!" She exclaimed possessively. Inga raised an eyebrow. "I mean, not Race, but anyone else? Do you have someone you're seeing?"

"Besides the one night stands here and there? Naw." A paw flapped as if she was shooing an annoying bug away.

"Do you have anything besides one nighters?" The tanned girl crossed her legs at the ankles.

Inga thought. "Well, one time I was with a male for about... three months."

"That's a short time, why?" Ilié widened her eyes.

"Never serious enough," she then sighed. "And also a liability. Anyone I care for, including you and the other senshi, are always liabilities."

"That's too bad." The blond frowned and absently stirred her drink.

"Comes with the job." The hunter shrugged.

Ilié sat back and looked around at her surroundings. "You know, when I mentioned getting a drink, I thought you would take me to a dark cantina."

Inga chuckled. "I drug you around in the lower levels, I thought you would enjoy more of what you're used to... and without fights."

The pleasant polite murmurs filled Naboo's ears and the clean and bright atmosphere soothed her eyes. "I never thought you would know a place like this, especially a place that served Naboo's native dishes."

Inga slowly smiled. "I know a lot even though it doesn't seem like it."

"I didn't mean..."

Inga raised her paw. "Don't worry about it. What should we do next? I still have credits I can blow."

Ilié thoughtfully tapped her chin. "If you want to leave the planet, I know this great holopark..."

"Consider it done!" Inga's blue eyes beamed with excitement as her ears perked up.

Laughter and screams filled long ears as she entered the gates after handing over her ticket. She looked around at the famIliés and couples that walked the grounds. A blond came up from behind her and took out a map.

"My favorites are the Upside and Lean House and the Fireglare Spectacular." She ran her finger around the screen. "The Haunted Dwellings are new, we should check those out as well."

Inga only nodded as she took a few slow steps forward. She tilted her head, as if she was hearing something that barely reached her ears.

"You okay? You said you've never been here to Asteroidome before, I guess it would seem odd..." Ilié turned to face the Bothan.

The furred girl shook her head, "I guess it was nothing, I thought I heard, or felt something.'" She suddenly smiled as looked over at the tanned girl. "Should we just start walking and go to whatever comes our way?"

Ilié smiled and started walking in the direction she knew would take her to her favorite attractions first. "Sure! I haven't been here in a while, but I remember most of what is here, unless they decided to change things."

"Looks like your Upside and Lean House is closed." Inga pointed to a big red and white sign that roped off the entrance. "What was it like?"

The blond sighed. "Well, you would enter this normal house and as you went through, the house would start to lean and at the end you would find the house had turned upside down. Hey! It was fun!" She saw the skeptical look from the hunter.

The Bothan started to walk away from the closed house. "Since we're on the subject, what's the Fireglare Spectacular do?" She looked ahead and eyed a line that was forming in front of some cliff looking things.

"It's a very bright and colorful firework show inside, it surrounds you entirely." The handmaiden caught up to the shorter girl.

"That sounds a little better than a turning house." She smirked. "I guess your new attraction is open, the uh.."

"Haunted Dwellings!" Ilié's face brightened as she grabbed Inga's arm and hurried her along. "Come on! The line is growing longer by the second."

A chuckled escaped Inga's lips as they lined up for the thrill. "I guess they are going to try to scare us? I've been in haunted places before, they aren't all that frightening."

The blond eyed her friend. "It's only for fun, come on, I thought you liked holoparks."

She raised her paws in defense as they took a couple paces forward as the line moved. "I do! Ok, fine. I was a little upset that the price to get in was so high." She sighed. "Sorry, I'll try to relax and enjoy myself."

Ilié scoffed. "Is all you think about is money?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

Blue eyes glanced over at the figure beside her. "Well, sort of. It is how I get by." She then playfully messed up the blond's hair.

"Why you!" She turned and ruffled the mutli-colored hair back. They both laughed as they smoothed out their own hair.

"Next!" a voice bellowed over the crowd. The line had moved faster than the two girls had thought.

"We are." Ilié spoke up.

"How many?" the operator asked.

"Two."

"Go one in, if you dare." The guy smiled broadly at them as they walked past.

"Creepy guys." Ilié muttered as she rubbed the hairs on her arms that had stood up.

They walked on past the entrance into darkness. The two squeezed through the hallway that had gradually narrowed until they came to a dead end.

"Dead end? That can't be right." Inga's voice echoed slightly. "Was there another way in that we missed?"

"I don't know." Ilié rubbed her eyes, but still couldn't see. "I think this would probably be a good time to tell you I'm night blind..."

"Oh yeah, perfectly timed." The sarcastic Bothan circled back and ran into Naboo, causing them both to squeak. "Well, we're gonna have to retrace our steps." She felt hands clasp her shirt. "I do hope that's you, Ilié." A confirmation was slightly heard.

They retraced their steps, Inga running her paws along the walls as they went back. "Hey, there's an opening here." The hunter ducked down and entered the small opening; she could feel the other girl doing the same.

They crawled down the small hallway until it emptied out into a large room. "Well, that was an interesting start." The furred being looked around at the large cave-like room. Stalactites and stalagmites were scattered throughout the room, an occasional drop of splashing water was heard.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Ilié murmured.

They walked through the cave, walking side by side, hoping the exit was on the other side. When they picked their way through the room and found an exit, two huge beings sprung to life, snarling at them. They both gasped as their instincts took over. A knife passed through one being, causing it to flicker. The two girls suddenly looked at each other, both were holding blasters aimed at the snarling creatures. They both began to giggle then laugh.

"Right, can't harm a hologram." Inga straightened up, putting her blaster back to its hidden place on her body and walking over to retrieve her knife. "I didn't know you had weapons." The hunter faced the handmaiden.

Ilié blushed and put her weapon away. "I usually do." She walked over to join the furred girl.

They both walked through the images, which caused them to fizzle out and reset for the next unsuspecting visitors.

"Admit it, you were scared!" The blond suddenly pointed a finger at Inga.

"Was not, I was just startled. There's a difference." She sniffed as they entered a room of mirrors. "*You* were defiantly scared." She countered.

"Not scared, just startled." She mocked the hunter. The tanned girl turned right and walked a few steps and ran straight into a mirror.

Inga smirked as she watched Ilié rub her face. She carefully walked forward and took a side step, bumping her shoulder into a mirror.

"Ha. We're even." She stuck her tongue out, which was matched with the other girl's, and the reflections of thousands of their tongues.

They held their hands and paws out in front of them as they slowly wound their way through the circle of mirrors. They then discovered a trap door in the floor located in the center of the mirror room. Inga knelt down and slowly opened it; Ilié peered out from behind her shoulder.

The girls dropped down and found themselves in a smaller bare room. The blond looked at the blue haired girl with a puzzled look. "I thought there was only supposed to be three rooms, we should be outside now."

"Who said?" Inga asked while she ran her paws along the brick wall.

"I heard it, from the ones behind us in line." The other girl looked up and saw the door was shut behind them. "Uh, I don't like this."

"Hmm..." The Bothan walked along the perimeter of the room. "It's all solid brick, nothing loose, no seams for doors or the like." She dropped down and started to inspect the brick floor.

The former handmaiden put her hands on her hips. "Ok, the fun's over. What do you want?" She projected her voice so anyone could hear.

Inga looked over at her with a sharp look and hissed, "What are you doing?"

"There's nothing here, we can't get out," she looked down at her squatting friend. "You said so yourself."

The beaten girl shrugged her shoulders and sat down. "Right."

A low sigh reached the girl's ears, it soon turned into a slight chuckle. "Lookie what I caught! Not anybody could have discovered this here room. What shall I do with yous?" The girl's cringed from the scruff voice. The owner of the voice slowly materialized.

Blue eyes watched as a hunchbacked figure came to settle in the middle of the brick room. His clothes seemed to hang on his slender frame, stringy hair showed baldness underneath, and his skin was a dark brown, almost crispy. The girl's gave one look and scrunched up their faces involuntarily.

"And what are you?" Inga asked as she stood up next to Ilié.

"Hehe, I ams what I ams." His grin grew as he stepped toward the other two beings.

The blond threw her hand up to her nose, "Ugh! I thought I smelled something disgusting."

The Bothan crinkled her nose. "Well, Mr. Stinky..."

"I's not Mr. Stinky!" He threw a frail hand in front of him, sending a wave of noxious gas toward the girls, knocking them over and resulting in gagging.

After retaining her composure after gagging, Inga took her knife and cut her pants away below the knee. She tied the strip of cloth over her nose and mouth and handed the other to Ilié. She took the strip and did the same.

"Now to transform." They nodded their heads at each other. Inga pulled out her black gem as Ilié pulled out her white henshin stick.

"Bothawui Planet Power Make-Up. Naboo Planet Power, Make-up!" The girl's voices chimed in together. A black and greenish blue mist engulfed the two and then disappeared, leaving the senshi.

"We are Sailor's Naboo and Bothawui, here to stop you're vile stench from leaking everywhere!" The senshi posed and harmonized perfectly.

"Not easy prey nows, I's upset." He frowned as he started to wave his hands in front of his body.

Sailor Naboo raised her hand and her peacock green talisman appeared in her hand. "Hope Blossom Maelstrom!" She called out as she hid her face behind her unfurled fan.

"No! Me no sees, not very nice for prey." The foul guy whined as he was blinded by white flower petals.

"Alright Naboo!" Bothawui leapt at the chance that was given to her. She quickly delivered a flying kick to the stinking figure and followed through with her fist. She then jumped back out of range of any melee attacks.

"Not nice! I's mad now, me get yous!" He swung through the air blindly and then focused on completing what he had begun earlier. "Yous be sorry."

Bothawui suddenly gagged and collapsed to the floor, becoming sick despite the fabric over her nose and mouth. Her body tried to throw up, but ended up dry heaving. "Naboo...need...fresh air..."

The stench was starting to permeate toward the blond senshi. She coughed then opened her fan once more and started to clear the revolting odor away, giving untainted air to her ally.

The furred senshi gulped the needed air. "Sorrow Dagger." The called weapon formed in her right hand as she stood up.

He backed away once he noticed what she held, hands up in front of his body trying to protect himself. "No, yous..."

She plunged the dagger deep within his body and rejoined Sailor Naboo at her side.

Black tendrils wrapped around his hunched body as the dagger disappeared. He then started to cry as he collapsed onto the floor. He trembled with sobs as he slid onto his side, unable to resist the emotions that overwhelmed him. The girls blinked as the room and his body faded away like nothing was there in the first place.

"Huh, that's never happened before...but I guess sorrow and sadness can kill." Bothawui shrugged.

"If he's never experienced it before, sure." Ilié took the place of Sailor Naboo.

"I wonder where all these beings keep coming from." Inga powered down and then shrugged once again. "I'm hungry, let's go find something to eat."

"You? Hungry? After you got sick from that horrible stench?" She stared at her friend.

Inga threw up her paws, "Yeah, battling makes me hungry..." she raised an eyebrow at the blond. "And, if I'm not mistaken, I just heard your stomach gurgle."

Ilié blushed and walked back toward the main paths of the park. "How about a Neuvian sundae
then?"

"I think I will get a nerfburger first then maybe something sweet later, maybe an air cake or a Hoth cone." She navigated using her nose to locate the food stand.

A few minutes later they had found a suitable bench to rest their feet and enjoy their selections. Inga started to scarf her nerfburger and Ilié was savoring her bowl of Corellian stew.

"This is delicious," the blond managed between bites. She dunked the bread end into the reddish brown broth and took an unladylike mouthful out of it, sighing in content.

Inga crinkled her nose at the girl's selection. The stew had a horrible spicy odor. "What happened to elegant Ilié?"

"Stew is not altogether, unladylike," she said, gathering some of the broth onto the spoon.

"Just your behavior..." The furred girl grinned.

The former handmaiden suddenly smeared the spoonful of stew across the Bothan's mouth, laughing.

Inga licked her lips, then her eyes widened. "Ah! Spicy!" She quickly took a big gulp of her beverage and then smacked her lips. "But that is good."

"Mmm," Ilié mocked finishing her meal.

The hunter quickly finished her burger and tossed its container into the nearby trash receptacle. "Today was fun, despite the minor setbacks." She leaned back against the bench and closed her eyes.

Silence grew between them. Ilié tapped her foot, finishing her stew with the rest of the bread. There was something that was bugging her and she was trying to figure out how to bring it up. "Hey, Inga," blue eyes looked into her empty bowl, "you wouldn't really collect that bounty on Race...would you?"

The Bothan lifted an eyelid to look at the blond. "You know, you're a bad liar," she chuckled.

"You might be surprised," Ilié sighed, taking a sip of her drink.

Before Inga closed her eye once again, she caught a glimpse of Ilié winking at her.

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