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The Hunt for Information
Part 2
Written by Sailor Bothawui
A loud laugh echoed off the building faces. "You trying to fool ol' Vinue? That can't happen."
Inga chuckled, looking at all the faces that had turned toward them with Vinue's outburst. "But it's true. This Twi'lek girl could not dance. I saw it myself, it was a horrible site."
The scaly male shook his head in disbelief. "And Ssuri had to teach her? Vinue isss greatly amussed. Ssshe can dance now?"
"Getting better with each week, it seems." The furred female ran a paw through her bright hair. "Is that the place? I actually haven't been in there for a couple of months."
The informant inclined his head. "Though, we will be going in the back way. Vinue and Sssava are clossse." Blue eyes darted over to the figure next to her. Vinue looked over to read the thought in her eyes and then chuckled. "No, not that way, friendss, like usss." He gestured between them.
Inga raised her eyebrows. "Sure." She lightly patted the taller creature with her paw.
The Barabel lead the Bothan through an alleyway toward the back of the bar. He rapped a simple rhythm on the door. Inga noticed an eye that stared at them for a moment through an opening before the door was slowly opened for them. A small frail looking creature bowed before leading them inside through a twist of hallways. She was surprised of how many rooms and hallways there were hidden from the public eye. They were then lead to a closed door, which the scaly creature opened and guided her inside.
Inga took the hint with his hand at the small of her back. She stepped inside and away from the door. Her long ears picked up mutterings from the two guys about seeing Sava. Vinue then stepped inside the waiting room and closed the door.
"Ssshe ssshould be here sshortly." He grinned, flashing his sharp teeth.
"You actually surprise me yourself." She smiled back and selected a chair to sit in from the array of furniture that had been placed around a low table.
"Ssurprissesss are good, never dull." He smiled, barring his sharp teeth. "Life would be boring if there were no ssurprissesss, sssecretsss." He selected a chair next to Inga's.
She smirked as her mind drifted to a certain Chiss and the game that he initiated. "That is true. Nothing to unravel, no adventure."
They both chuckled as the door to the room slowly opened. A woman stepped in and clicked the door shut behind her. She stood slightly taller than Inga. She had two antennae that were almost lost in the thick brown dreadlocks. Her sickly yellow skin was mostly covered by a blue dress. Her green eyes seemed out of place on her features as they were so bright and lively. Her brown lips swept into a smile as she welcomed her friend.
"Vinue, old friend, what brings you here?" She reached her arms out as the male stood up and crossed the space between them. She then embraced the scaly creature in a hug.
He kept an arm around the female as he gestured wildly with his free hand toward the sitting girl. "Sssava, thiss isss Inga."
The Bothan stood up and slightly bowed. "Good to meet you. Vinue has been anxious to introduce me." She slightly smiled as she stood up.
"Ha! I didn't know Barabels could blush!" She laughed as she reassuringly squeezed the poor male. "Well, now I don't have ta worry 'bout you my'dear. If this guy here trusts you, so do I. Please, have a seat and fill me in." She arranged her skirt as she took a seat across from her two guests.
"Inga iss looking for ssomeone. I would help her, asss I have done ssso many timess before, but thiss isss not in Vinue'ss territory." He gestured with his hands and then looked toward the furred girl.
Sava's eyebrows arched up as her green eyes went from the scaly male to the furred girl. "Who is this person that I might or might not know?"
"He is a Nagai male by the name of Saafir." Inga leaned forward in her seat.
The brunette leaned back in her chair, delicately resting her chin on her hand. "Saafir? I don't recall the name, what does he look like?"
"He is a pale skinned black haired and eyed tall humanoid. He has exotic black tattoos," said the bounty hunter as she propped her arm up on the side of the chair.
The brunette ran a slender finger over her lips. "Tattoos, yes, I do remember seeing some rather remarkable black ones. They contrasted so much with his milky white skin..." her thoughts trailed.
A few moments passed before Inga politely cleared her throat; the sudden noise brought the other female back into the present. The male chuckled as Sava put her hand up to her cheek. "Oh, dear. Sorry 'bout that."
"So I take it you do know him?" the furred girl said with a smirk.
The Balosar nodded her head. "Indeed. Never knew his name until now, thanks to you. Dealt with him a few times, death sticks, yarrock, pyrepenol, and other whatnot spices; nothing really personal, despite my heartfelt wishes." She emphasized her sadness with a flourish of hand to her breast.
Inga nodded her head. "So where could I find him?"
"Well... you might be able to find him in 'Winkee Na Yoka' or..." she tapped her finger against her lips in thought, "'Jee-Jee Yocola.' Those were the places that I knew he would frequent. Here's another tidbit you might find useful, he was sometimes seen with a pink haired male."
*A pink haired male? Why does that sound familiar?* the though raced through the Bothan's mind as she settled back in her chair. Remembering where she was, she quickly pushed the thought aside as she smiled. "Thanks for all that information. It is quite useful." She then eyed the sickly-looking female sitting across from her. "Is there anything that I might do for you? I don't want to feel like I cheated you."
"Me? Aw, darlin' no. If Vinue is willin' to help you, then it's no skin off my back. But if you even need anything spice related, come to me would ya?"
"I promise." Blue eyes imprinted the image of the female sitting in front of her so she could recognize her on sight, and then swept her eyes around the room. "Do you own this place? I thought the owner was a male."
Sava laughed. "No, oh no, I don't own this place. Goodness, I can't imagine owning a place like this, too much work. No dearie, I'm just a patron who has a little side shop," she winked.
Inga nodded with an understanding smile. Vinue chuckled.
Inga rolled her eyes as she witnessed the countless 'couple' stumble past her table fondling each other without reserve. She sloshed back part of her drink as she slouched more in her chair. Then the furred girl sighed as she looked at her chrono once again. "Almost an entire night and this Saafir never showed...once again. Five nights of sitting in here is almost too much to handle," she muttered to herself as she rested her head on her paw.
She felt the brush of a hand along her back as it came to rest on her shoulder; fur rippling down her back in response to the unsuspected touch. Her blue eyes slid to glare at the foreign hand, not that it would do much good.
"Here, let me make the night pass faster for you." The hand squeezed her shoulder as a human face appeared next to hers. Her nostrils picked up the smell of the heavy liquor he had been drinking, along with various spices that mingled together.
Inga jerked her shoulder from underneath his hand. "No thanks."
"But you must be here for a reason, lovely." He pulled up a chair and slid into it, close enough to brush against her if he so desired.
The Bothan scoffed as she refused to look the scruffy man in the face. "Go away," she growled.
The brown haired male reached up and ran his fingers through her arm fur and at the same time he found her thumb pushing into his elbow joint, increasing pressure every second.
He sucked in a breath that told of pain. "Now, I told you to go away. I think you better listen, you messed up stupa." She looked at the man square in the eyes.
When she felt his arm pull away, she released her hold. She watched as he nearly dumped his chair to back up and get away. Once he disappeared into the heavily drunk and high crowd, she downed the last of her drink and stood up.
Inga leaned heavily onto the little table as she let the room stop spinning. Her blue eyes slid around and took in the groping bodies around her. She swayed on her feet as she headed to the door.
"Enough of this poodoo." The hunter spoke to no one in particular as she stumbled out of the cantina and back toward the Embassy.
A single ray of light snuck through the drawn curtains and found the closed eyelid of the sleeping Bothan. The furred girl groaned and fumbled for a pillow to throw over her face. Once the light was thwarted, she sighed and let herself drift back to sleep.
Not a minute later, the hunter's door slowly opened and a pair of gray and green eyes peered through the opening. They saw the form under the blanket shift slightly then became still. The two faces peering in glanced at one another and then nodded. They gently pushed the door ajar to slide in.
The two females slinked toward the bed and prepared an ambush. The blond reached for the pillows and the blanket and the purple haired girl prepared to dive.
Then it happened. Once the dancer lowered the last finger for the countdown, the Nabooian yanked the comforts away as the Berchii wrapped herself firmly around the hungover Bothan all the while yelling, "Kitty!"
Inga yelped in surprise as she flung her eyes open, being jolted awake. She felt the tightening of the arms and legs around her and heard a giggling nearby. Her brain calmed her nerves as she finally was able to intake what had just happened. She then glared at the laughter shaken form of Ilié.
"I will kill both of you." She closed her tired eyes and grunted.
"No you won't! You'll do nothing." Suri nuzzled into the back of Inga.
"Then don't push me," the hunter growled.
"Poor Inga, she is hung-over and grumpy." The blond lightly sang her sentence.
Inga opened one eye and stared Ilié down. The girl didn't bat an eye, but smirked as she knew she won this round.
The furred girl sighed in defeat. "What do you two want?"
"Nothing really..." the dancer disengaged herself from the annoyed girl.
Ilié plopped down next to the other girls. "We just wondered where you have been the last two weeks. You haven't even told us not to bother you."
"We want to go with you! To, uh, wherever you have been going." The purple haired girl chimed in. "We know it's someplace good!"
Inga glanced from one girl to the other as she sat up; rubbing her arms against the sudden chill and looking longingly toward the items that were dropped on the floor. "It's just been random cantinas, nothing all that good." She yawned.
"Well, we still want to come. We miss having our girl time." The blond looked toward Suri as she pouted, seeing her pout as well.
The Bothan sighed as she looked at the two pouting figures. "Sure, why not. But we might go to a rough cantina, so be ready for anything." She then produced a jaw-popping yawn. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need some more sleep." She then grabbed the pillows and blanket and settled back down.
"No problem, see you tonight then." Ilié got up and walked toward the door, stopping once she realized Suri wasn't behind her. She looked back and saw the Berchii snuggling up with the furred girl. She smirked as she left.
"What are you doing?" The hunter's words were muffled by the blanket.
"I'm going to sleep." The girl sighed against the back of the other.
"You have your own bed." Inga yawned once again.
"Mmmhmm." A deep sigh escaped the dancer's lips.
"Mmmk." The girls drifted off to sleep.