-1.05 BBY - When Sanis Met Cirr

[Saarrreeaa Raurrssaatta]

Saa kicked Cirrsseeto in the shin as she ran by, and dashed across the grounds in front of her mother and her manservants, laughing madly.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Ow!"

Cirr winced at the kick that Saa gave him, which was punctuated by Iesshaauurri giving his ear a brusque tug as she pulled him closer, speaking in Cizeri.

("Watch where you're going you clumsy thing! Go prepare Saarrreeaa's room so she can do her homework. Make sure she does it this time. I won't tolerate any horseplay from her, and especially from you.")

Cirr, recovering from the rough treatment, gave a nod to his mistress's demands.

("Yes Mistress.")

[Sanis Prent]

I frowned at the exchange unknowingly, seeing in person just a hint of the sort of treatment Taataani was so vexed about. It made sense now, thinking back on our first meeting. He had a sad look about him, and seeing a hint of his life here, it was easy to imagine why. A far contrast to Taataani's manservants, Cirrsseeto, under Iesshaauurri, was treated with some kind of distant contempt.

I didn't have time to think about it for long. Iesshaauurri put a hand across my shoulder and urged me along a different path. We moved along an outdoor path to a gazebo of a sort, commanding a view around well-manicured gardens and hedges. Already awaiting us were drinks, and Iesshaauurri, without pomp, gestured for me to sit, and I did.

She seemed to be loathe to speak basic, but lowered herself to deal with me. At least, that's how I took it. It was certainly uncomfortable to talk to her.

"Mjissterr Prrent, jyou've done adequate worrk for Taataani and mjysself. jI trrusst jyou fjind jyourr pajy acceptjible?"

I reached for a nearby snifter, pulling the stopper to find the unmistakable scent of Corellian Whisky inside. I started to get the feeling I was being buttered up in preparation for something, even if the Raurrssatta matron had the personality of an acklay.

"It's been good pay, Madam Raurrssatta."

I'd even learned to speak like one of them. Did I detect some amount of a smile that I was jumping through her little hoops?

"Too generrouss bjy mjy esstjimatjion, but jI thjink Taataani prreferrss to sspojil jyou. Neverrthelesss, jI have morre worrk forr jyou, outssjide of jyourr current contrract, and wjill pajy jyou even morre to do jit."

Prepping a tumbler with ice, and tipping some whisky into the glass, I laced my fingers together to wait for the ice to melt somewhat.

"I don't turn down work, Madam. What do you have for me?"

She made a gesture, and a manservant appeared from seemingly out of nowhere to press a datapad into my hands. Sometimes, I hated how they managed to do that. Giving the big servant a curt nod as I took the device, I began to thumb through it, at last taking a drink.

"Okay, you want to go to Muunilinst, and you want me to take you there...on my freighter?"

So there was a silver lining, at least. Taataani could barely stomach the notion of looking in the same direction as the YV-666. It seemed Iesshaauurri had no such distaste.

"jI have jimporrtant carrgo jI need deljiverred therre, and wjill come wjith jyou perrssonalljy to do jit."

Thoughts of why me began to fill my head, but I nodded along with her. After all, I was getting paid yet again. No reason to shrug that off.

"I'd be glad to, madam, but my ship is still in a, uh, transition phase. I've got a good two thousand credits worth of work to put into it for it to be ready for space outright."

Another manservant appeared, with yet again another datapad. I took that one too, and as I skimmed over it, my eyes shot up to meet hers.

"You're kidding me."

With an impatient huff, Ieesshaauurri sipped her wine and set it aside.

"Mjissterr Prrent, mjy tjime jiss to valuable to tojy wjith jyourr emotjionss. jIt'ss cheaperr jin the long rrun to get jyourr sshjip jin worrkjing orrderr, becausse we wjill need cerrtajin errrandss rrun jin the futurre. That, and jI thjink the parrtss and laborr on that sshjip arre morre than enough pajy forr thjiss tassk."

I nodded, probably a bit quickly, which betrayed my eagerness. The felinoid matriarch already knew she had bought me with that. She was nearly bored with this little encounter.

"jI've alrreadjy put mjy men to worrk on jyourr sshjip, jI knew jyou would agrree."

She gestured flippantly back to the landing pad.

"jIf jyou carre to ssuperrvjisse, jI have no furrtherr need of jyou todajy. jIf not, jI could alwajyss *fjind* a need."

Heh, I knew that look. I was already on my feet, whisky in hand.

"I'll go make sure things are taken care of on Layla."

Her face took on a bemused expression, no doubt finding my name for my ship to be borderline childish.

"Lajyla?"

I bristled a bit, taking another drink.

"That's a story you're honestly not paying me to tell, Madam Raurrssatta."

With no further demands from my second employer, I left the gazebo. Ieesshaauurri finished her wine, and looked mirthlessly at a manservant who appeared in my absence.

[Saarrreeaa Raurrssaatta]

"jI'm not dojing mjy homeworrrk." Saa stated, staring up at her mother's newest manservant. "jYou'rrre gojing to do jit forrr me."

She folded her arms tightly across her chest and stood firm, rooted into the thick carpets. "jIf jyou don't do asss jI ssajy, jI'll tell Motherrr that jyou hurrrt me."