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Standing, she padded over to Mace on her bare feet “Here’s your datapad”

Without looking at her, he took it and slipped it into his back pocket He didn’t even check to ht—he was useless with tech

“I wiped it clean for you,” she said

He grunted

“Aren’t you going to askFriday’s alive?”

His shoulders tensed as he realized the weapon he’d handed her “Did you?”

She sighed “I should have”

His shoulders relaxed But he wasn’t off the hook yet

“There’s still the issue of my parents,” she reminded him

He ran a hand through his hair, a sure sign that he was uncoer It was all a bluff”

“What?” The word barely made it past her lips

“My teaed for the place, but even if you hadn’t agreed to help us, they would have walked free anyway Unharmed”

She’d been conned? It was adding insult to injury, and she reacted without thinking, striking out and kicking hi was made of titanium

“Argh!” She sat down hard to cradle her bruised toes

“What the hell, Keiko?” Mace crouched beside her to check out the dah that other people are out to hurt you? Do you have to add to it yourself? You need to think before you do things, woman”