**Attention passengers and crew of the Lady's Favor, this is Captain Botwin.  There is no cause for alarm.  What you just felt was a small meteoroid impact along our port side.  Hull integrity is nominal and there doesn't appear to be any damage to main systems.  We will continue on our course for Overnale Prime and expect to arrive safe and sound in three days, right on schedule.**

That was two weeks ago.  True to Botwin's word they did arrive on schedule.  Unfortunately, what the good captain failed to mention was that the "small" meteoroid was some ten meters in diameter and that it had fairly destroyed one of the jump initiators.  Lady's Favor wasn't going anywhere for a good two months while repairs were effected.

So it was that Keese found himself standing in an Imperial Bank kiosk, trying to figure out his finances.  His passage aboard the Lady's Favor was supposed to take him all the way to the Imperial colony in the Mille Falcs system.  The terraformers there had discovered a plant which was found to have compounds that aided in combating dehydration, not surprising given that only 20% of the planet was covered in water.  Nobody had yet done a comprehensive study of the plant, something Keese hoped to do.

It was a long trip from Glisten with only the one stop in Overnale to pick up cargo for the colony and the Scout and Naval bases there, primarily agricultural cargo.  Keese had enough credits for a middle passage on another ship - Botwin was kind enough to offer prorated refunds - but the next ship travelling to the Mille Falcs system with an open stateroom wasn't due to leave for another three weeks.

Keese looked at his financial picture and calculated the costs of food and lodging for three weeks.  The picture was grim, like Dorian Grey grim.

The Vargr assessed his options.  He could spend the money he had while he waited for the next ship, which meant travelling on a low passage.  The thought of being cryogenically frozen in stasis for several days had ittle appeal, particularly given the hair loss associated with cryogenics.  He could abandon his sabbatical and return to Glisten immediately, hoping to recover his position as a research fellow.  There was always temp work on Overnale Prime, he considered.

On a whim, Keese walked to one of the downport's visitor's welcome stations.  The menu layout was thankfully similar everywhere in the Imperium.  A quick search on medical jobs turned up several potential position for which he'd be qualified, but the vast majority of them were permanent positions.  The Imperial Navy was looking for qualified doctors to supplement their ranks of medical officers.  Interested applicants should report to the Imperial Naval base on Mille Falcs, Keese noted with none of the irony lost.

In any event, he needed a place to stay and house his belongings so he wasn't carrying around his luggage everywhere he had to go.  The visitor's computer listed his options and Keese decided on the downport's main hotel.  There was a hostel in the town-sized public zone of the port, but with a case full of medical analysis equipment, he thought a private room would be best. 

The monorail was very pleasant, and it poitely dropped Keese off right in front of the main hotel tower.  The Overnale sun was bright in the sky, sending enjoyably warm rays down between some thick clouds which looked to be trying to decide if they should gather or not.  Indecisiveness aside, the very tall hotel tower looked to be ready for the weather with its modern exterior sleekness and covered elevated walkways.

About twenty minutes later, Keese was in his room.  The case of instruments was in the corner and the vid-com unit was explaining what visitors could expect from Overnale weather for the next few days (the clouds had decided to rain much later in the week). 

He was about to start unpacking when the door chime sounded.

The young Vargr lifted his head and his ears pricked. Had he left some piece of equipment unclaimed? He padded over to the door and slid it open.

"Yes?"

A female human of roughly thirty years of age, perhaps less, stood outside the open doorway.  She was dressed in white, stylish clothing including a mid-length coat and she carried a matching bag.  She had brown hair done just so and very large, deep brown eyes that seemed to take everything around her in at once.  Most everything about her struck the Vargr as expensive, or perhaps just high maintenence.

Her voice was a sweet liquid but it was poured in a strong, confident tone that brooked no suffering of fools despite a pleasantly alluring sheen.  "Are you Keese?"

The doctor blinked black on black eyes. "Yes, I am."

She said nothing for a moment, merely stared at him with those penetrating eyes.  After the moment drew long, she bit down on a sigh and asked with a patience that never touched her eyes, "May I come in?"

"Are you injured?" Keese asked immediately, stepping aside and gesturing with elegant clawed fingers for the woman to come inside. He could smell no trace of infection or illness, but that meant nothing. "Please sit if you like," he indicated the little table with two chairs near the window. "Symptoms?" he asked as he went for his diagnostic kit.

She entered slowly, looking about the room as though having difficulty believing she were there.  She traced a finger along the top of the chest of drawers and then studied her fingertip before rubbing it against the other four in a gesture meant to dispense with any grime that may have been present.

"I am not ill, that I know of," she replied to his questions in an accent Keese had yet to place - Sword Worlder maybe, but heavier. 

She trained her eyes upon him, pinning him with them like a fly to a specimen book.  "I am here with an offer of employment.  You are seeking temporary work as a doctor, yes?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Keese ceased his rummaging, one ear twitching at the intensity of the humans gaze. He straightened, reminded himself that it was foolish to be so intimidated by someone so easily so quickly, and then cocked his head in surprise at her question. All he'd done so far was run a few simple searches at the spaceport - he'd not put his name out there yet.

Keep both ears up, there's something unusual here, he told himself.

"I am," he replied. "But how did you know this? I've just arrived on-world but hours ago." 

She smiled a knowling half-smile, her first sign of blood in her veins.  "I have my sources, Doctor.  Needless to say your reputation preceeds you.  I hire only the best and from what I have found - and for what I need - that would be you."

Keese nodded. He was very very good, after all.

She studied the single chair in the room and then looked about for an alternative.  She seemed to discount the bed and then perched herself with delicate grace on the edge of the chair with a bit of resignation.  Her purse she placed on the table next to her.

"Will you listen to my offer?" she inquired.

"Of course," he replied, settling upon the edge of the bed, tail curled around him. 

With no preamble, she explained her need.  "I am a woman of significant wealth and...not a few quirks.  One of my many idiosyncrasies while travelling is requiring a doctor to be available to me at all times.  My usual doctor has become unexpectedly unavailable, and so I need a replacement.  I would like to hire you to be my personal physician while I am on Overnale Prime, expected to be a period of no more than three weeks."

Her delivery was a symphony of rising and falling tonal waves that both soothed Keese and drew his focus.  This was obviously a woman who knew how to tailor her speech to her audience and purpose. 

"You will be required to move from this..." She looked about once more with disapproval.  "...room... to quarters near mine at the Imperial Suites.  You will be on call at all times.  If you wish to leave the downport you must first speak with me, otherwise you are free to spend your time as you see fit so long as you are constantly available.  I will cover the expense of your living arrangements and provide you with a salary of one hundred credits per day.  That is my offer."

Keese thought about this for a moment. "I will need your full medical history, including any and all of the latest updates made by your prior physician." He thought some more. "I will need to know your quirks." And another pause. "I will want to perform my own tests as regarding your current health - a physical, as you call it, immediately. Today if possible." His ear twitched. "Provided all of these things can occur, I am at your service madam. Your terms are very reasonable and I see no reason I could not meet them." 

"My medical history, including the results from my last physical conducted but two days ago, will be provided once you are established in new quarters.  The only quirk I have of a medical nature is the one which requires your employment."

She placed her purse onher lap and rested her well-manicured hands upon it.  "I pay far more than is necessary, Dr. Keese, because along with your medical skills I also demand discretion and no questions asked.  Do you think you are capable of working under those conditions?" she asked pointedly.

Keese cocked an ear. "Provided you do not require anything of an illeagal nature, I see no reason why I couldn't attend you. What we discuss regarding your treatment stays with us. This is how these things have always worked. I will surrender all files created about you to you when leaving your service, along with proof of data destruction, of course."

He looked at his luggage. "I'm glad I didn't unpack. What is your medical quirk?" Humans. They said Vargr were confrontational, and yet they played games with words as sharp as any coursair rapier. He stood and clicked his teeth together twice in amusement. "When shall we depart?"

"You will depart immediately," she replied as she stood and slung her bag upon her shoulder.  "Present yourself at the front desk of the Imperial Suites and you will be shown to your arranged quarters.  There you will find everything you need including a contract with the terms we've just discussed.  You'll need to endorse it before the medical records will unlock."

On her way towards the door the woman stopped and looked Keese up and down one more time, a very weighing-and-measuring type look.  "Thank you, Doctor," she offered before walking to the closed door and standing by it expectantly.

Keese nodded and rang for a porter to come and pick up his belongings, requesting a transport to the newer accomodations at the same time. No, everything had been satisfactory, he told the clerk, he'd just need to be moving due to a change of plans. He thanked the polite man on the other end of the line and gathered up his briefcase and diagnostic kit. "It's nice that the rain won't be until later this week, yes?" He asked his new patient.

But she was gone.