Star Wars_ Millennium Falcon - James Luceno [35]
Jadak ground his replacement teeth. What had they left undone that seemed so urgent now? Why did he have to wait for his memory of the accident to kick in? Why couldn't Sompa just give him the details so he could move on?
Jadak stepped into sunshine beaming down onto Aurora's verdant grounds through scudding clouds. In the distance, luxury yachts were descending gently toward the facility's private landing field. Aurora even had its own fleet of ships. Patients—clients of many species— were emerging from airspeeders with tinted windows and being welcomed by security personnel, staff members, and droids. Some arrived with entourages of aides and servants. If there were celebrated or familiar faces among them, Jadak didn't recognize any. But how could he be expected to when most of the famous beings of his time were either dead or rejuvenated beyond all recognition? And what was a once disgraced swoop racer turned surreptitious starship captain doing among them, convalescing in a private room in one of Aurora's most exclusive wings?
The comlink Sompa insisted he wear on his belt chimed.
“Captain Jadak,” a droid voice said, “you are requested to return to Building One and report directly to Dr. Sompa's office. If you need assistance, simply state your present location and transport will be arranged.”
“I'll get there on my own two feet,” Jadak said.
He wasn't scheduled to meet with Sompa until later in the day, but the neurologist had an annoying habit of altering appointments, and the last-minute change in plans did little to improve Jadak's mood. By the time he reached the office he was wound up, but Sompa wasn't there waiting for him. In the reception area sat the most attractive female Jadak had ever seen, human or humanoid, and for a moment he wasn't entirely sure whether she was one or the other. Dr. Bezant, the Twi'lek psychotherapist, was a vision, but this woman—
“Captain Jadak,” she said, standing up and extending her hand. “I'm Koi Quire. With CH and L.”
In high-heeled shoes she was almost his height, and wearing a long skirt and a short jacket that hugged her torso. Her skin was tinged with gold; her eyes pale lavender, with a nictitating membrane. A rainbow of colors, her hair fell below her shoulders in curls and ringlets.
“CH and L?” Jadak said.
“Core Health and Life Insurance Consortium. I'm here to discuss your policy.”
Jadak shook his head in confusion. “I don't recall having any kind of policy with Core Life or any other company.”
Quire frowned and consulted a handheld data device. “I see the reason for your confusion.” She smiled, revealing snow-white teeth. “Let's find somewhere to chat, shall we?”
He followed her down the corridor to an unoccupied conference room, and they sat at right angles to each other at the end of a long table. Quire opened her carry case and set a computer between them, angling the display so that they could both see it. She called data to the screen and used the lacquered nail of her forefinger to enlarge one of the lines of text.
“The policy was taken out for you by a company called the Republic Group.”
Jadak stared at the text, then at Quire. “When?”
“Um, let's see.” She touched the screen and ran her finger under a few lines of text. “But that's impossible.”
“What?”
“The policy was taken out sixty-two years ago. But you …”
“I'm a lot older than I look,” Jadak said.
Her brows formed a V under curly bangs. “By perhaps fifty years!” She sat back in the chair. “I know what they do here at Aurora, but I had no idea—”
“Let's get back to the policy. Was it taken out on my