|
The 220-Ton Powder Keg
| |
| Karth_DeQora | Date: Monday, 17 Sep 2012, 5:13 PM | Message # 1 |
 Colonel general
Group: Administrators
Messages: 1157
Status: Offline
| Continuation of Like Riding a Swoop... ))
He must be dreaming, he has to be. That thought was eating away at Karth as he lay there, Daneira's raven hair cascading across his chest. She had only just fallen asleep a few hours ago, he reckoned; neither of them had done much sleeping that night. It was strange how content he felt, as if one night could redeem ten years. He cast a hesitant glance at the small chronometer resting on the night-stand, curious as to how long he'd laid there, watching her chest rise and fall peacefully. He couldn't begin to register just how beautiful she was, even while asleep.
5:37 A.M.
Sighing, De'Qora's gaze settled, once again, on the ceiling. The room was dark, mostly, some blue-tinged light did filter in through the half-closed viewport. Dani's chin rested comfortably on his chest, her breath warming his cold skin. His mind continued to replay the moment over and over, as though it was a long-lost memory from a past life. In just a few short hours everything had changed, his world experiencing yet another sudden, albeit pleasant, twist. There were still issues, stars were there issues, but the former Jedi no longer found himself treading emotional water. There was a certainty to be gleaned from this night, ten years without each other hadn't weakened their love for each other. Their connection, sure, but not the underlying feelings that had caused their lives to intertwine. Hell, if Karth wasn't the cynical man he was, he just might think fate had finally thrown him a bone.
He looked back to the chronometer. 6:18.
"Shit.." he muttered, it becoming quite obvious to him that sleep wasn't coming that night. Far too many thoughts crammed into a brain that never shut off, Karth expected that with Dani around he wouldn't have a good night's sleep in quite a while. And yet, as he watched her sleep--his fingers lazily brushing locks of silken hair away from her cheeks--he knew that he would be quite alright with that notion.
6:33. "Screw it." As quietly as he could muster, Karth slowly attempted to slide out from beneath her. She must be exhausted, and not just physically. The last thing he wanted was to wake her. Though the idea of actually being apart from her killed him already, something deep within him continued to reassure. She's not going anywhere, you have time now..
Man, Myth, Administrative God. Also plays a mean kazoo.
Jace Varitek: In Northern California we just have gangs of vigilante interior decorators.
|
| |
| |
| Daneira_Farris | Date: Monday, 17 Sep 2012, 5:49 PM | Message # 2 |
 Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 73
Status: Offline
| Daneira hadn't slept well in years, save for the one night on a half broken down sofa with Karth weeks ago. And night after night it had always been the same nightmare, and it had startled her awake panting and in tears. But tonight was so different, their extracurricular activities aside, Dani had actually fallen asleep and stayed peacefully asleep against Karth's chest for hours.
The beat of his heart soothed her, the rise and fall of his chest from breathing did as well. She was completely content, and completely exhausted. Dani's fingers curled around his waist as she kept herself close to him throughout the night. She was unaware that he couldn't sleep, or she would have surely been awake with him; laughing or talking, making up for ten lost years until they were so worn down that their eyelids wouldn't stay open.
She didn't flinch when he started to slide from the bed, and she simply turned onto her side and curled around the pillow. It wouldn't take long though, with the absence of even their weak connection for that few moments, the calm that she had felt dissipated completely. And that same nightmare rumbled through Daneira's mind; the battle, the sounds of blasters and smells of burning flesh, the flash of azure lightsabers, then the explosion, and her scream, and finally the river.
Dani woke herself shouting Karth's name, tears in her eyes, and her heart nearly pounding out of her chest. He was here, he was right there, and she could see him. In her mind he kept dying in front of her eyes, and she wondered when that pain would stop. How long would it take to realize that he was always going to be there when she woke.
|
| |
| |
| Karth_DeQora | Date: Monday, 17 Sep 2012, 6:01 PM | Message # 3 |
|
Colonel general
Group: Administrators
Messages: 1157
Status: Offline
| In those precious few moments where Dani had clung to the last vestiges of her peaceful sleep, Karth had stumbled, wearily, into the refresher. His normally-kempt hair was quite a mess, matted to his forehead and angled in some gravity-defying ways. The bags under his eyes had darkened, the result of a night spent contemplating his good fortune. A thick layer of black stubble had started to form as well. In short, the man looked like shit; not that his looks ever really bothered him. He was a warrior first, hardly vainglorious or finicky. Yawning idly, De'Qora clumsily stumbled over to the sink, flushing his eyes and face with cold, questionably-sanitary water before he heard her shout.
His deep-set eyes widened, and as Karth stumbled out of the 'fresher to check on her, his foot collided with the night-stand. To his credit, he remained calm, though he could have sworn the damned thing was made of duracrete. His entire leg shuddering from the pain, he breathed through it and settled down at the edge of the bed. His hand fell down to her cheek, cupping the soft skin and rubbing his thumb there lightly, an unspoken reminder that he was, in fact, alive and right there with her. "Bad dreams again." It wasn't a question, but a statement, since their trip began he had heard her nightmares from her adjacent cabin on several occasions.
Man, Myth, Administrative God. Also plays a mean kazoo.
Jace Varitek: In Northern California we just have gangs of vigilante interior decorators.
|
| |
| |
| Daneira_Farris | Date: Monday, 17 Sep 2012, 6:31 PM | Message # 4 |
|
Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 73
Status: Offline
| All Daneira had to do was nod some as she leaned into his touch. "I'm sorry." She murmured before she lifted her free hand and touched his that was on her cheek. "It's going to take some getting used to, I think." Dani finally looked up to him and brushed the tears from her eyes. This was markedly more comforting than all the times she had awoke over the past decade, alone and usually in the vastness of space.
Dani clutched the bed sheet around her form and let out a low sigh before she slid herself into his arms just for the comfort. It seemed that the angry,hateful woman he and Jace had seen in the previous days was gone, as if it was just a front. For the most part, it had been. As she rested her head on his shoulder, her gaze trailed to his toe, which he had obviously just cracked on the nightstand. "Are you alright?" Dani asked as she looked up at him and pulled back some. "I didn't mean to scare you and....well....make you rush." She said with a frown.
"But yeah, bad dreams. So you heard those before?" She hadn't once thought that Karth or even Jace would have heard her talk in her sleep, or worse, because she was so used to being alone. Neither of them had come to check on her, or even expressed concern or mentioned it in passing, so she assumed. A small yawn escaped her. "Go shower...I'll go check and see where we're at." Dani reluctantly pulled herself up and then looked around for her clothes. The room was such a disaster that she figured it would be a bed sheet wrapped dash to her own room for something fresh to wear.
|
| |
| |
| Karth_DeQora | Date: Monday, 17 Sep 2012, 6:40 PM | Message # 5 |
|
Colonel general
Group: Administrators
Messages: 1157
Status: Offline
| She hadn't rushed him at all, and though he thought the idea rather foolish, Karth let that sentence slip by. "Yeah, a few times," he replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and squeezing gently. It was going to be one hell of an adjustment for the both of them, and it would take time more than anything else. But there was a marked difference in their current dynamic, compared to their past relationship. Karth no longer wished to conceal certain truths from her, and he'd make those truths known once the initial shock of their new-found relationship started to wear off. "We can talk about 'em, if you want-"
Karth was cut off by the sudden rumble in his stomach, which was loud enough that it resonated through the quiet room. His sheepish grin did little to alleviate the sudden rush of color to his cheeks. "Yeah, I'll go, uh, shower, right. Shower, then food. Then talk?"
Even the idea of a simple breakfast seemed like the greatest thing to him, most of his breakfasts were spent alone and miserable. He wondered if Varitek had eaten yet, or if he had even slept. Truth be told, Jace had been the last thing on Karth's mind since their talk in the cargo hold had ended, and he was quite happy that was the case. As it stood, though, neither De'Qora nor Farris were sleeping anymore; and though he would have preferred to spend the entire day 're-energizing their relationship', they had work that needed doing.
Man, Myth, Administrative God. Also plays a mean kazoo.
Jace Varitek: In Northern California we just have gangs of vigilante interior decorators.
|
| |
| |
| Daneira_Farris | Date: Monday, 17 Sep 2012, 6:55 PM | Message # 6 |
|
Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 73
Status: Offline
| Daneira nodded as she stood and pulled the sheet tight around her lithe form. Her dark locks were loose and fell around her bare shoulders, she didn't even bother combing her fingers through the soft waves. Instead, she paused in front of the still sitting Karth, and kissed him deeply just because she wanted to. No other reason. He made her feel whole, and while he might have wanted to spend the day in bed, there were things that needed to be done. There was always time for that later.
Reluctantly she pulled away, taking a moment in the doorway before she vanished into the corridor and down to her room. If Varitek was out and about, he might have seen her, but she didn't care, and they probably kept him awake all night anyway. Dani hadn't honestly thought of him once after she apologized to Karth about how angry she had been at the man.
After she cleaned up and dressed, Dani went to the kitchen and found the fruit he had her buy on Kal'Shebbol, along with bagels and cream cheese. That was about the extent of her cooking skills; cutting and toasting, and of course she made a pot of coffee, and not the instant stuff either.
|
| |
| |
| Karth_DeQora | Date: Monday, 17 Sep 2012, 7:09 PM | Message # 7 |
|
Colonel general
Group: Administrators
Messages: 1157
Status: Offline
| His face remained fixed in a crooked, goofy smile after she had kissed him and left. For a moment Karth simply sat there, taking stock of everything, letting last night repeat itself in his mind and committing every second to memory. With the first truly happy sigh he had uttered in years, he stumbled his naked form into the shower, letting the near-scalding water wash away the sweat and grime along with the last vestiges of doubt he had about this wonderful morning. Soon after he was shaved, combed, and clean. Fitting himself into a pair of tan pants and a matching shirt, De'Qora threw on his vest and searched the room for his lightsaber, which he was almost certain was kicked off his dresser during their... exercise, the night before.
"Son of a--"
Screw it, he'd look later. For now, the twisting knot that plagued his stomach needed sating, and only a true meal would fix that. With a last look in the mirror, he surmised that he was presentable enough for a morning-after breakfast and stepped into the hallway, sliding the door shut behind him to conceal the absolute, clothing-laden disaster his room had become. It was still dark throughout most of the ship, though a faint light could be seen illuminating the entry to the galley, and so Karth set off in pursuit of sustenance.
Man, Myth, Administrative God. Also plays a mean kazoo.
Jace Varitek: In Northern California we just have gangs of vigilante interior decorators.
|
| |
| |
| Daneira_Farris | Date: Monday, 17 Sep 2012, 7:35 PM | Message # 8 |
|
Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 73
Status: Offline
| Daneira didn't drink coffee, so it would be all for him and for Jace if he was up or for when he did get up. She had been drinking a glass of water as she sliced the fruit, tasting a bite here and there. For the first time in a while, she had an appetite, and that fruit tasted so amazing. It had been a while since she had anything fresh, so it was a treat. Thoughtfully, she arranged the toasted bagels on a plate, with the cream cheese, and the fruit in bowls.
Depending on when Karth would walk in, he would find her setting the food on the table across from each other. She thought on it and then pushed the plates side by each, and back again in some sort of debate in her head. Eventually, they ended up next to each other, and she stole a berry from one of the bowls before she went to fix the cup of coffee that she was sure Karth would appreciate.
It was so odd that a couple of weeks ago, she had been alone on this ship. Alone and the love of her life had been dead. Suddenly, he was there, and they barely spoke or looked at each other. She had been so afraid to say anything to him, to let him know how she felt after all of those years, until the night before. Idly, she stirred the sugar into his coffee and bit her lip lightly in thought before she popped the spoon into her mouth to remove the coffee from it so she could at least use it for her fruit. That sort of thing hardly bothered her.
She assumed she would need to at least give Jace some sort of apology as well, but that would come when the time was right.
|
| |
| |
| Karth_DeQora | Date: Monday, 17 Sep 2012, 7:48 PM | Message # 9 |
|
Colonel general
Group: Administrators
Messages: 1157
Status: Offline
| This situation was entirely alien to him; even when they were together in the past, circumstances forced the two of them to hide their relationship almost completely. They were only able to truly be themselves when they were alone, which was rare enough; so when Karth entered the galley to notice that she'd made breakfast and coffee, the reality of their new situation cemented in his mind. This wasn't the past, this wasn't reclaiming what they'd lost. This was building an entire new life on top of existing foundations. He accepted the cup of coffee from her with a silent, grateful nod, sipping absently at the bitter drink as he ate.
And boy, did he eat. His appetite was ravenous, as though he had just awoken from a year-long hibernation and had once again discovered the joy of food. He wasn't sure if it was an after-effect of their tonsil tennis the night before or something else entirely. Karth practically shoveled the food into his mouth, at times, before he finally caught her eyeing him with a wide-eyed, bewildered glance. Cheekily, De'Qora attempted to apologize through a mouthful of chewed bagel and fruit before deciding to finish his meal in silence. At last, as he struggled to swallow that last, large bite, he spoke. "Where are we?"
Man, Myth, Administrative God. Also plays a mean kazoo.
Jace Varitek: In Northern California we just have gangs of vigilante interior decorators.
|
| |
| |
| Daneira_Farris | Date: Monday, 17 Sep 2012, 7:59 PM | Message # 10 |
|
Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 73
Status: Offline
| Daneira shook her head as she sat her spoon down after she finished the yogurt that she had with her fruit. In their time apart, she had nearly stopped eating meat as well, and found that yogurt was something she liked quite a bit. Along with noodles. She loved noodles with just butter and cheese.
She picked up his mug absently and took a sip before she realized exactly what she was doing, and quickly replaced it in front of him. "That's terrible....is that how it is supposed to taste?" Dani made a face and took a drink of her water to get rid of the bitterness on her tongue. It might have been tolerable if it was drowned in cream and a half ton of sugar.
"I'm not sure where we are. I'll check after we eat. Halfway to Commenor, I imagine. That's the coordinates you told me to program in day before yesterday." She said as she leaned back in the booth-like seat that she was sitting in. "Do you want me to get something else for you? A yogurt? A few more hours in bed? Maybe some sleep?"
|
| |
| |
| Jace_Varitek | Date: Tuesday, 18 Sep 2012, 8:28 PM | Message # 11 |
 Generalissimo
Group: Administrators
Messages: 2245
Status: Offline
| "Maybe a hyperwave transducer," Jace interrupted as he stepped unceremoniously into the room. He looked tired, his eyes bleary, his voice a bit throaty. He proceeded to the counter, using one hand to steady himself on the wall and the other to massage the bridge of his nose. "Not 'maybe,' actually," he added as he picked up a piece of the muja fruit on the counter and took a generous bite. He leaned against the wall and, with a labored sigh, glanced to Karth and Daneira. "I was on the bridge last night or, uh, this morning I suppose," he explained, somewhat less comprehensible with his mouth full of food, "You had an indicator there, said the hyperwave transducer is shot." He shrugged, "Your ship is your temple, you know. Especially for us Jedi," he laughed, then coughed, then cleared his throat. "Point is, you need to take better care of it."
Jace finished the rest of the muji fruit in one bite and poured himself a cup of water at the sink, then made his way to the table and sunk into a chair. He looked much the same as he had the day before, in the same clothes, but with a bit more hair on his chin and some shade some under his eyes. The sheets on his bed were undisturbed—he'd not been in his room last night. In his sleep-deprived condition, Jace wouldn't notice that he'd interrupted a moment between Karth and Daneira that'd been precious to them; sharing a morning meal with someone you loved could make you forget the problems of the galaxy for those few, fleeting moments.
But this time, the problems weren't elsewhere in the galaxy but here on the ship. "Good morning," he said, as if remembering to now. He shrugged, "So, not that I trust a lot of what the Jedi taught us, but if I remember right from Master Koon's engineering lessons, the transducer will get us where we're going but you're not going to get another jump out of it. Going to need another one." He took a prolonged drink of water, then sighed. "How are you guys?"
Jace Varitek
Manager/Administrator from January 2003 to Present
My recent posts here, pre-2009 archives here
"When my information changes, I change my opinion. What do you do, sir?"
—John Maynard Keynes
Furthermore, a dancing Wookiee:
|
| |
| |
| Karth_DeQora | Date: Wednesday, 19 Sep 2012, 11:52 AM | Message # 12 |
|
Colonel general
Group: Administrators
Messages: 1157
Status: Offline
| Karth smiled in-between bites as she tasted the coffee, and for a moment he toyed with the idea of reminding her that she'd never liked coffee. But that's what he noticed Varitek, who fumbled about rather haphazardly before delivering the news of the shot transducer. A veritable stream of disjointed, worried thoughts suddenly flooded his mind. Did he hear anything last night? Did he care? Should Karth even care that Varitek might care? What the hell is a hyperwave transducer?
No, focus, compose yourself. You're a damn Jedi... kinda.
"Oh, you know," he said at length, chewing so loudly and sloppily that bits of cheese had taken up residence in his stubble. "Exhausted, found out the ship's busted, hungry. Standard morning." Eyeing Jace for a moment, Karth thrust a thumb over at the pot of fresh coffee, and then let his eyes trail over the several plates of food laid out on the table before him. It was a subtle invitation for Varitek to join them. "Speaking of busted," he began. "You okay?" Busted didn't begin to describe how Jace looked, honestly, but it was the first word that came to mind. He knew that look anyhow, years spent in the service of the Hutt Cartel and hiding out in decrepit apartments had ingrained in him a talent for reading addicts.
Man, Myth, Administrative God. Also plays a mean kazoo.
Jace Varitek: In Northern California we just have gangs of vigilante interior decorators.
|
| |
| |
| Daneira_Farris | Date: Wednesday, 19 Sep 2012, 3:50 PM | Message # 13 |
|
Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 73
Status: Offline
| Daneira was in the middle of using her napkin to wipe a bit of cream cheese from the corner of Karth's mouth when Varitek stumbled in and interrupted. She turned her adoring gaze from Karth and her expression hardened some as Jace started talking. There was no way she was going to let him get to her, though she noted that he did seem to be trying to bait her with the words he was using. Thankfully though, with Karth's help, she would be able to keep calm.
"I saw the indicator flick on yesterday when I made the jump. It did that once before, and turned off after a day. I ran a diagnostic and it seemed to be a blip, but I will check it again. Incidentally, I do take very good care of Caecelia, despite what you might think, Varitek. How did you end up faring in engineering anyway? Not that well if I recall correctly." Dani cleared her throat and then reached for her mug again, and thankfully realized it was Karth's before she took a drink.
"You do kind of look like hell. Want some breakfast, or coffee, or a few hours sleep before we land? You could probably use it." Dani commented with a shrug before she glanced to Karth. She had been nice. A little snarky about the engineering class perhaps, but she had been nice. Under the table, she slid her fingertips in to Karth's palm and squeezed lightly. She didn't care if Jace knew or heard or judged. It wasn't his place to, nor was it his business.
|
| |
| |
| Jace_Varitek | Date: Wednesday, 19 Sep 2012, 7:10 PM | Message # 14 |
|
Generalissimo
Group: Administrators
Messages: 2245
Status: Offline
| Jace shook his head as he patted his stomach, an 'I feel sick' gesture. "No thanks," he said, declining the invitation to eat. "And thanks, I'm fine," he explained, a bit too convincingly, "I don't sleep well on ships is all. Did all right in engineering, though—they put me in that sort of class because they knew what I thought of the other Jedi teachings. What a load." He took another, eager sip of his water, then shrugged. "So they had me learn how to fly ships and grow plants instead. Needless to say, one of these has been more useful to me than the other in the years since then."
The subject successfully changed, Jace closed his eyes and sighed. He should let up on Daneira, he decided. She hadn't demanded to know what he was doing on the bridge of her ship in the middle of the night, and as long as she didn't remember to ask or didn't care, Jace wouldn't push her. The feeling, it seemed, was mutual—neither Jace nor Karth and Daneira wanted the other party to know what they'd been up to last night. So none of them would mention it. For now. "I think sleep is a good idea, Dani," he told her.
"But since we're all here," he looked instinctively to Karth, "should we come up with a plan? I know you have business on Commenor, but I wouldn't want to drop in there with a non-functional hyperdrive. The Colonies are Imperial grey through-and-through—I'd feel better knowing we can escape if need be. So," he glanced from Karth to Daneira, "should we stop somewhere on the way?"
Jace Varitek
Manager/Administrator from January 2003 to Present
My recent posts here, pre-2009 archives here
"When my information changes, I change my opinion. What do you do, sir?"
—John Maynard Keynes
Furthermore, a dancing Wookiee:
|
| |
| |
| Karth_DeQora | Date: Wednesday, 19 Sep 2012, 9:21 PM | Message # 15 |
|
Colonel general
Group: Administrators
Messages: 1157
Status: Offline
| "Hmffhffm jumafffufmfph?" Karth replied, a sentence that would loosely translate to 'Are we even close to any system?' His cheeks were currently stuffed with the bagel he had so ravenously devoured just seconds before Varitek had started speaking. Little bits sprayed out onto the table before him, and Karth desperately fought down a mouthful before gasping for air. "I meant--" pant. "Where the hell are we?" He had been so focused on the good fortunes of last night, and of their current, rather awkward, situation; they could have easily hit Commenor by now without even realizing it.
From underneath the table, he felt Dani's slender hand slip into his and squeeze, and a wry smile tugged at the edge of his lips. It was a distraction from what he'd noticed not a moment earlier, and that was how quick Jace was able, and willing, to change the subject of the conversation. He cataloged that bit for future conversations. For now, he simply squeezed Daneira's hand in return, and turned to regard her with an appreciative grin. "He is right, though, we shouldn't set foot on Commenor without a hyperdrive, last thing we need is to end up in Imperial custody." He tore into a muja fruit, the faintest traces of that full, satisfied feeling beginning to creep into his stomach.
Man, Myth, Administrative God. Also plays a mean kazoo.
Jace Varitek: In Northern California we just have gangs of vigilante interior decorators.
|
| |
| |
|
