Ask By The Books

[Dr Ilana Morata]

He read right through her. She lightly traced her hand over another plant; round, waxen leaves, a single wooden stem gracefully arcing with a trio of white flowers on it. "Lady's Orchid," she murmured softly, touching one soft petal. "Beautiful, delicate. Hard to grow. Golden pothos..." she slid her fingers against another plant, vines trailing to the floor with heart-shaped leaves. "Some have stripes, you know. Green and white."

It was like introducing some of her children... but slowly she stepped over to a small pot by her table. A thin, small tree, leaned over. Small red leaves unfurled, a delicate imitation of a tree twisted and worn through the years and fading to brilliant fall colors. "Bonsai elm," she murmured throatily, a tender smile on her lips, almost forgotten. "Many of these plants came from old colleagues, former workmates... grateful patients," she nodded to a trio of small, hardy ferns, each with a different color variety pattern to their leaves. "Some are research. But the tree..."

She paused, then glanced over her shoulder at Corran. Long white hair slid over, partially framing and obscuring her face. The tender smile still on her lips. "It calms me.. I've always wanted a garden of my own. One day I hope I have a permanent place to put them."

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Sky blue eyes observed silently, as the doctor brushed her snowy hand against the resplendent greenery. A juxtaposition of winter and spring. Lady’s Orchid with its long stem and white petals. Golden Pothos, with its vines and romantic leaves. One by one, Ilana introduced a new plant – each one just as fascinating and beautiful as the last. When Corran had been cleaning up the ones tossed to the floor, he hadn’t really looked at them individually besides what needed to be done to right them. With the Arkanian woman as a guide, the plants took on a new wondrous aura. Things unnoticed stood out and the young man couldn’t help but admire them, especially with how she affectionately talked about their features.

Then she stopped by a small, but old tree. Unlike the others, its leaves were pleasant hues of red, orange, and gold. This, above all others, seemed to gather her attention the most. A smile event crept up on her lips. The reasons for how the doctor had come to own these specimens were as varied as the plants themselves. Former patients, work associates, past connections, even some for research. That small tree, as venerable as it looked, was her favorite. The blond youth gave a subtle nod, eyes locked on the Bonsai elm. It felt soothing to him too. Maybe it was the colors or the simplicity of it. When the Arkanian elegantly glanced over her shoulder, face half hidden by her marble hair, his eyes rose to meet hers.

A garden of her own. With the galaxy at her fingertips, all she wanted was a garden of her own. And a private place to plant them in the soil. He had attributed almost all memories of ritz, glamor, and luxury to Ilana. But she wanted a quiet, private garden.

Then it all hit him at once. The garden. The plants. All this. It was a reflection of her. A cold exterior of a ship with sealed doors all leading to a vibrant, but secret heart. Life well kept, blooming, but contained. Corran was here, in the inner sanctum, and he finally realized it. He sat up, moving from his casual leaning back on the bed. The young man now looked like everything around him was rare and untouched art and wanted to keep it undisturbed. Keeping his gaze on the doctor, he now wanted to help these plants – and by extension Ilana – find a quiet place to grow.

“What about here?” The words came out almost on their own. His mind was rushing to catch up. “You know, this place.” That was still unhelpfully vague. Corran gestured towards the bedroom doorway, as if the lake and outside were right there. “It’s untouched and it seems like no one has ever found it before. By all colonial rights and claim laws, it would be ours.” From the regulations and juris prudence on settler rights, the New Republic and FWA signatories would respect it if they provided evidence of first discovery. He blinked once as a beat skipped by. The young man raised a hand defensively, “Yours. Yours, I mean.” He looked to the side, a little embarrassed about the way ‘ours’ came out. The root idea was still true, though, and held some merit. Maybe this would be a good place for her little garden, eventually.

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

Did he realize he looked so earnest and sweet, brows dented like that? That the power he had over her was enough to even sway her judgement? He was so good, he was beginning to change her. He was beginning to unravel years and years of careful guarding to her thoughts, to her heart, and yet he just stepped past it all and seemed to see straight through the heart of her. She stilled at his words, slowly turning to face him fully.

This place... it almost seemed unreal. A place to put down roots, a reference point.

A lodestone to home.

She paused, her breath caught in her chest as she let his words fall, steady but unsure. So fast, so sudden; it felt like a jolt to the heart, painfully self-aware and sudden. She exhaled slowly, plants temporarily forgotten. Instead, she slid in close to his personal space. Theirs. A hope for rescue still, a dream beyond today and tomorrow.

Faith. Trust. Hard-earned things, but he was wearing down her defenses with every moment. And he meant every word of it. Her hand lightly touched his jaw; a soft, gentle touch to bring his gaze back up to hers. The meaning wasn't lost on her; this could be her space. A quiet place. But... she didn't want it alone. Not anymore.

When he would look up at her, she wouldn't wait for him to say anything, but pressed a full kiss onto his lips, long, lingering. When she pulled away again, her words were low, quiet, her amber stare calm. "Ours," she corrected gently, sliding her hand down to lightly frame down his throat, then over his chest; the lightest of touches. She hadn't forgotten their spar merely an hour earlier, and his sensitivity to bruises. She wouldn't press it with physical, present touch, but she hoped her appreciation showed through to him, even though the words weren't easy to say at all.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Heartbeat thumps echoed in Corran’s ears. Blue eyes stared at the grey floor of the ship, though they pretended to glance at the plants along the wall. Ours. Such a simple word that carried so much with it. It just slipped out. How embarrassing. Even Ilana remained silent. The young man shifted his jaw uncomfortably. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn’t even notice the wintery doctor until a chilly hand guided his gaze to her golden eyes.

A silent, quick inhale was all that he could muster. It was like Corellia – back in that empty, temporary apartment. Before everything they had been through together. Before he knew her. That same power froze him then. Drew him in. It was here again. Ilana kissed him so suddenly, his eyes didn't even have a chance to close. As her lips lingered against his, the blue eyes shuttered and he leaned into the kiss, expressing a similar emotion back to her. On Corellia, there had been mystery, uncertainty, but an indescribable draw. Here... on this nameless world in the Outer Rim, there was a knowing. It felt so... right. When their lips finally parted and his eyes fluttered open, a soothing lambent stare was there. A single word forced him to exhale shallowly and quietly. Ours. A snowy touch traced down Corran's neck and gingerly came to rest over his bruised chest.

She would feel the strong beats of a young man's heart. Warm. Steady. His eyes stayed locked on hers, unmoving. It was clear he understood. How could he not? Everything about Ilana was so... powerful. The blond youth's gaze finally moved down to look at the white hand on his chest. He reached up and took hold of it gently before looking back up to her. With an inviting tug, he would guide her close and he leaned back onto the bed itself. It wasn't... intimate. With the doctor's empathic abilities, or even without them, she would sense a desire to be close. To be near one another.

There was so much to do still. The campsite. Repairing the ship. Getting back to solving the problems of the galaxy, big and small. But this hidden lake made Corran, for the first time, wish there was nowhere else. No more problems. Just here. With her. Even if she didn't join him on the impossibly comfortable mattress, the young man would sigh lightly. "Why can't it just be like this all the time?"

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

He was embarrassed. About saying this planet discovery was theirs? What was there to be embarrassed about? And yet... there were warm feelings here. Like him, they just seemed to radiate off, a wellspring of connection she wasn't sure how to take. These sorts of things didn't last, but perhaps her earlier thoughts were wrong.

Perhaps they were meant to be a little selfish. Though there remained many questions. Why she was shot down in the first place. Why this planet seemed so uninhabited, and why they weren't further pursued in this quiet place. But at his tugging to her hand, she began moving... but her bruised side bumped into the toolbox and she winced, setting it down by the bed to lay close to him, closing her eyes a brief moment. There was also a need to be close... but there were so many responsibilities. She hadn't planned on stalling. On being vulnerable, on seeing him hurt because of her.

She wrapped her other arm around him lightly, mindful of any bruises. "...What do you mean," she asked quietly, opening her eyes to glance over at him. "Be wrecked, forced to camp and wait out for help?" Despite the gravity of her words... there was a glint of humor there in her eyes. "Get your ass kicked by a woman half your size, make her lunch... I don't know, sounds pretty rough to me." A faint trace of a sly smile touched her lips then, giving him a long look.

She knew what she meant. She just didn't know how this would hold up once the galaxy, and reality, came crashing back in again. Would the professional in him force distance, since she was technically his coworker still? Would anything change, at all?

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Ilana bumping into the toolbox made Corran wince in sympathy and personal embarrassment. He had been so distracted by the angelic and overwhelming Arkanian woman that he had forgotten that it sat right next to him. Could he really be blamed for that, though? As she moved the toolkit aside to make room, the blond youth watched her with twitterpated affection. Sometimes, when they were apart, he fooled himself into thinking she didn’t exist at all. A pleasant dream that only visited when he slept. A mirage of joy. An impossible radiance that Corran had created in his own mind to cope with Outpost Blue. An angel from the moons of Iego – never seen, but long sought.

But she was real. Ilana laid down next to the Ranger and delicately wrapped an arm around him. That soothing coldness numbed his bruises. Her touch proved she was real. He hadn’t imagined the Arkanian doctor. Not only was she real, but she was here. With him. Luck, fate, destiny, or choice; which one had pushed them together? Corran wanted to know so he could be thankful for it.

A quiet filled the void after Ilana’s clever teasing. Sky blue eyes blinked at her a few times before the young man actually started laughing. It started in his chest but built steadily into something very hearty. As the laughter reached a certain joviality, Corran suddenly hissed. “Oooof. Ah. Ah. Yeah, that hurts. Laughing too much disturbs the ouchies.” He reached up and daintily pressed on his torso with his fingers, as if trying to sooth the pain away. After a few moments of recovery, the blond youth tilted his head to face the wintery woman close to him. “When you put it that way, it does sound like a pretty rough day.” Then that stupid boyish smirk appeared, “But you left out one thing that changes the calculus. You’re the woman with me.” He reached over slowly and placed a soft touch on her cheek. Carefully, he used an index finger to brush a few white strands of hair behind her ear again. That was going to be addicting. Maybe there should be a personal limit on that. Corran looked into the golden eyes of the woman that laid with him. Maybe not too strict of a personal limit.

Everything the doctor had said was right, though. They had quite a few problems to tend to. At least before nightfall. It was either that or sleep in the tent again and frankly, the former space trader was more comfortable in the confines of a ship. Corran took Ilana's chilly hand in his and gave it a soft peck before pulling it off of him. He then sat up reluctantly from the comfortable bed, making sure to avoid putting too much strain on his injuries. It took a lot of will power to sit up - much of it will power. Once upright, the blond youth leaned on his knees. "We best get that hull patched and do rudimentary repairs before the sun sets," he said with some resolve in his voice. Much of it was for himself. It would have been easy to convince him to lay on a luxurious bed, surrounded by beautiful greenery, with a woman who made the galaxy seem so... small.

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

Hearing him laugh... it was always such a surprise. It was the sort of sound she could hear over a quiet moment, genuine, warm... she immediately regretted it, however, when he winced, recalling how sensitive he was. Mentally, she kicked herself for her carelessness. "I'm sorry..." she rasped quietly, reaching over to lightly touch, but he was already talking again. At his words registering, particularly his comment about her, she flushed, glancing away.

"Y-yes. Well... I'm sure it's nice to have a physician on board," she muttered, grateful that he didn't pursue the topic, but at his touch she stilled again... then closed her eyes. It was so nice... he touched her like she was the one in need of gentleness. Every brush was a touch of warmth, melting the chill of her exterior. Eating away at her resolve with every passing hour, especially with that look--

She shut that thought off abruptly. She had been stared at in many ways; envious, hungry, lustful... but never with that sort of tenderness. He was vulnerable in many ways around her. A pit formed in her stomach, and she swallowed.

Nobody could know about this. She had to protect him from the world she nearly stepped into. If he got hurt because of her, she wouldn't know how to forgive herself.

But then he lightly kissed her hand, and her eyes opened. He was pulling away, and oddly, she wanted to pull him back in. But she swallowed down the impulse instead, pulling away as well. The room felt that much colder again. Mutely, she nodded, and lowered her gaze to grasp the toolbox. "You're right," she muttered, her cheeks still a pale rose. "We can't sit around hoping to be rescued; if we can get this ship up and going, then you can go back to..." she paused...

And then the briefest smile touched her lips, private and almost... warm. Their little secret, her eyes seemed to say.

"Saving the galaxy."

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

There was a pang of selfish disappointment when Ilana pulled away from the bed, and him, as well. A juvenile part of him hoped two white arms would have tackled him back into timeless bliss. He had been thinking about that a lot more recently. Especially since they crashed here. There were rumors, scuttlebutt among bored spacers mostly, about mystical places in the galaxy that influenced people. Did this hidden mountain paradise have that type of power… or was it just her? When she spoke, Corran turned to look at her. The pink in her cheeks drew his eyes, even as he listened to her agreement. Had she always been blushing? He liked it when she did.

Then something rarer than kyber crystals appeared. A genuine smile. It was small, like the Arkanian woman wasn’t entirely sure how. It contrasted against her chilly features – warm, welcoming, and friendly. That made it much more endearing. Corran tilted his head subtly, memorizing the image of a smiling Ilana Morata. It’s a shame too; she was rather cute this way. The blond youth smiled back, as if hoping mimicry would reinforce the positive behavior. It also helped she flattered him. “I don’t know about being a galactic hero,” the young Ranger said with some humility, “but I do like to help from time to time.”

Pushing off his knees, Corran forced himself to stand; the final tethers against getting back to work finally cut. Even if the doctor had lifted the toolbox, he would grab the handle and guide it out of her grasp. If anyone was going to be climbing on those pylons for repair work, it was going to be him. “I’ll be handling that, thank you very much. Have you ever worked on a ship’s hull or engines before?” The former space trader gave her a quizzical look. He spent much of his life before becoming a Sector Ranger working on bulk haulers. Those required a lot of hands-on work – even while still drifting in space. Not to mention due to the measly salary of a Ranger, Corran performed most of the repairs to his own ship.

Taking the lead, the blond youth was the first one out of the private quarters. That made the most sense, as Ilana might want to lock it up for her own privacy's sake. Once a bit down the hallway, he would stop and wait for the doctor to catch up with him. It gave him time to take one last glance at the inner sanctum of Ilana's dreams. The fine greenery that she cared for. After the door shut and the wintery woman approached, Corran would finally ask something that had been on his mind. "Do I climb up rungs on the outside or... are the damaged portions accessible from inside? I don't uh, know the layout of a Quad Five," he admitted sheepishly.

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

She smirked slightly at his response with humility. Surely he had some idea that even the small actions he did in the galaxy had some sort of effect... and yet she didn't want to leave just yet. She wanted to stay with him, and found her mind drifting to ideas she hadn't considered, such as waiting to get necessary things done.

He must be a weakness of some kind. And yet... he didn't feel that way. He made her feel stronger, more sure of what she wanted to do in the galaxy. But as before, when he reached for the toolkit, even just the slightest brush of his hand brought a chill up and down her arm, and she inhaled softly, then gave a wordless nod. He was probably better at it than she was; she had done her own repairs before, but that was normally if she had the time to. Or the money, to hire out help.

At his question though, she nodded again. "Some. But not as much as others."

But before she could speak again he was already moving. Checking over the plants one last time, she hurried off after him, not even locking the room.

What was the point? He'd seen it already, she trusted him to not go snooping through any of her drawers or anything. But at the question of damage, she strode around him. "There's an engines room, but to access the damage itself, it might be better to access from the outside. There's a set of rungs there." She spoke as she walked, then nodded to the doorway into the next room beyond. "I'll run diagnostics from inside with R2; unless you want me to help you?"

Amber eyes met his calmly, waiting for the word. Or perhaps she was trying to prolong contact... she wasn't sure if she wanted him out of her sight just yet. Somehow, it felt like when he was, she was entirely alone, and she wasn't sure if she liked that feeling anymore.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

So, she had gotten her hands dirty before. Not many people took the risks of removing the panels off their hulls and got into the cuts of spacecraft. Corran had years of experience under his belt on the space lanes and the demands of being an entirely solo pilot for a YT-1300. Ilana was a... trained doctor. He envisioned the marble woman, sleeves rolled up, smudges on her arms and face, working on a hyperdrive fuel converter. A sense of pride seemed to well up in his chest, along with a little more attraction to her. Ilana continued to surprise him - more good than bad. Would there ever be a bottom to the mysteries about her?

The doctor seemed to know her ship well enough to give pretty good directions. As they walked together, she gestured to the engine, then the walkway to the exit ramp where the lungs would be. He would nod along, acknowledging each answer and her own analysis of the possible courses of action. When the Arkanian turned to meet his eyes, Corran was stopped dead in his tracks by her golden stare. His own blue eyes were drawn to their beauty, like a magnet to metal. Two choices were presented on a scale. Ilana would run diagnostics with the R2 droid unit on board while he performed the manual labor or she could join him outside. The pragmatic choice in any scenario with multiple tasks is to split up and cover more ground. All of the blond youth's experience and training pointed to that side of the scale. He knew he could handle the hull repair on his own easily enough. His personal wish, on the other hand, weighed the other side like 10 tons of carbonite. Any moment spent with the wintery, yet sweet, woman in front of him was worth having. Though, he was unsure what she wanted.

Corran went with his gut. "You know..." The young man said coyly, "I think I could use some help on the hull. I didn't get a thorough look at it earlier. A helping hand would be appreciated." A mischievous glint flickered in a sky blue eye. "Besides, if I fall, it might be nice to have a doctor there." He wouldn't fall, but anything to bait the beautiful woman into providing some company was a gambit worth making. Corran would walk backward a few steps down the hallway that led to the outside, keeping his gaze locked on her. A silent invitation to follow offered by a teasing grin and playful eyes. If Ilana didn't take up the offer, well, that was fine. They had to at least have meals together and she often bragged about dinners.

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

So the choice went right back to her again. She felt ridiculously like she was younger all over again, and the head of class just noticed her. From the way he was staring, she felt the urge to check if there was anything on her face, some stray sauce from the wrap earlier perhaps, or more dirt from landing after the spar earlier. She had no idea... but his eyes meeting hers. His eyes were blue, impossibly blue. Like the lake outside, with hidden depth behind there, a knowing intelligence she was drawn to know better but powerless to truly know how.

But at his suggestion, the ball was back in her court. Did he know he made an impossible choice, here? Spending more time... this was the most time she had spent with anyone in all of her life, patients nonwithstanding. And yet it felt like no time at all... but there was something else pressing in the dark of her thoughts.

Who knows how long we could be stranded out here. Days... weeks? I don't want to get our hopes up of getting off-planet, but we can try. Besides... two sets of hands must surely be better than one.

She huffed out a faint laugh at his reply, perking a white brow. "Is that an excuse to keep me close, cowboy?" she dared to tease, amber eyes glittering. "You know..."

As he stepped, she followed, then closed the gap. A hand lightly hovered over his chest once more, an answering light beginning to glimmer in her eyes. "It's true, there are plenty of risks with fixing ships..." her voice dropped to a murmur, lips pulling to a faint smirk. "Perhaps having some additional help would work..." She leaned in...

But then patted his shoulder, eyes glittering with internal laughter, lips quirking as though threatening to turn into another smile. "I'll be up there in five, I need to help the droid first." And with that she almost sauntered away right past him, biting down on her lower lip to keep from smiling.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Ah, there was that scent again. The faint laugh. A perked brow. That shine in her eyes. Cowboy. She had correctly guessed that it was an excuse to keep her close, though it wasn't exactly well hidden. The game was afoot and Ilana was an expert opponent. Even as he coyly stepped back, she kept pace. Corran was almost certain that she would affectionately follow him outside, taken in by his flirtatious charms. Then Ilana overtook him with a rapid step. A welcome cold pressed on his chest, delivered by her palm. Although her sweet, purred words agreed with the former space trader's assessment, a feline smirk hinted that she still had a card to play. Before the blond youth could reply, the mesmerizing Arkanian leaned in close. The kind of close that causes one's heart to beat like a drum. What were they supposed to be doing again? Sense seemed to have left...

Then she patted him on the shoulder, like a pal at the end of the work day. All the tension fled from the hallway; a banished specter. "Yeah, see you in five," the Ranger replied, followed by a deflated sigh. He turned his head to watch the doctor strut away. Her hips swaying in their tempting dance. Corran nibbled on his bottom lip for a moment, day-dreaming of chasing after her, grapping her by the waist, and enveloping her in now-subdued passion. No. That would be too much of a surrender in their little game. Not to mention, his poor body aches needed a bit more time. The heart was willing but the flesh was weak. For now.

With a second glance back to where the departed Arkanian woman had just been, the young man made his way to the task at hand. Outside, the clouds above had begun to part only a little. It was clearly afternoon sometime. The frosty air had dissipated, but a pleasant chill remained. Perfect weather for manual labor. After looking around for a bit in the sand, Corran spotted the dark metal rungs that led up to the top deck of the ship. Using only one arm, he soon found himself on the top of the craft and took a moment to examine the damage. Carbon scoring, glancing hits, dotted the top of the craft. Looks like an initial pass from above based on impact. Blaster cannons must have been either relative weak grade or fired from too great of distance. The real damage lay on one of the engines. Panels had been blown off, clear damage to internals. Some parts would for sure need to be replaced or reconnected. From recollection, there was no other damage. Corran took a look skyward, using his hand as a visor. Was it possible that whoever had dived on them couldn't make a second pass and assumed them dead or not worth the effort? Some more pieces of the puzzle had come together, but the greater picture remained vague. Problem for another time. While looking skyward, the height of the ship provided a beautiful view of the entire lake and much of the land around the mountain bowl. Would Ilana like such a view? Maybe they could star-gaze together after nightfall. A blanket laid out on the roof and watch for shooting stars. He'd have to ask her later. Repairs came first.

By the time Ilana arrived on the scene, she could find the young man on both knees leaning into the blown-open compartment of one of the engines. A distant clank and a startled yelp would cause Corran to remove himself from the confined space and shake his hand. He shook it a few times to force the pain to pass more quickly. "Ow. Ow ow. Who designs engines on nacelles anyway?" He knew such a ship design was still functional and valid. The blond youth just currently disliked their cramped access compared to hull-down models. It was only after a few moments he noticed the wintery woman below. Corran shyly offered a wave, "I'm fine. Totally fine." Not exactly an impressive display thus far in front of the girl he enjoyed impressing. But he'd just have to try again when she joined him up here.

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

In truth, she was partially relieved he didn't take to the deliberate bait right then and there; she needed space, and a few minutes, to wrap her head around what he was suggesting earlier. If this planet was an undiscovered space... it was a quiet place, untouched. A place to put down my roots... she mused, pausing. The R2 unit beside her beeped and trilled, and she snapped back into focus, amber eyes glancing down at the dome-headed unit.

"I see. So everything else is, for the most part, online... either a lucky shot or..." she paused, exhaling quietly.

Or they knew what they were doing, sending us down to an uninhabited planet with limited resources and no real methods to contact the rest of the galaxy. Which means we have to at least try to rig it up enough to skip us off planet... but still...

She paused again, then patted the dome of the astromech. "Good work," she commented absently, descending down the ramp to gaze out at the water.

Often, she didn't have time to stop and look at the scenery around her. She was so occupied from jumping for the next patient, the next planet to pause and crash for a day, that she learned not to get attached to places. Or to people. But hearing cursing, she tilted her head, mind drawn away from the beauty of the outdoors...

And to someone that, somehow, made the chill less biting and the sun seem warmer. "Sounds like it," she replied, coming over to the rungs. She had no doubt he could handle himself, but if she was to be honest, she wasn't able to stay away for too long. The climb itself up the Quad Five was always an odd thing; with two engines hovering over the body, one was managed with some damage to the exterior, but the one he was looking at...

She sighed, pausing at the top rung to gaze at it.

"How bad is it?"

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

A sarcastic retort from the doctor below forced a subtle eye-roll from Corran. Some of it was directed at his own embarrassment. When working on the Crimson Venture, the Ranger talked to himself aloud all the time. Because there was nobody else there. Not even a droid, like the Quad Five’s R2 unit. With someone to hear him, a little more restrain was probably for the best. Metal soft clangs of shoes against the rungs announced that Ilana was ascending up to the top of the ship. He turned over from his kneeling position and sat down, resting his forearms on his knees while waiting for her to climb up.

Soon enough, the Arkanian’s snow-white head peered over the edge. To her inquiry on the condition of the ship, the former space trader could only give her the hard truth. “Overall, we aren’t in too bad of hull shape. A few glancing hits here and there can be fixed with some welding putty or a spare plate topped over.” He then nodded to the partially opened engine where he had stubbed himself, “I usually like Koensayr ships, but we are certainly paying for the lack of shields on their civilian models now.” Corran gestured to the open space where he had removed panels with a tool in hand as a guide. “Direct hit to the engine is the worst of it. Thrust vector plate is shot clean through. A power cell or two has cracked. And that’s at first glance.” His eyes flicked upward, as if chasing a thought. “I wonder if they hit us there to intend us to use the Quad Five’s cockpit ejection system. That would have stranded us for sure…”

That sentence trailed off into silence as the young man tapped his chin with the tool in hand. After a few moments, the Ranger seemed to remember he was diagnosing problems, not alone by himself doing repairs again. “Oh, right. The good news,” Corran quickly said with some pep, “It is salvageable. Working solo, I can probably get the ship into flyable condition in 8-16 hours. With hyperspace conduits still intact, as long as we break orbit, we can jump to a nearby station or dockyard and get her back to original condition.” He gave her a friendly look. Nothing flirtatious or teasing. Just... kind. It occurred to the young man that as much as he liked Ilana romantically and physically, he started thinking they worked pretty well together too. Like friends, as much as anything else. That was... comforting. "With some help, I bet we could have this thing ready by midnight. We'd have to push ourselves, but it could be done. What do you think?"

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

Done by midnight? You'd think she'd have jumped at the chance at being out of here possibly sooner than she initially thought, and it was all repairable. All of which sounded fantastic. But...

Ah. There was a but.

What of the injuries. She couldn't believe it, but she felt like hesitating. She felt like stopping and pausing for at least one more day, even though she was sure her comm inbox would be full to bursting and he would have paperwork to fill for his sudden radio silence... she wanted to delay just a little longer. He made her want to stop, he made the galaxy slow and time vanish. And she felt that if they went back right now, they would have to slip back to being practically coworkers. And she knew enough of Corran to know his professionalism was a hard line to cross.

She shook her head briefly. "Considering it was just the other day we fell, I recommend not pushing too hard. If we have more work to do the following morning... I'd feel safer knowing we had a full rest before taking off." She hoped it sounded practical, but she couldn't really look him in the eye exactly, but down at the hull, at one streak of carbon scoring. She knew if he looked into her eyes, he might know the truth, and it wasn't a truth she was certain she wanted to have known yet. She had been vulnerable before, and the hurts weren't all healed over yet.

She pressed a hand on the hull, features drawn in contemplation. "If that sounds fair to you," she finally spoke, slowly raising her eyes to meet his, and hold her gaze.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

There had been expectations. That Doctor Morata would be thoroughly pleased to be off this rock before next sunrise. That no labor would be stalled to reach this objective. That things of galactic and personal import were at stake. If it had come to that, Corran wouldn’t have been upset or even surprised. He knew his mechanical capabilities, learned through hard experience, and fixing some hull plating and an engine could be done well within the time limit. By the end, he would’ve been too exhausted to stand, but if getting into orbit was the sole obsession, he could do it for her. Except… she didn’t.

Ilana cautioned safety and health. Practical choices so that they ship, and its crew, would be in the best condition before attempting lift-off. The young man tilted his head as he listened. Everything she had said made sense. A lot can go wrong with rushed repairs, but sometimes you just don’t have the time. Same goes for lift-off. A lot of people can take a ship off a landing page, but getting a downed ship in the air was much riskier. Based on all his experience and manuals, being precise in an engine repair was better than being fast – if it could be helped.

Another thing agreed with her sentiments though. Logic in his brain concurred with a warm weight in his chest. As the Arkanian woman stared down at the Quad Five’s paneling, Corran swallowed at the realization. He… wanted to stay here longer. With her. Beyond the mountainous shelter of the caldera was their lives. For her, it was medical patients, forensic examinations, and biological research. For him, paperwork of criminal cases, street investigations, and the occasional shoot-out. Between their careers and ambitions, there wasn’t a lot of room for… them. Forced down, with little access to the greater galaxy, they had nothing but each other here. And that was nice. Nicer than he thought it would be. Nice enough to want to keep it. To at least try.

By now, the empath’s abilities were likely to pick up some of the Ranger’s emotion-twinged thoughts and so he decided to focus on the matter at hand. Corran grinned back at the lambent stare Ilana offered him. “More than fair. You would be a considerate employer.” That was a subtle jest. Without another word, the young man laid on his back and shimmied back into the engine and began to tinker. “With my injuries and lack of familiarity with a Quad Five model, I could use the extra time,” he concurred, his voice metallically echoing from inside the opened compartment. That was more cover for his own feelings than for hers. He wasn’t even entirely sure how the doctor felt. Perhaps another time.

“We can replace the scorched plating last – it is pretty quick and easy to do. This – on the other hand,” a metal clank punctuated Corran’s meaning, “will take most of our time. Would you pass me the mini-welder? I need to cut off some melted slag.” A hand poked out of the engine and gestured vaguely, “It looks like uh.. uh.. a temperature gun? Like in hospitals.”

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

She could sense the reluctance to leave almost as soon as she felt the hesitation. Wasn't he eager to leave? Not that she would have blamed him; she wasn't the best of company if their current track record held any indication. And yet he seemed to like being around her. He was sweet, reliable... if she didn't know any better, he would be the one person she wouldn't mind spending her spare hours with.

Like what we've got now... but if he's keen to go, I'd hate to dampen his expectations--

But then he agreed.

Amber eyes widened in pleased surprise, and though she scrambled to guard her expression, it wasn't quite fast enough.

But he was already working, so she wouldn't distract him just yet.

At his description of the tool, however, she smirked slightly. "I know what it looks like," she spoke up, a mild current of humor laced through her words. "I don't keep these tools for decoration."

A slight tease at her own expense; she knew the tools, and basic repairs, but that was it. But seeing him there, calm and focused, working on a solution for them to get out... a small hint of pride touched at her thoughts. And amber eyes tracked over every movement, every sound, attempting to commit it to memory. He was good at this, and seemed like he was in his element.

Some warm feeling touched her then, deep within her thoughts and heart. Something she'd never really felt before, the way it was. She wanted to stay and help, but there was more to it than that. He was someone reliable, someone good, and she was keen to be as close as possible. Distance wasn't an option... even if there were times she wanted to get some clear space to empty her head of such ridiculous thoughts such as wanting to be nearer.

The feeling had persisted particularly since their first night in the survival tent, and turned her thoughts back to her companion persistently. It took all her willpower not to just sit there and stare, watching as a ship's engine would return from a carbon-scored mass. She wasn't sure if she wanted to voice those feelings first; she wasn't even sure how she even could. But there was something so endearing about the earnestness in which he worked, not even hesitating to step right in and fix something.

It was a wonderful change of place, to hopefully distract her of staring too long again, but she couldn't help it. There was just something about the way he was that just kept her turning back.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

A clever and mildly teasing retort from the doctor made Corran contort his face in embarrassment. Of course, they were her tools and she was clearly capable of many things. Capable of anything, in his mind. “You’re right, you’re right” the blond youth surrendered, gesturing with his hand without looking at her, “My mistake.” When the mini-welder fell into his palm, he quickly retracted his arm and started making minute cuts to the various unsalvageable carbon.

Inside the frame of an engine, Corran usually felt alone. Either truly alone on the Crimson Venture in the depths of space or on a crowded landing pad on Coruscant, the durasteel egg often isolated him. Mostly because he got so laser-focused on work or the tasks before him that everything else faded into the distant background. Some of that was discipline instilled in the merchant fleet, but some was natural personality. But something was different this time. Even as light from the mini-welder heated his face and his eyes stayed locked to prying damaged metal from the inner workings, he could still feel something else. That indescribable aura? Closeness? Of someone you liked being nearby. Being with you. Stopping for a second, Corran sat up a little and caught a glimpse of the Arkanian doctor. She wasn’t beaming or doing anything out of the ordinary. Just watching. But still her will seemed to pass through the armor, his own guard, and into him. Laying back down, he offered a small sigh. “There is room for two in here, if you’d like to help.” Not that he minded her ogling him from nearby either. If she came in to lay next to him inside the hull, the young man would scoot over to give her space. Not that there was much. They would still be somewhat squished together.

Regardless of whether she joined him or not, the work would continue. Slag removed. Shattered parts replaced. Wirings and components reset. There was plenty of work to do and so the time seemed to move more quickly. Every now and again, ash, dirt, or carbon would flake down upon him. Some sweat from the focus and physical exertion forced Corran to wipe his cheek. Black grime smudged like war paint beneath one eye. After wrenching in a previously ajar connector tube with a grunt, the young man exhaled heavily. "Just a minute. Breather break."

In silence, he rested one hand on his middle section and the other on his forehead. The repairs had, thus far, gone as expected. Some hang-ups and hurdles, but progressed at a steady pace. But that idea from earlier fluttered back into his mind. He propped himself up on an elbow and looked at Ilana, sky blue eyes contrasting against the grime and dark smudge on his cheek. “You know…” Corran began slowly, “Since you gave us the night off, would you…” He hesitated for a moment, clearly questioning if what was on his mind was the best course of action. Willed courage swelled within him visibly to force the last bit out, “Would you want to star gaze with me tonight?”

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

He offered for her to be closer, and though before she wouldn't have been so keen to be close to an engine herself unless it was absolutely necessary, she felt like she had to be useful somehow. Running diagnostics was all well and good, but those were usually finished quickly and she would've been drawn back up here anyways. She would help where she could, clearing out any slag or debris, but some of it still peppered her anyways.

Not that she would have noticed, really.

She was focused on every movement, every subtle shift, and for once it was nice to be in companionable silence, just working together. It was almost cozy in a way, though she had little idea if what she was doing was really helping or just being in the way. But he wasn't protesting or asking her to nudge out, so she must be doing something alright.

But being this close all the time, with the heat from the mini welder, meant she too was starting to get warm. Heat flushed in her face and neck from the proximity and general heat, black flecks dotting her cheeks and even in her hair.

When he announced a breather break, she glanced up at him. The smudge under his eye was cute, in a way, especially with his hair spiking that way as it did at the back of his head and over his eyes. He hesitated; she paused, listening. It seemed difficult for him to say, but she waited.

At his words, she blinked. For a few beats, she was quiet, contemplative at his request. It seemed to matter to him very much. She nodded once, giving a slight smile. "I'd love that."

"But before that..." her hand reached over to his cheek, rubbing at some of the grime there as though sheer will would wipe some of it off, "I suggest a shower and dinner. Sound fair?"

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Star gazing was one of those things, first discovered in youth, that many others would assume to leave behind as they grew up. The night sky ceases to amaze. Constellations grow stale. Wonders of the galaxy become commonplace, even mundane, as trillions of beings travel through the stars. As a small boy, Corran's mother would take him to a grassy field near their home on Commenor at night and she would point to the distant lights flickering in the dark void. That's where your dad is, she would say. Even after years among those very stars, there was nothing quite as touching as laying out and seeing the universe go by. That's why the young man felt a bit of unease as quiet moments ticked by. Not that Ilana turning him down would have damaged their bond, but it might have put a damper on something he enjoyed a great deal. At least for a little while. When the Arkanian replied with a subtle smile and affirming words, he couldn't help but smile back.

That smile soon evaporated as a white hand touched the blond youth's cheek. A look of subdued confusion and curiosity fused on his face. She softly rubbed at the built up smudge below his eye. Not much came off. Good thing too, because underneath his cheeks were growing pink in a blush. Shifting his gaze from the icy hand on his worn face to the doctor, who was be-speckled in carbon bits and dirt all her own, she casually offered a shower for the evening.

Corran didn't hear much after that word, because he immediately exclaimed, "A shower?" as he sat up straight in surprised response. He bonked his head on the pipe he had just wrenched back into place and groaned in annoyed pain. After a few rubs to his scalp, the flustered young man asked more, "Y-you mean like right now?" Not that he had anything against being scrubbed clean - he preferred it in fact - but something felt so... so... forbidden about being nearby as... as she bathed. Wait. Was it even more than that? Was she expecting them... together? Simultaneously? A visible gulp could be heard; a single sound expressing nervous thoughts.

Then the rest of what Ilana said finally filtered through his naive panic. Corran settled back down on one elbow and breathed more evenly. Bashfully, he nodded. "Dinner and... get cleaned up. Sounds fair." He couldn't even say the s-word out loud right now. They had been working on the engine for some time now and had made remarkable progress. If they kept working with an artificial light, they could have a great shot at having the whole thing repaired before sunrise. But... they had decided on a more paced course of action and they had gotten quite dirty from sweat, grease, and carbon. The black dots on Ilana's white face kind of looked like freckles on her. It was pretty cute.

He averted his eyes to avoid staring to too long. "Ladies first," the young man offered with a gesture of the hand. Almost immediately, he sheepishly corrected himself, "First out of the engine, I-I mean." After clearing his throat, Corran shifted away from the doctor to give her room to slide out of the compartment they had spent all afternoon in.

@Killa Ree