Making Trouble

[Phoenix]

Dak couldn't help laughing as she fell against him. And here I thought you held your liquor better than that, he said with his characteristic lopsided grin that indicated he couldn't help teasing her. He steadied her before they headed out once more.

He noted how she nonchalantly waved off the cat-callers that seemed to notice her at every turn. It wasn't hard to notice her of course, but she didn't seem to mind the extra attention. No clue where I'll go. I guess maybe it's time for me to stop wandering around? Politics sound "bleh" and I'm not gonna do farming or something like that.

He scowled at her last comment, feigning offense. Whoa, excuse you! I am aging gracefully, he said with a laugh. Is that to say I should settle down find a wife then? he quirked an eyebrow, never really having felt the marrying type. I guess we'll see what happens, he added with a shrug.

So get out of Mandalorian space, eh? Then who am I going to smoke and drink with? he asked. It was at that point that something caught his eye. Up ahead, there were a group of men who looked a bit too serious about themselves and if the insignia's on their shirts were an indicator, they were from the same club as their little shoot-out. From the looks of things, they had yet to spot the pair, but Dak nodded that direction, grabbing Talia's hand and pulling her down yet another alleyway, silently hoping not to run across anyone pooping - or worse - this time.

 

[Sreeya]

Talia laughed as he mentioned finding a wife. In truth, she couldn't picture him as the settling down type either. Mandalorians she knew were seldom the romantic type, and most of the ones in her 'clique' would most likely end up single forever. Her mind briefly drifted to Ral, bitterness resting at the pit of her stomach. He always painted a rosy image of their future together, but something seemed off. Talia always preferred going her own path and following her abrupt whims. Dak's question made her laugh once more, "Simple, you'll just have to visit me outside of Mando space. You can't tell me it doesn't get old being around the same scene all the time."

She hadn't yet spotted the men with the insignia, when she abruptly felt him yank her into an alley. Talia gasped in surprise, annoyance on her features for a flash. She looked around the corner and could see what he had spotted, withdrawing back into the alley, "Damn it! Don't these guys have lives?!" She was baffled on how they were still being chased. Normally, people on Nar Shaddaa gave up on pursuits as every other person was guilty of a crime of some sort. Talia looked down this alley, not immediately spotting anyone. She began to dart down the alley, hoping it fed out into an obscure area.

Just as she was about to exit the alley, a man whirled around to face her, his blaster leveled. Talia was too drunk to react quickly enough, a blaster bolt flying into her armored chest. The blow sent her flying back, and she quickly reached for her own pistol, firing off two bolts. However, by then, the man already ducked out of sight, "Damn it!" Talia looked down at her cracked armor, her skin singed from the blow. She had the wind knocked out of her and was rapidly looking around for a place to duck for cover. They were essentially sandwiched in the alley with threats from both sides.

 

[Phoenix]

Dak chuckled as she send he'd have to visit her. Is that an offer? Better be careful, I'll take you up on that, he told her. Their nice conversation wasn't to last though.

Apparently not. Maybe the guy we killed was important and they're really pissed about it, these aren't "law enforcement" or anything of the sort. Just thugs, he noted, though it still struck him as odd that they were still out here making trouble. Either way, he darted down the alley, glancing back at their potential pursuers when he heard the sound of a gunshot... in front of him?

He spun around, hand reaching for his pistol as Talia returned fire, but the man - whoever he was - was gone. Had they just been lured into a trap? How had these guys known where they were? He supposed this was why you weren't supposed to get drunk on the job, but even sober how could they have known? Despite the nasty burn on her chest, her armor seemed to have stopped the brunt of the impact, for which Dak breathed a sigh of relief.

The alley was sparse by any standards with nothing more than a single dumpster for cover. The rest was open area though Dak could see people bustling at either end of the alley. He slipped his helmet back on, grabbing his grappling hook and firing it up into the base of a fire escape above them. Go! I'll cover you! he barked as the first gunshot came down the alley, missing by a wide margin and slapping against the brick building and sending hot shards everywhere. Dak fired back, his normally steady aim impaired by the alcohol and the shot went wide but at least caused his attacker to duck back.

He glanced back, waiting for Talia to hoist herself up - and hoping she wasn't too buzzed already - before following after, shooting the end of the cable to prevent their pursuers from following them into the second story.

 

[Sreeya]

Though her armor took the blow, it didn't mean the bolt didn't hurt. She was still having difficulty breathing, and she hastily popped her helmet back on. As Dak shot the grappling hook up, Talia glanced back at the end of the alley. The sound of gunshots would no doubt draw the thugs Dak spotted earlier. She quickly grabbed the tether, hastily climbing upwards as fast as she could move. Talia relied on Dak to provide cover as she did so, quickly reaching the roof. From there, she pulled her rifle out, almost seeing doubles as she worked hard to aim. As Dak began to climb, the man that shot her jumped out to shoot again. Talia fired off a round at him, eliciting a pained cry. She knew he wasn't dead, and her bolt just barely grazed his shoulder. However, it was enough to keep him at bay for a moment.

From her vantage point she could see the men from the other end of the alley beginning to clamor in while Dak was still climbing, "Hurry up!" Talia shot off a few rounds in the direction of the group, the men being caught off guard and one of them dropping to the ground. The rest of them ducked away, giving Dak enough time to climb up. She grabbed him by the hand and hoisted him over the lip of the roof, heaving a sigh of relief, "Okay...no more drinking on the job..." Talia groaned as she stumbled to her feet, "We have to keep moving!"

Talia had scaled the tops of buildings before, but it had never been this difficult. She darted forth, jumping onto the roof on the next building. However, where she normally landed gracefully, she stumbled and all but faceplanted on the ground. With a grumble, she rolled over, her drunkenness thankfully dulling some of the pain. She peeled herself off the ground, grimacing beneath the helmet, "I might be getting too old for this."

 

[Phoenix]

Dak kept his pistol trained down the alleyway, firing sporadic shots here and there whenever someone popped out a head. He hit the release for the powerpack and fumbled around for a new one, hands shaking and blaster rounds slapping against the dumpster and the ground next to him. At least he was drawing the fire if he could just get this kriffing thing in the gun. Finally, he slammed the pack in, turning to fire again just as Talia did the same.

That was his cue to get up the line after her. He grabbed hold, slowly working himself up the cable. I'm hurrying! he shouted, before reaching out to take her hand, hoisting up so that he was on the second floor. But I thought the drunken fighting was going so well. We're only one gunshot, a lot of missed shots, and even more fumbling into it all.... While he joked, there was no denying that this would be going better if they weren't both under the influence of several shots. Was it three? Four? Irrelevant? Probably.

Dak jumped after her, feeling very proud of himself for landing on his feet only to trip over a pipe a few steps later. What a wonderful mess they were. No, I think just too drunk, he commented. Although as you so graciously informed me earlier: we're not getting any younger.

He made his way across the roof, shooting the lock out of the door to the stairway down. The top floor had a hallway filled with doors, as if some sort of apartment complex. We could hunker down in one of these... he said, realizing that might be one of their better options, especially if they could find an empty one.

 

[Sreeya]

Talia heard his quips and could only glare. In retaliation, as he began to stand from tripping over, she shoved him so he was back on the ground again. She even took the time to laugh at him, forgetting for a moment that they were in a crisis. Talia glanced over, noting the next building was a bit too far too clear in a jump. She followed him as he shot the lock off a door, hastily closing it behind her as they made their way down. Talia saw the row of doors, but it was impossible to decipher if they were occupied or not. She heard voices coming from some of them, but one midway down appeared to be silent. She pressed her ear against it, listening for a moment before deciding it was probably empty.

Talia always had lockpicks on her, a habit she picked up way back in her teenage years. It took her only a few seconds to open the door, and she quietly peered in. Turning the lights on revealed that it was a furnished apartment, but it was clear nobody lived there. It appeared to be a model complex, with a desk set up for the realtors to come in during the day. Talia heaved a sigh of relief, closing the door behind her. All that jumping with the alcohol in her stomach made her feel not the best by now. She made her way over to the couch, plopping down at once.

"I'm running horribly low on ammo," She sighed, "How're you doing?" Talia's words still slurred a little, but she felt more at ease now than she had all night. Finding them in this room was beyond the paygrade of the thugs chasing them. They didn't particularly seem like the type to chase anyone up to a rooftop. Talia wasted no time in swinging her legs up and easing into the couch, "Damn, this is comfy. I am perfectly fine crashing here for the night."

 

[Phoenix]

As soon as he was up, Dak was being pushed down again, groaning as he roughly hit the floor. Ugh, you're the worst, he complained as she stood over him laughing.

He watched the hall while she picked her way into the room, silently hoping it would be empty. At this point, he wasn't so much worried about the thugs as he was about the fact that they were going to be breaking in as squatters. It seemed like no time before she had the door open and they shut it behind them. He got to looking around, realizing this place was pretty nice and decently well furnished, actually. He popped his helmet off and looked around.

Yeah, I'm not doing too well either. I've already gone through most of those spare packs I brought with me. Mostly just trishot left and that's not great for a true firefight... but... I don't think those guys are going to be checking here, he said, holding up his crossed fingers.

I don't suppose they have anything to eat here, though, he said, wandering over to the fridge. He was surprised and thrilled at what he found. Heeey! he exclaimed, holding up a bottle of champagne that he assumed was kept here for when the sales people closed. He popped the top off and shamelessly drank straight from the bottle: real classy-like.

He made his way back toward the couch, looking at her feet with a scowl. Scooch... he said, before plopping down, offering her the bottle to placate her for the fact that he had made her move. Well isn't this romantic: champagne, nice quiet apartment, comfy couch. All we need is to get that fireplace going, he snickered.

 

[Sreeya]

Talia was actually enjoying having her helmet off nowadays. With her being Mand'alor, she was more recognizable with her helmet on than off. She was more than comfortable on the couch, even reaching over to switch on a Holomovie across it. She figured if their pursuers were to barge in, at least the door was in her line of sight. Besides, who would suspect a room where some movie was blaring? Talia glanced up as he asked her to move, grumbling almost incoherently as he plopped down and held out a bottle of champagne to her, "What, you haven't had enough to drink?" She laughed at him, though she took the bottle anyway and took a swig regardless.

She turned back to him as he mentioned getting a fireplace going. At that, Talia quirked an eyebrow and watched him curiously, taking another sip from the bottle, "Are you coming onto me?" She asked the question nonchalantly, as if she simply asked him what the time was. Talia casually handed the bottle back, her expression difficult to discern aside from mild curiosity. She was quite possibly as far removed from romantic as possible and her attention was halfway back to the Holomovie already.

 

[Phoenix]

Dak had to give a smug smile. Well, I'm still able to walk straight, so I don't think so, he said, laughing as he finished. The place really wasn't too bad. He could have thought of much, much worse places to hunker down than this one. He glanced at the holomovie that was now blaring on the TV.

He took the bottle back with a smile as she asked him if he was coming onto her. In truth, he wasn't entirely sure, maybe just testing the waters. Neither of them were exactly the romantic types but they both knew how to have a a good time and got along quite well. Would it get me anywhere? he counter-quipped, taking another swig and glancing at the movie. She seemed enthralled by it - or at least disinterested in anything romantic. But then, he wasn't really sure that what he was suggesting could qualify as "romance" either.

I'm just saying, we both like having a good time... he said with a shrug. It was so romantic.... but how did one go about suggesting a "friends with benefits" scenario? He would have been lying if he said he'd never considered it before, but he wasn't planning to get bent out of shape if she hated the idea. He was buzzed enough now that rejection always became easier. Or do we both have to be more drunk first? Because I'm fine with trying to find the bottom of this bottle too, he said with a grin. The truth was, he enjoyed life enough either way.

 

[Sreeya]

Now this caught her attention. There was a hint of surprise and amusement all rolled up into one as she looked back at him. They had been on countless missions together, and they both had one another's backs, but she had been entirely oblivious to how he saw things between them. While she had been grappling with her confusions about Ral, he had been by her side through every mission or mishap she went through. He had even been there to rescue her father when Mandalore had come under attack. How did she completely miss this from him if she knew him so well? For a moment, she said nothing, still processing what he had just said.

She finally grabbed the bottle from him, taking another large swig. Talia was assertive by nature, and his approach made her smile, which then grew into a chuckle, "Yeah? More drunk first for what?" She handed the bottle back to him before standing up to stretch, "I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about, champ," She gave him an amused grin before walking over to the kitchen to raid the fridge. Her mind kept wandering as she opened the door and stared at the neatly packaged vegetable and fruit snacks there. She often didn't make a fuss about such things, but he was a longtime friend of hers and one of the few people she would trust with her life. Did he truly understand how calloused she could be? Her emotional unavailability had already caused more than enough angst for all parties involved. Did she really want to deal with that again? All these thoughts went through her head as she happily popped a few strawberries into her mouth. These poor realtors would be in for a treat the next day.

 

[Phoenix]

That wasn't entirely the reaction he had been expecting, but then, he didn't really know what he'd been expecting. To be fair, her long term... person... had just been killed, this probably wasn't his best plan. He was going to lay the blame solidly at the feet of alcohol. Or something like that. he let out a sigh and rolled his eyes as she walked away. All right, suit yourself, he said, not believing that she had no idea what he was talking about. He wasn't going to push it too hard, though, lest things end up getting too weird between them.

The offer still stands, though. We've always made a pretty good team, seems like we could be a pretty good... What even would they be? Not really a couple. That wasn't the right term. ...I don't know, "friends plus." Now it just sounded like a software program. That was great. I'm not making any sense am I? he finally said, turning around to look into the kitchen.

He frowned, the alcohol-cloud getting in the way of him finding the words he wanted. Maybe he shouldn't have drank so much before saying this, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. We get along pretty well, right? Seems like we could keep getting along pretty well in a less platonic way... not like... a couple, but something in between? Yes, that was clear as mud.

 

[Sreeya]

Talia couldn't remember the last time she heard someone fumble so poorly in this realm. In one fell swoop, Dak was reduced to a nervous pre-teen asking someone of the opposite gender to dance. She had to try hard to keep from laughing, finding everything extra amusing in her drunken state. He paused every now and then, struggling to pick the right words with a confused look that was actually adorable. She did nothing to help, of course, simply staring into his soul while eating from the bowl of strawberries. Was this all because he hadn't had a good lay in a while or did this mean more to him? Did she care?

As he kept blabbering, she took a strawberry and shoved it right between his lips. Without hesitating, she leaned in and bit off the half of the strawberry that wasn't in his mouth, her lips just barely grazing his. As she pulled back, she grinned at him, "Maybe use less words," she couldn't keep amusement out of her voice. She could tell right away he mostly kept to himself and didn't bother too much with giving into his vices. She on the other hand did it to an unhealthy degree. Part of the reason she could never commit to Ral was because of her hesitation about never having another lover again. For years she saw this as a flaw, but she finally began to embrace it as a part of who she was. As she looked at Dak with that grin, she couldn't help but wonder if he had any idea where he was trying to tread.

 

[Phoenix]

Dak knew her well enough to tell she was enjoying this at his expense. She had that smug, near-laugh on her face. It left him a little bit exasperated and frustrated despite everything, but at the same time, he also took it as a good-ish sign. He wasn't normally this bad at this, but he normally didn't give two kriffs about the women he was picking up. In this case, there was some level of actually not wanting to ruin a long-standing friendship. It left him flopping around like a fish out of water.

He was less than prepared when she shoved a strawberry into his mouth and even less ready when she bent down to bite the other half out of his mouth. Their lips brushed for a moment and it sent a jolt of fire running through him. What was he getting himself into? He had thought it wouldn't be much, but now he wasn't so sure. He decided worrying about it wasn't the answer and after a moment, managed to wipe the dumbfounded look off his face.

There was an odd dynamic between the two of them because he wasn't trying to romance her per se, but he had an investment in her that went far beyond most women he'd met. She was genuinely his friend and one of the few people he cared about. He rose, steadying himself from the slight stumble that was less-than-smooth (although probably still the smoothest part of this exchange thus far by comparison).

Alright, fewer words, he muttered. He put out of his mind all the "ifs" and "buts," forcing himself not to overthink as he walked up to her, hands wrapping up to her head kissing her. It felt odd, having been nothing more than friends for so long, but at the same time, it felt nice. He had thought about this more than once and actually doing it felt almost surreal. He wondered for a moment if it was a dream, but the taste of her fruit and alcohol stained lips told him it wasn't. After a moment, he pulled back, the realization that he had been wanting to do that for some time finally sinking in.

 

[Sreeya]

Talia couldn't say she saw it coming, and she half expected him to crumble under her unapologetically crass behavior. She was still internally grappling with the fact that he had been interested in this to begin with, let alone that he wanted to act on it. Her way of coping with complexities like these was to put on a nonchalant exterior, and that was just what she portrayed at that moment. Thus, when he abruptly grabbed her, pulled her down and pressed his lips against hers, her mind went into a fog. Talia had slowed down substantially when it came to affairs here and there, and she didn't lead her old promiscuous life. Having someone as close as Dak abruptly do this threw her for a loop.

To her own surprise, she found herself returning the gesture. Her left hand slowly slid to the back of his head, curling into his hair, while the right hastily placed her pistol on the counter behind her. There was something almost aggressive in the way he pulled her in, and right away it caught her attention. She couldn't tell if it was drunkenness or the rush of the moment, but she found herself fully succumbing to it. Thoughts of all the tragedies she suffered recently fled from her mind, even the panic from earlier dissipating. She paused to look at him as he pulled away, a curious expression on his face. In return, she only grinned, her steely blue eyes gazing into his, "How long have you wanted to do that?"

Talia was convinced he was still unaware of the trap he had just fallen into. She was as fleeting as the wind, and he just stepped into the tornado that she was. Would it leave him devastated in its wake? Would it carry him to new heights? Talia thought about none of this as her fingers began to work expertly against his armor, plates of it coming off easily. Through it all, her eyes remained locked on his, that same faint ghost of a smile always on her face to remind him that this was Talia Al'Saif he was dealing with.

 

[Phoenix]

It still almost felt like this wasn't happening and he wasn't sure he wouldn't regret this in the morning, but right now he certainly didn't. He savored the moment, realizing that even if she were conflicted about this, she seemed equally as invested as her hand curled into the back of his hair. As he looked into those vibrant blue eyes, he was almost embarrassed at what he had done, smiling anyway.

I think... since we drank fireball on Bothawui, although I didn't think it would actually happen.... even though you told me you didn't like fireball, he said the last part with a teasing smile, recalling how "offended" he had been by that back then. There was something about her - about them - that had always seemed to be some sort of invisible barrier - or not so invisible. Either way, until recently, he'd always kept such thoughts at bay, but now there seemed to be no such inhibition. He had no intention of drawing back from this storm, come what may.

As her fingers began to work at his armor, he felt pieces fall away, the loud clunk of metal hitting the floor filling the room with every piece. His fingers began to do the same for her armor, his eyes unwavering in meeting her gaze. It was perhaps the most odd moment he'd ever shared, nearly unsure of how to react, but knowing now was not the time to flinch from such things, even if this was such a terrifying woman. In truth, he'd become a protector under her and had sworn to defend her. In many ways since that day, she had always been his Mandalore, regardless of titles.

He reached up and kissed her again, this time more deeply and without any of the hesitation that he might have been overstepping grounds. His lips trailed along her cheek, tasting the salt on her skin as his hands ran down her back.

 

[Sreeya]

She had been denying herself, and she realized it then. Talia had been running from who she had been for years now, and it had all been for some strange destiny she believed in that involved her and Ral. There was a time she loved him, but that had been decades prior. As she kissed Dak, she began to realize that it was okay to be who she was, and it was okay to step away from a path she thought she was on before she understood the world. Whether drinks or not, she wanted more of him, to explore this person that stood by her through everything, perhaps more than anyone else had.

Talia felt his kisses trail along the side of her face, a soft laugh escaping her, “You wanted to cross a line while you served as my Protector? While you knew everyone thought I was slated to be with someone else?” She couldn’t help but laugh, her tone almost teasingly seductive. She worked until he was stripped of his armor, her hands now brushing against his toned chest, getting the first touch of every scar and groove on his body there. Whether she was conflicted about this or not, it was too late to turn back now.

In turn, her own armor fell away to reveal the tattooed canvas that was her body. She was about as toned as a woman could get while keeping her feminine and slender curves, countless scars and remnants of battles accompanying the tattoos. It had always been a mystery to the public how far her tattoos ran, and now he could see it at least for her torso, every bit of her skin painted with it, with a line of metal studs that led down to a piercing on her bellybutton. Her body was a work of art in every form.

Talia pulled back from him, a sultry grin on her face as she stepped back from him. Her backwards path took her towards the bedroom, her amused gaze never leaving his as she moved and spoke barely above a whisper, “No words…”

 

[Phoenix]

Dak was guilty as charged. Even as a protector, he had had fleeting thoughts of what it might be like to kiss her. Thoughts he had quickly pushed aside, knowing them not to have a place and never actually contemplating acting on them. Now, they were fully embraced, the fact of what he was doing and the scandal of it both fresh on his mind and far from his concerns. All he could think of was how his senses were overtaken by what he was experiencing: the taste of her lips, the sound of her voice, the touch of her skin, the sight of her artwork. I never thought of it as a real possibility... he admitted, still a bit surprised to be here.

He let her hands run down his chest and over his muscles, letting her trace every ridge and groove, a smile on his face as his eyes watched her fingers before beginning their adventure along her tattoos, observing ever trace of them that he couldn't help but wonder about before now. His finger reached out as if to touch something that might shatter if handled too roughly and delicately traced along the ink and down to her piercing, drawing a slight circle along her belly. It was as if he were exploring all his forbidden curiosities all at once.

He followed her path backwards, a telltale glint of anticipation in his eyes. His lips brushed against her shoulder and he whispered against her skin, As you wish... Mandalore. He pushed her back, moving over her on the bed and capturing her lips once more. His curiosity and desire was only rising, hoping to discover every place her tattoos ran. His hand slipped down, fingers wrapping loosely around her waistband and pulling down, lips still locked to hers. Each movement was surprisingly sensual, filled with an emotion he hadn't anticipated.

 

[Sreeya]

---​

It was hours later when Talia awoke, the sun bathing in through the windows. She squinted as she got a face full of sun, rolling over to get away from it. That was when she realized she curled up against someone else. Now this was not a common theme for her, and she normally escaped first thing after a tryst. She was first baffled at herself for staying, and second surprised to not want to run away even now.

She found herself entangled with Dak, her hair a mess and sleep still in her eyes. She was seldom caught off guard, and here she was completely vulnerable in a model home that could have people bursting in any moment. Talia paused for a moment, lying against his chest and thinking about the night prior. It was a night of passion peppered here and there with unexpected feelings. She wasn’t going to talk to the latter aspect of it, and she had no idea if anything changed between them. This wasn’t someone she’d be with once and forget. This was her right hand man for going on missions or every time she risked her life. In many ways she didn’t know what to say, and she reserved herself to simply lying against him, one of the rare moments she didn’t mind ‘cuddling’.

After a few moments, she pulled away, rising to sit up on the edge of the bed. Talia reached into one of the remnants of her stripped off armor, pulling out a cigarra and lighting it. She glanced out the window with a grin, “What are the odds there’s a showing here today?” She blew out the smoke, rising to her feet and stretching. Her full body tattoos were in view, hugging every curve and groove she had. Her form was tall and athletic, the sun highlighting the grooves that marked where she had battle scars.

“I’ve been thinking….” She began as if she were about to say something profound about their time together while looking around for her clothing littered about, “Kriff this pact we have with the Jedi. I don’t know what Ral was thinking. I don’t know what benefit it gets us. Seems like an excuse for the Jedi to just use us. What do you think?” She looked over at him, entirely unconcerned that she was fully nude and smoking a cigarra while discussing political agreements, “I bet their temples are stocked full of shit we’d want. And they’re too busy with the Korriban business.”

 

[Phoenix]

Dak was still asleep when he felt stirring in the bed. He let out a little bit of a groan as the sleep very slowly fell away and he managed to pull his eyelids apart, squinting in the light of the sun. He hadn't nearly forgotten about what had happened last night and was suddenly very glad that she hadn't run off in the middle of the night or something of that sort. It really wouldn't have surprised him if she'd opted for that path.

No, instead, she awoke next to him and he suppressed a smile as he felt her curled up against his chest. That alone was a feeling that would stick with him, even if he couldn't admit it. She felt warm against the air of the room but after a moment she pulled back, rummaging through her armor. He frowned as she asked about a showing and he glanced around the room for a chrono. Uhh... probably not? Hopefully not... he said with a light laugh. He didn't really love the idea of being found in bed without any clothes on.

Her tone changed and he stiffened a bit, wondering where exactly her "thoughts" were going. It could have been good or bad really, but the fact that she hadn't run away meant that maybe good? Then the conversation took a hard left turn and he was definitely not expecting it. His gut went from churning to almost letting out a sigh of frustration and relief. He said none of this outwardly.

Hmm, he muttered absentmindedly, mind now having to make a dramatic shift to an entirely different conversation. What kinds of things do you think they have down there? he asked. He wasn't sure about attacking the Jedi, but if they kept expanding, they would no doubt butt heads eventually. Mixed feelings, I suppose. On the one hand, I don't know about picking a fight with them. Especially as a first move if we can avoid it... he shrugged ...on the other hand, if we're going to fight anyway - which something tells me it'll happen eventually - better to get the drop on them, right? If you wanna go, I'll back you 100%, he said, though it probably wouldn't be any shock to her. It was becoming more clear that his loyalty may have run deeper than he'd ever let on before.

He slid out of bed and threw on his pair of pants and grabbed his cigars. Want one? he asked, clipping and lighting his own. They'd already made a mess of this place, what was some smoke as well? What got you thinking about this? he couldn't help but ask. Curiosity beginning to pick at his mind.

 

[Sreeya]

Talia weighed his words, most of theme echoing her own thoughts on the matter. She began putting her clothes back on, shaking her head no to his offer of a cigar. After a night like last night, she wanted her good ol’ fashioned cigarra release. She thought of his comment about backing her regardless of her plan, and she couldn’t help but grin at the idea. He was easily the most reliable person in her life and quickly becoming the most consistent. What did this mean for her? She realized she was idly staring at him before quickly looking away.

“I want to raid the Jedi outpost on Dantooine,” She inhaled from the cigarra before blowing it out again, “That’s where their most war-ready Jedi are located. No doubt most of them are on Korriban as we speak,” She put on her underclothing, beginning to put on the layers of armor now, “I want to raid it because I have intel that they’ve been hogging the Darksaber,” She wasn’t sure if Dak knew about the significance of it or whether he even cared.

“I want to get a squad together because they won’t leave it completely undefended,” Talia finished dressing before walking over to the kitchen to grab her weapons. That was when she heard a click at the front door. Talia grimaced at once, skidding to a halt and wondering how she could sneak out of this one. The door was just down the hall from her, and she heard the initial greetings of a realtor bringing in a couple to see the apartment.