Wait that's not right

[Hask Jen]

Tatooine/Mos Eisley Cantina​

14:23 local time​

Hask and Aurie sat in a corner of the cantina. It had been a few days since they landed and the Hellion was getting fixed up at a steady pace, but it would still take a day or so before it would be ready to fly again.

So they decided to grab another bite to eat at the cantina. It was bustling with activity and the catchy music could be heard all around in between the talking, yelling and other familiar sounds of the cantina.

Hask's plate of food was in front of him. Even after ordering a light meal he still didn't have an apetite and simply picked at it and played with his fork. His mind was far too busy with something else.

Someone else.

Every now and then he would look up, checking up on Aurie as she sat across from him at the table, enjoying her meal without a care in the world. Even if she didn't give it off now, there was still tension between the two of them that needed to be relieved. Ever since Exoleen she was practically terrified of him, treading carefully around him and constantly second guessing anything she wanted to say to him, fearful that he will lash out like some monster.

The idea of her seeing him as such troubled him deeply. This problem needed to be dealt with before it could dig its roots deeper into their relationship and destroy it. He scrounged up the courage, cleared his throat and broke the silence between them. "Aurie...Mind if I ask you something?" he asked softly and sincerely, barely audible in the noise of the cantina but still loud enough just for her to hear.

@Pyrenees

 

[Aurelie Fleury]

Another day on Tatooine. Aurelie had certainly spent more days on the sandy ball in outer space than she ever though she would - but it was necessary as the planet was desolate and remote enough for anyone associated with Exoleen not to reach them whilst still geared with enough technology and skill to get the ship back up to full health. She had already scouted the place out rather well before, as she often did upon arriving somewhere new, but her knowledge of their current location was on an entirely different level. In fact, the thief wouldn't be surprised if she even knew it better than the locals, although that opinion might be a little biased.

The cantina seemed rather busy but she still felt like it was calm enough to have a pleasant meal in without having people bump into her every time they moved a muscle. Her food smelled didn't smell particularly good, and frankly, it didn't taste that good either. But, the girl still kept eating as she still valued a full belly rather highly, having spent much less than a year together with her current companion.

Depite eating away happily, the girl felt as if Hask looked at her from time to time. It wasn't really uncomfortable but it did make her wonder if he wanted to talk to her or tell her to do anything. But the Sith weren't really shy and she was confident that he would make it rather clear if he wanted to speak, so she stayed quiet as she ate her food until he finally cleared his throat. It barely took a second for her eyes to shoot up attentively, soon followed by her head looking up. Her companion seemed extremely gentle as he talked to her, so gentle that she barely heard what he said because of the music. She had a sneaking suspicion that this might be where he'd tell her that it was time to part ways - those conversations always started like this; carefully after getting some food together. Aurelie did her best to dismiss the suspicion and simply nodded with a careful "Yes", soon followed by a more enthusiastic "Of course" She tried to sound as optimistic as possible, but there was still a hint of nervousness in her voice as she responded.

It didn't take long for Aurelie to stop eating and leaning forward to listen to what Hask had to say.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

He could sense her anxiety. While it didn't feel like it was directed at him, the thought still made him sick. He could sense it and her voice gave it away as well, no matter how much she tried to hide it behind her optimistic and cheerful façade, she couldn't hide her emotions from the Pureblood.

He just sat and watched her, trying to think of what to say. "Why do you fear me? Do you hate me? If you want to leave just go on and scram already!" the thoughts spun in his head.
He tried to clear his head but it just became harder and harder for him. Friendship was an extremely rare sensation for him, so having one of his very few true friends being scared of him or leaving him behind made his heart ache in a manner that he was not familiar with.

Finally he settled on something. One question, plain and simple, but still enough to get the ball rolling. "Do you trust me?" he asked gently and bluntly. He placed his hands in front of him on the table, his right thumb rubbing the top of his left hand, the cold durasteel definitely not doing anything to ease his troubled mind. But it did feel like it helped his own nervousness.

 

[Aurelie Fleury]

Hask asked a simple question, one usually easily being answered in a simple 'yes' or 'no', but Aurelie's brain was working at full capacity. Lying would've been an easy way out, but his question seemed sincere and she was not about to start lying to him now - the honesty that they had been able to keep felt very special to her. She was far from sure on what to respond and tried to stall to the best of her abilities and laughed lightly, almost awkwardly "There are many different definitions of trust" she said with a weird smile, feeling rather stupid as it was clear as day what the Sith on the opposite side of the table asked. Her mind was still going at full speed and she soon realized that some further stalling would be required "I'd definitely trust you to protect me if anyone ever caught me red-handed. But next time you're landing the Hellion, I'll be right there with ya!" Her voice sounded rather stable, what she said was true, and her eyes were fixed on his face for the entire duration as she scanned for any reactions.

Aurelie finally reached a conclusion - the captain had saved her life on numerous occasions and tended to be gentle to her - but he had a harsh, wild and uncontrollable side, a side which she feared. The girl raised her mug and drank - she swallowed much more ale than she normally would in a single go and after setting it back down on the table she looked Hask in the eyes again - he was expecting a real answer. "Mostly" she said in a low voice. Saying the short little word felt like a betrayal - as she knew that her trust to him had been, almost, complete a few days ago. The young woman couldn't keep her eyes locked in his anymore and let her gaze fall down onto the food. She took a breath to speak, but just let it go in a sigh.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

He held a blank expression on his face, not amused by her trying to dodge the question but understanding why she was doing it. His eyes scanned her every feature, watching her as she nervously took a big gulp of her drink before finally giving an answer.

At least it was honest. Definitely not one he wanted to hear but at least it was the complete truth. Her eyes finally broke their sight and she looked down. Hask frowned lightly in response to her action and proceeded to take her left hand into his own. Barely a second later he looked down at their hands, then slowly switched from his left hand to his right. He felt a little self conscious about his prosthetic, feeling it as inappropriate in this situation.

"Why...'mostly'?" another short, simple question said in a soft, gentle manner. He wanted her to say it out loud. He wanted her to admit that she thought he was a monster.

But at the same time he didn't. He wanted an explanation as to why the girl he has risked life and limb for didn't trust him but at the same time he dreaded what her answer would be. One thing about this conversation of theirs proved interesting. She felt just as hurt as he did about the whole thing. At least he wasn't alone...

@Pyrenees

 

[Aurelie Fleury]

The situation certainly seemed grave as Hask picked up her left hand, as if preparing to say something serious. For a short moment, Aurelie wondered why he let go of her hand so soon, but it all became clear as he resumed the hold with the right hand: It was because of the prosthetic. She weren't completely sure on why he didn't want to use the mechanical arm - was it because he was ashamed of it or because the cold touch wouldn't feel personal enough? In truth, the girl didn't mind the robotic arm; it was a part of him and she considered taking hold of it with her free hand. It did however seem a little risky if it was indeed some kind of shame which brought him to retract it. Still, taking hold of the arm almost seemed risk free compared to her honesty about how much she trusted him. Without much further consideration, she braved her fears took hold of left hand with her right and produced a reassuring smile.

Aurelie was very conflicted as he asked about the reason behind the lack of trust. It was not an easy thing to describe as she couldn't recall ever meeting someone such as Hask before, the complexity of the situation was on a higher level than she was used to dealing with. "Well..." she begun and looked down at the cluster of hands in between them. She feared that he would enter the menacing state she saw aboard the vessel above Exoleen, but at the same time, the conversation had already begun and the Hask in front of her was the one she met on Tatooine and had saved her at Thraxa spaceport. "Its just that.." she said, struggling for words.

A silence soon commenced as she was thinking about what to say, all while subconsciously rubbing her left-hand thumb against his hand. Eventually, the young woman made up her mind and roughly figured out what to say. Looking up at him, she begun "You know, the cargo ship above Exoleen.." her voice seemed strong as she begun, but that quickly faded as she continued after a pause "..you executed people, people who were no threat to you." Her voice was shaky, almost trembling as she spoke. Aurelie's breath was irregular and she was clearly rather emotional but pressed on.

"You know, you've crushed people without a second thought. Its like.." She trailed off, what she was about to say felt weird and unnatural "...Its like you just kill by instinct - as if you'd destroy anything in your path.." she said as a strange mixture of sadness and fear filled her mind. Even now, she knew that the Sith could probably end her life at a moments notice. But the young woman didn't feel like it mattered now - she had already surrendered to the possibility. Her head slowly went down, breaking their possibility of keeping eye contact and with an almost shameful voice, she continued "...including me, if I happened to get there. If I ever got in your way or made you too angry..." she trailed off again, but her meaning was clear enough. The girl didn't like the words leaving her mouth - what madness was it that she accused her friend of accidentally murdering her? Still, it was the most honest explanation she could think of. Aurelie kept her head low and could feel herself trembling with fear.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

He was somewhat surprised when she took his left hand. He wanted to pull away, feeling it would be intruding this personal moment of theirs, but instead he allowed her to take the cold, hard hand into her own. At least she accepted him for what he is, good or bad.

He sat patiently, watching her as she fumbled over her words to get the right thing to say. Her thumb gently rubbing his hand calmed him slightly. That calm soon faded when she finally managed to get her words out. It hurt him but he allowed her to finish, to get it all out in the open. She bowed her head down, breaking their eye contact. His eyes lingered a few seconds longer before finally closing, allowing him to sense everything around him. She was trembling, and the fear coming off her was disgusting to the point where he wanted to get up and leave, but he persisted.

"The first thing that you should always remember about me, Aurie, is that I am Sith. My kind were bred for one thing and one thing only...war. This calm and collected façade of mine, no matter how much I love it and want to keep it up, is not who I really am. You don't understand how much it takes from me to stay as calm and collected as I am. Fights like that...I embrace them so that I can keep my 'peaceful' side up. Even then, despite trying to solve any situation peacefully, I will always have that deep seated yearning for a fight. I will never be able to get away from that." he spoke as gently as he could.

He opened his eyes, staring down at their hands. She was still trembling with fear, and all he wanted was for it to stop. He gave both her hands a light squeeze, cursing himself that he can't feel her right hand in his left. "That being said...The idea of hurting you in any way is unthinkable to me." he looked back at her with a smile. "You have no idea to what lengths I would go to keep you safe...or what power you have over me. Why do you think I never killed that guard, or the captain and the remainder of her crew? That was you. You have an innocence surrounding you that I never want to see disappear. That's why I asked you to stay on the ship, I didn't want you to see who I really am." the squeeze on her hands tightened more without him noticing. "I can promise you, no matter what happens, I will never. Hurt. You."

He pulled his hands back and placed them on her shoulders as he stared into her eyes, trying his best to convey his point. "I don't know how I can prove that to you, but I can promise you that I will never lift my blade against you and I will do everything in my power to protect you." he finally concluded, sounding like a desperate plea more than anything else.

He just sat there, holding her and staring into her eyes as he waited for a response that will either shatter him or strengthen him.

@Pyrenees

 

[Aurelie Fleury]

Hearing her friend reveal is true nature to her opened up a big void in her mind. Aurelie was distraught by what he said, that the person she had come to know was in fact just some kind of facade which hid the menace which she had seen aboard the cargo ship. Her eyes were quickly getting rather wet as she felt like the friend she had might never really have existed, that it was some kind of wicked game Hask had been playing. It didn't make sense, she couldn't see why he would do it, what he stood to gain from it; but in truth, none of this made much sense to her at the moment. The Sith basically told the young woman that his default mode was one yearning for combat and programmed for war - both were unfathomable to her. At least he said that he enjoyed his peaceful mask which gave her a glimmer of hope.

The girl carefully looked up at Hask as he uttered the words, hurting her was unthinkable to him. She saw the smile he formed and was hard pressed not to believe him. The confusion was great - was this just some kind of facade too? Did he really mean it? Regardless, her friend kept speaking and Aurelie listened attentively. What he said made sense - he had risked life and limb to keep her safe and he did return to his 'normal' state after she revealed herself aboard the freighter. His gentle side might just be a facade, but it it seemed to be what he wanted to be. She felt his hands tighten around hers, it was not a painful grip, but it certainly signified the importance of what he said, that he would never hurt her.

They sat there for a few moments, looking each other in the eyes. His metallic hand was no longer as cold as when she first grabbed it and and he seemed sincere. It didn't take very long for her to come to a conclusion this time - she trusted him. The Sith then released her hands and instead laid his hands on her shoulders and reiterated his point, but by this time, she was already convinced.

The young woman was very taken and emotionally touched by what her friend just said. She even had a hard time producing any words which was not very common for the usually quick witted girl. She started nodding slowly at him with her big blue eyes locked in his. A small "ok" could be heard but it felt rather underwhelming after Hask's speech, his plea. Slowly, Aurelie rose to her feet, gently removing his hands from her shoulders. After a few steps, she hovered over the side of the table and after a few moments of hesitation, she slid into his side of the booth and gave him a hug from the side, leaning her head against his. For the girl, it felt like an eternity passed them by when in fact it had only been a few seconds "ok, I trust you"

Another eternity passed by after which the hug was released. Aurelie gazed down at her hands "And I'm sorry" she said, guilt obvious in her voice. "You've never raised a hand against me. I shouldn't have doubted you" Her voice was filled with regret, but the fear which marked it earlier was all but gone.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

At times Hask hated being a Pureblood. Being able to sense a person's emotions and intentions felt at times as some sort of violation to him. Other times he was glad that he had this ability. This was one of those times where both views would collide. He could feel the pain and betrayal well up inside her, but he could also feel the relief rush over her. The fear subsided to his own relief when she muttered one simple word.

"Okay"

He was taken back when she rose from her seat but the happiness almost overwhelmed him when she embraced him in a warm hug. He sat frozen for a few seconds, but in no time at all he threw his arms around her in an embrace of his own. He pressed his head against hers, careful that his protrusions or ridges didn't poke her or ruin their moment in any way.

"ok, I trust you" The words were such a relief to him, clearly visible as he let out a shaky breath against her shoulder. When they broke the hug he was slightly saddened. Her head dipped again as she apologised. She felt guilty, regretful...but no longer afraid. With his right hand he gently lifted her head back up to look her in the eyes.

This was such a perfect moment for him. The urge to just lean in and give in to his emotions was almost overwhelming, but he pushed it to the side. "You have nothing to apologise for." he muttered to her, once again pulling her in for tight hug with the only regret being that they can't stay like this forever. After a few minutes of just holding her close he broke the hug. "We should head back to the ship. Should almost be done by now..." he said to her in a slightly awkward fashion. It was un unceremonious end to their moment but then again, the sith never was one for being good with words.

@Pyrenees

 

[Aurelie Fleury]

It was comforting to hear that he didn't hold the mistrust against her and a genuine smile grew on her lips, appearing right before being pulled in for another hug. The fear which might have froze the young woman upon being clasped between his arm before the talk was nowhere to be seen. Instead, it felt safe - all the anxiety and tension were washed away as they let the minutes pass. "Thanks" she whispered, in a tone so low that she could barely hear it herself. While she sat through what felt like eternities before, this hug was over way sooner than she'd have preferred but they had been there for a while now and getting back to base seemed like a good idea. "Yeah, you're right" she said while giving him a warm smile before starting to slip out from the seat.

The mechanics would probably expect to get payed when they were done with the ship repairs and if they got back early, the young woman might even be able to pick up a few more tips and tricks regarding ship repairs. As they had exited the cantina and started walking down the streets, Aurelie found herself playfully kicking an empty bottle in front of her, creating a scrambling sound plastic tumbling around along the sandy road as they made their way through the otherwise calm streets. While they had worked well enough together since he slaughtered the first defenders on board the cargo freighter, this was when she truly felt like they were a team again. Things seemed to be looking up and it felt as a heavy weight had been lifted off of her shoulders "Hask and Aurie" she mused for herself in a happy and satisfied manner before looking at him curiously "Hey, that force thing of yours. You know, when you made that guard on the Thraxa comms tower go find a bathroom; how do you know if someone has used it on you?" She realized that she hadn't thought the question through very well as the opportunities for misinterpretation were glaringly obvious "Not that I think you've used it on me! Just asking, you know?" Her tone confirmed what she said as the question sounded rather mundane and curious.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

They walked in a comfortable silence side by side towards the hangar. Hask's heart felt light and at restm knowing that their relationship would most probably be stronger than ever after today. Aurelie broke the silence when she mentioned their unofficial team name, causing a big smile to form on his face "Hask and Aurie." he said n a proud, cheerful manner. The sound of it rather delighted him. "I like that."

She perked up once again, asking him about the mind trick he used, as well as a clarification as to why she was asking. After a light laugh at her correcting herself, he spoke up. "You most probably won't even know that it's happening. Basically we manipulate and force the person's brain to 'change their mind' as it were. This causes them to think it's their idea, sort of like hypnotising them but on a whole different level. You'll probably wonder why you are doing what you're doing or if someone interrupts you, that's some of the only pointers you'll have that will show that you were tricked." he looked back at her as they neared the hangar.

"But I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. Mind tricks only work on those with weak mental barriers. Simpletons, someone who's had a thorough beating, the mentally unstable, people like that can't fight back so they are easier to manipulate. For someone to try it on you, they would need to be pretty strong in the force or have weakened you mentally to try something like that." he finished. "So you have nothing to worry about." he reassured her, giving a light bump against the shoulder.

When they finally reached the hangar, his ship looking good as new with a fresh coat of paint and everything. But the mechanics were nowhere to be seen. Only life in the hangar apart from them were some jawas standing by the open cargo door at the back of his ship. "Wait. that's not right." he said to himself as he walked over to the group of tiny lifer forms.

 

[Aurelie Fleury]

The mind manipulation her friend described sounded incredible - being able to get people to do what you wanted without applying charm or creating distractions sounded like any thief's dream. But then, the force should really be anyone's dream, alas, Aurelie was not blessed with such powers. Still, she did have a good Sith friend which was more than she'd ever have expected. Thinking of it, it did seem rather bizarre as the Sith had always been more of an abstract concept for her, rather being people to be feared than friends to be had. Hask was not like the others however, and he didn't seem to mind continuing explaining how the mind trick worked. The girl smirked as he listed ways of weakening someone enough to manipulate their thoughts "or they'd need to have been working way too long of a shift without any good access to a bathroom." she laughed lightly before continuing "Who knows? Perhaps you didn't succeed in that force thingy of yours, perhaps he just really wanted to go to the bathroom" she joked jovially. Hask bumped her lightly on the shoulder as he assured her that she weren't in the risk zone which felt rather good. Not only was she safe from the force trick, he also credit her for not being a simpleton which many from the galactic elite might've considered calling her considering her lack of a formal education.

The hangar was more desolate than the girl had expected, only seeing a bunch of Jawas at the side of the hangar. She had expected the crew to finish relatively quick, but not this quick. While Hask walked over to the band of small aliens, Aurelie veered off towards the ship, noting how the entry to the cargo was still open as the ramp leaned down from the ship to the hangar floor.

The Jawa's seemed excited as the saw the Sith approach them "We help repair! They say we get cut from you!" they exclaimed excitedly in their own language, incomprehensible to most outsiders. Just as they finished the sentence, Aurelie's voice could be heard in the distance, calling out for him "Hask!". The face of the head mechanic could be seen in the front window by the pilot's seat while a Weequay could be seen in the co-pilots seat. The ships engines suddenly started humming to life.

The thief sprinted the short remaining distance to the ship and leaped onto the ramp and quickly pulled the mechanical lever connected to the ramp and door, effectively preventing it from being closed from the cockpit without a series of tricky and hard-to-find procedures. After throwing a glance towards Hask, Aurelie decided that she needed to push further into the ship to prevent the ongoing theft. Pulling out her blaster, the young woman carefully went further in to the ship, completely disappearing from Hask's line of sight. Soon the Hellion started hovering low above the ground as the landing gear retracted - he didn't have much time to reach the ship at all as it seemed as if the visitors were rather keen on not letting the Sith aboard.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

Hask stood bewildered with the group of jawas as they babbled away in their unfamiliar language. As he was trying to understand what they were saying, he heard Aurelie call out his name. He pushed the jawas aside and ran into the cargo hold, just before the ship rose from the ground and the door closed.

He rushed through the hold and into the ship, quickly meeting up with Aurie. He motioned for her to follow him and took point, leading her to through the ship and closer to the cockpit. As they prepared to enter, two bolts came at them. Hask grabbed Aurie and jumped around a corner to safety. "Why did this have to happen today?" he asked rhetorically as he tried to think of a plan that didn't involve killing them. "Stay. Here." he told her, pointing to the floor beneath them.

As he emerged from their cover, he jumped from side to side, dodging their rounds one after the other until he was right between the pilot, co-pilot and two others. He thrusted his hands out, knocking them all off their feet and their guns out of their hands. In an instant both crimson blades were ignited and at the ready. "Now...let's settle this civilly before I cut you all in half. I happen to be having a splendid day, so I'm feeling merciful. Either you lot drop all your credits, personal belongings and get off my ship...or I'll be throwing you all out without any arms or legs." he said coldly. He could see the surprise and fear in each one's eyes. None of them were expecting to be stealing from a Sith.

"Aurie, get up here and escort them off our ship, please." he called out to her.

@Pyrenees

 

[Aurelie Fleury]

Aurelie was nervously walking deeper into the ship with light steps and her blaster pistol at the ready. She had just left the cargo hold and was walking up a corridor to the bunks and the kitchen when she could hear footsteps behind her. The thief had been around Hask long enough to recognize how he sounded when walking relatively normally in his heavy armour and had a good idea that it was him, especially since she didn't spot any thugs when she entered the ship. It seemed as if she was correct as Hask soon appeared behind her prompting her to turn around and produce a big smile "Hask!" she exclaimed with a low voice, happy to see that he was with her. The young woman was about to continue talking but a couple of blaster bolts could be heard behind her. The girl threw herself towards a wall but was grabbed by Hask before she had a chance to connect with it.

The two bolts swooshed by as they stood in the corner by the cargo hold together, a much safer spot than staying plastered against the wall. The girl let out a sigh as she escaped another near death experience "Thanks chief" she said before he asked his rhetorical question "I've heard people say that so many times" she said while thinking about her occpation, more as a side note than anything. He told her to stay at which she nodded followed by a short "If you say so". The young woman didn't like that her friend always rushed off into battle on his own, putting himself in a situation where she couldn't help her. But then, she weren't sure how much help she would be even if she got into the fray. Looking on as he went into the corridor and headed towards the cockpit, she let out a weary "Be careful" as he left.

It didn't take her by surprise that Hask defeated the thieves and she was quite happy that he spared their lives. She could barely hear him, but she understood that he was giving them an opportunity to leave voluntarily or leave without any limbs and knew what option any sane being would pick. It didn't take long for Aurelie to arrive at the cockpit after Hask called out for her, but with her blaster holstered. All four mechanics looked rather terrified with credits and other valuables all laying on the floor along with their blasters. The young woman didn't believe that any of them would be dumb enough to risk the wrath of her Sith friend by attacking her on their way out. With that, she simply raised an arm towards the exit. "This way please" her tone was pleasant, similar to that of a flight attendant talking to their guests - she felt like there was no need to scare them any further and didn't think that there was much that she could do to accomplish it either.

As soon as the sorry band of engineers were off of the Hellion, she returned to Hask "That was nice of you." she said and added a clarification "To spare them." She glanced down at their valuables on the floor and then back up at Hask with a grin "Since they were planning on taking the Hellion for themselves, I'd guess that they at least did a good job repairing her. And they even gave as a tip for letting them work at the ship" her tone was lighthearted and the thief even chuckled at her own joke.

Leaning her head to the left while still keeping her eyes on the Sith, Aurelie asked "Why didn't you want me to come along though? You didn't.. you know.. You spared them and all." The question was blunt and marked by the same curiosity as before. Optimistically, she added "Maybe I could've helped you out or something"

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

Hask chuckled as Aurie escorted the men off their ships. He looked down at the small pile of valuables on the ground. Not much for him but given that they tried to steal his most prized possession, it seemed only fair for him to take something of theirs.

In no time at all Aurie was back. He didn't move an inch, only extinguished his lightsabers and clipped them back on his belt. A big smile formed on his face with the joke she cracked, but it faded a little with the question she asked. A question that he also didn't have a clear answer for. The order was one out of instinct, not at all a good order but he still gave it. His eyes met hers as he lingered for a few seconds. It's such a simple question, why is it so hard to answer?

"...I don't know. Fear, I guess." he said with a frown, more to himself than to her. "I guess I was afraid that you'd get hurt..." he continued softly.

The hum of the engines drew his attention back to the dashboard and he quickly shut the ship down once again. He turned back to Aurie with a puzzled face. "I'm not sure why I gave the order." he felt hot in the face, not sure at all why such a simple question was bothering him this much. Whatever the case may be, it was making him look like a fool.

With a clear of the throat he walked to her."Doesn't matter. The Hellion's fixed back up, we've restored rightful ownership to us and nobody got hurt."he said cheerfully. He walked past her and into his workshop, taking off his armour and setting it down on the rack next to him. "Feels good to be home." he spoke to her, loud enough to hear on the bridge. He emerged dressed in his black t-shirt and sweatpants, walking back to the bridge.

@Pyrenees

 

[Aurelie Fleury]

Aurelie had not expected the relative silence that claimed the room after her question. Hask usually seemed to have something to say in response to her questions and definitely some kind of reason behind his decisions. She patiently waited as he tried to come up with a response but started to consider if she should just switch topic after a while, especially considering the diminished smile. But as soon as the thought hit her, the Sith spoke.

Hask struggled, but his sentences came out intact. She gave him a puzzled look as he explained that it was because of fear but realized what what he meant as he clarified his position. The girl was moved by what her friend told her, that he feared that she would come in harms way and knew that this was the same fear which motivated her to defy his order above Exoleen. Aurelie didn't say a word, but her face exposed how touched she was by what he said. Despite the possibility of ending his answer here, Hask continued fumbling with an answer which ended up in an I don't know. She smiled at him, partially because of his nice words, partially because of how he struggled - it felt as if she got to see a more humane side of the Sith which she hadn't seen much of before.

The sweet moment ended much quicker than it began. Hask moved towards her and spoke of their situation with enthusiasm. She was unsure what to feel when the Sith spoke of restoring ownership to us as she considered the Hellion to be solely his, but she soon dismissed it, thinking that he might have misspoke, besides, she was basically living on the ship with him. "And we got some extra credits too!" she added with a jovial voice as she instinctively followed Hask as he passed her by. A few steps later, she realized that this was not an occasion during which she was supposed to follow and immediately tried to turn back to the cockpit in a casual manner.

Upon his return, Aurelie spun the co-pilots seat around. She had removed her desert wear and now just wore her normal apparel while seated in the chair. On her lap was all the things which the mechanics had dropped except for the guns which she had neatly organized on the floor. "They really left everything here captain! An ID-badge, movie club membership card, keys" her tone was happy as she scrounged through one of the wallet and listed what she found. The thief threw back the wallet onto her lap and picked up a book "Look! Even some kind of manual, it even has pictures!" Aurelie was quite glad about not having to read through long lines of text as she could instead just follow the instructions on the pictures.

After the exchange of words as the Sith returned to the bridge, Aurelie waited until he sat down and their conversation quieted before returning to an old subject. The girl leaned in slightly towards her friend, making sure to catch his attention before speaking "Hask, I fear for your safety too, you know? But we're a team, we gotta look out for each other, right?"

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

He watched in amusement as Aurelie picked through the possessions on her lap. The assortment of items very odd to him. "Keys and an ID badge? What are we going to do with those? We don't even know what those keys are for!" he said with a laugh as he slumped into his seat. The assortment of weapons on the floor were dull at best, but they'd still be easy to turn over for a few extra credits.

His attention was snapped back to Aurie when she spoke up, returning to the dreaded topic he would rather avoid. But it was only fair to answer her question after their talk from earlier. He owed her that much. With a sight he turned the seat so his front profile face her entirely. He clasped his hands together and, sitting forward, rested his arms on his legs. He looked her dead in the eyes with a nervous, confused expression.

"I know, I know. We are a team, and an amazing one at that. But..." he stopped, not sure what to say. As a sith she won't comprehend the amount of people he would kill to make her happy and keep her safe. As a person he did not know the words to express himself. "Look, I blame myself for what happened to you on Exoleen. I wasn't paying attention and because of that you got shot in the leg." his voice became rather angry, but not at her. He was angry at himself. He took a deep breath to calm down and looked at her once again. "Aurie, my safety is fine. If something happens to me, so be it...as long as you are safe." "That came off maybe a bit too strong."

"I cant explain to you how much you mean to me. The thought of you getting hurt again because of me scares me." he said softly. Hask never was one for being good with words and this situation shows that completely.

@Pyrenees

 

[Aurelie Fleury]

This was getting serious. It was always serious when someone turned 90 degrees to face you, hands clasped with the upper body in a forward tilt. Aurelie responded by turning her own chair 60 degrees and crossed her legs after having put away all the loot. She then twisted her upper body to face Hask's fully, leaning forth with most of her weight centered on the arm which laid on the armrest of her chair. The young woman locked her eyes in his as he nervously prepared to speak and tried to give him a toothless and encouraging smile.

She nodded along happily as Hask confirmed that they were indeed a great team but noticed how his nervousness carried over to her as he paused after a dreaded but. He didn't seem to follow up on the but - relieved, she relaxed a little; they were a good team and there were no buts. Despite the lack of a but, the girl felt bad as her friend blamed himself for her injury, enough for his voice to rise in anger. Aurelie knew that he wouldn't lash out against her, he had promised her that she'd be safe just an hour or so ago and she believed him. With that, she reached out with an arm and put the hand on his right shoulder, just to help him calm down. The girl felt his shoulder rise as he took a deep breath and managed she let out a short, low and barely noticeable "no" right before Hask continued.

What he said next warmed her heart, to say the least. But at the same time, she felt sick at the thought of him getting hurt, or worse, just to protect her. By now, Aurelie knew that she needed him, there was no way she was going back to just roaming the galaxy alone, drifting from place to place, merely doing more than existing. Struggling to make ends meet, going through tough times or slipping away from a dangerous situation - that was fine, but she couldn't imagine doing it without Hask. "Oh, Hask" she let out in a very emotional tone as her grip on his shoulder got a little tighter. She weren't sure what to say and just kept looking at him, once again with wet eyes. This was the second time he gave her tear ducts a workout in a single day.

Aurelie didn't feel like Hask needed to explain how much she meant to him - because she understood, knew the feeling well and was experiencing it at first hand herself. She slowly and smoothly let her hand slide down from his shoulder until it had soon returned to her. The young woman turned her chair the final 30 degrees and mirrored how Hask sat, but instead of clasping her hands together, she simply let them rest on her knees. She noticed how the move weren't very well though through as their legs had bumped against each other a few times already and her face was just a few centimeters away from his, but the girl couldn't care less. "No, no it wasn't your fault" she whispered, eyes shifting between his hands and his eyes. "It was my stupid plan and you saved me many times over - jumping down the tower with me, throwing me into the trash container." Normally, she would've laughed at the last part, but this time she didn't. This time, she was serious. "Me getting injured was never your fault, but I'm alive thanks to you."

"You know, Hask, my father and I, we were really close. He meant the world to me" she said and it was noticeable how her voice had a strange mixture of happiness and grimness upon the mention of her parent. Aurelie's glimmering blue eyes had once again locked into his as she spoke. But upon the first sentence, she broke contact and looked up into the ceiling "And when he died, I just lost it. All sense of direction, ambition, anything" her voice was sad as she spoke of his death. "And if I lost you.." she said, struggling to get the words out. Slowly, her gaze returned to him "I know that I'd loose it again, okay?" This was obviously very emotional for the young woman as her tear ducts had begun working harder and her voice almost sounded desperate. Aurelie took a deep breath, and tried to rebolster her spirits "So your safety can't just be 'fine', it needs to be the top priority. And when you're in danger, I won't be safe" she said filled with conviction.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

Hask listened to her, their faces merely a few inches from each other as they sat across from each other. Their legs bumped but what did that matter in a moment such as this. When she finally stopped speaking, he opened his mouth to speak as well, but closed it almost immediately when she mentioned her father.

That was still a subject he was afraid of asking over. The last thing he wanted to do was bring up painful memories for her. But it was clear how much he meant to her, with the sadness gripping her. She looked up to the ceiling, but he kept his eyes locked on her as he allowed her to speak. He could see the tears welling up in her eyes, clearly this was a very hard talk for her. She looked back to him and continued with a desperate, sad voice. She finally concluded, stressing just how important she was to him as well.

He remained still for a few seconds, completely speechless over everything she had to say. Instead he allowed his actions to speak. His left hand rested on her shoulder, his right hand gently curled around the back of her neck. He leaned in, closing the small space between them and gave her a soft, gently kiss on the forehead before pressing his own against hers, closing his eyes.

He remained like that for a few seconds before speaking softly to her. "With you by my side, I feel safe as houses." his voice was gentle, caring and when he finished the sentence, a warm smile rested on his lips.

He pulled back a little, looking her in the eyes. "I'm not going anywhere." he said sincerely

@Pyrenees

 

[Aurelie Fleury]

Aurelie's conviction turned into nervousness as the moments passed and Hask remained still. It would be possible for him to just ignore her pleas and keep disregarding his own safety. But, it didn't take long until he held her steady, no longer deferring from using both arms and slowly planted a kiss on her forehead. I sense of relief washed over her, as did a warmth which resulted in her cheeks quickly gaining a soft rose red colour. An involuntary smile grew on her lips which lasted until he lowered his face and let their foreheads meet. The young woman looked her friend in the eyes while he spoke, but her gaze soon traveled further down, observing his nose, his ridges and finally his mouth. She didn't pay much attention to what he said, however, as affectionate feelings were still rushing through her mind. This moment was perfect.

Just as before, the girl believed him. A genuine smile grew on her lips, intruding her blushing cheeks as he pledged that he weren't going anywhere. "Good" she whispered with a vulnerable voice. "I'll hold you to that" she continued, producing the most menacing voice an emotional and happy Aurelie could muster.

Their faces were still close to each other. They remained in that state for seconds, maybe even a minute or two. She felt like kissing him back, she really did. But the girl weren't sure how appropriate it would be or even if Hask had the same idea as she did. What if he was just assuming the role of a protective older brother? Anything too drastic could put their partnership in jeopardy and she valued it way to much to create such a risk.

"I, uh, need to go to the bathroom" she said suddenly, desperate for an opportunity to cool down and get a breather. As soon as Hask would remove his hands from her neck and shoulder, she'd let out a sweet "Thank you" before giving him a quick peck on the cheek and scurrying off to the bathroom.

@KinkyPrawn