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Deception in the Ranks: The Fallout of Operation Landslide


alaurin

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My deepest apologies, but its time for me to inflict yet another story thread onto you all. As I sat here editing the next update for my guys' saga, I realized it really has outgrown the SFC thread. Its the 19th part (not counting the intro bits) of the story I began last spring when an odd little nugget entered my head and there will be roughly 6-7 parts after. Therefore, I decided to their main storyline here. This won't be all of the content for Dek, Jax, and Zev from the SFC thread, just the ones relevant to what I've dubbed their little intrigue. While most of it will be copied over from the SFC thread, there will be a new bit before I get the guys to their current point, then the updates will come here instead of the SFC thread. I don't want to overwhelm anyone, so I'll probably just transfer 2-3 stories a day until I'm caught up.

 

So sit back and (hopefully) enjoy a tale of betrayal, dirty dealings, cooperate greed, a hunt for the truth, and unwavering friendship.

 

 

I'll post specific spoilers for each part, but in general you can expect spoilers for the Bounty Hunter, Smuggler, and Trooper stories. I'll add in some pictures when I get the chance.

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This first part was originally posted 6/16/2014 in the SFC thread for the Sounds of Silence prompt.

 

 

Keeping the Memories at Bay

 

Spoiler Alert: Hints at the starting point for the Smuggler story

 

He slowly felt awareness come to him in the form of a dry mouth and an aching head. He lay there, getting his bearings after a hard night out hitting cantinas with Dek. Glancing at the chrono, he realized he needed to get up soon. The shipment of weapons was due to arrive in less than an hour and he intended to personally supervise the cargo being loaded into his hold, as he always did. He slowly eased his broad, heavily muscled body out of the bed, careful with his movements, not wanting to aggravate his already pounding head any further, and definitely not wanting to wake the woman still asleep in his bed. He glanced at the pale green Twi’lek, one of two dancers he and Dek kept from being abducted by some overzealous admirers and struggled to recall her name……T’ula…..N’ula….something like that. It’s not like it mattered. Whatever her name was, she was just another woman in his bed, one of many that had been there before her and would come after, someone to get him through another night, someone to keep the nightmares…..the memories at bay. He knew it seemed callous, but he never made any promises and he certainly didn’t have any complaints. In fact, quite the opposite, he made sure they knew full well that it was a one night deal and he stuck to it. He didn’t want to risk a woman getting attached because the last thing he wanted was something permanent….a mate.

 

He slowly made his way to the refresher, figuring Dek and his bed partner for the night were still asleep since the freighter was quiet. He grabbed a couple of stims out of the medicine cabinet, quickly injecting them and tossing the empty vials into the trash. He caught his reflection in the mirror as he closed the cabinet and raked his clawed fingers through his thick black mane, noting that it was a bit longer than he usually kept it. Definitely time for a haircut, he decided running hands down his lightly furred face as he studied it further, a shave too. Unfortunately those things would have to wait since he had cargo arriving in forty-five minutes, then he’d be leaving Nar Shaddaa, stopping at Hutta’s orbital station to drop Dek off before continuing on to Ord Mantell to deliver the weapons.

 

His hand paused as his fingertips brushed the three parallel gouges running down the right side of his face, vivid enough to be visible under his grey fur. His heart began to race as a brief flicker of memory surfaced and he could almost feel the claws tearing into him, the crushing weight breaking his bones, the rancid hot breath, a flash of sharp fangs as the beast went for the kill….stop it Jax, don’t go there. He squeezed his eyes shut, focusing on the present, squelching the haunting memories of his past and a moment later, his heart rate steadied. Captain Jaxzin Roark took one last glance in the mirror and stepped into the shower.

 

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This was originally posted 6/18/2014 on the SCF thread for the Good/Bad Memories and Dreams and Nightmares prompts.

 

 

Haunted By the Past

 

Spoiler Alert: Hints at the intro for the BH story.

Content Warning: Mild violence

 

“Snipers in the area!”

 

He felt a bolt tear through his shoulder at the exposed area between the plating and quickly ran for cover, Erin right behind him, “I’m hit, sir. Private O’Shay and I are making our way back.”

 

“Everyone, fall back immediately!” Zev ordered.

 

“I’m pinned down, sir!” Bradley shouted.

 

“Sergeant Roark, see if you can get to Private Bradley. Private O’Shay…….”

 

“I see ‘em,” Erin acknowledged propping her sniper rifle on the bolder they were ducking behind. She quickly fired off a shot, “Got one……watch it Private Bradley, one in the tree on your six…..I can’t get a clear shot!”

 

“I see him,” Raney called out, “Moving in to get a shot….”

 

“Go for it, Corporal Zinn,” Erin replied, “I’ve got you covered.”

 

“Dammit, Bradley,” Jax cursed as he ran towards the private, “You were ordered to abort and fall back! If you would’ve obeyed your CO instead of arguing like the spoiled son of a ***** you are…….”

 

Suddenly the ground shook as an explosion rocked the area, the force of the blast enough to knock Dek and Erin over from their positions. A painful grunt escaped his lips as the impact sent a sharp spike of pain through his injured shoulder. He felt hot air wash over his face and acrid smoke burned his lungs making him realize his helm had been knocked off. Ignoring the pain, he got his bruised body to its feet and took a look around. Then a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the air, loud enough to break through the ringing in his ears and he turned to the source. What he saw was enough to make his heart stop and grabbing his rifle off the ground, he took off at a sprint towards his best friend, who’d been thrown by the blast, along with Raney, into a Nexu den.

 

Jax was pulling Nexu cubs, more than half his considerable size, off of their now silent and still medic when Dek finally got within shooting range. He picked off two of the cubs Jax had already shoved aside and was about to get another when their very angry momma showed up, immediately pouncing on the huge Cathar attacking her children. Afraid to hit his friend, Dek ran towards them, hitting the enormous Nexu with the butt of his rifle, shouting in pain as the impact sent vibrations up his arm to his injured shoulder. She reared, catching him with her spikes, one of them ripping across his face just below the eyes, then swiped her tail at him hard enough to knock his chest plate off, before turning back to her current prey. Shrugging off the stinging on his face and the blood getting in his eye, Dek fired a shot into her back. The beast snarled, turning sharply, cutting into his face once more with those sharp spikes, then began to advance. He raised his rifle and fired off several shots that hit, but weren’t enough to stop the incensed Nexu. She was about to pounce when the roar of an assault cannon reverberated through the air and the beast was finally cut down.

 

Dek turned to see his cousin approach, face bleeding, holding his smoking cannon at the ready. The two of them walked over to where Jax was now laying still next to the body of Raney, his claws still in the throat of the last Nexu cub. Having some medical training, Zev knelt down next to their friend while Dek hauled the dead cub off of him.

 

“He’s alive for now,” Zev announced after a moment, “but he needs a tank ASAP.” He then moved on to Raney, shaking his head sadly, “She’s gone.”

 

“Oh, damn,” Dek sighed, “That’s going to kill him if his injuries don’t.”

 

Zev nodded, pulling out his com unit, “This is Captain Varlok, Tempest needs a med evac, stat! We’re at location Beta, repeat, Location Beta. We have multiple casualties and enemy snipers in the area, over.”

 

“Copy that, Captain, eta five minutes, over.”

 

A minute later, they turned at the sound of footsteps, Dek raising his rifle until he saw who it was. Erin must’ve found her helmet and heard Zev’s call for evac and was headed for them when a shot echoed the air. The petite soldier paled as she clutched her side and sank to her knees. Dek ran to her while Zev laid a spray of cannon fire to cover them. Dek hoisted her over his shoulder and was almost back to his cousin when he felt white hot pain lance through his leg, followed by another through his side, and a third through his chest. Blackness came before he hit the ground……

 

 

Dek bolted up in his bed, breathing hard, feeling sweat dampening his broad chest as he laid a hand over his racing hearts, his fingers touching the scar that puckered his crimson skin. After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, he realized there was a small hand gently stroking his back and he turned to the slender figure next to him.

 

“You all right?” the blue Twi’lek asked, her hand stilling.

 

“Yeah,” Dek lied, uncomfortable at having someone witness him like this, “Just a dream…..sorry if I woke you.”

 

She cocked her head, lekku swaying gently with the movement, her violet eyes studying him….seeing too much, “You’re military, aren’t you?”

 

“I was,” Dek sighed, wrapping the sheet around his muscular torso as he got up.

 

“I figured,” she nodded, then went on as she began to dress, “You have that look about you and the way you and that other guy fought those men off…..I’m guessing he was military too.”

 

“He was,” Dek answered, then sighed, unsure what exactly to do. He wasn’t like Jax, who could sleep with a woman and forget about her the next day. He could probably count the number of one nighters he’d ever had on one hand and she seemed like a nice young woman, “Look…..uh….T’ana, about last night……well, I’m not…..”

 

“Relax big guy,” T’ana smiled, “We had a good time last night and I’m not looking for anything more.”

 

“Thanks,” Dek muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, still feeling a little awkward, “It’s just that I…..well, I don’t usually just take a woman to bed and…..”

 

“You’re a nice man, Dek,” T’ana interrupted, leaning up to kiss his cheek, “and it’s not that often that I get to spend the night with one. You take care of yourself, okay?”

 

Dek nodded and she blew him a kiss as she left the room. He ran a hand over his aching head, rubbing his horns as his fingers encountered them. He still felt a little shaky, not from the hangover, but from his nightmares……memories he didn’t like to revisit. He sat back down on the bed, regretting his decision to go cantina hopping with Jax last night. He was happy they did though, otherwise they wouldn’t have been there to save T’ana and N’ala, but the last thing he needed was a hangover when he was getting ready to embark on a huge endeavor. Today Dekkyn Varlok was going to meet his team for The Great Hunt, something that would seal his reputation as a highly skilled, professional bounty hunter when he won. A reputation that would hopefully allow him access to higher profile targets that needed to be brought to justice…..rich people that thought their money could buy their way out of trouble, politicians who thought they were above the law, and corrupt officers that allowed both those groups to get away with it.

 

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This part was originally posted 6/19/2014 on the SFC thread for the Good/Bad Memories and Dreams and Nightmares prompts.

 

 

Things You Never Really Forget

 

Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for Trooper Ord Mantell

Content Warning: Mild violence

 

“Abort! Do you read me, Private?” Zev shouted over their coms, “Abort and fall back! Area is compromised, do NOT proceed!”

 

“Due respect, sir,” Bradley answered, “but I’m almost done. I don’t see why I can’t finish setting the charges…”

 

“Listen you little punk,” Jax snapped, “I don’t care who your dad is, you’re just a snot nosed little puke who needs to learn to respect his superiors. You were ordered to fall back, so move it, Private!”

 

“I don’t take orders from the likes of YOU,” Bradley sneered.

 

“I’m afraid you do rich boy,” Jax countered, “and I hope you learned how to do dishes in that fancy mansion you like to brag about because you just pulled kitchen detail.”

 

“That’s enough, Sergeant,” Zev barked, “I just got intel that there are civs in the area, Private. The mission has been aborted…..now grab those charges and fall back immediately!”

 

“We’ve got company, sir,” Dek called out, “Approaching from the south….Imperials, roughly two kliks…..”

 

“Copy that, Lieutenant,” Zev acknowledged, “Signaling for an evac now.”

 

“Snipers!” Raney shouted, “They got Specialist Ahja! Man down! I repeat, man down! Snipers in the area!”

 

“I’m hit, sir. Private O’Shay and I are making our way back,” Dek grunted.

 

“Everyone, fall back immediately!” Zev ordered as he tried to get to Raney and J'ada.

 

“I’m pinned down, sir!” Bradley shouted, shots heard over his com feed.

 

He looked around to see who was closest to the private, “Sergeant Roark, see if you can get to Private Bradley. Private O’Shay…….”

 

“I see ‘em,” Erin replied, then a second later he heard a shot, “Got one……watch it Private Bradley, one in the tree on your six…..I can’t get a clear shot!”

 

“I see him,” Raney called out, “Moving in to get a shot….”

 

“Go for it, Corporal Zinn,” Erin replied, “I’ve got you covered.”

 

“Dammit, Bradley,” Jax shouted as he ran towards the private, “You were ordered to abort and fall back! If you would’ve obeyed your CO instead of arguing like the spoiled son of a ***** you are…….”

 

Suddenly, Zev felt the ground shake under his boots and he felt a sting across his eye just before he was thrown into a tree by the force of the explosion that came from Private Bradley’s location. He slumped to the ground, his very breath stolen from the impact. A moment later, he stood, wincing as he felt his dented back plate cutting painfully into his side. Needing to me able to move without pain, the tall Zabrak removed the damaged piece as he looked out over the area. He went to call out over their coms only to realize his helm had been knocked off. He wiped the blood from his eye, wincing as his fingers brushed the deep gouge that ran down to his cheek. A few feet away, he spotted Specialist Ahja, her bright blue lekku easily seen against the green grass her still form was lying on. Dodging occasional sniper shots, Zev quickly closed the distance to find there was nothing he could to for the young Twi’lek. The sniper shot that had taken her down went straight through her neck, killing her almost instantly.

 

A shout followed by a loud roar got his attention and his blood ran cold as he saw a huge Nexu advancing on Dek who’d lost his chest and back plating. Dek’s rifle shots were failing to slow the beast down and Zev charged his assault cannon as he charged towards his cousin. As soon as he was within range, he let loose a barrage of fire, the powerful cannon cutting into the massive creature, felling her as she was about to pounce on Dek.

 

As Zev approached, he noticed Dek’s face was bleeding and his right shoulder was slumped, but the still, supine figures on the ground were more of an immediate concern. Both Jax and Raney had been close to the blast and had been thrown quite a distance to land at the opening of a Nexu den. Almost certain Raney was dead, Zev decided to see what he could do for Jax first. Dek pulled a dead cub off of the large Cathar and stood guard while Zev knelt next to their friend, pulling out his med kit. He felt around for a pulse, relieved when he found one, then ran the scanner over Jax’s body. He found several broken bones and damage to internal organs, most of which were probably a result of the crushing weight of the female Nexu. He carefully wiped the blood off the left side of Jax’s face, noting the eye still intact. He covered the deep gouges with a kolto patch, unable to do anything more until they could get him back to base and into a tank.

 

“He’s alive for now,” he told his cousin as he moved over to Raney, “but he needs a tank ASAP.”

 

The tall, muscular Mirialan was covered in deep, profusely bleeding scratches. Like the rest of them, her helm had been knocked off in the blast, but some of her plating had been torn off as well. One of her legs was bent at an odd angle, indicating a break, but Zev realized it didn’t matter as he failed to feel a pulse on her neck.

 

“She’s gone,” he sighed, shaking his head, knowing what that was going to do to Jax.

 

“Oh, damn,” Dek replied, jerking his head toward their friend, “That’s going to kill him if his injuries don’t.”

 

Zev nodded, pulling out his com unit, “This is Captain Varlok, our unit needs a med evac, stat! We’re at location Beta, repeat, Location Beta. We have multiple casualties and enemy snipers in the area, over.”

 

“Copy that, Captain, eta five minutes, over.”

 

Zev packed up his med supplies, and kept an eye out for enemies as they waited for the evac. A minute later, they turned at the sound of footsteps, Dek raising his rifle until he saw who it was. Erin must’ve found her helmet and heard Zev’s call for evac. The petite sniper was headed for their location when a shot echoed the air. Erin clutched her side and sank to her knees. Dek ran to her while Zev laid a spray of cannon fire to cover them. Dek got to her quickly, hoisted her over his shoulder and was almost back when shots rang out. Zev saw his cousin stumble as one of the shots hit his leg, immediately scanning the trees for the shooter. Then Dek went down as two more shots hit him.

 

“Dammit, Dek,” Zev shouted, pulling incendiaries off his belt and throwing them into the trees as he ran to his cousin. Dek was unconscious when Zev reached him, bleeding from the leg, side, and chest. Zev tore the mesh weave open and started packing the chest wound, dangerously close to Dek’s heart, with kolto patches. He heard the evac shuttle in the distance, but was too distracted with trying to save his cousin to hear the soft footsteps behind him until it was too late. He was going for his sidearm as he felt multiple shots tear into his back….

 

 

Zev jerked awake, disorientated as he felt a hand on his back, gently shaking him. He rolled to his side to see his roommate standing over him, a look of concern on his pale tattooed face.

 

“Sergeant…..you alright?”

 

“Yeah,” Zev muttered, his voice hoarse, “Sorry I woke you, sir.”

 

“You can call me Fuse….and it’s fine,” the smaller Zabrak told him, “I know what it’s like to have nightmares.”

 

“I guess you really can’t call it a nightmare……more like,” he sighed, running his hands over his head, rubbing the cranial horns his fingers encountered to relieve the headache that was already starting. He wasn’t surprised his memories surfaced after having his walker shot down by a missile when he’d arrived on Ord Mantell. Then that same afternoon, he found one of their informants KIA. Bellis had been shot in the back multiple times while waiting for him to arrive at the rendezvous point. Either one of those events were enough to trigger Zev’s nightmares.

 

“More like memories that creep up on you in the night……yeah, I know,” Fuse admitted, his tone speaking volumes, “Things that happened to you…..your squad mates. Things that haunt you……I get them too, ever since…..well, I’m not really allowed to talk about it. But you know….things…”

 

“Things you never really forget,” Zev finished, seeing his weariness reflected in the other man’s eyes.

 

“If you want, I can get something from Needles to help you sleep.”

 

Zev glanced at the chrono on the nightstand between the two bunks, “No thanks…..I have to be up in a couple of hours anyways. Commander Tavus and Lieutenant Jorgan wanted to brief us on the contents of Bellis’ field box at seven hundred.”

 

“I’ll talk to Needles later then,” Fuse suggested, noticing the large, deeply tan Zabrak was a little pale, “Maybe you can take something tonight so you can rest better.”

 

“After yesterday, I might need it,” Zev nodded, saying a silent prayer to the ancestors today would go better.

 

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This next part takes place roughly a week after the last parts. It was originally posted 6/25/2014 on the SFC thread for the Allies prompt.

 

 

Taking the Fall

 

Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for Trooper Ord Mantell and an early companion spoiler for Aric Jorgan

 

“Look, Jorgan, I know we aren’t exactly pals, but let’s just make the most of our situation,” Zev sighed behind his angry new squad mate as they entered their compartment on the shuttle, “Trust me, I know exactly what you’re feeling like right now.”

 

“With all due respect, sir,” Aric growled, storing his duffle and assault cannon in the overhead compartment before slamming the hatch down, “I somehow doubt that. I did nothing wrong and brass hung me out to dry, you on the other hand….”

 

“Ah,” Zev acknowledged, storing his gear, “So, I take it you’ve done your homework on me.”

 

“You bet I did, sir,” Aric glared at the younger male, “Your first and only command of an ops mission and three out of seven survive…..hardly a success.”

 

“Mind if I have a look at what you read, Sergeant?” Zev requested, his tone even, but something in his eyes made Aric open up the file and hand over his datapad. Zev took it, having a good idea of what his lone squad mate had read in his file it was confirmed when he began to scan the contents.

 

 

REPUBLIC MILITARY PERSONAL FILE: VZ-05181975M

 

Name/Rank: Varlok, Zevryn/Sergeant

 

Species/Gender: Zabrak / male

 

Height/Weight: 6’ 4”/ 228lbs

 

Education: Graduated with honors from the Republic Military Academy on Coruscant

 

Service Record:

 

  • Assigned to Tango Company, stationed in the Outer Rim Territories, Kwymar sector, earning multiple commendations.
  • Promoted to Sergeant after one year and assigned to Special Forces Ops Unit #912, code name Tempest Squad, under the command of Major Galvin Hallyard.
  • Promoted to the rank of Captain and given command of Tempest Squad the second year. The squad was given the assignment code named Operation Landslide on (CLASSIFIED-top level clearance only).
  • Demoted to the rank of Corporal and reassigned to an infantry post serving in the Outer Rim Territories as a result of his actions during Operation Landslide (see notes below).
  • Recently prompted to the rank of Sergeant and reassigned to Special Forces Unit #326, code name Havoc Squad, under the command of Major Harron Tavus.

 

Notes: Operation Landslide was a failure. <REDACTED> Tempest Squad was assigned Operation Landslide and deployed to (CLASSIFIED-top level clearance). After several weeks of preparation, the ops unit set out in the pre-dawn hours. Their assignment was to <REDACTED>. <REDACTED> was a success and the unit moved on to <REDACTED>. After receiving new intel that there were numerous civilians present in and around the Imperial base, Command sent out the order to abort. Captain Varlok acknowledged the order <REDACTED> but <REDACTED> refused to comply and continued to set the charges. <REDACTED> Imperials approaching. Captain Varlok <REDACTED> engaged. Specialist Ahja was hit by sniper fire and Corporal Zinn alerted the unit. <REDACTED> Captain Varlok ordered Private O’Shay to <REDACTED> hit the charges, causing the explosives to detonate. Private Bradley was killed by the blast. Sergeant Roark and Corporal Zinn were thrown into a nearby Nexu den and attacked by the Nexu within. Sergeant Roark went after the cubs <REDACTED>, inciting the female. Lieutenant Varlok ordered Private O’Shay to remain behind <REDACTED> left to assist Sergeant Roark and Corporal Zinn, drawing the Nexu female away. Captain Varlok killed the Nexu after Lieutenant Varlok was unable to stop it. Captain Varlok called for a med evac, citing multiple casualties. Private O’Shay <REDACTED> was downed by snipers <REDACTED>. Lieutenant Varlok <REDACTED> was hit with sniper fire <REDACTED>. Captain Varlok, threw several incendiaries into the trees then moved to assist Lieutanant Varlok and <REDACTED> was shot down himself. By the time the evac arrived, no one was conscious.

 

Casualties-Eighty-three civilians were injured and nine were killed in the valley that was hit with a landslide as a result of the explosion at Location Bravo.

 

Tempest Squad: (at the time of Operation Landslide)

 

  • Captain Zevryn Varlok-survived multiple shots to the back and a deep facial laceration. Spent six days in a kolto tank.
  • Lieutenant Dekkyn Varlok-survived shots to multiple locations including one to the chest that grazed his heart, cracked ribs, and facial lacerations. Spent ten days in a kolto tank.
  • Sergeant Jaxzin Roark-survived several broken bones, internal injuries, and multiple deep lacerations to his arms, chest, and face. Spent twelve days in a kolto tank.
  • Corporal Raney Zinn-KIA, a result of injuries sustained from the Nexu
  • Specialist J’ada Ahja-KIA by sniper fire
  • Private Erin O’Shay-KIA by sniper fire
  • Private Edwin Bradley-KIA by the explosion

 

Fallout- Imperial ambassadors were outraged at the civilian casualties and to keep the peace, the Republic base commander apologized for the actions of Tempest Squad and assured him no further attacks would be made to their base.

 

The deceased members of Tempest Squad were given honors for their service <REDACTED>.

 

The audio feed from the armor cams was damaged <REDACTED>. Due to what information could be gained, the three surviving members of Tempest Squad were held responsible and demoted as a result of the events that occurred. They were reassigned to infantry.

 

 

“Yeah, that does paint a bad picture of me, doesn’t it?” Zev spoke up when he finished, breaking the tense silence as he looked up at a still rigid Jorgan a few minutes later, “Jax doesn’t come out that great either.”

 

“You think?” Aric snorted as he stood and began pacing in the small compartment, “Maybe getting your squad killed doesn’t trouble you, sir, but it does me.”

 

“General Vander put you under my command to help me hunt down those traitors, Sergeant,” Zev replied, taking out his own datapad, “and I expect your full cooperation with that. However, he also assigned you to me because I could relate to what you’re going through now and help you through it. He figured you had read my file and decided to send me his version. It was the report originally filled out before the armor cam footage was lost. The 'official' version replaced the original using the so called 'damaged' audio feed.” Zev offered his datapad to the pacing Cathar, “Care to see what’s under those redacted parts?”

 

Aric sensed something in the surprisingly calm Zabrak, and stopped his restless pacing. Curious about all those redacted parts, he took the datapad and sat. Zev leaned back and watched the Cathar read it the complete version of that fateful day.

 

 

REPUBLIC MILITARY PERSONAL FILE: VZ-05181975M

 

Name/Rank: Varlok, Zevryn/Sergeant

 

Species/Gender: Zabrak / male

 

Height/Weight: 6’ 4’/ 228lbs

 

Education: Graduated with honors from the Republic Military Academy on Coruscant

 

Service Record:

 

  • Assigned to Tango Company, stationed in the Outer Rim Territory, Kwymar sector, earning multiple commendations.
  • Promoted to Sergeant after one year and assigned to Special Forces Ops Unit #912, code name Tempest Squad, under the command of Major Galvin Hallyard.
  • Promoted to the rank of Captain and given command of Tempest Squad the second year. The squad was given the assignment code named Operation Landslide on (CLASSIFIED-top level clearance only).
  • Demoted to the rank of Corporal and reassigned to infantry as a result of his actions during Operation Landslide (see notes below).
  • Recently prompted to the rank of Sergeant and reassigned to Special Forces Unit #326, code name Havoc Squad, under the command of Major Harron Tavus.

 

Notes: Operation Landside was a failure. The following was taken from the armor cam feeds and the audio recordings from the Coms. Tempest Squad was assigned Operation Landslide and deployed to (CLASSIFIED-top level clearance only). After several weeks of preparation, the ops unit set out in the pre-dawn hours. Their assignment was to place explosive charges at three weak points along the cliffs, causing a landslide to strike the Imperial base in the valley below. Location Alpha was a success and the unit moved on to Location Bravo. After receiving new intel that there were numerous civilians present in and around the Imperial base, Command sent out the order to abort. Captain Varlok acknowledged the order and passed it on to the rest of the unit, telling them to abort and fall back. Captain Varlok repeated this order but Private Bradley refused to comply and continued to set the charges. Lieutenant Varlok and Private O’Shay had been scouting and discovered Imperials approaching. Captain Varlok signaled for an evac but the Imperials had snipers already in place and engaged. Specialist Ahja was hit by sniper fire and Corporal Zinn alerted the unit. Captain Varlok repeated his order to fall back while he attempted to assist Specialist Ahja. Lieutenant Varlok was hit by sniper fire and Private Bradley called out that he was pinned down by snipers. Captain Varlok ordered Private O’Shay to take them out while Sergeant Roark went to Private Bradley’s location. Corporal Zinn left Specialist Ahja to assist Private Bradley. Sniper fire hit the charges, causing the explosives to detonate. Private Bradley was killed by the blast. Sergeant Roark and Corporal Zinn were thrown into a nearby Nexu den and attacked by the Nexu within. Sergeant Roark went after the cubs attacking Corporal Zinn, inciting the female. Lieutenant Varlok ordered Private O’Shay to remain behind cover and he left to assist Sergeant Roark and Corporal Zinn, drawing the Nexu female away. Captain Varlok killed the Nexu after Lieutenant Varlok was unable to stop it. Captain Varlok called for a med evac, citing multiple casualties. Private O’Shay heard the evac call and moved to their location but was downed by snipers en route. Lieutenant Varlok ran to her location and was hit with sniper fire as he was helping her back. Captain Varlok, threw several incendiaries into the trees then moved to assist Lieutenant Varlok and Private O’Shay but was shot down himself. By the time the evac arrived, no one was conscious.

 

Casualties-Eighty-three civilians were injured and nine were killed in the valley that was hit with a landslide as a result of the explosion at Location Bravo.

 

Tempest Squad: (at the time of Operation Landslide)

 

  • Captain Zevryn Varlok-survived multiple shots to the back and a deep facial laceration. Spent six days in a kolto tank.
  • Lieutenant Dekkyn Varlok-survived shots to multiple locations including one to the chest that grazed his heart, cracked ribs, and facial lacerations. Spent ten days in a kolto tank.
  • Sergeant Jaxzin Roark-survived several broken bones, internal injuries, and multiple deep lacerations to his arms, chest, and face. Spent twelve days in a kolto tank.
  • Corporal Raney Zinn-KIA, a result of injuries sustained from the Nexu
  • Specialist J’ada Ahja-KIA by sniper fire
  • Private Erin O’Shay-KIA by sniper fire
  • Private Edwin Bradley-KIA by the explosion

 

Fallout- Imperial ambassadors were outraged at the civilian casualties and to keep the peace, the Republic base commander apologized for the actions of Tempest Squad and assured him no further attacks would be made to their base.

 

The deceased members of Tempest Squad were given honors for their service after Senator Bradley made a generous donation in his son’s name and his executive contact at Czerka corporation followed suit with several weapons and munitions crates.

 

The audio feed from the armor cams was damaged and the video feed was later found to be missing. Due to what information could be physically presented at the hearing, the three surviving members of Tempest Squad were held responsible and demoted as a result of the events that occurred. They were reassigned to infantry.

 

 

“Interesting read, isn’t it?” Zev raised a brow at the now dumbfounded and horrified Cathar, “Here are some more fun facts for you. Senator Bradley was up for reelection that year and could ill afford anything to tarnish his good name. He was also in the process of signing off some legislation that would offer very lucrative contracts to Czerka Corporation. Colonel Robert Wilks, the commander of the whole Battalion in the Kwymar sector, just happened to be a friend of the good Senator and he presided over the hearing.”

 

“How did they get away with it?” Aric finally asked, still stunned at what he’d just read.

 

“Most of this was in place already before I got out of the kolto tank, but I know for a fact that there was nothing wrong with the audio feeds on our end. We could hear each other very clearly through our coms and the video recordings from our armor cams were accidentally placed in a file box that was moved to a storage facility.”

 

“What about your testimony?”

 

“The farce of a hearing took place twelve hours after I got out of the kolto tank and my testimony was deemed inadmissible as a result of being under the influence of pain medication,” Zev snorted, “Pain medication that I did not ask for or even want since I knew I needed to testify. Dek and Jax were still in the kolto tanks and were unable to testify as a result.”

 

“How were they able to do that?!” Aric growled, incredulous, “How could they have a hearing without all witnesses present?”

 

“Come on, Jorgan, you’ve served on Ord Mantell long enough to know there are ways around that. Nope, I was the perfect fallguy……young, brand new to a CO position, and way too trusting,” Zev shook his head, “So I became their scapegoat and my career got flushed down the fresher just as yours did.”

 

“Yeah, but they sh*t all over your reputation first,” Aric shook his head in disgust, “I don’t understand how the brass can see the whole version and do nothing about it.”

 

"With the video recordings gone and the audio feeds conveniently damaged, what can they do?" Zev countered, "There’s no proof. It’s just mine, Dek’s, and Jax’s word against Wilks, a highly decorated officer and the commander of the battalion in the sector, and the remaining physical evidence that was provided at the hearing."

 

"And just enough of the base’s audio feed miraculously survived to point the finger at you, Dek, and Jax," Aric finished, shaken by just how easy it was for a young officer to be made into a failure. He’d seen the Lieutenant and his buddy in action through his armor cam back on Ord. Both men were good in the field, working together with deadly efficiency, something Aric could respect even if Captain Roark seemed to be a bit on the shifty side.

 

"Now you’re catching on," Zev confirmed, "Having those armor cam recordings disappear really put the nail in our coffins though. I’ve done a fair share of searching in storage databases, but no luck."

 

“I’m sorry you had to go through that, sir.”

 

“I didn’t share this with you for pity,” Zev replied, “I just wanted you to know that I wasn’t as irresponsible as you believed and that I understood what you’re going through. It hasn’t been as awful as it would seem. The brass with the clearance to read the whole thing suspect what really happened even if there’s nothing they can do about it and have treated me as well as they’re able. It’s just the lower ranking officers that only get the redacted version that tend to treat me like rancor droppings.”

 

"Like I did," Aric sighed, feeling like a real *** knowing what it felt like now.

 

"Don’t stress over it, Jorgan," Zev shrugged, "I’m fairly thick skinned about it now and I knew what you’d likely read. Besides, I’m not totally blameless. Private Bradley was new to the squad and I wasn’t hard enough on him while were prepping for the mission. Perhaps if I would’ve dealt with him a little more harshly, things might’ve gone differently that day. I can assure you, I’ve learned from that mistake.”

 

“It’s tough when you get your first command,” Aric nodded, “Even with officer training, you’re never really prepared……and you’d been with your squad for a while before taking over the CO spot. It’s easy to keep up the camaraderie, but sometimes you have to give that up.”

 

“Sounds like you’re speaking from personal experience.”

 

“My first command was for my old squad, the Deadeyes,” Aric confirmed, “and I’d been with them for a couple of years before taking command. Looking back on that, I was pretty soft on them, but we never had anything happen like your squad.”

 

“Why’d you leave the Deadeyes?”

 

“I was offered a promotion and an infantry command position on Ord,” Aric shrugged, “Seemed like the right move at the time, but now I’m not so sure. Too many green kids sent here……saw a lot of cocky, young troops get themselves killed. I learned very quickly that commanding a whole unit is much different from being the CO of a small squad and I quickly became one of the most hated people in the base. It was worth it though…..those rookies quickly learned to tighten up and our casualties diminished.”

 

“You mean you weren’t always such a smug bastard?!” Zev flashed a grin at Jorgan as he stood and walked over to the doorway. He dug a couple of credsticks out of his pocket and tossed them onto the serving droid’s tray before snatching two beers as it passed.

 

“Eh….” Aric shrugged, accepting the beer Zev handed him.

 

Zev chuckled at the sheepish look on the Cathar’s face, “You know…..you’re not so bad, Jorgan.”

 

“You’re too kind, sir,” Aric muttered dryly before taking a healthy swig, “and you’re not as green as I took you for.”

 

“We might actually get along after all,” Zev raised his bottle in salute before taking a drink.

 

 

Author’s Notes:

 

Military info gotten here: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Republic_Army

 

I couldn’t find a rank for Tavus so gave him the rank of Major.

 

Again, big thanks to my Tumblr followers-Brightephemera for the name Tempest Squad as well as Sillymonkey71, Striges13, Lesabear, and Frauzet for their many awesome suggestions. Also, another thank you to Lesabear for her quick and very helpful responses.

 

Edited by alaurin
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This next part was originally posted 8/4/2014 on the SFC thread for the I Love This Bar prompt.

 

Fancy Meeting You Here

 

Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for Smuggler and Trooper Ord Mantell as well as a minor reference to JK Tython

*Content warning: some innuendo and raunchy humor below....:rolleyes:

 

“Zev,” a voice called out from behind them, “Is that your big bald head I’m seeing?”

 

The huge Zabrak grinned, having a good idea whose voice that was, which was confirmed a second later when his old friend caught up to them. “I was wondering how you fared back on Ord,” he clapped the massive grey Cathar on the back, “Did you track down your freighter?”

 

“No,” Jax growled, “But I’ve got a promising lead on the ****bag who stole it.”

 

“So where you headed?”

 

“Coruscant,” Jax replied, “Unfortunately the last shuttle left already so we’re staying at the hotel here tonight.”

 

“We?”

 

“Yeah, sorry…..hey, Corso, come here a sec,” Jax hollered and a moment later, a dreadlocked Human approached, “This is Corso Riggs…..he’s after Skavak, too, so he’s joining me in hunting him down.”

 

“Dirty bastard knocked me out from behind and stole my best blaster,” Corso muttered.

 

“Corso, this is an old friend from my military days, Sergeant Zevryn Varlok,” Jax told the Mantellian, “and I’m not sure who that other guy is.”

 

“Actually, it’s Lieutenant now,” Zev told his friend, “and this is Sergeant Aric Jorgan…….”

 

“Wait,” Jax interrupted, “Jorgan……wasn’t he the one overseeing your ops back on Ord? I thought he was your superior?”

 

“I was,” Aric growled bitterly.

 

“Things didn’t go that well in the Seps’ holdout,” Zev sighed, feeling some of the tension returning, “and while I can’t get into any detail with you here, let’s just say that Havoc now consists of me and Jorgan.”

 

“The others?”

 

“Not with the Republic anymore,” Zev answered quietly.

 

Jax shook his head in disgust and turned to the other Cathar, “and they made you burn for it, didn’t they?!”

 

“You got it,” Aric confirmed.

 

“Come on,” Jax clapped the shorter Cathar on the shoulder, “I think we could all use a few drinks. First round’s on me.”

 

“I don’t know, Jax,” Zev protested, “We’re headed to Coruscant too and……”

 

“Look, there’s nothing you can really do right now. The last shuttle left, so that’s not happening for another twelve hours at least,” Jax countered, “and you can sleep it off on the ride there.”

 

“He has a point, sir,” Aric nodded, needing something a little stronger than the beer they had on the trip to Carrick.

 

“He usually does,” Zev grinned, “and I can hardly turn down when he’s buying.”

 

“I only offered to buy the first round, Zev,” Jax chuckled, “but I’ll make it a really good first round.”

 

A little while later, the four of them were seated in a quiet corner, a bottle of Corellian whiskey on the table.

 

“So when did you guys get here?” Jax asked as he refilled their glasses.

 

“We’d been here for about an hour when you found us,” Zev replied, “We booked passage to Coruscant, got a place to stay for the night when we saw the last shuttle was already full, and I bought a new assault cannon to replace the one that was destroyed on my walker transport a few days ago.”

 

“You still using that thing?!” Jax shook his head, “Aren’t you getting a little old to be toting one of those beasts around?”

 

“Twenty-three is hardly old and you’re only a year younger than I am,” Zev shot back, “besides, Jorgan’s older than us and he uses one…….it’s smaller than mine though.”

 

“It’s not the size of the gun, it’s how well you perform with it,” Aric retorted, a smug look on his tawny face, “and trust me, mine’s plenty big enough.”

 

“Do you have a lady friend that can verify that, Jorgan?” Jax grinned wickedly.

 

“Isn’t that sorta personal?” Corso spoke up after taking another small drink, wincing at the burn of the whiskey as it hit his belly.

 

“Jeez, Corso,” Jax shook his head, “You need to loosen up a little…….and quit sipping that, knock it back like you have a pair!”

 

Corso blushed as the rest of them laughed, “I’m just not used to hard alcohol…..more of a beer drinker.”

 

“I prefer a good beer as well,” Zev admitted, signaling the waitress over, “But I enjoy a nice bourbon on occasion, but rarely let myself get too drunk……can’t stand the hangover the next day.”

 

“I’m not that big a drinker either,” Corso nodded, “Well, maybe a couple of times after my parents were killed…..sorta just needed to dull the pain a little.”

 

“Sorry, man,” Jax sighed, feeling a little guilty at teasing the younger man, “I didn’t mean to drag up bad memories.”

 

“It’s alright, Captain,” Corso assured him, “It was a long time ago and you had no way of knowing. I just didn’t have much time to hang out and do stuff with friends…..even before Seps destroyed the family farm. Always busy helping out, then after…..well, I just kept busy so……”

 

“So you didn’t have to think,” Zev finished, then paused to order a four pints of Alderaanian ale from the waitress, “Jax and I know all about that.”

 

“You bet your *** we do,” Jax growled, those blue eyes cold and deadly, “and like you, Corso, we have scores to settle.”

 

“What happened to your old squad,” Aric began, curious about the other Cathar whose career had taken the same beating as Zev’s, “Is that why you left the military?”

 

“You got it,” Jax told him, “It’s bad enough that little sh*t karked up the mission, but then his rich and powerful daddy covers up his mistake and as the only survivors, me, Dek, and Zev take the fall. We lost good soldiers…..our friends and they blamed us for it instead of that snot nosed punk.”

 

“It wasn’t entirely Bradley’s fault, Jax,” Zev interrupted, “Those snipers were already en route.”

 

“They were,” Jax agreed, “but if that little puke had listened to you when you first gave the abort order, we might’ve gotten out of there before they got to our location.”

 

“We don’t know that for sure.”

 

“We’ll never agree on that, Zev, but it doesn’t matter now. What’s done is done,” Jax shrugged, “Anyways, to finish answering Jorgan’s question, I had a few months left on my enlistment, so I finished it out and that was it. I had some money saved up, as well as a small inheritance from an aunt that came through on my twenty-first birthday. I used it to acquire a freighter and started making cargo runs. My parents weren’t too thrilled at my career change and dear old Dad barely speaks to me at all anymore because I’m the family embarrassment. He thinks I should’ve toughed it out like you did, but I just couldn’t. It’s hard to be a part of an institution after your faith in it is shaken….and don’t even get Dek started on that.”

 

“Yeah, my cousin’s still pretty angry…….at least he was when I talked to him a few months back,” Zev sighed, then tried to sooth his friend, “Your parents are slowly coming around and your sisters still keep in touch, right?”

 

“Yeah, they do,” Jax relented, “Sienna not as often, but she’s pretty busy with her mate and their kits. Plus, she recently became a diplomat for one of the new settlements on Cathar. Syarra calls me frequently, but it’s been a few weeks since her last, though…….probably because she’s finishing her trials on Tython.”

 

“She finally adjusted to the Jedi thing then?” Zev asked.

 

“It took her a while, but once she fully accepted it as her path, she gave it her all,” Jax nodded, “You know how she is.”

 

“Still hard to think of her as a Jedi,” Zev shook his head, “She was quite a wild thing and almost as big a flirt as you.”

 

“Yeah, she really doesn’t think to highly of the Order’s views on relationships,” Jax grinned, “but knowing Syarra, she’ll find a loophole.”

 

“Sorry guys,” Zev addressed Corso and Aric, “Haven’t talked to this idiot in a while and we didn’t have much time on Ord.”

 

“Syarra and Sienna are my littermates,” Jax clarified for them.

 

“Then she’s your age…….isn’t that a little old for trials?” Aric asked, “My cousin began his when he was eighteen.”

 

“Syarra didn’t start training at the normal age,” Jax explained, “She had no interest in becoming a Jedi despite her strong Force sensitivity so she hid it from most people and finished out her education instead. Mom wanted to take her to the Order, but Syarra begged her not to.”

 

“Why not?” Corso wondered.

 

“Like most of our species, Syarra’s a passionate person, but she’s also a born warrior,” Jax began turning to Aric, “She actually went to Cathar and did the Blood Hunt when we were sixteen.”

 

“Really?” Aric whistled, impressed, “I knew they started that ritual back up a few years ago. That’s no easy feat, especially with a lot of the planet still in ruins.”

 

“Nope,” Jax confirmed as the waitress returned with their pints, “and Dad was bursting with pride. He even wanted me and Sienna to try it, but she isn’t the fighting type and I’m more the 'take them out from a distance or blow them sky high' type and the Blood Hunt is more a test of physical prowess. Anyways, Syarra didn’t want to be a part of something that saw her passions and warrior instincts as dark sided. So when we finished our schooling, Sienna went on to college to study politics and Syarra went with me to the military academy.”

 

“What happened to change her mind?”

 

“A couple of years in, we were starting out advanced training and Syarra was injured during a mock assault op. When her opponent was bearing down on her, she used the Force to throw him back. She didn’t mean to, it just happened. Unfortunately that clued the instructors in on her Force sensitivity and they contacted the Order.”

 

“So they made her go with the Jedi?”

 

“Actually, no,” Jax shook his head, “In the end, it was her choice. The Jedi that the Order sent was a good man. He sat us both down in private, contacted our parents, and we talked it out. Then he warned Syarra that the Force isn’t as easily hidden and if she ever got captured by the Imperials, there was a good chance that a Sith would discover her secret. If that happened, they would ship her off to Korriban immediately. That was enough to get her thinking and the next day, she agreed to go with the Jedi to be trained.”

 

“I’ll bet that was an adjustment,” Aric muttered before taking a healthy swig.

 

“It was,” Jax nodded, taking a drink, “but she’s happy now.” Then he fished a cigarra case out of his vest pocket and opened it, offering it to the others.

 

“Shento?” Aric mused, catching the familiar scent.

 

“Sure are,” Jax nodded, handing him one, “Perdomos.”

 

“Nice,” Aric whistled, accepting the cigarra from Jax, a look of pleasure on his features as he brought it to his nose to inhale the aroma, “Thanks, man. I haven’t had one of these in a long time. Too expensive for most of the shops on Ord to keep in stock. Anytime I found myself on Coruscant, I’d pick up a box, but I haven’t been there in over a year.”

 

“No problem,” Jax grinned, as he extended a claw and cut off the end before lighting it, “Nice to be around someone with good taste. I got these as a little extra payment for a delivery I made to the Club Vertica last month. Corso? Zev?”

 

“No, thanks, Captain,” Corso declined, “never was much of a smoker.”

 

“Me either,” Zev shook his head, “That was always more Dek’s thing.”

 

Both Jax and Aric stared at the other two, shaking their heads in clear disbelief that anyone would turn down such a fine cigarra. Aric had to admit though, his new CO did have nice taste in beer. The Alderaanian ale complimented the Corellian whiskey they’d started out with and actually enhanced the flavor and fragrance of the cigarra. Jax said as much a moment later as he ordered them another round.

 

After a few more rounds, their waitress came over to close out their tab since her shift was over. Jax noticed the cute little blond Human giving his new crewmate the look over when he was digging out a credstick, to pay for that last round.

 

“Ask for her number,” Jax hissed, elbowing the Mantellian when the waitress was double checking the tab.

 

“Huh?”

 

Jax rolled his eyes, then turned to the waitress and poured on the charm, “So, does a pretty girl like you have a name?”

 

“Lily,” she smiled, “and thank you.”

 

“A lovely name for a lovely woman,” Jax grinned, “Now, you seem like a smart girl and I noticed you checking out my friend here,” Jax jerked his thumb at Corso, “You’ll have to excuse him, Corso’s a little on the shy side. He’s a good guy and judging from that blush creeping up his neck, I think he noticed how beautiful you are too.”

 

“I didn’t……I mean you are, but……I don’t…..” Corso stuttered, then swallowed the last of his beer before he embarrassed himself further while the others snickered.

 

“It’s alright,” Lily smiled at him, “Kinda sweet actually, and I like shy guys.” Then she leaned forward, slipping him a piece of paper just before brushing his lips in a gentle kiss. A moment later, a dazed Corso was watching her go, then hearing the guffaws of the rest of the group, he snapped out of it to look at the paper she handed him.

 

“Well?” Zev pried, “Did she give you her number?”

 

“Yeah,” Corso murmured a sheepish smile on his face.

 

“I knew it!” Jax grinned, clapping his new friend on the back, “When you stood to get your wallet, she was totally checking you out…..and speaking of checking someone out….” Jax trailed off as a tall, leggy Twi’lek walked past the table, “Excuse me a moment, gentlemen, I suddenly have urgent business over there. Order me another if I’m not back in time.”

 

“Some things never change,” Zev chuckled as his buddy swaggered over to the table where the Twi’lek was sitting, then turned to Corso, “I hope you guys got separate rooms far apart, ‘cause Jax tends to bring out the screamer in most women. Used to drive me crazy when he and Raney got together because his quarters were next to mine. Of course, you might be too busy with a certain young waitress to notice…..”

 

“I don’t know about that,” Corso sighed, “I mean she’s pretty and seems nice, but I feel bad just…..well…..”

 

“Not the love ‘em and leave ‘em type, huh?”

 

“Not at all,” Corso admitted, “I know, that’s probably a bit old fashioned….”

 

“Nah,” Zev shook his head, “Just means you don’t like to use people and that’s never a bad thing. Being in the military, you tend to develop a casual attitude towards sex since most our age aren’t looking for anything permanent.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yup,” Aric agreed, “A lot of moving around in those early years, always the danger of something happening in the combat areas….”

 

“The adrenaline after combat,” Zev grinned.

 

“You got that right,” Aric nodded, a sly smile crossing his features as some fond memories surfaced. He downed the last of the whiskey before continuing, “Plus, most of the careers are pretty focused and don’t want the distraction of trying to maintain a relationship, especially since most usually end up being long distance at some point.”

 

“I guess I can understand that,” Corso replied as he stood, “I think I’ll head over to the bar and order the next round while Jax is taking care of business.”

 

“and I gotta hit the head,” Aric muttered, swaying a little when he stood much to Zev’s amusement.

 

“You alright there, Jorgan?”

 

“Yeah, whiskey’s starting to hit me a little though,” Aric grinned sheepishly.

 

“Not surprised,” Zev nodded at the empty bottle, “You and Jax had most of that.”

 

“That’s ‘cause we’re not pansies.”

 

“That’s funny, Jorgan,” Zev tossed back, “Especially considering I’m most likely going to have to put your drunk hide to bed and no, I’m not undressing you.”

 

“I wouldn’t want your ugly a** to undress me anyways,” Aric smirked, “I’ll just have to find some female company to help me out with that.”

 

“Right,” Zev laughed, “The only thing you’ll be kissing tonight is the floor when you pass out.”

 

Zev kept laughing as Aric flashed him a middle finger salute, then shook his head as the Cathar staggered towards the men’s fresher. He felt relieved though, the past twenty-four hours had been jarring and Zev worried about how well Jorgan would adjust to both a demotion and reassignment to serve under the command of someone he’d outranked the day before. They’d come to an understanding after Zev shared the truth about what really happened with Operation Landslide. He felt the beginnings of a camaraderie with Aric and hoped he’d be able to move past what top brass did to him. He leaned his broad frame back into the cushy chair, savoring the fragrant ale before tipping the mug back.

 

The tall Cathar female entered the cantina, choosing a seat at the bar, and ordered a brandy from the bartender before allowing her blue eyed gaze to take in her surroundings. It had been a while since she been in a place like this and she doubted she’d have an opportunity once she reached Coruscant. Setting aside her worry about the unknown danger threatening the Light, she reached for the rocks glass, sniffing the rich aroma of the sweet liquor before taking a sip. She smiled encouragingly at the dreadlocked Human sitting at the other end of the bar. He blushed when he realized she’d caught him staring, and she couldn’t help herself from winking at him.

 

She was pleased, having taken care with her appearance before leaving her room. The silken sheath she wore hugged her body, it's deep violet color complimenting her pale yellow fur, and the thigh high slits showed off her long legs well. The delicate straps gave way to plunging neckline that was just shy of being scandalous and was guaranteed to catch the male eye. Very few would guess she was a Jedi and that’s exactly what she was striving for since most people were a bit put off by that in these types of places. The only clue to her membership in the Order was the silver light saber hilt hooked into her pale gold ornamental belt. The warrior in her felt naked without a weapon and seldom was without one. It used to be a blaster on her belt and a vibroknife tucked in her boot, but those days were gone now. Oh, hello, her musings were interrupted when she noticed a tawny Cathar coming out of the men’s fresher, my evening just took a nice turn……little shorter than I prefer, but not a bad bod.

 

Aric stepped out of the fresher and immediately noticed the statuesque Cathar female sitting at the bar. It was hard not to notice her, the purple dress she wore hugged her curves nicely and showed off shapely legs that went on forever, not to mention what that low neckline revealed. Aric always appreciated busty females and while she wasn’t exactly in that category, there was definitely enough to catch his eye. The sultry smile she flashed at him as those blue eyes raked him over told him she was very interested and that was all he needed to know. She looked familiar somehow, but he couldn’t place it. Still buzzed from the alcohol and feeling rather bold as a result, Aric approached stunning amazon.

 

“You know, you’re the second Cathar I’ve seen in here this evening and you’re a whole lot better looking than the other one,” Aric told her.

 

“You’re not so bad yourself,” she returned, “Got a name?”

 

“Aric.”

 

“So, Aric, what brings you to Carrick? Business ?” her tongue darted out to tease her upper lip as she shot him a heated look, “or pleasure?”

 

“Yes to the first,” Aric returned smoothly, “and the second depends on where this is going.”

 

“It’s going nowhere,” a familiar voice growled from behind him, “You seem like a decent sort, Jorgan, but if you continue to hit on my sister, I’ll have to kick your a**.”

 

“Jaxzin!” Syarra screeched, launching herself off the stool to tackle her brother in a fierce hug, “What are you doing here?!”

 

“I could say the same to you, Syarra,” Jax chuckled, untangling himself from his littermate’s limbs, “and that hardly looks like Jedi attire.”

 

“Please,” Syarra snorted, “Even Jedi get some down time once in a while and I decided to take advantage of being stuck here for the night by having a little fun. Tython’s not exactly a hotbed of sexual activity.”

 

“With Jorgan?!” Zev snickered, having heard the commotion, “I think he might be a bit too uptight for your tastes if I recall correctly.”

 

“Bite me, sir,” Aric muttered, annoyed that what was a good prospect a moment ago was now out of the question since she was Jax’s sister and a Jedi to boot.

 

“Zevryn Varlok!” Syarra exclaimed, exchanging a knowing look with him as a wicked smirk curved her lips, “I haven’t seen you in a while. I’ve missed that hunky bod of yours.”

 

“Easy with that,” Jax growled, “I don’t need the reminder that my best friend hooked up with my sister.”

 

“Oh, come on, Jax,” Syarra rolled her eyes, “It was just a couple of times and you barely knew each other back then.”

 

“I know,” Jax sighed in frustration, “but I just don’t like to think about it, alright. It’s a brother thing.”

 

“Well, it’s a good think I love you, you goof,” Syarra mussed his mane, “So what’s Dek up to? He here?”

 

“Nope,” Jax shook his head, “I dropped him off on Hutta last week. He’s entering the Great Hunt.”

 

“Really?” Syarra raised a questioning brow at Zev.

 

“I know, I know, but he doesn’t intend to affiliate himself with the Mandalorians since they’re loosly allied with the Imperials,” Zev answered, “I think he just plans to use the competition to restore honor to his mother’s clan and get some notoriety so he can freelance.”

 

“Man, the army really karked you guys over, didn’t they,” Syarra shook her head, “Makes me happy I decided to go with the Order after all. So, how long you all here and since you shot down Aric here, who’s that cutie over there? The one that just stepped away from the bar carrying a tray of pints.”

 

“That’s my friend, Corso Riggs,” Jax answered as his gaze followed to where Syarra was pointing, “and no, he’s off limits too.”

 

“Oh, like you never screwed any of my friends,” Syarra snorted, “Do I need to remind you of Arianna? You know, my best friend in high school…..at least she was until she busted you cheating on her with her littermate.”

 

“Still?”

 

“Yes, still,” Syarra retorted, a twinkle in those blue eyes that were identical to her brother’s, “and since you’re taking away all my fun prospects for the evening, you’d better start picking up my tab.”

 

“I hate to break it to you, sis,” Jax snickered, steering her over to their table, “but your version of fun would probably give Corso heart failure….”

 

“and I don’t think anyone can really accuse Jorgan of being fun,” Zev finished, laughing as those bright green eyes shot daggers at him.

 

 

Author’s Note:

 

*I found information for Shento cigarra’s here: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Cigar

 

*I use a cigar brand name from here: http://www.cigarsinternational.com/brands/1413/perdomo/?type=Cigars

 

*Zev splurged with the Alderaanian Ale, info on it here: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Alderaanian_ale

 

*The Blood Hunt can be found here: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Cathar

 

*Many thanks to Lesabear and Rissalf for their assistance on choosing a color/style for Syarra’s dress. I’m really bad with yellow.

 

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This next part was posted 8/7/2014 on the SFC thread for The Morning After prompt. No spoilers in this one, just figured I'd let you guys see the morning after shenanigans. ;)

 

 

Its All Good Until You Wake Up the Next Morning....

 

**warning: adult conversation and a risqué bit (nothing too descriptive, I promise).

 

Aric wasn’t sure what woke him, it was a toss-up between the desert his mouth had become and the turbohammers going non-stop inside his skull. One thing he did know was that he absolutely did not want to move, so he lay there, half wishing someone would come and put him out of his misery. It had been a while since he’d had that much to drink and at thirty, it was definitely hitting him harder the next morning. Unable to take the dry mouth any longer, he gingerly sat up and once the room stopped spinning and came into focus, he swung his legs off the bed and attempted to stand. On shaky legs, he managed to cross the room to the small conservator and grabbed a bottle of water, sinking into a nearby chair as he gulped it down.

 

The icy cold water was a shock to his senses but felt good on his parched throat, so he had some more, sitting back in the chair as he tried to get his bearings. The last thing he remembered clearly was them egging Corso on to call that girl, but he couldn’t remember if the shy Mantellian actually did so or not. He did recall Jax leaving with that Twi’lek, telling them he’d see them in the morning cycle. Things started to get fuzzy after that and he was pretty sure Zev and Syarra helped him back to the room at some point. He assumed Zev put him to bed since he was still fully dressed, but had no recollection of it at all. He rubbed his pounding head for a moment before getting up with a groan. He finished the water then decided to see if his new CO had anything to ease his headache.

 

*****

 

Awareness slowly made its way to the large Zabrak, then his green eyes suddenly shot open when he realized that he was completely naked in the bed and wasn’t alone. He felt the warm, velvety soft body stirring against him and she definitely wasn’t wearing anything either. Oh, damn, he thought as those blue eyes drifted open to catch his, a sultry smile curving her full lips seconds before they met his and all his worries vanished.

 

“Mornin’” she murmured sleepily against his mouth as her wicked hand ran down his broad back, her clawed fingertips gently sc*ping his tan skin as she brought her thigh up to wrap around his waist. With a groan, Zev captured her mouth again, the kiss growing more urgent as he pinned her underneath him, both of them eager for another round just as the door opened.

 

“Hey, you got any pain meds?” Aric asked as he came in, “because my head feels like a…….oh damn. Uh…sorry, sir……I had no idea….” Aric turned and hastily retreated muttering something about reasons doors have locks.

 

“Guess we forgot to lock the door last night,” Syarra giggled at her now blushing bed partner, “but then again, we were a little distracted.”

 

“And the only thing I was thinking about was getting that dress off you without tearing it,” Zev chuckled, then he sobered as the first twinges of guilt started to enter his mind.

 

Syarra sighed, recognizing the look on Zev’s face and knowing what was on his mind, “I know you hate keeping this from Jax and I won’t make you do it anymore. Just let me talk to him okay?”

 

“Alright,” Zev replied, knowing this was a deeper issue between the siblings. He was relieved just knowing they wouldn’t be hiding things from Jax anymore.

 

“Good,” Syarra purred, stroking his cheek before letting her finger trail down his abdomen, “Now, where were we?”

 

“Right about……..” the rest of Zev’s response was nonverbal as they picked up from where they’d left off when Jorgan had interrupted them.

 

*****

 

A little while later, Syarra left for her room as Zev pulled on his pants from last night. He pulled out the small medikit from his duffle and opened it up. He picked up the small metal case of single use injectors, searching through the tiny colored vials until he found the orange ones labeled, Cetamin. He grabbed one and injected it into his arm to ward off the headache that was just beginning to hit him. Then he took out a couple more, then closed the case, placed it back in the medikit and returned it to his duffle. He took the injectors with him, tossing the empty one in the trash, and walked through the common area towards Jorgan’s room. Seeing the door open, Zev figured it was safe to go in, biting back his laughter when he did.

 

The Cathar lay on his back, an arm slung over his eyes, looking as if he’d gotten out of the shower and fell on to the bed. His tawny fur was still damp, and he was clad in just a towel wrapped around his waist. A soft grunt was the only indication he gave that he was aware someone had entered his room.

 

"You gonna make it?"

 

"Not sure yet."

 

Taking pity on his new subordinate, Zev carefully sat on the edge of the bed and grasped the arm that lay at Aric’s side, depressing both injectors into him.

 

“That’s the best I’ve got on me, the rest of my medical supplies are in my trunk and that’s probably being loaded on the shuttle by now,” Zev told him quietly, “but it should kick in fast and get you by until we’re on the shuttle. Then you can just sleep it off.”

 

“Thanks,” Aric mumbled, “and sorry for earlier…..you know….”

 

“Nothing to be sorry for,” Zev replied, “My fault for forgetting to lock the door. You had no way of knowing I wasn’t alone.”

 

“Shoulda knocked though. ‘Cause I really didn’t need to see that.”

 

“Jealous?”

 

“Nope. To be honest, she really wasn’t my type…..I mean, she’s attractive enough, but I prefer shorter, curvier types,” the ghost of a smile crossed Aric’s face, “Besides, you’re the one who’s going to have Jax to answer to.”

 

“Tell me about it,” Zev sighed, not looking forward to seeing his friend later.

 

“So, you and Syarra, are you two….”

 

“Nah,” Zev answered, having a good idea what Jorgan was going to ask, “We’ve been friends for a while. I actually knew her before Jax. One night we were on leave, Jax and Dek were on a different weekend than we were then, we met up in a cantina and she was on her cycle. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what happened next.”

 

“Spent the entire leave in a bedroom?”

 

“That’s about it,” Zev confirmed, “Neither one of us wanted any romantic ties though and figured we’d leave it at that one time, especially after Jax found out.”

 

“I’m guessing that’s not the case.”

 

“It didn’t happen again until her next cycle, but after that, it became a regular thing between us whenever we had a different weekend leave than Dek and Jax. Sort of a friends with benefits thing and that suited us just fine,” Zev elaborated, “However, Syarra didn’t want Jax to know and I was really torn about that. Jax had always been a little closer to Dek, but we were good friends by the second fling and it ate at me not to say anything. On the other hand, Syarra and I were also good friends and I didn’t feel right coming clean to Jax when she was so adamantly against it.”

 

“Definitely not an easy place to be in,” Aric agreed as he eased himself into a sitting position, the throbbing in his head finally dulling, “You gonna tell him now?”

 

“I’d planned on it, and even Syarra admitted it was for the best, but she asked to be the one to break it to him. I agreed since it’s her brother and they need to work their differences in opinion. I understand Syarra resenting her brother trying to limit her, but I don’t feel it’s my place to say anything to him.”

 

“You don’t have sisters, do you?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“I do and it’s never easy when someone you’re friends with takes an interest in your sister…..sort of a worlds colliding thing.” Aric admitted as he stood and went over to the dresser where his clothes were setting. He paused a moment as he pulled the shirt over his head, then continued as he finished dressing, “Think about it…..would you want to be having locker room chat with one of your friends knowing he’s talking about your sister?”

 

“Good point.”

 

“It’s nothing against you personally, really. You’re a decent guy and I’m sure Jax knows that. He just needs to come to terms with it, that’s all.”

 

“Thanks, Jorgan,” Zev smiled, feeling a little better talking to someone who wasn’t directly involved, “Now I’d better grab a shower. Our shuttle leaves in little over an hour.”

 

“I’m packed and ready. Just wake me when it’s time to leave,” Aric yawned as he climbed back in the bed.

 

“Lightweight,” Zev chuckled as those green eyes drifted shut.

 

“Just wait till you hit your thirties,” Aric mumbled, dozing off as the fresher door closed.

 

*****

 

Syarra hurried down the hall, wanting to get back to her room in time for a long, hot shower before she had to catch the shuttle. She planned to talk to Jax, but didn’t want to rub it in my carrying Zev’s scent all over her. It was a pity, really, because she liked his scent and hated to wash it off so soon. While she had no desire for anything permanent with Zev, or anyone for that matter, she treasured their intimate times. He was safe, someone she knew well, could be herself around, and didn’t make any demands on her for a future. The only issue was Jax, but Syarra knew it was time to tell him as Zev had wanted to do all along. She would shower, dress, pack, then try to meet with Jax before they boarded the shuttle. Unfortunately the Force wasn’t with her and she literally bumped into her littermate at the elevators.

 

“Looks like I’m not the only one who had a good time last night,” Jax smirked noticing his Syarra’s disheveled state and the fact she was wearing the dress from last night.

 

“I sure did,” Syarra winked, “and so did he.”

 

“Does he have a name……..wait a minute,” Jax frowned, recognizing a familiar scent on his sister, “Why do I get the feeling I know the guy you slept with?”

 

“Because you do.”

 

“Dammit, Syarra,” Jax growled, “He’s one of my best friends…..”

 

“And I’m your sister,” Syarra rolled her eyes, “I love you, Jax, but you really need to get it through your head that who I have sex with is my decision. We didn’t exactly set out to sleep together last night, but you and Corso left, and we helped get Jorgan to bed. Then we started talking and things just sorta happened. I’m sorry we didn’t stop to consider your delicate sensibilities in the heat of the moment but it’s really not fair for you to expect that.”

 

“I know that,” Jax sighed in frustration, “But Zev….”

 

“Zev is a friend and you have a hard time dealing with it,” Syarra hugged her brother, “Look, it’s not like we’re looking for anything permanent, it was just friendly sex. Would you rather I hook up with some random stranger?”

 

Jax pondered that as Syarra went on, “Besides, Zev and I slept together off and on several times before I left for the Order. He’s a friend to me as well and don’t you dare get your shorts in a bunch,” Syarra poked her brother in his broad chest when she noticed the sour look on his face, “I’m the one who begged him not to say anything after the way you reacted that first time we got together and you know how Zev is. It really bothered him to keep it from you all this time, but I didn’t want to put a rift in your friendship. So don’t you dare give him crap about it, because you both have enough on your plate right now. If you want to be pissed at anyone, direct it at me.”

 

“You’re such a pain sometimes, you know that?!” Jax muttered, unable to stay upset at his littermate and when push came to shove, he had to admit he’d rather her have casual relations with a mutual friend than just random strangers like he did. “Aren’t you Jedi supposed to be celibate or something like that?” Jax teased, wanting to take the focus off of who she was with last night as he tried to accept her words and push past it.

 

“That’s not going to happen, something I’m sure the Order is well aware of at this point,” Syarra crossed her arms, then fixed her brother with a smug look, “and you’re hardly one to talk……do you even remember the name of last night’s conquest?”

 

“U’laa….wait, O’ona. No that’s not it……”

 

“Uh-huh,” Syarra patted his head, “Don’t strain yourself too hard. I’m going up to my room and grab a shower.”

 

“That’d be nice because I really don’t want to smell my best friend all over my sister for the trip to Coruscant.”

 

“Well you smell like a distillery!”

 

“Feel like I drank my way through one,” Jax groaned, rubbing his temples to ease the pressure in his head.

 

“Go take some meds and shower,” Syarra gave her brother a pitying smile, “I’ll see you later.”

 

Jax waved at his littermate as she stepped onto the elevator, then headed for his room. He was almost there when it opened and much to Jax’s surprise, the waitress from last night came out, looking like she’d spent the night there. She smiled shyly at Jax as she walked past him on her way to the elevators. Chuckling, Jax entered the small suite and spotting Corso’s door open, he went over to investigate. He leaned his broad frame in the doorway, his suspicions confirmed when he spotted a sheepish Corso sitting on the bed, wearing only a sheet.

 

“Looks like Aric and Zev owe me a hundred credits,” Jax smirked at the blushing young man, “You better hurry up and get ready, loverboy, the shuttle starts boarding in about an hour.”

 

 

Author’s Note:

 

*I found a page (actually I think I got it from Kitar) that gives some Star Wars terminology for real world objects. I use a few of these as I remember/catch them and keep forgetting to link the source. So, here it is: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Star_Wars_equivalents_to_real-world_objects.

 

*I made up the Cetamin injectors, but based it off of Acetaminophen (Tylenol) since that is my drug of choice for hangover headaches.

 

*The Cathar Mating cycle is something I made up and introduced in this story.

 

 

**I'm currently working on something completely new for the next part, so probably won't be updated until tomorrow.

Edited by alaurin
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Sorry, this next bit took a little longer to finish than I'd thought, but the (hopefully) good news is that it's brand new and never been seen before now!

 

 

Up Close and Personal

 

Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for BH Hutta

 

“Attention passengers, the shuttle has just entered hyperspace and all personal communication devices will be down until the shuttle changes lanes in approximately twenty-one hours. There will be a brief period of thirty minutes when those devices will be functional as we change lanes. We expect to reach our final destination, Vaiken Spaceport, in approximately fifty-two hours.”

 

 

A set of brown eyes narrowed in annoyance at the speaker before traveling over to her companion. The two figures sitting in the small compartment couldn’t be more different. The tall red Zabrak was still in his plating, casually leaning his broad frame back on his bench as he quietly read from his datapad. The brown eyed occupant was currently lying across her bench, listening to the HoloNet feed that was broadcasted into the cybernetics that curved around her left eye. Her fingers drummed against her chest and her pixie like face wore a bored expression as she kept sneaking sideways glances at her new partner. Not able to stand the quiet anymore, the tiny slip of a young woman shifted into a sitting position and cleared her throat, causing the Zabrak to look up from the novel he’d been reading for the past hour.

 

“Whacha reading?”

 

“Midnight Run,” Dek muttered, “It’s the Blanch Skye, PI book that came out a few weeks ago……haven’t gotten the chance to read it.”

 

“You’re reading a novel with a female protagonist?!”

 

“Yeah……she kicks a-” he trailed off, looking sheepish, “I mean there’s a lot of action and you’re never certain who did it until the very end and mysteries are my favorite.”

 

“Most bounty hunters I’ve met aren’t exactly avid readers,” Mako observed, “So….strong silent type, huh?”

 

“Sorry,” Dek smiled shyly at her, “Never been much of a talker.”

 

“Yeah, I noticed,” Mako rolled her eyes, “So….uh now that we’re traveling together, do you mind maybe working on that a little? We only met a week ago and all Braden…..” her breath wavered a little, “All Braden said was that you used to be in the military. I’m guessing from your accent that it was Republic military, but that’s all I know…..well, other than you don’t talk much, obviously like to read, and mystery novels are your favorite.”

 

“I’m sorry, Mako. I know you, Braden and Jory were close and you didn’t really get the chance to grieve,” Dek sighed, feeling bad for the young slicer he’d agreed to take along with him. He always felt awkward talking to girls, never knowing what to say, but she was nice and had been through a lot this past week, so the least he could do was try to hold up his end of a conversation, “Now you’re stuck with someone you barely know for a partner. I’ve been an insensitive idiot.....what would you like to know about me?”

 

“Not an insensitive idiot at all, you’re just shy......and that’s not a bad thing, but I’m just a little nervous I suppose. Not that you seem like a bad guy or anything like that, quite the opposite in fact,” Mako smiled, “and it’s not like I need your entire history, I’d just like to know who I’m working with, that’s all. For instance…..what made you enter The Great Hunt?”

 

“Buir,” Dek told her, “Sorry. My Mom was Mandalorian….Clan Varad.”

 

“Haven’t they been disavowed by Mandalore? They turned on him right?”

 

“In a way, yes,” Dekkyn nodded, “The clan chieftain, Marvix Varad wasn’t an honorable man. He was cruel and bloodthirsty, but promised enough glory that a majority of the clan went along with him. He started openly attacking big targets, not caring if they were Republic or Sith. From what I know from Mom, Mandalore had little respect for Marvix before, but once he started going rogue, he was disavowed. There was a small group of Clan Varad that didn’t agree with what the chieftain was doing, but their numbers were too few at the time. They lived on one of the smaller, remote settlements and were working towards gathering their numbers to overthrow Marvix and regain the clan’s honor with Mandalore. Mom was seventeen at the time and part of that settlement, but it was discovered by the Republic. A unit of Spec Forces soldiers was sent in to deal with the settlement. They offered to capture instead of kill, but most Mandalorians would rather die. Most were killed, and the few survivors were taken into custody. Mom was one of the survivors and was in the custody of Captain Kenen Varlok and his twin brother, Lieutenant Kalen Varlok.”

 

Mako smiled, “and one of them fell in love with their captive.”

 

“Kalen Varlok was my father,” Dek nodded, “Sylvie was my mother’s name…..I get my coloring from her. She was sad over the settlement’s fate and refused to speak to anyone. So Dad just sat with her…..every day. He’s a lot like I am…..doesn’t talk much. Eventually she opened up to him and a year later they were married.”

 

“What happened to your parents?”

 

“Mom died when I was only five,” Dek sighed, “We lived on Coruscant at the time, and Mom would occasionally take bounties to keep her skills up. Sometimes Dad went with her, but he was still serving in the military at the time and out on mission. One day, a bounty came up for one of the exiled members of Clan Varad, and Mom couldn’t pass it up. She hated what Marvix had done to their clan and this was one of his high ranking people. Time was short, so she didn’t want to wait for Dad. The target was deep in the lower levels, but Mom made it through and ended up taking out her target in the end, but she’d been fatally wounded during the fight and never made it home.”

 

“I’m so sorry, Dek…..I didn’t mean to bring up painful things.”

 

“Don’t be…..I’ve made my peace with it. She taught me much about her clan and culture so I know died as a true Mandalorian would, which is why I’m taking this opportunity to restore her honor. It’s the least I can do for her.”

 

“Makes sense,” Mako nodded, “But why now though? You went into the military…..”

 

“After Mom died, Dad was a wreck. He loved her so much and blamed himself for not being there. I think part of him died with her and the rest of him wanted to. He took on more and more dangerous missions until a year later, he was KIA. I went to live with Uncle Kenen, who was married with a child about my age….my cousin Zevryn. Zev and I clicked right away and were best friends from the start. When he decided to enter the Military Academy, I happily followed,” a wry grin lit up Dek’s face, “I even got better grades than Zev did…..serves him right picking on me for always reading instead of hitting the cantinas with the others. Anyway, I was happy there and became close with Jaxzin Roark and his littermate, Syarra. Syarra left after our first year at the academy though.”

 

“How come?”

 

“They discovered she was Force sensitive,” Dek answered, “I guess she’d been hiding it for years because she didn’t want to go to the Order. That’s where she ended up though, but she’s okay with it now. Every time she called Jax, she seemed happy.”

 

“Must’ve been quite an adjustment though.”

 

“Oh, I’ll bet,” Dekkyn snorted, remembering the Cathar’s view on the Jedi’s strict policies, “But she eventually did. After she left, the three of us finished at the academy and were stationed together. A year later, we were moved into Spec Forces.”

 

“You were doing well then,” Mako nodded, “Why’d you leave?”

 

He was afraid she’d ask that question. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell her, he just hated reliving that whole fiasco. However, he looked into those doe eyes that were so hungry for information and couldn’t deny her.

 

“It’s a long story…..and not a good one,” he sighed, running his hands over his horned head, “A little over a year ago is when everything changed. My squad was like family, and at that time, my CO was family…..my cousin Zev had just taken over that position when his predecessor was promoted and reassigned. We were stationed in the Outer Rim and Imperials were setting up a military base in what was supposed to be neutral territory. They refused to relocate, saying it was only a temporary site that was minimally armed while the permanent one was being constructed. Further intel exposed the truth, the Imps had several missiles hidden in this temporary base, ones that could easily be launched at our base. Top brass decided it was a threat, and my squad was tasked with neutralizing it. We would be planting charges at strategic points along the cliff side overlooking the Imperial base. Once detonated, it would cause a landslide that would bury the base.”

 

“and everyone inside,” Mako shook her head, “Kinda harsh.”

 

“The Imps would be warned and given time to evacuate,” Dek told her, “and there were eyes on those missiles……if it looked like they were being armed, time was up. It wasn’t our intention to kill anyone, just eliminate the threat. We set out at dawn two days later and things were going smoothly until we were at the second location. Our good buddy, Jax was the squad’s demo guy, but this job required two so our newest squad member was assisting. Now, Private Bradley was pretty green and a rich kid with an attitude. None of us liked him much, but he particularly annoyed Jax…….refusing to listen the first time around, getting mouthy, stuff like that. So Jax gave him the grunt work in the demo op, making him carry the equipment and such. All Bradley had to do demolitions wise was set the main charge switch. Jax drilled the hole, threaded the detonite in it, strung some along the tree line, and even had the instructions written out on a flimsiplast. Well, apparently this pissed Bradley off and by the second location, he was getting belligerent. While they were setting up, Zev got a call to abort the mission. The Imperials had started employing civs in the base from a nearby village, and the landslide had the potential to reach the village itself.”

 

“I’m guessing you didn’t abort,” Mako said.

 

“One of our sniper specialists and I were scouting along the Cliffside to make sure we didn’t get any surprise company when Zev relayed the message through our audio link, ordering us to abort the mission,” Dek explained, “Private O’Shay and I were heading back towards the others when the first shots came. Imperial snipers had shown up and I was hit in the shoulder…..got in between my plates,” Dek paused, absently rubbing the spot where the shot had burned into him.

 

“You’re lucky!” Mako’s eyes went wide, “Most trained snipers are going for worse……”

 

“They also train you to run from one,” Dek told her, then seeing her confusion he elaborated, “Snipers are long range. Never run in a straight line……always stagger, change direction quickly. Makes it hard for them to predict where you will be by the time their shot actually reaches you.”

 

“Never thought of that……I’d just run,” Mako admitted, storing that little nugget away.

 

“That’s the natural instinct,” Dek replied, “Anyways, while Erin and I were trying to stay alive and get back to the rest of the squad, Bradley decided he was going to finish setting the charge despite being ordered more than once to abort. By the time we got there, Bradley was pinned down and Jax was going after him, swearing the whole way……and rightly so. Not only had he ignored a direct order, but he was putting his whole squad at risk.”

 

“What a selfish little jerk,” Mako snorted.

 

“That was Bradley alright…..chip off the old block of his Senator father,” Dek scowled, “So now Erin and I are trying to pick off those Imps that had Bradley pinned, giving Jax some cover fire in the process but there were some we couldn’t get to. Our medic, Raney, went in to get a better shot when one of the snipers’ shots hit the charge switch, frying the control circuit.”

 

“Oh no!”

 

“You got that right. The next thing I knew, I was being thrown to the ground hard enough to knock my helmet off. I was dazed for a moment, then I felt the debris filled smoke burning my lungs and I sat up. My ears were ringing and I was disorientated, but I managed to get to my feet when I heard this awful scream…..I’ll never forget it or the sight of what caused it.” Dek’s whole body shuddered as the images came to the surface.

 

“It’s alright, Dek,” Mako whispered, feeling guilty for making him talk about something that obviously bothered him still, “You don’t have to tell me anymore….”

 

“Nah, it’s alright…..it was a Nexu den. The blast threw Jax and Raney into a Nexu den and the cubs came out to investigate. It was Raney screaming……they were,” Dek swallowed hard, shutting his eyes, “By the time I got there, Jax was trying to pull them off her, but she wasn’t moving anymore. Then their momma came out, saw Jax attacking her cubs and she pounced. I tried shooting her, but my rifle wasn’t even fazing her at all. I cuffed her with the butt of it, but she just swatted at me like I was an annoying fly, hard enough to knock my chest plating off until I put a full round into her. She whipped around so fast, the spikes on her tail tore across my face.”

 

“Your scars,” Mako murmured.

 

“The first of many I got that day,” Dek confirmed, his fingers brushing the perpendicular slashes near his right eye that went all the way across his nose and down his cheek, “She forgot about Jax at that point and was coming after me. My rifle wasn’t doing squat to stop her and I thought I was a goner for sure until my cousin’s assault cannon tore into her hide. She dropped inches from me.”

 

“Stars, Dekkyn!”

 

“Zev and I rushed over to where Jax and Raney were. Raney was dead and Jax was in bad shape. My cousin immediately called for an evac, but by then, the Imps were recovering from the blast as well. Erin was running towards us to wait for the shuttle when they got her. I ran in to help, but she was hurt pretty badly. I picked her up and was halfway back to Zev when the snipers got me. I woke up over a week later in the base’s medical facility.”

 

“The others?”

 

“Zev got hit trying to keep me alive and spent a few days in a kolto tank. Jax was in a tank for a few days after me. The rest were dead.”

 

“I’m so sorry that happened to you,” Mako bowed her head, feeling the sting of tears for what this quiet man had gone through, “I can’t blame you for wanting to get out of the military after that.”

 

“I didn’t leave because of what happened that day,” Dek shook his head, those red rimmed green eyes hardening as he continued, “I left because Bradley’s rich father paid the company commander to make it look like our fault.”

 

“No!” Mako exclaimed, her face a combination of disgust and disbelief.

 

“Oh, yes…..and it worked. Unfortunately there's no proof, but the circumstances were suspicious. Bradley was up for reelection, he and his cooperate buddy made some very generous donations to the base in his son's name. We discovered later that Bradley was good friends with our company commander, who also presided over the Inquiry. By the time they had the inquiry, while Jax and I were still in kolto tanks mind you, the footage from our armor cams went missing and the audio feeds had been conveniently damaged. The three of us got demoted and removed from Spec Forces. My enlistment was up six months later, so I resigned along with Jax. I couldn’t serve in an institution I didn’t have faith in or respect anymore, so I decided to strike out on my own. Jax started freelancing as a pilot and I started taking contracts. When Braden approached me a couple months ago, I saw it as an opportunity to bolster my reputation as a bounty hunter and hopefully restore honor to my Mother’s clan.”

 

“I’m with you all the way,” Mako promised, “I owe Tarro Blood for what he did to Braden and Jory.”

 

“Oh, he’ll pay for that alright,” Dek agreed, disgusted with the man who intended to cheat his way to victory and dare call himself Mandalorian.

 

“Good,” Mako nodded, “Now that’s settled and we’re not total strangers anymore, I’m going to see if I can find something that passes for food on this shuttle.”

 

“I think I’ll use the sonic while you’re gone,” Dek decided, relieved she’d be gone for a bit because he felt disgusting after trekking through Hutta’s swamps. Unfortunately, they’d barely had time to pack their stuff and make it to the spaceport before the last shuttle left.

 

Mako looked dubiously from the large figure sitting on the bench across from her to the tiny refresher closet, “Yeah…..uh good luck with that.”

 

 

******

 

 

A little while and a full belly later, Mako was just about to open the door to their compartment when she realized it was open a crack already. A thud shook the wall, causing the crack to widen a little as a soft grunt came from inside the small cabin. Curiosity getting the better of her, she peeked in to find out what was going on just in time to see her partner squeezing his massive frame through the small door to the sonic closet, rubbing his horned head as he swore softly at the tiny closet. Then she made the mistake of letting her gaze travel down and barely contained the gasp that followed. Oh, my! Suddenly she felt really warm and her throat went dry. Her very large travelling companion must not have had enough room to dress in the sonic closet and as a result was very much naked. Knowing the shy man would be keenly embarrassed to be seen in that state, Mako decided to wait until he was dressed before she went in.

 

She tried to avert her eyes and stay away from the door, but the thought proved to be too tempting. Bad Mako, she chided herself as she snuck another glance. Calling him a big guy was a gross understatement. Dekkyn Varlok was a mountain of muscle that made the cover models on her favorite romance Holonovels look scrawny in comparison. Well over six feet, he had to stoop in their tiny cabin as he moved about. Broad shoulders that easily filled a doorway gave way to a well sculpted, heavily tattooed back then narrowed to a firm waistline where not an ounce of fat could be seen. She spotted the harsh burn scar where the sniper bolt got him, her heart skipping a beat at the close call he’d had that day.

 

Mako felt a pang of guilt for spying on him and she should’ve stopped there, stopped gawking at that gorgeous derrière, stopped wishing he’d turn enough to give her the full monty, but she didn’t. She continued watching as he dug into his well-worn duffle, barely making out the faded Republic emblem as she fought the sudden impulse to make a noise so he’d turn around. The muscles on his back rippled and bunched as he pulled on a pair of boxers, followed by soft leatheris pants which hugged thighs that were probably larger than her waist. Then her conscious began overriding her curiosity and she felt awful as she stepped off to the side to wait. How would you feel if he were out here gawking at you?! Mako gave him another minute, then opened the door just as Dekkyn was pulling on shirt.

 

“Oh….uh…..you’re back,” Dek stammered, feeling his cheeks heat up, “I thought the door was locked….”

 

“Nope, opened right up. You must’ve forgotten,” she answered, hoping she wasn’t blushing as she gestured at the refresher, “I take it you fit in there.”

 

“Barely,” he muttered, rubbing a sore spot on his head, “Did you find anything decent to eat?”

 

“Yeah, there’s a small caf on the lower level,” she nodded, “The food was actually pretty good.”

 

“I think I’ll head down there then,” Dek nodded, grabbing some credits out of his duffle before putting it back in the overhead compartment.

 

“and I’ll have my turn in the fresher,” Mako grinned, “I think I’ll have an easier time than you did.”

 

“I’m sure you will,” Dek returned her smile, “and I’ll knock first in case you forget to lock the door.”

 

“Great,” Mako muttered to herself when Dek shut the door behind him, “He’s the sweetest, shyest man, who’s been through the ringer more than once in his young life and what do I do? I play peeping Tom and gawk at him all because he has the bod of a god……totally not cool Mako.”

 

 

*****

 

 

Several hours later, Mako awoke to something moving next to her. Bolting upright, she blinked in confusion for a few seconds. Then the panic receded as she began to remember. After Dek got back, she’d tried to curl up and get comfortable on her bench, but Dek insisted she go ahead and extend it so the two benches would make one big bed. He said he intended to read for a while and assured her he wasn’t the type to take advantage of a woman. So she did, getting cozy under the blankets while Dek propped himself up against the wall and went back to his reading.

 

She looked over and in the dim glow of the floorlights, spotted her partner lying next to her, the datapad resting on his chest. Her brow furrowed when she realized her legs were right next to his, but wasn’t surprised considering how warm he was and the fact that she was always cold. A little embarrassed to find herself snuggling against her new partner, she carefully slid over and was about to settle back under the blankets when she felt a tremor next to her. This time she noticed Dek’s breaths were shallow and his head was thrashing.

 

“No!” he cried out suddenly, “Raney! Jax! Nooooo!”

 

“Shhhh,” Mako whispered, reaching out to touch his shoulder. Every muscle under her hand was twitching and his shirt was damp. “Shhhhhh, Dekkyn. You’re safe…..it’s alright.”

 

“Have to get to them……get her off Jax…..”

 

“It’s alright, Dekkyn,” Mako soothed as she ran her hand along his head, feeling the thick locks he normally kept clipped down the center of his head loose and damp as sell, “It’s just a dream……you’re safe now.”

 

“Mako?” he croaked, his throat dry.

 

“Yes……I’m right here,” she whispered as she turned the lights up a little.

 

“Are you alright? I didn’t hurt you did I? Sometimes I thrash around a lot when I’m having…...”

 

“I’m fine,” she assured him, keeping her voice calm and soothing, “I’m more worried about you

 

“I keep seeing them……a sniper shot going through Ahja’s throat. Raney’s broken body. Jax pinned down by a fully grown Nexu……half his face torn off. Little Erin running towards us, then falling as she’s hit by another sniper. I tried to go get her, she was still breathing. I picked her up and ran back towards Zev……then more shots fired. I felt burning in my legs, back, then it felt like something tore through my chest and the last thing I remember is Zev’s face hovering over me as he pressed something into my chest.”

 

“This is all my fault,” Mako murmured, “I shouldn’t have pried earlier……talking about it probably….”

 

“Please don’t feel bad, Mako,” Dekkyn told her, “You had every right to be curious. We’re going to be working together and like you said…..we barely know each other. As for the nightmares, they’re pretty easy to trigger.”

 

“That’s why you tried to stay awake,” Mako concluded, “You knew talking about what happened would probably give you nightmares.”

 

“I don’t like people to see me like that,” Dekkyn admitted, his eyes casting downward, “I didn’t want you to think I was……”

 

“Normal?” Mako raised a brow at him, “Because I’m pretty sure what happened to you would cause most people to have nightmares. Okay, maybe not the crazy, mass murderer types, but I’m afraid you’ve got too big a heart under that brooding exterior to pass for one of those. Sorta gave yourself away when you let Yalt go and gave that scientist some credits to get safe passage back to the republic.”

 

“Thanks Mako,” Dek smiled shyly at her, “Most people see me and are a little put off…….scared like I’m some thug that’s going to cause trouble.”

 

“Somehow I don’t see you as the trouble making type at all,” Mako grinned, relieved that the tension had left his body.

 

“Not at all,” Dek chuckled, “That was always Jax’s department……and it usually involved a woman or two.”

 

“and I’m guessing you got sucked into it more than once.”

 

“Definitely more than once,” Dek murmured, stifling a yawn.

 

“Come on Big Guy,” Mako patted his shoulder as she yawned herself, “Let’s get some sleep.”

 

“I’m not sure I can…..the nightmares….”

 

“I’m right here if they do.”

 

Author's Note:

 

I played around a bit with Clan Varad, but it essentially contained what I needed for Dekkyn’s story. I just fudged with the time a little and had a section break away. Here’s some info on Clan Varad: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Clan_Varad.

 

Also, Mako's sweet, but I also see her as the curious type that might be willing to take a peek at her naked partner.....and feel really bad about it after.

 

Edited by alaurin
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Now to jump ahead a few weeks.

 

This next part features Ka'van, a JC who belongs to Kitar. She has given me permission to include Ka'van in this thread. This was originally posted 1/14/2015 on the SFC thread for the First Impressions-of Someone Else prompt.

 

 

Lucky Day

 

Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for Smuggler Taris

 

It had been a long and complicated day spent running errands for Beryl Thorne and all the weary duo wanted to do as they trudged along the worn path was get back to the comfort and safety of The Lucky Fool before the sun set. The letheris clad Cathar kept both hands near his blasters, not trusting the quiet as the sun sank lower towards the horizon. The spacer knew full well that night was prime time for rakghouls and those disgusting, disease ridden creatures that infested Taris were out there lurking even if you couldn’t see them. He and his mercenary companion had already fallen for the false sense of security they got from seeing an area devoid of those beasts only to have a group burrow up from the ground and attack. The Captain paused when he felt the grey fur on the back of his neck twitch, his sensitive ears catching a familiar chittering in the distance.

 

“Hold up, Corso,” he ordered quietly as he sniffed the air.

 

“Rakghouls?”

 

“Yeah……..in the swampy area just past those ruins to our left,” the Cathar nodded, thumbing his blasters on as he pulled them out of their holsters, “Let’s try to circle around and avoid them. Void knows we’ve had to kill enough of those karking things today.”

 

“No argument from me, Captain.”

 

The Captain took point, a habit from his military days, as they carefully veered off to the right. Both men remained silent, unnerved that they still had no visual. Suddenly, a shout echoed from that very place they were avoiding, followed by the unmistakable sound of a lightsaber being activated. While perfectly fine with avoiding the rakghouls, knowing there was a person in trouble sparked the men into action and they both ran past the ruins, hoping to reach whoever was in trouble before it was too late. As the swamp came into sight, they spotted two figures surrounded by a throng of the angry beasts. The Trandoshan was hissing as he cleaved two of the creatures with his vibrosword, but several more took their place. The Jedi’s focus was split between shielding his companion and hurling projectiles at the raks that approached. His hood was down and fatigue was written across that pale face, but those sharp blue eyes were narrowed in concentration. Corso activated his rifle, getting ready to join the fight when a loud explosion echoed across the swamps and more rakghouls burst up from the ground behind the ginger haired Human, immediately honing in on the Jedi.

 

“Cover your eyes,” the Captain yelled out, hurling two flash bombs at that last group, “Three after the pop.”

 

Luckily the Jedi and his companion heard the order, both showing great trust as they complied immediately. Once they heard the telltale pop, each man silently gave a three count and uncovered their eyes. Corso immediately charged in to assist the Trandoshan, his rifle picking off the beasts as he went. The Captain took cover behind a boulder, his twin blasters firing with deadly precision at the rakghouls advancing on the tall Jedi. Once the immediate danger to him had passed, the Jedi joined the spacer and both men focused their attention at their companions.

 

“Fall back,” the Captain bellowed, “I’m bringing out my toys!”

 

“Toys?” The Jedi arched a brow at the Cathar.

 

“Yeah,” the Cathar grinned, the sharp points of his fangs showing as he opened his pack and pulled out a long string of grenades, “Really fun toys my buddy gave me. These babies don’t just go boom, they ignite on contact.”

 

“Fun toys indeed,” the Jedi nodded, “May I?”

 

“Sure, why not?” the Captain shrugged, “As soon as our friends are far enough away, pull one off the string, give it a twist until you feel a click, then throw it as hard as you can at those raks. Try to hit one in the middle of the group so it’ll ignite the rest surrounding it.”

 

“Go for it, Captain,” Corso shouted when they were far enough away, the weapons junkie Mantellian easily knowing the blast radius.

 

“That’s our cue,” the Cathar nodded as he yanked a grenade off the string, activated it, and hurled it towards the huge throng of rakghouls chasing after their companions.

 

The Jedi picked up the method quickly, and within moments, all the rakghouls were dead or dying painfully engulfed in flames.

 

“I think that’s the last of them,” the Jedi sighed, tucking an errant lock of ginger colored hair behind his ear as he turned towards the two men that had aided them, “I can’t thank you enough for what you did. Those damn things came out of nowhere!”

 

“Not a problem, Master Jedi. Same thing happened to us earlier,” the Cathar nodded, then frowned when he noticed the Jedi’s torn robes, “Hey….you alright?”

 

“Thanks to your quick action, I am,” the Jedi smiled, “They just got my robes…..and please, call me Ka’van.”

 

“Captain Jaxzin Roark,” the Cathar held out his hand, “But most people call me Jax…..and my mercenary friend here is Corso Riggs.”

 

“A pleasure to meet you both,” Ka’van clasped Jax’s hand, shaking it firmly, then did the same with Corso, “and this is Qyzen Fess.”

 

“Corso and I were just headed back to Olaris before the sun set,” Jax told them as he secured his pack, “Anything we can help you with before we go?”

 

“We were headed that way ourselves,” Ka’van answered, “Something stirred up some rakghouls on the path, so we went a different route. I kept feeling those damn things through the Force, but couldn’t see any.”

 

“Yeah, Corso and I found out the hard way that they like to burrow underground,” Jax snorted as they began walking back towards the main path, “Makes for a nasty surprise.”

 

“Honestly, I have no idea why the Republic wants to settle this place so badly,” Ka’van shook his head, “Rakghouls everywhere…..”

 

“And don’t forget the lovely smell,” Jax wrinkled his nose.

 

“It’s a cross between wet ronto and the locker room of a Hutt ball team,” Corso muttered as they entered the Republic’s main base.

 

“Smell masks prey,” Qyzen added, “Makes hunt challenging.”

 

“Pretty sure Governor Sareesh is off her rocker thinking this planet can be restored,” Jax agreed.

 

“Didn’t stop you from hitting on her,” Corso reminded his Captain, a smirk on his tanned face.

 

“Eh…..what can I say,” Jax grinned sheepishly, “I’ve got a weakness for Twi’leks.”

 

“And blondes.”

 

“Definitely blondes,” Jax sighed, hoping to loosen the starch out of Beryl before leaving Taris.

 

“Blondes are nice,” Ka’van smiled, his blue eyes twinkling.

 

“Well I don’t know about you guys,” Jax groaned as he ran his fingers through his thick black mane, wincing at how grimy it felt, “but I feel absolutely disgusting so I’m hitting the shower. After that there’s a bottle of Corellian whiskey with my name on it waiting for me.”

 

“How did you manage to get that?!” Ka’van choked, “The barkeep at the cantina said they didn’t have any. In fact, other than the questionable ale, the only other thing they had to offer was some rotgut that smelled like it could peel paint off the walls.”

 

“Of course they don’t,” Jax shook his head, “Place is a dump, and most of the suckers stationed here aren’t too picky. However, I refuse to drink the bantha piss that passes for ale in most remote military bases, so I always make sure the bar is well stocked on my ship.”

 

“The Order doesn’t exactly provide us with luxury ships,” Ka’van sighed, “Definitely no bar on mine and the kitchen consists of a small conservator, a cupboard, dinky table, and a microwave.”

 

“Lumpy beds,” Qyzen nodded, “but better than ground.”

 

“That sucks,” Corso shook his head, “My bunk is pretty soft.”

 

“My buddy Dekkyn used to stay on my ship a lot,” Jax shrugged as he fished a small, well-worn black case out of his vest pocket, “So I made sure he had a nice bed to crash in.” Then he turned towards the weary Jedi, clapping the slightly taller man on the shoulder, “Tell you what, go shower, change……”

 

“No shower, only sonic,” Qyzen hissed, “Thing irritates scales.”

 

“Wow that sucks!” Jax grimaced, shaking his head as he extended a claw and cut the end of the cigarra he pulled out of the case, “Well its turning out to be your lucky day…… you guys go grab a change of clothes and head over to my freighter, The Lucky Fool, in hanger 21. I have a water hookup to convert my sonic into a shower and gladly pay for the service in places like this. It’s just a one-time charge, so I can use it as much as I want. You guys can get a real shower then we’ll crack open a case of Corellian whisky and break out a sabacc deck.”

 

“I don’t know what to say,” Ka’van smiled, “But you, sir, are a lifesaver and have my eternal gratitude!”

 

“Eh…..it’s nothing,” Jax mumbled as he lit his cigarra and tool a healthy pull off it, “and after the day we all had, we could use some R and R.”

 

“Oh stars,” Ka’van’s blue eyes drifted shut as he inhaled, “That’s a Shento, isn’t it.”

 

“Yup, and a Cohiba to boot……picked up a box before I left Coruscant,” Jax confirmed, chuckling at the look of envy on the Jedi’s face as they headed for the elevators. Then he fished the case back out of his pocket and tossed it to Ka’van as he and Corso stepped into their elevator, “Knock yourself out…..cutter and lighter in the front pouch. Just bring it with you when you head over.”

 

A broad grin split Ka’van’s face as he caught the case, “You’re a good man, Jaxzin Roark!”

 

“And you’re pretty cool for a Jedi, Ka’van,” Jax called back as the elevator door shut.

 

 

Author’s Note:

 

*Kit’ar will be very happy since I finally found a name for Jax’s ship…..The Lucky Fool. I got the name from The Fool tarot card meaning, particularly new beginnings since Jax is starting over after leaving the military when he gets his freighter. Jax is also a firm believer in luck, both good and bad. His friends, Dek and Zev often referred to him as a lucky bastard during their military days since Jax was always getting out of tight spots by some miracle and a lot of luck. Sadly, his luck was of the bad sort on their squad's last mission together, but it led to good things for Jax in the end.

 

*I found information for Shento cigarra’s here: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Cigar

 

*Cohiba is an actual brand of cigar…..Nicaraguan I believe.

 

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Little Mako keeping the big bad bounty hunter safe is such a cute image. I think I like your version, too :D
Thanks! Poor Dek needs someone to protect him from his nightmares and I think sweet little Mako is up to the task.

 

 

Jumping forward in the class stuff a bit......this next part takes place a few months after Jaxzin met Ka'van. This was originally posted 4/24/2014 in the SFC thread for the I Love This Bar prompt. Kitar's JC-Ka'van is also in this story and she gave me permission to include him in this thread.

 

 

The Case of the Missing Mojo

 

Spoiler Alert: Contains spoilers for Smuggler Tatooine, JC Nar Shaddaa, and mentiones the Bounty Event

Content warning: a teensy bit of innuendo.....ok, maybe more than a bit, but nothing graphic. ;)

 

“Why so sad, sugar?” a sultry voice asked, “Let me guess…..girl trouble?”

 

Jaxzin Roark tore his gaze away from the rocks glass he was nursing to see who’d spoken to him. Apparently there’d been a shift change while the huge grey Cathar was deep in thought and a young Humanoid female with deep rose colored skin, violet hair confined in a thick plait that hung down to her waist, and kohl lined violet eyes was now tending bar. Between her looks and the enhanced scent she was giving off, Jax was pretty sure she was a Zeltron. Stars…..the things I’d like to do to her, Jax mused, not too likely given my current string of luck though.

 

“Something like that,” he finally answered, unable to keep his gaze from taking in the sight of the curvy female.

 

“Well, how about I refill your glass and you can tell me all about it,” she purred, turning toward the liquer bottles in the middle of the circular bar. She regarded him over her shoulder as she reached for a bottle, “You got a name, sugar?”

 

“Jaxzin,” he called out, “You?”

 

“Zara,” she answered, flashing him a brilliant smile as she returned with a bottle and topped off his drink, “So, Jaxzin, what’s got such a big handsome guy like you all down in the dumps?”

 

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Jax sighed.

 

“I don’t know,” Zara mused, “I’ve heard a lot of crazy things tending bar, so go ahead, try me.”

 

Jax looked around to see if anyone was listening in, then leaned forward and whispered, “I think I lost my mojo.”

 

“Oh, really,” Zara grinned, “This ought to be interesting……hang on, got another customer.”

 

Jax swirled the amber liquid in the glass, his bright blue eyes were fixed on the buxom barmaid waiting on a couple of guys at the other end of the bar. Her tinkling laughter rang out at something one of them said, most likely hitting on the enticing young woman leaning provocatively towards them. Jax couldn’t blame those guys.....a few days ago, he’d probably have charmed her into his bed. That was before that damned Jedi killed his groove.

 

All sorts of exotic images began to appear in his mind as he watched her reach up for one of the liquer bottles on the top shelf. That lovely figure, clad in a curve hugging, low cut white tank top that Jax could easily see her purple lace bra through, pants that were molded to her body, and high black leather boots was enough to heat his blood. Jax let out a frustrated sigh, she’d probably turn you down flat….

 

“So sugar,” Zara interrupted his thoughts as she topped off his glass again, filling a second one for herself, “How’d you lose your mojo?”

 

“It all started back on Tattooine…..there was this cute little blond Jedi, Nariel I think her name was….my buddy, Corso and I stepped in when a couple of thugs were going to attack her. We took out those thugs and before I could help myself, I started flirting with her. Huge mistake…..she was a sweet girl and had no idea I was even hitting on her until a few days later. We’d run into her a couple of times and I’d drop a line or two, but it wasn’t until I spelled it out that she realized what I was doing……then she turned me down. Honestly, I wasn’t that upset because she was so nice about it and even looked guilty. I apologized in fact and swore I’d never flirt with another Jedi again.”

 

“Getting shot down once by a Jedi hardly qualifies as losing your mojo,” Zara raised a brow at him.

 

“No,” Jax agreed as he took a healthy pull from his rocks glass, “it doesn’t. That’s just where it all started and believe me, it was downhill from there. I have this cute business partner, Risha. Well I thought she was starting to warm to me a little, but after Tatooine, it seems like we’re back to square one.”

 

“Maybe she’s jealous,” Zara suggested as she took a drink.

 

“I don’t think it’s that,” Jax shook his head, “She’s always turned me down, but it just seemed to get a little meaner after that. Although, I did flirt with her, Nariel, and a Sith at the same time.”

 

“Probably not the best idea,” Zara snorted, giving him a teasing smile.

 

“Yeah, well I was trying to figure out a way to get me, Corso, and Nariel out of there alive. I flirted with the Sith to distract her and Risha happened to be on the Holo at the time…..and I can’t seem to resist flirting with her for some reason.”

 

“You like her?”

 

“I think she’s attractive,” Jax admitted, “but I don’t do relationships and I get the feeling she does.”

 

“Maybe you should back off from her then,” Zara offered, “So then what……oh, hang on a moment.”

 

Jax watched as Zara waited on a couple of women that came up to the bar a few feet away. He flashed them all a smile and winced when they rolled their eyes at him. What the hell……do I smell or something? Jax wondered, did I wear the wrong thing?! Is my fly undone?!

 

“Did you see that?” Jax asked Zara when she returned, gesturing at the ladies that just left the bar.

 

“I did,” Zara grinned, “but you’re not their type, sugar.”

 

“And how would you know that?!”

 

“Because you’re the wrong gender,” Zara giggled at his baffled look, then pointed at the women who were engaged in a heated make out session in one of the corner booths, “Anyways…..you were saying?”

 

“So a few days ago, I stopped over here to stock up on some supplies and deliver some cargo,” Jax explained, “While I was wandering around on the Promenade, I ran into this Jedi I’ve done some side jobs with. As it turned out, he was helping out with some bounty for the BBA and…..”

 

“One sec,” Zara stopped him as a man called out to her, “Looks like the next shift is here…..I was just called down to fill in for Jilli when she got sick.” Zara sauntered over to a young, average built Zabrak and Jax couldn’t take his eyes off those swaying hips. He took another drink, hoping to cool himself down a little since he doubted he’d be able to get lucky enough to spend the night with that stunning creature. A moment later, she returned with the bottle and took the seat next to him.

 

“I love owning this place, but it seems like I never get a night off anymore,” Zara sighed, “Every night I’m supposed to be off, I always seem to get called in……so, a Jedi taking a bounty, eh? Not something you often hear about.”

 

“Yup,” Jax nodded, “Ka’van’s not like most Jedi…….in fact, he can kinda be a dick sometimes. Anyways, I decided to team up with him to take this contract. First, however, we had to talk to a possible informant…..Kelia I think her name was. So we head over to the Slippery Slopes where this girl likes to hang out and sure enough she’s there……and she was HOT…..not nearly as hot as you, but definitely up there. Nice curvy figure, dark complected, brown eyes, brown hair back in a ponytail, all in all, put together well. After that whole fiasco on Tatooine, I was definitely interested in pursuing a more physical interrogation and started putting on the moves.”

 

“Let me guess, she turned you down,” Zara smirked.

 

“Not only did she turn me down flat, but Ka’van starts hitting on her and she goes off with him!” Jax growled, “Seriously, I got passed over for a karking Jedi! And this guy’s the biggest a*shole!”

 

“Some women are into that,” Zara shrugged, “Also, Jedi are usually hard to get, trust me I’ve been down that road, and that’s something many woman can’t resist. What’s he look like?”

 

“Human, light skin, shoulder length reddish hair, about my size…….”

 

“Sounds sexy,” Zara grinned, “and I’ll bet that whole Jedi appeal works in his favor.”

 

“It’s not right,” Jax growled, “It’s downright embarrassing in fact. If my friends ever found out, they’d never let me live it down. Hell, it’s bad enough Corso witnessed it……he swore he’d never say a word.”

 

“You trust him?”

 

“Yeah,” Jax nodded, “Corso’s a good guy……kinda gullible, but naive……has that whole hick thing about him. Risha keeps calling him Farm Boy.”

 

“He sounds delightful,” Zara raised a slender brow, “He here with you?”

 

“Oh, no, not you too!”

 

“What?”

 

“I swear, we’d only been here a few minutes when I spotted these cute Twi’leks and we went over,” Jax sighed, “They all ignored me and kept fawning all over Corso! I have never had this much trouble with women……I’m telling you, I’m cursed or something!”

 

“Maybe its karma, sugar,” Zara offered, “I’ve seen you handsome spacer types before…….love ‘em and leave ‘em. Not that I have an issue with that, mind you…..I’m not exactly the commitment type myself.”

 

“Me either,” Jax admitted sheepishly, “and yeah, I’ve done my share of one nighters but I’ve always been up front about that. As I said before…..I don’t do relationships.”

 

“Never?”

 

“Once,” Jax looked away, “Back during my military days. She was in my unit and got killed right in front of me……after that….”

 

“You didn’t want to risk getting close to someone,” Zara reached out and lightly touched one of the three parallel scars that ran down the left side of his face, “Is that where you got these?”

 

Jax covered her hand with his and gently moved it away, “Yeah, my daily reminder.”

 

“I understand……and I’m sorry,” Zara murmured, “I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”

 

“It’s alright, just not something that I talk about,” Jax sighed, “I have no idea why I even told you……guess it’s that whole bartender confessional thing, right?”

 

“You wouldn’t be the first to spill secrets,” Zara regarded him, “but maybe you just needed to get it out to a friendly ear.”

 

“Hey, Captain Roark,” a familiar voice called out behind him and Jax rolled his eyes, oh great. He gave a sigh of exasperation before turning around and forcing a smile to his lips, “Master Jedi……didn’t expect to see you here.”

 

“Theran had some business he needed to take care of on the Promenade and I decided to enjoy my evening before leaving Nar Shaddaa in the morning,” Ka’van nodded, then smiled at Zara, “So who’s your lovely friend.”

 

“I’m Zara,” she grinned, “and you must be Ka’van……Jax was just talking about your recent catch for the Bounty Brokers Association.”

 

“Don’t tell me he’s still sore that young lady chose me over him,” Ka’van chuckled, a haughty edge to his voice, “and no, I didn’t use any 'Jedi mind trick' on her either…..she just liked me better. We got the information we wanted from her so no harm done and it’s not like I was with her all night…..just a few hours. We had plenty of time to catch our guy.”

 

“I never said you used that 'Jedi mind trick' stuff her,” Jax muttered, “and I wasn’t upset.”

 

“but you thought it,” Ka’van replied pointedly, tapping at his temple, “and you were definitely jealous.”

 

“That’s not right you know,” Jax snorted, “I can’t help what pops into my head…..that doesn’t mean you should be prying in there.”

 

“Relax, my friend, I’m only teasing you. You’re usually not this sensitive,” Ka’van clapped his shoulder as he sat in the seat on the other side of Zara, “So, Zara, would you like more upbeat company than Captain Crank here?”

 

“I don’t know,” Zara cocked her head, regarding the large, good looking Human, “It depends….”

 

“On what?”

 

“I like a man with stamina,” Zara purred seductively, blatantly eying them both as she leaned back in her chair, slowly crossing those shapely legs as she caressed her rocks glass, “A man who’s bold, wild, and uninhibited.”

 

“Hey, I can use the force in ways that would make even you blush my dear,” Ka’van boasted, his voice low.

 

“That does sound tempting,” Zara raised her glass in salute, “Show me.”

 

“What?!” Jax choked.

 

Ka’van laughed, “Sorry my friend, but this one likes me better as well. Better luck next time,” then he turned to Zara and held out his hand, “I’d be more than happy to show you once we get back to my ship.”

 

“Not good enough, Jedi,” Zara gave a sultry half smile, “I want you to show me now.”

 

“Now?” Ka’van repeated, a little confused, “You mean…..”

 

“Right here, right now,” Zara confirmed, “Show me what you’ve got, hotstuff.”

 

“But we’re in the middle of a bar for force sake,” Ka’van protested, “Not exactly the most private location……”

 

“That’s too bad……like I said, I want bold, wild, and uninhibited,” Zara shrugged, “Your loss….”

 

“What about your bouncers?” Ka’van challenged, jerking his head towards the burly men at the door whose eyes were currently fixed on the proprietress, "Not that they scare me, but that could hinder things a bit. Seriously.....no one's gonna be stupid enough to try anything with them watching."

 

“Wanna bet,” Jax growled as he pulled Zara into his lap, claiming that luscious mouth for himself. With a moan, her lips parted and Jax deepened the kiss, tasting bourbon and sweet berries as their tongues met.

 

It had been a long time since he’d let himself loose like that and it felt good to be uninhibited. He’d forgotten how freeing it felt……something he hadn’t felt since Raney. A groan tore from his throat as nimble fingers worked at the buttons of his leather vest, then his shirt, finally running through the fur of his broad chest. He extended a claw and broke the bands holding her plait together, freeing the wild mane of thick violet locks. He buried one hand in it, holding her mouth to his as the other hand snaked up her shirt, earning a husky laugh from her.

 

“Come with me, sugar,” Zara purred against his mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers threading into his thick, neatly trimmed mane, “I think your mojo’s working just fine.”

 

“Where we going?” Jax whispered trailing his mouth along her jaw, his fangs nipping a sensitive spot just under her ear.

 

“Like I said.....I own this place and I live in the apartment upstairs……alone,” Zara murmured, dragging his mouth back to hers.

 

Jax complied, capturing those full lips in another searing kiss as he tossed a few credsticks on the bar, stood up, supporting Zara as her shapely legs wrapped around his waist, and headed for the elevator that would take them upstairs to her apartment. He paused a moment, breaking the kiss long enough to turn back towards a stunned Ka’van and shot him a wicked grin, “Better luck next time, Master Jedi.”

 

 

Author's Note:

 

Kitar and I had the giggles something terrible when my smuggler lost a flirt to her JC. I started saying he was going to wind up with a complex and Kitar said I had to write about it......so I did. Also, I used wookieepedia for info on Zeltron.

 

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Jumping ahead again, here's another brand new part for Dekkyn. This takes place several months after he and Mako were on that shuttle bound for Vaiken spacedock to begin The Great Hunt.

 

 

Chasing the Nightmares Away

 

Spoiler Alert: Contains spoilers for BH Act 1, BH Taris, and a minor reference to a companion mission for Aric Jorgan

 

He was running towards the sniper as the petite redhead sank to the ground. Shots echoed all around him, but he ignored them, knowing his cousin was working to pick off the enemy. When he finally got to her, she was lying still on the ground, her shallow breathing the only movement.

 

“Come on, Erin…..we’re getting outta here,” he told her as he squatted down.

 

“Leave me, Dek,” she murmured, her breathing slowing, “I’m dying…..please, just go. Get to safety.”

 

“I don’t leave a man behind,” he argued, gently lifting her up enough to get her over his good shoulder.

 

He slowly stood, then made a run for the trees where his cousin was. Zev spotted him and started laying down cover fire. He was halfway there when he felt the first bolt tear though his thigh, causing him to stumble. Gritting through the pain, he pressed on until another bolt burned through his side. He wavered, but remained on his feet and was just starting to move forward again when pain exploded in his back and chest.

 

He fell to the ground, the young woman over his shoulder sliding off as he did. Time seemed to stop and sounds became muffled as dark spots began to cover the bright blue sky. Then Zev’s face was hovering over his and he felt something pressing into his chest.

 

“Come on cuz,” Zev’s voice penetrated the ringing in his ears as he felt his eyes drifting shut, “Stay with me, Dek! Dek!!”

 

Suddenly his hearing was clear and it was a different voice whispering near him. A familiar, soft, feminine voice. A voice that conjured up the image of the tiny slicer he’d taken on as a partner back on Hutta. The same young woman he’d fallen hard for over the past several months......

 

 

“Wake up, Dekkyn,” that voice whispered again, easing him back into consciousness as he felt soft hands gently running along his horned head.

 

He opened his eyes, feeling disoriented as he struggled to calm his racing heart. Finally his vision focused on the lovely face hovering inches over his, “Mako?”

 

“Welcome back, Big Guy,” she smiled, “Although you did wake for a few minutes after we pulled you out of the tank. I don’t think you remember it though…..you were just coherent enough to stand in the shower for the sonic to burn off the kolto residue and despite the adrenaline stim I’d given you, it still took me, Gault, and TwoVee to get you upstairs to your bed.”

 

“Cadera,” Dek murmured, remembering the exiled Mandalorian catching him in the shoulder between his plates as he went for the artifact.

 

Dek quickly snatched the old relic, then he, Gault, and Mako hightailed it out of there before the old man could fire off another round from his hidden position. It was a game they were playing with their first Blacklist target Jicoln Cadera, the Geroya be Harana. Jicoln issued a challenge to Dekkyn for the Mandalorian ‘Game of Annihilation’, a challenge where the loser not only died, but was said to have their legacy and all memory of them completely eradicated. Knowing he’d have to go along with it in order to get to his target, Dek accepted. Jicoln’s son Torian was on the planet hunting his father in order to restore the Cadera clan’s honor. Understanding what was driving the young man, Dek agreed to accept Torian’s assistance.

 

“How long was I in the tank?”

 

“I only left you in there for a few hours…..the shot was clean and didn’t damage anything other than some muscle tissue and you’ve got plenty of that to spare. You’d lost a decent amount of blood though and I was worried about infection because Taris is a filth hole,” Mako explained, a smirk curving her cute mouth with the last statement. Then anticipating his next question, she went on, “After we got you in bed, I gave you a sedative to counteract the adrenaline and you’ve been sleeping for about six hours now. I’ve been sitting in the cockpit listening to the HoloNet, checking in on you every so often. This last time I caught you thrashing around in your sleep, so I decided to try and chase those nightmares off.”

 

Her tempting mouth was still hovering over his, smiling down at him. The thin nightshirt she wore clung to her slender figure, giving him a nice view of the small curves hidden under it. Dek’s heart began to race again as his body tightened and his mouth went dry. He fought his body’s reaction, knowing how she felt about relationships with people she worked with. A few months ago, he’d finally worked up the nerve to confess how he felt. He’d gone downstairs to hear Gault spouting off some cheesy line as Mako treated a leg wound he’d gotten during their final confrontation on Tatooine. He’d paused outside the medbay to listen. The jealous part of him wanted to tear into the Devaronian’s hide despite their new agreement while the practical side of him wanted to hear Mako’s response. He was crushed to hear she’d never consider becoming involved with a crew mate and he quietly returned to the cockpit, vowing to keep his feelings to himself.

 

Dek’s feelings never went away, growing stronger as time passed, but he never allowed them to show, fearing she’d leave if she ever figured it out. Now she was in her sleep clothes, sitting on the bed next to him as she hovered over him with soothing words of comfort to ward off his nightmares. The flashes of memory that had invaded his dreams were long gone, replaced with thoughts of peeling off the shirt and shorts Mako was wearing so he could explore that lithe little body.

 

“I’m alright, Mako……you don’t need to stay,” he whispered thickly, swallowing hard to keep himself from letting his hand slide up the slender curve of the hip that was mere inches away.

 

“I know I don’t need to stay,” she murmured, bringing her face even closer so their lips were almost touching, “Ever consider that I want to stay?”

 

“But I thought you didn’t want to get involved with someone you worked with……..I overheard you tell Gault that day he joined us on Tat-”

 

“Of course I was going to tell Gault that,” she grinned, her hand caressing his cheek, “and I didn’t really at the time, but I’m a woman and we change our minds sometimes. Not with Gault though because ewww. You on the other hand…..”

 

That was all Dek needed to hear and with a groan, he leaned up and closed the distance, ignoring the ache in his shoulder as he boldly claimed that mouth as he’d wanted to do for months. His large hands grasped her tiny waist, shifting her position so she was straddling him as he sat up and deepened the kiss. A sweet little moan of pleasure escaped her when he slipped his tongue past her parted lips. That kiss turned into several as hands began to make their way under clothing. His mouth finally left hers to trail down the slender column of her neck, wanting to finally fulfill his dream to taste every inch of her.

 

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this,” he murmured against her warm skin.

 

She flashed a knowing smile at him as she pulled back, “I suspected for a while, but always figured your shyness was keeping you from doing anything about it. Then I got verbal confirmation a few weeks ago,” She giggled his shocked expression look on his face, “Oh, I know you were trying to hide it……and that made me realize what a kind, gentle, and truly selfless man you are.”

 

“How?”

 

“I overheard you talking to your cousin when we went back on Nar Shaddaa. It was after we helped him and Lieutenant Jorgan look for that missing squad. Elara and I were patching up Gault and Jorgan while the two of you were chatting in the other room with Balkar. The doors were open and we heard…..sorry. Boy did I feel like crap,” she sighed, “Gault and Jorgan looked uncomfortable and went go find a drink while Elara and I talked. Later I told Gault that I’d fry him in a sensitive spot if he ever breathed a word to you.”

 

Dek felt his cheeks heat up as he recalled spilling his guts to Zev that day, “I….I was afraid you’d leave if you found out.”

 

“No Dekkyn, I’d never leave you,” she assured him, “and it made me rethink things a little. I’ve wanted to talk to you about it, but things have been so hairy lately and I knew you’d be embarrassed. So I waited until we had time and some privacy.”

 

“Does this mean….”

 

“Yes, Dekkyn,” she nodded, “I’ve fallen for you too. How could I not?! You’re only the sweetest, gentlest guy that happens to have the bod of a God! Do you even know that women stare at you wherever you go and no it’s not because you scare them. It’s because that strong silent type is irresistible……sucks us in every time.”

 

“I had no idea,” Dek shook his head.

 

“Of course you didn’t,” Mako grinned as she wrapped her arms around his neck, “That’s part of what draws us in too. Now….enough talking. Let’s get back to that kissing stuff.”

 

“As you wish,” Dek murmured as he lowered his head to capture her mouth once again.

 

 

Author's Note:

 

Hope no one minds too much that I bumped up Mako's romance a bit for Dekkyn.......but eh. :o

 

Edited by alaurin
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Hey, you resistet till Taris, that's not that bad, is it? ;)
I'm quite proud of myself for that actually! :D

 

Now to jump ahead a few weeks. This piece was originally posted 6/5/2014 on the SFC thread for the Confessions prompt.

 

 

Clearing the Air

 

Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for Smuggler Hoth and some early companion spoilers for Risha

 

“Stars I can’t wait to get back to the ship,” Risha muttered, bitterly cold despite the heavy outerwear Jax had purchased for all of them before coming to Hoth, her muffled voice barely carrying to her Captain’s ears over the increasing wind.

 

“This shouldn’t take long,” Jax replied as he stopped to adjust his thickly lined hood and wait for her to catch up, understanding the sentiment since his fur did little to insulate against the frigid ice planet’s subzero temperatures, “but you could’ve gone with the others.”

 

Corso had come down with a virus and its symptoms had manifested as a fever and wracking coughs couple of hours ago. The young mercenary was stubborn to a fault and came planet side with the rest of the crew despite having a scratchy throat. He insisted he was fine and that it was probably from Hoth’s frigid, dry air, but halfway through the fight into the cave, he’d collapsed after a coughing fit and Risha discovered his skin was feverishly hot. They managed to lie in wait to spy on and ambush the Devaronian, Kandhar, for Shai Tenna without detection. As soon as Kandhar and his Imperial contacts were dead, and they’d made a deal with the remaining White Maw Lieutenants, Risold, Halrii, and Feldon, Jax had sent Corso back to the ship with Akaavi and Bowdaar in case there was any trouble on the way.

 

“What, no pick up attempt?” Risha snorted beside him a moment later, “That was ripe for a ‘but I’d be happy to warm you up later, sweetheart’ comment. You’re not getting that crap Corso’s got, are you?”

 

“Nope, I feel fine,” Jax shook his head as they continued on towards Shai Tenna’s bunker which was now in sight. All the while inwardly cursing his all too perceptive crew mate, a trait he admired, usually, but it was inconvenient at times, “Just decided to stop pestering you, that’s all.”

 

“Okay, who are you and what did you do with Captain Jaxzin Roark?”

 

“I can assure you it’s me,” Jax chuckled, then his expression sobered a little as he continued, realizing it was time to get some things out into the open, “Look, Risha, I like you…..a lot in fact and that’s something I haven’t allowed to happen since Raney was killed. I’ll admit, when we first met, I found you attractive and intended to do whatever I could to convince you to sleep with me…..”

 

“I’ll say,” Risha rolled her eyes as some of those early pick-up lines came to memory, “So you’re telling me you wanted me in the sack, but now you don't all the sudden……”

 

“Oh, I still want that, trust me,” Jax shrugged, feeling a little uncomfortable as he tried to brush off the hurt he still felt at the decision he’d made after running into Beryl on Quesh.

 

Risha had been with him at the time and made a snide comment, almost sounding jealous for a brief second. He’d reminded his former partner that his fling with Beryl had been back on Taris when she still hated him. Then it struck him……..she still did. It’d been nearly a year since he’d gotten his ship back from that thieving bastard, Skavak, and he found Risha aboard. Despite being leery of taking on a partnership with someone that had formerly been Skavak’s, Jax agreed to hunt down the infamous Nok Drayen’s treasure with her and had been flirting with her ever since.

 

One year of being turned down over and over again by the woman he was dangerously close to letting into his heart. Hell, he’d hadn’t even been with another woman since he realized he was developing feelings for Risha. One year and not a dent in her snarky, somewhat haughty demeanor towards him…..sure, she’d refused to follow her father’s advice and kill him when things came to a head on Nar Shaddaa, and he could even understand that an heiress wouldn’t want to get mixed up with a guy like him……a spacer with a less than stellar military history. But one year and she hadn’t softened towards him in the slightest made it finally hit home at that point that she never would.

 

That’s when Jax decided it was time to cut his losses and move on. He’d let one woman in his heart before and saw her die in front of him, something that still occasionally haunted his dreams. He’d be damned if he’d give his heart to another woman who didn’t even want it or him…….a scary prospect for someone of his species since Cathar mated for life, a bond most species didn’t even come close to understanding. If Raney hadn’t died, Jax was sure it would’ve gotten to that point with her. That scared him and was part of the reason he’d never kept the same bed partner for more than just a brief affair since. He didn’t want to risk becoming emotionally involved because the last thing he wanted was a mate that could be taken from him at any time…..at least he didn’t back then.

 

Jax didn’t know when things changed for him, maybe it was seeing his best friends Dek and Zev lose their heads over a woman, maybe he’d done some growing up over the past year, and maybe it was that he’d found someone worth taking the risk again. Unfortunately that someone isn’t interested, he thought bitterly, I suppose that’s karma……I can charm all sorts of ladies into bed except the one that I actually have feelings for.

 

“So you still want to get me in the sack, but you’re not going to try anymore? That doesn’t sound like you at all…..you sure you aren’t getting sick?” Risha’s voice broke into his thoughts as they stopped at the entrance to the bunker.

 

“Urgh, Risha,” Jax groaned in frustration, not really wanting to have this conversation right now, “Stars, I wanted you so badly that first day, you were a young, gorgeous, witty woman with a mouth I wanted to spend hours just kissing,” he sighed, running his fingers through his short mane as he looked skyward, “but as time passed, I got to know you. I still find you attractive, but you’re also intelligent, cunning, and obviously have a sense of humor, so it became more than just physical attraction, especially during those rare times you let your guard down. I started feeling things I thought died with Raney. I’ll admit, it scared the crap out of me and I tried to ignore them at first, but I cared too much by that point.”

 

“Then why are you giving up?”

 

“Because you’ve made it abundantly clear that my feelings are one sided,” Jax snapped bitterly, his blue eyes flashing with annoyance as he rounded on her, “A man can only get shot down so many times, and you’re great at it, let me tell you. So I’m done bothering you, okay. You won’t have to deal with me hitting on you every chance we talk……I’m sure I’ll slip now and then, but I promise I’m trying really hard to move on.”

 

Risha stayed silent, but his words upset her, well Rish, you got what you wanted….didn’t you? As soon as that thought echoed in her mind, she felt the bitter sting of tears and she realized just how wrong it was. She didn’t want him to stop because she did care…..she did reciprocate his feelings….she just didn’t want to be another conquest in his bed, but he just said he cares about you.

 

She’d been so tempted to just give in despite herself because truth be told, she was attracted to him and had been from almost the very start. Her body heated up an image of what was under that heavy, cold weather gear he had on. After Jax agreed to keep her on as his business partner, he had two things he wanted her to keep in mind, one-she was going to be living with two men that might not always remember to put the toilet seat down, and two- he always slept naked, something that wasn’t going to change just because there was a woman on board. Deciding to see how much truth there was to that second warning, she’d come up with a valid excuse to enter his quarters a couple of nights later. Sure enough, Jax wasn’t kidding, the brawny grey Cathar was lying on his stomach, sprawled across his large bed, and those muscular arms were hugging his pillow, giving her a partial glimpse of a well-developed chest and abdomen. The blanket was on the floor and the sheet was twisted around his waist and thighs. There were just enough gaps in the sheet for Risha to clearly see her new partner was in fact quite naked and a really nice sight to behold.

 

It wasn’t just physical attraction either, Jax was a charmer and his easygoing personality was hard to resist. Yes, he was a big flirt, but he never tried to paw at her like Skavak did which was quite refreshing to be around. He wasn’t overly ambitious and greedy either, just wanting to make a comfortable living and serve the Republic in a small fashion. Risha had her doubts about this whole Privateer thing, but so far it had proven to be profitable. Jax was all for helping the Republic through Senator Dodonna’s missions, but he wasn’t afraid to take advantage of an opportunity. Balmorra was a prime example of that……they stopped that shipment of weapons from going to the Empire, but instead of sending them on to the Republic, the daring Captain sold them to the Resistance.

 

Jax was also loyal, honest, and reliable, a rare combo in their biz and a likely result of his military background. If he gave his word on anything, you could take it to the bank and he had no qualms about answering a distress beacon even if it was begging for trouble as it did with one of Skavak’s old flames. It didn’t matter to Jax though, he’d always help out his fellow spacer. Which is why they took a detour to that toxic stinkhole of Quesh where she got to run into an old ‘friend’ who she found out had a little tryst with her Captain back on Taris. Before she could stop herself, she lashed out like a jealous shrew which annoyed her more than Jax having a fling with Beryl. Luckily Jax thought she was just being snide and didn’t realize she was feeling the green eyed monster……or at least he didn’t call her on it if he did notice. However much trouble Jax’s loyalty might get them in, it was something Risha could respect.

 

While she didn’t know all the details since Jax tended to be uncharacteristically tight lipped about what drove him from the military, she’d overheard enough of his Holo calls to know that he and his friend, Dek, intended to expose those responsible for what they referred to as ‘the cover up.’ Whatever that involved, she knew it was responsible for the scars on his face and the death of Raney, someone he obviously cared about and had given birth to his casual attitude about sexual relationships.

 

That’s what made her hesitant to give into temptation. Risha had no qualms about having no strings attached sex, but she didn’t think that was possible with him anymore. She felt herself being pulled in so many directions lately, a frightening feeling for someone so used to being focused on the big prize ahead. No, she needed to keep things casual with him because despite her respect, admiration, and attraction, she would be leaving the ship one day and she didn’t want either of them getting hurt when that time came. But who knows how long that could take? A spark of hope flared at that, but it was quickly dashed as she recalled his revelation a moment ago, it’s too late, I’ve already driven him away.

 

Jax had been struggling to reign in his emotions during Risha’s silence when he heard a heavy sigh escape her. He turned to her, feeling guilty for snapping at her when he misread the stricken look on her face, “Look, I’m sorry…….I didn’t mean to yell like that. My species tends to be a bit on the passionate side and while that’s great in bed and on the battlefield, it also makes us a bit temperamental at times. You can’t help the way you feel any more than I can……so let’s just put it behind us, alright. Anyways, we’re here…….let’s go talk to Shai Tenna so we can get back to the ship and thaw out. I’ll even let you have the ‘fresher first.”

 

Edited by alaurin
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This next part immediately follows the previous one. It was originally posted 6/5/2014 on the SFC thread for the Enemies, Rivals, Nemesis and the Health prompts. Kitar's JC Ka'van will also be making an appearance in this one.

 

That's Dirty Sabacc

 

 

They entered the White Maw bunker in silence to find Alilia waiting for them alone. She was very forthcoming in her opinions right off the bat, admitting that her ‘loving lord’ was going to ruin them all with his stupidity. Jax thought the red skinned Twi’lek was too kind natured to be with someone like Shai Tenna and told her so, offering to off her boyfriend so she could take charge in his stead. Alilia admitted it was very tempting, but she declined just as Shai Tenna entered the room. The Weequay was thrilled that Jax took care of Kandhar, and welcomed him to the brotherhood just before revealing his treachery. Jax was too distracted by both thoughts of Risha and a desire to help Alilia so he failed to notice one of Shai Tenna’s goons sneaking up from behind until it was too late. The burly thug struck a blow across the back the Cathar’s head before he had time to react. Jax felt the ground rushing at him with the blackness and the last thing he heard was Risha’s terrified scream.

 

 

Jax woke with a groan, his aching body on the cold, hard ground. His head was pounding with sickening intensity which was likely the reason his stomach felt like he was seconds away from blowing chow. The gentle fingers running through his mane stilled as he opened his eyes and tried to focus.

 

“Shhhhh, easy, Jax,” Risha whispered softly, but Jax didn’t miss the anxiety in her voice and immediately sat, then cursed himself as he quickly shoved Risha back and vomited on the frozen ground.

 

“I tried to warn you,” she sighed, “You’ve got quite a knot on your head and I’m pretty sure you have a concussion.”

 

“Sorry,” Jax groaned, crawling away from where he’d gotten sick, “for pushing…..didn’t want to get it on you.”

 

“It’s quite alright,” Risha shot him a weak smile that he could barely see in the dim light, “I appreciate it actually…..I like these pants and didn’t want to smell like puke for the trip back.”

 

Jax managed to get himself into a sitting position with his back against the wall, despite the screaming protests of his aching body and throbbing head, but had to shut his eyes as the spinning room was threatening to make him sick again, “got any water in your pack?”

 

“I do,” Risha told him as she dug out a bottle and put it in his hands, “They must’ve taken your pack when they tossed us in here.”

 

Jax rinsed his mouth out, then finally risked taking an actual sip that felt good on his dry throat, “Kark, Risha, I’m such an ass…..are you alright? Did they hurt you?”

 

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” Risha assured him, “I guess I wasn’t much of a threat so they just hit me with a stun shot after you dropped and brought me here with you.”

 

“Do you have any idea where we are?” Jax asked as he gingerly felt around his head, wincing when his fingers came in contact with the egg sized lump crusted over with dried blood and his matted mane.

 

“The stun shot didn’t knock me out completely, so I heard them talking as they carried us…..well carried me and dragged you here,” Risha explained, “We’re in a wompa cave, not too far from Shai Tenna’s place. Apparently this is where they dispose of people that need to disappear.”

 

“Great,” Jax muttered, sniffing the air, “and there’s definitely wompas in this cave somewhere…..I can smell them.”

 

“We haven’t been here long,” Risha told him, “and so far it’s been quiet. As soon as they locked us in and left, I dug through my pack and found a flashlight. I turned it on the lowest setting and looked you over.”

 

“Couldn’t resist, huh,” Jax brazenly shot back without thinking, cringing a second later, “Dammit, I’m sorry. I promised to stop doing that……so how long was I out?”

 

“We’ve been in here for about fifteen minutes,” Risha answered, relieved he’d flirted again, maybe there’s still hope. “After I checked your head over and saw the bleeding had stopped, I turned the flashlight off and tried to keep quiet in order not to draw any attention. Then I started trying to wake you.”

 

“Well, I’m sure those wampas are going to start noticing our scents soon, especially after I got sick,” Jax sighed, relieved his blasters were still strapped to his belt, “At least they didn’t leave us unarmed.”

 

“Yeah, I still have my rifle, too,” Risha nodded, “I guess they thought it wouldn’t matter.”

 

“With any luck, they’ll be wrong,” Jax gritted as he carefully got to his feet, struggling to stay steady, “but I think you’re right about that concussion.”

 

“Maybe we’ll get lucky that the wampas will all be out gorging on tauntauns,” Risha tried to ease the tension as she helped the huge Cathar steady himself.

 

They slowly made their way through the cave, Jax having to lean on Risha for balance as they went. They passed several sleeping wampas, but were quiet enough that they didn’t wake. The exhausted couple was nearly though the cave when Risha stumbled over the remains of what must’ve been a recent meal. They might’ve been alright, but Risha let out a shriek when her flashlight caught the gory mess she’d landed in, gaining the attention of two nearby wampas. Despite the years away, Jax’s military training was still a part of him and his pain and discomfort took a back burner deadly calm and battle readiness. His sharp senses saw the beasts before Risha did and his blasters were in his hands in an instant, charged and pointed at the beastly target. The former spec forces soldier narrowed his gaze, willing it to clear and fired at the weaker looking of the pair, hoping to take it out before they got within melee range. He was successful, but the other beast turned its attention on his partner who’d fired on it first.

 

The giant beast roared, charging toward Risha and adrenaline surged through Jax, his claws coming out and tearing through the fingertips of his gloves. Driven by his protective instincts, Jax ignored the aches of his body and with a fierce growl of his own, he tackled the wampa, knocking them both to the ground.

 

“Run, Risha,” Jax shouted as the beast recovered, throwing him against the wall, “Get the hell out of here!”

 

Jax swiped his claws across the beast’s face as it moved in for the kill, ripping out one of its eyes. It reared with a painful roar and Jax charged his blasters and fired, wanting to at least distract it long enough for Risha to get away. His blasters weren’t enough to stop the enormous creature though, and with the swipe of an arm as big as one of his legs, the wampa knocked him painfully back into the wall and Jax felt sharp ice shards tearing into his side. His eyesight began to lose focus again as the beast hovered over, ready to kill. A fighter to the bitter end, Jax raised his still charged blasters and emptied them into the beast’s belly just as a distinct series of rifle shots rent through the air to fell the wampa at last. He managed to roll away just in time to avoid being crushed by the dead creature as it hit the ground with a loud thud.

 

“Dammit Risha, I told you to run for it,” Jax growled just before retching the last of his stomach’s contents.

 

“You honestly didn’t think I was going to leave you to die here, did you?!” Risha snapped, the frightening thought of losing him making her tone sharp.

 

“Well, I didn’t think we both needed to die in here,” Jax defended himself as he struggled to get up, failing miserably until Risha helped him.

 

“That was awfully noble of you,” Risha retorted, “Stupid, but noble…..now let’s get the void out of here.”

 

“You say the kindest things to me,” Jax gave her a sloppy grin that disappeared as soon as they saw another surprise waiting for them at the end of the tunnel. Even with everything swimming in his vision, Jax knew who the short Mon Calamari was, “Well, if it isn’t our old ‘Jedi’ friend……you’ve got a lotta nerve…..”

 

“Wait! I can help you. I had no idea Shai Tenna was going to do that!” Guss protested, “I mean, I knew the guy was sleazy…..kind of bloodthirsty, and really not all that hygienic….” The Mon Cal trailed off for a moment, then realized the dire situation he was in, “Anyways, it turns out that Shai Tenna’s here under orders of some big-shot underworld boss, Rogun the Butcher. Shai Tenna’s trying to bring the White Maw under Rogun’s fold.”

 

“Well, I was already planning to kill that double crossing Weequay anyways,” Jax growled.

 

“You’d better do it quick,” Guss squeaked, “He’s on a rampage and has taken out half the White Maw leaders already, so whatever you’re after, you better get it fast!”

 

“The ‘whatever’ I’m after is going to stay my business,” Jax snorted, “You’re about as trustworthy as a used speeder salesman.”

 

“Really? Most people find me harmless, some even think I’m charming……nevermind,” Guss shrugged, “I read Major Panin’s notes and they said you were after the White Maw’s cloaker, right? Well, when Shai-Tenna started his killing spree, they moved the cloaker to an underground base for better security and I know where it’s at.”

 

“Thanks, but no thanks,” Jax shook his head, the movement making him woozy and Risha had to tighten her grip so he wouldn’t fall, “I’ll find it myself.”

 

“Oh, really?” Guss argued, “How many more wampa infested caves like this do you feel up to searching through?”

 

“He’s got a point, Jax,” Risha sighed.

 

“Come on,” Guss pleaded, voice heavy with remorse, “Let me make it up to you. I can run ahead and distract the guards while you come in the back way. The only thing you’ll run into is automated security….I think you can handle that much.”

 

“Fine,” Jax conceded, then narrowed those bright blue eyes at the Mon Cal, both trying to get his point across and to focus his rapidly declining vision, “but if I get double crossed again, you won’t live through it.”

 

“I promise, I’m on the up and up…..trust me,” Guss assured him, “Here, let me unlock this door and I even have a speeder waiting outside for you.”

 

Jax and Risha left the cave, taking one of the speeders Guss had brought to make the long trek back to Aurek base. By the time the Republic’s main base was in sight, Jax was barely conscious and Risha was straining with all her might to keep him from falling off the speeder. A few minutes later, she was trying to help him stand after she parked it outside the entrance, not caring what they soldiers did with it, when a jovial voice rang out.

 

“Captain Roark, is that you?!”

 

Jax recognized the voice, but his vision was so fuzzy that he couldn’t see the speaker, just a dark colored blob approaching, “Master Ka’van?”

 

“By the force, what hell happened to you?!” Ka’van blanched, lowering his hood.

 

“Ambushed from behind,” Jax grunted as he plopped back down on the speeder, unable to stand, “My contact double crossed me…..stunned Risha when I blacked out, then tossed us in a cave full of wampas.”

 

“Oh, that’s dirty sabacc right there,” Ka’van muttered darkly as he closed his eyes and reached out with the force, “It’s a wonder you’re both still alive. Qyzen, call Tharan and have him meet us at the orbital station’s shuttle bay.”

 

While Qyzen made the call to their medic, Ka’van focused on healing his friend enough to get him back to his freighter and into a kolto tank. Once the Trandoshan finished on the Holo, he and Ka’van helped Jax into the base and onto the shuttle.

 

Once settled on the shuttle, Ka’van closed his eyes and focused his concentration, using the force to assess his friend’s injuries. After a few minutes, Jax was breathing a little easier and seemed a little more alert.

 

“You had a couple cracked ribs, my friend,” Ka’van told him, his voice belying the toll his healing efforts took on him, “I started the knitting process for those, as well as the impact bruising some of your internal organs took and was able to reduce the swelling of that knot on your head. You have several lacerations that are scabbed over, but should be stitched…..Tharan can take care of that. You’ll be spending the night in your kolto tank though, so I’ll leave Tharan to stay and monitor you.”

 

“Thanks,” Jax sighed, the throbbing in his head less painful, but still present, “I really appreciate it, but I hate to take your medic away from you……”

 

“Nonsense,” Ka’van waved him off, “Honestly, I rarely have him with me anyways…..he’s a bit of a prissy sort. I do like Holiday though…,” he trailed off for a moment, then focused back on Jax, “So, how’d you get so beat up? You’re usually more careful with your precious hide. I’m assuming the lump on your head was from the ambush, but the rest look like trauma from a fight.”

 

“It was,” Risha explained, “We were making our way out of the cave and most of the wampas were asleep, so things were going pretty good. Unfortunately, I tripped over what was left of their dinner and woke a couple nearby. We managed to pick one off, but the other went to attack me, so Jax here decided to tackle it to the ground.”

 

“You know, there are better ways to impress a beautiful lady,” Ka’van remarked, a mischievous smirk on the Jedi’s face, “Wrestling with a fully grown wampa isn’t the smartest way to go about it.”

 

“I’m well aware of that, Master Jedi,” Jax retorted dryly, “but those bastards stole my pack so I didn’t have any flash bombs on me. ”

 

“But the Cathar spacer earned many points with kill,” Qyzen argued, “Is impressive feat.”

 

“Thanks, Qyzen,” Jax smiled at the Trandoshan, “At least someone appreciates it.”

 

“Yeah, because nothing says ‘hot stud’ more than a concussed man trying to fight off a beast twice his size,” Risha retorted, “The vomiting after was a nice touch, too.”

 

“Can we just take a break from this wonderful game of picking on me for a few minutes?” Jax growled, his normally easy going temperament taking a back burner to the stress of the day’s events, “I haven’t exactly had the greatest day. First those kriffin Ice Cats, then I get cracked upside the skull and end up being treated like a rag doll by a wampa……”

 

“Ice Cats aren’t so bad,” Ka’van shrugged, “Just got to pick them off before they get too close.”

 

“Good points for Scorekeeper,” Qyzen nodded.

 

Jax shuttered as memories began to surface, “Damn things give me the chills.”

 

“Really?” Ka’van raised a brow, then caught the echo of Jax’s thoughts, “I see……your scars.”

 

“Dammit, didn’t I ask you to stay out of my head?!” Jax grumbled.

 

“I can’t help it,” Ka’van chided, “I’m still linked to you from the healing....takes a bit to fade.”

 

Jax feel guilty at that…..after all, Ka’van had helped him, “Sorry……just not something I like to talk about. It was a long time ago……during my military days. To make a long story short, a mission went way south. An explosion threw me and another soldier into a Nexu den. The cubs immediately went after us…..seeing us as playthings. They went after Raney first since she was closest and I did the best I could to pull them off, but their momma came out,” Jax paused, closing his eyes and running his hands through his mane, trying to ward off the fear as painful memories surfaced, “She pounced on me and I couldn’t breathe with her weight on me. Then felt her claws ripping my face open…….I blacked out after that and woke up almost two weeks later when I was being pulled out of a kolto tank.”

 

“The other soldier, Raney…..”

 

“She was dead before the evac,” Jax nodded, finally opening his eyes again as the shuttle docked on the orbital station, “and after that, anytime I something that looks like a Nexu…..”

 

“Is natural,” Qyzen offered, helping the male stand, “Only shame is if you let fear stop you. You didn’t run away, you hunted, killed, earn points……no shame.” Qyzen nodded at Risha who was up ahead out of earshot, “Female lucky to have you with her.”

 

“I think you just made his day, Qyzen,” Ka’van chuckled as he and Qyzen helped the injured Cathar disembark, “Jax has been trying to crack that nut for nearly a year……not that I can blame him, of course.”

 

“Hey now,” Jax growled.

 

“No need to get jealous,” Ka’van shot back, “I promised not to make a move on her, and I’ve kept my word……just making an observation, that’s all.”

 

“Well, observe someone else,” Jax retorted.

 

“Stars, you’re really cranky today,” Ka’van chuckled, “I think I’ll have Theran give you an extra sedative after we get your furry a*s in the tank…..you need a good nap.”

 

 

Author’s Note:

 

*I took a large portion of Jax and Guss’s conversation verbatim from the in game one since those lines really captured the sentiment well. I try to avoid doing that for the most part, but it really was spot on and I didn’t want to change much of it.

 

*I have to credit Kitar with the title of the 2nd story, it’s a phrase I got from her.

 

*Also, I really hope I captured Qyzen alright…..he’s a tough one for me.

 

*Kitar wrote a follow-up piece for this, Gifts/Mix it Up that delves more into the demons haunting Jax.

 

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Hey everybody :) After speaking with Alaurin it was decided I should post the next section of their story.

This was originally posted in the SFC thread on 6.30.2014, for the Prompts Mix it up and Gifts and it happens a few hours after "That's Dirty Sabacc."

 

It features Jaxzin as well as my JC Ka'van. It does contain references Smuggler Class Story on Hoth.

 

 

 

 

HOTH ORBITAL STATION: DOCKING BAY AUREK SIX

 

Sighing he scowled again at the tank, watching its occupant as they floated. He ran his fingers through his loose hair, pushing the copper coloured locks behind his ear. Shaking his head his eyes jumped to the diagnostic panel. The readouts were still to damn high, elevated pulse and blood pressure; breaths per minute still hovering around thirty, still way to damn high. Without looking he knew Jax was still moving, his eyes rolling, his fingers twitching. Damn Cathar was dangerously close to waking up.

 

He looked at Jaxzin, the Cathar's massive frame filled the kolto tank, above his mask his eyes were rapidly flickering behind closed lids. Swallowing a growl of frustration he looked again at the readout. He has asked Theran to increase the sedatives to the maximum dosage allowed, wanting to insure his furry rear actually slept well, he had never dreamed it would have been necessary to keep him under. Ka'van didn't think he could give him anymore without incurring health risks and the current dosage wasn't enough. Jax was still fighting. Ka'van needed to do something; Jax needed to stay under, he couldn’t wake up early.

 

A knock drifted through the room; glancing over his shoulder he saw the small silhouette of the person who was probably responsible for the Cathar's agitated state. Risha. He nodded in her direction.

 

“Ka'van,” she stepped into the room, slowly moving towards the tank. “How is he?” She stood next to him, her head barely reaching the middle of his chest.

 

“He is alright,” Ka'van lied. Even though her face was carefully schooled showing only minor annoyance, she was vibrating with concern, there was no need to alarm her further. “You look tired, its been a long day,” he flashed her a quick smile. “Why don't you have a seat?” he gestured to an empty chair nearby.

 

She moved to the chair reclining into the metallic back, “So how long is he going to be in there?”

 

Ka'van shrugged, “About a day or so, then the good Captain should be as good as new.”

 

Risha nodded, strangely silent.

 

Ka'van subtly looked her over, she wasn't acting like her normal self, rather pensive, no snarky comebacks, she just sat there staring at the tank. Ka'van wondered what else had happened in that cave. A sharp pulse of fear radiated through the Force pulling his attention away from her. Ka'van eyed the tank; Jax had started twitching faster. Not good. Well enough of this nonsense Captain Crank needed his beauty sleep.

 

He looked at Risha, keeping his voice even he walked to a grey wall mounted cabinet, “You don't have to remain in here.”

 

She looked at him, mouth down-turned in a frown, “No offense Jedi, but I can go where I please.”

 

Ka'van repressed a smile as he handed her the thick white blanket. She shook the blanket out dr@ping it over her lap. “Of course, you are a big girl.” He turned his back towards her returning to the tank. Briefly closing his blue eyes, he sent out a Force-fueled feeling of intense fatigue, followed by a warming touch of comfort. Behind him he heard a stifled yawn, smirking he increased the sensation and a light snoring filled the air. “All right furball you are next.” Ka'van placed his hand on the transparisteel, “I know I promised to stay out of your head,” he muttered, “but I lied. I’m going to look anyway.”

 

Blue eyes closed as he leaned his head towards the tank, reaching out he brushed up against the chaotic snarl that was Jax's mind. Ka'van sucked in a ragged breath; there was an overwhelming pressure, a crushing weight on his chest. Warmth slowly dripped down his face as his breath dissipated, stolen by the horrible oppressive weight. A heart-wrenching wailing filled the air, building, growing in its sorrow-filled intensity as grey furred black-clawed fingers reached for an emerald green hand; the green skin faded into a rich tan, as rough work-hardened fingers smoothed, nails blossomed into a rich red, neatly manicured, and then those jeweled adorned fingers faded, disappearing, grey fingers grasped empty air.

 

Snapping his eyes open he shook his head, trying to shake off the feelings as he sucked in a large mouthful of air. “Damn,” he muttered as he looked up at Jax, “to live through something like that, to loose someone so close no wonder you are refusing to stay under.”

 

He glanced over his shoulder to Risha's slumbering form. Ka'van looked back Jax, shaking his head, “And you thought it was happening all over again. You are so private but I know your feelings Jax, you haven't had any new bed partners in months, not that I am complaining, less competition.”

 

“You need sleep, relax.” A bright golden glow radiated from his fingers, filling the bubbling fluid within the tank. Ka'van projected a feeling of calm, encouraging Jaxzin to sleep, banishing the nightmare he was locked within. Before him the sedated Cathar floated peacefully, his constant movements finally stilled. Glancing at the screen he watched his friends vitals slowly come within an acceptable range. Dropping his hand off the tank, he silently moved out of the room.

 

 

 

Hours later he returned with a box in hand. Walking to the Medical Bay he paused, setting the box on a small table by the empty medical bed. Risha still slumbered in the chair by the tank. Walking to the tank he glanced at the diagnostic panel, all vitals were in an acceptable range. “Good,” Ka'van muttered.

 

Quietly he left the room, quickly walking thought the silent ship, his soft footfalls soundless. As he moved to the exit he heard a noise in the galley. Pausing he reached out feeling through the Force. He felt the slumbering signatures of the the duo in the Medical Bay, Corso and Bowdaar sleeping in the crew's quarters, as well as the warm presence of the only resident Mando. He moved into the galley rapping his knuckles against the wall.

 

She looked up from her cup, surprised. “I didn't hear you.”

 

Ka'van smiled, “I can be quiet if I choose to be.”

 

“Surprised you are here, the hour is late.”

 

Ka'van shrugged. “Had to make sure Captain Crank is alright.”

 

She paused studying him, “You do baatir.”

 

He brought his finger up to his lips, “Shhh don’t tell anyone.” He studied Akaavi, she was watching him, those green eyes curious. “He is ner vod, aggravating but family, you protect your family.” He turned away from the statuesque Zabrak, then he paused. “I have to leave, Qyzen needs my assistance. We are headed to Tatooine. Theran has agreed to stay on until Jaxzin is on his feet.” Ka'van moved out into the hallway.

 

“Jedi,” Akaavi's voice was quiet but commanding. He stopped looking back over his shoulder. “Good hunting,” she nodded her farewell. He flashed her a genuine smile as he walked down the hall.

 

 

 

 

Groaning he rubbed his face, the heavy scent of saline thick on his hand. Well he was finally out of the tank; he looked at the white plastoid device attached to the end of his ring finger. Squinting he peered at his hand, staring at his fingers as his eyes slowly focused, thankful that Ka'van had the forethought to darken the room. Gripping the edge of the bed he slowly sat up, pushing his back against the thin pillows. Grunting he ran his clawed fingertips through his mane grimacing at its gritty texture, his entire hide felt like it was encased in salt. Licking his dry salty lips he glanced around the room. The kolto tank was partially drained, its diagnostic panel dormant, there was a crumpled blanket in the now vacant chair next to bed bed. He inhaled trying to pick up the scent of his unknown visitor, but he was unsuccessful. All he could detect was the heavy scent of saline.

 

Rubbing his face again, he tried to shake off the groggy cobwebs the sedation left clinging on him. What time was it; hell what day was it? he wondered he squinted looked for the chrono he knew was on the small table near the bed. His eyes settled on a box, it was a white box no paper only tied shut with a dark blue bow. What could that be? Grunting he leaned over, stiff muscles protesting the movement. He grabbed the box slowly turning it over in his hands. It wasn't very heavy, but there was definitely something inside. Setting the box on his lap he pulled the end of the bow, the dark ribbon slipped off the box. Removing the lid he set it on the bed next to him, peering into the box.

 

He growled, “Not funny Ka'van.” He picked up the box throwing it against the wall. He heard a rather heavy thump as it collided with the durasteel. The box dropped to the floor with another protesting thud. The tissue wrapped item sliding out of its home. He stared at the tissue wrapped lump. “Aggravating, smug, know-it-all, annoying, prig of a Jedi,” he hissed. Jax continued to stare at the offending box and its spilled contents. A feeling of guilt crept over him, Ka'van had helped him, maybe he didn’t mean it. It was possible he wasn’t trying to aggravate him.

 

Jaxzin slowly eased his sore body off of the bed, shuffling across the room he picked up the still wrapped lump and carried back to the medical bed. Sitting down on the bed, he pealed the tissue away to reveal a dark blue and black striped stuffed nexu. He stared at the animals red glass eyes, and soft plushy quills running down its back and shuddered. Jax reached out touching the child's toy; it was incredibly soft. Really soft, it felt like real fur. Picking it up he brought it to his nose, inhaling, it was real fur he could still make out the lingering tannins and oils on the hide. The irony that one of those damn beasts had been made into a bunch of plushy toys made him smile. He squeezed the toy and felt a lump inside.

 

Turning the toy over he found a neatly closed little internal pocket. Opening it up Jax found a sleek sliver case and a small piece of flimsiplast. Brow furrowed he picked up the flimsiplast, neatly written in Ka'van's handwriting was a note.

Now now, it is not nice to throw things.

 

Jax looked up growling, damn him. How did he always manage to do that? Did they teach that kind of thing on Tython? Shaking his head, Jax sighed and resumed reading.

 

I do hope nothing has broken. I understand what it is like to have your rest stolen from you by demon-laced nightmares. Inside you will find something that will help on the nights you cannot find peace. I highly recommend not self-medicating.

Embrace your fears, my friend. Ignoring them will only give them the power to consume you.

 

Jax set the note down. Picking up the silver case he opened it up, inside was countless rows of stims. Squinting he peered closer, they were sleeping stims, prescribed to him by Theran. He closed the case slipping it and the note back inside the stuffed nexu and closing the nearly invisible pocket. With the medic's prescription the stims were completely legal for him to possess, the discrete hiding place meant no one had to know he needed something like a sleeping stim, who would think to ever look inside a toy? He ran his fingers over the soft fur, shaking his head. A harmless toy made out of the very beast that had a starring role in his nightmares, a toy that secretly hid a way for him to actually sleep nightmare free.

 

Stars he swore that damn Jedi stayed up at night just to devise ways to get under his skin; Jax clutched the stuffed nexu to his chest as he slid off the medical bed. He would not be the least bit surprised if Ka'van was off somewhere laughing. Jax sighed, “Damn Jedi,” he muttered as he headed to his quarters quietly moving through the slumbering ship. He crossed the threshold to his quarters, walking to his bed, absentmindedly running his clawed fingertips through its fur as he set the stuffed nexu on the nightstand. He wanted to get some sleep in a real bed, but first he needed to shower, he pulled off his shirt dropping it on the floor as he headed into the 'fresher.

 

 

 

AN

 

 

Mando'a

Baatir – to care, to worry about

Vod Brother

Ner – my (I think its been a while, going off memory here.)

 

 

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Thank you Kitar for posting that part for Jax and Ka'van!

 

Edit: adding in a story I forgot to post, sorry for any confusion. This was posted on the SFC thread 7/29/2014 for the Confessions and Affection prompts.

 

 

Worth the Risk

 

Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for Smuggler Hoth and companion spoilers for Risha

Content warning: some minor innuendo and a steamy part......barely worth mentioning, but I like to be on the safe side.

 

The ship was quiet save for the gentle humming of the engines as it navigated the hyperspace lanes towards Nar Shaddaa. A lone figure was making her way through the dark freighter, its lights having been dimmed for a sleep cycle. She hesitated just outside the captain’s quarters, having second thoughts as a nervous fluttering stirred in her belly. Risha sighed, it wasn’t that she was having doubts about her captain, quite the opposite in fact. It wasn’t every day that a man was willing to die for her and ever since the wampa cave, she couldn’t deny her feelings for Jax anymore……and that was the crux of her dilemma.

 

For the first time, Risha wanted to throw caution to the winds and explore those feelings. She wanted to ignore the fact that she had a throne to pursue and a future already mapped out for her. A future that didn’t include a charming, honorable, and very sexy Cathar. Risha would eventually have to settle down and rule a planet. Someday, she’d even have to marry and produce an heir, a role couldn’t see Jax being happy in even if her people would accept a common spacer as a match for their queen.

 

However, after Jax spilled his guts about he felt, then shocked her by saying he’d leave her alone since she’d made it painfully obvious she wasn’t interested, Risha felt an overwhelming sense of loss. With a heavy heart, she began to wonder if she’d made a huge mistake by ignoring her desires and turning him down for the past year. Then less than an hour after having it out with her, Jax was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice so she could get to safety. That opened her eyes to what a truly remarkable man her captain was and it shamed her that she was too much of a coward to take a risk which was so minor in comparison. She’d done nothing but go over her turbulent thoughts for the past week as Jax healed and they finished up on Hoth. She had a sneaking suspicion that Master Ka’van knew her thoughts during the brief time they’d spent in the med bay watching over an agitated Jax, but the often smug Jedi kept both of those things to himself. Despite the fact that he rubbed her, and sometimes Jax, the wrong way, Risha was eternally grateful they’d run into him after the incident in the wampa cave because she wasn’t sure Jax would’ve survived his injuries if it hadn’t been for the powerful Jedi’s quick action. Even with the Force healing, her captain ended up spending nearly two days in the kolto tank and moved stiffly days after.

 

It was while Jax was in the tank that Risha decided to stop trying to deny her feelings and worked on figuring out what to do about them. She knew it might be years, even decades before an attempt at the throne of Dubrillion could be made and she saw no reason why she and Jax couldn’t spend that time together. As long as they both knew and accepted the inevitable fact that she’d be leaving one day. They already had a friendship of sorts, they’d just be adding a physical relationship to that. So as long as they left love out of the equation and kept things casual, ideally no one would get hurt when the time came for her to move on. At least that’s what she kept telling herself as she worked up the nerve to take the next step.

 

He’d been subdued since coming out of the tank, his sole focus being their mission on Hoth, which turned out to be both a success and a failure. They’d found the so called ‘cloaker’ and were horrified to find out it was a force sensitive alien, Trick, who the mindset of a frightened child after the abuse he’d taken. Jax, Risha, and Bowdaar took out Shai Tenna while Corso protected Alilia and Trick. After the fight was over, the backstabbing Weequay was dead and Jax put Alilia in charge of the White Maw, ensuring that no one would ever find out about Trick. Alilia, in turn, made a pact to include him in any dealings the White Maw had in the future as well as any profits they made. Senator Dodonna was furious when Jax told her the cloaker was destroyed, but reluctantly agreed it was worth it since it meant the White Maw no longer had it. They alwo gained another crewmate when Jax, very reluctantly took Guss in after he promised to share the vast storehouse of inside knowledge he had on Rogun’s operations as well as medical training, both points working in the shifty Mon Cal’s favor.

 

After Hoth, Risha had been looking for an opportunity to get Jax alone so they could talk, but one never presented itself. Finally, she couldn’t stand waiting any longer and decided to seek him out in his quarters while the others were sleeping. She took a deep breath and slid the door open, an appreciative smile curving her generous lips as those brown eyes took in the scenery, the memory of the first day they’d met surfacing.

 

 

“Oh, and there’s a couple things you need to keep in mind since you’re going to be around for a while,” Jax warned her, “One- You’re going to be living with two men that might not always remember to put the toilet seat down…..deal with it.”

 

“After dealing with that pig, Skavak for this past week, I think I can handle that,” Risha shorted, “and two?”

 

Jax stepped closer, a wicked smile crossing his features as those blue eyes smoldered, “and two- I sleep naked and that’s not going to change just because there’s a woman on board.”

 

 

While Jax and Corso eventually got in the habit of putting the toilet seat down, the former never changed his sleeping habits and Risha couldn’t help but admire the sleeping and very nude figure in the large bed. The blanket was on the floor and the sheet was wrapped around his waist and one long, muscular leg. The grey Cathar lay on his stomach, tilted slightly causing him to face the doorway. The pillow his brawny arm was hugging kept her from seeing most of his chest, but she was able to get a good glimpse of the nice expanse of his broad back as it narrowed into a trim waist, and a small portion of his fantastic derrière just before the sheet covered him. She let her gaze travel back up to his face, relaxed in sleep, and she could see the three parallel scars running down the left side of it in the pale glow of the floor lights. She shivered a little when she thought about his revelation of where those scars came from, his callous attitude about sex making a lot more sense now. Then something blue caught her attention and she spotted the stuffed nexu on the nightstand, a giggle escaping before she could help it. She covered her mouth, but it was too late and the figure on the bed groaned a second before those blue eyes fluttered open.

 

His eyes slowly focused as he came awake, immediately spotting the silk clad apparition in his doorway. He sniffed the air, catching the warm scent of lavender and vanilla that he’d come to associate with her, but this time it was stronger with a hint of a musk that was uniquely hers. His body tightened at that telltale sign of an aroused woman and a low growl escaped his throat. He shook it off, reminding himself that he’d promised to stop pursuing her as he sat up, running his clawed fingers through his thick black mane in an attempt to get himself under control before he did something stupid. But she came to you……

 

Puzzled at that, he cocked his head at her. “What are you doing in here, Risha?” he whispered gravelly, “Is something wrong? A problem with the ship?”

 

“No,” she replied, stepping in the room and closing the door behind her, “I just needed to talk to you.”

 

Jax glanced at the chrono sitting on the nightstand, a little embarrassed by the stuffed toy next to it, and slightly annoyed that the woman he’d been rebuked by several times over decided to come to his quarters clad in a silk robe that left little to the imagination under his keen eyesight, “It’s the middle of the sleep cycle, Rish. What did you need to talk about that couldn’t wait until it was over?”

 

“Us,” she stated simply, arching a brow at him as she moved closer.

 

“You’re going to have to explain that one,” Jax growled, as thick arms crossed over his broad chest and those blue eyes narrowed at her, “Because after a year of being turned down, I had the distinct impression that you weren’t interested in an ‘us’ at all.”

 

“No, Jaxzin,” she admitted, “I was very interested, trust me.”

 

“Could’ve fooled me,” Jax snorted, his heart beginning to beat faster as saw lush tanned curves through the gape in her robe when she moved closer.

 

“I was just conflicted,” she sighed, tucking an errant lock of the rich chestnut tresses that tumbled down her back behind her ear, “I didn’t want to be another notch on your bed post, but I didn’t want to get involved in an emotional attachment since I have no idea how long I’ll be around. I do intend to claim the throne someday.”

 

“and now?”

 

“I can’t deny what I feel anymore and I don’t want to,” Risha whispered, reaching a hand out and cupping his face up towards her, “and while I can’t promise you a future, Dubrillian has the sole claim on that, but I can promise you all the time I have until that time comes, be it weeks, months, years, or even decades. Is that enough? Is that something you can handle? Because I don’t want to hurt either of us.”

 

Logically, Jax knew Risha’s plan was flawed. It was wishful thinking to hope no one would get hurt, but he was willing to risk it, logic be dammed, because he simply couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He reached up, grasping her hips in his hands and pulled her into his lap.

 

“It’ll have to be enough,” he whispered, just before claiming that tempting mouth at last.

 

 

 

Now, time for things to start getting fun! This next part was posted 7/2/2014 on the SFC thread for the Mysteries and Technology prompts.

 

 

A Needle in a Haystack

 

Spoiler Alert: No real spoilers other than who the BH companions are through Act 2.

 

“Dekkyn!” Mako’s yell echoed through the ship.

 

The subject of her shout looked up from the blaster he was cleaning out, exchanging a look with the blond Human sitting across from him. Torian simply shrugged and went back to cleaning his electrostaff until they heard a second holler, louder this time.

 

Puzzled, the huge red Zabrak got up and poked his head out of the weapons storage room in time to see Gault step out of the crew quarters. Dek raised a brow at the Devaronian, “How many times have I told you…..”

 

“Hey, it wasn’t me this time,” Gault protested and they both turned to Blizz’s work area where the little Jawa was busy tinkering with the ship’s protocol droid, oblivious to anything going on other than his task at hand.

 

“Dekkyn,” Mako shouted a third time, and the two of them definitely noted the sound of urgency in her voice, “Get up here!”

 

Dek raced up the stairs, both Gault and Torian right behind him. As soon as they got to the cockpit where Mako liked to sit and surf the HoloNet, they spotted the tiny slicer at the computer terminal looking extremely pale.

 

“Mako!” Dek blanched when he saw how badly she was shaking, “What is it, hon?”

 

“Oh, Dekkyn,” Mako whispered, “I found something…….and its bad, really, really bad.”

 

“Calm down and start from the beginning,” Dek instructed, sitting down next to her and taking her small, shaking hands in his large ones.

 

Mako took a deep breath as Gault and Torian took the seats at the ship’s controls, “Well, I decided to try poking around in the SIS database again. I figured with some of the new tech you got me, I might have a shot at getting in undetected this time. Things were going pretty well, but I must’ve clicked on the wrong tab and found myself in the Republic military database instead.”

 

“Did you get kicked out?”

 

“Not right away,” Mako shook her head, “and since I was in there, I did a quick search for you. I was curious to see what was in your military file.”

 

“You found it?”

 

“I did and let me tell you, that slicing tech you bought me is outstanding,” Mako gave him a weak smile, “I had full clearance and I saw everything……your grades at the academy, your service record, and what happened with your last op.”

 

“Yeah, but you knew that stuff already,” Dek looked into those brown eyes he loved, puzzled at what put such a troubled look in them.

 

“I did, but it was strange just seeing it all out in the open like that……the whole cover up, exposed,” Mako replied, a look of disgust on her face, “Anyways, I decided to see what else I could find since I was in and hadn’t been spotted yet. So I typed in the first name I saw, Colonel Robert Wilks.”

 

Dek felt Mako’s hands start to shake again, “What did you find?”

 

“Like you, I found his academy grades and service record,” Mako went on, “I wasn’t that interested in that so I scrolled down to the bottom of the file and found a couple of notations. I clicked on one and it brought up a list of corruption charges being brought against him from a Colonel Hallyard. Attached were messages Wilks had received from Senator Bradly and Karen Mills, an executive at Czerka.” Mako took a deep breath and squeezed Dek’s hands, “It was all there in those messages, the Senator assured Wilks he’d be in line for a promotion to the top brass along with a generous gift if his son’s part in Operation Landslide was covered up. Mills backed up Bradley’s offer with a donation of weapons and armor to Wilks’ battalion as well as monetary compensation. Wilks assured both parties he’d take care of it. Those messages were all dated the day after the mission failure. The charges were dated ten months later.”

 

Dekkyn leaned back in his seat, letting go of Mako’s hands to run his over his horned head. The cockpit was silent for a moment until Dek finally spoke, “Colonel Hallyard was the CO of Tempest Squad before Zev took over. He was a major at that time, but got promoted and transferred to command his own battalion in another sector,” Dek shook his head, “He was a good man.”

 

“Was?” Gault’s sharp gaze narrowed at his leader, his intelligent mind already putting the pieces together.

 

The sad look in Dek’s green eyes answered Gault’s question and he swallowed hard before going on, “Colonel Hallyard was killed a year after his transfer……a friendly fire incident on the base that killed him and two others.”

 

“Given what Mako just found, how much you wanna bet that was no accident,” Gault replied, dryly.

 

“Hut’uun,” Torian spat in disgust, “Cowards……no honor!”

 

Dek looked at the former con man he’d decided to spare back on Tatooine, and was certain the shrewd Devaronian had the right idea, “Mako, did you happen to see what became of those charges?”

 

“They were dropped three months later and the record was sealed,” Mako answered, “I was trying to download the file when everything froze up and I was kicked out. That’s when I shouted for you.”

 

“Were you able to get any of it?”

 

Mako checked, “It looks like pieces of it came through before things shut down. They’re encrypted, but I should be able to decode them……I don’t know if there will be anything useful though.”

 

“Do what you can,” Dek squeezed her hand before getting up, “I’m going to give Jax a call and fill him in.”

 

“What about Zev?”

 

“Havoc is prepping for an assault op and my cousin doesn’t need this distracting him,” Dek answered, “I’ll contact him when his mission is over and hopefully we’ll know more by then.”

 

 

Author’s Note:

 

Mando’a translation from http://www.mandoa.org/:

 

Hut’uun=coward

 

Edited by alaurin
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This next part was originally posted 7/10/2014 on the SFC thread for the Mysteries and Allies prompts.

 

 

Trouble

 

Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for Smuggler and Trooper Act 2

 

Jax leaned back in his seat as the engines began powering down. He could hear Bowie’s barks as the Wookiee passed the short corridor that led to the cockpit on his way to the cargo hold. They’d just landed on Coruscant with a small delivery of wine that was going to some senator for a ball later in the week. He’d agreed to make the delivery since he was already planning on heading to the Republic capital to visit his buddy, Zev. Jax and his crew were taking a brief hiatus after a very successful heist on The King’s Ransom, an Imperial treasury ship and Havoc was on an extended leave after their most recent mission to take out an Imperial super weapon a week ago. The mission was a success but came at a high cost…..the squad’s second in command almost died and was still floating in a kolto tank. A shiver ran down Jax’s spine as he remembered his last mission as a soldier, a failed mission that had resulted in multiple fatalaties. He’d spent several days in a kolto tank, as did Zev and his cousin, Dek.

 

With a sigh, Jax got up, and headed for his quarters. He didn’t feel the need to oversee the cargo unloading since Bowdaar and Risha both tended to be as detail orientated as he was. Jax wanted meet up with Zev and see how Aric was doing. Over the past year, he’d come to respect the older Cathar and considered him a friend. Zev was taking it hard since he and Aric had been together in Havoc since Ord. Luckily, Elara had been able to work her magic and was able to keep badly wounded soldier alive until they could get him into a tank. Jax smiled, knowing his buddy was taken with the blond medic and hoped Zev would finally get around to asking her out one of these days.

 

Jax strapped his blasters to his belt, knowing he’d be searched at the complex, but he felt vulnerable without them, especially after what Dek found out last week. The rest of Havoc was staying in the military complex, and Jax was going to head there as soon as the cargo was unloaded. He was just leaving his quarters when his Holo went off. Seeing who it was, Jax plugged it into the ship’s main receiver.

 

“Hey, sugar,” the beautiful Zeltron purred when she appeared, “I was hoping I’d catch you.”

 

Jax tensed a little when he saw Risha out of the corner of his eye, “How’s it going, Zara,” he greeted her, trying to keep the usual flirtatiousness out of his tone, “Don’t tell me you’ve gone through that shipment already!”

 

He liked Zara and she was one of the rare females he’d gave his Holofrequency to. They’d spent some nights together on Nar Shaddaa and Jax genuinely liked her, but neither of them wanted anything out of the relationship besides friendship, some business, and the occasional hookup. The latter stopped happening when Jax realized his feelings for Risha weren’t going away despite her numerous rejections and he’d been celibate these past couple of months.

 

“Nah,” Zara shook her head, “This isn’t a business call……or a social one either.”

 

“What’s wrong?” Jax asked, noticing the usually easygoing cantina owner looked worried, “Are you in trouble?”

 

“No, I’m not in any trouble,” Zara assured him, then she looked around behind her and lowered her voice before continuing, “but I think you might be, sugar.”

 

“Talk to me,” Jax nodded, spotting Corso and Bowdaar approaching, “I trust my crew.”

 

“I don’t have much time, but a little bit ago, three men came into the cantina. I’d never seen them before, but that’s not too unusual. However, they didn’t look like the sort that typically comes to this place, more upper class. They were dressed like wealthy businessmen, but I could tell they were armed.”

 

“Did something happen?”

 

“Not really,” Zara answered, “They took a back booth and kept to themselves. I was curious about them though, so I started cleaning off tables in their section. I hadn’t planned on actually talking to them until I heard one say your name. These didn’t look like any friends of yours, so I went over to see if they needed anything.”

 

“You alright?”

 

“Oh, I’m fine, sugar,” Zara grinned, “You know how I dress…..I highly doubt they got a good look at my face. Anyways, when I got to their table, one of them was holding a datapad and hurried to close the file, but I got a decent glimpse before it shut off. Your picture was at the top and there were two others, both Zabrak. One red skinned, one a deep tan…….possibly your old military friends.”

 

“They still there?”

 

“I’m not sure. I took their order, got their drinks, flirted a little, then came here into my office to call you. Let me check the surveillance monitors,” Zara’s image bounced a little as she moved, “Yup, they’re still here.”

 

“Do those recordings get saved?”

 

“Laws require us to save the footage for three days,” Zara nodded, “but I can always save it longer if you’d like.”

 

“Don’t change anything for now,” Jax told her, thinking fast, “I don’t want to draw any attention to it. I just landed on Coruscant to visit Zev and was about to head over to his place when you called. How much longer are you going to be there?”

 

“I wasn’t actually working a regular shift this evening,” Zara shurgged, “Just placing orders and paying bills, so I can be here as long as I need to be.”

 

“Give me an hour,” Jax told her, “I’m going to go talk to Zev and call you back….that alright?”

 

“That’s fine, sugar,” Zara assured him, then turned her head, “Oh…..gotta go, the bartender’s hollering for me.”

 

“Be careful, Zara, don’t draw any attention to yourself,” Jax cautioned, then corrected himself as he looked her over, realizing how redundant that statement sounded, “any unusual attention that is.”

 

“I won’t,” Zara winked, “Talk to you soon.”

 

“Any idea what that’s about, Captain?” Corso asked after Jax signed off.

 

“I’m not sure,” Jax shook his head, “but I’m willing to bet it has something to do with what Dek stumbled across last week.”

 

“If that’s true,” Risha finally spoke up, “Then you might want to back off your own search until we get to the bottom of this.”

 

“That’s probably a good idea,” Jax agreed, “and I’ll warn Zev not to go poking around either. Luckily he knows a guy on Nar Shaddaa that might be able to help us. Can you guys oversee the cargo unloading without me?”

 

“Sure thing, Captain,” Corso nodded and Bowdaar barked his agreement.

 

“Thanks,” Jax replied, “I want to get to Zev’s place now and see if his agent buddy can get a copy of Zara’s footage.”

 

Edited by alaurin
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Urgh, sorry it took so long to update this, but I had a new piece that just wasn't flowing that well. I'm still not sure about it, but I know that I have this annoying tendency to get a little obsessive with the editing process sometimes. Hopefully it's just be being picky and it's good enough to read.....:o

 

 

Interpersonal Relations

 

Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for Trooper Act 2 and companion spoilers for Aric Jorgan and Elara Dorne

 

A lone figure sat in the med center, keeping vigil over the sole patient floating in the kolto tank. Tired green eyes stared at the Cathar without really seeing him. Instead he kept seeing other figures in his place, alternating between a heavily tattooed scarlet skinned Zabrak whose massive form literally filled the tank, and a tall grey furred Cathar who’d barely survived long enough to get into the tank. A soft beeping brought the tan skinned Zabrak to the present and he immediately got up to check the monitor after noticing movement in the tank. It wasn’t the first time someone under his command had been injured, but at least this time he could be directly involved in the treatment.

 

“It’s his sedative,” Elara spoke up as she joined her CO at the monitor station, “The Cathar’s higher metabolic rate makes it wear off sooner, but for some reason this monitor wants it adjusted manually despite the fact I’ve programmed in Captain Jorgan’s medical information multiple times.”

 

“Should I go get the portable one from our ship?”

 

“That won’t be necessary, sir,” Elara shook her head as she went over to the tank, “I’ve made the problem known to the main lab downstairs and they’re sending up a new unit later this afternoon.”

 

They stood there in silence for a few moments as the tawny Cathar’s motions stilled when the drugged induced sleep claimed him again.

 

“Brings back memories,” Zev sighed as he sank back into the chair he’d occupied for the past few hours, “Reminds me of Dek and Jax floating in these. I almost lost them two years ago……now seeing Aric…..”

 

“It’s understandable,” Elara assured him as she sat in the adjoining one, “You’ve become close since Ord Mantell.”

 

“He’s a good soldier…..a good man,” Zev nodded, “He didn’t deserve what brass did to him any more than Jax and Dek did.”

 

“You didn’t deserve it either.”

 

“I made mistakes, Elara,” Zev argued, “I was too soft on Bradley. Dek and Jax shouldn’t have had to pay for my shortcomings as a leader. That’s why I’ve never given up searching for those damn recordings.”

 

“You were new to a leadership position,” Elara gently chided, “and I highly doubt you are the first officer who’s been guilty of being soft on those under his command.”

 

“No, I’m not,” Zev agreed, bowing his head, “But I should’ve listened to Jax. He hated Bradley from the start and that’s unusual for him. Sometimes I wonder if things would’ve been different if I’d picked Jax to by my XO instead of Dek back then. Jax may have a short fuse, but he could keep people in line. Whereas my even tempered cousin is a smart guy and one hell of a soldier, he wasn’t outspoken enough with newer people.”

 

“You have to let go, Zevryn,” Elara told him, “The ‘what ifs’ can eat away at a person, but the past remains unchanged regardless. While I’m fairly confident you weren’t acting any different from most new to a command post, you’ve acknowledged your shortcomings and have obviously learned from them.” She nodded at the Cathar floating peacefully in the kolto tank, “You chose much differently this time around for your XO.”

 

“You’re a good soldier, Elara……but Aric…”

 

“Was what you needed,” Elara finished, “I understand and I wasn’t upset when you chose him over me.” Then her lips twitched upwards a little as she looked away, “Maybe a little disappointed, but you went out of your way to make sure I knew how much you valued me and I got over it quickly.” She reached out and grasped his hand, “You’re a good man, Zevryn Varlok, and you truly care about those that serve with you. I couldn’t have asked for a better assignment or a better commanding officer. I am thankful every day that you wanted me in Havoc.”

 

“You more than earned it, Elara,” Zev assured her, “Not only did you stick your neck out for me and Aric back on Taris, but you also made sure we had everything we needed to get the job done.” Then he grasped her delicate hand in his large ones, knowing it was time to speak up about his feelings, “and I’d like to be more than just your CO, Elara. You’re smart, talented, beautiful, and I,” he swallowed hard, not used to being so nervous around a woman before, and grasped her hand as he took the plunge, “I like you a lot and have wanted to tell you for a while now, but I wasn’t sure if you’d consider it. But seeing Aric in the tank has reminded me just how short life can be and I don’t want to hold back anymore. I know it’s probably against several regulations for me to suggest and I promise I won’t ever bring it up again if you don’t feel the same way, but I just wanted you to know.”

 

“Well Personnel Code Section Two discourages romantic relationships between personnel, particularly commanding officers. However, Personnel Code Section One encourages personnel to spend time together socially. Correlations between interpersonal compatibility and unit performance are strongly positive,” Elara mused, feeling lighthearted at the simple act of holding his hand. She gave him a shy smile as she went on, “So technically what you’re suggesting isn’t really against regulations and as it so happens, I do feel the same way about you.”

 

“You do?”

 

“I’ve thought about it for some time now,” Elara admitted, “You are a kind, caring man who goes out of his way to help others. You stuck your neck out for Jorgan during your search for his old squad, you’ve defended me countless times to Captain Kalor, and despite having your patience sorely tested by Vik back on Balmorra, you made sure he felt welcome in Havoc.”

 

“You and Jorgan would do the same for me,” Zev shrugged, feeling like he hadn’t done anything special, “As for Vik……I figured Aric was going to tear into his hide enough for the both of us.”

 

Elara smiled at the Cathar floating in the tank, “I heard him muttering the other day that Vik was going to give him silver fur.” Then she bowed her head, “He saved my life on the Gauntlet. I was going in to back them up as they retreated and I didn’t see the Imperial reinforcements coming. Aric drew their fire away from me…..”

 

“You had no way of knowing that group was there, Elara and from what Forex told us, they had only just spotted the unit themselves and were about to call it in when you arrived. I’m just glad it’s over and that we all made it out of there alive,” Zev squeezed her hand.

 

“And now that we’re on leave while Aric recovers, I guess we’ll have to think of some way to occupy our time.”

 

“I seem to recall you saying something about feeling the same way a few minutes ago,” Zev prodded, unable to keep the smile from curving his lips.

 

“I did,” Elara confirmed as she leaned closer, “So whatever shall we do about it, sir?”

 

“I’m pretty sure this is the part where you plant one on her Zev,” came a snicker from the doorway and the startled couple nearly jumped out of their seats, “And it’s really sad that I have to tell you that.”

 

“Thanks a lot, Jax,” Zev scowled at his best friend, “No way you could’ve held that in for a few more minutes?”

 

“Nah…..as entertaining as that was, I figured I’d better make my presence known before you got down to business,” the tall grey Cathar grinned as he entered the room. Then he nodded at the kolto tank, “How’s he doing?”

 

“He’s on the mend,” Zev answered as Elara got up to check the monitors, “But he’s going to be in there for another week at least.”

 

“He must’ve been hit pretty bad then,” Jax shook his head, hating to add to his friend's stress with the bad tidings he was about to deliver, “Bet this isn’t easy for you….”

 

“Nope,” Zev sighed, then narrowed his eyes at his suddenly subdued friend, “So what brings you here? I didn’t expect you for another hour.”

 

“We’ve got trouble,” Jax replied, “And we need to act fast if we want to find out the details.”

 

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This next part was posted in the SFC thread on 7/18/2014 for the I Love This Bar and Allies prompts.

 

Note: This story was originally posted on my Tumblr 5/13/14 and is a really naughty piece. I've toned it down a lot for these forums, but for those adventurous types, the original nsfw version can be found here.

 

 

What Happens on Nar Shaddaa......

 

 

*warning: This version is still a little risque, but nothing descriptive.......I've posted worse, trust me :rolleyes:.

*Spoiler Alert: I'll play it safe and say Trooper Act 2 finale and a companion spoiler for Aric Jorgan.....both are the blink and you'll miss them type, so it should be fine to read it if you already know NPC names from those storylines.

 

“Balkar didn’t give you a file on this contact?” Jax regarded his friend.

 

A tense week had passed since he’d gotten that call from Zara. As soon as he filled Zev in, they called his friend in the SIS, Jonas Balkar. Balkar was on Nar Shaddaa and immediately headed to Zara’s place. The men were gone by the time the agent got there, but Zara gave him the footage. As soon as he returned to headquarters, Balkar ran some searches, but came up empty other than they were from a consulting firm. He sent a memo out to all their agents on planet to see if anyone knew those men and the next day, he got a response from one of their undercover agents in the field.

 

“Nope,” Zev shook his head, “Apparently this agent was planted at the club several months ago and has brought down a lot of scum. No one suspects and Balkar didn’t want to risk blowing the cover.”

 

“So, let me get this straight,” Aric snorted, crossing his arms, “We’re going into this place and we have no idea who our contact is.”

 

Three days after Balkar got that hit, Jorgan was taken out of the kolto tank and after being filled in on the situation, Havoc’s XO insisted he was coming along. While it’d be a few weeks before he’d be fit for combat, it was safe for him to travel and Havoc set out for Nar Shaddaa. Jax and his crew left immediately after and they met up with Dek on the Hutt moon two days later.

 

“Your XO’s got a point, Zev,” Dek nodded, “I’m not too thrilled about going in blind.”

 

“You guys can stay here then,” Zev shrugged, “but I, for one, want to find out who’s been keeping tabs on us and these guys frequent the place.”

 

“No, sir,” Aric relented, “You helped me with the Deadeyes and I’ve got your back on this……even if it means going to some seedy strip club on Nar Shaddaa.”

 

“Actually,” Jax grinned, pointing at his datapad, “From what I’m seeing, this place is pretty classy and caters to some wealthy clientele.”

 

Dek peered over the large, grey Cathar’s shoulder, “Whoa, am I reading that right?”

 

“What?” Zev and Aric echoed.

 

“The Platinum Package……the ultimate in gentlemen’s entertainment and perfect for bachelor parties. An hour at the center table with a dancer for the duration, all drinks included for the whole evening, and a ‘Happy Endings’ lap dance before the party is taken up to a private suite where the fun keeps going for as long as you want…..”

 

“Sorry, Jax,” Zev chuckled, “I don’t think I can afford that, but you’ve got the right idea……a bachelor party would be the perfect cover since those guys might be there at the time.”

 

“That’s not a bad idea,” Dek agreed, “I’m sure Gault would be happy to tag along and we could probably get Torian to come.”

 

“I’ll see if Corso and Bowie are in,” Jax offered.

 

“Jorgan just said he’s in and I’m sure Vik would love to go,” Zev nodded, Aric growling at the last, “Oh, come on Jorgan, Tanno’s not that bad. Let me give Balkar a shout with the plan and we can go from there.”

 

**************

 

A few days later, Jax, Zev, and Vik were entering the Club Paradise. They’d decided while making plans the night before to stagger their arrival and Jax, Zev, and Vik were the first. Dek was elected to be the bachelor since he and Mako had been in a relationship long enough for that to be plausible and would be arriving next with Gault and Torian. Jorgan would be coming last with Corso, Bowdaar, and much to their surprise, Guss.

 

“Welcome to Club Paradise,” a rose colored, scantily clad Twi’lek greeted them, “My name’s Rose, how can I be of service to you gentlemen?”

 

“We’re here for a bachelor party,” Jax answered, grinning at the cute Twi’lek.

 

“Name?”

 

“Dekkyn Varlok.”

 

“Ah, yes,” Rose nodded, “Here we are……hmmmm…..looks like there’s a note from a Jonas Balkar.”

 

“Oh?” Zev caught Jax’s gaze.

 

“Yup,” Rose confirmed, “Says ‘sorry I can’t make it, but tell Dek congrats and have an upgrade on me.’”

 

“Upgrade?” the three men spoke at once.

 

“Uh-huh,” Rose chirped, winking at them, “This Jonas fellow must be a really good friend…..you’ve been upgraded to the Platinum Package!”

 

“Nice!” Tanno’s gravelly voice chuckled.

 

“Follow me to the center table and start thinking about who’s going to get the lap dance,” Rose beckoned, “It’s supposed to be for the bachelor, but many times he doesn’t want to go through with it and lets one of the single fellas take it…….oh, and it looks like your guy’s in luck, Mistress Naula is your dancer. She’s one of the best but doesn’t do parties very often……your friend must know someone to book her.”

 

“Our stalkers are here…..I’ll bet our contact spotted them and told Balkar. We probably got upgraded so he can meet us in the suite without blowing his cover later,” Zev informed the others quietly after Rose left them at the table, “So……..do either of you know what a Happy Endings lap dance is?”

 

“It’s pretty self-explanatory, boss,” Tanno answered, grabbing a beer from one of the buckets hooked to the side of the table.

 

“Really?!” Jax asked as Dek, Gault, and Torian arrived, “They do that?”

 

“Do what?” the Devaronian spoke up as he sat.

 

“We got upgraded to the Platinum package,” Tanno grinned, “which includes a Happy Endings lap dance.”

 

“Ha,” Gault snorted, “Mako’s not gonna be happy with that!”

 

“So the dancer’s really going to……”

 

“Yup,” Gault smirked, “I’ve seen it before. It’s not as bad as you’d think though. When it’s time for the final dance, the lighting changes and most of the room is dim. The spotlight’s on the dancer and while they can see each other, the rest of the room only sees her and the guy’s silhouette. Then when things are about to……uh….finish, the lights go out except for a strobe that’s on the dancer, and let me tell you, it’s pretty hot.”

 

“I had a buddy that had one of those dances before,” Tanno nodded, “Not as classy a place as this, but just like you described. He said it was quite the experience.”

 

“No way,” Dek shook his head, “I care about Mako way too much to do that.”

 

“Yeah and I don’t want to ruin things with Elara now that I’ve finally worked up the nerve to ask her out.” Zev agreed, “and Jax, you’re finally making progress on the lady front……do you really want to blow that?”

 

“I suppose not,” Jax mused, “So who’s going to get it?”

 

“As much fun as it sounds like,” Gault sighed, “I think I’ll pass this time.”

 

“Still sore,” Dek snickered, “I told you that was a bad idea.”

 

“How was I supposed to know she’d shoot?!”

 

Dek turned to the young Mandalorian on his crew, “Torian, you want the dance?”

 

“Not sure,” Torian shrugged, still looking a little confused.

 

“You’d better not, kid,” Gault remarked dryly, “I don’t think you’re ready for something like that.”

 

“Since Bowie decided not to come,” Jax told them, “and Guss would probably go into shock, that leaves you, Tanno, or either Corso or Aric.”

 

“Oh, that is one repressed Cathar,” Tanno chuckled, “I think he should have it……maybe mellow him out a little.”

 

Jax and Zev started laughing at the thought of Havoc’s uptight XO having an exotic dancer perform a lap dance for him. Jax finally stopped long enough to agree, “That’s perfect……I can’t wait to see his face. Remember how pissy he got over the towel incident?”

 

“Stars, I think he kept to himself for a few days after that and it was quite some time before he could look Elara in the face,” Zev shook his head, grinning, “should we tell him?”

 

“Nah,” Tanno replied, lowering his voice as the last of their party arrived, “Let’s keep it a surprise.”

 

A moment later, Aric, Corso, and Guss took a seat, the former realizing they were at the center table, “Hey, I thought this was reserved for that Platinum Package thing.”

 

“It is,” Zev confirmed, barely able to keep a straight face as he pictured his XO’s reaction to being volunteered for the final dance, “Apparently Balkar thought we needed an upgrade.”

 

“What’s the Platinum Package?” Corso asked and a moment later, Jax handed him his datapad. Corso’s brown eyes widened, then his brow furrowed, “What’s a Happy Endings lap dance?”

 

“Think really hard about that statement, Corso,” Jax snickered and the rest of them started laughing as Corso caught on, indicated by the blush that stained his cheeks.

 

Corso was spared further teasing when a young, voluptuous Human gracefully hopped up on the table, grabbing the pole as she slowly spun, her warm, brown eyes taking them all in. Her long strawberry blond hair was bound in a ponytail and her short pleated skirt exposed shapely tan legs ending in high heels. Her crisp, white shirt screamed uptight librarian, but the wicked smile curving those full, cherry red lips spoke the opposite.

 

“Welcome to Club Paradise gentlemen,” the dancer purred smiling down at each of them, “My name’s Naula and my sole purpose this evening is to give Dekkyn Varlok,” she paused, raising a slender brow, treating the huge red Zabrak with a teasing wink when he raised his hand, “a proper send off. Tips are certainly welcome, but I ask that you don’t get too frisky with your hands, boys…..we’ll save that for the last dance. Also, if one of you sitting next to the drink buckets could toss me a water bottle between songs, I’d really appreciate it. I’ll have a few more instructions when we get to our happy ending but for now, sit back, make yourselves comfortable, and…..” A fast, provocative beat started playing and Naula began to dance, “get ready for the night of your lives.”

 

“Oh wow,” Guss squeaked as Naula slid the belt off her skirt and tossed it at him.

 

During that first dance, Naula’s skirt and shirt came off, revealing the tiny blue satin thong, matching bra underneath, and a long phoenix tattoo that began at her right shoulder blade and wrapped around her right side, it’s long plumed tail ending at her navel. A blushing Corso caught her skirt after she slowly peeled it off those swaying hips in front of him. She blew him a kiss, then went back to the center of the table, hooking one of those shapely legs on the pole before leaning back towards Torian, whose mouth was hanging open in awe. She gave him a sultry smile as her fingers began working at the buttons of her shirt. She pulled it off, then leaned way back to hold it out to the young Mandalorian, giving him a spectacular view of her generous curves barely contained in her bra.

 

The bra came off during the second dance and Naula favored Gault with that honor, letting the eager Devaronian unhook it for her before sliding it off and tossing it at him. Zev handed her a water bottle between songs, earning a kiss on his bald, horned head after she took a quick sip and handed it back to him. The rest of the group laughed at the blushing Zabrak as he grinned sheepishly at the dancer.

 

The guys took advantage of the drinks buckets, consuming a large quantity since they figured they’d have time to sober up a little in the suite later when they finally met their contact. Most of them were feeling the effects of the alcohol halfway through and Naula earned several tips over the next hour as each of them enjoyed the very talented, lithe dancer.

 

“Ok gentlemen, we’ve arrived at my last dance,” Naula’s husky voice addressed them as the music faded, “The man of the hour is allowed some touching for this, but it’s at my discretion and I’ll let you know if you’re going too far…..that goes both ways. If I’m doing something to you that you can’t handle, let me know and I’ll back off a little. As long as you can respect that, it’ll be all good. Things may get a little wild at the end, but I haven’t lost a guy yet.” Naula winked, turning to Dek as the lights started to dim a little, “You ready for your happy ending, darlin’?”

 

“Actually, I’ve decided to pass that on to someone else,” Dek grinned sheepishly.

 

“That’s fine,” Naula smiled at him, “So who’s the lucky fellow?”

 

“I believe we decided on Aric for that honor,” Dek answered as Jorgan began choking on the beer he’d been in the process of drinking.

 

“What?!” Aric sputtered.

 

“Yeah, Tanno volunteered you,” Zev clapped his second in command on the shoulder while Jax popped a double shot down in front of him.

 

Aric downed the shot in one swallow, then glared at the laughing Weequay, feeling the tips of his ears burning as Naula shot him a teasing smile before hopping down to unpack a bag that had been brought to their table. She set down four bottles of champagne around the table, one in the drinks bucket next to him, then propped the bag up against the pole, touching something to her ear just after.

 

He really didn’t want to do this at all and looked around the table to see who he could pass the young woman off to as she began to slink suggestively along the pole. He knew his CO was out of the question as well as his cousin Dek. He caught Jax’s eye and the larger Cathar grinned at him with a slight shake of his head. Corso was blushing already and Guss was covering his eyes, peeking out from time to time. The older Devaronian was watching the dancer wistfully and Aric felt a surge of hope that was quickly dashed when Gault caught his eye.

 

“As much as I’d love to take your place,” he sighed, smiling up at the lovely Naula as she got to him, caressing his ruddy face before moving on, “I recently took a stun shot to a highly sensitive part of my anatomy and things are still a little sore.”

 

Dek started laughing and even the quiet Mandalorian snickered a little. Aric regarded Torian, but young Human shook his head vehemently, blushing as Naula got to him and began running her fingers through his thick, blond hair. Finally Aric turned to Vik who shouted out, “She’s all yours,” grinning as he sat back and lit a cigarra.

 

Naula finished making her rounds to each of them before turning her attention to Aric. The sultry vixen dipped down, reaching into the bag resting against the pole, then slid off the table to lean over him, her hand caressing his ear to slip a small listening bud onto it. The tempo increased as did her movements and he could see a fine sheen of sweat on her trim belly and the sparkle of a blue jewel dangling from her navel ring as she continued her visual assault on him. He swallowed hard as she settled into his lap, several conflicting thoughts and feelings racing through his mind. Unease at the very public display warred with pleasure at her practiced movements and embarrassment that it had been a really long time since he’d had any intimacy with a woman, but all but the pleasure quickly faded as that last shot kicked in and the skillful Naula worked her magic.

 

Several very intense moments later, the dance was over and her sensuous movements had stilled, her hand caressing his cheek as she rested for a brief moment in the dark. He felt weak and shaky, barely able to catch his breath when she finally stood, leaning over to kiss him as she did. Dim light began to fill the room and shocked at what he’d just done, Aric looked up to see her smiling down at him.

 

“You did very well, lover,” she assured him, her eyes smoldering with her own unspent passion.

 

Naula snatched an open bottle of champagne before hopping back up to the table. She took a healthy pull off the bottle before bowing to the roaring crowd. A cork popped and Naula was hit with a spray of champagne, followed by three more as another song started. While the crowd was busy watching Naula perform an encore, Rose beckoned to the group to follow her. Zev helped his still dazed second in command out of his seat and the group, led by Rose, went upstairs to their private suite.

 

 

Author’s Note:

 

I’m well aware that I exaggerated what goes on in a strip club, but hey…..it’s Nar Shaddaa!

 

Also, I had 2 songs going through my head when the lovely Naula was dancing for our favorite grumpy Cathar:

‘I Feel You’ by Depeche Mode and ‘Closer’ by Nine Inch Nails

 

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Time for the boys to meet their contact. This immediately follows the last installment and was posted in the SFC thread on 7/22/2014 for the I Love This Bar, Mysteries, and Allies prompts.

 

 

.....Stays On Nar Shaddaa

 

content warning: naughty shenanigans and a lot of innuendo below.......no worse than the previous piece. :D

 

“Wow,” Rose shook her head in awe, her lekku swaying as they climbed the stairs to the private suites, “Either you guys know someone high up or Naula really likes you.”

 

“What makes you think that?” Zev replied, the tall Zabrak swaying a little.

 

“Well, she’s done her fair share of lap dances and I’ve never seen her allow anyone to touch her like he just did,” Rose answered, “and kissing is pretty rare in this biz…..too much of a personal connection.”

 

Tanno snickered at his XO, “You sly dog……a woman actually likes you.”

 

“Stuff it, Vik,” Aric growled, sobering quickly as embarrassment came slamming back to him.

 

“Alrighty gentlemen,” Rose called out as they entered the lavish room, “This room is yours for the rest of the evening.” She gestured at the back wall, “The bar’s fully stocked, the remote for the HoloVid is in the top drawer, and Naula will be with you again shortly.”

 

“Wait,” Dek called out as Rose turned to leave, “Naula’s coming back…..I thought that dance was the finale.”

 

“Nope,” Rose answered, favoring Aric with a knowing grin as the tawny Cathar retreated into the small fresher, “The Platinum Package includes your dancer for the entire evening. The Happy Endings dance is just the finale for the show downstairs........you guys get Naula for the night.”

 

“Aric Jorgan, you lucky son of a b*tch,” Tanno called out as Rose left, “I should’ve taken her when I had the chance.”

 

“That was pretty intense…..wish I hadn’t gotten shot,” Gault grumbled.

 

“I think Guss is still in shock,” Jax snickered and they all turned to the wide eyed Mon Cal sitting on the sofa next to a tipsy Corso who was patting him on the back. Jax went to the bar to get his crew’s medic a stiff drink.

 

“Torian couldn’t take his eyes off her,” Dek slurred, clapping the young Mandalorian on shoulder, “Aric really didn’t want to do that, you know. I saw him looking around the table for someone else to have it, you could’ve taken his place.”

 

“HA!” Gault snorted, pouring himself a brandy from the bar, “Torian wouldn’t have lasted a minute…….that girl was really into it and definitely good at what she does.”

 

“Well, she’s coming back,” Tanno shrugged, lighting another cigarra, “Maybe he can have a turn.”

 

“Don’t you want a turn, Vik?” Zev’s bright green eyes shot his explosives expert a questioning look.

 

“Nah,” Tanno chuckled, “I don’t want Jorgan’s sloppy seconds.”

 

A muffled shout of, “Kiss my a*s, Vik!” came from the fresher.

 

“How’s this going to work anyways?” Jax asked, returning with a tray of shots, immediately handing one to Guss, “Not that I’m upset about the lovely Naula returning, but…..”

 

“But how’s our contact going to meet us with her in the room?” Zev finished, helping himself to a shot as his XO finally emerged from the fresher.

 

Aric felt slightly more composed after having cleaned himself off and splashing cold water on his face. He could still smell her scent on him though, a pleasing hint of jasmine combined with the spicy musk that had to be hers, a reminder of what they’d done in that crowded room downstairs. Aric tended to be a private and slightly reserved individual, keeping romantic relationships to a minimum. He’d teased his CO about his lack of finesse in dealing with Elara, but he had no room to talk really. Aric was just as awkward around women and tended to avoid intimate relationships as a result. He’d been fine with that, his military career was his life and kept him occupied, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy Naula’s attentions. That was the problem, he couldn’t afford to let himself get distracted by a woman who was paid to entertain men. Needing something to dull his thoughts, he snatched a shot of Jax’s tray and downed it in one swallow, thankful for the burn of whiskey as it warmed his gut.

 

“I guess we’ll just have to tell her she can go,” Dek replied, taking a shot for himself, "or maybe our contact will dismiss her.....I'm guessing he's a bouncer."

 

Dek’s suggestion was met with some protests but before he could say anything further, the door to their suite opened and Naula sauntered in wearing a short, red dress that hugged her body. Her damp hair was coiled in a bun held in place by a single jeweled hairstick.

 

“Hello again, gentlemen,” Naula smiled at them, “I’m at your service for the rest of your evening…..within reason of course. I’m more than happy to get your drinks, provide conversation, and dance for you. However, I do ask that you limit your touching to slipping me a tip if you feel it’s warranted.” She gestured to the back corner of the room where there was a small sofa and a curtain, “As you can see, there is a private area and I will do lap dances, but not as extensive as the one I did earlier.”

 

“Damn,” Gault muttered, earning a cheeky grin from Naula.

 

“Sorry darlin’…..I only do those once in a while and never more than one time a night.”

 

“How come?” Jax asked, grunting as Dek elbowed him, “Not that I want one……just curious.”

 

“Think about it, handsome,” Naula sighed, giving Jax a wink as she went on, “Those movements, all that contact……let’s just say that most of us girls get just as worked up as our client without the same ending.”

 

“Oh, I’d be more than happy to help you with that,” Gault offered, a sly grin crossing his features.

 

“I thought you were still sore,” Dek shook his head as Naula’s tinkling laughter filled the room.

 

“Hey, you saw what she did to Jorgan downstairs,” Gault smirked at his leader, “I’m pretty confident it’d be worth a little discomfort.”

 

“As generous as your offer is, darlin’, I think I’ll pass,” Naula told the Devaronian before addressing the group, “Other than that, gentlemen, how can I further entertain you?”

 

“Actually Naula, you did such a fantastic job downstairs….” Zev began.

 

“Yeah, never thought I’d see the day Jorgan relaxed enough to…..” Tanno interrupted, earning some snickers from the group.

 

“Kark off, Vik,” Aric snapped, unable to meet Naula’s gaze.

 

“Now, now, lover,” Naula pouted, but the wicked glint in her eye said she was teasing, “No reason to be grumpy…….didn’t you have a good time? I thought things went off very well.”

 

“That’s not the point,” Aric retorted, feeling the tips of his ears burning again, “I just…..I don’t…..”

 

“Never mind,” Dek interjected before the stuttering Cathar had a coronary, “What Zev was trying to say is that you’ve been great this evening and we feel you deserve a break.”

 

“Yeah, we can just hang out here for the rest of our time,” Zev nodded.

 

“You’re absolutely sure there’s nothing I can do for you?” Naula arched a slender brow as she strode over to the door, locking it before continuing, “Nothing at all you want from me…..Major?”

 

“Positive, but thank you for……,” Zev insisted, then her last word sunk into his slightly buzzing mind and he narrowed his gaze at the young woman, “Wait, what did you just say?”

 

“I called you ‘Major.’” Naula smirked at Zev, “Yes, I know who you are, Major Zevryn Varlok, CO of Havoc Squad.” She nodded at a suddenly tense Dek and Jax who came over to stand next to Zev, “I also know your cousin, Dekkyn Varlok, the great Hunt Champion, and your friend, Captain Jaxzin Roark, Republic Privateer. The three of you served in the military together until the Operation Landslide fallout.” Naula then turned her attention to the rest of the group, “Your grumpy friend I played with downstairs is Captain Aric Jorgan, XO of Havoc, the Weequay is Sergeant Tanno Vik, also of Havoc. Corso Riggs and Lunguss Tuno are part of your crew, Jaxzin. Torian Cadera is part of your crew, Dekkyn, as is the Devaronian currently going by the name of Gault Rennow…..but we all know that isn’t his real name.”

 

“Who in the hell are you?” Jax growled, his claws coming out as saw the anxious look come over Gault.

 

“Are you that drunk that I need to spell it out for you, Captain Roark?” Naula rolled her eyes, which Aric noticed were no longer the warm brown ones from downstairs, but a bright, sky blue. Her obvious familiarity with them, some things the hostess had mentioned about her, and the fact Balkar’s man had yet to make an appearance began to make sense.

 

“She’s our contact,” Aric concluded, finally putting the pieces together.

 

“Well done, lover,” Naula purred, “Smart and delicious…….too bad you were such an arrogant bastard back on Ord Mantell.” Another round of tinkling laughter bubbled out of her at the look of shock that crossed Aric’s face, “I take it you don’t recognize me……not that I can blame you. I looked a bit different back then.”

 

“Okay,” Zev crossed his arms, “So who are you, really?”

 

“Oh, relax, would you?! Captain Jorgan’s right I’m your contact, Agent Natalia Bryce,” she confirmed, pleased at the look of recognition that appeared in Jorgan’s eyes when he heard her name.

 

“Wow,” Corso exclaimed, blushing a little, “You’re really good…..I’d never have guessed you weren’t a real dancer.”

 

“Well, thanks, darlin’,’” Natalia drawled, winking at the blushing man, “I’ve had lots of practice.”

 

“How much practice,” Dek narrowed his gaze at her.

 

Natalia nodded, understanding the question, but didn’t answer it right away. Instead she glanced at the chrono, turned on some music and peeled that little red dress off just as a knock sounded at the door.

 

“Can one of you boys answer that for me?” she called out as she hopped up on the mini stage in the center of the room and began to dance.

 

Jax opened the door to a beefy Human dressed in black leathers. The man ignored the huge grey Cathar and poked his head in, “Everything good in here, Naula?”

 

“We’re doing fine,” she purred, leaning back from the pole and giving Torian a wink.

 

“Alright,” the man nodded, “Enjoy yourselves gentlemen.”

 

“Sorry about that,” Natalia sighed, slowing her movements a little, but remaining on the stage, “Standard procedure since there’s no cameras in the private suites. They take good care of us girls here and check in on us frequently.”

 

“Is that really necessary?” Zev raised a brow.

 

“A couple of months ago, a group of high society men tried to gang rape one of our dancers,” Natalia retorted, a dark look crossing her features as she stopped dancing, “so, yes…..it’s necessary.”

 

“Sorry,” Zev murmured, “I hope those scumbags got what was coming to them.”

 

“They did……eventually,” Natalia smiled coldly, “At any rate, in answer to Dekkyn’s question, I’ve been doing this for nearly a year now. I started out in a dive joint as a favor to a friend. Dancers were being snatched from the alley as they left out the back entrance and sold into slavery by the Exchange. It took a few weeks, but we managed to bust the head of the operation and rescue most of the girls. My assignment was supposed to end there, but we found out a lot of interesting things during those few weeks.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“You see, most people see dancers as just part of the club……a fixture so to speak,” Natalia elaborated, “Like a piece of furniture. You wouldn’t believe the things people talked about right in front of me without a thought…..”

 

“And you decided to take advantage,” Zev finished, “You exploited their carelessness.”

 

“That’s right,” Natalia confirmed, “I turned out to be pretty good at dancing and learned a lot at that dive bar. A few of us started visiting different strip clubs and we decided to target this place. There’s a lot of wealthy businessmen, politicians, and even military officials that come in and out of here and they’re no different than the clientele at that first joint. There was a job opening for a hostess and I took it. I studied the dancers during my shifts, then auditioned for a spot when one of the girls suddenly quit.”

 

“Oh, I’ll bet,” Aric snorted, certain there was more to it than that.

 

“She came into a financial windfall and decided her dancing days were over,” Natalia grinned, “Anyways, I got the part and a lot of goods. As in that first joint, I was just a simple dancer, not worthy of a second thought, and they sang all sorts of nasty secrets right in front of me,” she touched the blue jewel dangling from her navel ring, “I always had a mic on me and these past eight months, we’ve made a lot of busts.”

 

“Isn’t it dangerous for an agent to be undercover that long?”

 

“It starts to get tricky the more busts that are made,” Natalia admitted, “and I’m more than ready to leave this gig. I was actually due to be extracted in a few days until a message went out from Jonas Balkar last week. I immediately recognized the men in the picture…..they are newer customers, but have been coming in regularly for the past couple of weeks. I agreed to stick around and over the past few days, I’ve made sure to dance near them often. While not at work, I did some poking around.”

 

“We appreciate it,” Dek told her, “but not at the expense of your safety.”

 

“I’m fine,” Natalia assured him, “but you’re not…..those guys are dangerous. Officially, they work for a consulting firm.”

 

“And unofficially?”

 

“They’re hired guns…….and not hunters like you,” she nodded at Dek and Torian, “but highly trained hit men, the kind that will study their target for as long as it takes to kill them quietly and make it look like an accident. As far as I was able to gather, and I’ll give you all my datafiles before you leave, those men were hired by some cooperate bigwig at Czerka and her good buddy, Senator Bradley.”

 

“Oh, sh*t,” Jax cursed, running his hands through his short, black mane, “Mako’s search must’ve triggered…..”

 

“Quiet,” Natalia hissed after glancing at the chrono. She turned up the music, slipped of her black lace bra, and started dancing again. A moment later, there was another knock at the door.

 

Guss answered the door to the same burly security man who called out, “How’s it going?”

 

“Fantastic,” Natalia drawled as Jax tucked a very generous tip into her g-string, “These guys are great!”

 

“As you could tell, I did my homework after agreeing to assist Jonas with this,” Natalia continued the debriefing after the door closed, as if this were a routine meeting in her office instead of a private suite at a high end strip club, clearly unaffected by the fact she was practically naked in a room full of men, “However, my clearance wasn’t enough to get me as far as I’d like and there were a lot of gaps in your military files. Care to enlighten me since I get the feeling it’s related to why those men are after you?”

 

Dek, Jax, and Zev filled Natalia in on the details while she danced for the group. They started with Zev taking over Tempest Squad and Operation Landslide, giving their account of events and the aftermath. Then went further, explaining how that was the final straw for Dek and Jax and that the two of them resigned from the military. Zev admitted he had thoughts of doing the same, but decided to remain where he was.

 

“I can understand the conflict,” Natalia told them, “I’m not sure how I’d handle being messed with like that. This was more than two years ago though……why come after you now?”

 

“A little over two weeks ago, my girl stumbled across something rather interesting,” Dek answered, “Mako’s one of the best slicers I’ve seen and was looking into something from her past when she found herself in the Republic military database. I’d just bought her some new slicing tech and apparently it was credits well spent. She had full clearance and found my records….without the gaps. I’d already told her about all that stuff so she decided to do a little digging.”

 

“What did she find?”

 

“A list of corruption charges against Colonel Wilks, brought up by Colonel Hallyard, our former CO. Hallyard found some messages sent to Wilks the day after Operation Landslide failed from Senator Bradley and Karen Mills, an executive at Czerka. It was all there, Bradley and Mills bribed Wilks to cover up the Senator’s son’s involvement in the mission. In exchange, Wilks would be well compensated and he agreed,” Dek explained, “Mako was in the process of copying those documents when everything shut down.”

 

“Did she end up getting anything?” Natalia stopped dancing as Vik got up and went to the bar.

 

“Unfortunately she only got random pieces, nothing incriminating.”

 

“What happened with these charges?”

 

“Colonel Hallyard was killed in a friendly fire accident not long after filing them,” Dek bowed his head, “The charges were dismissed and the record was sealed.”

 

“Friendly fire accident my a*s,” Natalia snorted, crossing her arms as she leaned against the pole, “They took him out.”

 

“Exactly what I said,” Gault nodded, refilling his glass with one of the bottles Vik brought back, “Probably by these same guys.”

 

“You could be on to something,” Natalia murmured, looking thoughtful as she accepted the drink Tanno handed her, “I’ll see what I can dig up about that. So what led you to figure out these men were after you?”

 

“Last week I got a call from a friend who owns a cantina around here,” Jax told her, “Those guys were in her place and stuck out a little since most people who go there are a more average sort. She was a little curious about them and decided to clean some of the empty tables nearby. She overheard them say my name and went over to see if they needed anything. They didn’t close the file fast enough and she saw our pictures. She got their drinks then called me. I had just landed on Coruscant to visit Zev and filled him in. He contacted Balkar and you know the rest.”

 

“Do you think Wilks is involved at all?” Natalia asked, “I’ve only heard them mention Mills and Bradley by name, but he was in on it too.”

 

“The last I heard, Wilks was still stuck at that same command post in Kwymar sector,” Zev replied, “Which does surprise me……according to what Mako found, Bradley promised him a promotion and a cushy post.”

 

“That’s interesting,” Natalia mused, “and bears investigation as well. Maybe Jonas can look into that while I’m entertaining your hit men………oops….hang on, almost time for a knock.”

 

Sure enough, Natalia had only begun dancing again when there was a knock at the door and the security guard poked his head in to check up on his dancer who assured him that things were still going strong and very well.

 

“So, where do we go from here?” Aric spoke up after the door was shut.

 

“Glad you asked,” Natalia nodded, “I’ll give you what I have now, but there are still some missing pieces. I get the feeling there are others involved and I’d like to find out who. Also, I want to try and figure out how they’re tracking you, what they intend, and if it ends with you three.”

 

“How will you get back to us?”

 

“Simple,” Natalia grinned, “You boys are about to become some very good customers. Give me a few days, then come back here……only two or three of you, though. Grab a regular table, then when the waitress comes around, ask for a lap dance and request me……no Gault, not that kind of lap dance,” Natalia giggled at the hopeful look that came over the Devaronian’s face, “Those are only for the Platinum Package parties. Anyways, I’ll make the drop while we’re in the back room, then you boys can enjoy yourselves for a little while before leaving. That sound doable?”

 

“It should work,” Dek agreed, “There’s bound to be one of us available to come back here at that time.”

 

“Good,” Natalia replied, “One more thing…..I know you’re probably curious and will want to check up on my background. I’m fine with that, but please don’t do your own search. Ask Jonas for my file and read all you want. Without knowing how these men are tracking you, I don’t want to take a chance on them finding out about me.”

 

“We won’t,” Zev promised, “You’re risking a lot for us and we appreciate it.”

 

“I’m curious about something,” Jax grinned, looking at both her and Aric, “How do you know Jorgan?”

 

“I served under his command three years ago on Ord Mantell,” Natalia replied, “My hair is normally black and was much shorter back then. I was also sorta chubby and didn’t exactly go around Fort Garnik naked. I was only stationed there for a few months, so it’s no wonder he didn’t recognize me. He did save my life though.”

 

“I remember,” he murmured as images began flooding his mind. A young woman bleeding out in his arms, the result of a deep stab wound……the scar he’d felt on her abdomen earlier, “You almost didn’t make it and the last I saw of you was in a kolto tank being loaded onto a transport to Coruscant.”

 

“I thought you might recall that,” Natalia nodded, her expression sober, “Anyways, I recovered after a few weeks and ended up taking a transfer back to Hutt space. I was really good at reading people and great with tech. The right people noticed those abilities and eventually I was offered a place with the SIS. Since infantry combat wasn’t really my strong suit, I took it and have been with them ever since. I required a lot of physical therapy during my recovery and dropped a lot of weight. I toned up some during SIS training and learned close combat skills. Dancing this past year has toned me up further and combined with the change in hair color, brown contact lenses, and this tattoo, I barely recognize myself some days.”

 

“So what you did for Jorgan downstairs,” Zev concluded, “Was that because he saved your life back on Ord?”

 

“Uh….no,” Natalia looked confused, “I was supposed to do that. The Happy Endings lap dance was part of your package. Balkar booked you for it since it included unlimited private time in this suite so I’d be able to brief you on everything I’d learned and make plans for future drops without blowing my cover.”

 

“Yeah, but that cute Twi’lek, Rose, said she’d never seen you let a guy touch you like Aric did,” Jax countered smugly.

 

“And she said kissing wasn’t normal in your line of work,” Zev smirked at Natalia, “So….”

 

“So nothing, I felt bad for him and shame on you all!” she retorted, glaring at them, “I mean come on, you had these two delinquents,” she gestured at Gault and Vik, “and you chose him for the lap dance! Even though my stint on Ord was brief, I knew that he wasn’t exactly the outgoing type. Hell, I don’t think I ever saw the guy crack a smile the entire time I was there and I certainly never saw him with a woman.” Natalia sighed, “Sorry…..didn’t mean to go off like that. I was just expecting to be dancing for someone else and when you gave it to him, I felt kinda guilty for what I’d be doing so I made it as easy as possible,” she shrugged, blushing a little, “He saved my life…..the very least I could do was help him out with this situation that you bastards put him in and if that meant getting a little more personal than I normally would…..well, so be it.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Zev looked contrite, “I didn’t mean to pry. Jorgan might be an uptight, ornery bastard, but he’s our friend and we were curious, that’s all.”

 

“And it was Vik’s idea…..he figured it might take some of the starch outta Jorgan’s shorts,” Jax grinned.

 

“If anyone needed to let loose tonight, it’s him,” Tanno chuckled, ignoring the scathing glare Aric shot him.

 

“Am I really that bad?!” Aric demanded.

 

“Yes!” Zev, Tanno, Jax, and Natalia replied simultaneously.

 

“Awww, don’t feel bad, lover,” Natalia teased, kissing his furred cheek, “You know they’re all jealous of you. Now, I suggest you boys drink up and gather ‘round. I’ve got a few numbers that’ll rock your world. This is a bachelor party after all and you need to act like it…..especially when you leave. I mean it, I expect good tips, lewd talking, and at least half of you better be staggering drunk.”

 

“Does that include lap dances,” Gault grinned, raising his rocks glass in salute as Natalia began dancing.

 

“Certainly,” she retorted, a devious half smile curving those cherry red lips, “but I meant what I said earlier……I had to take an ice cold shower to cool off after my performance downstairs. You get me worked up again and you’ll be a lot sorer below the belt than you are now.”

 

Natalia made good on her word, performing some very erotic routines for them before the party was over. She also insisted on giving Torian a lap dance after finding out it was his first time at a strip club. Gault finally got one as well and wisely heeded her advice, keeping his hands to himself for the most part. The group was in various states of drunkenness by the time they left, with Dek and Aric the only ones who were relatively sober. Zev had Naula’s files on his datapad and they agreed to meet on Jax’s ship the next day to go over everything.

 

“Kark,” Aric growled, searching his pockets as they left the building, “I left my wallet in the suite's fresher…..I’ll catch up to you.”

 

“Probably left it there when he was putting himself together,” Jax slurred as they slowly made their way to the taxi pad while Aric ran back inside.

 

“I can’t blame him,” Gault sighed, swaying a little “Her regular lap dance was enough to get the blood heated…….can’t imagine what Aric’s was like. What’d you think, Torian?”

 

“Kandosii’la,” the young Mandalorian murmured a sheepish smile on his handsome face as he stumbled a little.

 

“Hold up,” Corso yelled just as the taxi pad was coming into sight a little while later, “Guss’s puking again.”

 

“What’d you give him?” Dek accused the snickering Weequay that was staggering next to him.

 

“A little of this,” Tanno mumbled, “little of that……it’s all good.”

 

“I’d have to argue that,” Dek shook his head as they could hear the Mon Cal retching behind them.

 

“Hey, Corso,” Jax called out a few minutes later, “Why didn’t you get a dance?”

 

“Not my thing, really,” he shrugged, helping his crewmate walk after he finished getting sick.

 

“It wasn’t Jorgan’s thing either,” Zev shot back, “but I’m pretty sure he enjoyed himself.”

 

“Yeah,” Jax agreed, “I’m a little jealous to be honest.”

 

“I have to admit, if I hadn’t met Elara, I would’ve gone for it,” Zev nodded, “Oh well, Aric deserved it. He did nearly die on the Gauntlet after all and Tanno’s right…..he could stand to let loose once in a while.”

 

“You got that right,” Tanno chuckled, “and speaking of Jorgan…..wonder what’s taking him so long.”

 

“Ask him,” Jax nodded at the Cathar jogging towards them.

 

“It’s about damn time, Aric,” Zev called out, “Did you find it?”

 

“Yup,” Aric replied, holding up his wallet.

 

Dek noticed a wicked glint in the older Cathar’s bright green eyes and had a good feeling he knew what put it there, “Was our dancer friend still there?”

 

“She was,” Aric nodded.

 

“You were gone much longer than it’d take to look for your wallet,” Jax smirked,“What did you do?”

 

A feral grin crossed Aric’s features, “Let’s just say I returned the favor.”

 

 

Author’s Note:

 

*One of the songs the lovely Nataila dances to is ‘Rock You Like a Hurricane’ by Scorpions. Yes, I’ve watched Rock of Ages……several times……don’t judge.

 

*Mando’a Translations from Mandoa.org:

 

kandosii’la=stunning, amazing

 

*The idea of a dancer being a plant to gather information came from an excerpt of Magdalane’s Distinct Advantages series.

 

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This next part was posted in the SFC thread on 7/24/2014 for the Morning After and Health prompts.

 

 

Debriefing

 

Spoiler Alert: Minor mentions of stuff from BH, Smuggler, and Trooper Act 2

 

The two women entered the Rec room, both wrinkling their noses at the smell. The dim glow of the floor lights allowed them to see the two snoring male figures. The enormous grey Cathar had passed out on the couch, an arm and a leg hanging over the side. His other arm was flung across his eyes, a likely attempt to block out any light. The dreadlocked Human lay on his stomach, his face kissing the cool metal floor, and a half empty water bottle clutched in his hand. Both men were still fully dressed in the clothes they’d left the ship wearing the evening prior. The tall beskar clad Zabrak exchanged a knowing look with the curvy brunette before the latter hit the switch to turn on the overhead lights.

 

“Oh Gods…….just kill me now,” Jax groaned, pulling one of the cushions over his face to block out the offensive brightness.

 

“Me first,” Corso gritted as he crawled over to the trash bin, barely making it before he threw up.

 

“Great,” Risha snorted, “SeeTwo’s gonna love this……he just finished cleaning the fresher.”

 

“What happened to the fresher?” Jax whispered hoarsely, desperately wanting some water for his dry mouth, but afraid to ask one of the girls to get him one and certain he’d be joining Corso if he tried to get up.

 

“Guss happened,” Risha shook her head, before going into the galley to grab some water for the hangover victims.

 

“I found him passed out with his head in the toilet,” Akaavi explained, “I don’t think he holds his liquor well at all.”

 

“He doesn’t,” Corso muttered as he slowly got to his feet, “He puked at least five times on the way back to the ship last night.”

 

“Thanks, Rish,” Jax managed as he gratefully accepted the cold drink, a weak grin crossing his face despite the waves of nausea that washed over him as he sat up, “and in Guss’s defense, he was a little distracted by our contact and probably wasn’t paying attention to what Tanno was giving him.”

 

"I think we all were a little distracted by that, Captain,” Corso admitted sheepishly as he staggered over to a chair and sunk into it before gulping down half the bottle of water Risha handed him, "Like Dek, I was expecting a bouncer to be the agent and was floored when it turned out to be our dancer."

 

“No one more than Aric though,” Jax snickered, “especially after what she did to him…..”

 

******

 

A lone towering figure carefully made its way down the stairs, clutching the rail to support his shaky frame. His mouth felt as dry as Tatooine and he was beginning to wonder if someone implanted a turbohammer in his skull. Staggering into the galley, he pulled out a jug of water from the conservator and began chugging it as he headed for the adjoining room, nearly choking on it when he found Mako fast asleep on the couch. Those warm doe eyes fluttered open and she gave him a pitying smile as she sat up.

 

“Well, good morning sunshine,” she cooed, sounding way too amused at his predicament, “A little hung over, are we?”

 

“Gee,” Dek winced at his obscenely chipper medic, “How’d you guess?”

 

“It’s a toss-up between the smell coming from you and the fact that you’re still in your clothes from last night,” Mako smirked, “Oh, wait……I know. I think it might be that you look like you’re about ten seconds away from tossing your cookies.”

 

“You wouldn’t happen to have anything that can help with that, do you?”

 

“I might, but its gonna cost you,” Mako raised a brow, “I think dinner out would do nicely.”

 

“As soon as I’m feeling better, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go,” Dek promised, always happy to give her an excuse to wear that little red dress.

 

“I’m gonna hold you to that,” Mako called out as she left to grab some supplies from the med bay.

 

Mako returned a few minutes later, followed by their resident con artist. She directed the lanky Devaronian to sit next to Dek as she began setting out a series of stims on the small table next to the couch, “Luckily Elara had this little concoction in her arsenal and shared it with me and Risha. She figured you guys might need it.”

 

“So why’d you sleep in here last night?” Dek asked, watching as she arranged the stims into two rows, three different colored vials in each. Then she swabbed his thick forearm with disinfectant, inserted a vial into the injector, then depressed the first stim into his bloodstream. The effect was almost immediate and the pressure in his head dulled. After the second one, his stomach stopped rolling, and then the last one helped hydrate his desert of a mouth.

 

“You were sorta hogging the bed and I couldn’t get you to budge for anything,” Mako shook her head, “I figured I’d try sleeping in my old bunk, but the noise and stench in the crew quarters was unbearable so I came in here.”

 

“Sorry about that,” Dek frowned, feeling a little guilty.

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Mako shrugged, “It was kinda funny actually. Torian had the biggest smile on his face and kept whispering ‘Naula’ and ‘kandosii’la’ over and over.”

 

“Yeah, he got his first lap dance last night,” Gault chuckled as Mako swabbed a spot on his arm, “and stars was that woman amazing…….”

 

“I swear, I didn’t get one,” Dek insisted as Mako shot him a frosty look, “I never was into that sort of thing and you’re the only woman I want in my lap.”

 

“Cripes, the two of you are going to give me cavities,” Gault snorted, “but trust me, Mako, this guy’s got it so bad for you that he gave up the greatest lap dance ever and I had to turn it down because of that little injury you gave me.”

 

“Hey, you deserved that, bud,” Mako retorted, “You’ll think twice before pulling another stunt like that!”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Gault muttered, sighing his relief as the stims began taking effect, lessening the pounding in his head, “I’m regretting it after what I missed out on last night….I still can’t believe she turned out to be our contact…..”

 

"Wait……the stripper is Balkar’s agent?" Mako choked, shaking her head in disbelief.

 

"Yup," Gault confirmed, "and if she’s as good at being a spook as she is at dancing, you guys are golden. Stars, I shoulda taken that happy ending instead of letting you pass it on to Aric……it would’ve been worth the pain."

 

“Hey, you got a dance from her,” Dek reminded him.

 

“Yes, yes I did,” Gault grinned, “but I’d have liked the one he got…….you did see what she did to him, right?”

 

“The whole club saw what she did to him,” Dek chuckled, “but I don’t think that was on his mind by the end.”

 

“Nope,” Gault sighed wistfully, “She’s definitely good at what she does.” Then a sly grin crossed his craggy features as he recalled the trip back to the ship, “What do you think happened when he went back? I know damn well it didn’t take him that long to find his wallet!”

 

****

 

“I’m never letting you get me a drink again, Vik,” Zev groaned, his tan face unusually pale, causing the slash across his right eye to stand out more than normal. He gently massaged the crown of cranial horns on his bald head in an effort to counter the pressure within.

 

“You need to toughen up, boss,” the Weequay chuckled, instantly regretting it as his own head resumed its pounding, “then again, maybe I’ll be a little more careful with my drink choices from now on. That was a nice selection they had in the suite though, and our lovely new friend did insist that we needed to behave like it was a real bachelor party.”

 

“I think we accomplished the staggering drunk part,” Zev grunted, putting his head down on the table.

 

“I’ll say,” Elara’s clipped voice called out from the doorway. Zev noticed her stiff posture as she entered the galley, setting down a small case on the table before going over to get some caffa.

 

Zev exchanged a worried look with Tanno who shrugged. “Is something wrong, Elara?”

 

“You mean other than the fact that I ended up sleeping in the med bay last night because of the awful racket you guys were making, not to mention the smell…..”

 

“Hey, wait,” Tanno interrupted, “Weren’t you two going to trade for the night?”

 

“We did,” Elara told him, “but apparently the Major forgot at some point in the night and climbed into bed with me.”

 

“Oh, damn, Elara,” Zev grimaced, “I’m really sorry about that…….I didn’t…..uh….do anything, did I?”

 

“No, sir,” Elara informed him curtly, “Judging from the lipstick on your face and collar, I’d say you’d already had enough female entertainment.”

 

Elara’s cool demeanor made sense now and Zev worried that he’d ruined his chances with the pretty blonde medic despite having kept his distance from the dancer. The hurt look in those forest green eyes tugged at him and he was quick to assure her nothing happened between him and Natalia, “It wasn’t like that at all, Elara. I handed her a water bottle between songs a couple of times and she gave me a peck on the cheek…….that’s it, I swear. I’d never ask a girl out then chase after another woman.”

 

“He’s telling the truth,” Tanno confirmed, “Jorgan’s the one who got all touchy feely with her…..”

 

“Dammit, Vik!” a harsh voice growled out, “I thought we weren’t going to discuss that particular part of the evening with everyone….”

 

“Awww, you still sore Vik volunteered you for that?” Zev snickered as his second in command entered the galley. A mollified Elara sat down and began setting stims out from the case she’d brought in.

 

“Well, I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of getting a lap dance in front of the whole club,” Aric snarled as he hobbled over to the caffa pot.

 

"You looked like you were enjoying yourself,” Tanno shot back, “and if it makes you feel any better, I think she enjoyed that dance almost as much as you did.”

 

“You still in pain, Aric?” Zev asked, noticing the Cathar was favoring his left side a little more.

 

“Eh…..just really stiff when I first get up and some mornings are worse than others, ” Aric shrugged, his careful movements belying that nonchalant tone, “but Elara gave me something earlier to help with that……and the blasted hangover I had.”

 

“I’m sure last night’s action didn’t help that very much,” Tanno chuckled, “come to think of it, you were limping a little on the walk back to the ship last night……..over exert yourself looking for your wallet?”

 

“Not funny, Vik,” Aric muttered into his caffa, those bright green eyes avoiding contact.

 

“And speaking of your wallet,” Zev smirked knowingly, “When you going to tell us what happened when you went back for it?”

 

“When it snows on Tatooine, sir.”

 

*****

 

A few hours later, the whole group from the bachelor party, plus Bowdaar, Yuun, Elara, Risha, Mako, and Akaavi were gathered in the Rec room on Jax’s freighter waiting for Jonas Balkar to arrive.

 

“How well do you know Agent Bryce?” Zev asked his second in command.

 

“I’d say very well after last night,” Tanno chuckled.

 

“Shove it, Vik,” Aric growled, turning away before the Weequay saw the smile he was unable to suppress at the memory of her sweet whispers of pleasure that ended with that sultry voice crying out his name.

 

“Come on Aric, it wasn’t so bad,” Jax grinned, seeing the look on the other Cathar’s face, “and I saw that…….I’m guessing the lovely Natalia didn’t need another cold shower. Come on…….give us a hint at what went down after you went back for your wallet.”

 

“Not going to happen,” Aric insisted as he crossed his arms, the movement enough to release a trace of her scent from his jacket, bringing to mind soft skin and breathless sighs as more of those surreal images surfaced.

 

“Do we even want to know?” Mako raised a slender brow at Dek.

 

“No,” Aric muttered, feeling the tips of his ears heating up, “You don’t.”

 

“Alright, guys, let’s leave him alone,” Zev finally took pity on his XO when Balkar finally arrived, “Besides, no way is a girl like that going to be into your cranky a*s.” Ignoring Aric’s middle finger salute, Zev went on, “So what do you remember about our lovely contact?”

 

“Well, she was stationed on Ord about two years before your sorry a** got there,” Aric began, getting up and slowly pacing as he went on to explain that Natalia had been a cautious, intelligent soldier, but wasn’t the best when it came to the physical demands of an infantry unit. Her open, friendly nature made her popular with most of the unit though, and he’d liked her despite him usual reserved self. He felt bad that she’d been assigned to Ord since someone with her skillset didn’t really belong in a combat role and tried to figure out a way to get her transferred off the planet before something happened to her. Until then, he’d done his best to keep her working behind the scenes since she was extraordinary with technology as well as assessing people and situations.

 

Things were going alright until he busted her breaking curfew one night. He’d intended to let her off with a warning until she got snotty with him. Unable to let that slide, Aric decided to try to help her out while meriting punishment and assigned her to night watch detail for three weeks. He’d put her into a group he knew would be able to help whip her into shape. However, during her second week, Seps assaulted her post. Natalia managed to sound the alarm, but was taken down in the process. A Sep had sliced her open with a vibrosword and another was about to go for the kill when Aric arrived and shot them both.

 

"I never should’ve assigned her to watch duty. It was too dangerous for someone as unsuited for physical combat as she was," Aric’s voice lowered as he bowed his head, “She nearly died in my arms and it was my fault."

 

“You were trying to help her though,” Dek argued, “You said so yourself, she didn’t belong on Ord. If anything, the person responsible is the one who deployed her there in the first place. Anyone looking at her records could easily see active infantry wasn’t the best placement for her.”

 

“And she knew she didn’t belong there,” Jonas told them as he brought up her file on the monitor so they could all see it, “After her recovery, she’d been assigned to the Embassy here on Nar Shaddaa. The SIS also has offices there and it didn’t take long for her sharp mind and tech skills to get noticed. By that time, she’d made a full recovery and the physical therapy had slimmed her down and toned her up. We tested her and she scored off the charts in tech, situational assessment, and observation. She was put through some close combat courses which honed her body further. Then she was assigned to a field agent, me actually, until she was ready to go out on her own.”

 

“No wonder you didn’t recognize her, Aric,” Zev spoke up when Natalia’s photo from the Academy appeared, “I mean I can see the resemblance now, but if I hadn’t known…..”

 

The group stayed relatively quiet as they looked over her record, most of the stuff already having been mentioned by Aric, Jonas, and Natalia herself last night. Both Gault and Jax gave a low whistle when they saw the list of names Natalia had helped bring down while undercover at Club Paradise.

 

“Those are some pretty high profile men,” Jax observed, Gault nodding his agreement, “If any of them find out she’s the one behind it…..”

 

“That’s why we were pulling her,” Jonas nodded gravely, “Look, you guys got a raw deal and I’d love to help you, but not at the expense of my agent. So she’s got a month and I’m pulling her regardless of your situation.”

 

“That’s more than reasonable,” Zev replied, “I don’t want to put Agent Bryce in any more danger than she’s already in.”

 

“She’s always had a good head on her shoulders, so I know she’s watching out for herself,” Jonas sighed, “but there’s a reason we don’t let agents stay undercover for as long as she has and I’ll feel a whole lot better when she’s back with us.”

 

“Well, she gave us a good start already,” Dek told him and they filled the agent in on what Natalia told them in the suite.

 

“So what’s next?” Aric asked after they finished.

 

“I want a copy of those files Natalia gave you last night,” Jonas replied, “I’m going to run these guys through a couple of our databases that don’t allow remote access.”

 

“She also brought up a good point about that Wilks guy last night,” Gault reminded them, “His name hasn’t come up from these guys, but was a key player in the cover up. He was supposed to get a payout, but apparently didn’t.”

 

“That’s right,” Dek nodded, “I think she was hoping you could look into that Jonas.”

 

“I can do that,” Jonas muttered, making a note.

 

“What about the next visit,” Corso asked, “We’re not going to be around.”

 

“We got a call from Senator Dodonna just before you guys arrived,” Jax explained, “and we’re heading out later. I can’t say much, but we’ll probably be gone for a few days at least.”

 

“I don’t know how long we’ll be around,” Zev told them, “Our leave is almost up and I’m sure Garza already has an assignment for Havoc.”

 

“I can stick around and make the first contact,” Dek agreed, then smiled sheepishly as he saw Mako stiffen, “well, not me, personally…….Torian and Gault will be visiting Club Paradise.”

 

Gault shook his head, and coughed something that sounded suspiciously like ‘whipped.’

 

“and we can just go from there,” Jax agreed, snickering at his old buddy, “I’m a bit more flexible than Zev is, so I’ll make the next visit if its needed.”

 

“I think you guys should stick to using Comlinks to share information,” Mako suggested, “I think Agent Bryce is right about us being traced so we should avoid sending information through messages.”

 

“That’s probably a wise idea,” Elara agreed as they began getting up to leave.

 

“Anything else I need to know before I go?” Jonas asked.

 

“Well I don’t have any proof, but I’d be willing to bet Jorgan had sex with your agent last night,” Tanno grinned, bolting out the door as Aric grabbed a blaster.

 

 

Author’s Note:

 

I borrowed Elara’s hangover cure from Kitar’s Health story in the SFC AU thread.

 

Mando’a Translations from Mandoa.org:

 

kandosii’la=stunning, amazing

 

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This next part immediately follows the previous one and was posted in the SFC thread on 7/29/2014 for the Xenobiology and Advice prompts.

 

 

Male Bonding

 

Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for BH and Trooper Act 2

 

“Oh, no you don’t,” Zev chuckled, the tall Zabrak blocking his cursing XO from chasing after the laughing Weequay, “I don’t want to have to explain to Garza how our explosives expert managed to get himself killed by friendly fire on shore leave.”

 

“It wouldn’t be friendly fire,” Aric growled, “and I wasn’t going to kill him……just severely maim.”

 

“Hey, Elara,” Jax called out, snickering at Zev trying to keep Aric from going after Tanno with a blaster, “Can you hold up a sec? Guss is still in rough shape, you got any of those hangover stims left?”

 

“I brought some extras just in case,” Elara nodded, following Jax to his crew quarters.

 

“Before I go Dek, you got a minute?” Jonas asked as Zev headed for the ship’s exit after suggesting his XO go cool off.

 

“Sure,” Dek replied, his brow furrowing, “What’s on your mind?”

 

“Let’s go back in the rec room,” Jonas suggested, fixing the red Zabrak with a pointed look.

 

“Alright,” Dek agreed, having a suspicion what the agent wanted to talk about.

 

“Hey, Dek,” Mako called out, “The rest of us are heading out. I didn’t sleep that well last night and these bozos are still recovering.”

 

“I’ll be there in a bit,” Dek smiled at her, “I could use a nap myself.”

 

“One of you boys mind carrying that part on your way out for me?” Risha directed at Gault and Torian, pointing at a large crate, “I’ve got a few twerks to make to the ship before we leave Nar Shaddaa.”

 

Torian and a reluctant Gault picked up the crate and carried it out, followed by Risha, Mako, and a curious Blizz who pleaded with the pretty engineer to allow him to watch.

 

A few minutes later, after a quick chat with Tanno about lightening up on Aric, Zev was heading back to the ship to see how Elara was faring with Guss when he spotted his cousin walking down the ramp with Balkar. Curious, he decided to speak with Dek before fetching Elara, and went over to the pair just as the agent turned to leave.

 

“I’ll let you know if I find anything out,” Jonas told them both, “and you do the same. Otherwise, we can talk after you take the first drop next week.”

 

“So what was that all about?” Zev asked his cousin, nodding at Balkar after the agent got out of earshot.

 

“He wanted to warn me that I could have some extra trouble incoming,” Dek sighed, “Apparently sh*t’s about to hit the fan with the whole Master Kellian Jarro fiasco.”

 

“Uh-oh,” Zev’s voice took on a worried tone, “Did the Mandalorians find out he’s……”

 

“No,” Dek shook his head, “Master Jarro is still under the radar in an SIS safe house. I don’t even know what planet he’s on. However, somehow his padawan managed to regain some of the memories he’d altered and ratted me out. Luckily, she still believes her master is dead, but now some other Jedi Master, Jun Seros is prepping a witch hunt.”

 

“You’d better watch it, Dek,” Zev warned, “We’ve already got targets on our backs…..”

 

“I could say the same to you,” Dek retorted sharply, the tension starting to weigh on him, “Sorry, cuz, but General Rakton isn’t exactly one to take lightly. I heard his name a few times while working in Imperial space, and he’s methodical and ruthless.”

 

“All the same, watch yourself. Maybe you shouldn’t stick around for our next drop. I’m sure Jax can take care of it.”

 

“Nah,” Dek waved it off, “Me and my crew have been invited to a get together at the Star Cluster in a few days. The former Great Hunt champs want to honor us for taking down those Blacklist targets.”

 

“Never thought I’d see you mingling with the Mandalorians,” Zev shook his head.

 

“I never really expected that to be honest,” Dek sighed, “But winning the Great Hunt restored honor to my mother’s clan and while your parents didn’t approve me leaving the military the way I did, nor my choice of careers after, I’m glad I was able to do that at least. And its been nice to learn more about that half of my heritage by being amongst her people.”

 

“As well as find an excuse to hunt down a certain Senator and his corporate buddy,” Zev added, “I told you, I understand what you and Jax intend to do and in my own way, I’ve been trying to clear our names too, but those recordings have either been hidden extremely well, or destroyed. As for my parents, they’re coming around.”

 

“Something tells me I won’t be their favorite nephew anytime soon,” Dek snorted, “but I have no regrets. I wish my mom could’ve lived to see her clan’s honor restored though.”

 

Zev patted his cousin on the back, “I know she’d be proud of you……your dad as well.” A broad grin crossed the tan Zabrak’s features, “He always was crazy about your mom.”

 

“Broke his heart when she died,” Dek murmured, unable to keep the sorrow out of his voice. Then his sharp green eyes spotted Jax deep in conversation with Bowdaar and Akaavi, “Speaking of broken hearts, what do you think of Jax’s situation with Risha?”

 

“I’m not so sure about it,” Zev sighed, “It was bad enough when he lost Raney. I just wish I understood more about what mating for life entailed for his kind.”

 

“Aric might be able to help us with that,” Dek suggested, spotting the tawny Cathar striding down the ramp.

 

“By the Ancestors,” Zev exclaimed, “Why didn’t I think of that before?!”

 

“Because you’re not as smart as I am,” Dek grinned.

 

“Well, at least I’ve never walked naked into a girls’ shower before,” Zev shot back, then motioned for his XO to join them.

 

“Oh, that can’t be good,” Aric nodded towards Vik and Gault who had their heads together as they walked towards the hanger’s exit.

 

“Yeah, that could be a disastrous friendship,” Zev agreed, “We’d better keep an eye on those two.”

 

“So what’s up?”

 

“Dek and I were wondering about something…….”

 

“I swear, if this is about last night…..”

 

“Nah,” Dek grinned, “We were just teasing, that’s all. It’s kind of nice having someone else be their target for once.”

 

“Hey,” Zev shot back at his cousin, “Jax was usually the one who started it and you gotta admit, you were a bit on the uptight side……not as bad as Jorgan here, but close.”

 

“If you called me over to take some more cheap shots, I’ll be going now,” Aric growled, “I think you guys had enough fun at my expense last night.”

 

“Take it from someone who used to be the butt of their pranks,” Dek clapped his shoulder, “They could’ve done much worse and have as Zev so kindly reminded me a few minutes ago.”

 

“Somehow I don’t see it getting much worse than having everyone watching a stripper……kark, I can’t even say it.” Aric muttered, the tips of his ears burning again.

 

“Oh, it can,” Dek replied, knowing how the other man felt since he too tended to be a more private individual. “You see, back when we were serving together, Jax decided I was being too antisocial with the ladies.”

 

Zev started laughing, immediately knowing where his cousin was going, “Well, you were a bit on the introvert side, cuz and it annoyed the crap out of him because your strong, silent demeanor drew women in a lot easier than his charming personality. You were 'mysterious.'”

 

Dek shook his head and went on, “Anyways, our unit was deployed to a new base in the sector to help defend it while they were finishing construction. I was out running training drills and those idiots decided to pull a prank.”

 

“For the record, Jax came up with the idea….”

 

“And you helped him pull it off,” Dek snorted, “So I finish with the drills and you know what it’s like……the first thing you want to do is hit the shower.”

 

“What did you guys do?” Aric raised a brow at his CO who was laughing so hard tears were in his eyes.

 

“Have you ever been on a base during construction?” Zev finally managed.

 

“Once, not long after I graduated.”

 

“You know what the temp living areas are like then…..showers and barracks.”

 

“Yeah, little more than large tents, small area where you can shuck your clothes and put them in the laundry bin, shelf for towels, then you walk into the showering area……just a big open space with taps along the wall. You exit on the opposite end and go in the back entrance to the bunk area.”

 

“Yup,” Dek confirmed, “and the doors are labeled with removable signs, which is exactly what Jax did while this jacka** held me up for a few minutes. He made a wisecrack about me smelling like a bantha, then offered to take my boots to the barracks since he was headed there. I was more than happy to take him up on that and double-timed it to the showers. Keep in mind, we’d only been there a couple of days, so I was still getting used to the layout and when I saw Jax near the door, I assumed I was walking into the men’s showers.”

 

“Tell me they didn’t…..”

 

“Oh, they did,” Dek confirmed, cuffing his laughing cousin upside the head, “I went in, stripped, grabbed a towel and entered the shower area only to find out I was surrounded by a room full of naked women.”

 

“Come on, Dek,” Zev snickered, rubbing the spot where Dek smacked him, “We did you a favor. After all, you did end up going out with one of those girls.”

 

“Yeah, after weeks of being too embarrassed to even look a woman in the eye,” Dek shot back, “Anytime I walked past female soldiers, all I heard were whispers and giggles for days. So trust me, I know how you feel, Aric, and I did feel kinda bad for pushing Naula off on you last night.”

 

“I don’t,” Zev grinned, “Your cranky a** needed to let loose and besides, I think she likes you.”

 

“I actually have to agree with my cousin on that,” Dek waved off Aric’s sputtering protests, “whether it’s from your past or just last night, that girl was definitely interested.”

 

“And I don’t think I’ve seen you as happy as I did when you caught back up to us after going back inside for your wallet,” Zev added, “So I know something went down between you and our lovely friend and…..”

 

“And we’re done prying, Aric,” Dek interrupted his cousin, sensing the Cathar’s embarrassment, “It’s your business what happened when you went back into that room. We actually called you over to talk about Jax.”

 

“We’re a little concerned about him and this ‘casual’ relationship with Risha,” Zev began his jovial features sobering, “and we wanted to ask you about that. I know your species mate for life, but is it that written in stone?”

 

“Jax was pretty into Raney and it wrecked him when she was killed,” Dek elaborated, “Jax talked to us about this relationship with Risha and that they’re keeping it casual since she’s going to pursue the throne at some point. After what he went through with Raney, I don’t want to see him hurt again when she leaves.”

 

“So, can you maybe fill us in a little?” Zev asked his XO, “Help us understand what the Lifemate thing is really about. I mean is it a law or formality among your people?”

 

“Well, first off, it isn’t a law or rule or anything like that,” Aric explained, “It’s more an ingrained part of us, like an instinct. Once a Cathar finds his or her mate, there’s a connection…..a bond so to speak.”

 

“So what really happens when the other dies or leaves?” Zev asked, “Can the bond be broken?”

 

“That’s hard for me to answer,” Aric sighed, then shot a wicked smirk at his CO, “Since I’m about as good with ladies as you are, sir, I haven’t found a mate yet so all I can tell you is what I’ve heard second hand.”

 

“I don’t know Aric,” Zev snickered, “You were doing pretty good last night.”

 

“Yeah, our new lady friend looked pretty happy,” Dek teased as Aric glared at both of them, “Sorry, couldn’t resist…..like I said, it’s kinda nice not being the target anymore. As for the lifemate stuff, second hand info is fine, we just want to understand.”

 

“One thing you have to understand is that it’s not an instant thing,” Aric told them, “You don’t just meet someone and know they’re your mate right away. The bond forms over time…..same as any relationship really. I’ve heard of people losing a mate before the connection is fully developed.”

 

“And what happened?”

 

“Well, when I was just a kit, one of my uncles lost his mate. They hadn’t had the ceremony yet and had only just begun to realize the bond was there,” Aric answered, “I was really young, but I remember Mom and Dad talking about it. It’s like he shut down emotionally and started seeking out women anywhere he was, never sleeping with one more than once or twice before moving on. It was purely physical for him.”

 

“That sounds like what Jax was like after Raney was killed,” Dek exchanged a look with his cousin, “At first he was angry, raging at the world, but we figured most of that was mourning for Raney and anger at that karking sham of a trial and our demotions. He became reckless and dangerous even at times.”

 

“But then he just sort of quit,” Zev shrugged, “He and Dek resigned their commissions and he acquired this freighter. That’s when he started going through women like crazy……and trust me, he had no trouble finding willing ones. Jax has always been an open and friendly sort, especially with girls.”

 

“I spent a lot of time on this freighter before Braden contacted me,” Dek nodded, “and I never knew what I’d find aboard. His callous attitude was shocking after seeing him with Raney. Jax wasn’t a bad guy about it though…..he always made sure those women understood full well he wasn’t looking for anything permanent and if they couldn’t accept that, he didn’t sleep with them.”

 

“He probably hadn’t completely bonded with her then,” Aric confirmed.

 

“So can it happen again? Can a Cathar form this connection a second time?”

 

“It’s possible I suppose,” Aric contemplated, “My uncle never did, but maybe he would have if he lived longer. That reckless stage was his downfall and after reenlisting in the military, he took on a suicide mission and was KIA.”

 

“I’m sorry we’re asking these personal questions, Aric,” Zev told his XO, “We’re just worried about Jax, that’s all.”

 

“It’s alright,” Aric held up his hand, “I just don’t have any firsthand knowledge to give you guys.”

 

“We appreciate anything you can tell us,” Dek nodded, “So…..any thoughts on what might happen if Jax forms that bond with Risha and she leaves.”

 

“That’s hard to say,” Aric sighed, “Usually its death that separates Lifemates. Our people don’t have divorce since it isn’t a law. There’s no way to ‘unbond’ that I know of, which is why Cathar are warned about getting involved with people outside our species. There are other species that have Lifemates or some version of that, but many Humanoids don’t, so….”

 

“So they don’t understand the bond that forms and what it really means,” Dek finished, understanding what the Cathar was getting at.

 

“I don’t like this, cuz,” Zev frowned, “I don’t know Risha that well, but from what Jax says, she’s determined to pursue Dubrillian’s throne and I don’t think she intends to bring him with her.”

 

“I don’t like it either, but what can we do?” Dek shook his head, “Jax is a grown man and I’m assuming he knows what’s at stake, especially after Raney.”

 

“Jorgan?”

 

“Dek’s right, there’s nothing you can do,” Aric answered, feeling bad for their friend, someone he considered one as well, “You can’t control who you fall in love with, so Jax is making the best of it.”

 

“But he was going to stop pursuing her,” Zev argued, “He was going to try and move on…….maybe we should just talk to him, make his see reason.”

 

“And what?” Aric countered, “All that’s going to happen is that you’ll alienate your friend and he’s going to need you when that girl leaves him.”

 

“Aric’s right, Zev,” Dek sighed, turning towards the hanger exit, “There’s nothing we can do.”

 

From her position underneath the freighter, a silent Risha watched the three men go their separate ways as the little Jawa kept working. The look on her face showing that she’d heard the entire conversation.

 

 

Author’s Note:

 

For Dekkyn, I deviated with the ending of BH Act 1 a little, hope everyone’s okay with that. Despite what happened when he served in the military, Dekkyn still supports the Republic and would never knowingly and willingly kill a Jedi.

 

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This next part was posted in the SFC thread on 7/31/2014 for the Affection, Allies, and (Un)Invited Guests prompts.

 

 

Fashionably Late

 

Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for BH Act 2 finale

Content warning: there's a bit of innuendo, some warm fuzzies, and a couple of naughty moments....nothing descriptive though, I swear! :D

 

“I could use a hand,” Mako announced as she presented her bare back to the room’s other occupant, “zipper’s stuck.”

 

Dekkyn couldn’t resist brushing the nape of her delicate neck with his mouth as he eagerly complied, slowly bringing the zipper of that form fitting burgundy dress up, “Please tell me we don’t have to stay long.”

 

“I’m beginning to see what Jax meant when he said you were antisocial,” Mako giggled as his thick arm snaked around her waist to pull her in closer, “The party’s in your honor, big guy, so we really should stick around for the duration.”

 

“You certain?” Dek murmured, letting his mouth drift over that sweet spot at the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

 

“Yes,” Mako reiterated, the breathless whisper of her voice letting Dek know how much he was affecting her, “and that’s really not fair……”

 

“Neither is making me go to a party and watch you all night in this dress,” Dek pointed out, “when I’d rather be using the time much more pleasantly.”

 

“and now I’ll be stuck there thinking about that,” Mako sighed, “Thanks a lot!”

 

“Well, since I hate to leave you wanting,” Dek chuckled softly as he pulled the zipper back down, kissing the back of her neck, another sweet spot for her, as he did so, “I’d better take advantage of you now.”

 

“Dekkyn…….we shouldn’t…..” Mako protested weakly, her body immediately reacting as those large hands peeled her dress off.

 

“Why not? Torian and Gault already left to take the drop at Club Paradise and Blizz is tinkering outside the ship,” Dek whispered huskily in her ear as he hooked his thumbs in the scrap of lace that was her underwear and pulled them down with her dress, “and since you insist we spend our evening at this party…..”

 

“Which starts in half an hour…..”

 

“I thought women liked to be fashionably late.”

 

“Good point,” Mako relented, stepping out of the dress and turning around to unbutton his shirt, smiling in appreciation as she her hands ran over the warm red skin of his broad chest just before he captured her mouth in a scorching kiss that left no doubt that they wouldn’t be making the party on time.

 

*******

 

Agent Natalia Bryce was lounging in one of the dressing room’s plush chairs, eyes closed as she rested her head against the soft back. Her break was almost over and she mentally prepared herself for the evening rush. It’d been nearly a week since she’d done the now infamous bachelor party and every day since, she’d been requested for several private dances and parties. As usual, she’d declined the parties, the owner never making his girls do more than one a week, but ended up doing quite a few private dances a day. A couple of times a guy tried to touch her inappropriately, only to earn a hasty exit courtesy of the beefy bouncer, Jake, who also happened to be her friend.

 

Despite the backlash of attention, Natalia didn’t regret the things she’d done to Aric or the liberties she allowed him during that last dance. She’d been telling the truth when she explained those unusual actions to the group during their time in the private party suite after. She hadn’t been expecting him to be chosen to replace Dek for the erotic lap dance that ended the show downstairs, and felt bad that they did. She saw the shock on his face, followed by unease as he desperately looked to the others for someone to take his place. She felt the tension in his body when she began and he’d openly admitted it had been a while since he’d had sex, something she understood all to well and could sympathize with, so she wanted to take than anxiety away and make it good for him, even if it meant getting a little more personal.

 

One thing she did omit, however, was the fact that she had a huge crush on Aric Jorgan during her short time on Ord Mantell and that seeing him again brought it to the surface. A part of her enjoyed what she did for the simple reason of satisfying some of those old daydreams she’d had about kissing him……and more, and an even bigger part was hoping to bring closure to it after all these years. While she certainly accomplished the former, the latter failed to happen. Instead of squelching her crush, it intensified and she found herself wondering if she made a similar impression on him. His mood was hard to gage during the time in the suite, but she swore she saw a few heated looks directed at her from those bright green eyes while she finished out the party, not to mention what happened when he came back for his wallet.

 

A secret smile crossed her features as her body started humming, a normal occurrence whenever she relived that particular part of the evening…..which was once an hour……on a daily basis. He found his wallet quickly and was on his way out when he passed her, catching her scent as he did. She’d never forget the sight of those lips curving upwards as a low growl escaped him, nor the husky whisper that followed, promising she wouldn’t need another cold shower. Never in a million years would she ever have equated the gruff, uptight, and condescending Lieutenant from Ord Mantell with the seductive rogue that locked the door and made good on his word. A throat clearing, followed by a teasing giggle broke into her reverie and Natalia turned towards the door to see Rose leaning against the frame.

 

“Boy, Naula,” the petite pink Twi’lek smirked, “You were a million miles away there. Dare I guess what you’re thinking about, ’cause the look on your face was totally smacked of woman fantasizing about a man….perhaps a certain Cathar she recently danced for……”

 

“Oh, shush,” Natalia rolled her eyes, “What’s up?”

 

“A couple of guys from last week’s bachelor party just requested you for a private,” Rose answered, “I’ll let you wonder if its you know who.”

 

"Brat," Natalia giggled, “Go ahead and set them up in one of the back rooms with some drinks,” Natalia nodded, unable to keep the giddy feeling that rushed through her, “I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

 

“Alrighty,” the chipper hostess called out as she left the dressing room.

 

She knew she was being silly and that it was a long shot that one of the men would be him, but she couldn’t contain her excitement as she sat at the make-up table. She quickly brushed the thick mass of her hair, sweeping it up into a single ponytail that she secured with a jeweled clip. She put a couple of drops in her eyes to alleviate the dryness from the brown contacts that hid her true color, then touched up her make-up. Satisfied with her appearance, she removed her silk robe, donning on a g-string before going over to her personal clothes rack where a variety of costumes hung. She chose her one of her favorites that would also conceal a small data stick in the metal brassier, put it on, secured the data stick, donned on the matching bottoms, slipped her feet in a pair of matching heels, checked her reflection one last time, then headed out to her waiting guests.

 

“You really need to relax, kid,” Gault chuckled at the young Mandalorian, “It’s not like this your first time……just your second.”

 

“Not a kid,” Torian muttered, glaring at the Devaronian.

 

“No offense, but at my age, everyone’s a kid,” Gault sighed, taking pity on his crew mate, “But I meant what I said……we’re supposed to be having a good time and you’re more jittery than a spice addict needing a fix.”

 

“Sorry,” Torian replied, “Just not my thing.” He grabbed the mug Ne’tra gal and settled back in his chair, trying to still his fidgeting as he took a deep pull.

 

“Well, I’m sure our lovely dancer could probably change your mind,” Gault told him, “but if you’d rather be a party pooper, I’ll be happy to take your share of her attention.”

 

Torian’s retort was interrupted by Natalia striding into the room, her warm brown eyes looking both of them over as she did. She knew it was a long shot that Aric would be in the room, but she still felt slightly disappointed at seeing Gault and Torian sitting on opposite sides of the small platform, something that the shrewd Devaronian noted on her face before she flashed them a wicked grin.

 

“Welcome back, gentlemen,” Natalia purred as she hopped up on the small platform, “I’m glad I made such a good impression that you came back to see me.”

 

“You remember us then?” Gault grinned as she began dancing.

 

“I sure do, darlin’,” Naula winked, “You boys were definitely a memorable bunch and so much fun to dance for!” Then she smiled at a blushing Torian, “and it’s not often that I get to be someone’s first lap dance……especially not for such a handsome and sweet young man. That party truly was a pleasure to work at.”

 

“I’ll bet,” Gault commented dryly, “especially after a certain Cathar returned for his wallet.”

 

“It’s always nice when a client returns,” Natalia replied nonchalantly, giving nothing away as she felt her body heat up once again at that memory, “Even if it’s just for something left behind.” Forcing herself to focus, she changed the subject, “So what brings you here this evening?”

 

“There’s a party for Dek, he was the bachelor, at the Star Cluster and we decided to give him and Mako some alone time while they got ready,” Gault shrugged, “Besides, Torian here isn’t all that jazzed to go.”

 

“Too much noise,” Torian shook his head.

 

“And I always like to be fashionably late to these things,” Gault admitted, a wicked gleam in those cunning eyes, “easier to sniff out the suckers when they’re drunk.”

 

“I’m sure it is. Star Cluster, huh?” Natalia whistled, “Pretty swanky place……some of our wealthier clients get suites there regularly for parties. Anyways, I’m sure your buddy and his girl appreciate the quiet time and hopefully you’ll enjoy yourselves with me for the next half an hour.” Then she flashed a seductive smile at Torian, “Maybe I can help you relax a little so the noise won’t bother you so much later.”

 

“I’m sure we’ll get a lot out of it,” Gault chuckled, taking a swallow out of his rocks glass as Torian’s cheek flushed.

 

With a sultry laugh, Natalia sauntered off the small platform, hitting a small button on the side to turn up the music, and began dancing for the sly and too observant Devaronian. She was pleased to see him wearing a black leather trench coat that would hide her movements when she made her drop. She’d gathered a lot of information over the past few days, including names of a few employees at Manson Strategies, the so called ‘consulting firm’ working for Bradley and Mills, some of their plans, and an unexpected target.

 

“Dek needs to be careful,” Natalia whispered a warning in Gault’s ear as she guided her body onto his lap, “Mako’s a target too.” She felt him tense at that and began making her movements a little more provocative to cover for it, “You like that, darlin’?” she murmured huskily as she leaned back, slowly running her hands down her her body, her nimble fingers freeing the data stick from the metal ornamentation of her brassier as she went. It worked free easily and slipped into her palm as her hands traveled down her abdomen to finally shift to her client’s waist. She winked slyly at him as she slid off his lap, slipping the datastick into his pants pocket as she did so.

 

Gault didn’t miss her subtle cue and forced himself to relax, despite the fear this new revelation caused. He genuinely cared about the slip of a girl that served as the crew’s medic and slicer, and hated the thought of her being a target. It also made him worry about being a target as well, a road he’d already traveled and survived once, and he desperately wanted to ask if the rest of Dek’s crew was on the hit list. He knew that was impossible and fervently hoped she included that in whatever she handed over during their private time. Gault’s chain of thought was broken as soon as he felt those teasing hands caressing his hips, drifting slowly towards his suddenly eager and attentive private area as she shifted off his lap. He felt something slender pushing into his pants’ pocket and realized the drop had been made.

 

Torian saw Gault tense when Natalia’s lips hovered over the Devaronian’s ear for a second and wondered what she told him to cause that reaction. He immediately shifted anxiously in his seat, the warrior in him hating this charade they were playing. He was used to direct action, not this subtle approach, but he understood the need for it and tried to play along as best he could. He had to admit, the dancer was beautiful and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the dance she gave him at Dek’s supposed bachelor party.

 

“Don’t worry, handsome,” Natalia purred, favoring Torian with a wink as she slid off Gault’s lap and turned toward him, “You’re going to get your turn.”

 

Torian felt his blood heating up as the temptress settled herself on his lap, stiffening a little with embarrassment when he realized what her movements were doing to him.

 

“Relax, sweetie, you’re almost as tense as Aric was,” Natalia breathed as her lips brushed his ear, “Gault has the drop, it’s all about enjoying yourself now.”

 

With a groan, Torian’s eyes drifted shut as his hands went to her hips. “Soft,” he murmured.

 

“Careful, my dear,” Gault smirked, “He looks like he might swoon.”

 

Natalia’s tinkling laughter rang out as she smiled at the blushing young man, “Oh, you have no idea how refreshing that is working in a place like this. I’m so happy you guys came today.”

 

“I’ll bet,” Gault raised his glass to her.

 

*******

 

“We’re so late,” Mako muttered, cheeks turning red at the thought of why as she patted her short, dark brown hair that was held back with a silver headband Dek had given her.

 

“So?” Dek chuckled, unable to resist brushing his lips to her blushing cheek.

 

“No more of that, mister,” Mako chided, giving him a weak shove as she giggled, “We’re already late enough and do you really want to create a scandal by getting frisky in the casino elevator?”

 

“Somehow I don’t think that’s a scandal on Nar Shaddaa,” Dek smiled against her cheek before letting his mouth trail down her neck.

 

“Mmmmm……guess there’s truth to what they say,” Mako murmured, tilting her neck to give him better access, “It’s always those quiet types…….now I know why you let Blizz go up alone and waited for the next elevator.”

 

“Oh damn,” Dek chuckled, reluctantly pulling away when the elevator began to slow, “My secret’s out.”

 

They stepped out of the elevator to find an anxious Blizz waiting for them and as soon as Dek looked down the small hallway leading to the suite, he knew the reason the little Jawa was worried. Mako let out a gasp and Dekkyn clapped his hand over her mouth, hugging her tightly as Blizz charged up his blaster. Dek let Mako go and approached the bodies, immediately recognizing Bloodworthy, Jew’la Nightbringer, and the scrapped remains of what was likely the Defenistrator.

 

Dek handed Mako the hidden blaster he always kept on him, grabbed the rifle off the droid, checking to see that it was intact before charging it up. Using hand signals, he silently directed Mako to stay behind him, and the trio quietly crept to the entrance to the suite, hearing hushed voices that became louder the closer they got. Dek held a hand out to the other two, then carefully took a quick peek inside, assessing the room quickly before ducking back into the hallway. What he saw worried him, three men he recognized as SIS operatives from his military days, a Jedi…..Knight judging from her armor, and another Jedi on the Holoterminal. He was about to suggest they get the hell out of there when he heard the Knight tell someone to go listen for the elevators. Knowing they were caught, Dekkyn gestured for Blizz to follow him and entered the room, hoping to keep Mako safe and away from any fighting.

 

“Ah, I see the guest of honor has arrived,” the Jedi from the Holo greeted him, “I’m Master Jun Seros. Dekkyn Varlok, you’ve been charged with the death of Master Kellian Jarro. I suggest you surrender yourself to the Order for judgement.”

 

“It’s time for you to pay for your crimes, hunter,” the Knight spoke up.

 

“My crimes,” Dek shot back, “I suggest you take a long hard look in a mirror. Crashing a private party, murdering the unarmed guests…..not very Jedi like.”

 

“All bounty hunters, just like you,” the Jedi countered, “Not exactly innocent. You, however, killed a Jedi Master and need to answer for that, along with the rest of those that died on Master Jarro’s ship.”

 

“Master Jarro was a Great Hunt target,” Dek told her, “If I hadn’t taken him out, others would’ve tried until someone was successful. I offered him a way out and he was too proud to accept it. He attacked me! Are you trying to say that defending myself was wrong? Should I have just stood there and let him cut me down?”

 

“You should’ve surrendered!”

 

“Again, that would’ve accomplished nothing…….the Mandalorians hated Master Jarro and he would still be a target no matter what.”

 

“Enough, Adaline,” the Jedi on the Holoterminal called out, “This filth has proven he wants no redemption. Take him and his cohorts into custody if you can, otherwise, kill them.”

 

“Yes, Master Seros,” Adaline bowed, then turned to the operatives as she ignited her saber, “Take them down.”

 

“With pleasure, Master Marr.”

 

Blizz charged in first, the Jawa’s shields deflecting the plasma bolts fired from the operatives. Knight Marr ignored the Jawa, leaping for Dekkyn instead, her saber slicing through his jacket. Dekkyn dodged as best he could, but without proper armor and his shield generator, he was as vulnerable as Mako, but years in the military taught him a lot. He waited for the Jedi to strike again, and dodged just in time to avoid losing an arm, swinging his rifle around to catch her in the ribcage as he did. He heard the satisfying crack of the delicate bones and the sound of a metal object hitting the floor.

 

“She dropped her saber, we got her now, Dek,” Mako yelled, hitting the Jedi with a stun shot before she could recover.

 

“No kill shots,” Dek ordered, “Not yet.”

 

“Blizz finish with other men, boss. What now?”

 

“Leave them,” Dek answered, wincing when he removed his jacket.

 

“Dekkyn!” Mako blanched, seeing the large angry gash on his side. She hurried over to see what she could do, but Dek stopped her.

 

“You can patch me up later, Mako,” Dek insisted, putting his jacket back on, “We need to get out of here and back to the ship before these guys come to and call for backup.”

 

“Blizz go ahead, get ship ready,” the Jawa chirped, hastily retreating out of the room.

 

“What a mess,” Mako worried as her and Dek followed, the latter favoring his side, “You going to make it alright?”

 

“I can keep steady long enough to get to the taxi,” Dek nodded as they stepped into the elevator, “As soon as we get in one, I’ll contact Gault so we can get off planet while the getting is good.”

 

“What about Agent Balkar?”

 

“I’ll contact him from the ship once we’re in space,” Dek nodded, “Those men were SIS operatives, but I don’t think they were his people and I get the feeling they weren’t there officially. The Jedi on the Holo was the same one Balkar warned me about when we all met on Jax’s ship last week.”

 

*******

 

“So, what’s this party for anyways?” Natalia asked, once again dancing for Gault.

 

“Just some of the other Great Hunt champs throwing Dek a shin dig to celebrate his recent success with the Blacklist,” Gault answered, closing his eyes as Natalia’s moves took an erotic and very pleasurable turn, “You sure you can’t do one of those happy endings dances for me? ‘Cause I got plenty of creds.”

 

“You’re shameless,” Natalia laughed, swatting playfully at the slick Devaronian, “But no, I don’t do those much at all and they’re only for Platinum Package parties.”

 

“Can’t blame a guy for trying,” Gault grinned as Torian shook his head before finishing his ale, “Especially after…….”

 

Gault’s comlink interrupted his statement and with a puzzled look, he dug it out of his coat pocket, frowning at Torian as he answered it, “Hey boss, what’s up?”

 

“Trouble and lots of it,” Dek answered, “We got to the party to find our hosts dead and an ambush waiting for us. You and Torian need to get back to the ship ASAP!”

 

“On our way,” Gault nodded, pocketing the com as Torian stood and headed for the door. He dug out a credstick and tossed it to Natalia, “Looks like we have to cut things short, but this ought to cover the time, our drinks, and leave a nice tip for you.”

 

“Stay safe,” Natalia replied, genuine concern in her voice as the two men rushed out the door and she wondered if Manson Strategies was behind the ambush or if Dek had other trouble after him.

 

 

Author’s Note:

 

*Mando’a translations/information from Wookiepedia.

 

Ne’tra gal = Black ale, a traditional Mandalorian alcoholic beverage. Info can be found here: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Black_ale

 

*I made up Manson Strategies…..thought it sounded like a consulting firm that might be something else.

 

*Again, I hope no one minds that Dekkyn’s BH story differs slightly from the in game one.

 

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This part was posted in the SFC thread 8/17/2014 for the Disguises, Out of Time, and Allies prompts.

 

 

A Race Against the Chrono

 

Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for Smuggler Belsavis, mentions the BH Act 2 finale, and a vague reference to the JK storyline, but nothing really spoilerish.

 

The grey Cathar sat back in the pilot seat after steering his freighter out of Hoth’s orbital station, running clawed fingers through his thick black mane as he let out a huge sigh. He allowed his eyes to drift shut while he attempted to ease the headache plaguing him. The past couple of weeks had been stressful, not to mention the emotional rollercoaster he’d been riding, and it was all taking a toll. He was exhausted, but he was hoping to hear from his littermate and didn’t want to leave the cockpit just yet.

 

After the bachelor party debriefing, Jax sat with his crew in the ship’s rec area and told the up front that he didn’t want to put any of them in danger. None of them, not even Guss took Jax up on his offer to leave the ship with his blessing. Later that afternoon, Zev called to say Havoc’s leave had just been cut short and they were headed to Coruscant. The following day, Darmas had a lead on Rogun for Jax. Rogun’s predecessor, Ivory, was imprisoned on Belsavis. Senator Dodonna arranged clearance for Jax and his crew to land on the Republic prison planet, a well-kept secret until recently. After stocking up on munitions, Jax left Nar Shaddaa to hunt down Ivory.

 

Nothing could’ve prepared Jax for Belsavis and the chaos it had quickly become since the Imperials discovered it. Jax spent a week fighting through prison riots, hacked droids, Imperials, and a long lost species, the Esh-ka. Things went a little easier when he ran across Master Ka’van and they teamed up, adding Havoc into the mix when Zev arrived three days after Jax got there, but it had still been a long slog to secure Rogun’s former mentor and more than one of them had suffered injuries before it was all over.

 

The day after Zev arrived, Dek contacted them to tell them about what went down at the Club Vertica and pass along the information Natalia had given Gault when he and Torian went to take the drop. Apparently Mako’s little foray into the military database was traced after all. It had taken them some time, but they now knew it was Mako that sliced in and she was now a target as a result. Natalia’s report on the data stick also included a list of Manson Strategies’ employees, complete with recent photos. So far, the only known targets were Dek, Zev, Jax, and now Mako. Wilks’ name still hadn’t come up in any of the conversations Natalia had overheard, but she did hear them say that Senator Bradley was due to make a visit to Nar Shaddaa in the near future.

 

The three men argued for the better part of an hour. Dek being motivated by the threat to Mako, wanted to go on the offensive and take on these employees. Both Zev and Jax understood his sentiments, but reminded the normally cool headed bounty hunter that they still needed to find out what Wilks involvement is and where those old armor cam recordings were taken. Dekkyn finally calmed down enough to see the logic in that and admitted he wanted their names cleared, but not at the expense of anyone they cared about. They ended in compromise, deciding to see what Agent Bryce had for them at the next drop before taking any action.

 

Four days later, Jax departed Belsavis with an extra person secretly stowed away on the ship. He didn’t think much of the Rattitaki known as Ivory, but he couldn’t deny the value of having him around, especially considering he knew several of Rogun’s bolt holes. He was about to set course for Nar Shaddaa when the ship’s Holo stopped him.

 

A Jedi Master and, much to Jax’s surprise, an old friend of Risha’s needed their help and figured he’d be willing since it concerned the Voidwolf. Master Sumalee told Risha that another one of their friends, Shariss Kartur, was working for the SIS to track down the Voidwolf when she suddenly disappeared shortly after landing on Hoth. Since it was Risha’s friend, and Jax wanted to stay on good terms with the SIS, he agreed to locate and rescue the agent, thankful he’d hung on to the cold weather gear as he set course for Hoth.

 

They were able to locate Shariss quickly and other than a small group of Imperial soldiers, they’d had little trouble getting to the cavern, freeing her, and making their way back to Aurek. After they rescued the Mirialan and she secured passage off the frozen rock of a planet, they contacted Master Sumalee who had some good news for Jax. His sister was alive and had just arrived on Tython. She promised to have Syarra contact Jax as soon as she was able. After Master Sumalee signed off, Jax headed for the cockpit and set course for Nar Shaddaa since they were overdue to take a drop from Agent Bryce.

 

Jax dozed in the pilot’s seat off and on over the next several hours and just as he was switching hyperlanes, his comlink rang. Seeing his littermate’s frequency, he breathed a sigh of relief as he plugged it into the small terminal.

 

“Syarra!” Jax smiled at her image, “Gods, we thought you were dead this past month! What happened?”

 

“A lot has happened, Jax, but I really don’t want to delve into it right now,” Syarra sighed, “I’ve been through a lot and need to deal with……things, but I promise, I’ll be alright.”

 

“I understand, sis,” Jax nodded, noticing how fatigued his normally energetic littermate appeared, “I’m just relieved you’re alive and well.”

 

“Alive, yes,” Syarra bowed her head, “and health wise, I’m doing well I suppose, but things happened to me, Jax……and I don’t know if my spirit will ever recover.”

 

The tears in his littermate's eyes tore at his heart and he felt his own eyes stinging at the defeated tone in her voice, “Is there anything I can do Syarra? Name it and it’s yours, I swear…..well, except Zev. He’s taken now.”

 

Syarra gave a weak laugh at that and the familiar mischief sparked in her eyes, “I still can’t wrap my head around Dek and Zev in relationships. I’m actually shocked Dekkyn was able to talk to a woman long enough to get her to like him!” Then Syarra’s expression sobered again, “Actually, Dek’s the reason I called you….besides wanting to let you know I was okay. What’s going on with him, Jax? I’m hearing some pretty bad rumors.”

 

“All I can tell you is that he’s not guilty of what they’re accusing him of,” Jax replied, “The SIS is involved and he’s working with them on something that I don’t even know all the details of. I do know he was ambushed last week and a Jedi Master was involved.”

 

“Master Jun Seros,” Syarra confirmed, “He has a reputation for being a renegade type among the Jedi, but from what I hear, he’s got everyone convinced Dek’s some kind of monster and he’s claiming to be backed by the Senate and SIS.”

 

“Do you know if a Senator Bradley is one of Seros’ backers?”

 

“As a matter of fact, he is,” Syarra nodded, “and I was wondering about that as soon as Dek’s military records began circulating around.”

 

“I’m guessing it’s the redacted version.”

 

“It is and it doesn’t paint a pretty picture of him at all.”

 

“We’re actually working on that right now,” Jax replied, then filled his littermate in on Mako stumbling across those incriminating files, those strange men tossing their names around in Zara’s club, their meeting with Balkar and later his contact, and their progress so far.

 

“You guys be careful,” Syarra warned, “I’ve met the good Senator and he’s not one to take lightly. I can understand wanting your names cleared, but underneath that charming façade, Senator Bradley is a shrewd man with his fair share of sleazy contacts that are perfectly willing to do his dirty work.”

 

“Trust me,” Jax growled, “We’re well aware of that and one of his friends is a Czerka exec who doesn’t want to lose the military contracts Bradley got for her.”

 

“Well, I think you’re playing smart by working with this undercover agent, but Dekkyn needs to watch it,” Syarra crossed her arms as she started pacing, “Master Seros isn’t one to give up and he has the Supreme Chancellor’s ear. Luckily, Grand Master Shan isn’t backing him yet, citing that they have more pressing concerns, and the Council’s not too happy with him since revenge isn’t the Jedi way. Which means Master Seros is operating on his own as far as the Jedi are concerned…..at least officially. However, he’s powerful and won’t hesitate to go for a kill.”

 

“I’m aware,” Jax replied, Ka’van having said the same thing when Jax asked about the Jedi Master. Unfortunately, Ka’van had little other information since he’d been on Belsavis when Jun Seros had staged the ambush on Dekkyn.

 

“Hang on,” Syarra called out as she turned away and Jax could hear Kira’s voice in the background telling her the Council was ready. Syarra nodded then turned back to him, “Hey, I hate to cut this short, but I need to speak with the Council. Keep me posted, Jax, and please stay safe.”

 

“I’ll do my best, sis,” Jax assured her, “Love you!”

 

“Love you, too,” she smiled before disconnecting and Jax sat back in his chair, running his fingers through his neatly trimmed mane as worry furrowed his brow. He was thankful Syarra was alright, but whatever she’d been through, it had taken a terrible toll on her. He’d never seen her so subdued before…..as if something snuffed out the perpetual spark inside her. He hoped whatever it was, she’d be able to come to terms and deal with it soon because he hated seeing her like that.

 

He was also a lot more concerned about Dek’s situation after hearing Syarra’s news and intended to fill him in as soon as he and Corso paid Club Paradise a visit. It didn’t surprise him that Senator Bradley was backing the witch hunt, but it meant that his friend was in serious trouble. He knew all too well what Dek’s military record looked like since both his and Zev’s were the same. Only the top brass knew the real version and those records were sealed. Without the armor cam recordings, they had little hope of clearing their names and getting those files amended.

 

There would always be a part of him that missed the military days and he truly loved the Republic, so he wanted his name cleared. He had no intention of ever reenlisting since he’d done well for himself as a freelancer and his current Privateer gig allowed him to still serve the Republic, but his military record had been good and it was a matter of pride for him to see the stain on it cleaned up.

 

Unfortunately, it seemed that Senator Bradley and his cooperate buddy were doing their damnedest to ensure the truth never saw the light of day and both had the means to make it happen. It was a dangerous race against the chrono now. Mako’s search triggered a warning bell that had rapidly turned into a full-fledged code red alarm. He, Zev, Dek, and Mako all wore targets now and the only way to remove them was either discredit or kill Bradley and Mills. Wilks was still an unknown wildcard and Jax was hoping Natalia had something on him since Balkar had come up empty.

 

“Hey there,” Risha whispered, her hands working at rubbing the tension out of his broad shoulders, “Looks like course is set and there’s nothing else for you to do until we drop out of hyperspace in roughly twelve hours, so let’s go back to your quarters…..and no, not for that. You look like you’re about to drop from exhaustion.”

 

“I’m never too tired for that, my dear,” Jax gave her a knowing look, the tension in his body already easing up as he stood. With a roguish grin, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to his quarters.

 

****

 

Natalia hurried through the Promenade as fast as she dared without drawing any attention. She got stuck working a double this afternoon and only had an hour left before her next shift began. She approached the busy cantina, regretting her clothing choices as she frowned at the line already there, kark, I don’t have time for this!

 

She’d dressed simply in plain jeans and a figure hugging tank top. Her cap of bushy white blond hair was eye catching and effectively disguised the long, thick strawberry blond tresses that were pinned tightly under it. She wore minimal makeup, opting for a sweet ‘girl next door’ look. She was taking a huge risk coming to this place, so her sole concern had been to not stand out and she was confident that no one would equate her appearance now with the sultry vixen that danced at Club Paradise. Unfortunately, that also meant her chances of flirting her way to the front of the line were minimal, especially as she noticed several young women already working that angle who were dressed in low cut tops and short skirts.

 

Natalia knew coming here during peak hours would be tricky, but when she’d come earlier in the day, the proprietress hadn’t been there. She glanced at her chrono again, and knew she was running out of time. She looked at the bouncer, a middle aged guy with a bod you’d expect from one of his profession, then noticed a small sign behind his imposing figure. A smile curved her full lips as an idea began to form and she quickly made her way to the burly man.

 

“Excuse me, sir,” she whispered demurely, “I’m interested in applying for the bartending job, do I need to wait in line for that? I have to be at work soon, so I’m in a wicked rush.”

 

His eyes traveled over her briefly before he smiled warmly at her, “Nah, let me see if Zara is available.”

 

“Thanks so much!” Natalia sighed in exaggerated relief, “I don’t want to risk upsetting my dictator of a boss until I have something else lined up.”

 

“Perfectly understandable, miss…..”

 

“Aurora…..Aurora Evens, but most people call me Rory,” she answered his unspoken question, her sky blue eyes hopeful as the bouncer called his boss.

 

“You’re all set,” he told her a moment later, “Zara’s waiting for you at the bar……pretty Zeltron about your size, long purple hair, usually crowded my several men…..hard to miss her.”

 

“Thanks so much!” Natalia beamed at him before heading in. Sometimes wide eyed innocence was just as good as flirting and the young agent was comfortable and very proficient at using both.

 

Sure enough, the sultry Zeltron was serving drinks at the bar, surrounded by several young and hopeful men. Natalia was hoping to convince the cantina owner to talk to her in private and racked her brain as she walked up to the bar.

 

“Hi! I’m looking for Zara, is that you?”

 

“You must be the young lady Randal just told me about……Miss Evens, right?”

 

“That’s right,” Natalia confirmed, smiling shyly, “You can call me Aurora or Rory if you like. I was hoping to talk to you about the job advertisement.”

 

“Alright fellas, you’ll need to scoot,” Zara flashed a dazzling smile at the men still vying for the beautiful owner’s attention, “I have bar biz to deal with.” Once the last man shuffled off, Zara turned her attention to the other woman, “So, ever worked at a bar before?”

 

“Sort of…….I’m a dancer at Club Paradise,” Natalia admitted, “Actually, is there an office we can talk in? I’m not fond of people listening in.”

 

Zara’s eyes flashed with impatience, “Sorry, hon, but if you want to work at a place like this, you’ll need to get past expecting privacy. You should know that much working in a strip joint.”

 

With a resigned sigh, Natalia knew it was time to drop the act, and leaned in closer, “Look Zara,” she hissed, “I don’t have much time and you have even less. Those men interested in Jax learned about your connection to him. Now, can we finish this discussion in private?”

 

Zara paled visibly, but recovered quickly, “Lena, I’m taking Miss Evens back to my office to interview her for the job. I shouldn’t be long, but call Kris over to help if you need it.”

 

“You got it, boss,” the petite blue Twi’lek called out with a wave as she continued flirting with the guys she was waiting on.

 

“Follow me,” Zara told Natalia and the two women walked casually towards the back office, the former trying to calm her racing heart and the latter checking her chrono again.

 

“Lock that door,” Natalia ordered as soon as they entered Zara’s office, “Are there any cameras in here?”

 

“Just one aimed at the safe,” Zara gestured after locking the door.

 

“Shut it off,” Natalia told her, waiting to go on until the other woman did just that before sinking into her chair. She took pity on the shaken woman, “Look, I’m sorry to just spring this on you, but time is of the essence. I don’t know how much Jax made you aware of after you first alerted him, but those men are dangerous and working for people that are even more so.”

 

“I’m guessing Aurora Evens isn’t your real name,” Zara finally spoke up, the initial shock wearing off, “Care to enlighten me on who you really are?”

 

“I probably shouldn’t, but since you’re about to go into hiding, I guess it won’t hurt,” Natalia sighed, “I’m Agent Natalia Bryce of the SIS. I’ve been working undercover at Club Paradise for the past year and was due to be extracted when those men showed up here. The man who came and got your recordings…..”

 

“Agent Balkar.”

 

“Yes,” Natalia nodded, “He put out a message to all his local agents in the field. I immediately recognized the men since they’d been regulars at Club Paradise for a few weeks.”

 

“Jax stopped in when he was here a couple weeks ago, said he and his buddies had a lead,” Zara told her, “He thanked me for my help and told me to contact him at the sign of any trouble.”

 

“Yup,” Natalia smiled, “That’s when they had a ‘bachelor party’ for Dek. Balkar arranged for them to get the Platinum Package.”

 

“And let me guess,” Zara grinned, knowing exactly what that was, “You were their dancer.”

 

“You got it,” Natalia smirked, “and boy were they surprised I was their contact. Anyways, we exchanged a lot of info during our private suite time and made arrangements for me to drop them information on a weekly basis. Last week I found out they were also targeting Dek’s girl and passed that on to the two that visited me.”

 

“Why come here, then?” Zara asked, “Isn’t this a bit risky when you have arrangements already?”

 

“This week’s visitors haven’t arrived yet and I have no time to wait,” Natalia explained, “With Dek’s current situation as persona non grata pretty much anywhere, they’re ready to take him out wherever he lands next, which I’ll be making him aware of. Unfortunately, that means they’re focusing their attention on Jaxzin and Zevryn. Last night, two of those men were at the club and openly discussing this as I danced at their table. Somehow they learned about your connection to Jaxzin and have decided to use you as bait.”

 

Natalia saw fear in those violet eyes as Zara ran trembling fingers through her thick tresses, “What can I do?” she finally whispered, “Jax is a dear friend and I’d do anything to help him, but I don’t want to die or be the reason he does.”

 

“That’s not going to happen, which is why I risked coming here,” Natalia assured her, digging out a data stick out of her backpack, “After I leave, you need to make arrangements to be away for a few days. Think of an excuse, sick relative, need a vacation, secret rendezvous…..I don’t care as long as it’s plausible. You live upstairs, right?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Pack a bag, make your arrangements, then take this,” Natalia handed her the data stick, “to Jonas Balkar. Don’t give it to anyone but him, that’s important. The people behind this whole mess have their fingers in all sorts of cookie jars and I trust Jonas with my life. Tell him that Naula visited you, do NOT use my real name unless Jonas gives you leave to do so. Naula is my cover identity. He’ll put you into hiding until its safe.”

 

“How much time to I have?” Zara asked, fighting to keep calm, “I mean can I finish out the night here or….”

 

“I’m pretty sure these guys plan to act tonight, so I wouldn’t stick around,” Natalia told her, then reached over to give the other woman’s hand a reassuring squeeze, “I know it’s a lot to absorb and you’re doing well. Just keep it together until you get to Jonas, then let it out if you feel the need. He’s pretty good at the whole comforting thing and not too shabby to look at.”

 

Zara giggled despite her nerves, “Yeah, I kinda noticed that.”

 

“Okay,” Natalia smiled at her, “I really need to get back to the club before my next shift starts. You going to be alright?”

 

“As good as I can be, considering I just became a target,” Zara sighed, “Thank you for coming here and warning me.”

 

“No problem,” Natalia assured her as she stood, “After all, it was your quick thinking that alerted those guys in the first place. Now, start getting yourself ready and get out of here. I’ll let myself out and tell your bouncer that you’ll be getting back to me about the job.”

 

******

 

A soft, yet insistent chiming woke Jax. He opened his eyes, smiling down at the sleeping brunette snuggling against him. He glanced at the chrono and realized the ship’s engines had slowed signaling they’d dropped out of hyperspace. The soft chiming continued and Jax grabbed his comlink as Risha began to stir. Frowning at the device, Jax answered it.

 

“Hey Balkar, what’s up?”

 

“Glad I finally got through,” Jonas sighed, “Where are you?”

 

“I just dropped out of hyperspace and will be landing on Nar Shaddaa within the hour. Why? Did something happen?”

 

“Yes, but I don’t want to get into it over the com,” Jonas answered, “I’ll head over to the spaceport and we can talk on your ship.”

 

“Sounds good.”

 

Less than an hour later, Jonas boarded the freighter and followed Jax into the rec area where the rest of his crew was waiting. He’d barely sat down when the tall Cathar demanded to know what was going on, and six sets of eyes bored into the SIS Agent.

 

“Sorry about being so cryptic over the Holo,” Jonas apologized, “but I didn’t want to risk the wrong people hearing anything.”

 

“So what’s going on?”

 

“Our friends at Manson Strategies are after Zara.”

 

“What happened? Is she alright?”

 

“I’ll let her tell you,” Jonas nodded, pulling out his comlink and Zara’s image appeared a moment later.

 

“Hey, sugar,” Zara smiled, “I take it Jonas told you about my sudden vacation?”

 

“He said those guys came after you.”

 

“Actually, thanks to Natalia they never got the chance,” Zara assured him, “She paid me a visit earlier today and warned me. She told me what I needed to do and had me go directly to Jonas.”

 

“Did she break cover then?”

 

“No,” Jonas answered, “It was risky for her to go to Zara’s club, but Natalia’s very adept at disguises and has several aliases to work with if needed. She never contacted me directly and didn’t say anything to Zara until they were locked in her office.”

 

“She came in as a job applicant was very insistent that I interview her in private,” Zara explained, “When I didn’t catch on, she gave me a quiet warning and refused to say anything else until we were locked in my office with the cameras off. Then she explained the situation, reassured me I’d be safe, but needed to hurry. Then she gave me a data stick for Jonas and told me to go straight to him as quickly as I could. As soon as she left, I told the staff I had a sick relative back home and needed to go to Zeltros for a few days.”

 

“You did a great job keeping your cool,” Jonas smiled at her, “When Zara got to our offices, she demanded to speak with me immediately and as soon as we were alone, she filled me in and handed over the data stick.”

 

“Stars, Zara,” Jax sighed, “I’m so sorry you got dragged into this.”

 

“Did they find out she’s the one who tipped Jax off in the first place?” Risha asked, “Is that why they’re after her?”

 

“According to Natalia, they’re still in the dark about that,” Jonas answered, “Somehow they found out about Jax’s past relationship with Zara and that they were still good friends. They intended to use her as bait.”

 

“I swear to the Gods, I’m gonna personally put a blaster bolt into that karking Senator’s head!” Jax growled, “I worried about those goons coming after one of my crew, but never dreamed they’d try something like this.”

 

“It’s alright, sugar,” Zara insisted, “I’m safely tucked away in a pretty nice place and Jonas has been keeping me company.”

 

“I’ll bet,” Jax chuckled, knowing how irresistible the exotic young woman could be. Judging from the sheepish look on the Agent’s face, Jax was willing to bet Jonas would be spending a lot of time seeing to Zara’s comfort and safety personally.

 

“After I got Zara settled into one of my safe houses, I arranged for an agent to start working at her club,” Jonas continued, “He’s newer to undercover work, but young and able to easily fit in with the rest of the staff and charming enough to be a believable as a bartender. Our friends showed up about an hour after he got there and started asking questions about the owner.”

 

“Sounds like Natalia got to Zara just in time,” Akaavi observed grimly, “You said she gave you a data stick, was that her drop?”

 

“It was,” Jonas confirmed, handing Jax a copy as he summed up the contents. Natalia found out Manson Securities is taking advantage of Dek’s persona non grata status and has feelers in numerous spaceports throughout the galaxy, ready to put up a flag as soon as his ship lands and take both him and Mako out. With the price on Dek’s head, they were banking on the hopes no one would look too closely into his demise or those responsible for it. They were currently working out how to get rid of Jax and Zev without drawing any suspicion. It wasn’t until late last night that she overheard them making plans to draw Jax out by using a connection he has on Nar Shaddaa.

 

“I guess we don’t need to pay her a visit then,” Corso realized, feeling a little relieved. He wasn’t very comfortable going to those kinds of places, but was willing to set that aside to help his captain.

 

“Actually, I still plan to drop in,” Jax announced, “and don’t look at me like that, Rish. Zara has been a good friend and we never would’ve known we were being targeted if it hadn’t been for her. Natalia put her cover and possibly her life on the line to get Zara out of their reach. The very least I can do is thank her in person.”

 

“I suppose I can understand that,” Risha admitted grudgingly, “but take Corso with you. That way if she feels the need to get frisky, you can shove her off on him.”

 

“Thanks a lot, Risha,” Corso muttered, resigning himself to going and he too had to agree that it was only fair to thank her in person.

 

“I don’t think you have to worry about that, Rish,” Jax grinned, “After what Gault told us, I’m not the Cathar she wants to get frisky with.”

 

“Well, since that’s all settled, I’m going to head back to the safe house,” Jonas told them as he stood, “I haven’t been able to reach Dek or Zev yet, but I’ll keep trying.”

 

“Hey, Jax,” Zara called out before Jonas could end the call, “Tell Natalia I’m safe if you can manage it. She hid it well, but I could tell she was worried.”

 

“I will,” Jax replied, “and I’d planned to contact Dek and Zev after taking the drop this evening, so I’ll fill them in on everything.”

 

******

 

Back to being a sultry vixen, Natalia was just returning from a brief break when Rose called her over to the bar and told her she had a couple of guys requesting a private. Once again, her hopes were raised as she headed towards the small room, only to be dashed slightly when she saw Jaxzin and Corso. She didn’t have a drop for them since she gave it to Zara earlier, but had no idea if they were even aware of that yet.

 

“Well, hello boys,” she purred, hopping up on the small platform and slowly spinning around it to favor each with a teasing half smile, “Glad to see more of you coming back and requesting me. A couple of your buddies were in here last week……that naughty Devaronian and the shy blond Mandalorian.”

 

“What can I say?” Jax grinned at her, “You made quite an impression, especially with that other Cathar.”

 

“Oh?” Natalia paused, raising a slender brow, trying to keep her tone nonchalant as she felt her body heat up.

 

Despite the dim lighting, Jax could easily see the flush creeping up that tan skin and his keen sense of smell noticed her scent change a little a few seconds later, so he wasn’t fooled by her casually curious reaction in the least. He didn’t want to risk saying more, but he was happy since it had been obvious this past week that she was on Aric’s mind despite him being tight lipped about it. Jax waved a credstick at her, a signal that he wanted a dance. Natalia was surprised by that, expecting to be dancing for Corso since she recalled Jax being in a relationship of sorts, but slid off the platform, hitting switch to turn on the music before sauntering over towards the tall spacer. Jax motioned for her to turn around before she settled on his lap and curious, she did so, leaning back far enough to give him a teasing view and bring her ear close to his face.

 

“I just wanted to thank you for Zara,” Jax breathed in her ear, his hands keeping her tempting derrière from getting too close to his groin, “She’s safe with Balkar and we got your info.”

 

“My pleasure, darlin’,” Natalia drawled, understanding the hint his hands were giving her and touched that he wanted to thank her personally despite having a lady friend that probably wasn’t pleased to have him here. She stayed with him for another moment before turning her attentions to his dreadlocked friend.

 

A little while later, Jax and a blushing Corso left. Glancing at the chrono, Natalia realized her shift was over and headed for the dressing rooms. Rose stopped her before she entered though and said the boss wanted to speak to her about a party. Less than thrilled at the prospect of doing another party, Natalia head into his office.

 

“Hey, Naula,” the kindly owner greeted her, “I know you prefer to keep parties to a once in a while basis, but this one’s for a big shot and the guys throwing it are regulars here. You’re one of their favorites and they requested you personally.”

 

“I’ll do it,” Natalia reluctantly agreed, “I could always use the money especially with Auntie’s condition getting worse. In fact, I may need to take some time off in the near future.”

 

“Let me know if there’s anything you need,” he told her, handing over the party file for her to take and look over.

 

“Thanks,” Natalia smiled as she turned to leave. Once out the door, she decided to take a peek at the guest list and her heart stopped when she saw the name on the top…….the party was for Senator Bradley.

 

 

Author’s Note:

 

Again, BH Dekkyn’s story is going to deviate slightly from the in game one. I explained that more in the previous installments of the guys’ saga.

 

One of these days, I should put together some pictures of the many faces of Agent Natalia Bryce.

 

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