A Legacy

[Revenchent]

"Oh, of course I am. You know I've been in love with you since Triple Zero." Calico dead panned as he took the bottle from her. He brought it to his lips and took a short sip, set the bottle down on the table, and rumbled with quiet laughter.

"Nah. I just enjoy your company I s'pose."

He sucked in a deep breath and slipped his arms over his chest.

Echani?

His brow knit in deep thought, and he refrained from speaking for a long moment. "I know they hate the Mandalorians and combat is important to the culture. Little else though, admittedly."

[member="Zandra Fenni"]

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

If Zandra was capable of blushing, she might have, but Zandra was no maiden and Calico was no prince charming.

"If you know that much, then you know how important tradition is for the Echani."
Zandra reached out for another sip and when she was done, brought her attention back to Calico.
"Look at me, Cali. Do I seem like the traditional Echani?"

[member="Calico Tal'Verda"]

 

[Revenchent]

Calico huffed a quiet laugh and stared at the bottle as he contemplated. He seemed to be deciding whether or not to take a drink, an opted to refrain just for the moment.

"If you are, then the Echani must be a very fun people." He finally replied, his hands coming up to rest behind his head as he leaned back against the couch. "Did you leave on your own terms?" He asked quietly, cutting right to what he thought was the chase.

[member="Zandra Fenni"]

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

A smile managed to find the Echanis face, but she didn't laugh.

"On my own terms... i guess you could say that? I never really belonged with the family to begin with, but it's not like I was kicked out. Not officially anyway. It was complicated."

[member="Calico Tal'Verda"]

 

[Revenchent]

"You're speaking to the king of complicated, Zandra." The former Commando chided as he waved his glass teasingly at he. He settled back against the couch, and huffed a quiet sigh. "C'mon, tell me the story."


His eyes narrowed slightly and he wore a small smile as he stared at her. "Fill me in."


[member="Zandra Fenni"]

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

Zandra rolled her eyes at his insisting. But, well, what did she honestly have to loose? And who was he going to tell anyway? Sure, she had a reputation, but what could honestly destroy a reputation as bad as hers already? Besides... Maybe it was the booze talking, but Zandra actually trusted him.

"Alright," she sighed, slouching, "I used to work for... my younger sister. She was a decorated commander, a leader. And me? Well, I'm a decent pilot, I can hold my own in battle, but, I'm not exactly... the pride of the Fenni family. There was this battle. I don't even remember who we were fighting, or what we were fighting for. I don't think I much cared back then. My sister gave me my own fleet, everything. She didn't have to, but I think she was too embarrassed of me to admit I didn't deserve it."

Zandra took a short break to swallow another mouthful of the blue liquid. She was going to need it.

"I messed up. Zax was his name, the kid I got killed," her face went blank, "Named my ship after him. Doesn't exactly fix it. I lost my fleet, my title, and my sister. She told me that I didn't belong. Said if I messed up again... well, I didn't exactly give myself a chance to screw up again. I left. I wasn't exactly sad about it. I wanted to leave.Command, responsibility. It wasn't me.
That's my story. Wish I could say it was a good one."

[member="Calico Tal'Verda"]

 

[Revenchent]

"Kix and Zius were my fault. Comic and Varia too." Calico mumbled abruptly. He breathed a heavy sigh, and let the tiniest of frowns slip. "Comic and Varia were both slotted by some Jedi Padawan during the Jedi Purge. Zius was taken away by the Sith. Kix blew his brains out because I couldn't give his fiance the resources she needed to make it out of Fringe space. She died too."

The former Grand Marshal huffed a darkly amused laugh. 'I guess Keziah is on that list too. My girl. Sith got her a few months ago. Oh, and Galaar, the CIS has him in prison because of me." Calico turned his head toward Zandra and gave her something that could have been a kind smile. "So I understand what you mean. 'Course, you're not a bad person Zandra. Just put into a bad situation."

The former Commando reached over and gave her a playful punch in the arm. It was dreadfully weak, as if all the strength had simply ebbed away from the ash that had once been his fire. "Could happen to anybody." He slipped his arms over his chest, and allowed the dull intoxication to haze over his mind. It was warm, and welcome.

Anybody.

[member="Zandra Fenni"]

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

"Galaar too?" Zandra winced, "I'm actually sad to hear it. He was cute."
Zandra gave him a little smile as he playfully punched her arm, returning the gesture in kind.

"Well, it could happen to anybody, but it doesn't. That's the problem. Lady Luck is a real pain."

She was starting to feel it now, that warm inviting sensation that only a night of drinking could give her. Were she at a cantina, she might be looking for someone to take home, but now, all she had was this clone. And the worst part was, she wasn't disappointed by that fact.

"I got an idea. Let's go break him out. Galaar, I mean. Confed'racy ain't so tough. We can just swoop in, guns blazing and steal him out, just like that."
She was joking, of course. She might be tipsy, but she wasn't stupid. Still, even just talking about it might make them both feel better.

[member="Calico Tal'Verda"]

 

[Revenchent]

Calico took a long look over toward the drawer across the room. In it, sat his old DC-15m. A versatile, wonderful sidearm that had served him since the day the Clone Army landed on Geonosis. He had planned to end his career with the familiar weapon rather abruptly shortly after Zandra left.

Simply put, he had invited Zandra over so that he could have someone to say goodbye to.

Yet, the woman had instead made him smile. Made him laugh, and given him something worthwhile to think about. "Let's go right now then." He chided, a large grin worn on his face. The clone exhaled deeply, and edged closer, noticeably closer at that, to Zandra.

"You uh...thanks for keeping me company." He mumbled almost--what was that, was he being shy? "It helped. A lot."

[member="Zandra Fenni"]

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

Zandra smiled with him, and although she didn't even realize she was doing it, she had also edged close to the clone. Despite herself, Zandra was actually happy to be here with him, and she was determined to see this night to it's end, whenever that might be. She was never one to cut a party short after all.

"Helped?" she repeated back, "You act like this parts over. We still have stuff left in this bottle."

She reached across, gently shaking the bottle and the remaining liquid inside.

[member="Calico Tal'Verda"]

 

[Revenchent]

Perhaps it was a bit of the drink, and perhaps it was a bit of Calico's feelings in general. Either way, he caught himself slipping an arm over the smaller woman's shoulders.

"Okay, what's the next part then?" He asked. His hand went up to grab at the bottle, and his lips pursed in quiet amusement. It would be a bit of a shame to just ask Zandra to leave now, and he supposed indulging her wasn't exactly the wrong thing to do here.

He leaned toward her and gave her the smugest of smiles. I'm just saying in general, thanks is all."


[member="Zandra Fenni"]

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

Zandra was... a little more tipsy than she let on. She leaned in close, especially when he put his arm around her.
"It's fine. No need to thank me. I'm having fun."

The white haired woman went quiet a moment, moving so her eyes could meet his.

"Hey... can I try something kind of weird?"

[member="Calico Tal'Verda"]

 

[Revenchent]

This whole night has been a big box of weird.

Calico lifted his shoulders in the slightest of shrugs and raised an eyebrow. Weird could mean a lot of things, and his sober mind likely would have declined. His tipsy brain, already distracted with just how warm the woman was against his side didn't have a care in the world.

"Just don't eat me or anything, alright?"

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

Zandra let out a small laugh and shook her head.
"No. Not going to do anything like that. Honest. Just... close your eyes."

She bit her lip, hesitating for just a moment before moving in to close the space between them. This was probably not right. Probably not something she should do to a guy that just lost his wife, but Zandra wasn't thinking about that. She was thinking about how nice this night had been. She was thinking how good this guy was. She was thinking about how cozy it felt being close to him like this.
Her lips met his, and at once she became aware that in that instant, something happened that was unlike anything she had ever experienced.
She was actually kissing someone she wanted to kiss.

[member="Calico Tal'Verda"]

 

[Revenchent]

He really shouldn't have let her do this. He really shouldn't have slipped his arms gently around her, or pressed back against her soft lips, but he had.

It could be blamed on the Bluesky, but that was honestly a lie. Oddly enough, this strange woman had been the only constant in his life besides Galaar since emerging from carbonite. Begrudgingly, he had found that she grew on him. He missed her company at the oddest of times, and found himself thinking of her in the most random of times. These were, of course, only his private thoughts. Ones he had never thought would be addressed, let alone reciprocated.

It was for these reasons, that he took her into his arms for the moment, and tangled his fingers in her bright hair. The former Commando pulled away for but a moment, and a small, yet genuine smile was splayed across his lips. "Pretty weird, eh?" He whispered. Oh, this was going to hurt when she left now.

[member="Zandra Fenni"]

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

Yes. This was one mistake Zandra wasn't going to regret. It was probably the alcohol in her system, but she couldn't help but think maybe, just maybe, she might visit this one again. Maybe she might kiss him more. Maybe she might spend time with him. Maybe...

When he pulled away, there was a tiny sense of panic. What if she messed up? What if he was disgusted with her now? But he was smiling. Zandra smiled too.

"I've had weirder."

She didn't give him a chance to respond. She was already leaning in to touch his lips with hers again.
Just... Maybe. Maybe this weirdness could go on for a bit.

[member="Calico Tal'Verda"]

 

[Revenchent]

This...wasn't how Calico had expected things to go. He had thought that they might enjoy a bit of fun, of course, but never in this nature. To say he hadn't wanted it, however, would be a bold faced lie...

His wife was long gone and so was everyone else. It was just Zandra, and perhaps that was okay.

"You know--" He cut himself off as he pecked against her lips once again. --the streets here are dangerous at night. You should stay. For your safety, of course."

[member="Zandra Fenni"]

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

Zandra couldn't hide that smile. And she couldn't hide her blush. Blushing. This want like her at all.
"Such a gentleman, " she sighed leaning in to press her body against his" alright. Since you're so worried about me."

She glanced about, faking concern.
"Oh, but then, where will I sleep?"

Not that she had sleep on her mind.

[member="Calico Tal'Verda"]

 

[Revenchent]

"It'd be a bit wrong of me to send you out into the cold, aye?" Calico asked quietly. It was all very in the moment, and it seemed that he'd caught Zandra a bit off guard. He pulled away from the embrace for a moment, and let his gaze drift on over down the hallway.


"I can think of a few places...shall we?"


[member="Zandra Fenni"]

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

Zandra was past the point of rational thinking. If she could look ahead, know that this could easily ruin their friendship... She might have done the same thing anyway, because, despite everything she told herself, she had been thinking of him too. A lot. More than she really had a right to. It wasn't that they were the best of friends. It was something different. Something entirely alien.
And Zandra wouldn't have a word for it until it was too late.

The blond stood up wordlessly, reaching to entangle her fingers with his and pull him along down that hall way. She had never been here before, but she knew what was waiting.
A warm bed, and a hot night.


[member="Calico Tal'Verda"]