Private Bad Ideas

[Hollis Orenn]

​

Location: Ship!​

Outfit: xxx​

Tag: Justice Lesan​

Hollis couldn't help but smile as Justice showed her inside. Her eyes immediately took in her surroundings. It was a bigger space than she'd been anticipating, somehow she'd thought of a small, cramped room with bunk beds. Yes, the crew cabins might have been like that. But this was the captain's quarters, after all.

All of the artifacts truly did make this feel like his space. Of course, she wanted to know what everything was and the story behind how he'd found each artifact. But, that was probably better left to another time. Some time when they weren't heading out on a mission at least. Maybe a dig of their own... or a vacation? Was it too early in their relationship for a vacation away together?

The thought filled her cheeks with rosy color.

Moving over to the dresser, she wanted to get a better look at a small carved statuette that sat on top. It was partially obscured by clothing, but Hollis lifted the piece of fabric and smiled down at the carving. She turned, about to ask Justice what it was... when she noticed what she was now grasping in her hand. Oh. Hollis was definitely holding a pair of Justice's boxer shorts. Indeed it was an article of clothing that hadn't fit into the drawer.

Justice was already in his bed and invited her to join him. Hollis put the shorts back on top of the dresser, hoping that he hadn't noticed. Quickly, she took off her boots and utility belt, then climbed in next to Justice. She was tempted to pull the blankets up over her face, but she just smiled. Even if he did notice... maybe it wasn't such a big deal. She'd see eventually. Oh dear.

"You're right," she said. "This is nice. Very nice."

Hollis let out a content sigh.

"I don't think my master anticipated there'd be... cuddling on this mission," Hollis said, and she couldn't help but laugh. With that, she moved in close to him, and let her head rest on his chest. He was right, this was way more comfortable than her couch.

 

[Justice Lesan]

Location: Meditation Chamber
Wearing: xxx
Arm: xxx
Tag: Hollis Orenn

Hollis was looking around the room and focusing on the artifacts. That was about the moment Justice realized he missed an article of clothing. His shorts. Great. They were going to be even at least. Justice had found one of her bras and now she had found his undershorts. He laughed as Hollis set them somewhere, seeing the blush in her cheeks as she got into the bed.

“Well, she did not say no cuddling, and that you had to figure this thing out by any means necessary.”

Now he was sounding a bit more like his Uncle. Maybe there was a bit more Lesan in him than he originally thought. Just pulled the woman close, wrapping his arm around her as she rested her head on his chest. He was intentional about laying in such a way that Hollis would have to rest on his good side. Just was certain the bit of metal in his chest would not be comfortable for her, and possibly even for him.

He sighed as he looked up. A deep breath was taken in from his nostrils as the padawan took in the feminine scent of the woman with him. Just closed his eyes after a few breaths and allowed himself to begin drifting off.

“Besides, I missed you a lot. More than I’d ever be able to say with words.”

This was a new feeling. Justice had liked other girls before, but he had never missed any of them when they were not there. He had never had to fight the thoughts of another’s safety when he was away before. Sure he had been concerned for Brianna, but he had never thought his being gone would impact her well being. With Hollis, Justice did not want to be away. He did not care if she was safe with her master. He wanted to be the one she was safe with.

He was tired. He was falling asleep. The evidence of it was in his voice. With his eyes closed it would not be long before he was completely carried away to the sleep he desperately needed. Still, he fought to remain awake just to have those few extra moments with Hollis seared into his memory.​

 

[Hollis Orenn]

​

Location: Ship!​

Outfit: xxx​

Tag: Justice Lesan​

Hollis drew in a deep breath as she snuggled against Justice's side. Her lashes fluttered softly, and her eyes closed for a moment. Hollis basically melted when Justice pulled her in close. The bed was certainly comfortable, the blankets were warm, and it felt so good just to be close to him.

When he said he'd missed her, she felt her heart skip in her chest. More than words, Hollis knew that feeling. "Me too," she murmured softly, and momentarily angled her head up to get a peek at him. His eyes were already closed; he was drifting. It was such a sweet sight that it made her heart feel like it might burst.

She really did adore him.

As she let her head rest against his chest again, she felt herself growing tired as well. She hadn't been to war like he had, but she'd fought her own battle during the week – getting used to Master Nemore's military-style drills. And she hadn't slept as well as she did when they'd been together on her couch. Closing her eyes, she imagined going to sleep like this every night and waking up the same way: together.

It was probably too early to start thinking about moving in together. But it was nice to think about. Really, she hadn't anticipating falling for anyone here among the Jedi. With Justice, however, their immediate bond had felt so natural.

A smile lingered on her face for a moment as she drifted off too...

***​

But there wasn't a smile on her face when she opened her eyes much later... to hear a beeping sound. What was that? Was it an alarm clock? Oh, no... that's right, they weren't at the temple. A rush of panic made Hollis sit up straight.

 

[Justice Lesan]

Location: Meditation Chamber
Wearing: xxx
Arm: xxx
Tag: Hollis Orenn

Justice bolted up at the familiar sound of the proximity alarm. He almost had forgotten Hollis was with him, but it seemed she had woken up to the sound first. This was why the captain’s quarters were close to the cockpit, in case they had to rush to keep the ship from crashing into the atmosphere of the planet or some other celestial body.

It did not take long before Justice was in the pilot seat, pulling the ship out of lightspeed. There was no way Justice was going to put this on Hollis yet. While it would be good experience, entering the atmosphere was a different thing entirely. No matter how skilled a pilot was, there was no such thing as a smooth entry. The initial bump was a reminder that the ship was no longer dealing with a lack of gravitational pull.

His arms held steady as Justice did his best to keep the ship as calm as possible. There could be some bumpy landings, but the Corellian prided himself in not being the kind of pilot to make them a regular habit. Before too long the ship was landed under an alias, in case his ship was recognized. It was a smuggler’s trick, but smart.

“So… we should not be too far from where you need to go. From this point forward you’re the boss.”

That felt ominous in a foreshadowing kind of way. Justice had meant for the mission, but there was part of him that realized it could be taken in a couple sort of way as well. They were growing closer with every passing moment, and while it was definitely early to be thinking, or dwelling, on the future, Justice was more than certain he wanted Hollis in his life on a rather permanent basis.

If he only would have been awake enough to realize what she had been thinking about before they both drifted off to sleep, he may have been inclined to think the same thing. Something about the pairing more than made sense. They were alike enough that it was a perfect match, and different enough to complement each other as well. Was it too early to have deep feelings for the brunette? Maybe. Either way Justice knew what he felt, especially with having been away fighting on Ilum. They would have to talk about it sometime, but not on her mission. Hollis needed to focus.

“I’m here if you need me, but this is all your call on how we handle things. So… what now?”​

 

[Hollis Orenn]

​

Location: Ship!​

Outfit: xxx​

Tag: Justice Lesan​

Hollis followed Justice back to the cockpit, but let him slide into the pilot's chair this time. She settled in the seat next to him and watched him bring the ship out of lightspeed. The stars slowed around them, and Hollis knew it was time to get to the mission at hand.

She watched as his strong grip kept the ship steady, and she wondered how well she'd be able to do the same. Master Nemore had commented that her arms were like... limp noodles.

As the ship set down, Hollis gathered up her things. She stood for a moment when Justice commented that she was now the 'boss.' She didn't quite feel like it. Hollis didn't want to be the one calling the shots, shouldering the responsibility – but she knew she was going to have to get used to it, that's what her master said, too. Her nerves kept her from gleaning any other meaning, however.

She offered Justice the bravest nod and smile that she could muster.

"Thanks, I really am glad you came along," she said, warmly. Hollis resisted the urge to fall into his arms again or to collapse in a pile on the floor. No, no... they'd had their time to rest and be together, now it was time to be a Jedi. After taking a glance down at her datapad again, she squared her shoulders.

"Right. This has the coordinates of the most recent attack – yesterday morning," she explained. "We should be close to the farmstead, it's on the edge of the forest here." Hollis showed him on the map. "Let's get going."

It was late evening on Tepasi; the sky was steadily darkening. The timing made sense, all of the attacks had happened over night. Hollis walked, a glow stick in hand to help ward off the growing dark. As they arrived at the farm, the owner directed them out to the fields – where there were a number of carcasses. It was a bloody sight, the fresh blades of pasture grass had been stained red.

"Oh," Hollis gasped and covered her mouth at the sight of the mangled livestock. Their necks were bent at rather violent angles, and upon closure inspection there would be deep puncture wounds. Teeth and claws. Hollis had to focus and hold her breath, or else she worried she might get sick.

"I... I guess we should continue to search the area?" she said, trying and failing to sound assertive.

 

[Justice Lesan]

Location: Meditation Chamber
Wearing: xxx
Arm: xxx
Tag: Hollis Orenn

Only one look at the scene was needed to know what they were up against. The claw and teeth marks sent phantom pains shooting down Just’s mechanical arm. THere was no way he was going to be able to hide the sensation from Hollis. Despite the battles he had fought in with little fear, this made Justice want to retreat. Images of that day flooded his mind as he began to rub his arm without any thought. Justice did not even realize he was doing it.

“Yeah…”

His answer was short, lacking the usual confidence Hollis had been accustomed to receiving from him. Had her master known this was what they would find? Was she testing him as much as Hollis was getting her first real test?

Justice did what he could to push the thoughts out of his mind and looked around the rest of the area. Hollis said they needed to search it, so that is what Justice was going to do. If this was a wild animal of some kind there would be tracks, or some kind of evidence which lead them in the right direction.

It was getting dark, or just about was, so the Jedi pulled a small light from his pack. After some time of searching his eyes found what they had been looking for.

“Hol… come take a look at this.”

Justice waited for her to arrive at his side before pointing out what he found.

“See the way the grass is broken and lying in the opposite direction of the rest of the blades around it? It drug something off that way.”

Justice wanted to tell her they needed to follow it, but it was her call. She needed to be the one to suggest. In his mind the mission was now very clear and very simple. Kill the beast before it could terrorize anymore farms.​

 

[Hollis Orenn]

​

Location: Ship!​

Outfit: xxx​

Tag: Justice Lesan​

Hollis sensed a shift within Justice.

Her eyes flickered from the bloody carnage to him; he was rubbing his arm. She canted her head to the side ever slightly, trying to get some insight. It was something she'd seen him do before, almost like the cybernetic arm hurt. Of course, she didn't know exactly what went through his mind… only that he seemed troubled. Hollis continued to watch him for a moment, but she reluctantly returned her focus to the mission.

The lush grass didn't reveal any tracks that she could make out in the growing darkness. So, Hollis knelt and scanned the tree line. The woods grew thick around the farm, that'd certainly make it easy for any predator to prey upon the poor livestock.

"Hmm?" Hollis looked over at Justice as he called out to her. She got up and made her way over to see what he had found. Her dark eyes found the trail in the grass when he pointed it out, it went all the way to the woods – where it would become more difficult to trace.

"We'll go that way, then," she said, steeling herself. Making her way over to the trees, she kept her eyes on the ground – there was blood. And there were bits of wooly fur here and there in the thick brush. "Why did it kill so many?" Hollis asked aloud, glancing over her shoulder at the pasture. Maybe that meant the predator was going to return to take the rest.

Ahead of them, there seemed to be a rocky mountain face.

At the base, they would come to find bits of bone.

Hollis had goosebumps now. Her senses were alert and something about the woods made her feel… creeped out. She could almost hear her master saying, 'trust your instincts' in her head. Her hand reached down for her saber, just in case.

She had the strangest feeling that someone was following them.

Hollis edged closer to Justice, looking for reassurance… or maybe confirmation that he felt like something was off.

 

[Justice Lesan]

Location: Meditation Chamber
Wearing: xxx
Arm: xxx
Tag: Hollis Orenn

The blood and torn flesh kept Justice distracted. He wondered if his arm had looked anything similar. It did bring up one important fact Justice had never thought about up to this point. He had never told Hollis exactly how he lost his arm. This was the first time he had been confronted with anything remotely reminiscent of the injury itself. Even having seen others with missing limbs had not been as triggering as the mess he witnessed now.

They moved deeper into the woods. Hollis was doing exactly what she was supposed to do. The instructions had been clear. Find the disturbance, and eliminate it. Hollis had certainly gotten the find the disturbance part of the mission down.

Eyes looked at the pile of bones. Justice was suddenly nervous.

“Ummm Hollis… this is where it feeds…”

There was no time to finish what he was about to say as a wild animal leaped out at them. Justice reacted quickly. This would not be like last time. Hollis would be safe and Justice would ensure he did not lose an arm. His saber was ignited and without even thinking about it he cut the beast in two. For a moment he just stood over the halved corpse and stared down.

His hand moved to his arm again, rubbing it as a few tears fell down his face. Justice was visibly shaken. Had he not known better he may have thought he was going into shock. Instead it was the spike of adrenaline running through his system. The blade recoiled back within the hilt. Justice suddenly realized what he had done. This was supposed to have been Hollis’ mission and instead he had jumped in.

“I’m sorry.”

His eyes looked at her, an apologetic look.

“I just reacted. I wasn’t going to let it happen again.”​

 

[Hollis Orenn]

​

Location: Woods​

Outfit: xxx​

Tag: Justice Lesan​

This is where it feeds.

As soon as the words left his lips, the realization set in hard for Hollis. Her hand tightened on the hilt of her saber – and froze. She barely had time to register what was happening.

The force screamed danger; it was the first time she'd ever felt it.

Her eyes opened wide as the cat-like creature leapt from the darkness and she screamed. The next few seconds stretched before her, opening up like an eternity. In that space, she witnessed the attack that had taken Justice's arm – like it was happening right before her very eyes.

She felt his fear.

His pain.

It all became clear in that moment. At the same time, she was seeing Justice now – brandishing his orange saber courageously. His blade cut the beast in two, and her own blade had only just ignited. Hollis drew in a gasping breath as she bent double, shocked from nearly being attacked, being saved – and witnessing horror of the memory. Once she caught her breath, she glanced up to see Justice standing at the foot of the corpse.

He was rubbing his arm.

Hollis shook her head slightly as he apologized; he didn't need to. She was at his side in an instant and gently reached for his hand to lead him away from the body. "It's okay, it's okay," she murmured. This time, her arms wrapped around Justice, pulling him into a tender embrace.

She hadn't been there when he'd lost his arm.

I'm here now, her force presence would reassure him.

The glimpse into his memory had given her insight: he'd wanted to protect his friend from the sithspawn. And he'd wanted to protect her from the predator that had stalked them through the woods. This act spoke of caring, maybe even more than that.

"You kept me safe," she said, placing her palm against his cheek. "Don't worry, I'll explain to my master. I'm sure she'll understand." A slight smile tugged at the edge of her lips. "Or we won't be allowed out together on missions." Hollis chuckled softly.

 

[Justice Lesan]

Location: Meditation Chamber
Wearing: xxx
Arm: xxx
Tag: Hollis Orenn

Justice could feel Hollis wrapping herself around him as calming waves of her presence washed over him through the force. She led him away from it all. It was okay, or so she told him. He knew that somehow during all of it he had projected his memories of that day. Briana had been so stupid not listening to Master Noble, and Justice had been just as dumb by following her. All he wanted to do was keep the people he cared about safe, and with Bri, he had failed to do that.

He’d lost his arm instead.

His head rested on Hollis’ shoulder as he gave into the emotion he was feeling. Justice wrapped his arms around her as she suggested she could get her master to understand. He shook his head. Justice was not sure that would be possible. He had been there to protect her, or so he thought. At least this time when it mattered, Justice did not freeze. Still, he could not help but feel as though he failed as a Jedi.

“A Jedi is supposed to be above all of this… these fears, emotions. It shouldn’t have triggered any of that.”

His voice was soft, barely above a whisper, and yet to him it sounded as if he were shouting. Justice pulled his head up and looked over at the scene. His eyes wandered back to find Hollis looking back at him. She seemed so focused on him at the moment.

“You need to tell the farmer it has been handled. The mission isn’t over until they feel safe. Show them the carcass.”

Justice pointed to what remained of their attacker. This was the part of the job that was not fun, or would not be for Hollis. If she thought the young Lesan was suggesting she take the thing to the farmer, she would be correct. They needed reassurance the job had been completed, and that meant proof. Not everyone took the word of a Jedi as gospel truth.

“Once that’s done… we need to get out of here… I… need to get out of here.”​

 

[Hollis Orenn]

​

Location: Woods​

Outfit: xxx​

Tag: Justice Lesan​

When he spoke about emotions and looked into her eyes, Hollis wanted to make everything fade away – the woods around them, the dead creature, the farm. To her, it felt like he hadn't truly processed the trauma of what he'd went through when he lost his arm. However, Hollis knew that this was neither the time nor the place to address it.

Her eyes shifted to find the carcass once more as Justice told her to inform the farmer. It was going to be a grim task. But Hollis knew it had to be done, and Justice had already done the most difficult part. Hollis gently pressed her forehead to his and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before moving away.

"Alright, I can handle this," she said, pushing up her sleeves. It was her turn to be brave.

The sight of the bisected body made her want to wretch, so she just focused on the large paws. Hefting a rear leg in each hand, Hollis turned until she was facing the direction they'd come from. "Okay." She blew out a breath and tugged the carcass along behind her. It was heavy, but she wasn't going to ask Justice to help with this part. Using the force to aid her, Hollis hauled it to the farm – all the time keeping her presence connected to his, like she was holding his hand.

She paused for a breather at the fence line. "I can make it from here," she said. "Why don't you go back to the ship? I'll be there soon." Hollis eyed him, she wanted nothing more than to comfort him – to be his safe place to land, when he needed to.

After giving him a small nod, Hollis would pull the carcass all the way up to the farmer's front porch and let them know that the deed had been done.

 

[Justice Lesan]

Location: Meditation Chamber
Wearing: xxx
Arm: xxx
Tag: Hollis Orenn

Justice shook his head, without saying much. If Hollis thought he was going to walk back to the ship without her when his directive from her master had been just as clear, she was mistaken. He understood she was trying to look out for him, which only made the gesture that much more endearing, but Justice was not going to leave her behind, not even if he thought she was safe.

The younger Lesan followed behind her. Hollis seemed to be managing just fine with the carcass, clearly using the force to help her drag it across the field. He listened as she explained to the farmer what they had found, how they had been attacked, and it would no longer be bothering them. All in all she handled herself well, and when Hollis turned to head back to the ship Justice did as well.

He was quiet for a good portion of the walk back. There were a lot of feelings and emotions to process. Of all of them, he still struggled with the idea of his reaction at the sight of the animals and the beast itself. He should have been over the incident. It had been almost a year or more since it happened. Justice had fought in battles since without flinching. This had made him react differently.

“You did good,” he finally said, desperately wanting to ignore what had happened. They needed to talk about it, but Justice was not sure how ready he was.

The ship was close, and Justice picked up the pace so he could go right into the cockpit and start the engines and run the pre-flight checks. This time he did not make Hollis try to take off. There was a part of him which wanted to get back to the temple, even though it was still four hours away from where they were.

It was not until he stood from the pilot seat that he realized his clothes had been covered in blood from splitting the animal in two. Justice chuckled, a little of his humor returning as he showed himself off for Hollis to see.

“I think I need to go change and get a shower. Beast blood is definitely not in this season.”

He laughed the entire way back to the refresher to take a shower, only stopping to ask Hollis if she remembered how to set the course, this time for Coruscant. She would, the woman was smarter than she gave herself credit for, do Justice continued on his way back to his quarters to use the private facility as was his habit.

Everything was left a mess. Justice had simply strewn the clothes wherever they landed as he took them off, another habit of his. He was so used to being alone on his own ship that he behaved as if he were. Nothing was locked, and everything was a mess. He even started singing in the shower, though his voice was nothing life changing or spectacular.

All he could think about was that he needed to wash the incident off of his skin. He needed to get passed the trauma.​

 

[Hollis Orenn]

​

Location: Woods​

Outfit: xxx​

Tag: Justice Lesan​

As Hollis had stepped up onto the porch, she noted that Justice's presence stayed with her – because he had accompanied her all the way. A soft smile formed on her lips before she knocked on the door. The farmer was happy to learn that the beast would no longer threaten his livestock. He'd also insisted on keeping the remains in order to make use of the pelt. Hollis was more than glad to leave it with him.

The walk back to the ship was quiet. Hollis glanced sidelong at Justice several times, just to make sure he was okay. Her lips parted a few times as well, but she wasn't sure how to start… so she didn't. She blinked, but offered Justice a small smile when he praised her. As his strides grew longer and faster, Hollis picked up the pace to keep up.

Thankfully, he hadn't asked her to take off this time. There was a moment of relief when he chuckled. Hollis grinned at him. "Sounds good," she said, nodding. Luckily, she did remember how to set a course… or rather, the computer already displayed a return route to Coruscant. And while she had a moment, she pulled out her datapad and typed a message to her master…

Master Nemore – we've completed the mission and are currently on our way back to the temple.

Sent.

It was then that she wondered if she ought to have written "I've completed the mission" instead of using "we." It was too late now. And it felt better to say "we," because they had done it together.

Hollis glanced down at her own white tunic. While Justice had shielded her from the worst of the blood and gore, there were red stains all along her sleeve. She cringed. Rising from the pilot's seat, she made her way to Justice's quarters and went in. Of course, she knew where the clothes were now… so she pulled out a sweatshirt and quickly changed into it.

She could hear him singing in the refresher, and Hollis smiled.

But for some reason, it didn't occur to her that he could walk out at any moment (and might not have any clothes). So, when she heard the door open behind her, she turned to look.

 

[Justice Lesan]

Location: Meditation Chamber
Wearing: xxx
Arm: xxx
Tag: Hollis Orenn

The shower had been exactly what Justice needed. While the hot water could not wash away everything he was dealing with, the time alone and the restorative nature of getting clean often brought a different perspective. His spirits were much higher after the time taken to freshen up, even to the point he felt like he wanted to talk with Hollis about what happened. How he lost his arm.

All he had to do was turn off the water and get out. He lazily wrapped a towel around his waist since there was no one in his room. It would be a quick trip to the drawer where his shorts were kept and the towel would be flung to the nearest open space on the floor. That was the theory anyway.

Reality had been much different.

Justice wrapped the towel around his waist, but when he exited, Hollis was standing right there wearing one of his hooded shirts.

He froze.

She was looking right at him.

If that was not embarrassing enough, his wrap job on the towel had been so loose it fell right to the floor the moment he stopped. Just quickly reached down to pick it back up, his cheeks, chest, every bit of exposed flesh turning beat red.

This was most definitely not how he thought about what it would be like when they got to the no clothes part of their relationship. Then again… as he had said when he found her bra on the couch before Ilum… this was them. Part of him would not have it any other way excepting for what came out of his mouth.

“Well this is both awkward and totally not fair.”​

 

[Hollis Orenn]

​

Location: The Captain's Quarters ​

Outfit: xxx​

Tag: Justice Lesan​

Hollis blinked.

Justice was standing framed in the doorway wearing a towel. And then suddenly no towel. "Ohmygosh!" Hollis' eyes widened before she slapped a hand over them as she realized what had just happened. Even though her eyes were covered, she turned her back to him as well. "Sorry!" she said quickly.

She hadn't blushed so hard, ever.

Hollis ducked away from the dresser to give Justice access to his clothing, especially his underwear. Lucky for him, there was a pair right on top of the dresser, where she'd left them earlier. With her back still to him, she sat down on the edge of his bed. "Um, sorry – again," she stammered. "I noticed I had blood on my shirt, too. So, I thought I'd borrow one of yours – I hope you don't mind. You don't, do you?" Hollis knew she was rambling, but it was something to fill the awkward space between them.

Her dark gaze shifted slightly, catching him in a sidelong glance. His towel was in place now, and her eyes lingered on his shoulders… then chest, and then… abs. Hollis brought a hand up to cover a wide grin. And she couldn't help but giggle at the sight of him. His toned physique was attractive, and Hollis had to concentrate on keeping her gaze averted. Of course, that was the most of him she'd seen, and she'd seen just about… everything.

Hollis turned her back to him again so she could fan herself. "Ah, I can go if you want," she said. "Do you want me to? It's okay, I'll just…" But she didn't go. Hopefully, he'd had enough time to throw on some clothes.

 

[Justice Lesan]

Location: Meditation Chamber
Wearing: xxx
Arm: xxx
Tag: Hollis Orenn

There were a lot of answers which ran through Just’s mind when Hollis suggested she could leave. Part of him was so embarrassed that he wanted her to. Other parts of him however, they preferred she stayed. Justice had all kinds of reasons why he wanted her stay too. Her back was to him, giving him plenty of time to get dressed, but what if he did not want to get dressed. It seemed Hollis wanted him to even if her eyes did decide to take in everything that was not hidden by the towel.

He walked over to the drawer and made sure he had something covering his lower half. The sweats that matched the hooded shirt Hollis had claimed for herself would do nicely. Justice pulled them up quickly and sat next to Hollis on the bed. His mechanical hand came up under her chin and guided her lips to his. Maybe it was best to not say anything quite yet.

“You don’t have to go. I’m so used to being alone I didn’t think to lock the door, hmm?

Sure, Just was trying to shoulder the blame. He should have locked the door if wanted privacy, or to avoid the kind of embarrassing moment the two just shared. It was not like the two had even been talking about moving their relationship to a place where it would have been perfectly normal for them to walk in on each other like this.

He sighed and gave Hollis a big hug, even if she wanted to protest Justice’s responsibility in the matter, he was not going to let her.

“Though, I’m thinking maybe I shouldn’t have to lock the door with you around either.”

Justice paused.

This was likely not the time to bring up the subject, but he did. Why should they have to be so careful around each other? It was clear they had feelings for each other, and that they both wanted to be together. This did not seem like a casual relationship for either of them. Sure they had just started using words like boyfriend or girlfriend, but the commitment to each other was there. Then there was the fact the two could not hide much between their bond.

Hollis had not moved despite suggesting she should leave. She did not want to as much as Justice did not want her to. It had just been a moment of embarrassment between them, but that was all it had been. Would they have felt the same if it had been intentional on the other's part.

“Let’s not tell your master about this either… or she definitely will not let us on anymore missions together.”​

 

[Hollis Orenn]

​

Location: The Captain's Quarters​

Outfit: xxx​

Tag: Justice Lesan​

Hollis turned slightly when she felt Justice sit next to her on the bed. His cybernetic hand gently lifted her chin, and Hollis opened her mouth to apologize again. However, his lips quieted hers as they met in a kiss.

"I know," Hollis said, when he mentioned that he could have locked the door. "But –"

Once more, her protest was met with affection. As he drew her in for a hug, Hollis immediately wrapped her arms around him and took in the clean scent that lingered on his skin. What he said next came as a surprise, and Hollis pulled way just enough to look up at him with wide eyes.

She smiled.

Hollis radiated warmth as she looked into his eyes. She didn't know quite what to say, but the bond did the speaking for her. Their relationship was quite new, but their connection ran deep. And they were both adults – even if awkward. Hollis was more than certain they'd get to the 'no-clothes' part of their relationship… it was only a matter of time. Time, and not being out on a mission assigned by her new master.

She laughed when he mentioned not telling Master Nemore about… this. "Yeah," Hollis agreed, still smiling. "We definitely shouldn't mention this part."

Her hands still on his shoulders, Hollis drew back just a touch more – to get a better look. The memory was still fresh in her mind, and her fingertips gently traced where the hardware meshed with his skin. It looked… painful.

"It doesn't hurt you, does it?" Hollis asked, her eyes flickering up to meet his. It was the first time she'd seen his arm – and bare chest – this close. "I… saw what happened." Her voice grew quiet. Perhaps it was not the best time to bring it up… or maybe it was.

 

[Justice Lesan]

Location: Meditation Chamber
Wearing: xxx
Arm: xxx
Tag: Hollis Orenn

Justice smirked. He had caught the woman off guard, and that made him feel accomplished for some reason. She did not have to answer or take her thoughts or feelings on the matter any further as their bond ensured he knew her position. Just simply smiled and nodded as she agreed they should not tell her master about this part.

He was quiet as her fingers traced the places where the arm meshed with his flesh. If he wanted to be ornery he could pretend like it hurt, but that seemed too cruel, and more like something his uncle would have done. Instead, Justice let Hollis gain satisfaction to the curiosity she had as her fingers explored parts of him that no one else besides the doctors and healers had.

There was an intimacy to the moment, almost more solemn than the act of making love would have been for them. Sure they could have rushed into the physical aspects of their relationship. The depth of their bond certainly made that desire more pronounced, at least it did for Justice. This moment, it seemed necessary somehow, as if they could not progress in their relationship until they got past the glaring obstacle in front of them.

"It doesn't hurt you, does it?"

Justice shook his head, no.

"I… saw what happened."

It was quiet for a minute. Justice knew she had, somehow he knew she had. What was there to say other than what she saw. He nodded, unsure of how to answer her. There was a depth of care in her voice he had wished so long to hear from Brianna, but the girl he had saved had been so wrapped up in her own world she did not see past it to realize that Justice had needed her to visit, anything really. Hearing the love in Hollis’ voice was the balm Justice needed. The tears seemed to agree with him.

“It hurt a lot, and it looks more painful now than it actually is.”

Justice took her hand and placed it over the seam.

“See, not even a flinch.”

He smiled.

“I actually cannot feel much. There was nerve damage there which I did not want the healers to repair. I imagine it might bother me more if I let them. Still, it had to have been worse for Bri. I made her cut the dangling parts off and cauterize the wound. It was not salvageable anyway, not even with the best healers. No one can make an arm grow back.”

At least Hollis had the full story. He even assumed she could sense he once cared for the other padawan. Maybe Justice had been foolish to allow himself to have feelings for the Sal-Soren girl, but he had. Another smile tugged at his lips as he looked at Hollis. It had been a good thing nothing ever came of his crush on his fellow Corellian. Justice was perfectly happy with how things turned out.​

 

[Hollis Orenn]

​

Location: The Captain's Quarters​

Outfit: xxx​

Tag: Justice Lesan​

A moment of quiet acknowledgement fell between them.

She had seen the memory – and he knew she had seen it, felt it. As Justice placed her hand over the seam, she watched him closely. Hollis let out the breath she'd been holding, relieved. His arm didn't bother her, but the idea of it hurting him did. Hollis still remembered when they'd met to do the forms, how self-conscious he seemed to be about it… how he rubbed it like it caused him pain and didn't realize it.

"Bri," she said, echoing the name when Justice mentioned her.

It was the pretty face she'd seen in his mind – and a very complicated mix of emotions that went along with it. Hollis sensed how Justice felt about her – then and now. However, there were no sparks of jealousy or insecurity on her part; Hollis just didn't think that way. She'd felt the resentment he had towards the other woman, but the fact that she'd completed the difficult act of cauterizing the wound seemed to speak of caring, and certainly bravery. She couldn't even imagine. Of course, it also felt very different from the caring nature she felt towards Justice -- which indeed came from a place of love. Hollis brought her hand to his cheek for a moment.

"I wish I could have been there for you," she said, softly. "But I'll always be here from now on."

It was very important to Hollis that he knew he wouldn't have to face anything like that alone. Maybe it was her way of protecting him. She smiled. Though they already shared a bond – which was deepening – this felt like a new sense of closeness. It was a singular experience, knowing someone this well. And yet, Hollis felt there was still so much more to explore.

"Oh." Hollis blinked. Her hand reached up to her chest for a moment as she remembered the ring that belonged to Justice's father. Her fingers lifted it gently off her neck, and she held it in the palm of her hand, extending it to him. "I almost forgot to give this back." She smiled once more.

 

[Justice Lesan]

Location: Meditation Chamber
Wearing: xxx
Arm: xxx
Tag: Hollis Orenn

"It's okay, we hadn't even met yet. It's been a year."

A year, almost. It was a long time and yet it wasn't. There was so much which had happened in that past couple of weeks, let alone the year. In some ways other things had not changed much at all. He smiled when she assured him that she would be there from this point on. Justice took her hand and kissed the top of it, just because. He was not used to having someone to rely on.

His eyes dipped as she offered the ring. Justice closed her hand around it.

"Keep it."

Just was not sure why he did that, but it felt right. They were a couple and the ring meant something to him. In a way it was one more way to show Hollis how much he cared, and how important she was to him. When it was all said and done, the young Lesan simply wanted her to have it.

He yawned. It seemed a four hour nap had not been enough, and Just looked over to his pillow.

"Maybe some more sleep would be good. I'm suddenly tired."

It was only natural as his body was coming down from the adrenaline of all his emotions.​