Edge of Heaven

[Aren D'Shade]

At least he displayed a touch of humor at the situation and didn't appear to harbor any real anger at her. When he said he clearly hadn't thrown that blaster far enough away, Aren let out a small laugh to his groan.

His blue eyes met her hazel and didn't look away as she asked her question. This told her he wasn't going to make any adverse move against her any time soon and while still not fully trusting him, she relaxed a little.

Right now, it seemed they both needed the support of the other. Considering they had just met, it might seem odd or funny. However, it just felt right. EL walked on the other side of Aren and lead the way away from the droid facility. They could return on another day and Aren could add to her collection of droids then.

"Well, I'm glad you weren't trying to kill me. Seemed that way. Your hand will be able to zap just fine in the future too. Just a temporary short in there."

[member="Doran Ren"]​

 

[Doran Ren]

Doran smiled as he walked off with the girl, he wheezed as the two walked together with the feminine droid following close behind. What was he doing? He should be killing her since she was unwilling to join the Order. However he was just so captivated by her. "Ah yes, I apologize for that. I had my orders..."

He looked down at his gauntlets as they crackled and sprung back to life sending an exhilarating shock through his spine. As he stopped in his tracks he grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her to face him. He stared into her eyes and unclipped his respirator to appear more human. If he truly wanted to he could sacrifice some force power to sustain himself without it.

"Aren, why? Why would you save me? I was completely at your mercy you could have left me to die, but you didn't. Why?"

The young Ren didn't even notice that he was slowly inching closer to her as he felt their connection in the force, and his heart.

[member="Aren D'Shade"]

 

[Aren D'Shade]

The second thoughts and guesses Doran was feeling were missed by Aren. Her own sort of mirrored his in a way. When he broke the silence between them to speak and mentioned he had his orders, she turned her head to look at him with a question on her face. Before she could speak though, he asked why she had saved him.

"You're young, like me. So much future ahead of us. That and well, I am not really sure. Just didn't feel right to let that happen. So I did what I had to do to get you to let go. After that my nature with electronics kicked and I knew I could make it better."

Looking at him ​she wondered again what he meant moments ago. An opportunity for her to ask was now though.

"What orders? When I left Zakuul, I wasn't in trouble with the First Order."

Their proximity was close and his move in closer didn't feel threatening. In fact, her heart skipped just a little and she took in a quick breath to calm its flutter.​

[member="Doran Ren"]

 

[Doran Ren]

Doran smiled at her response. She was right, they were so young. He felt her draw in breath as he drew closer to her. He saw so much of himself in her eyes, young, untamed. His allegiance to the order and his shackles slipped away when he looked into her eyes. All he could see was her. He snapped back to reality for a moment to answer her question “The Order always keeps tabs on force users it’s aware of. It either seeks them as candidates, or targets. Needing to be taken out before they join a rival.”

He fell back into a trance as he locked eyes with her again and almost wasn’t in control as his gloved hands gently wrapped around her waste as he drew closer.

@Aren D’Shade

 

[Aren D'Shade]

The connection of their similar ages drew her. Something yelled at Aren to put a stop to this, but she couldn't. That small part of her said he was a Ren, she needed to run and get away. Or that vision she had on Voss would become a reality. She would become of them and no longer have a mind of her own to think with. Daron was proving her impression wrong though.

He was real, here next to her. While he had wanted to take her back to the First Order and the Ren, he didn't seem to want to now. What had changed his mind? The mention of joining a rival, she shook her head.

"You are the first to approach me. On Zakuul, I didn't know I could use the Force..."

​Her voice faded into a whisper and their arms went around the other in a light and comfortable manner. Again locking eyes, she didn't look away.

[member="Doran Ren"]

 

[Doran Ren]

Why was this happening, why was he so infatuated with this girl? His thoughts drifted as he looked into her eyes. She was saying something but he wasn’t really listening. Maybe he could convince her to join the Ren still, with non hostile attempts. Maybe his charm was worth so much more to her than any First Order propaganda.

As they locked eyes she embraced him too and moved closer. Why was she not terrified of him? He had tried to practically kidnap her? Doran wanted to panic at his failure to capture her but. His fear melted as the two held each other.

Without thinking, the young Ren closed his eyes and tilted his head, moving to lock lips with the quirky slicer.

@Aren D’Shade

 

[Aren D'Shade]

The part of her that was yelling at her to run was stifled and silenced. One thing Aren had never done was program into EL was the dislike for the FO, so she had no clue what this man meant to her. Being a droid, she couldn't tell just how Aren first felt for Doran. There was clearly nothing hostile going on between them now and she did not move to break them apart.

On her part, Aren was not afraid of Doran. She knew how to control his life giving machines and felt a small sliver of pride in that. It didn't matter that he just been mad enough to lash out and attack her. That part of him she accepted and knew not to mess with his gear.

Being almost the same height and already very close, his move was natural and not at all forced. Their lips touched, locked and she closed her eyes. As much as he had been in her control moments before. It seemed this dance for dominance continued and she lost herself to the kiss.

[member="Doran Ren"]

 

[Doran Ren]

Doran moved his hands up to the girls back as the two locked lips and held each other tight. All of his fear and malice had vanished, he felt. Safe. Which seemed odd when you consider that his life is in her hands considering she could end it at any moment. Even though he had sort of won this round by stealing a kiss, he felt that she was in full control, and he was fine with that.

The kiss was soft and pleasent as the Ren and the Slicer embraced. He was half worried the droid would interfere but luckily for the both of them it stood by. Hopefully their tight embrace wouldn’t be seen as a hostile action. Doran’s mind slowed to nothing as his heart pounded while the two kissed.

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Not knowing how long the kiss lasted, it didn't matter to Aren. When it was natural to end, they separated and she let out a small chuckle.

"Well part of your mission was accomplished."

A touch of humor to indicate he had captured her. Her heart was beating quickly and her breath was shallow. This wasn't her first kiss, but none of the previous ones had been like this.

"What do you plan to do now?"

Aren did not pull away from Doran at all. Her voice was silenced and now she thought maybe she had been wrong​.

[member="Doran Ren"]

 

[Doran Ren]

Doran smiled as the two held close, considering the fact that his only interactions had been military, this was his first real kiss. He smirked at her quip and pecked her lips again but he locked eyes with her and grinned.

“For once I have no idea. Whatever I do I want it to be with you.”

He held her tight in a hug and breathed shallowly after their kiss. His eyes widened as he came to realization. “Come back with me Aren, you could find a whole new life with the Ren, and you could stay with me, I would make sure no harm would come to you.”

@Aren D’Shade

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Liking the light peck, it was returned, but that did not lead to another deep kiss like the first one. Aren liked the honesty in the answer he gave her.

"I'm not afraid of being hurt, Doran. My fear is becoming nothing more than a number and tool used. It's like I said before. Nothing more than a simple drone to be used and then disposed of when no longer useful. It is what those droids are inside that factory you found me near to."

The offer of returning to the First Order was extended and to stay with him.

"Where is home for you?"

[member="Doran Ren"]

 

[Doran Ren]

The two never broke their embrace as they discussed their future. She was clearly having doubts about joining the order but he was keen to change her mind. “The Ren are not tools, we come and go as we please we are as free as anyone else. We serve the order because we believe in the vision of peace and order.”

She asked the young Ren where his home was, without hesitation he chuckled and said “Its with my family, the Ren is that family Aren.”

 

[Aren D'Shade]

She tilted her head to listen to him. While she wasn't trying to question his own faith in his Order, Aren still had her doubts.

"What is the price of that vision? Peace and order come with a tag. There isn't an easy way make it happen. Doran, I have a brother. He is what I think of as family. How can the Ren be a family like that? You're not blood."

At that point, EL did approach the two of them.

"Miss Aren. The shift at that facility is going to be ending soon. Are we going to break those droids out when that happens."

Letting out a groan, she would have placed her hand on her head to give herself a slap. Turning her head to look at EL, she gave her a dirty look and shook her head.

"Not today, EL."

Looking back at Doran, she might have been blushing slightly since EL had revealed what they had been planning to do before he showed up.

"Where are you staying here?"

[member="Doran Ren"]

 

[Doran Ren]

“We always do what we can to come to peaceful solutions but you must know not everyone can accept that. And no I guess I can’t understand because I never had a real family. With the Ren, as we fight and hurt together, we grow closer and that’s something a blood relationship can’t accomplish on its own.”

Doran was cut off by the pesky droid as it inquired to the duos prior plans. He couldn’t help but chuckle as Aren was clearly annoyed. After she groaned and turned back to him he couldn’t help but steal another quick kiss.

“I rented a room at a nearby place for a few nights, figured it would take longer to find you than it really did.”

 

[Aren D'Shade]

When he answered her first question, she lifted an eyebrow at him.

"I actually didn't grow up with my brother. Our parents died when we were very little and we were separated. I wound up on Zakuul and raised as an only child. Well, when the First Order came in, I left. You already know my opinion so not going to say that again."

What he said was true though, before she knew he was a Ren, he had approached her with peace. Only when she declined had he turned to violence. Shaking her head as she spoke on, she would point out something.

"Haven't yet fought or bled with my brother."

When another light kiss ​was felt, she was as if he swept her feet from out of under her. Giving him a smile, she wrapped her hands up around the back of his head lightly.

"How did you know to search here? It's nowhere near where the First Order is."

Knowing he had a room here was good information.
​
"Our pl...Nevermind. I'm sure you wouldn't be interested in knowing what EL and I were going to do."

[member="Doran Ren"]

 

[Doran Ren]

“Droid theft? Yeah that’s how I found you, tracked the headlines of major factory thefts, all reported a very skilled slicer.” He couldn’t stop grinning as the girl wrapped her arms around his head. However his smile evened out when she told her doubts again.

“Aren trust me, once your life is in the hands of a comrade it’s a bond that isn’t easily broken, you’ll be welcomed by all of us.”

He began to chuckle as he ran over the events of the night in his head. “You don’t have a place to stay do you? It was gonna be a quick job you thought. Look, I wouldn’t mind a visitor for the night and there’s plenty of room for you and your droid compatriot.”

 

[Aren D'Shade]

In a short amount of time Aren had made several thefts across a few different planets. First had been on Mon Cal, then New Plypmto, a space station and now here. Her biggest so far had been her first on Mon Cal and this would have been the second largest. The thought of those droids inside being treated as tools just irritated her like almost nothing else.

"Trusting a person or group is difficult. They aren't like machines. People lie, break promises and cause pain. A droid would never do that...unless that was how they were programmed."

Shaking her head as he asked if she had a place stay, Aren looked him in the eyes.

"Correct. Did research on this plant to know when the shifts ran and the people would be gone. Break in, free the droids and leave. Are you sure? I don't have a way to repay you for a night though."

 

[Doran Ren]

“Don’t worry it’ll be nice to have company.” Doran smirked at his own stupid statement. He was being so naive, but when he was around her that night. He smiled as he tilted his head in the direction of the building he had rented a room at and the two walked off.

What a night, a knight of Ren sent to collect a force sensitive, and now, he was in love with her. He smiled as he thought of the fact that she had spared him, that was mercy he hadn’t seen before.

 

[Aren D'Shade]

"If you're sure. It also gives things a chance to cool down for the night and maybe EL and I can come back here tomorrow. Just need to find out if the shifts stay the same."

Letting out a whistle, two more droids would appear. Neither of them looked like EL though. One was a spider droid who she introduced as Sam and one that hovered and flew around above their heads.

"His name is Red."

Pointing up, that completed her collection of droids. Out of the ally waddled a porg though. Joining them, he hopped up and down until Aren put him on her shoulder. Not the same one that was closer to Doran.

"And this is Skeeter. They are nice and as long you promise not to try and hurt me again, EL won't threaten you again."

[member="Doran Ren"]

 

[Doran Ren]

Doran sighed as the small creature lept from Aren’s shoulder to his. He had never seen a porg but he had read about their annoying nature. As the two walked along being trailed by her enterouge of droids the small porg curled up in Doran’s hood. He couldn’t help but smile while Aren giggled at the sight.

The young Ren couldn’t catch a break as the droids gave him dirty looks like he was going to hurt his master.

“Well he we are.” The Ren sarcastically bowed as they entered the run down hotel. “Uh, do the droids have to come to my room too?”