Enemy of my Enemy, Friend of my Friend

[Talia]

Talia sat up, the gravity encouraging the flow of blood from her nose. Another curse slipped her lips and she peeled a gauntlet from her hands and retrieved a clean rag from her pocket. To mop her face. "Oya manda." she agreed. "Been a long time since any fight was a good one."

She moved to lean against the bar next to him, plucking the bottle from his hand and taking a gulp. "I knew that fether was giving me the bad stuff." She shook her head, and handed him the bottle back. Closing her eyes for a moment and letting her head rest against the bar.

The kiffar had questions, a lot of them, none of them she was even sure he would answer, and she was even less sure she wanted to ask them right this minute. She opened her eyes, and offered a hand to shake. "Talia Fett."

[member="Ronan Vizsla"]

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

[member="Talia Fett"]

Wasn't that the truth.

Utapau had been good. [member="Runi Verin"] had proved to be a better fighter than anticipated, but that had been a fight to kill and that end had not been reached. This had been for the joy of it and that changed the way he had experienced it.

A swig and Ronan closed his eyes as he let the burn wash over him.

The bottle hung lazily between two fingers, if not an invition to snatch it from him, than at the very least acceptance that it would happen. The gauntlet of his free hand dropped - they had fought, they had bled, there was no need to continue to exercise control through an crushgaunt embrace. Rough hands met one another and shook.

"Ronan Vizsla." She knew that, but whilst her had been an introduction, his had been to signify a new step forward.

"Far away from home, Talia Fett. What brings you here?"

Another swig followed. Mm. Good.

 

[Talia]

"Work. Debtors specifically. Pay was unnecessarily delayed so a forceful collection was required." She chuckled, wondering just where he thought he home might be. It certainly wasn't Manda'yaim, not so long as the Empire ruled, her clan was split and the circumstances of her birth set marked her as an enemy. The mood was too good to touch that just yet.

She plucked the bottle from his loose grip, took a slightly larger gulp, just to wash the bitterness away. "And you? Do you have a heading?"

[member="Ronan Vizsla"]

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

[member="Talia Fett"]

An understandable goal.

People needed to understand there were consequences to certain acts. Chief among them cheating one of them, because if you let it go once then it would only foster contempt. But deliver consequences once and do it without hesition?

That bred caution and fear.

They wouldn't do it so lightly again. "I seek a place where those of my Clan who cannot fight can live, while I begin a war that will most likely end in my death."

He took the bottle from her and pulled hard there. A chuckle again.

It had been years since Ronan had laughed so freely with a stranger. "Sounds dramatic when I put it like that." Didn't meant it wasn't true or that he didn't see it exactly like that.

 

[Talia]

Talia snorted, regretting it instantly as a fresh flow of blood exploded from her nose. "Gorramit." she scrambled for the rag again to mop herself up. Amazed at how it seemed to have gotten everywhere. "You really did a number on my nose." She pinched the bridge to help stop it.

"For the record, you're not beginning anything. War never ended. We've all been fighting it while you and yours had your fingers in your ears and helmets on backwards." she didn't bother saying 'no offence' because she absolutely meant offence.

"The war ends when the Empire dies, or there's no one left to oppose it."

[member="Ronan Vizsla"]

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

[member="Talia Fett"]

"All in a day's work, Fett."

He had ripped out his force sensitivity, almost enforced his daughter to go through the same ordeal.

"Agreed." Vizsla stated calmly before stretching softly and putting the bottle between them. Knuckle brushed at his lip, felt the blood and licked at the cut. She had gotten in a few good punches in too. But he didn't bother trying to dissuade her from her opinions. She wasn't wrong, but she wasn't right either. Ra had been Mand'alor any way you cut it. He had won the civil war and left Monroe dead. That made him Mand'alor, even if he had tried afterwards to minimize the amount of challenges he'd get.

That last thought brought a scowl to lips.

The scowl brought pain.

From her hand he pulled the bottle in and took a good ship. The burn touches the cut, but this time it was good pain. "Funny. I was planning on paying you and yours a visit soon." Ronan glanced over to her, nose bleeding, his hand reached out slowly, if she allowed it- brushing away a trickle of blood from her forehead cut, before it could seep into her eyes. "Didn't think it would go like this exactly."

 

[Talia]

Talia let her head lean against the bar once more, the whiskey before and after the fight was doing a good job of numbing her senses. Just enough that the aches and pains seemed like they weren't attached to her, but were drifting just out of reach. Good, they could stay there for the moment. Eyes snapped open at his touch and grey eyes, dappled with green gazed at him for a long moment before answering.

"Nor did I." she said looking away, deliberately ignoring the fresh crackle of energy. "But then its better that it did. You're still an enemy, just an enemy of our enemy. Until you and your prove yourself otherwise, better that you don't visit." She took the bottle for one more swig. "We don't want any more unnecessary deaths."

[member="Ronan Vizsla"]

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

[member="Talia Fett"]

Vizsla snorted and accepted the bottle back after she took her gulp.

"Maybe." The burn was good, but it didn't have the same intensity like at the start. It told him the drink was already working in some capacity. The pain slowly receding into a haze and mist.

He wasn't going to prove himself to them. There better things to do than endless politicking and games, he'd burn the Empire's supply routes, destroy their depots, ensure that they become as isolated as could be. If the rebels decide that they want to help, would be good. But Ronan had nothing to prove and every reason to start this war of his as soon as possible.

Bottle passed on over again.

"You want to get out of here?" Simple. To the point. No's were no's, yes was yes, but Ronan didn't enjoy games here either.

There had been a flicker and it could turn into a wildfire, if she let it.

 

[Talia]

Talia pondered the question for a long moment. The fact that she was considering exploring the spark that fired between them said a great deal about the effect of whiskey on her ability to make wise decisions. The answer should have been no.

"Yes." Was what came out of her mouth instead. Because kark everything and everyone, she'd like, even if for a moment, to feel something beyond the pain and regret that had haunted her since the start of the Civil War.

[member="Ronan Vizsla"]

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

[member="Talia Fett"]

While she thought Ronan hummed softly to the tune of the background song.

It had faded to the background during their brawl, but now it came back to the foreground drifting up through the pleasant haze. "Alright." Vizsla's response came lazily now, tone more relaxed and less rough around the edges. He let her take another good few sips and then finished the bottle off, letting it roll next to him and silently climbing back to his feet.

Didn't help her up.

It would have been an insult in his mind- a you can't help yourself, so let me help you.

Instead he got out a credit chit and dropped it on the table. Enough to pay for the drinks and something extra in the shape of another dusty whiskey bottle behind the ruined counter.

He didn't add cash for the damages though.

A man who couldn't defend their property wasn't worth much in his eyes. "Hey," Once she got to her feet and looked over, he was there, pulling her in a fraction- not enough to force, but enough to show the possibility. If she allowed it, the kiss would be hard, hot, hungry like fire and over too soon before he broke and let her go for the moment.

 

[Talia]

She clambered to her feet using the bar, collected and holstered her blaster from the top and was hooking her helmet to her belt when he spoke up. He was in her personal space and the energy crackled between them.

Instinct made tension coil back up in her shoulders ready to strike but it was gone the moment his lips touched hers. Fire spreading through her as she responded with equal ferocity.

And then he was moving away towards the door. Talia hovered for a moment rooted to the spot, then a smirk spread across her face and she followed.

[member="Ronan Vizsla"]

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

[member="Talia Fett"]

He had felt that tension, before it fade away.

Instinct was a funny thing.

Walking out of the bar Ronan encountered some of the patrons trying to subtly stay in the background. Shooting him and Fett curious looks without actually meeting their eyes though. The moment both the mandalorians left the bar behind they would start filling the space again. Likely that one of 'em might swipe the credit chit, or maybe they wouldn't if they figured it was best to avoid his possible anger.

Vizsla strode slowly and let Talia catch up with him.

"Got a place near the hangar bays." Ronan informed her while keeping his eyes on the road. He didn't have problems with his balance, but the edges of his sight were just a touch fuzzy.

Good fuzzy.

"Works?"

 

[Talia]

The ease dropped from her the moment they were in the public eye again. Eyes ever watchful, or as watchful as they could be all things considered. There were some habits alcohol couldn't shake, some instincts that were vital for survival. Ronan watched the road, and she watched their backs.

"Sure." Better that way than heading back to either of their ships. She fell into step next to him and they moved through the station towards his place, a room in a quite motel strip. Talia never bothered with them herself, her ship was her home.

She leant against the wall as he fumbled slightly with the lock, earning a snort of laughter from her as she watched him. There was a buzz at the back of her mind, something sensibke telling her to walk away. Talia clocked the other bottle in his hand and opted to ignore sense. She'd drink it away.

[member="Ronan Vizsla"]

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

[member="Talia Fett"]

He eyed her with one glance over the sound of his keys.

Not a good tactic.

It only made it more difficult to get the damn thing in the hole. Renewed focus finally won the day and allowed Ronan to open the door. Nothing fancy, small room, kitchen build into the corner, one door moving into the shower.

Nothing fancy.

He stepped on through, opened the second bottle and took a swig. Turned around and made the offerto her, while his eyes wandered her armor.

Every scratch, every rough edge.

"I'll try not to scratch it up too much more." A smirk followed.

 

[Talia]

Talia laughed, closing the door behind her. She stepped forward, closing the gap between them, and snatching the bottle. "Man wins one fight and thinks by default he'll win the rest."

She took a swig, granting him the same once over. She'd no interest in the armour at this point, only the man beneath it. "I won't make the same promise, Vizsla." There was a fire burning in her eyes, intense and hungry as she silentluy dared him to try.

[member="Ronan Vizsla"]

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

[member="Talia Fett"]

Dare accepted.

Silence passed for only a moment, before he rammed her back against that same door they had just entered through. It creaked against the sudden pressure but held for the moment. Lips locked and armored fingers started to scrap against armor pieces. One by one they were being ripped off, detached, from both sides before falling to the ground with loud metallic drops.

The heat in her eyes was reflected by the heat of his lips, the hunger of his teeth, he wanted more and Ronan took more.

 

[Talia]

Heat rippled through them both, fiery kisses, hard and demanding as they peeled back the layers. Primal instincts drove them, nails clawing teeth biting they made the walls tremble. Meeting each other wants with needs till their was nothing left but to tumble into blissful sleep.

~

Talia rolled over in her sleep, arm falling across his abodmen. The contact woke her up with a start and for a few seconds she forgot where she was and who she was with.

Memories returned with along with a dull headache at the base of her skull. She opened her eyes with a small groan and rolled away, sitting up and running fingers through her hair.

[member="Ronan Vizsla"]

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

[member="Talia Fett"]

No headache.

Cuts and bruises of the rough night already starting to drift away by his healing factor. Sometimes it was good to be a Firrerreo, sometimes it was helpful, this night most definitely counted for that. "Mm." Vizsla grumbled as her arm softly clasped against him, before being pulled away. Eyes caught open and noticed Fett running her fingers through her hair.

Amused glance at that.

Ronan softly climbed back on his own feet on the other side of the bed. He rose and stretched, not bothering to cover himself, before picking his way through the small room to settle himself before the mirror.

Watching the cuts of sharp edges left all around.

"Seems like your promise came through." The promise of not making one anyway.

 

[Talia]

Talia gave up trying to remove the tangles and braided it into a loose plait that fell down her chest, eyes following Ronan's path across the bedroom, his back latticed with her handiwork. "Well at least you know my word is good." She should get up, move. Have a shower maybe and assess the damage on herself. But she ached, not in a bad way, but all the same conquering the day seemed a little too much of challenge in that moment.

A hand moved to the back of her neck, running down to her shoulder, feeling each wound there. She decided against the shower, against revealing the rest of the damage done. She still couldn't find the strength to get up. She lay back down with a defeated grunt, and let her eyes fall back to him, drinking in each toned muscles, remembering how they all felt beneath her fingers.

[member="Ronan Vizsla"]

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

[member="Talia Fett"]

He looked back over his shoulder.

Noted the glance she was giving him.

"Same for you." A glance back to the mirror, stretch and letting the bones beneath skin whine pleasantly. This was one of those things where being less than human was a good thing. Most of the cuts and bruises and bites she had given him were already healing, the intensity far lower than they should have been. It was probably underlined by the fact that he was on his legs and about already.

"How's the pain?"

One more stretch and he wandered back to the bed, settling himself on the edge, wondering where his pants were. Their armor pieces were still at the door, but that could wait for now.