Expanding Horizons (Cara)

[Noah Corek]

[member="Cara Sampson"]
Noah sighed when Cara mentioned that she would at least try to take down the barriers. When she informed him that she didn't know about the Butcher of Saluecami, Noah sighed and began. "It was seven years ago, I was a 1st Lieutenant with the Republic, a commando to be exact. On Saluecami there had been a group of pirates who had been terrorizing the local settlements, Republic regulars weren't able to deal with them, so they sent me, my squad and four other commando teams as well. Me and my team were sharpshooters, so we set up a vantage point so we could destroy the pirates once the other four teams had forced them out of the only other exit to the canyon they were in. It was dark, we couldn't see very much, but we heard blaster fire erupt and saw people coming through and we opened fire, we fired until we were out of ammo." Noah now had tears flowing freely but he swallowed the lump in his throat and continued. "It wasn't until a day later when we found that the people we had killed, were women, children, elderly and wounded."

 

[Cora Passek]

Cara listened patiently to the story he spoke of. Only after he finished, she sighed softly. "Mistakes happen. Everyone makes them sooner or later. Collateral damage is a fact of life with so much war and blood shed across the galaxy." Realizing she might have sounded more callus than intended she was quick to carry on, "It's not to say that it hurts you any less having to live with that. What you did, I still find easier to forgive than what I've personally done over the years." Reality was, forgiving herself, it wasn't in her skill set. "Maybe someday I'll be able to share those events. Sad bitter stories of betrayal, heartache, and foolishness."

She paused, laying her other hand up top his with a squeeze, "You though, need to find it in your heart to let go. To find peace knowing that as horrific a mistake as it was, that it is just that. An honest mistake. Not something you did out of malice, rage, hate or spite." Far too well, she knew these things took time. "Somewhere along the way you'll find it in yourself to be able to forgive yourself." Probably a hypocritical statement coming from her, since she hadn't found her own way to forgiveness.

[member="Noah Corek"]

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Cara Sampson"]
"Let if go!?" Noah snapped as he roughly, maybe a bit too roughly, pulled his hands away from Cara and backed up. "Because of me Cara, over three hundred innocents died, over half of them children under twelve, I'm a damn murderer!" Noah yelled as he backed up until his back hit the wall, after that, Noah just slid down it, tears flowing freely now. "I've spent the last seven years trying to atone, but for the last seven years, I've waken, screaming, drenched in sweat. I see all those face accusing me, torturing me!" Noah told her as his breath started to become more labored, starting to hyperventilate. "I know what you must think about me right now. I'm weak, a pansy. You might be right." Noah grimly said as he crossed his arms over his knees and tucked his knees in close, cutting himself off from the outside world.

 

[Cora Passek]

"I understand more than you know." She said calmly even as he reacted, much as she expected. "I don't think you weak, maybe actually stronger than I. You face what you've done. I hide it." She said coming to kneel down beside him, a hand on his knee, ever so lightly.

The heaviest of sighs followed, "I'm not sure you'll understand if I told you the truth. But the blood of thousands maybe more is on my hands. Someday I'll have to own that. Live with the consequences of that reality. For now though, it's not a story I want to retell." Not all of that she meant to say, but the situation seemed to fit it. Though there were inherent risks revealing even that much. For now, it was an acceptable risk.

"So when I say I understand, believe me I do. Takes years, maybe a lifetime to come to terms with things like this. Hell, even I am not there. Probably just a hypocrite in the end, not letting go, not allowing forgiveness for myself. But its my mistakes I cling to most, those things that remind me I'm still alive, not some cold dead thing. It's because you feel something that tells you, that there is still a heart beating within your chest."

[member="Noah Corek"]

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Cara Sampson"]
Noah sighed as he looked at Cara, wiping the tears from his face. "I guess if you say you know what your talking about, you know what your talking about." Noah informed her as he leaned back against the bulkhead and wiped the last of his tears away. "You don't understand though Cara, my family follows four main tenants. Honor, Respect, Sacrifice and Loyalty. Doing what I did broke the first tenant, bringing dishonor to my family name." Noah said, grief evident in his voice, Noah never looked to please other, but breaking one of the main tenants? That was a offense in his family that usually got someone exiled. "Half a heart huh? Tell me Cara what does your heart feel when I do this?" Noah asked as he did something that would accomplish one thing or another, he kissed Cara, not roughly but a small tender kiss. It would either get him a black eye or Cara might let down the barrier she had so carefully constructed over the years.

 

[Cora Passek]

Not exactly the words she expected he'd say, but none the less she nodded, letting a small bit of relief show within her expression. Finally she shrugged and spoke softly, "If anything, its only a tiny bit of my experiences, lessons all learned the hard way." There really wasn't any other way that life's little lessons worked their way into her thick skull.

Her brow knitted together as she exhaled slowly, "No, I can't say I understand that entirely. It wasn't the mindset of my family. Probably didn't help they were only around until my seventeenth birthday. I can only try empathize, and understand it."

The kiss came entirely unexpectedly. In fact, it was the very last thing she ever expected. She froze in place instantly, only able to blink for the first minute after or so. Withdrawing, she sat back on her knees, trying to find the ability to speak once more. Another tense moment or two passed of her staring blankly, trying to work through what had happened and the things leading up to that. "Surprised." Whispered quietly as Cara found herself wringing her fingers, fidgety for what had happened, and still somewhat speechless.

[member="Noah Corek"]

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Cara Sampson"]
Noah chuckled when she said that she was surprised, he was hoping for a more verbal response, but he guessed that would have to do for now. "Cara, let me make something real clear. Us Corek's are creatures of habit, we never stray from the tenants. Honor, Respect and Sacrifice." Noah told her as he leaned forward and got a little closer to her. "But you wanna know the tenant that dwarfs all three of those? Loyalty. Us Corek's, when we find a cause, a government or even a person to fight for, we will fight, bleed and die to make sure that it is secured." Noah told her as he used his right hand to cup Cara's cheek and turn her face towards him, while his left hand gripped her right. "Cara, a Corek never breaks a promise, so when I say that I will never hurt you intentionally, trust me, it means I will never, by any circumstances hurt you."

 

[Cora Passek]

Cara still wasn't finding her words quite yet. The actions taken, had drawn her inwards, thinking, pondering, wondering for a moment. Wondering if all of this would be worth it in the end. She had a single question to ask, and perhaps that'd be the turning point. The point that she'd know whether there was any chance at all between them. Her cheek cupped in his hand, her eyes had been elsewhere, mostly the floor but finally she looked up, into his eyes. "And what if, what if someday our own individual causes contradict one another? Will I then, still be worth the trouble, or will you turn and walk away?" Knowing too well, that they might one day soon find themselves opposing one another in some conflict.

[member="Noah Corek"]

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Cara Sampson"]
What Cara said made Noah think. Was she worth the trouble? Yes. But was he willing to betray the Protectorate, HK, Canal, Ayden, Ventasia and everyone else? No. So Noah sighed before he answered her back. "Cara, you'll always be worth the trouble. But the Protectorate is my home, the friends I've made there, they aren't friends anymore, their family. So I'll follow you only as far as I can until your actions start endangering the people of the Protectorate, at which point, I'm sorry Cara, but at that point I could no longer see you." After finishing his little statement, Noah took his hands away from Cara and lowered his head, he probably just ruined one of the few real relationships he would ever have.

 

[Cora Passek]

Cara nodded slowly. It spoke a lot of where they could and could not go. But there was no denying it, should they find themselves poised against one another, the cards would fall where they would. "I suppose that's fair." Spoken softly, but she wasn't walking away just yet. "I just like, clarity. To know where I stand." It was safer in her eyes that way. "Always want to know where I stand."

[member="Noah Corek"]

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Cara Sampson"]
Noah leaned back towards Cara, putting both hands on her cheeks and turning her head towards him. "Cara, I think we really have something, but you must learn to trust, I know asking this of you isn't a easy thing, but I'll make you a deal. If you open up I'll try my best to help you deal with your demons, as you have helped me, but Cara, I can't help until you help me." Noah informed her, giving her the offer as he leaned his forehead against hers.

 

[Cora Passek]

Cara sighed, closing her eyes as he leaned his head against hers. It all felt like she was handing over far too much control over to another being, by simply extending trust. Why was it that such a simple gesture something that seemed to be the most foreign, illusive, thing in her life? "I can only promise to try my best." Another deep sigh followed. Could she really do it? Sadly, Cara didn't have that answer. "This is new, completely new to me. I can't say it's going to happen over night. But I'll do my best. Just have to be patient with me until then."

[member="Noah Corek"]

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Cara Sampson"]
Noah smiled, if he was anything, it was patient, but that still only lasted till a degree. "I can wait, trust me Cara, your worth waiting for." Noah informed her with a sly grin as he leaned his head back. "Shall we find somewhere more private? Say, my cabin?" Noah asked as he looked Cara in the eye. He hoped she wouldn't take that the wrong way, truly it was really a joke, but if Cara wanted to, Noah surely wasn't going to stop her.

 

[Cora Passek]

Cara nodded, as long as he was patient, and could deal with her idiosyncrasies she supposed this wouldn't be all that bad. "Well, I hope so." She managed a smile. Then at his next words, she chuckled and shook her head, "I think you'd have to take me on a date or two first." Reaching out, she gently tapped him on the nose, in a playful manner.

[member="Noah Corek"]

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Cara Sampson"]
Noah chuckled at Cara once she tapped his nose and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. "A date or two huh? That can be arranged." Noah told her as he stood up and extended her hand down to her, hoping to help her up. "Come on. Melissa get a little antsy when I walk away from her for too long." Noah told her as gave her a grin.

 

[Cora Passek]

She smiled softly at the tap to her nose, then the kiss on her cheek, though that part still felt so weird to her. "Yes, a date. Or two." She said with a small wink, as she reached up and took his hand, pulling herself up to her feet with his aid. She followed behind, letting him take her back to Melissa.

[member="Noah Corek"]

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Cara Sampson"]
Noah smiled as he led Cara back to the small dining room and once there, Noah noticed something, Melissa was no where to be found. This was weird, since ninety percent of the time when they weren't on Fondor, Melissa basically glued herself to her fathers side. "Mel, sweetheart, you in here?" Noah called out for her as his hand drifted up to his left armpit where his OPP-2 blaster pistol hung from its holster.

 

[Cora Passek]

Cara was smiling and happy up until they stepped into the dinning area together. She couldn't help but feel something was off. Her own hand reaching to her jacket and where the holdout blaster remained hidden. One never could be too careful. Fingers wrapped gingerly around the weapon, and waited. Her brow furrowed as she looked this way and that, her natural instinct to cover his back, showing she'd clearly been trained in combat at one point in time. Though, that was just the nature of being raised as a spy's daughter. With concern she glanced to Noah, but didn't speak. Right now, she had no clue what was going on, but between his tenseness, and the strange gut feeling she had, it all left her on edge.

[member="Noah Corek"]

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Cara Sampson"]
Noah looked at the food that Melissa had left behind, that was a bad indicator. No matter what, Mel always finished her food, Noah began to look for more signs of a struggle. Looking around, Noah noticed the steak knife that he had been using was gone, looking around, Noah saw some blood spatter near a cabinet on the floor. Crouching down Noah looked under the cabinet and found what he was looking for, the steak knife and from the look of it, the blade was covered in blood. Walking over to the wall, Noah found a first-aid kit and took out a blood analysis device and scanned the blood. "Well she definetly fought back. The blood type on this knife is AB negative, me and Mel share the same blood type. O negative." Noah informed her as he pulled his blaster pistol out and let it hang limply by his side.

 

[Cora Passek]

As Corek drew his weapon, Cara followed suit. Strange things were afoot here, she knew it, he knew it. Her eyes fell to the knife, seeing the blood and fearing the worst. She glanced to Noah as he had the blood analyzed. "Two things, whoever is here is human. Secondly they are still here," She said firmly, "We're still in hyperspace, which means even escape pods could not be used to leave the ship." An endless stream of thoughts raced through her mind. "Need to lock down every hatch and door. Going to have to search the hard way, room by room."

Worry had begun to show in her features, already blaming herself for what happened to Mel. Wondering who of her enemies had made it this far, to kidnap a little girl, for whatever means they had in mind. "How did we not hear this?" Cara inquired, "Surely the being would have screamed, and so would Mel. We weren't that far away." A very disconcerting thought indeed. "Not to mention, who would have known she was here?"

[member="Noah Corek"]