Going with the Current

[Connor Harrison]

Connor smiled, not sure he was in control of anything anymore – head swirling, heart racing, stomach flipping. As she led him out of the workshop into the main passageways to their quarters and the other areas of the ship, she said those three little words.

He toyed with her hand, and his eyes focused on nothing as he stood in front of her, their heads together as she whispered it. He felt her hair on his face, the grip in her fingers and the scent of her skin and it made him feel alive. Here was a woman who had traversed the galaxy, seen thousands of faces and new planets and nightmares – working as a Sith Lady and now a reformed Jedi Master. Now she was here, saying that she loved a man with nothing but a history of pain and uncertainty. She was either foolish or very, very selective in what she was looking for.

There was so much he wanted to say; so much he wanted to ask; so much he wanted to open up to her about. He was scared. He was excited. He was nervous. He was happy. He was everything good and bad right now about taking the leap forward with her and cutting the ties that bind from his past.
His eyes danced up to hers, and he took her head in his hand.

”I know."

He kissed her deeply and slowly, a kiss that promised her everything he could give and everything he could be. Right now, he didn’t care which quarters were behind him. He pulled her clothing towards him as he backed into the room, kissing her still, ready to show how much he loved her, even if his heart was scared to say it straight away.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

As he replied, an iconic line from what she had heard, she smiled into the kiss and let herself be pulled in her quarters. As they kissed, as the promise was made, she felt truly alive again and she couldn't wait to show him just how much she truly did care for him. They had awhile until they would arrive at Lianna, plenty of time, she thought as the door slid shut behind them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

​

"Arriving in the Lianna system," an electronic voice said in her cabin as her ship's computer informed them they had arrived at their destination. Taeli wasn't particularly keen on moving yet, comfortable under the blankets and her head on the chest of the man she loved. Fingers lazily traced a pattern over his chest.

"I guess I should say good morning, but not sure what time it is on Lianna right now," she whispered, some humor in her words as her purple eyes looked over his form.

 

[Connor Harrison]

You could it sleeping; contently dozing would be better. As the nav-system alerted them into the Lianna system, Connor sighed lazily. Glancing down at the tussle of dark hair over his chest belonging to Taeli Raaf, he blinked a couple of times ensure he wasn’t dreaming or experiencing an illusion. Her body was warm next to his and he stroked her side with his hand, his head resting on his own arm.

”Well, let me say…good day, afternoon, morning, night…,” he teased, looking down to those intoxicating eyes.

”Can we not just float around the stars for another month now. I…I have so much I want to say to you. So much time to catch up on."

He grinned and looked up at the ceiling.

”This is crazy. It’s like a dream."

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

Propping herself up on one elbow, she turned her head to look at him proper with a soft smile. Her fingers continued to trace patterns on his bare chest absentmindedly as he spoke.

"I certainly hope all of that wasn't a dream," she said, still smiling. "And Connor, you can stay for as long as you want to. That's the thing about this trip of ours, it might take longer than we both anticipated ... or say we didn't anticipate."

The last was added with a small laugh as she came up to kiss him gently. It was thrilling for that she finally, after all the years of angst and things in between them, that they had finally found their way together.

"You know ... it's kinda funny that when we first met on Lorrd you thought I would look good in your bunk ... well you look pretty good in mine," she said, her smile widening as she teased him.

 

[Connor Harrison]

With a flash of confusion and bemusement, he propped himself up on his arm to mirror her.

”Excuse me Miss Raaf? I never said anything of the thing. I may have thought it,” with that, he narrowed an eye and pointed,”so you were already rooting around my head then hmm?”

He placed an arm over her bare back and pulled her in for a kiss, broken with him giggling at the absurdity of it all before flopping onto his back, looking up at her.

”I’ve known you on and off all my adult life pretty much and now I’m here you; the girl who once tried to kill me. Doesn’t the Force work in mysterious ways?”

He pulled her arm away for her to fall onto his side and wrap his arms around her.

”I’m just glad that whatever was stopping me has faded, or going. It means more than you’ll know. I don’t want to lose you, Tae,” the name from University harkening back to their first meeting, ”so promise me if I…if I struggle, you’ll be there to help me. I can be so much stronger with you by my side. I love you, and know you’re the one shining light right now for me to follow.”

His eyes danced over hers a little – he’d said it without thinking but didn’t make a deal of it. His emotions were all over the place and the last thing he wanted to do was smother her or make her feel he was confused.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"Don't you remember the psycho-physical analyst I did when we first met, I knew what you were thinking ... hot blooded male that you are," she teased, enjoying the feel of his arm around her. "And don't forget who threw the first table, Master Harrison. I had to go back, years later, and actually repay the bartender for that."

When he continued to speak, and he said those words, she captured his lips again in a passionate kiss to show she understood his words and accepted them completely.

"As much as I want to stay here, forever right now actually and keep talking, we did come to Lianna to track down a mass exodus of people," she whispered as she broke the kiss, her tone turning regretful that they would need to get out of bed for that task. "If there are struggles along the way, for both of us because I'm not infallible either, we will face whatever may come together. Still, time to get up sadly."

With that, as she got out of bed, she took the sheets with her to cover her form, and she gave a small wink to him as she went to go get herself dressed and refreshed.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Tracing her jaw with his finger, he lay back and rested on his arms, knowing she was being sensible and right – they WERE here for a reason and he couldn’t let her down. With a sigh, he watched het get up and cover herself. How he wanted to pull those sheets away. Smiling at her flicker of innocence with that wink, he watched her go.

With a stretch, he let out a big sigh and splayed his arms across the bed, flexing tired muscles, already missing her company. Connor stopped for a second, tapped his fingers on the bed, and sat up with a smile he didn’t even know he was making.

He glanced back to where Taeli had gone, but still wanted to be careful not to push her too far, or overwhelm her. How much affection was too much? How much was too little?

He submitted and reached down for his clothes, in a heap on the floor and got dressed. Looking down at his bare torso, he saw the indents and ran his fingers around them. She had accepted him and his faults, and accepted his failings, so this meant a great deal to him. He slipped on a fresh white vest from his quarters, black trousers and boots.

Washing his face and neck, he freshened up and grabbed his new tan jacket. He was starting to dress less Jedi like by the day, but ready for action or adventure or exploration or meandering as needed. The lightsaber would remain in his room with his gauntlet. When he was ready, he walked to the hold, giving Taeli her space still – no need to smother her too much too soon.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

Stepping into the refresher, she enjoyed the feeling of the water cascading down as she washed and got herself ready for their little information crawl through Lianna. She couldn't stop the smile on her face though, she was just so happy right now that after everything ... the Force had brought them together finally.

The ship's autopilot would take them down and land in the capital city of Lianna, in the busiest section where there were plenty of spacer dens. She knew getting this information was the last step they needed and the Force told her they would find what they were looking for here ... then it would become how to convince the Fallanassi to actually teach them.

Finishing up, she stepped out and went to get dressed in a lilac dress that would look particularly nice ... and it was a bit form fitting in the top because of the built in corset. It gave her some armor protection and would just tease her new ... what should she call Connor in that regard? Boyfriend felt too childish ... lover maybe? She didn't know, but she also quickly laced the corset up with the Force while she busied herself with getting her make-up on.

Grabbing her trusty satchel last, she made her way into the hold and gave a small twirl as she hit the button to lower the ramp and she gave him a smile.

"Like the new dress?" she asked.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Arms folded, leaning on the hold side as he waited, Connor smiled as Taeli swept in looking radiant as always. He moved for the ramp to lower, and held out his hand, placing it on her back gently and kissing her on the cheek.

”You look beautiful. Then, you always have.”

He took her hand helping her down and out into the warmth of the city. Heavily built on one side, quiet on the other, it was almost two worlds spliced together, reflecting lots of cultures and societies; busy and quiet, new and old.

Looking around, falling back into role of following the leader, he stepped up to her, looking down to her as was a little shorter than he.

”Any inclination where you want to start?”

Braving rejection, he held his hand out for hers, unsure if this was protocol that Raaf sisters followed in public with new lovers. Still, he had to try.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

Smiling pleasantly, she took the offered hand and interlaced her fingers with his. He seemed to be out of his depth here, not knowing what might across as too much or too little. Giggling a little, she leaned over and placed her head on his shoulder for a moment to whisper in his ear, "I know you're out of your depth here, but just relax and do what comes naturally to you."

With that, and a laugh, she started to lead him by the hand along the main walkway out of the spaceport to a place where plenty of cantinas and spacer dens were, littered in the areas around the spaceport.

"We're just going to have to hit each place until we hear some sort of credible news we can use," she said. "I don't know how often you listened to spacers tell stories, but half are rooted in some truth and half are pure exaggeration. It can be funny though. I suppose they might also be inclined to talk if we buy drinks or beat them in gambling or other such things. Basically, we just need to blend in and appear curious. Don't make yourself an easy mark though, that never ends well."

 

[Connor Harrison]

With a mock gasp, Connor held his brow.

”So you’re saying I’m that much out of my depth AND an easy target? Oh my, that’s bad.”

With a gentle squeeze of her hand, he grinned and walked with her looking at the various buildings coming to them as they left the landing pad. The first places visitors were invited to; bars, dens, entertainment and shops. Everyone had to make money it seemed.

”I’m sure we’ll hear something credible, putting two and two together to make four shouldn’t be difficult if we cut through the nonsense. Here.”

He nodded to the first bar they came to.

”Closest to the spaceport means closest for pilots and rogues to drink and swap stories. Act curious you say? I can do that.”

Connor gave her a sly wink and led her inside, planting a kiss on the side of her neck. ”Go get a table you gorgeous creature and I’ll get us a drink and scope the bar.”

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"Get me an iced tea, Bastion Black if they have it," she said, winding her way through the tables, swinging her hips a bit for Connor and smiling to herself. Finding a nice corner booth, away from the loud spacers that were gathered in the bar and having a good time, she closed her eyes and reached out with the Force in a gentle probe.

Nothing was jumping out at her, but a few individuals were more interesting than others. Calming her breathing, she focused on the techniques she learned from Theran Listeners, the ones where one could hear further away as clear as if someone was right next to you.

"I'm tellin' ya man, plenty of treasure in the outer arm, plenty of worlds beyond the Sanctum that would make for a nice score."

"I'm not going anywhere outside of Sanctum space, especially spinward, I'm not chancing running into that death cult that is chewing away on the Outer Rim."

"Them Primeval are going to be a problem for everyone in this part of the galaxy, I don't blame people moving to other places."

So the topic of movements was going around in light of the Primeval encroachment. Well that might make it a little easier to find the group they were chasing after all.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor smiled and edged his way to the bar, catching the eye of the droid server and waiting his turn. Blue Milk and Bastion Black iced tea. What a pair. Tapping his fingers while he waited, leaning on the bar, Connor glanced to the side, the ever curious face innocently reading those beside him and taking a few words from their conversation.

”…contacts. Lots of them. Outer Rim jobs going right to the Core. It’s who you know…”

”…be careful with what you say or do. I found it’s a place you can’t trust anyone, even anything you think you see and that’s crazy…”

Connor turned back and didn’t think much of what he’d heard. Smugglers, pirates, pilots. The female pilot he heard saying you couldn’t trust anyone or anything you see was interesting actually – a place stumbled upon that was beyond her own understanding?

When the drinks came, he took them with an exchange of the few chips he had – he had to get some money out soon – and sidled over to find Taeli in a corner booth. Placing the drinks down, he sat next to her and started playing with his glass, looking over other faces around them.

"Hear anything?”

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"Nothing as of yet," she said, accepting the drink but keeping her eyes closed still as she continued to draw on the Force to listen. "Did you hear anything while you were getting these?"

While she waited for the response, her ears perked up as one spacer was jabbering on about some secret enclave out in the spinward arm of this part of the galaxy.

"Yeah, just ran supplies to those people out there in the arm," the spacer rumbled. "Bloody hard to find them though, they like their privacy and they can stop ya from finding them if they don't want ya too. You'd think they have the Force like the Jedi or Sith do."

 

[Connor Harrison]

Looking to her, still thinking it was all a surreal dream after what they had shared less than a few hours ago, Connor sat back and tapped his fingers on the glass.

"We have some pilots finding work in the Outer Rim going all the way to the Core, which is nothing new – but does sound a little suspect that they could operate so freely unless they are in some sort of deal with Sith or Primeval forces.”

He raised a finger to the female at the bar with a Sullustan friend.

"That one was interesting however; something about a place you can’t trust anyone or trust what you see. Some military defence or illusion? Could be your Force cultists perhaps? If pilots are popping to the Outer Rim and back, maybe there’s something or someone who doesn’t want to be found?”

Of course, it could be anything – tall tales, too much drink, something completely different. Connor wasn’t good at piecing together puzzles to make a bigger pictures, but maybe it was something he had to learn. Or be the brawn to Taeli’s brains.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"Adepts, not cultists," Taeli corrected without opening her eyes, but her lips quirked up as she teased him. "Cultists implies worship of something or someone, the Fallanassi don't do that."

As he pointed out the woman, she shifted her listening skills to her, but they had started to talk about their next run to some place or other. Sighing, she opened her eyes and took a sip of her tea.

"I feel like we're dancing around the issue," she said. "I heard a few tidbits, one spacer said he just finished doing a supply run to some group out in the furthest galactic arm out here, said they like their privacy and he thinks they use the Force to keep it that way ... hmm combine that with what your female spacer said ... it is quite possible that the Fallanassi hire out supply runs for items they can't produce on their own. Food and water they would have, so that can't be it ... they don't really care about advanced technology for the most part but they know how to use it ... what would they need supplied ... of course!"

Her exclamation got a few looks from other patrons, and she smiled at them all before returning her attention to Connor.

"Modern medicine would be hard to come by that far on the Rim," she said.

 

[Connor Harrison]

He always felt useless around Taeli at times – here was one of them. She pieced things together so much easier than he could. With a gentle smirk at her correction of his wording, to then hiding an amused smile behind his hand as he leant on it, watching her talk.

Connor rolled the glass back and forward lazily as his eyes skirted around the others looking at them – just a couple of loud tourists here for the drinks and food.

"Of course. Get nobodies to do the running for them, they don’t have to come out of their hole, no questions asked, the Force masks the rest…you think it’s worth trying to get a planet or system and see if we can make a few credits,” he brought up his fingers for quotation marks, "doing a job for them if we’re just two pilots looking to earn a few?”

His mind was already forming the plan, but Taeli was always often three steps ahead.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"Sounds like a plan, but we also don't want to make the Fallanassi dislike us by lying," Taeli said, swishing her tea around and looking over at the woman spacer again. "How would you feel about sweet talking the destination out of the female spacer? I promise not to get jealous or anything ... and if you get those coordinates, I can think of something to thank you with."

She winked at that, and closed her eyes again to focus on the conversations around them. Taking a sip of her tea, she shifted through the words around them, focusing for anything related to the clues that had picked up on already.

 

[Connor Harrison]

For once it seemed the two were right on the same wavelength - long may it continue. Connor nodded slowly and smiled.

"Hey...it's me,” patting her hand gently and taking a drink.

With that he gave her a thumbs up and set about heading over to the bar again, the female spacer and her friend in conversation. This was going to be weird. What was he to do? Flirt? Praise? Enquire? Seduce? Mind-trick? Reaching the bar, glancing back to see Taeli watching, he nodded and turned back to the bottles, glasses and pipes all over the bar and beyond. Smoke wafted past him, glasses clinked and lights flashed above his head. He bit his lip gently and leaned over.

"Forgive me,” he said a little loud to be heard, "but are you a pilot?”

The female, wearing an eye-patch that Connor didn't react to or look at, purple lips and green streaked hair, turned to him.

”Rude to listen to conversation isn't it, sugar?”

Connor shrugged a little.

"Well I couldn't help hear your story. If there's one thing I need in my life, it's to earn some credits and live a little, and you sound like you know how to do both. Can I get you a drink in return for a few tips?”

He cocked a little smile, the one he had when he was a Palawan eons ago to charm the ladies, and the pilot nodded, indicating to her friend.

"Make it two for my navigator here and you got a deal.”

And so began a good passing of time sharing a drink, a few short stories, a few lies, and a few names passing between them where to go and who best to operate with. Only when he had a name would he return to Taeli, his "co-pilot", with a great deal of thanks to the pilot herself.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

While Connor chatted with the two spacers, Taeli kept her attention on the ebb and flow of conversations around her. It was small snippets, but every little bit of information helped in the long run. That was, of course, fi someone did not get interrupted by drunk spacers looking for a piece of tail.

"So what brings a pretty thing like you into a place like this?" a voice said from above her and internally she sighed. Just what she needed to deal with, why couldn't people leave others in peace when they look like they don't want to be disturbed.

"Having a glass of tea and was enjoying the quietness of this spot," she responded, her purple eyes looking over the man in front of her. He was clearly very inebriated and thought himself a casanova.

"I can show ya a good time, pretty thing, maybe not so quiet but enjoyable nonetheless," the spacer said, his breath thick with the smell of whiskey.

"As I have a boyfriend, and you don't want to tick either of us off, I'd suggest you move along and maybe go dunk your head in a bucket of water," she stated bluntly. The man clearly didn't like that response as his hand shot out to try and grab her from the booth. He never got the chance as her hand grabbed his arm and she yanked him down to his knees without leaving her seat with help from the Force.

"Go now, I don't have time for idiots like you," she said clearly, letting the man go so she could go back to her drink and listening to people. With a grunt about she didn't know what she was missing, the man stumbled away.