Gravity

[Asmus Janes]

“Please,” he asked. The same thought came bouldering into his head. Asmus stood still. Not naturally still, but there was a subtle absence of motion in the way he stood. He slowly looked around the room, convincing himself they weren't back on the Quin.

Asmus made a small contemplative note in the back on his throat. He smiled. Then he proceeded to find a small kickstand behind the fridge. Standing on it, he reached above the cabinets and pulled down a small, battered metal tin. This had come with him from the Quintessence.

“Biscuit?” He asked. They weren't the nice chocolate coated ones he'd left her in the sick bay, but dipped in caf they wouldn't taste too stale.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

The scent of freshly brewed caf would waft up to tickle Kaile’s nose, the dark liquid pouring into the first cup. Curls of gray steam rose as the aroma used across the ‘Verse as a pick me up did just that. Where was the sugar? A stretch of her body and on tippy toes she searched for the sweetener. Finding the small packets, she rolled back onto her feet and set them aside.

Two sugars for him. Three for me.

The words were chanted within the agent’s mind from memory. A seamless transition as the brunette poured her own cup and slid the number of packets into each cup. One could easily tell her experience in the service industry. At the very least, being a Yum Bunny was a lot more feasible for the mind to wrap around with than a Senior Special Agent for the Alliance.

“That’s fine,” Kaile replied over her shoulder, gathering two spoons to stir the sugar in. Lost in her thoughts, the Lorrdian was such a curious sight to behold standing there, almost as if she’d stepped out from Janes’ memory.

 

[Asmus Janes]

The line of his smile kept altering as he watched her. Outwardly displaying how quickly his emotions and thoughts were dancing around each other.

There was a balance to be had. Gravity. Two bodies falling together for the first time. They might conduct a slow dance, gradually settling into a stable bind. They might drift past, barely altering each other's course. Or they could fall together too quickly. The energy exchange meant one object would get kicked out of the system after they passed too close. Probably at around four in the morning…

“I like that you remember,” he announced, stealing a last discerning look before turning away with his caf. “Thank you.”

The tin went back up out of sight and he headed out of the room, folder tucked under one arm and mug held carefully in two hands.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

“You're welcome..” Came the soft drawl of a reply.

It was funny hearing him say that. Kaile blinked a few times, watching Asmus head for the door before following suit. Folders tucked under her arm, she carefully carried her caf in between her hands. They’ll need to head for the lift to get to B Deck now. One of the turbo lifts wouldn't be too far for them to walk.

Walking beside him was a bit more of a slower affair. Not for fear of spilling their caf as much of the natural slowing one did when talking to another.

The corridor wasn't empty. A few Intel officers along with other comm and security were walking towards them. Kaile gave slight nods in greeting, a faint smile barely gracing her lips.

Little did she know that there was one within the groups who would go back to tell Lucy just what she saw.

 

[Asmus Janes]

“I think we've covered everything we can for now,” Asmus admitted. The briefing room on Deck B was fairly small. Just a small ceiling mounted holiday projector and four chairs.

The Rogue got the distinct impression, over the course of the afternoon, that Kaile was resisting any plan or backup plan that involved putting him in the line of fire. Possibly that was just because it was her professional position that it was for the best. Maybe it wasn't.

As he sealed his new notes and documents in the wallet, he decided to test the waters. “Might go for off some bolts from my carbine tomorrow morning. Just in case we do run into trouble.”

Head down, he peeked up from beneath his lashes to gauge her reaction.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

He'd catch her give a slight grimace at that suggestion. The thought of Asmus being involved in any firefight didn't sit with Kaile well. In her mind she could remember how he'd been anxious through that Rodian standoff. Not to mention how it had deeply affected him when the Dark Jedi had used the Force to try and pull information from his mind.

No, they would take the least risks as possible for the pilot. Kaile could do things herself. She'd been trained and well aware of what she had to do under the circumstances.

"I doubt there is a need for it." Kaile said quietly, taking her caf to bring it to her lips for a quick drink. Her free hand came up to run her fingers through her hair, a small sigh falling from her lips shortly there after.

"You won't be placed in the line of fire."

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

There was an affectionate grin that her words hadn't warranted. She was being protective of him. Under other circumstances it might have annoyed him, but he found it sweet. She was a caring person and it was nice to see that slip through her the professional visage she was maintaining.

"That's true, but it is also fun. You could come get some shots in."

He finished tidying away the classified papers. "Are we dropping these in your room or is there a locker on B deck?"

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Kaile gave a short burst of laughter. "Fun?" a small circle of her eyes a the pilot and the Lorrdian set her caf down. Right, recalling the pilot plastered against a cargo crate and doing his best to show a brave front.

"Mmm, I reckon I've enough practice," she told him. The years had seen her have to use a blaster more so than a stunner.

"Just drop me off and pick us up. That's all that's required." Kaile reiterated, gathering her materials.

"My room. I'll be going through the rest of the files there later." she elaborated, leaning over to pick the rest of the classified items.

"If you've things to work on, don't linger on my account." she added, allowing him an avenue to leave if he wanted to, sparing him a brief secret glance to see what he would say.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"It can get really boring around here," he chuckled. "And don't worry, I don't go out of my way to get stuck in a firefight on foot. Has happened from time to time though, so worth keeping up some practise."

Why was he feeling like an academy novice suddenly? He was a decorated hero of the Alliance. Jarrick had given him a firm grounding in fighting like a soldier, Kairon had given him a firm grounding in fighting dirty and the Resistance had given him a well rounded education in unarmed combat.

"We can drop these off and get some food if you want?" He asked hopefully, checking his watch. No one would think much of it, he thought. But then he didn't know that Lucy had abandoned Chad to go pacing and fretting. He noticed to clear line drawn under what she would be doing later. Just as he had done yesterday. Helped to have an out so they could both amicably go their own ways.

 

[Kaile Vera]

"Do you get hungry so easily?" Kaile would ask him with an expression of bemusement on her face. This was the second time he'd mentioned heading for the mess in the span of all of two and a half hours. Didn't he eat with the rest of Wraith earlier? For a moment, her large brown eyes glimmered with amusement.

A few steps towards the door and Kaile shook her head in humor. "I'm not hungry right now but you can go if you like." A glance down at the now empty cup of caf. " I should return this back to the kitchenette though." She'll drop off and lock the documents in a secure locker in her room first. Better than keeping those files in her hands.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"Erm, yes?" he replied. Though on consideration perhaps it was a bit early to eat. It wasn't even 1700 yet. There was also the matter of keeping trim. He didn't have quite the same level of vanity he had when Kaile had first met him, but that streak ran deep.

Asmus was left empty handed and not entirely sure of himself. "I can take the mugs up if you like. We could meet up again after food to watch a few episodes. Or we could just grab another caf and sit and chat for a bit?"

Empty handed, uncertain and probably coming off a little desperate, he told himself. His charming self was around somewhere, but certainly wasn't present at the moment.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

He made her chuckle. The melodic laugh seemed to waterfall the area with its jovial sound. How long had it been since she laughed like that? A long while.

It was too early for the Lorrdian to actually eat now. However, hearing Asmus’ voice and being with him again-- yes she was hard pressed to really leave him so soon.

“Well…” She began, “Maybe another caf.” Closing the door behind them, the agent turned towards the direction of the residential area for Besh Deck. Due to it being a restricted area, there was less personnel here who made it their home. Intelligence, security, and higher security cleared crew members made up the population. It was a closer knit community, but at times perhaps a bit more distant too.

 

[Asmus Janes]

He hadn't even intended to make her laugh. It caught him off guard almost as much as it had back in that hidey hole in the Quin.

“Caf it is,” he announced as he fell into step beside her. They were following a very similar path to the one he'd run. That was the bulkhead he'd leant against in his vest as he waited for her to come past. Before he followed her into her room and those First Order buttons were scattered across the floor.

He dropped behind as they reached her cabin, making clear he wasn't going to follow as she locked up the documents. It was a small line, but an important one.

“I wonder when when would be best to go and get dinner without being bothered by my squadron,” he mused. He didn't say Lucy, but it was clear from his tone that he was referring to more than just his men. He had also perhaps given away that he had some idea she'd been conversing with them.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Their eyes met as Kaile entered the code to her room. There was a slight awkwardness to it all considering, well, what had occurred the first time around. Not to mention how he’d brought up his crew again. Yeaah...odds were they were likely going to tell him what she’d been asking earlier.

Idiot.

“Umm… up to you I guess.” as she had not confirmed she’d go with him to dinner, Kaile was again, leaving it up for him to do as he pleased. “Reckon it depends just who wins out. Your belly or your desire to not be bothered.”

The door gave a hiss as it slid open and their eyes unlocked. He did not follow her in, he made that much clear. However, that didn’t stop her cabin from feeling a little bit smaller regardless. Things were highlighted again. Like the size of her cot. The half rumpled sheets. A spare button she didn’t catch that had rolled to the corner of the cabin.

Memories.
“Be right back.” the Lorrdian managed to murmur, entering her room to head towards the locker. There a biometric and encrypted code would allow her to open the small security safe.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus crossed his arms over his chest and turned away. In his head he heard the sound of her thumping against her locker. The feel of her wrists in his hands and he encircled them and pulled them up over her head.

He took a deep breath. “I'm sure I can keep my appetite in check,” he replied. He fought a battle with his lips to keep the smirk from his face and lost. He found a particularly blank patch of starship grey wall and mapped it out to keep his mind away. It would be so easy to follow her in, close the door and hide from all the verse for just a little while together. Whilst his path here had heaped responsibilities upon him, it didn't mean he always acted responsibly.

“We could go down late and avoid the rush?”

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

The locker gave a soft click shut. It wasn’t the resonating thud that had echoed in Kaile's chamber a few nights prior, but the Lorrdian had not been the only one with memories racing through the mind.

"Reckon that could be a plan," her soft voice was muffled but could be heard coming from the cabin. her steps lightly went from the locker to her desk.

"They ain't so bad," Kaile admitted, coming to terms that there was no avoiding the conversation he had with his crew. From some of the subtle hints, the Wraith already knew or to some degree was concerned over it.
"Typical across the board really. Ain't no different than what I'm used to."

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus opened his mouth and then snapped it close. If she had met Omar and that was what she classed as typical among pilots, he wondered what her usual experience aboard Alliance vessels was like.

“You get used to them. After a while you become a tight knit squadron and the way they are just...is.” It took some self control not to ask what they'd told her exactly, but he managed.

Instead he took a look up and down the corridor to check for anyone nearby before taking a few steps close to the door.

“And sorry. Again. I didn't give you the space you needed right after we met for the first time in years. It all just happened before I could think.” In some ways he didn't regret what had happened at all. But he didn't like how that seemed to have put a wall between them as they both tried to settle, work out where they were, before they allowed things to get out of control again.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

He would see her standing by her desk, slowly straightening as their eyes locked. Asmus barely hovered over the threshold of her door, not quite inside. Treating it as a line of demarcation he dare not cross. Or at least, trying his best not to. With the dark forelocks of his hair falling over his brow and the shift of his weight moving from the right foot to the left, he was a sight to behold. All he honestly he needed to do was brace his forearms along the door frame and -- yeaah

However, whatever sort of imagery had begun to form in her mind dissipated as soon as Asmus began to talk. He always had the affinity, or some may say terrible tendency to speak without thinking it through. In this instance, it was his apology.

A flush came over her face, a rising pink wave that had her turn her head back to her dataterminal. Her fingers gave quick strokes for a final security layer.
“What are you apologizing for, Asmus?’ Kaile replied. “You weren’t the only one in shock.”

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Yeah. Okay” It was all he managed to say for a moment as he started to study his boot laces studiously. He replayed the last few moments in his head and realised quite how far out of left field he'd come. Still, at least he'd said it now, it was done. Okay in this instance meant: I know we both got carried away, but I still wanted to apologise for hounding you.

There was more he wanted to say. Not just the immediate things, he could probably talk at her for a straight day right now. From dredging up all he was feeling to recounting the adventures she'd missed. The door was open and he could only see so far down the corridor. And he wasn't about to step inside and shut the door behind him.

Recovering as quickly as ever, he looked up at her with a lopsided smile.

“So how many of the ship's systems have you got back doors into? You couldn't have put floating Kaile heads in four separate systems so quickly otherwise.” That act had clearly been intended to intimidate. She'd almost been put out when he'd appeared both amused and impressed.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]


Kaile’s fingers froze just over her holo keyboard. If there was a way for her face to turn a brighter shade of red, it did then. It was as much embarrassment as a bit of guilt that colored her visage, and for a moment she was grateful that the long bangs shrouded her face a bit.

“Erm…” pearly white teeth bit upon her lower lip.

“Plenty.” it was a form of the truth. To a degree at least. As a slicer she could have backtracked and found where the origin point for the text had come from, but it would have taken too long to do what she did based on skill alone. No, she had used the Force in that, something she rarely did. That was the part that embarrassed her. That she’d been so defensive at trying to keep Asmus away that she’d reverted to using skills so frivolously and emotionally driven.

“Sorry about that,” she added quietly, the one now to apologize in turn. “Did that without thinkin’.” A hand went running through her bangs, dragging the hair tie that had held her dark hair in a bun out. The wavy tendrils fell down to her shoulders, veiling her profile for a moment.

“All done.” she broke the silence, moving away from her desk. Turning towards him Kaile squared her shoulders as she went ambling back to the door.

“Caf right?”