Gravity

[Asmus Janes]

If the sudden realisation that he needed to sharply exit before shift change wasn't enough, the sudden wash of cold air across his skin from Kaile and blankets being curtly taken away brought him to full awareness.

She was already moving, shifting off the small bed and getting to her feet. He fumbled for the small light switch to turn one dim light on.

He swore under his breath as he shuffled towards the edge of the bed, but that changed into a low nasal hum of appreciation. That was a view he'd missed. Something about the half light and…

Alright focus.

“Damn, I've got to run,” he said quietly. The tone of his voice conveyed a sense of urgency. “Shift change in twenty, exercises in an hour.”

He stretched out his legs and swung them over the edge of the bed. In one smooth motion he stood up. Both arms came out and up as he went up on tiptoes, closing his eyes and stretching out muscles not used to a night wrapped up with another.

What had he promised her last night? Something about an amnesty day to clear minds. Damnit, if he got dressed quick and ran he could claim getting up for an early morning run.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

That was putting it lightly.

While Asmus was taking his sweet time and enjoying stretching naked as a jaybird --- don't LOOK Kaile --- the Lorrdian was scrambling to get out of the bed and stand on her feet.

Her hair was a mess. Gone was the sleek brunette bob with the perfect fringe of bangs. Instead, one could see a shade of the Kaile from Asmus' past. Wide, almond shaped eyes the color of dark amber. A half flush to her face.

Swallowing hard, she would blink rapidly. Gathering her thoughts was a troublesome thing, and her throat bobbed as she bit her lower lip.

Reason and reality fell over her like a bucket of cold, ice water. He shouldn't be here.

"You should go." the words came in a strained hush, and she nervously brought her free hand up from the blanket to finger brush her hair away from her face

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"I know," he said with another sigh. On a whim he closed the space between them. He stole the hand brushing the hair back and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on her lips before she could protest.

The slight flush, the look in his eyes, other more overt signs meant Kaile had no need for her heritage or the Force to understand that Asmus was briefly considering doing something more rash.

Practicality won out and he started gathering his clothes from around the room. The espion would have to close her eyes or turn away to avoid the view of the more toned pilot hastily dressing.

"I'm sorry," he said, as he leaned over before sliding up his clothes and affording the Lorrdian a view of lean muscles than hadn't existed at there last encounter. He took another moment to roll back his shoulders, tight muscles still complaining. "Well, I'm not. But I'll leave you today completely so you can have some space to let it sink in."

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

It was a struggle really. Not looking. Why did he have to... oh my stars.

Kaile immediately spun on the ball of her foot and averted her eyes. Yeah, without her hormones taking control of the situation and making everything a haze, the morning after brought with it a dawning awareness as well as enough light to get an idea of the obvious differences several years could pack on Asmus.

Let what sink in? The fact that he was in my cabin!? Here? Oh hell, she gave a grimace, panic rising. Or just on the gorram ship?!

The powers that be certainly had some sense of humor. A twisted one at that.

As if Kaile couldn't wait any longer, she spun back to face Asmus. Don't look down -- Her hand shot out and she rather rudely gave him a light shove towards the door.

Regardless if he hadn't quite slipped his running shorts back on yet.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"Alright, alright alright!" he giggled as she pushed him lightly towards the exit. He span about and grabbed at the end which had administered the shove. There was nothing but youthful mischief in those eyes. He knew he'd been unfair, he simply didn't realise how much. She might be taken back to a tube in the Quintessence and the long-haired youth looming over her. Asmus was.

A gentle tug on that hand, a cheeky smile. His other hand held the white vest top he'd been running in.

"Quick goodbye kiss?" he risked his luck.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

His answer would be the sudden reach and smack of the console by the wall. It gave a slight click then a beep, the door slid open behind the scoundrel.

What followed was, in short, the fastest Kaile had ever kicked a lover out of her cabin. In a smooth move, the Lorrdian took a step forward, her palm coming to his bare chest to shove him through the threshold.

He was lucky that there was no one there. At least this early-- one hoped.

All the while, Kaile was trying her best to not let herself be taken by him. To let his giggles and the way he'd stared down at her make her lose focus. Even if her belly began to tie itself up in knots.

So she didn't even take the chance of Asmus trying to get back inside. She smacked the button to close the door to her cabin so fast, it stung her hand in the mild pain.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"Rude," came the amused response through the door. Slightly muffled as he was sliding his shirt back on. He wasn't so tempting she needed to be quite so abrupt, he thought to himself. It was followed by a quiet curse.

There were people approaching. Asmus took half a second to run his fingers through his hair to limit the appearance of having just been thrown out of a co-worker's cabin.

He then ran towards the officers as they came around the corner, rather than away. For a few seconds they ignored him. Until he was right on top of them.

"Captain Janes," came a low growl. An arm was placed in his path.

"Uh huh?" Asmus came to a halt but kept jogging on the spot. Despite how Kaile might have perceived him, there were in fact only two people on board who out ranked him. He had a distinguished career as a pilot despite his age. And this was a small ship.

"This section of the ship is primarily for intelligence officers and as such requires membership in need to know group O6. Could you perhaps avoid it for your morning runs?"

"But it has the best corridors for sprints?"

Captain Amadgenar gave him a withering stare. The Sullustan intelligence officer beside him gave a low chuckle.

"I'm sure it does. Sometimes we carry very sensitive individuals on this ship Janes. Fortunately none at the moment or else if have you sent for a briefing."

"Yeah, sensitive people I've normally seen in the back of my ship. But point taken! I'll take the deck below."

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Once the door slid shut, Kaile sank herself against it. Her eyes went rolling to the ceiling, and the espion gave a loud groan. Knocking her head back until it rested against the door, Kaile went sliding down until she fell sitting on the floor.

There she was, blanket strewn about her. Naked as can be and her room -- chocolate brown eyes went drifting across the half mess left in the wake of the scoundrel's departure. Buttons were strewn all across the floor from her jacket. Her breeches, shirt, and underwear scattered left and right, and ugh the bed...

That bed was a disheveled mess of judgments. Stars, the adrenaline high she'd felt had her heart pounding. Her face sank into her trembling hands, Kaile's head feeling as if it were spinning like a top.

Stars, you idiot! she'd chide herself, that wave of alarm rising.

I'll give you a day, he'd said. No. It wouldn't be a day. Kaile couldn't risk stumbling across him again.

Feth, I have to get out of here. It would be some time before this particular vessel made it anywhere safe.

But maybe she could find a way out.

 

[Asmus Janes]

@Asmus Janes

"Janes, you joining us?" the voice crackled in his ear.

"Yeah Wilson, I'm coming," Asmus replied. A deft touch brought his TX-100 up off the deck. He'd been momentarily distracted. Asmus tended to see the good in things and that extended to difficult situations. Possibilities stretched out ahead of him. The past melded with the future, but the previous night was fresh and easy to visualise.

He lifted his nose towards Wilson's ship. Asmus had his hand reconstructed prototype X-wing, Wilson had a Y-Wing completely outfitted with upgraded engines to give it a ridiculous thrust-to-weight and Chad even had a modified TIE Advanced with shields and a hyperdrive. They were more cautious than the Resistance of old. Went out of their way to avoid Alliance uniforms and equipment.

"Mind on the chase?" Chad asked as they zipped out of the hangar.

Asmus was suddenly reminded of their shower chat the day before. "He wasn't interested," he replied curtly. The problem was that he had spoken - at length - about the love who had escaped years ago. They all thought it was Asmus trying to humanise himself after a string of encounters with Alliance cadets. Had he said 'Kaile'?

"This is Wraith One. I'm just checking the damage on the ventral hull. One ablative plate is done for...nothing beyond cosmetic. Do you want a scan?"

"Roger that, yes please."

Asmus brought his ship to a halt, nose towards the damage as his ship carried out a brief scan. Then they had a nebula to sweep before the ship followed them through. They were a long way from their destination. They were, however, going to meet a deep space refueller in five days.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]


Generally, Kaileann wasn't shy at all. In fact, she was rather known for her shamelessness. Years of being an agent along with her casual manner allowed her to not care much about co-ed sonic refreshers.

However, after that rather harrowing morning debacle, the espion already had far too much in her mind for comfort.

Kaile stood under one of the sonic stalls, the open booths allowing an ease for casual conversation from any of the patrons. With less than a dozen intelligence agents in her section, this area wasn't apt to be crowded at all hours. A small blessing in disguise.

Kaile wasn't feeling up to being sociable with anyone. She had to get her bearings together.

Her palm depressed the knob that would commence the soft vibrating waves of the sonic to shower over her. Swallowing hard, the thin woman shut her eyes, doing her best to try and relax, but finding no sanctuary there.

Every second, the sonic would lift and scatter the grit and dried sweat over her skin. A thought lingered that it was removing the traces of Asmus that he'd left behind. His scent. The salt of his sweat. All gently vibrated away.

That didn't mean all trace of him was gone. There were the tiny little red, irritated marks on the delicate skin where the bristles of his jaw had rasped against it. Along her neck, by the curve of her right breast, and if she were honest with herself, even her lips were a little bit bruised.

Carefully, Kaile brought trembling fingers up to drift over the fullness of her lower lip. Memories would flood her mind, provocative images and the sweet, violent words that he'd said.

A heavy groan resonated throughout the refresher, the Lorrdian dropping her head forward to rest her forehead against the wall. It was cool against her hot skin. Fingers came up, and hands came down to slap against the bulkhead.

Kaile had another briefing and then there was a stop to the mess hall. Check on Derak too.

And hopefully, nothing unexpected happened between now and then.

 

[Asmus Janes]

"Everyone bored yet?" Asmus asked jovially.

The three odd ships flew a wide sweep through the nebula. Asmus opened up the channel over point to point comms, just in case anyone was waiting for them in the nebula. He did so because he didn't want to stay trapped in his own mind. He'd started to worry. There was a predilection towards worrying, one that he had trained himself out of over many years,

"Yup, bored. There's no one here," Chad replied.

"Go for a run later, after paperwork hour?"

"Thought you went for a run this morning and last night?" Wilson replied. There was an amused undercurrent in his tone.

"Janes doesn't like getting turned down! Probably annoyed the whole 'Hero of the Alliance' routine didn't get him anywhere."

Asmus cut the comm, but not because he didn't enjoy the mild banter. He tapped a few buttons on his console.

"Wraith One to command, we have bogies. Just pirates hiding in the nebula. Do I engage or hope they bug out?"

"Hold position."


Back on the carrier, red alert was sounded.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]


In the back of her mind, the Lorrdian mulled over what she should do. What Asmus would do? What he knew? What he could conceivably find out? It was just a nightmare to work through, and Captain Amadgenar was too perceptive to miss it.

"Vera," the gruff voice called at her, prompting Kaile to turn to the Captain.

"Sorry, Captain," she replied, giving a tight-lipped apology.

"I guess I got knocked on the head a bit too hard," both were aware she had been knocked out unconscious during the extraction.

That's when the wail of the red alert interpreted them. Of all the times for a red-alert, having it happen while in the middle of a briefing would be typically annoying. Ironically, for Kaile, it was the exact opposite.

The brunette would lift her head, catching Captain Amadgenar and Lieutenant Vaal Pal's eyes in mild alarm.

"It is just a precaution," the Sullustan officer told them both, gesturing for them to continue. Between Kaile and Darek, both had managed to glean information regarding local naval movements of the First Order. However, the highlight of the operation was the indication that the First Order could be working on a prototype electronic warfare dreadnought that could potentially give the First Order an edge.

The only problem being that Kaile was having difficulty focusing through the pass down.

"A precaution?" typically, red alerts were not just a precaution.

"No need to worry. Wraith Squadron will take care of it."

Wraith? A blink. Something nagged at the back of her mind. What was it Asmus had said?

Shift change in twenty, exercises in an hour.

"And Janes and his jocks will be insufferable for another week..."

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"They don't seem like they're running away..." Chad sighed.

"They do not."

"Fly nice and straight, as if the nebulas was interfering with our sensors," Asmus replied. "Once they're at two clicks break up and down. I'll drop the lead ship."

At least, for the moment, he wouldn't be distracted by thoughts of her. His hands were no longer pining for the feel of his soft skin, they were moving across the controls following well worn paths. Kaile might be surprised at just how well he could separate his professional persona.

---

The canopy slid back as Asmus bounced up from his chair. Ignoring the ladder that was being pushed in his direction far too slowly he slid down the nose to drop to the deck.

"And we're done!" he called as he ducked under the nose and started gesticulating towards part of the hull. "Three more please, there, there and there!"

There was a broad smile on his face as he waved towards the large number of kill marks. The flight deck techie just shook her head.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Captain Janes.

Wraith Squadron. The records say that Captain Asmus Janes had been dishonorably discharged from the Galactic Alliance. Off the record, he was now working with the Resistance in operations against the First Order.

"Damnit." the curse broke free as Kaile strode out from the briefing room. In the past, Kaile had kept tabs on Asmus. She had set out to not contact him, did her best the first month. Struggled through the second and the third. Managed to hold steady through the fourth and the fifth.

The sixth month nearly killed her.

Her skin blanched a shade, and the purposeful stride made the straight black hair swing with every step.

"Agent Vera," the rough voice of the Captain called out from behind. She didn't even hear it, so lost in her thoughts.

"Agent Vera!" that cut through the fog, and Kaile gave an abrupt halt. The broad shouldered, barrel chested Captain Amadgenar bore his dark gaze upon the woman.

"Have you checked with medical?" he asked her, the Korunnai observing her with his signature steely glower.

'Excuse me, Captain?" a slight frown went furrowing over Kaile's face.

"Get yourself checked in with the doc," he told her, "I don't need you walking around with a concussion Vera."

"I'm fine --"

"I'm not asking, Vera." he told her with a pointed look.

"Doc. Now."

Kaile's lips worked into a thin line. Gorram it!

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus was back in what was essentially the office for the flight group. The Flight Deck Commander was going over a brief After Action Review and then there would be some paperwork. What an old term, he reflected. No one had torn down trees to write on in tens of thousands of years. They were no longer Alliance, but military methods were much the same.

“This is my favourite bit,” Asmus chimed in.

The Group Captain smiled and shook his head. “Yes this is where Janes and Chad take advantage of their superior acceleration to put them out of the target’s line of fire and in behind him simultaneously. Text book take down.”

The icons on the screen showed the sudden change in velocities that put the pirate vessel in an untenable position before it went black and drifted on.

Lieutenant Stistek chimed up. The Rodian was the intelligence officer for the Flight Group. “[We’ve done the checks now. A pirate group that never even gave themselves a name. They’ve been operating in the Sector for a few weeks now. We don’t suspect any deception at this time.]”

Asmus wondered if the Rodian would be briefing the agents they had on board on their available scans before their next operation. Now came the difficult part. He had to try and keep the notion of tracking her down out of his head. It was so difficult. She might have needed time to try and let it settle in, but he needed nothing but her time. Needed her to talk to him so he could resolve the past and look ahead.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

It was a small ship.

Thankfully, despite the fact that it was small, Kaile had been absent for this current leg of the mission. Well, to a degree. Intel Division was a rather tight knit community. While most of their details were kept top secret, there were still a stray agent or two who knew Kaile from her time in the Rebellion and the Pyre.

Annoyance saturated her step as the Lorrdian checked into Medical. The Doc on duty was a petite Polis Massian that barely reached Kaile's hip. Doll like face, tiny buttons for eyes, and those rather long fingers that gently probed and surveyed for broken bones or contusions.

"How are you feeling today Agent?" Kee would inquire, his hand reaching for a small Bio-patch to peel off a thin sheet of plastitablet.

"Reckon I'm fine." she replied rather shortly, not intending to be curt. She was just anxious.

"I see." a small beep and Kee began to scan Kaile.

"Headache? Pain anywhere? I hear you had quite the engagement coming in last night. Agent Vo is still recuperating."

Questions. Just so many questions. Kaile didn't want to answer any of them, but she knew she had to or the Captain would be on her case again.

"Headache. Did hit my head rather hard."

All Kree did was 'Hmm," thoughtfully as the blue laser scanned the side of her head. In the back of Kaile’s mind, she couldn’t help but wonder if Asmus was okay.

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Thought it might have been Darak you were pining after?”

Asmus froze. He could see Chad's smile out of the corner of his eye.

“Yeah I know Darak. I did a course in MI under him a way back. I saw the med team carting him off your shuttle. You know, I didn't think you'd be so shallow as the be disappointed that a potential target was in a bacta tank?”

Asmus recovered himself and turned to face his wingman. “The guy I picked up? Wow I'm really not that bad come on.” He was concerned Chad might have had the notion of going to talk to Darak about all this. “You know him? He's alright? Didn't look good. The girl he was in took a bad knock too.”

“Yeah he's stable. So you got turned down by someone already on the ship huh? Just a process of elimination Janes. I'll work it out sooner or later.”

Asmus gave a half hearted chuckle. He was fidgeting again. She was on the ship. He kept repeating it inside his own head to try and hammer it home.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

“How is he?” Kaile would ask quietly, her eyes latched upon the floating unconscious body of her partner. Darek Voar was a seasoned covert agent. Did his time in the Alliance and prior to that, with the Pyre. It was one of the reasons they were paired off together. Each had experience working undercover and were able to read each other well.

“He will be fine. Stable.” Kee replied, a long slender finger lightly tapping his scanner. What he may have determined from the scans was practically unreadable from the Pollis Massan’s stoic expression. They generally didn’t have any external signs of emotional responses on their faces. It made reading them difficult, but not impossible.

“You have a slight concussion, Agent.” Kee finally informed her. Not much news there. A little voice inside her head would cry that perhaps that was why she embarked on a series of terrible decisions last night.

“I will continue to check your vitals, but I would like for you to spend some time here for observation.”

“I’m really do feel --”

“Agent Vera,” the tiny little near humanoid swiveled his pale doll like face up to her, tilting his head back to regarder in a manner that could only be described as sternly.

“You will stay for observation.” he told her quite simply. So he might be half her size but he certainly didn’t take any quarrel when it came to his patients.

“I will relay to Captain Amadgenar the prognosis and write you a sick chit.” he added, taking another tablet to begin going over the standard medical questions. Most were already uploaded for his review, others he’d have to update.

As much as she hated it, maybe this was a good thing.
Asmus wouldn’t think of looking for her at the Med-bay.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Ba-da-da-dum, ba-da-da-dum, ba-da-da-dum, ba-da-da-dum.

Chad gave him a stern glare and he stopped drumming his fingers on the table. He was doing well so far. There'd been the excitement in the morning, the after action review and then the usual reports. Now there was just being on duty as they passed through the tail end of the nebula.

“Game of cards?” Asmus asked. There was broad agreement at the suggestion.

Where would she be now? In her quarters, or visiting her partner in the med bay?

No, no, no. He'd promised to give her space to think. Then again, what would he say tomorrow?

If there was one thing he needed her to explain it was that she had struggled over the decision not to contact him. Of course he'd managed to get that out if her already, but he wanted to hear it. He also wanted to tell her all about what he'd been up to for the last years. He had no idea she'd been watching him over the years. Little moments of weakness where she'd broken and followed his trail.

He needed to spend time with her. Desperately. To find out if it would be the same. But would the intervening years allow him to compare so easily? Last night have been… different. A sudden explosion of pent up longing. A frantic dance. Perhaps a slow waltz together would…

“Janes, what's that expression for?”

“Oh shove off and get your deck.”

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Kaile wasn’t to fond of med-bays.

That was a more recent discomfort. Not one she typically found any issue with years prior. Docs and Medics were only doing their job after all. They did things in order to get one well. Just that for Kaile, the clinical setting, the sickly sweet scent of bacta, and the constant beeping of monitors turned into this cacophony of bitter memories. Pain and sorrow. Loss and just utter devastation.

There had been nothing she could do.

Swallowing hard, Kaile nervously began tapping her fingers against the metal frame of the medical cot she lay upon. She had a biostamp monitor on her forearm, along with another sensor at the tip of her finger. No IV’s so that was a blessing, but every second only increased her anxiety.

It only brought back the memories.

She wasn’t allowed to sleep. Kee wanted to continue monitoring her and falling asleep was not on the table. There was little she could do just laying there and every second was just another second trapped in her mind. What she would do. What she would say. If Asmus managed to find her here what then?

“Damnit,” trembling fingers rose to pinch the bridge of her nose. Stop it, she told herself. Just stop it. There was no sense in dwelling on what-ifs and maybe’s. Kaile had to think this through like an adult.

Only it had been far easier when her heart wasn’t skipping a beat at the chance of seeing him again. At feeling the brush of his fingers run through her hair. The murmur of his voice and his breath by her ear or the strength of his arms as he held her.