Private Holding Out for a Hero

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Location: Fondor
Objective: Meet Revenant Squadron
Tags: Zane Cameron


Katarine was annoyed. Merely a week after having dinner at the home of the Nobles the Council had assigned her to work with Revenant Squadron. She felt like Valery was up to this, since it had been Valery who had suggested that there was some good eye candy hanging around the squadron. The whole thing reaked of a set up, but Katarine was still a good Jedi and she still went wherever the council told her to, even if at this point it was really only one council member telling her to go there.

After landing on Fondor the captain instructed her where to go and she headed that way. She honestly had no idea what good she would be to a squadron. Kat was an abysmal flyer and almost always avoided being a pilot if she could. That fact alone made her suspicious of this meeting. She dressed in her traditional jumpsuit, though she felt like calling Valery and asking if she should have worn a push up bra and heels. The thought made her smirk. She was so going to get Valery back for this.

​

 

[Zane Cameron]

​

Somewhere in the Galaxy, Valery sat back in her chair, knowing exactly what she had done. She was proud of it. Revenge was surely going to come for her, in whatever form Katarine saw fit, but it was worth it. Hopefully, by the end of a long mission and a meeting with some fine pilots, Katarine would thank her for it!

Thank and kill her for it, most likely.

On Fondor, Zane stood outside and looked at his X-wing. Maintenance droids were running final checks on it, and he wanted to make sure it went smoothly. The Grandmaster of the Jedi Order had organized a joint mission between his squadron and the Jedi, so he had to take it seriously. The woman had appeared on many posters and some pilots even had her painted on the hull of their ships. If she sent one of her Jedi to fly with the squadron, she had to be good.

He looked forward to seeing a Jedi in action.

"Lieutenant? The Jedi just landed," one of the younger pilots told him after approaching Zane from behind.

Zane looked over his shoulder and dipped his head, "Send her to me. I'll brief her and we'll be on our way."

Katarine Ryiah ​

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Location: Fondor
Objective: Meet Lieutenant
Tags: Zane Cameron

As Katarine waited her thoughts drifted back to Valery. She wondered how to get the woman back for this? Maybe send her a stripper in a cake during a Council meeting. The thought made Kat smirk but it also might get her fired. She supposed she could resort to old slumber party gags, put Valeries hand in warm water while she was sleeping, freeze her bra, itching powder in the woman's boots. She was sure she could find some mischievous padawans to help with these endeavors. That would be an abuse of power of course, but the thought was at least funny to contemplate.

It wasn't long after she landed that a pilot was sent to collect her and she was pulled out of her revenge plotting. She followed the pilot through a hangar full of ships and droids all working on them. Here or there she saw a pin up poster of Valery and chuckled. The Jedi were so different than she was used to. She was still smiling when the pilot finally stopped at the ship where a tall blond man had his back to them while he checked his ship.

"Lieutenant Cameron? I'm Master Ryiah from The New Jedi Order."

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[Zane Cameron]

Zane heard a feminine voice behind him, cutting through the noise inside the hangar, and turned around to greet the Jedi Master. His gaze swept across the room at eye level, but instantly dropped when he spotted the much shorter Jedi Master. He wasn't quite sure what he had expected when he learned about a Jedi joining him. They were highly skilled fighters and pilots, sure, but what were they like as people?

He had never met one before. All he had were interviews on the Holonet and the occasional poster or pinup that artists made to distract young men. He could have never imagined that a Jedi was even more beautiful, let alone the one that would be flying with him.

Zane luckily caught himself silently staring before it turned awkward and cleared his throat, "Master Ryiah, eh?" He reached up and ruffled through his messy blond hair before extending a hand for a firm shake, "Pleasure to meet you and welcome to Revenant." He flashed a white, toothy grin and gestured to his side with his head.

"Let's head to the briefing room and cover the mission details." He began to walk but found it hard not to steal glances. In an attempt to distract the mind, he turned to her and smiled, "You must be a great pilot if Master Noble personally assigned you to this task. She sounded very convinced about you specifically joining us."

Katarine Ryiah ​

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Location: Fondor
Objective: Briefing
Tags: Zane Cameron

When Zane turned around Katarine couldn't help but notice that he was handsome, and tall. As he looked down upon her she thought to herself that she should have worn those heels.

"Pleasure to meet you and welcome to Revenant."

"Thank you."

Why was she smiling like an idiot? She glanced away from him but felt her cheeks turn slightly pink. As they started towards the briefing room she begrudgingly had to hand to it to Valery. He was good looking. Her good will towards the council woman evaporated on the spot however with his next words.

"You must be a great pilot if Master Noble personally assigned you to this task. She sounded very convinced about you specifically joining us."

She did a double take and her eyes widened for a second. Hadn't Valery read her profile before sending her on a mission? The council must know Kat is an abysmal pilot, but this young attractive man didn't seem to be keen on the details. Oh when she got a hold of Valery...

"I hate to break it to you Ace but I'm easily the worst pilot in this building. Master Noble has... a sense of humor."

She left it at that. What was she going to say? Valery Noble was pimping out the Jedi to dashing young pilots? She could imagine the public relations nightmare that would cause!

"I'm sure if you tell me the mission though I will be able to figure out why Master Noble sent me here."

She hopped.

​

 

[Zane Cameron]

As they walked together, Zane looked at her from the corners of his eyes and found himself captivated by her alluring smile. With rosy cheeks and those beautiful streaks of white in her hair, it was hard not to keep looking at her. But he reminded himself he needed to focus and turned his eyes forward again, that temptation never fading. At least, until she admitted to not being the skilled pilot he thought she would be.

He turned to her, blinked and seemed surprised, albeit not as confused as she was.

"The mission does involve some action out of the cockpit." He rubbed the back of his neck and stopped at the holo-table, hoping that would at least have it make more sense to her. He could handle the piloting but he was no Jedi Master when it came to fighting on solid ground.

"We're going after a small enemy outpost hidden in an asteroid field. Flying there is... not easy." He tapped a button and brought up a projection of the asteroids and the base built within a large asteroid. It took an expert pilot to navigate through it safely.

Had Master Noble really sent him a novice? Why?

"The plan is that we go in, deal with any defenses they have, and get inside to retrieve intel. We don't expect much resistance but we will need to work together."

He paused and looked her in the eyes. His heart beat faster, but he kept his exterior calm.

"If you don't feel comfortable flying, I can give you a ride. I'll need you once we're inside, though." He flashed another toothy grin and crossed his arms in front of his chest. The leather of his jacket strained and stretched against his skin, and he stood straight and tall.

He was excited to see a Jedi in action.

Katarine Ryiah ​

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

​

Location: Briefing Room
Objective: Brief on Mission
Tags: Zane Cameron

Katarine followed Zane into the briefing room and watched as he pulled up a holo of the mission. The flight looked treacherous and awful and Katarine couldn't understand why Valery would send her on this mission. Setting someone up was one thing but endangering lives was a completely different one. There must be some type of ground component that Kat would be needed for.

"If you don't feel comfortable flying, I can give you a ride. I'll need you once we're inside, though."

"I doubt I would be able to keep up on a flight like that, but the inside won't be a problem."

She felt a little bad, being here like this. It was like the Lieutenant needed a great flyer and for some reason had been sent a total noob. All jokes aside she was starting to feel like she should actually apologize for her presence.

"Master Noble must have assumed you have the flying under control but might need support once you are inside. I'm no pilot, and you guys have a great reputation for being the best."

She let her deep green eyes flicker from the holo screen back up to his handsome face. It was a bit like staring into the sun and she looked away quickly, letting her eyes wander the room and blushing slightly.

"If you want to call Master Noble and ask her what exactly I'm doing here... I will back you up. She might know something we don't."

That would be a funny conversation. She smirked and pushed her long hair behind her ear. She felt foolish being here, but there must be something coming they didn't know about.

​

 

[Zane Cameron]

"I... don't think we need to call her."

Zane looked at her with a grin of confidence, causing a small dimple to appear in his cheek. His smile lingered, even as Kat seemed hesitant and perhaps nervous about the mission.

"Look, you're not a pilot and you won't get through that asteroid field in one piece. I can't swing around a lightsaber or fight a group of imperials on my own. We need each other and that's why I think she assigned you. It's a chance to work together and maybe we can learn from each other, eh?" Oblivious to the full extent of Valery's schemes, this seemed like the most reasonable explanation for this pairing.

Two opposites who could strengthen each other.

"You know what? We could take my two-seater if you'd like. I'd handle the flying but you can take over certain systems and pick up on a few things." A big part of flying was getting used to the way a ship responded to various inputs. He could show her that without her needing to fly on her own.

"What do you say?"

Katarine Ryiah ​

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Location: Briefing Room
Objective: Agree to Mission - Plot Valerias Payback
Tags: Zane Cameron


As Katarine watched his handsome cocky smile and his budding confidence it was hard not to feel like agreeing to even a deadly flying mission. He seemed to think she would be an asset once they landed and that maybe he could even teach her a few things while flying. She didn't bother mentioning she didn't even know how to set the parking break on one of these ships. He'd figure that out soon enough.

He mentioned swinging a lightsaber around and Katarine grinned. He was so sure of the pure intentions of Master Noble and his reasoning for opposites strengthening each other was borderline Jedi philosophy. It was adorable and optimistic, that's why she was smiling right? Maybe she was losing her mind.

"What do you say?"

"You've got yourself a deal Ace."

She chanced a glance back at that lopsided grin, the tousled hair, the broad shoulders and realized she'd just willingly agreed to fly through an asteroid field, but she didn't feel scared. In fact she felt like there were butterflies in her stomach.

Damn it Valery.

​

 

[Zane Cameron]

Ace, huh?

"A nickname already?" Zane felt the tension growing between them and dared inch even closer. He titled his head, careful to never lose her gaze, and grinned approvingly, "I like it." He leaned back to stand straight and tugged on his jacket. It was all a show of confidence and young masculinity, but he too felt his heart beating in his throat. Katarine was a beautiful woman, with soft and gentle features, feminine curves barely hidden by her form-fitting jumpsuit, and long hair that reflected against the sun.

But she also displayed an inner strength that could easily rival or outmatch his own. She had spirit, and he was eager to see much more of it.

Thank you, Master Noble.

"Come on, let's get this mission going." He turned away from the holotable and led Katarine to a different Hangar. There was an X-wing there as well, prepped and ready to go, but it was a two-seater.

"Here, take this." Zane retrieved a helmet and offered it to her before he stopped in front of the ship's ladder. He offered his hand in case she needed or wanted it, and would do his best to guide her into the cockpit. It was a steep climb up, and settling inside the tight cockpit wasn't exactly easy either.

Katarine Ryiah ​

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Location: Boarding Ship
Objective: Try Not to Crash
Tags: Zane Cameron


She blinked at the mention of a nickname and internally cursed herself. She only gave nicknames when she was interested in someone or liked them. She had given Zane one without even thinking. Get it together girl. She took the helmet he offered and pulled an elastic band out off her wrist so she could tie her long hair in a loose ponytail. She tied her hair back as they walked towards the ship and she gratefully took his hand for the climb. She felt her stomach lurch when he touched her hand, and inwardly kicked herself. She needed to keep her mind on the mission!

She settled into the cockpit and saw all the buttons and dials and felt her anxiety rise. This was not her happy place. Katarine was much better situated in an investigation working with local cops. Too bad Zane wasn't a cop, then they could spend all their time together. She closed her eyes. Focus! If she didn't start paying attention they were doomed.

She put her helmet on and whistled at all the buttons.

"They make this look easier on the holovids." She teased.

​

 

[Zane Cameron]

When she hook his hand, Zane's thumb ran over the top of her hand as he guided her up the ladder. Even through gloves, he could tell that there was something soft to her touch. Years of Jedi duty and hard training had made her strong, and he wouldn't ever deny or downplay that. But there was gentleness, too.

It made his heart pound in his chest.

After helping her settle into the cockpit behind him, Zane got into his own seat and pulled on his helmet. He ran through a series of quick checks, hit the toggle to bring down the canopy, and powered up the engines. All the lights and dials came to life in an instant, and the roar of the X-wing's power tremored through their seats.

<Alright, can you hear me?> he asked over comms. <We're taking off.> Without another word, the X-wing began to levitate and he'd slowly start climbing up and away from the landing pad.

<How are you feeling back there? Enjoying the view?> he looked into a small mirror that allowed him to see her in the back of his ship. Zane certainly wasn't complaining about his view right now.

Katarine Ryiah ​

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Location: In Ship
Objective: Fly
Tags: Zane Cameron


Katarine felt her nerves skyrocket as the Xwing lifted off the ground. She had literally never been in a starfighter before. She was always a passenger on larger vessels because she wasn't a pilot so she didn't do much good in a small starfighter. She hated flying probably as much as the famous Obiwan hated it, but at least he could do it. As all the ships rose around her she felt her heart beating in her throat. They were literally going to an asteroid field. What had Valery gotten her into?

<How are you feeling back there? Enjoying the view?>

Zane's voice cracked through her headset inside the helmet and she jumped slightly. It sounded like he was right beside her because the reception was so clear. She felt heat rise to her face and color in her cheeks but tried to ignore it.

<Is it too late to change my mind?> She laughed nervously but it was a bit shaky suggesting real nerves. She glanced towards where he was sitting and noticed his broad shoulders over the seat. Her blush intensified as her deep green eyes darted back out the viewport. They were climbing higher and higher.

​

 

[Zane Cameron]

<Much too late.>

Zane waited for Katarine to meet his gaze through the mirror and flashed her a wink. It made heat rise through his chest to do that, but he was still able to keep his exterior calm. At least, calm enough for her not to pick up on the way he felt — she was likely far too busy adjusting to space flight.

That, and he had noticed the way she blushed each time they had a moment of connection.

<We're exiting the atmosphere now.>

It was an amazing feeling to be rid of drag and no longer be affected by gravity. The fighter felt free and responsive, and Zane figured it'd be good for her to feel it, too. So, he waited with the jump to Hyperspace and continued a steady path through the vacuum of space.

<Do you want to take over for a bit? I'll be able to adjust, and it'd only be steering.> She had a control stick between her legs, so it was just a matter of switching control to her.

Katarine Ryiah ​

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Location: Above Atmosphere
Objective: Talk Zane out of His Crazy Idea
Tags: Zane Cameron


His wink made her grin but then turbulence hit and the grin turned to grimace. Exiting the atmosphere felt very different in a small starfighter. She noticed turbulence felt a lot stronger when you were in a tiny ship. Her pulse was racing and she was jumpy at all of the little shakes as they climbed but eventually they broke the atmosphere and it was a lot calmer. The view was beautiful. She felt like she was almost part of the sky. It could almost be considered peaceful... that is until he spoke again.

<Do you want to take over for a bit? I'll be able to adjust, and it'd only be steering.>

<Are you crazy?!? I'll probably send us into a nose dive. I guess it would give you a purple heart though.... your family would be proud...>

Was she fishing to see if he had a family? Maybe or maybe she was panicking. She couldn't tell anymore.

​

 

[Zane Cameron]

<Don't have much of a family, so let's skip the dying part, eh?> He grinned and looked up into his little mirror one last time before transferring control of his X-wing to her. He knew it'd be scary, but why not teach her a little while they were out here? There was nothing they could hit or crash into, so no risk at all.

A perfect training environment for someone new. And while it wouldn't be enough to turn her into an expert pilot, maybe it'd help her get over her nervousness of flying.

Maybe he could even offer her private lessons. The thought made him grin, but he forced himself to focus again.

<Take a firm grip on the control stick but relax your body. Tighten your legs only when taking sharp turns, just to keep blood flowing to your brain. For now, just take some steady turns and get a feeling for the ship.>

Katarine Ryiah ​

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Location: Space
Objective: No Nose Dives
Tags: Zane Cameron


Not much of a family huh? Well that probably ruled out a wife. Maybe he had parents or siblings, or maybe not. Sadly she knew several people who didn't have much of a family, herself included. Automatically at the thought of her family she reached for the dyad part of her brain where she always felt her twins presence, but just like last time there was nothing there.

There was no time to dwell on her confusing feelings for her twin however because a moment latter Zane had switched control of the sip to her. He was out of his mind! She grabbed the controls and tried to relax, but her hands were a little shaky. It was a little like playing a video game, not that she'd ever played one of those but she had seen the padawans playing in the Temple. If she moved the stick sideways the ship would go sideways, and the same for up and down. She made it zig and zag slightly, slowly and softly.

<Your crew probably thinks you are nuts right now.>

She imagined the view of a ship going sideways left, right, left right, would be amusing to the other pilots.

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[Zane Cameron]

<Probably, but they're also jealous.> He grinned to himself and intentionally didn't clarify. The other pilots were jealous because he had an attractive Jedi Master sitting in his back seat. But if Katarine wanted to know that, she would have to ask.

He loved playing this little game.

Speaking of which, Kat handled his ship like she was playing a flight simulator game for the very first time. She carefully pushed and pulled the stick in various directions, and gauged how the fighter responded to her input.

<That's it. Let's make it more exciting, hm?> He took his own stick and gently pulled it to the side. Katarine would feel his input through her stick, and could either resist or move along with him. Zane was working towards a barrel roll.

Nothing too crazy in space, where there was no such thing as up and down. But it was still a maneuver that not all new pilots felt comfortable with.

<You want to try a loop next?>

Katarine Ryiah ​

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Location: Space
Objective: Loop? The Man Said LOOP?????
Tags: Zane Cameron

<Probably, but they're also jealous.>

<Of what? Having a copilot that has less experience flying than a toddler does? Or are you pilots just so used to risk taking they think it would be fun to fly with someone that's a crash risk?> She laughed into the helmet but was actually impressed she hadn't crashed yet. Of course there was nowhere to crash really but it felt like there was. She felt like you could dive, go up, go sideways, she didn't really understand all the terminology or the actual way things moved but it felt like they were moving when she hit the controls, and they hadn't hit anything so hey that was a win right?

<You want to try a loop next?>

Now THAT term she knew and she instantly panicked.

<Are you crazy? Loops should be reserved for emergency situations!>

She could feel him on the controls and and despite her fear she trusted him enough to follow his subtle guiding.

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[Zane Cameron]

<You're not a crash risk. I'm letting you fly here because it's safe.> He chuckled and completed the barrel roll without any real trouble. It gave them a decent view and hopefully made it less scary for her to be flying them around.

Even if it was in open space.

<They're jealous because I have you flying with me.> He sounded calm and confident, but much to his own surprise, he felt his cheeks burning up. His palms grew sweaty and he shifted around in his seat a little more.

Keep it cool, Zane.

The loop - and especially her reaction to it - was the perfect distraction. He guided her into it, as he pulled back on his stick and gradually brought the nose up. It wouldn't be a sharp loop or something they could feel in their guts, but the planet was briefly in view again as they looped around.

It looked so small from where they were.

<So, what do you think? I wouldn't say no to flying you around more often, but maybe this makes you want to learn how to fly?>

Katarine Ryiah ​