If Only I could remember... {Salem Norongachi}

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Voices came through the communications system and as if the people were actually there, Katrine glare at the speakers. "Can't they just shut up?" She asked. Really, some people... said the one who liked talking a lot. Then again, Kat had two legitimate reasons to speak (in her mind) but she couldn't, for the life of her, find any reasonable excuse for these people to keep jabbering.

Salem mentioned something about the Hand of Fate. For a moment, her head turned to him. As if she had once, long ago, heard such a thing. The Hand of Fate. Wheeles turned in her head, trying to remember why, where and when she had heard it but Katrine couldn't remember right now. If she could, she'd probably make the connection right then and there between her mother and this man, remember hearing the Confederacy tales. But Katrine didn't remember, the memories remaining locked within her mind, seemingly irrelevant.

The ship went down, her uppr body moving forward abruptly, without a single warning. Thankfully, she was still holding on tighly and her nose didn't meet the panel at that point. Then it all went around. Before Katrine knew, she was leaning to the right, almost being thrown out of her chair before she dug her fingernails further into the arm chair as most of her bottom separated from the seat, her upper body going right. Now she remembered what she had forgot, the seat bealt. But she couldn't possibly put it on at this point. @[member="Salem Norongachi"] spoke then but clearly, he wasn't talking to her then and Katrine remained perfectly quietly.

...that wasn't normal. Anyone who knew Katrine would have been looking at her curiously. And if they knew her that well, they'd be asking if she had taken her percreption. Salem didn't know her. So naturally, he wouldn't suspect anything nor ask. Instead, he moved his hands over the panel, her sapphire blues focusing on it as if it was the most important thing in the world before the ship got its back boost, rushing ahead, jumping into hyperspace just as he spoke, commenting on it. "Did we escape? Are they going to get us? This thing is small. They'll probably catch up with us. How fast are you going? Maybe you should go faster." The words and questions and setences just spat out, without so much as actual thoughts put into it. Katrine's mind had spirled a full circle, from the cheerful and curious person she had been just moments ago, worry was starting to fill her head and when worry kicked in, the rest would surely follow.

Maybe they needed to move faster... or maybe she just needed to get her drugs.

 

[Salem Norongachi]

Norongachi could feel his patience beginning to break under the bombardment of questions. "Do you know something Katrine," He said, barely keeping the impending rage out of his voice. "I've always wondered what happened to someone if they were thrown out of a ship travelling at light speed. If I wasn't 100% certain the airlock door wouldn't fly off, I'd give it a bloody try." He gave an exasperated sigh and forced his blood to calm to a simmer.

"Yes, we have escaped. No they won't. Yes it is. They might. The speed of light and if I went any faster we'd travel back in time, if you believe any of the holomovies." He answered in rapid succession. "Now do us both a favour and zip it for five seconds or I'll save them the trouble of killing us." He huffed out a breath and ran a hand through his hair, letting it linger at his left temple where his fingers began to rub in a vain attempt to dissuade the onset of a migraine.
@[member="Katrine Van Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Panic. Panic was the right word for what she was actually feeling. Panic, worry... and her mind was just ready to crumble on further when she suddenly heard @[member="Salem Norongachi"] speak again, making her look at him. He'd always wondered what happened to someone if they were thrown out of a ship travelling at light speed? Katrine blinked rapidly looking at him. He wasn't even sure the doors wouldn't fly off but he'd give it a try? More rapid blinking.

Strangers didn't usually talk to her like that. If you pissed off Daddy, that was a volcano eruption most definitely and Mommy could kill a village without so much as blinking. But strangers didn't speak to Katrine Van Derveld like that. Nobody actually dared considering whose kid she was. But here this guy was, talking to her like that, threatening her even to push her out of an airlock at light speed.

And then continuing to answer every single question in perfect order. Which Katrine understood perfectly but she couldn't even focus on that right now. Instead, she blinked one more time and started laughing. And then laughed some more. Turning into her chair, she couldn't really stop. His threat had actually done wondered, made all the panic wash away. But it also so funny.

"I like you." She just said, despite the fact he'd told her to zip it. Instead, got her backpack, now flattened from being pressed against the back of the seat and moved some things around before she finally found what she was looking for. Her perscription. Two pills taken out, she sealed it again and put it back. She took them like that, without any liquid, her head tilting back as she frowned. Disgusting as always.

 

[Salem Norongachi]

She laughed.

Of all the sounds Norongachi was known to force from a sentients mouth laughter was not one of them, pleas, begging and screams for sure but laughter? Then the strangest thing happened, he found himself chuckling behind his hand. It was strange to hear it after so many years, he'd forgotten what it felt like to experience it. Maybe it was the near death experiences they'd nearly had or the sheer ludicrous company he found himself in but he laughed and was sorry when it finally petered out upon his lips.

"I like you too, kid." He said and the surreal continued because he actually meant it. He watched her then, rummaging through a bag he wasn't even aware she had and palm two pills into her mouth. Norongachi didn't ask, he didn't need to. Everyone had their demons and burdens tucked away somewhere.

@[member="Katrine Van Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Her head was still leaned back, the bad taste in her mouth irking her when her mind finally registered he had spoke, registered what he had said, even the change of tone that came with it even though her own laughter had actually prevented her from noticing that Salem too had laughed along with her just moments ago. Katrine lowered her head back and looked at him, a smile returning to her face. She'd just made a friend. Her first friend in this time. He didn't have to agree with it, he didn't even have to hear it. He was now Katrine's friend. That was just the fact of things.

The pills had yet to actually take affect on her but the lift on her mood had certainly helped to temporarily push all the bad that could have sunk in. It was a rare thing to happen and Katrine was genuinely grateful for the distraction she got. "Thanks. I needed that," the girl confessed even though she had no intention of going into depth just how grateful she actually was. That would require explaining the condition itself. Which nobody but her parents and sister knew about. And she preferred to keep it that way.

Returning her chair to face the window again, she actually put on her seat belt and looked again before asking: "So, where are we headed?"

@[member="Salem Norongachi"]

 

[Salem Norongachi]

"Me too." He said quietly, kicking his boots up onto the control board and reclining back in his chair. "We're heading to Krant, which I'm sure is notable for many things. Unfortunately they are so below my ability care I haven't bothered to remember them. Its the closest world I could find before I went deeper into CIS space. That work for you?" He asked, turning his head to look at her.

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Katrine started to nod her head when she heard the name of the planet and then two words popped into her head: Uncle Isley. Hmm. Which of course meant and Kat knew just where they were going before @[member="Salem Norongachi"] mentioned CIS. Confederacy of Independent Systems. Which put her extremely close to her parents, right? Right.

Leaning her head back, she let it rest against the top of her chair as her sapphire eyes looked to the ceiling. She was going to get a little too close to where she shouldn't have been and far from where she should have gone. And yet, this was where he was headed. So would that work? "Yeah... that's good for me...," the redhead answered the question, a question forming in her mind. "Why are you heading there?"

 

[Salem Norongachi]

"You don't seem so sure," He said, noting her apprehension. "If you want to go elsewhere, then now is the time to say." It wouldn't be an issue, he wasn't due back in CIS space for another week. What had her worried, he wondered, watching her out of the corner of his eye as he tried to relax.

"There isn't any reason, other than its on the way. I'm heading for Roon, eventually." Was his response.

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

He noticed... Katrine sighed and looked to him. "No, no, Krant is fine. I'll be fine." She responded. She was going to be fine, right? Right? She honestly wasn't sure. But then, if by some odd rudeness of the Force she did run into Uncle Isley, there was really no reason to panic about it. Why would Uncle Isley even care about some random redheaded person he'd never met. It wasn't like running into her parents who could tell who her sister was all too easy. No, this would be fine. And the Force usually wasn't so rude to her, nope. It was nice to her most of the time. So there was no reason what so ever to panic.

[member="Salem Norongachi"] was just going there because on his way to Roon? Katrine couldn't say she remembered the planet really. It didn't really stick out to her. "What's on Roon?" The redhead followed on her question because why not.

 

[Salem Norongachi]

"Secrets and lies," He thought at her hasty answer. "The Galaxy runs on them." But it was none of his concern, that he was even engaging her in conversation was a minor miracle all on its own without embroiling himself in her personal life.

What was on Roon? He wanted to say opportunity but even he felt that was entirely too cryptic and ominous so he simply said. "Work."

[member="Katrine Van Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

[member="Salem Norongachi"] said nothing to her answer and she just nodded, to herself, glad that she didn't have to go any deeper. Her mind was already racing through thoughts of going into the Conferecy as it was so it was good he wasn't the type to ask so many questions. Definitely good.

And then there was the answer to her question. On Roon there was work. Unfortunately for him, she was the type to ask so many questions... "What kind of work?"

 

[Salem Norongachi]

"Just work. Nothing special." Norongachi had learned a long time ago that standing up and waving your arms around quickly got you shot, better to be humble than become a target. The small talk was beginning to chaff, it wasn't in his nature to have so loose a tongue but she persisted and he was drawn into it again.

"Why are you out here all alone?" He asked. "And what happened to your ship?" She had to have gotten to the stadium somehow.

[member="Katrine Van Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Nothing special... [member="Salem Norongachi"] didn't ask too many questions but he also didn't answer them that much either. She pursed her lips ever so slightly, her mind quietly protesting at the answer that wasn't her answer but it wasn't anything major as what he had done to her back on the planet. This was still sort of an answer so it didn't drive her to want to demand to know more. Didn't mean she had to like it.

He did seem to ask the right questions though, when he wanted her. Why was she here all alone? What happened to her ship. Katrine sighed and looked through the window. "I'm looking for my sister... she's lost..." Somehow, Katrine knew Chloe had figured things out. Just like Katrine managed to get out of odd situations, her big sister was even better at it. But she was lost to her, to Mommy and Daddy, to their time. Katrine would fix that... somehow.

And her ship? "I crashed it...," she mubbled. Going back into the territory where it had crashed, where she knew she was so close to home, Katrine remember how much trouble she was actually going to get when she got home. She'd crashed Daddy's ship, day one here. It was a good thing she didn't borrow the Deceased Star or then she'd really really be in trouble.

 

[Salem Norongachi]

"An all too common story, that one..." He thought darkly. The Galaxy was a meat grinder, it would take you in and if you didn't have the will or the guile then it would chew you up. In the early days, when Salem Norongachi was a wide eyed pup with dreams of justice and morality it had almost swallowed him whole.

"I wouldn't worry about that, I've trashed my share of ships in my time. I once rammed a dreadnaught into a space station. My bosses weren't happy." He smiled.

[member="Katrine Van Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

He wouldn't worry about it? Katrine looked to [member="Salem Norongachi"] then as he talked about his own experience. Even once rammed a dreadnaught into a space station? Her eye went wide at the sound of that. His bosses weren't happy. Oh, she grinned that, ear to ear.

That didn't make her forget how Daddy was going to be angry with what she had done. But the time being, if she did run into him in the now, she could survive through it. She'd only have to deal with it when she found a way home.

"My Daddy will probably blow a casket when he finds out. But I probably have some time before then." She hadn't actually planned on voicing that out loud. Talking about Mommy and Daddy in this time was probably not the best of ideas but how much harm could it do if she just commented it with a new friend? Maybe he was just visiting Confederacy space. Then again, he might have not been. Just calling Daddy Daddy though was harmless, right?

 

[Salem Norongachi]

"What age are you exactly?" Norongachi asked, no one over the age of five ever referred to their father as "daddy". It struck him as creepy, coming from a girl obviously in her late teens. The question was forestalled when the hyperspace corridor winked out and the spinning globe of Krant lay in the distance. He kicked in the sub-light engines and pointed the ships nose toward it.

[member="Katrine Van Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Her age? Katrine looked at him a little confused. Her age hadn't been brought up in a while now. Which is what happened when you spent most of your time with people who knew exactly when you were born or were even present for it... which was a surprisingly large number from what she heard. But that subject had been drained to its peak, her mother an great grandmother and then some other Witches bugged to the point where she had no questions to ask and them losing all their cool.

Salem asked a question though and there was no reason to go back to that thought. "I'm seventeen. Why? How old are you?" Naturally, the redhead didn't just answer the question, she had her own to follow. If they were talking about ages, it seemed only fair she knew his too.

Her attention turned ahead when the corner of her eye caught the changes on the window. They were slowing down. And the planet ahead became clearer now than it was before. "You ever been to Krant before?"

[member="Salem Norongachi"]

 

[Salem Norongachi]

"Seventeen? And he's still your daddy?" He made a face that said 'Okkkayyy then' and left it at that. Her follow up question made him pause, he wasn't exactly sure now. Age or birthdays didn't really mean much when you crawled out of a test tube and even less when you were more concerned about the Galaxy at large than yourself. "I...believe I'm Thirty Seven." He could have been wrong but it seemed about right, although he thought it best to leave out his years in stasis.

"Never. Not once." He responded to her question about Krant. "I was never one for sight seeing." Unless it involved turbolaser fire and conquest.. "What about you? I hear it has some nice....trees..." It was all he could recall from the extensive tactical document he'd read a thousand years prior.

[member="Katrine Van Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

He was still her Daddy? Now he had the girl confused. The face she noticed when she looked back at [member="Salem Norongachi"] made her even more confused. "He's always going to be my Daddy," she quickly pointed out, defensively. Ket Van Derveld was her father, same as Curupira Hawk was her mother. She hardly saw problem with calling him the same way she always did. It was really a term of endearment to the greatest man there ever was in her mind. Of course, that probably had to do a lot with the Father Complex she developed many years ago but Katrine was so enveloped in the thought of how awesome Daddy was that she hadn't never thought about it.

Believed he was thirty seven? How was that possible? How did someone not know their age? How do they miss celebrating birthdays? "Believe?" She finally asked after thinking about it. "How do you not know for sure? Don't your parents celebrate your birthdays?" Did other adults celebrate their birthdays with their parents? Katrine thought she probably would. At thirty seven, she would still be young in the Dathomirian culture. Why wouldn't she celebrate birthdays with her parents then too? Why wouldn't Salem celebrate his birthdays with his parents?

Her new friend had never been to Krant before, not one for sightseeing. "I've been there," she commented. Mommy took her to a lot of planets. Usually what happened when you spent most time with one of the parents. "It's kind of weird. I mean, it reminds me of Dathomir with all the green. But it's so different from the cool places like Coruscant or Nar Shaddaa." Not that it wasn't pretty. Katrine was used to the more primitive looking world but still, a girl could do a lot more on Corucant and Nar Shaddaa. Way more.

 

[Salem Norongachi]

Norongachi decided not to comment on the creepiness of her initial response and the sting of her second he decided to shrug off. People often forgot that not everyone was as...conventionally made as the rest. "I've lead a busy life and my parents aren't around any more. They haven't been for a very long time." Which was true, all of the scientists from the OMEGA Project were long dead.

"You've been to Dathomir?" That peaked his interest, he'd met a Witch or two in his time.

[member="Katrine Van Derveld"]