Moonlight Lekku

[Choli Vyn]

While they were mid conversation, the holofilm had come to the part where the childhood friend of the Nexu King had discovered he was still alive! Enter pinning to the ground through a powerful pounce.

"Yeah, me too." At least in the knowledge that they were able to do something. Her face scrunched up, and she followed up with,"I am sorry, I didn't ask. What is the status of the GADF soldiers that flew with you?'

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Huh, he couldn't win that game either," he said with a raise of his eyebrows. His attention went back to Choli at her question.

"Lost one man on the ground at the town, then two in the explosion. I told them to take cover as soon as we dismounted but we were close to the explosion. Hicks, Bezzunne and Woals. They reckon we saved several thousand in that town. Jacen came to tell me. I think he was proud."

 

[Choli Vyn]

[SIZE=9pt]There wasn't much that Choli could say in regards to Trextan losing men. She too had lost plenty of Rogues up in the skies while providing cover fire or in key missions. Her expression settled on one that suggested she understood the price they were paying, and how each death would not be made in vain. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Her chest rose as she took a deep breath, free hand running through her thick hair to push it away from her face. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]"Glad everyone else is okay."[/SIZE]

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Thank you," he replied earnestly. Silence fell for a few moments. The film was transitioning towards the part where the king's father convinced him to return. He realised that he hadn't sent a thank you message to the OSL Jedi who had arrived to pull them from the wreckage of the U-Wing. He hadn't told Choli they'd found him trying to carry her in his arms as far as he could. It didn't seem appropriate.

"Just tell me when you're planning to get shot down next time and I'll come lose a limb or try and do something heroic so we can spend more time in physio together again."

 

[Choli Vyn]

[SIZE=9pt]In light of everything, Choli felt warmth return to her face again.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]"Sure you want to do that?" She managed to flash a half grin. Okay, do what Janes would do. Or Allyson. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]"Might start to think you are aiming for a date by playing the Knight in Shinning armor."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]The last was said as a joke, but there was a bit of nervousness to it. Choli wasn't really prepared for this sort of thing, so she was just going by the seat of her pants.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]She knew Trextan was nice, and well, interesting, and now that he'd admitted to trying to kiss her... and then pointed out that she should just tell him if she wanted him to, well... made things a bit more aware for her in regards to him that normally would have been oblivious.[/SIZE]

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Hey I didn't say save you. Just end up in hospital again. Apparently there are lots of ways to do that. Lose an arm, crush a power pack accidentally..." He grinned, but there was a slight waver to his smile from a wave of nerves. Why had she brought up a date? Was she expecting him to make an offer now?

"What would it take to..." Trextan trailed off. He'd been about to ask 'earn a date' and once again shied away from it. "Weather looks nice for the roof garden," he covered quickly.

 

[Choli Vyn]

Wait, did I say something wrong? Okay so maybe that wasn't in the cards. Choli vacillated between feeling like an idiot and trying to backtrack, "Umm, yeah. Would be nice to go there I guess right about now."

Choli resolved that the best scenario was just to not bring any of that up anymore. Stick to neutral topics.

"Want to go up there?"

She offered, figuring he wanted an out from the awkward conversation. Yeah, how do Janes or Locke even do this? Half mortified her eyes melted into that anxious bright bronze again.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan took a breath. He released it slowly and imagined releasing the emotions that seemed to be bearing down on his mind, stifling his thoughts.

It didn't work very well and he resolved to seek out more lessons from Adele. However it did clear his head a moment. His inclination was to assume the worst and that he'd offended her, but when he looked over he simply saw that he'd exposed a similarly awkward teenager from the veneer of military brash banter.

What the Force didn't do was offer him any advice on how to deal with it.

"If we go for a date it should perhaps be something a nicer than a hospital mess," he ventured. "Yeah lets go up to the garden. Be nice to get out from under the eyes of the nurses." Wait did that make it seem like he was planning to kiss her again? Shit.

"You're still going to go come to Tatooine?" No that sounded like asking for a date. Oh fuck it all. Any good work done by a moment of breathing techniques had been undone already.

 

[Choli Vyn]

"Yeah, let's go." Choli managed to add in, taking a breath to gather her bearings again. It didn't occur to her that she assumed he wanted to go now instead of later. As soon as she shut off the Holofilm, she realized her mistake. Face flaring pink again, she gave Trextan a sideways glance.

"That is... if you want to go right now?" It was half apologetic and half an abashed grimace. Wait, did he say 'if we go on a date?' Ugh, this was all too confusing.

Thankfully he mentioned Tatooine again, and to his credit, she hadn't taken it as a date. A slight frown followed as her brows drew forward, "Yeah, why wouldn't I? You need a guide at least to keep your skin free of slug holes."

That last was as much of a reality coated in a joke. In that Choli was quite serious. He had asked for her help and since he saved her life, it was the least she could do -- oh.

A dawning realization that the trip meant they would be alone for a few days out in the desert. Right

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Let's go now," Trextan agreed with a smile. He wasn't sure how he arrived at the conclusion that geographical location would change how awkward everything felt but a change seemed good.

"Honestly," he said as he stood up, "I was just worried I'd managed to make everything too awkward. But I'm glad you're still going to come. I seem to find trouble and Tatooine doesn't sound all that safe." He collected and consolidated his tubs of food to drop off in his bedside cupboard.

 

[Choli Vyn]

"Oh." Rising to her feet, Choli found herself playing with her hair again. Perhaps it was a nervous tick? Or something she did when she was in deep thought.

"Well, you asked for help. " she replied, helping to pick up any leftover mess. "I mean, you did save my life and all," Cho gave him a brief half smile, the corner of her mouth twitching up.

"Least I could do." Just gotta think of it in that sense. What was the worst that could happen?

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"You still could have said no if my company was that bad," he replied. He clipped down the lids on the last of the spoils. Not much left but it would make a small snack after dinner later.

"But it feels right to go there. You ever get that with the Force? Well, if it's the Force. Just that little tug towards a certain course of action. You must get it if you let it guide you flying?" He asked

 

[Choli Vyn]

"I don't mind your company at all." Thinking it in her mind sounded a bit better than saying it aloud. Now I likely sound even more of a fool. Minor annoyance at herself rose.

She was grateful for the topic change to flying. That she could answer. Sort of.

"To a degree." She admitted, moving around the acceleration couch over to the waste dispenser. "Just get a feeling, you know? Some call it instinct. Perhaps that is pretty much what the Force is. Chloe thinks different, more that it is where one is meant to be." A flash of an upward quirk of her lips. "For her, everything is predetermined by the Gods."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Wow, for a moment I thought you said you didn't mind my company to a degree," he replied with a grin. If she'd been observant she might have noticed a flash of dismay cross his features with the initial confusion. "I enjoy your company too." To him, his reply sounded equally stilted once he'd spoken out loud, but at least the point had been made. The situation with his family was one thing, but actually he didn't like to deliberate on decisions too long. This had been enough time to decide he quite firmly liked being around the pilot.

"Yeah, Jacen thinks the Force can lead you to be at the right place in the right time to make a difference. Maybe that's why we ended up in opposite beds on Polis Massa." He grinned as he made his way towards the door to the main corridor. "Maybe the Force wants us to be the bane of medics across the galaxy," he added quickly to keep the tone of conversation light.

 

[Choli Vyn]

"Wait.. what -- oh no. Nono, not what I meant." Her hands came up, gesturing with emphasis. Was she really going to just be a blushing mess the entire day?

Grateful, again for Trextan mentioning his father instead of delving further into what a dork she was, Choli released a chuckling half sigh.

"Ahh... maybe. Wasn't my intention to wake up a month after Kaeshana without my memory though." A glance up and Choli caught the signs that would lead towards the roof access.
"Come on, let's see if this roof is worth it... or if we need to plot another escape." Good, make a joke. That works out.

She took point, moving first towards the doors that would lead them outside of the ward. They would need to check out at the Nurses station first --- and likely end up at the receiving end of a few pointed looks or quips.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan hadn't turned his mind to the situation he'd found Choli in often. It was so recent yet seemed so far away.

"I can't imagine..." He started before realising he didn't really have anything reassuring to say. Instead he gave a gentle squeeze to her right arm and offered a warm smile.

"If the plan of escape involves mind tricking nurse Mei that'd be...Hi there," he said to nurse Mei as they approached the station. In return he was treated to a finger held up to rudely tell him to wait whilst a form was completed. His lips narrowed. Having just thought about the bruises on Choli's body that little ball of anger was quick to grow.

"They said we could head to the roof garden?" He asked after a moment when she'd lowered her hand. The next nurse along smiled at her datapad without looking up at them.

 

[Choli Vyn]

"Mmhmmm...got you monitored right here." There was this sense of underlying suggestive undertone that Choli wasn't sure if she was too keen on. Her eyes would narrow slightly.

"You can go, but stick to the access hours." Okay now Choli felt like a child being told to mind their curfew.

"Yeah, we got it." she replied, glancing up at Nurse Mei.

"You can follow the signs and go up the stairs or use the lift. I'd recommend the lift seeing as your foot still is healing Lieutenant Commander."
"... yeah. Thanks."

But in reality, Choli didn't seemed that grateful. The tell would be the way her eyes glittered gray flecks in mild annoyance.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

" Right. How long to mess with these monitors?" Trextan asked the moment they were out of the door. It was quite clear from his tone that he wasn't impressed with the nurses' tone either. It was fairly universal for teenagers to hate being treated like children by adults even if the anger was misplaced. In this case Trextan really didn't like the tone Mei had taken with them in the common room or the mess.

"Feel up to the stairs?" He asked. He had slightly overdone it the previous day but walked to talk just to spite then. "You know I got told I messed up by pulling that console off your leg without a medic around. Sorry about that, but at the time I thought the risk was Yuuzhan Vong overrunning us."

 

[Choli Vyn]

"Stairs." Choli agreed, rebellious teenage nature combined with being a Rogue culminated in that decision. So she could be a little hot headed, but that was normal. Considering she had jerked off her IV's and monitors the first time Trextan had met her, it wouldn't come as a surprise.

"I'll take a better look at them once we are on the roof --- fewer eyes to catch me working on them." The patch was small, along with the upper arm.

They wandered out of the ward at a normal pace. It was faster this time to the stairs as they had taken them before to get to the mess. The only difference being that they would need to go up -- actually how many flights of stairs were they talking about? Not a question Choli considered at the time as she took the first step up.

"It's fine. Besides... it turned out for the best anyways. Just gonna take a bit longer to heal up, that's all."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"I really do hate the bacta," he said as he leaned out. Looking up he was relieved to see it wasn't actually many flights up. "It would be okay if I could sleep through it but it feels like endless hours of watching medics look at you through glass."

He looked at the patch on his arm and prodded it accusingly. Trextan didn't rush up the stairs, his hip and ribs still ached with every step. To get off at a level and take the lifts would feel like losing to that nurse.

"Shall we head down to the mess once you've fiddled the patches...No, sod it, we should see if there's somewhere we can go outside." There was the matter of being properly dressed or having credits, but those problems would occur to him later.