Now we can talk about it

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

"Let me see dat," he said. He stepped closed with his left hand going briefly to the line of the captain's trousers to hold them up. There wasn't much room for an argument provided as he took her arm below the wound in two hands. They weren't deep wounds but the skin had been well lacerated. He realised with some shame that the hand he held against her arm had a contrast of bright red along his green fingers.

"Sorry," he murmured. It was for the wound and also because with a tug he removed the rest of the sleeve to get a better look.

"Hold this against it as hard as you can," he said. He handed her the tattered remains of the sleeve. He turned away to look for the tattered remains of his original pants. There was always a med kit in one pocket and spare power packs in the other. Turning made his head spin. Xin went down to one knee to look and also because he was afraid he would fall.

"I'm nuh so sure about telling him nothin'," Xin replied. This all felt like it would be difficult to keep entirely under wraps now. What would he say? She tore off my clothes with her teeth instead of searching?

"We might have to tell him but kip it from di Fleet Council. Let Larry guh back to his job. Maybe after wuh he's been though dey can quietly retire him." What scared him was that he was thinking slightly as Wesseq would. Do something for the good of the Fleet with no oversight. Back door operations to keep them going.

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

"Hey," she yelped as the nautolan tore off her sleeve, wrist encompassed by his green fingers. Just as quickly he released her. Fingers pressed the tattered remains against the bleeding wound that spanned the length of her arm. Teeth clenched as he took a knee. Tingles of guilt wormed their way through her system.

"This wasn't your fault. Just. Thanks for...you know. Helping me."

She offered a weak smile and tried to shrug off the situation. She didn't like it but he was probably right. She couldn't exactly run. That'd require stealing a fleet ship and the last thing she needed was more people after her. Xin would miss the looks of doubt, anxiety, and contemplation that flickered across her features like shifting shadows.

"Hey," opposite tone than before. A bit of concern leaked in like water slipping through a cracked jar. "Don't push yourself too fast." She came up to his side and nudged his upper arm lightly with her elbow, grip still pressing down over the lacerations that etched down her pink skin. Teeth clenched for a second. Bottle of lum was within Xin's reach. "I'll go with you to tell Wesseq but I swear, if he tries to take the amulet or blackmail me...," voice trailed off wondering exactly what she'd be able to do. She just knew she'd do something.

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

"Eh...sort of my fault. I did nah take de warning seriously. And den I shredded your arm," he said. The pain was mostly a dull ache throughout his body now but he felt drained. Part of him realised that if he stood up quickly he was liable to tip over. "Better to explain to Wesseq that all of de Fleet Council," he said.

Xin turned to look up at her and offered a weak smile. This time he did notice the trouble she was having with her top. Well that would have convinced the two who'd popped open the door even further. No time to enjoy the view and he didn't have the heart to point it out right now. Nor the courage.

With a collection of dressings in one hand, he used the other to pull himself up onto the edge of the bed. He motioned for her to bring the arm closed. The sterilising swab would sting, but the dressing would keep it covered until they could get somewhere better equipped to see if she needed stitches. She probably would.

"Gonna leave a gud scar," he said, corner of his mouth quirked upwards. "Had your shots recently? I hear nexu can carry bad germs!"

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

Kinsey was still oblivious to any clothing malfunction exposing a certain amount of cleavage. Wide blues were trained on Xin and his hunched over form, the small frown seemingly cemented on her mouth. It would take awhile for him to get back on his feet, though his jokes were still firing. Good to see he had his sense of humor.

The spacer hesitated when he wanted her to come closer.

It wasn't anything personal. She just wasn't used to accepting help from well, anyone.

"Okay," hard to say whether she was agreeing with him again, about talking to Wesseq or relenting to letting him help her. Stepping to his side, she perched on the edge of the bed next to the clothed nautolan. Injured arm was held out. "Well if I start foaming at the mouth you'll have," corner of her mouth curved upward briefly before the cleaning swab came in, "to-oh-oh-OW," she cringed, clamping her lips closed. She'd had worse but for some reason that really stung. "Don't press so hard," she grumbled as her arm jerked slightly, fingers twitching accidentally against the batch of tattooed and decorated tentacles hanging over his shoulder.

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

Even in the situation he couldnt help but chuckle. The deep sound reverberated around the small cabin. If there was anyone outside they would probably form their own interpretation of what the sounds meant.

"Stop being a child!" Her hands against his headtails was an almost ticklish sensation. Xin took a tighter grip on her arm with on hand and held it in place whilst he finished disinfecting the last gash that ran down her upper arm. "Dere, all done."

He unceremoniously dropped the swab on the floor and unpacked a dressing. When she started to take her arm back he corrected himself.

"Done with dat, not finished," he said. The tips of his headtails twitched in amusement. He pressed the dressing down firmly, running his thumb along the sticky border to hold it in place.

"Right. We need to go get yuh stitched i'm afraid.

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

"Ouch," she grumbled. "It's not funny," she protested but there was no bite behind her bark. Blues smoldered just beneath the surface and drifted away from his close-up face to the tattooed and twitching headtails. She realized where exactly the tips of her fingers were as that green texture danced against her fingerpads.

"Stitches?" Face screwed up in distaste, meeting those endless black eyes of his. "Hope they won't hurt as much as I bet those tats did?" Exposed curvatures shifted as her arm did. Blues finally traveled down, to see what other blood may have gotten on her vest, only to be met with her own cleavage. "Oh," she said quietly, attention diverted from the burning bite along her arm. "Seems I've lost a button or two. Will not some stitches for my shirt." Pale skin on the plains of her cheeks warmed.

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

"I'm 'fraid it'll probably hurt more," he said. Xin didn't have a roll of bandages so he just took the torn off sleeve again and tied it around the arm to keep some pressure on it. She was already bleeding through the dressing.

"I'm a crappy medic, not a crappy seamstress sorry," he laughed. "Might be something of de captain's you could steal to keep your modesty." Now she had noticed he tried very hard to keep his eyes on the arm, not sideways. "Least you didn't end up naked cryin' inna ball on de floor," he mused. Despite her blushes the exposed skin wasn't close to making him blush in return. Destracting, yes but not upsetting.

The hasty wrap was tightened around her arm. As he leaned away he cupped one of his headtails and lifted it in front of him. "Depends where yuh get them done. Hurts more in here than de arms. Stitched hurt. Sorry! Do yuh like dem though?" He asked.

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

Air sucked in between clenched teeth. Facial features screwed up into a grimace, blues squeezing closed for a minute as the dressing was tied up. Karking, fething, stang. That hurt. Blues opened to focus on Xin's tattoos, a happy distraction away from pain and bulging, exposed cleavage.

The spacer leaned in a tad, getting a good look at the ink.

"It's pretty sweet. Good detailing." There was murmuring outside the closed door. Probably the crew again. Easing back, she stood, swaying slightly on her feet. Hand shot out, palm pressing against the cold, metallic wall of the captain's room, catching herself. Must've lost more blood than I thought. She could feel it pooling against the dressing, some already dripping down her arm.

Head shook and she pulled a black shirt from the Captain's closet. Shrugging off her vest, she went to pull off her shredded shirt next, back to Xin as there was a knock at the door. "We should get out of here before they kick us out of an airlock."

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

"Thank yuh," he said with a broad grin. That was an easy way to work oneself into his good books.

Dis be the first time I've got in trouble for karking, and not actually got to, well, anyway..." he trailed off when he realised she was still pulling a new top down. Bare shoulders were always sure to get the young nautolan's attention but he turned his big eyes towards the door and pretended he'd been looking the other way the whole time. Her unsteady stance didn't escape his attention. If she couldn't stand then this was going to be even more difficult than he imagined. It did, however, give him an idea.

Xin sucked in a deep lungful of air and stood up. He did so slowly but seemed to have more of his faculties back about him now. He boldly moved to the door and opened it.

"Hey, yuh guys got any med-kits? Big cut she got in de break-out just opened up an' bled everywhere."

"Er, what? Oh that's..." replied the refugee who noticed Xin's clothes.

"Yeah, blood everywhere but it's tied off now," Xin replied. "Jus' need something better to tie it down."

"Oh kark, you should have shouted for us instead of doing it yourself and changing clothes!" she said before rushing off to get something.

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

"Oh, so you get in trouble for karking often?" Quick quip left her smartarse mouth, bareback facing the nautolan. Chin tipped over her shoulder in surprise as the door opened. He opened the door. "What are you - can you just wait one..," fingers clutched a black shirt to her chest.

Great.

She scrambled to get her head and arms through the appropriate holes. Bandage caught on the sleeve and she grimaced, pulling it through. After the refugee girl left, the second-mate poked his head in and whistled as she tugged the shirt down. "You two been busy," he remarked slyly, eyeing the new clothes and shredded bits. "Real busy. Hope you had time to find what you were looking for."

At least he wasn't ticked at the reason they'd been using his captain's quarters.

And now the tricky part. Couldn't tell him or the others on board what they found. Might as well stick to the karking bit.

"Yeah, well, you know," walking next to Xin, she patted his upper arm that meant more to be a caress but fell sort of short. "Hard to stay professional around this guy."

Ugh, Kinsey Starchaser. Seriously? Hopefully that other girl would come back soon with a medkit and break-up the ogling she and Xin were getting from the second mate.

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

"Look..." Xin said boldly. "She got wounded gettin' yuh captain outta an execution. Right?" The nautolan drew himself up to his full height. In his mind he was pleading to whatever fickle gods controlled his luck that he wouldn't have another dizzy spells and start to topple. He made no statement on whether the wound opening or undressing had come first. Easier to let them fill in the story for themselves.

The crew member held up both hands. "Yeah I get it. Grateful you got him out of that prison. We're all just a little nervous about him not being back home yet." The man was clearly ready to back down and drop the current subject for now. There was still a suspicious glance passed across both of them. Many in the Fleet didn't trust Dragoons. Some saw them as much as secret police of the council as explorers and protectors. There was an awkward, nervous tension between these two that seemed off to him.

The woman returned with a bright green plastic box and immediately demanded to see the injury. Seeing the already blood stained dressing she echoed Xin's comment that it would probably need restitching.

"I know," Xin replied. "We'll get straight off to get it done."

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

Fingers dropped from Xin's arm. Blues shifted to the side, catching that puffing of his chest and rolling of his shoulders. Kinsey didn't think the act would work but apparently the nautolan knew the right words to say. He'd just been in the fleet a few months? Seemed to operate with these folks real smoothly.

Color Kinsey impressed.

Still on edge, though. Sighing, she brandished her arm to the woman with the bright green box. More tugging and pulling. Kinsey grumbled quietly. The woman frowned, seeing the bleeding gashes and took out two bacta patches. "These should hold long enough until you get this stitched. Funny though. Looks almost fresh."

"Must've tore it the right way," Kinsey quickly pulled her arm away as the second patch was smoothed on. "Thanks," she added quickly. "You seem used to stuff like this." The woman had the quick and smooth hands of a medic.

"Seen enough scraps in my time," the woman frowned but seemed distracted enough. Kinsey's face paled but it wasn't from the situation, more so from the loss of blood. Aw feth, she didn't want to faint in front of everyone.

Keep it together.

Nails dug into the clenched fist of her hand. "H'okay. Let's get going. Thanks for everything," legs wobbled forward as she went to weave past the refugee and the second mate.

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

The moment they were around the corner she would feel him slip an arm around were waist and support some of her weight.

"Easy dere," he murmured. "Seems like yuh are getting worse as I come around."

His headtails could pick up emotional traces, but Xin was never fully conscious of what they did. He just experienced a general empathy that was enhanced through the latest Force sensitivity he didn't know that he possessed. At times it could make it quite difficult to be a selfish as he wanted to be. He wasn't going to take any protest on the matter. The colour had left her skin and he could feel her balance faltering.

In the hangar the first mate was waiting. There was a concerned expression on his face and Xin could feel latent anger simmering underneath the surface. "Going?"

"Yes. Gonna talk to your boss about something."

"About what?"

"Guess he'll tell yuh if he want to!" Xin tried to chuckle. He stepped right past Dillion and into the shuttle.

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

The spacer didn't want to admit it but if it wasn't for Xin's arm wrapped around her waist, she'd be kissing that plated ship-flooring by now. Limbs felt like jelly with mini-starships strapped to her feet. Head felt like gravity was turned off and a part of her was floating away. The harsh glare of artificial lighting above made her eyes hazy.

"S'okay," she mumbled, booted-feet staggering, nails still digging into her own palm as her body involuntarily leaned against Xin, curve of her hip bumping against him as they walked. Red was already splotching through the bacta patches. Gaze focused a second on the grumpy firstmate as they slipped right on past.

"Way to use your nautolan wiles with Dillion," she muttered as her head drooped, chin touching her chest for a moment. Hand extended, palm smacking against the button to seal the shuttle doors behind them. "I'm so tired. Just need to....sleep for a bit," legs buckled beneath her.

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

Xin grunted as he took note of her weight and continued for the cockpit. He eased her down into the copilot's chair and pushed several levers to start the engines whirring into life. The sound of his finger flicking her cheek made a quiet 'pop'.

"No sleeping. Not yet," he said. It concerned him a great deal that she wanted to rest this quickly. Those gashes were still bleeding badly. Xin's medical skill went as far as some basic first aid and triage.

"Just hang about and point out how bad my flying is for a few more minutes and then you can nap in a nice medical ward...whilst they stitch up your arm."

As soon as the bay door slid open Xin eased the ship up off the deck. He gave the controls a deliberate wobble to shake the shuttle as it pulled out into open space. He dialled up the inertial dampeners to hide to extra acceleration he out on to return to the Adrogaddo.

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

Drooping eye-lids fluttered open for a second with that poke of his fingers on her cheek. The cockpit chair felt like a tomb and she feared she wouldn't have the strength to stand up on her own when they landed. Head was already floating high. Lithe-form jolted to the side at Xin's deliberate wobble of the shuttle.

"Moves like that," lids drifted lower and lower, "might not even make it back." The smallest corner along her mouth twitched. Warmth trickled down her wrist. "Maybe I'll....teach you a few moves after I." A long pause.

"After I," lids closed and head drooped to the side. The small tether that kept her awake snapped and she was quickly consumed by darkness.

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

"Nono...fethdamnit. Guys, am gonna need..." As she drifted from consciousness she would feel the slight tug backwards as he eased the throttle forwards. There wasn't enough room between the ships in the fleet to really get any speed up, but he wasn't about to take it at a leisurely pace.

-

"And you were the only person there..." As Kinsey started to wake in a spartan medical bay she would hear the voice laced with suspicion.

"Other dan her yeah, but I already told you it was me..."

"As - and I hate the fact that I even have to say this again - a giant feline that the bracelet turned you into?"

There was the sound of Xin sighing. "Was an amulet."

"Right. Well Captain Keldan wanted a word with you about another matter, but for now you're confined to this ship and you're not talking to anyone else until this is all cleared up." The duros cross his arms over his chest and shook his head.

"Course. Wait. Why does he...he's the..."

"Captain of the nautolan refugee ship."

"Well why..."

"Obvious really."

Sigh made an exasperated noise of annoyance. Why did they assume that because he was a nautolan he wanted to live among them. "Well tell him that...wait, think she might be..."

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

Voices. Muted voices. Kinda far off but getting closer. Xin? Wide-blues ground open. Felt like she was blinking back sandpaper. The tangy smell of bacta pricked her nose and that familiar sterile smell of a ship's medical ward. Fingers twitched and toes moved.

"Fethgorram i-" voice trailed off as two somewhat familiar red-eyes zeroed in on her.

Swearing pair of lips quickly closed and hand moved up to rub at her head. Starburst blues broke away from those wide-reds and down to her bandaged arm. Sleeve was cut off at the shoulder.

Whelp, there went another perfectly good shirt.

Next to the bed rested a used and bloodied needle with the remains of some thread for stitching.

Ah good, out for the painful bit. What the kark had Xin already said? Worried gaze went to Xin. Leg moved, still feeling the bulge of the wrapped up amulet in her pocket. Tightened shoulders relaxed a tad as her gaze focused back on the Duros.

"Wesseq in the flesh?"

 

[Xin Boa]

"She can rest."

"She can talk. I'm Wesseq."

Xin heard the faint note of impatience in the duros' voice. He told himself that Tarn was just keen to ensure his own man hadn't attacked Kinsey. Xin prayed to his luck that she could remember what happened.

The nautolan offered Kinsey a nervous smile. At least she was up already. For a short while he'd been deeply concerned that the wound was far worse than he'd realised. She was cut deep, but nothing vital had been severed and they had plenty of saline and artificial universal blood replacement.

"Xin says he did this to you?"

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

Uncertainty flickered across the explorer's face. Xin admitted it? A spark of adrenaline pushed past her fatigue and weariness. Then Wesseq knew about the amulet? He knew about her? Tension rolled into her shoulders and her eyes closed a moment wondering if she could find the strength to run out if she had to.

"Yes," she breathed. Eyes snapped open and hands found their way behind her so she could push herself to a seated position. Skin stretched beneath the bandage along raw flesh and stitches. Teeth bit along the inside pad of her cheek as a wince crossed her face. "Wasn't his fault." Gaze was fixed on the Nautolan when she said it.

"Nexus aren't known to be gentle." She thought about saying a hundred other things but kept her mouth closed. If he asked a question, she'd answer it. Otherwise, she wasn't going to be offering any free information.