One of the Family

[Zesiro]

Some of the troopers of the Avenger had been granted something called shore leave for the evening. Those Zesiro had made friends with invited her to join them. While she wasn't a trooper, they had welcomed her into their family. When they had first met her, they had treated her like a piece of meat. Soon enough that changed though and adopted her more as little sister to keep an eye on. So they had invited her along to have a good evening out, drinking and having fun.

The bar was rowdy with noise. People talking, yelling, drinking-not fighting though. If arguments started to move in the direction of violence they were taken outside or squelched by a superior officer.

Zesiro sat with her boys, sharing a round of drinks, smiling and laughing with them and their stories. Of conquests and battles. People came and left the table as the stories passed and new ones took their place. She didn't speak of any of her own conquests or battles, being the only female present there, but happily listened in.

Her glass empty and none there to replace it, Zesiro got up from the table and went to the bar to get herself another drink. There were plenty of men around and for just a moment or two she was almost overwhelmed by it all. Any of them could be hers for the taking, all she had to do was say something. However, that really wasn't what she was here for, not tonight. In a way, she was as out of the place as the woman that had just walked in.

Zesiro watched as the woman came across the room. In her own way, she turned heads almost as much as Zesiro did. She was taller even than the young sith, but not by much and a little older. Two or three years at most. She had blond hair like herself and walked confidently, eyes forward and shoulders back. A soldier, like the boys in the room.

[member="NT-6922"]

 

[NT-6922]

Natassia had been standing in front of the door of the bar for several minutes, stabilizing her breathing and looking down at herself. Trying to remember the last time she wore casual clothes was a nightmare; all she could think of was the fast blurs of partying with the rest of her squad, running from the MPs, throwing bottles around, cheering and laughing as they celebrated another day of being alive.
That was in the past. Now, as she took a deep breath and entered the bar, her ears immediately filled with the drunken chatter, the music, the slight amount of curses coming from a table or two... and the sound of one of the boys being thrown out of the bar by a bulky sergeant with a kick, the seasoned Lieutenant turning her head to see him fly past and crash down onto the floor a couple of meters behind her.
She walked confidently at first, trying to get to the counter mostly unnoticed; something she didn't quite achieve, judging by the heads turning to look at her. And already she could tell she'd never have a good time; they didn't see Natassia Traxen entering that bar. No, they saw their commanding officer, and, most importantly, the reputation she dragged behind her.

Sighing, she sat down onto one of the stools, trying to ignore the few stares who remained directed at her, and, she knew it without looking, the chatter that was now directed at her, those who knew her explaining to the less experienced people why she was such bad karma. She took her pilot cap from her belt and placed it onto her face, pulling onto it as to hide her expression as much as possible. Looking up when she heard the drumming of fingers against wood, she saw the bartender looking at her expectantly.
"Strongest drink you've got. Make it six shots." She gave him such a dark glare, the man almost reeled back, and opted for asking her for the money after serving her - hoping the inebriated stormtrooper would be easier to deal with than her sober counterpart. Growing bored rather quickly, she took a peak around, frowning as she noted something; someone else stuck out. And when she got a good look at said person, she almost spat out the contents of her first shot in shock.

She didn't know what surprised her most; the fact she managed to keep a semi-straight face, or that someone like her didn't have at least one of the newbloods at her feet. She looked slightly shorter than her, but not by much. Her hair was a darker shade of blonde than her own, and she looked slightly more youthful than herself. Just like the newbloods, the still-awed trooper thought as she pulled the cap harder to hide herself, looking down and hoping she hadn't really been that obviously staring for a couple of seconds.
Desperatly trying to appear casually and absolutely not aware of the other woman's presence in the bar, she downed the rest of her shots in rapid succession, before ordering another batch.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

Zesiro ordered her drink from the same bartender that had served the other woman. She could tell from his face that he was thrown off kilter by her. She ordered herself another drink and look at the only other female around.

The woman now wore a cap on her head covering the blond hair and obscuring some of her face. She was just turning away and paid attention to the shots in front of her and ordering another round. Zesiro raised an eyebrow and shook her head. That trooper was going to get drunker than a skunk all alone. There was no fun in drinking alone and once her own drink arrived she went to stand next to the woman.

She was being left alone as much as Zesiro was and with a friendly nod to the glowering woman, she introduced herself.

"Zesiro. Mind if I join you?"

[member="NT-6922"]

 

[NT-6922]

Natassia had watched the woman approaching from the corner of her eye, having to summon her willpower not to tremble. She was immensely anxious; did she see her staring? Did she notice the fact her gaze lingered on her body for a few more seconds than she perhaps should have? So much unanswered question, and so much stress building up. The stormtrooper nearly jumped in surprise as she heard the blonde adressing her, turning to face her, raising her cap slightly.
"I'm Natassia", she said as she tried to keep a straight face, her eyes unable to stay in one spot; they went from the woman's face to the bar counter, back to her shots, then back to her face, on and on, in a cycle of anxious body language. However, she eventually pulled up a stool, and pulled off an awkward, and yet genuine smile. "I wouldn't mind some company, I suppose", spoke the officer with a slight blush.
"What brings you here, if I may ask? I had to insist to even know the boys would be here."

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

Zesiro could tell this woman was not exactly comfortable in a social situation. What had even brought her here if that was the case? Maybe it was for the drink or just the chance to get off the ship and stretch her legs.

When she addressed Natassia, the woman gave a slight jump of surprise, but turned to face the sith and raised her cap slightly. In doing that, it revealed her dark green eyes. Her eyes wondered from Zesiro's face to the counter, the drinks and back a few times. They never stayed in one place for long. She really was nervous here. Zesiro didn't know if it was her or the situation, but that soon became clear when the woman gave her an awkward but real smile.

She watched as the trooper pulled up a stool and sat down. Natassia also appeared to be blushing slightly. It interested Zesiro to know why. The conversation started, she let out a small inward sigh and pulled a stool up as well to sit down next to the woman.

Asking what had brought Zesiro here, she pointed at the table full of clones.

"Those guys sort of adopted me and treat me like a sister. They were granted shore leave and brought me along."

She took a sip of her drink and set the glass back down before speaking again.

"You were granted the same leave?"

@NT-6922

 

[NT-6922]

Keep it cool, keept it smooth.

The stormtrooper kept repeating the words over and over in her head, the stranger's silence stressing her so much that a sigh nearly escaped her lips as she heard her speaking once more. Zesiro, as she was apparently called, was as impressive as she was attractive - and Natassia knew the rest of the people inside the bar probably thought the same.

"That's quite an impressive feat", she let out between two sips of the strong drink. "Getting all of them to do that is surprising for sure."
Taking the bottle the bartender had left there, she filled her empty glass shots back up, sparing a few nervous glances at the peculiar individual as she did, before finally daring to truly face her, taking off her cap reluctantly and placing it onto the table, still unable to fully wrestle the rosy tint onto her cheeks, hoping Zesiro would just dismiss it as an effect of the alcohol.
She answered the sith's question with a nod, waving in the direction of the rest of the troopers.
"I'm the commanding officer of this company. We all got a shore leave, and so I decided to go with the rest of the boys, see how the galaxy lives nowadays."

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

Giving Natassia what she hoped was a reassuring smile, she nodded at her words.

"At first it was difficult, but almost like clockwork we all just started getting along."

Not that there had been any issues of hostility, but more the gaining of their respect.

"I'm not an official in the military at all, but I work with the Inquisitors and am in training to be one."

Sometimes the fact a person could use the Force ended potential friendships right away and instead of keeping that fact hidden from the woman, Zesiro decided to tell her right up front. She could hope it didn't matter and took a sip as she waited for a response whichever direction it went.

[member="NT-6922"]

 

[NT-6922]

Natassia smiled back, her embarassment stil visible onto her face, albeit likely not as much. Or so she hoped.
She followed her interlocutor's explanation with an appreciative nod; earning her troopers' respect sure was impressive. She took in Zesiro's appearance with a new eye, tinted with respect for accomplishing such a thing.

She let out a sigh of relief and smiled as she heard she was a force user; for some reason, it made her feel safer, and her smile grew slightly more confident. "I wish you the best of luck in such training", she finally said with a gentle smile gracing her face. "This galaxy could use more people like you."

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

Zesiro felt the eyes of her drinking companion look over her body and wasn't quite sure how to feel. She knew she was attractive and knew how to use that to her advantage. Only once had she tried to use that on a woman and that had seriously backfired. In the end she ended up running for her life and not be burned to crisp by the other woman.

After she finished speaking, Natassia relaxed, didn't take off or express anything negative at the fact Zesiro could use the Force. Wishing her the best of luck in her training and giving her warm smile she also stated the galaxy could use more people like her.

With a smile and wink to fit her words and motions, Zesiro did something totally silly. She raised one of her hands and starting at the top of her head and went down in one fluid movement to her hip.

"I don't think the galaxy could handle more than one of me."

When she finished, she took a sip of her drink and smiled across the table.

[member="NT-6922"]

 

[NT-6922]

Natassia thought she was finally settling in. Getting a normal conversation going with a person that didn't want to blast her brains off. In fact, she was even starting to feel quite happy about this whole evening, thinking finally managed to get a grasp on what normal interaction was.

And then the Sith sent her back into it. The fluid motion of her hand going down her body, from her face to her hip, underlining even more her voluptuous body, the way she winked at her and spoke in that confident, oddly pleasing voice of her's; it was too much for Natassia. Her cheeks immediately reddened violently, and she couldn't avert her gaze anymore, obviously staring now. Desperately trying to regain her composure, she took a swig of her drink after several long seconds of staring, trying to imprint the image of Zesiro in her mind for her to remember. Pretending to be choking on her drink slightly, she coughed several times, before raising her head once more, hoping that her red cheeks simply passed off as the strong drink getting stuck. But sadly for her, she was terrible at pretending.

All she tried to do from then on was find what words to tell. She didn't know what she was most afraid of; making eye contact and seeing something among the lines of hostility, realization, disgust, or perhaps a mix of it all, or maybe an awkward silence - so many things were going through her mind, and she didn't see any way where things would end up right for her. Whatever would happen, she felt like she would still feel like she had failed.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

The reaction of Natassia surprised Zesiro more than anything else. While the coughing could be blamed on a drink going down the wrong way, Zesiro didn't feel that was the case. The blush before the coughing fit was a major tell to the young sith. Her intended joke had seriously affected the trooper, but not in exactly a bad way.

The woman across from her didn't have eyes for the men, but for her. While Zesiro was used to attention, even from females. However, every female before had looked at her with jealousy, not attraction. Natassia had not looked at her in that manner though. She had totally missed it before though.

This was something unexpected, but it didn't change anything for her. She was alone with the boys most of the time and the chance to have a female friend she wasn't going to pass up.

Zesiro leaned back on her stool, allowing the trooper to regain some composure before speaking. Once Natassia did that, Zesiro leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table. She ran one of her fingers over the rim of her glass. Looking across at her, Zesiro gave her what she hoped was a comforting smile.

"You do have a way of things."

[member="NT-6922"]

 

[NT-6922]

"I'm sorry", said the ashamed stormtrooper as she calmed down a bit, still having a hard time to look at Zesiro in the eyes. She felt so awkward, and not only because of her miserable reaction to the Sith's body gesture; she still felt herself being shaken by desire as her eyes wandered once more, despite her colossal efforts to keep her gaze away from the woman'd enthralling body: but choosing to look at her face instead made her anxious, scared of looking too much like a creep. And it was in this state that their eyes met, and she apologised.

"I'm sorry. I'm not the most normal of troopers, as you surely noticed by now..."
She fell silent and dove her gaze into [member="Zesiro"] 's, searching for disapproval in them. Truth be told, she could stay like this for hours; getting lost in these two pools for eternity, thinking of something else than the anticipation of the younger woman's reponse to the now-obvious reason of the trooper's embarassment, or of how much she wanted -or rather, dreamed- the both of them to be alone, and for her to finally confess to someone her distress...
Dreaming of having a friend,and - oh, who as she kidding? Obviously more than just a friend.

 

[Zesiro]

Natassia apologized to Zesiro, but she hadn't done anything wrong. To some the interest might have considered bad, but she more open than many people.

At first the trooper's eyes looked around like they had when they first met, at last their eyes met. Green eyes looked deeply into her blue eyes, searching for something. While Zesiro did not...yet...share the same desire she saw in Natassia's eyes, she would see no disapproval or contempt.

"What is normal in this world though?"

The words were spoken softly and after they came out, Zesiro took a sip of her drink and set the glass back down. Never once did she look away or break eye contact with the woman across from her.

"Just relax, my friend. Be yourself."

She spoke with a quiet conviction and the words were for Natassia's ears only.

[member="NT-6922"]

 

[NT-6922]

For a momemt, Natassia was too shocked to talk, her mouth slightly ajar and her eyes widened in surprise. That couldn't be it, now could it? It all seemed too good to be true: and it took some serious effort out of her not to try and embrace her intolorcutor, whom showed her something few others ever did; kindness.
"T-thank y-you", she whimpered as she got slightly emotionnal, but still looked happier.

Relaxing slightly, she leaned her arm onto the counter, still staring into [member="Zesiro"] 's eyes. She was still blushing at her own words, but she at least dared to speak up her mind. "You are beautiful."
The trooper completely forgot about the drinks now, focusing fully on the kind sith instead "Why are you so kind? Why are you so gentle to me?" she finally asked. "Most people here think me a freak. Why don't you?"

 

[Zesiro]

Zesrio might be a Sith, but she wasn't heartless, being more of a lover than a fighter. She was also good at reading people and her words had the desired effect on the trooper. Natassia was still not fully relaxed but was well on her way. The blush on her dark woman's skin made her even more exotic and the glow on her cheeks, even Zesiro could see an attractive beauty there.

"Thank you, Natassia. As are you."

She asked why Zesiro was so kind and gentle to her and she would reach a hand out to lightly touch the woman on the shoulder if she would let her. Even though she had her full attention, this message needed to be given on a personal level. Just sitting next to the other wasn't enough to convey the point.

"Because everybody deserves a chance. Everybody is unique and that makes us all special. There is a need in all of us feel wanted and needed. Even if one is unwilling to admit that. You need somebody to accept you for who and what you are. That, my friend is what I can offer you. Full acceptance of YOU."

@NT-6922

 

[NT-6922]

"You honor me", she said quietly, her hands fumbling, the young woman still twitchy, trying to figure out what to do. She wasn't used to people accepting her; to people going past this distant image of a ghost of old, awoken from its grave by accident.
She gasped lightly as she felt Zesiro's hand onto her shoulder, her hands moving wildly, longing to press skin against skin, feel that it was no dream -this really was all happenning. The fact that a person like this Sith would even care about her made her feel all tingly and happy. Alive.

"I... I am so thankful. How can I possibly repay you, Zesiro?" She was trembling now, the kind, soothing words caressing her mind like it never had been before, her breathing adjusting and her hand almost unconsciously touching her drinking companion's, fingers touching fingers, the fiery rosy tint of her cheeks back once more. "These words... your words alone are comforting me greatly."
And so she closed her eyes and squeezed her hand, gasping in contentment.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

For what almost felt like an eternity the woman next to her seemed at a loss for words. When they came, they surprised Zesiro slightly.

"You can't buy friendship, Natassia."

Friendship was not something Zesiro was entirely familiar with not ever really had one, but she would try to provide for the trooper. These boys treated her like a little sister, they treated Natassia as something entirely different. She would treat her with the respect she deserved, providing at least a shoulder to cry on or a person to talk to when things got tough and support was needed.

She felt the hand of her friend rise to her own as it rested on her shoulder and Natassia blushed yet again. Zesiro did not pull away and welcomed the touch. This was also something she never expected in all her years. The need to have somebody accept her for who she was. Her eyes grew slightly wide as she realized this and that it was something she too needed.

"I am here to serve."

What that meant exactly Zesiro didn't know, but somehow she felt right in saying it.

[member="NT-6922"]

 

[NT-6922]

Natassia's emotions swirled faster and faster. Did Zesiro just call her... her friend? A surge of joy went through her, and, feeling that she did not pull away, she took the sith's hand in her own, her lips parting to let out a soft gasp, looking down at their joined hands in disbelief. Never did she have this, someone not only accepting her for who she was, but also accepting of her actions. For a moment, she gazed upon Zesiro once more, taking in her forms - but mostly, the delicate features of her face, stopping onto her eyes, as she lost herself once more.

There was a short moment of silence. It was no oppresive, crushing silence - no, rather, it was a meaningful, solemn one. And then she spoke up, told her this sentence whom finally achieved to make the blonde troopers released a tear, who slowly rolled down her cheek. This sentence alone, these five words, reached out to her heart and caressed it softly, and she was convinced that whatever awaited her, she could count on the other woman. Silent, unable to speak more, she simply let her eyes tell it all; she wanted to embrace her, embrace her savior, her friend, were it not for the fear of what the other boys might say to her afterwards.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

What Zesiro thought of as a natural action affected Natassia greatly. Her eyes showed it all. There was desire in there, but more muted than before. What she saw more of was the trooper's acceptance of her. Through good and bad, they would be there to support the other of that Zesiro was sure.

She saw a lone tear fall down the cheek of Natassia and she handed her napkin from the counter to wipe it away.

They both had reputations of a sort to maintain and her reaching out at this time and location was not ideal for either of them.

"Another time. Not here and not now."

Lowering her head slightly, she looked up at Natassia acknowledging the look in her eyes and not rejecting them.

"Want to get out of here?"

[member="NT-6922"]