Responsibility

[Kaile Vera]

“Well, reckon if you do go to the Academy.. You’ll still some sort of stipend to keep you entertained,” she’d say in friendly conversation. The more she thought about it, the more she believed that suited him. He wasn’t cut out for the smuggling life. Didn’t seem the type. One could tell Asmus Janes was meant for bigger things.

That was a good bit of knowledge. The fact that Kairon and his crew didn’t take to transporting slaves was a big plus in the Lorrdian’s book. Her kind had been enslaved for generations under the old Imperial era, their way of life and communication was born from it. One might say that they’d never have become who they were now were it not for that occupation, but one doesn’t really equal a language to generations of slavery as a benefit.

At his exclamation that the Captain would hire her, she shot him a light smile, “Well,... there ain’t no worry on that.” She’d say, perhaps with a touch sobriety and a might touch of carefulness. “I’ve done already gave my word for work elsewhere.”

Only pre-approved jobs were the sort Kaile could accept. And the Big Guy always had some sort of plan. The bulk of her missions had been out of the Core Worlds, but with how things been going… it was no wonder that it might change. That they hadn’t reassigned her after discovering she’d been with Kurt was surprising as it was already.

Seals checked and new fluid added, Kaile set the injector to the side. Taking her beer, she brought it to her lips to take a swig. “How does that feel now, big guy?” She’d ask the Twin she’d been working on.
[member="Asmus Janes"]

 

[Asmus Janes]

There was only the slightest cold twinge at her admission that she couldn't stay any further. He’d probed that avenue a few times so far and it just seemed he had to accept that she’d be off ship in a few days. Asmus didn’t express anything, but Kaile might have noticed the faintest twinge cross his expression on the words for work elsewhere. There hadn’t been any worry on that account.

“Might be at the academy before too long. I’ve signed off some of the modules already, but it’s still a ten week course followed by a year of training before you can fly a starfighter. Though if I went down the navigation officer route it's a shorter course followed by more time on tour. I wonder what it’s like living on one of those big ships,” he mused.

“I REPORT ACCEPTABLE LEVELS ON ALL JOINT MECHANICS” Kaile’s Twin said.

“TEMPERATURE SENSORS AND AIR DISTRIBUTOR RESPONDING.” Asmus’ chimed in.

Asmus gave Kaile an affectionate smile and moved over to her Twin. Just a quick strip of the knee joints and he’d be done with the duties he’d taken on. “I mean it though, you’re really good at this. Lot of people out there on boats will pay well for someone with the hands and brain for mechanics. Let alone the ones on ports who serve all those haven’t got a travelling mechanic with them.”

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]



Her eye was feeling a mite bit better, so when Asmus sauntered on over, she was able to see him clearly from behind the lenses of her safety goggles. His genuine compliment managed to heat her cheeks again, and for the moment, Kaile was grateful for all the muck that covered her face to hide it.

“Just as any ol’ skill really. Do somethin’ long ‘nuff and you become good at it.” She’d say, a bare shoulder giving a small shrug as her damp tank shifted. Her attention panned back to the Twin, and she shot him a smile, needing to focus on the boisterous loader droid to ignore the little flutters that tickled her senses.

“So just gonna go to any ol’ academy or a specific one?” She’d ask, setting her beer down to curl her fingers around the panel she’d need to secure back on again. “Bet you’ll have all kinds of fun. Seems you’ll take a shine to it just fine.”

And he did, with all the smarts he had and how he handled the Quinn. A little reckless, but time had a method of tempering that down. Again, the idle thought came to her on just how Asmus would be a few years from now. Five?

Certainly going places, that’s for sure.

 

[Asmus Janes]

“And I was just thinking I’d look exceptionally dashing in uniform,” he said with a cheeky smile up at her. “I was thinking Sullust or Eriadu. I think I’d stand by the Alliance, but it's a question of where to train really. Eriadu would probably take me as a native, but Sullust might ask questions of where I’ve been travelling recently. You know I’ve met a lot of mechanics been plying their trade a long ‘ol while. Doesn’t guarantee they’re any good at it!”

“Wait,” he added, genuine concern on his features. “Do you have to have your hair cut in the navy? Shit.”

Asmus turned his head from side to side as if weighing this up and then returned to his work. How could one look dashing in uniform with short hair exactly? Didn’t seem right to him. It also occurred to him that he’d left his beer back on that barrell. Once he was done with this joint he’d see to fixing that.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

"I think ya’ll look mighty dashin’ regardless of the length of your hair, Asmus.” Kaile managed to say quietly, focusing on securing the panel, twin spots of pink on her cheeks.

“Uniform and all.” She shot him a shy smile then, the corner of her mouth perking up as she stared down at him from behind her goggles.

“Maybe they’ll let you set it in a queue?” While not always braided, the style would be similarly pulled back very tight into a single tail, wrapped around a piece of leather and tied down with a ribbon. There were variations of Naval dress codes from a handful of planets that she knew of that maintained the style.

“You never know.” There was a bit of encouragement in that. “Even then...hair grows back.” Imagining in his uniform was a rather pleasing thought, regardless of his hairstyle.

That he mentioned Sullust or Eriadu sparked a bit of interest in the young woman. Headquarters was the former, and if he were to join the Alliance navy after the academy, just what was the chance that they might stumble upon each other?

It was a thought, although Kaile wasn’t sure where she’d be assigned after this.

“Both are good options I’m sure… but regardless… you’ll get to see all sorts of constellations from a home ship no?” Referencing his earlier confession of why he left Eriadu and seeing the stars from a different perspective.

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Visit new worlds and systems. Drop bombs on them! I'm pretty sure that's what the GADF adverts say anyway,” he said with a chuckle. “I should probably take into account these hot springs and mud baths on Sullust you told me about. You're not there often are you?” he asked casually, pretending it wouldn't affect his decision at all.

Asmus had a content little smile on his face. He was more than happy to lap up the compliment on what he'd look like in uniform, but he was even more pleased that she'd referenced his earlier revelations. Despite being an open person he rarely disclosed quite that much about his own internal thoughts to anyone. Not to Kairon, not to anyone on the Quin. Certainly not to his parents who cared for nothing more than his return to an enthralling position in accountancy.

Perhaps they would stay in touch. Maybe he'd find her after graduating wearing his full uniform and sweep her off her feet. He took a moment to let that scene play out in his mind. He quite enjoyed it. Certainly seemed to paint a better picture of him than ship's boy who cleaned out gunk from droids and filtration units alike. At least she'd seen him at the helm, especially after he'd hardly played the hero out on the docking pad.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]


Kaile nibbled on her lower lip a bit cautiously. Well that couldn’t hurt right? One last tighten of the screws with her hydrospanner and the Twin was done. At least, for hydraulics. There were still a few tweeks to do and items to check on.

“I frequent Sullust from time to time.” She told him, admitting that much. “With it being a major trade port now, I tend to stop there a few times. Take a part time gig to earn a few credits at the Yum Bunnies there… Carida Medical Station too.”


“Just ‘pends on what is goin’ on and all.” She told him, darting a glance over to the scoundrel with a half smile. Her eye was much better now, and some of the red was already fading from the white in her eyes. Patches that were wet on her tank were beginning to dry, but her hair was still a rather hot mess considering Asmus had just washed it a few hours ago.

“The bathhouses are amazing there.” Remembering the last time she visited.

 

[Asmus Janes]

“Well maybe if I end up there you can show me,” he said. “And maybe if I end up at Eriadu you could come to one of the balls. You can waltz now, so it would be a shame not to go to a dance…”

Choosing where to study because he might get to see a girl he really liked would be stupid. Right? He asked himself. But now when he put those two names through his head Sullust just sounded more appealing. They'd been fairly close in his mind before, so it wasn't all that stupid. I really do like her…

Looking up to her he did notice the white back in her eye. It was all too easy to get drawn into those large orbs. “That hurting less?” he asked with a nod towards her. He was starting to feel the urge to kiss her again. Soon. For now he sealed up this leg, getting up off his knees and headed to get his beer. “Bet you haven't heard this one before,” he remarked.

https://youtu.be/cwOqyjOc4OU

 

[Kaile Vera]

“Ain’t no trouble to show you around.” She’d say, shining him a smile. “But I reckon you got better options to swing around the ballroom floor.” He probably had lots of other pretty girls who already were well used to getting all gussied up and dancing all around.

“It was fun dancin’ though,” she did admit, brightening a bit. Thinking back on it all had her thinking of everything. What came before and what came after. “Though, tend to lose my head from time to time…”

“There are festivals with something a bit more lighthearted, less formal. Nice little parties and all. Bahrain has one every year.” It lasted for about three months. When Kurt and her went, it had barely started the season. Granted, she had been kidnapped at the time by the local gang. That had been an interesting pickle to get out of…

Picking up the can and the injector, Kaile went over towards the barrel to set it down. Her beer soon replaced them, and she took another swing. “Yeah, it ain’t hurting. I can see right fine. That was just me being silly.” A sheepish expression took her then.

“Umm…” Her brows drew together, the first strains of the new song tickling her ear. He was right, the song wasn’t familiar at all. But it wasn’t too bad.

“Can’t say I have.” Bottle three-quarters of the way done, she was getting to the nice easy going state of casual drinking.

 

[Asmus Janes]

“No,” Asmus said in a fairly firm tone. “None I'd rather take dancing,” he clarified. He held her gaze for a long time, a full four seconds. He knew because some part of him counted.

He broke eye contact and took another swig of beer, walking back over to the Twins. As he set himself down on his knees he inclined his head and twisted towards her just enough that he could look up at her through his long dark lashes and hair.

“I should apologise for making you lose your head,” he said softly. “But I don't want to.”

With that he turned back to the knee and started to ease off the bushings covers to clear them out and reseal them with grease and a clear cover. He gently hummed along to the tune as he worked. Just a touch of that swagger had made its way back into his demeanour.

 

[Kaile Vera]

Well that was one way of making her heart skip a beat. Or was it two? It was hard to tell with the whole sudden catching of her breath when he bore that emerald gaze upon her. All it was is a look, but just the way he did it made her feel weak in the knees and a knot catch in her throat.

It made her feel all tongue-tied, silly as a goose and just as empty-headed.

I’m going to hold you to that, because I’m surely going to keep looking at you like this.

None he rather take dancing. None.

Nervous fingers went dribbling over the neck of her beer, and she managed to take a pretty large gulp of it. Maybe it was a silly way to steady her jumpy nerves, but she wasn’t quite sure what to do. Or maybe she did?

It was hard to say.

All Kaile knew is that before she knew it, her free hand had gone reaching out. They weren’t the cleanest, just the best what a rag could do, but they were light in their touch. He might even not be too keen on it, but it was just a need that had to be met. A mild temptation to sate. Those slender digits gingerly went threading through his hair, from his temple and scoring on back, seeing the long inky locks slide across and back to reveal his slender face.

Quietly, staring down at him through her goggles, Kaile gave a soft murmured admission in turn.

“...Nor do I want you to…”

 

[Asmus Janes]

There should have been a response for that. Something witty, clever and provocative. Asmus said nothing. Instead he turned his hand came up, them finding her palm and fingers gently pulled it tighter to him. He turned his head back to her, pressing his cheek into her touch.

He slowly rolled his eyes up to regard her. Those dimples that appeared when she smiled, those wide brown eyes. The errant streak of grease across her cheek that she'd missed with the rag. His chest slowly rose all the way up and then came back down again as he released a long stuttered breath. It wasn't the first time he'd felt his breath catch like this, felt his chest tighten. Not since she'd been aboard.

It wasn't the same look he'd given her earlier. There was none of that hunger behind his eyes, but just as much yearning. His Adam's Apple bobbed as he swallowed. Funny how just such a simple touch and a lingering gaze could steal the words from him again. His lips parted, as if he was about to speak, then snapped closed again.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

It was easy.

So very easy to incline closer with a slow bend of the waist. To caress his cheek with a gentle swipe from her thumb. To catch her breath as her face drew nearer to his. Just a kiss on the lips. Just the briefest of touches.

It was something about the way his expression tugged at her, drew her by his law of gravity. It was happening again, all caught up in the moment and in that singular thought.

At least, until the Twins boisterous voices cut the pair off before Kaile could even make contact.

‘WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?”

“NO IDEA?”

“WHAT ARE YOU EVEN SAYING?”

“WHY HAVE YOU STOPPED OUR MAINTENANCE?”

“WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY YOU KNOW?”

“WE DON'T?”

“OH I SUPPOSE WE DO. TAKE YOUR TIME MS KAILE.”

“BUT STOP TOUCHING THE BOY!”

“AND GET SOME STANDARDS.”

That abrupt series of questions snapped Kaile back. She retracted, straightening as her face flushed scarlet, her hand starting to draw away in flustered embarrassment. What am I even doing?!

“I -- ah..” Voice cracked a bit. Oh my stars! Kaile felt mortified. But why should she anyways?! Her eyes were avoidant, and she began this odd little rock of her heels. “… let me see if I can do anythin’ else for you two! And umm.. Finish up.”

 

[Asmus Janes]

Like a slap to the face. An ice cold slap to the face. His eyes turned to either side, but perhaps he recovered a little more quickly than Kaile. Before she could pull her hand all the way back he reaffirmed his grip on it and meet her eyes again. His smile came and went with the same rate at which he applied the gently squeeze to her hand. Again, he said no words. Yet that simple touched conveyed reassurance.

His mind was reeling again, but that was okay. He'd take a thousand years of this and still be merrily none the wiser than any amount of simple solitude.

His grip slipped until just the pads of their middle fingers touched. Eventually that contact escaped him, his hand snatched away at the sudden removal of that pressure. Asmus turned away reluctantly, the hair she had drawn back behind his ear cascading down to cover his face.

“Nearly done lads,” he said, “Then we can go and enjoy our beers in peace.” That was for Kaile's benefit. Was it really that complicated? She made him giddy. He was drawn to her. Knowing what it meant didn't mean he knew what to do. But he knew what he wanted. To hold her, to talk to her, to laugh with her and to kiss her. An audible sigh followed that though as he started to slide the covers back into place.

 

[Kaile Vera]

The rest of the while was met in relative silence, save for the music and the occasional query to check on the Twins for feedback. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence; on the contrary it was nice.

Kaile went on to inspect their sensors, anti static wrist wrap in hand. One was a bit faulty, which prompted Kaile to investigate further. A loose wire was the culprit.

Through it all, Kaile was quietly thinking to herself on her state of being. What led her here. What came after. Rare it was for the typical bubbly girl to focus on more serious matters, but age and life have a way of illuminating key points and internal musings.

When Asmus wasn't looking, Kaile set her hand right over each Twin. Reprogramming wasn’t to difficult for the Lorrdian through typical means. Through the Force? Well, something as simple as changing for fun the Captain being called ‘Old Man’ wasn’t too hard at all. Just a brief bit of concentration. Had Bobo been with her, she’d wouldn’t be able to do it this way.

“Okay, that should do you both good now.” At least, with the fire fixed, perhaps they wouldn’t be too prone to silliness. But one guessed that was their endearing parts.

Cleaning up, Kaile would ask with a faint smile in her voice, “How’s that feel now?”

 

[Asmus Janes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePgDynGS4Wg

“MUCH BETTER THANK YOU.”

“DO YOU THINK YOU COULD CONVINCE THE OLD MAN TO GIVE US AN OIL BATH?”

Asmus was quietly warbling along to the chorus “It only takes one tree to make a thousand matches, it only takes one match to burn a thousand trees….hang on…” he said, turning to face Kaile with a grin from ear to ear. “When did you even get a chance to program that? Outstanding!”

He’d swallowed the brief spike of resentment he’d felt towards the Twins for interrupting the moment they’d been sharing and if they were now going to wind up his Uncle they were back on his good books. He wandered over to the barrel. There was a clink as he set down his empty bottle, followed by two hisses as he snapped the caps off the second pair. He took another swig, enjoying the comfortable buzz the first had left him with. With a contented sigh he set it down and went to finish tidying everything away.

 

[Kaile Vera]

His only reply was a conspiratory wink, with an expression that said, spoilers!

A low chuckle gently shook her shoulders, calling out to the twins,”well that's good to hear.” Seeing the amused surprise in Asmus’ visage at the slight alteration in programming had been worth it. Delightfully content, Kaile shot a grateful smile at the scoundrel for the second beer. Setting her first empty bottle down, she encircled her fingers round the other. Taking a swig, she went about separating the trash from what could go back into the box.

“This is another I haven't heard before,” she finally spoke, commenting on the easy going song. It was a nice pace change from the bouncy music from earlier. Or was that the beer taking effect?

Her left hand rose, gently plucking the goggles and sliding them up to perch at the crown of her head. More tuffs of strawberry blonde hair went askew. However, her eye had noticeably waned back to a healthy color. The puffiness gone. She still had a black tipped nose, made all the more humorous whenever she wiggled it.

All done with the box, she'd ask,”where should I toss the rubbish?”

 

[Asmus Janes]

He smiled an absent smile as her hair came loose wondering for a moment on how just that little wink had made his insides flutter again.

“Other cargo container for now,” he said. “There's a container in there for metals and hazardous waste.” The ship itself was pretty good at recovering energy from food and human waste, but the parts they'd swapped out would need to be dealt with at the next stop.

The doors to each of the two main holds were deliberately large so that even in transit the twins could move between them carrying smaller items. For now they both resided in the starboard bay so that it could be quickly unloaded when they reached port.

The Twins were stomping back off to their charging bay noisily. Asmus reached out and the tip of his finger traced a wide semicircle around her eye.

“This looks better,” he said, before his hand cupped her jaw and he leaned in and stole back the gentle kiss he'd missed out on earlier.

 

[Kaile Vera]

He made her fingers twitch.

It was as if they had a mind of their own - which was usually the case - but Asmus had a way about having them curl as if needing to reach out and touch.

Her lids fell shut, and she simply let the kiss linger for a moment. When he drew back, she bit her lower lip, taking a moment. Lashes fluttered open and she found herself staring into the dark emerald pools of his eyes. Oh…

“Yeah…” she said rather stupidly, half a breathless sigh as much as at a loss for words. Amusingly, her grip on her beer bottle grew tighter, so he was saved from any would be shirt grabbing from said twitchy fingers earlier.

More’s the pity.

“It don’t sting at all now.” She’d add, feeling the need to say something, anything. Or was it just the bottle in? Her eyes fell then glanced over to the right, the slight incline of her head prompting a lock of her bangs to fall over her temple. An automatic puff of hot air would send it flying up again, only to feather back an inch off from its original place.

“Thanks for your quick work and all.” She’d say, in regards to his quick thinking with getting the wash kit.

 

[Asmus Janes]

“That’s alrigh’,” he replied lowering his gaze to the floor. In the even swinging pendulum was his outwards demeanour he was back on the tentative rise. It wouldn’t take much and it would come careening back down and he’d say something slightly charming and do something audacious.

His head turning back and forth as he feigned looking for any more litter to be removed from the hold. Something to keep him from losing himself in her eyes again.

“Jobs for the day done now. We can clean up, make some grub and have some time to ourselves,” he said. He kept his tone light even if as he finished the sentence what he was really thinking was that they could have some privacy. No interruptions from droids or his uncle.

Picking up the components he’d swapped out and the tray full of gunk he’d scraped out of the droids Asmus headed for the bay doors. His beer stayed in his free hand and he realised he’d have to come back to grab the spare bottles to take them to the glass bin in the galley.

“Catch you later Twins!”

“BYE BOY!” They called out together.