Seeking the Forbidden

[Prennis Keeoli]

851 ABY - Nar Shaddaa, Wormstew Town
[member="Gherron Vael"]
((Rebooted))

†††
Aes’ona slowly roamed the streets of the Smuggler Moon, in search of somewhere to sit in relative quiet. It must have been some record: having her fellow doctors take over for her twice in one Standard month so she could use up her stored vacation time she have never before touched. If they suspected anything of her, they would have questioned her absence. However, they did not--they were simply grateful that their boss, with a tendency to work herself into the ground, was apparently developing a taste for taking care of herself.

But she really hadn't.

While the relatively natural space (for instance, fresh albeit pungent air) was a welcome change opposed to FIMS Mountbatten’s overtly-mechanical, finite area, the doctor did not come for it: she had work to do. Her first stop had been the Equilibriate Temple on Avalonia, Dosuun, where she had purchased a worn-looking copy of The Fulcrum, the primary holy text in the Religion of the Cosmic Balance. And now, after buying a ticket on a transport bound for Nar Shaddaa, factoring in transport times, she had about seven hours to spend planetside here. It would probably, hopefully, prove to be more than enough.

Doctor Terrani, herself, was not religious and did not follow any of the universe's many creeds, but she did have another, pressing reason to peruse the current tome.

With one hand, she nursed the cup of caffe she had picked up at the spaceport. The other held onto the lapel of her dark trenchcoat, which was draped over her shoulders. Hopefully her casual attire, even though it was mostly black and leather excepting a tan knit turtleneck, the aesthetic of the First Order, would fail to warren unwanted attention.
Doctor Terrani, herself, was not religious and did not follow any of the universe's many creeds, but she did have other, pressing reasons to peruse the current tome. And for those precise reasons, though they were not known by any but herself plus one, she found herself periodically glancing up through her eyelashes to check her surroundings.

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Ah, Nar Shadda. It wasn’t the prettiest of worlds, nor was it the quietest, but it held onto Gherron’s heart in more ways than one. Too many times he had found himself here for contemplation, company, and sometimes even a little fun. Today though, he was just roaming. Though it had been some time since he’d last been outside the spaceport here, nothing seemed to have changed. He smiled as he took in the sight. It felt good to be here of his own accord for once, and it definitely showed. On his person he wore a simple long-sleeved shirt and light jacket; nothing out of the ordinary for the common pedestrian. However he did carry a small holdout blaster in the small of his back - though Nar Shadda had a nice side, it wasn’t the side it was most known for. ’I wonder if Jeremy is still working the bar on that one corner’, he mused inwardly. With a light shrug, he headed off in that direction. As he began heading down the street, he kept his head in the clouds as he looked around; a monsoon of memories pelting his mind. He was so in thought that he didn’t notice the woman until he had crashed into her, damn near pushing her to the ground. He arms immediately went out in concern for her. ”Sorry! I’m so sorry are you alright?”

[member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

In her surprise, and subsequent attempt to catch herself before the stranger did, she dropped her book and her coat fluttered to the ground. Her caffe, similarly, flew out of her hand and splattered on the floor near her tome.

The doctor, herself, stepped back from the man, holding her chest right above her heart. "I'm-I'm fine," she stammered. Her mind could not help but flash to the complex broken forearm she had fixed recently, an injury which her patient had presumably gotten from a fall on hard, metal hull--but concrete would probably serve much the same result.

She bent down to retrieve her things before he could even offer to help. As she turned the book over in her hands, she slung her jacket over her arm. The spine was cracked, and she could see through that some of the strings had ripped, but the binding glue looked to be uncompromised. She took a lace-bordered, creme square out of her skirt's front pocket and wiped up the liquid sprayed across the hard cover.

Aes'ona looked up, smiling sweetly, all forgiven, "As long as I can read it. I doubt the words jumped off the pages."

[member="Gherron Vael"]

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron smiled meekly in return; his apology very evident in his expression. In fact, while he was definitely sorry for bumping into the woman, his soul was crushed at the sight of both the damaged book and the spilled drink. If anyone knew the joys of a good cup of caf and a book in the morning, it was he. ”Uh- Tell you what. How about I get you a new cup of caf there? If you’re not in a rush or anything, that is. I’ve been to that particular shop before, and trust me when I say I know how good they make it.” He chuckled at his own words, and before they could be seen as mere flirting, he composed himself again, making sure his wedding ring was visible. ”Don’t worry, I’m not hitting on you. My wife would kill me.” Though he had to admit the woman was very attractive, nothing in the galaxy was enough to make him go behind Nef’s back.

[member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

The woman stood almost unmoving as the man spoke. At the end, she chuckled and replied, “Good man,” to his comment about his wife. Actually, chances were, she would have been oblivious even if he had been flirting, but she did not add that, instead answering, “I’m not in too much of a hurry to turn down that offer.” She laughed again as she tucked her book and half of her jacket into her messenger bag, leaving the latch buckle undone. “Thank you, Mister…” she trailed off, half expecting an introduction, as they moved towards the caffeshop in question.

As they did, she studied the man--though not so close to be impolite. Though she too was not oblivious to his good looks, it was a study of the inquisitive nature. She was more than willing to take a strangers’ kindness wherever she found it, but she was still slightly wary, an unfortunate side effect of being a First Imperial officer. Even on a medical station, such true sympathy or decency was a rarity to find, and often short-lived at that.

[member="Gherron Vael"]

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron laughed in turn, smiling a bit as she took him up on his offer. As she went to thank him, he noticed her trail off in an effort to get his name. ”Vael. Gherron Vael’s the name. And you are?” It wasn’t every day he’d had the chance to meet someone new, and if he was being honest with himself, his life being more stable now had times where it felt stale. While his son definitely kept him on his toes, he loathed to admit that he lacked the excitement of what his life was before.

As they walked back to the coffee shop, Gherron noticed the woman’s subtle attempts to look him over, though if it was in interest or just pure curiosity, he couldn’t tell. Though her mind seemed mostly shielded from him, he could sense a small amount of wariness, and his own curiosity spiked. This woman had a story... perhaps she would let him hear it.

[member="Dr. Aes'ona Terrani"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

"Doct--uh, Aes'ona. Aes'ona Terrani," she introduced, narrowly correcting herself on the use of her occupational title. She did not make the habit of having civilians whom she was not in the midst of treating call her Doctor.

She gave a wry laugh and excused herself, "I'm sorry. I'm not used to nice strangers." She ordered herself another, simple caffe, and continued on once they were waiting for the order(s) by the counter. "Y'see, people tend not to always have the best manners when they get hospitalized. I-I don't blame them, though! I'd probably be cranky too."

[member="Gherron Vael"]