Take Off The Mask

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

He wasn't alright, though.

Danger's lips thinned, and from her expression, it was evident that she didn't fully believe it. None the less, the woman silently ambled alongside the elder Tetan, helping him reach the acceleration couch. He would be able to sit here and rest a bit, maybe prop up his leg a bit to relieve it from any pressure or weight.

Myra was already making her way towards one of the other acceleration couches. Mister Tuggles trotted right at her heels. Once she sat down, the Tuggle immediately went curling up at her feet. His head would come up, propping itself along the edge of the couch so as to be within reach for the little girl to pet.

"Now both of you try and get some rest." Danger finally said, helping Alric sit.

"If you want anything to drink I'll go get it."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric unceremoniously wandered over towards the acceleration couch and then simply dropped his weight down onto it. She was right, he needed rest. He was still entirely awake, but he could feel himself slipping slightly into that state of useless tiredness. The Tetan felt heavy, not sleepy, just heavy, as though he were stuck in a flotation tank or something. He frowned for a moment and closed his eyes.

“We should probably get going.” That was really the priority, this was going to be a long trip if they didn’t actually move.

He smiled slightly as he felt something nudge against his side. For a moment he opened his eyes and noticed Myra half bouncing on the acceleration couch. It seemed that whatever had ailed the little girl earlier was no longer affecting her, and she was happily bouncing around until Alric caught her and placed her down beside him.

“Why don’t we relax a bit.” He told her. “We can get all excited later again.”

Myra looked up at him for a moment, then slowly nodded her head in agreement.

Perhaps a nap wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Danger left Myra in Alric's hands, the redhead moving towards the small bar they had where she could get them drinks. Off to the side was a small console, one that she came to a halt in front of. A press of her finger activated the comm.

"We are ready Aceron," Danger told the pilot.

"Copy that, Mrs. Arceneau. We will take off now." a small smile and a nod washed over Danger's face as she replied with, "Thank you."

Pulling her finger back, she brought that hand up to run through her hair. There was such a heavy weight on her shoulders then. The reason why she could not quite put her finger on it then. Tension grew tight along her shoulders and her hands, a slight ache coming from her legs and back.

Well, just gotta take things day by day, I suppose, the woman would think to herself. Yet she couldn't quite seem to smooth out the slight furrow at the bridge of her nose that made her eyebrows pinch.

Something just didn't sit right with her. Not right at all.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

There wasn't much else to do. They would have to make the trip to Etti and pick up a larger starship there. He would call ahead to Vanir in a few hours and they would drop something off, or maybe Danger would call one of her conglomerates. Either way things would get done rather quickly. He had no doubt things would work quickly enough, both Alric and Danger prided themselves on the efficiencies of the corporations that they had built, the ability to get things done.

Really the only question was what kind of design they wanted.

The ship that they had thought of together would still take a few months to build, even if they constructed it at The Foundry or another driveyard that they owned, starships couldn't be built overnight after all. So they would have to make a decen enough selection on their own, something comfortable. He yawned for a moment, pulling himself into thought.

For the time being he forgot about his knee, the pain that he felt from it.

Everything was going well enough, and although Myra had taken her first little tumble it appeared that the little girl was more than okay, and that was what mattered.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]


A nap did wonders for both Myra and Alric. The hours that the two took much-needed rest were taken advantage of by the Queen of Trade. They had switched from the shuttle to their larger yacht that allowed a far roomier bit of comfort. Myra was sleeping in her bed with Mister Tuggles sleeping beside her, while Danger had assisted Alric into resting in their suite.

Leaving them to their slumber, the redhead was now perched in front of a small desk and data terminal. There were a dark pair of reading glasses perched on the tip of her nose, allowing her to read reports and draw up the earlier schematics of the ship she'd mentioned to the Tetan earlier. It still required a bit of refining to suit their needs, but it was a start.

TibannaX would fuel it, along with a start of the art reactor and hyperdrive. Vanir Technologies and Haven Shipyards would assist with that. Solarium glasteel would be used for the viewports, along with other energy efficient materials. This is where Alric would find her should he wake up soon and search for his wife.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric woke up a few hours later, shifting slightly as he slowly began to wake up. The ship’s acceleration couch was comfortable, but for a sleeping spot it left much to be desired. The thing certainly wasn’t a bed, and for an old man like Alric that in it of itself was a bit too much of a detriment to ignore.

Eventually simple discomfort forced Alric to stir.

His eyes opened, slowly searching the cargo room. There was no real alertness in the way he looked about, after all Alric wasn’t a soldier, nor was he all that paranoid about where he fell asleep. He was an old man, with different worries and different concerns than he’d had in his youth, and even then things hadn’t always been dangerous.

Alric shifted slightly beneath Myra, gently pushing the girl to lay on a pillow instead of himself. She was still out like a light, incapable of feeling the heavy weight of age yet. He was pretty sure at that age they were capable of using rocks as mattresses without much concern or problem. He watched Myra for a moment, frowning slightly before slowly standing up and pulling away from the couch.

Mr. Tuggles seemed to take this as some sort of signal, the big ball of fluff crawling onto the acceleration couch to take Alric’s place.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

It shouldn't be a large yacht. Just enough room for the main suite, Myra's room, maybe two more rooms in the event Lily or Rose would join them. A den of sorts where they could have an office and take care of any manners. A full holopackage suite and encryption. Fast. It had to be fast. There was no need for it to be heavily armed. The purpose was to be able to travel comfortably and safely. Perhaps advanced shields that would provide protection during a quick get away.

Internally they would keep it rather homey. Comfortable. Wide open spaces would be best. If they could perhaps have a small garden...

Danger was lost in the design that she would not hear Alric stir. She was too engrossed researching and adding more features to the custom yacht design.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Their trip to Etti wouldn’t take all that long. Both planets were in the Corporate Sector and while the CSA hadn’t operated in centuries, the area of space was still homogenized and mostly together. Trade and travel routes were still actively maintained and hyper-space jumps were coordinated quite easily, that made things a bit simpler, especially considering they only had this shuttle for now.

”We’ll need to contact someone to send a ship.” Alric said to Danger as he slowly came up behind her, hands gently coming to rest on her shoulders.

He could see the design on her screen, though what she was creating was far beyond what they would get on Etti. They unfortunately could not simply conjure something out of thin air, and getting any sort of ship built would take quite a bit of time, perhaps a few months if he allocated resources from The Foundry.

Less if they built the ship in component parts.

The latter option was likely what they would end up doing in the end.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"I already did." Danger replied, glancing up at the elder Tetan through the clear lenses of her glasses. She offered a small but tired smile. His face was a little bit more ragged, the silver-flecked hair not quite as slicked back as it normally would. There were darker circles under his eyes, but over all he appeared to be doing better. The reality, however, could be different.

"How are you fellin'?" she'd inquire, the concern in her visage noticeable in the dim light. While the two had rested, Danger had stayed up to send word not only for a ship to be prepared, but also to set up an appointment for Myra with the doctor. It would take a few days out of their planned trip, but they were nothing compared to the peace of mind they would all feel to ensure that the little girl was healthy.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

”Fine.” It was the truth this time.

The knee usually stopped hurting after a while, and he’d slept for quite some time. It would likely flare up later again, but by now Alric was rather used to the cycle of it all. Half of him wondered if there had ever been a time where his knee hadn’t hurt, but of course that was a silly thought. He shifted slightly and leaned down to Kiss Danger’s cheek.

”Just getting old.” He smiled. ”We can’t all stay perfect.”

His hands slid down over her shoulders and onto her chest, smile turning into a smirk.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Now this is what Danger liked. When he came down to kiss her cheek, she also pressed her lips gently against his. The bristles of his beard tickled her, but they were a comfort. Her right hand came up to caress his other cheek, thumb sliding over the high cheekbone there. Tiny scars covered the skin there, a testimony of several pugilist fights in the past.

"Hmm... I don't know," she retorted with a small chuckle, sliding her glasses off her face with her other hand as he straightened to his feet. "Reckon you could make a good claim for it."

He certainly was a good looking man. Age only enhanced his features, the light casting shadows along his angular face.

"How is Myra?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

His fingers tightened for a moment, gently lifting for half a second before he pulled back slightly. ”Well, at least you can walk.”

Perhaps he looked good, but he was old.

Danger on the other hand wasn’t showing her age, or rather, it was in more subtle and honestly appealing ways. He shifted slightly behind her, taking the weight off of his bum knee and refocusing it to his other point so that the aches wouldn’t begin sooner. He wanted to avoid that pain as long as he could.

”Fine. Sleeping.” That was really all he could say for now. They were both concerned, but there was also no need to be alarmists.

Etti would tell them what, if anything was wrong with their daughter.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Danger saw Alric shift his weight. "Would you like to sit down?" offering her seat if he would like. "I can see if I can find your extra cane." something to help him keep the weight off. He may have rested but Danger was always a bit concerned for him. Alric may not enjoy her fussing but it was hard to stop.

"That's good to hear," in response to Myra sleeping. "Ain't stirring or anything?" the little girl had been still a shade or two paler than normal. When Danger had gone in to check in on her the youngling's forehead had seem cool to the touch. Worry was an emotion that the Queen of Trade could not brush away.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He shifted again behind her. ”An extra cane might not be a bad idea.”

Alric could admit that much. He wasn’t in too much pain just walking around, but using a cane usually allowed him to stave off the pain for a little bit longer than not using one. It was a small gift, but a good one. For a moment he considered just getting another one from Etti, it would probably be easiest.

”She’s fine.” Alric reassured Danger. ”Sleeping like her usual self.”

Though of course, Alric was still concerned too.

If there was something wrong however they would find out once they were on Etti, worrying about it now would only make things worse and it was better to put on a strong face, both for Myra and for Danger.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]


"Hmm." Danger acknowledged that with a soft sound of relief in the back of her throat. Weariness hung heavy in between the bridge of her eyes, prompting the slight pinch of fingers to relieve a bit of the pressure there. Every day things were getting a little bit harder. Slightly more tiring. Age was setting in.

Danger had no ties to the Force to keep her young, only her vitality and her gumption to live out her days the best she could. Granted, this didn't mean that time and life didn't give her a good knocking back. She wasn't as young as she once was. Breathing took a toll on her if she went out on foot for too long. Blame the lifetime of cigarillos that she'd chained smoked from early morning until night.

One always pays their debts one way or another. This was hers.

"That's good." Danger sighed out softly, giving another nod. Lifting her lids, her head rose to meet the bright blue of Alric's eyes. How she loved him. This man by far was her greatest weakness and her greatest strength. Frightening, how much one person could mean to you.

"That's real good." Her hand went extending to take his own, giving it a slight squeeze.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Why don't you go rest a bit." He said quietly, leaning into her and brushing his lips against her cheek.

"We still have a few hours left." It would likely go by quickly, but that hardly mattered. "I'm sure Mister Tuggles and Myra would appreciate the company."

He could finish piecing things together here, and it was not like there was any need to be awake right now anyway. He half wondered if it wouldn't have been better to simple throw sleeping cabins on a ship like this, but in the end a little bit of luxury was probably better than anything else. His hand squeezed gently over hers in way of encouragement. He knew that Danger wanted nothing more than to care for Myra, than to love her and hold her close.

It was the same desire he had.

Alric knew better than most though that such time was fleeting. Children grew up, and you had to take the little snapshots that you could before they went slipping away. That was why he prompted Danger to move now, so she could enjoy it. "Go on."

He urged her, pressing his lips against her cheek over and over in sequential pecks, as if doing so would force her up and out of the chair.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"I think I will." Danger managed to say, unable to keep the weariness from her voice. He was right, she would need her rest to regain her energy. Being up and not getting any sleep would do neither of them any good.

With a sigh, Danger blew out a stream of hot air, her free hand coming up to push the thick mass of silver and auburn streaked hair away from her face.

"Try not to stay up too long, " she added, coming to her feet. Another caress would cross the swarthy jaw of her husband's face, Danger leaning forward to press a kiss on his cheek.

"Be good," she told him, her hand drifting from his cheek down to his shoulder. There she gave him a small squeeze.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric gently squeezed her hand as she slipped away from him.

As Danger made her way from the room Alric took her place at the small desk.

He wondered briefly if any of this would actually come together. The last time they had tried to make a ship they’d ended up rather...distracted. It had been a happy distraction of course, little Myra falling into their laps, but...well he couldn’t help but think that maybe something would interrupt them again.

”Now lets see.” Alric said to himself as he began to study what his wife had done so far.

The ship was pretty much as he remembered it, initially designed by the both of them to be rather complex and elegant yet with a simplistic outer shell. It was part luxury yacht, part living space, part...well everything that Danger and Alric wanted.

He wondered what his father would have said about something like this. Alric had no idea where the thought came from, and quickly shook it to continue what his wife had been working on.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Danger left Alric to his own devices. He would do just fine on his own. The Tetan had a brilliant mind, and odds were that he would be able to streamline the design and think of accommodations that would suit them better. For now, the Queen of Trade took the short walk over towards the acceleration couch. For all of their influence and credits, they were not able to simply summon a yacht out of nowhere after Alric had sent the prior one back to Etti IV. They had intended to spend their time to travel elsewhere, but with Myra's sudden collapse... well that had sped up the timeclock.

Her slow amble brought her to the acceleration couch. A smile touched the redhead's lips at seeing the slumbering youngling. Carefully, Danger extended out her hand, gently brushing back the dark ebony locks from the little girl's flushed face.

Mister Tuggles was wrapped up in a bundle at the feet of the acceleration couch, a few stray snorts and snores coming from him. Ever so carefully, the older woman took the spare blanket that Alric had used. Moving as carefully as she could, Danger slipped alongside the child. Myra gave a slight murmur, scrunching forward her eyebrows but falling back to sleep.

"There, there," Danger cooed, snuggling up close.

"It's alright." came her comforting murmur. Ensuring the blankets were wrapped up nicely around them both, the woman tucked the youngling against her. With a faint smile on her face, Danger's lids fell shut. Within a few minutes, she too was fast asleep.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

The rest of the trip went by surprisingly quickly. Alric finished work on the ship, at least what he could do on his own, and Danger slept the time away alongside Myra and Mr Tuggles

It was surprisingly nice.

When they were just fifteen minutes out from dropping out of hyperspace Alric wandered back into the cabin to find his family all wrapped up. Briefly he recalled memories of a similar nature from what seemed a lifetime ago, Silara and the Girls curled up on the couch after a night of movies. He frowned slightly, a piece of him wondering if he'd ever get his family in one place like that again.

Rose and Lily were so busy now with their own lives, it seemed impossible. Perhaps he could coax them back with a vacation, or maybe hed just send Kiran to wrangle them. He smiled then stepped forward, leaning over Danger and kissing her cheek.

Quietly the Tetan whispered for her to wake up.