The Next Morning

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

A snort erupted from her nose as she laughed. "I think this is the first time I've seen you embarrassed, Jaxton. Let's just not make the stabbing thing a recurrence." She finished dicing the peppers and onions. Leaning over the Zeltron's arm, she scooped the veggies into the egg-mixture he was working on. Reaching over, she sprinkled in some cheese.

"I'll get the," she looked around, "uh...," they were in the clinic and she didn't see a table, "cot set?" She laughed. "I kind of walked to the cockpit in a daze, earlier. You got a better place to eat on this ship, Mister Ravos?"

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Jaxton laughed at the quip, admittedly a bit awkwardly as he tried to dismiss the previous statement from his mind.

"I won't stab if you won't shoot, how's that?" Jaxton joked, getting a bit more sociable as Taheera leaned over his arm and laid some veggies and spices into his omelette, then extended a bit further and put on some cheese. Seemed the clone had an eye for cooking as well as combat. Funny there wasn't a ring on her little finger either.

"Yeah yeah, there's a table in the living area. If you wanna ask Stitches you can probably get her to set it up." Jaxton said as he took a spatula and went to flip the omelette. Man it smelled good. Unlike Taheera's sort-of little sister's boyfriend, Jaxton could actually cook.

"You like a little crunch in your omelette or no?" He asked before actually flipping.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

"Shooting won't be a problem since someone damaged a certain blaster on Kashyyyk." She called from the corridor as she wandered out to work with Stitches to get the table set. It didn't take long. "But I guess we're even since you also ruined your own lightsaber." Voice carried down the hall. With Stitches' help she managed to scrounge up some juice and water for them both.

"And sure, I'll take crunch."

She peeked her head back in.

"Table's set, need anything else?"

The lights in the corridor blinked, signaling their arrival and docking.

"And to think I'm about to have breakfast with someone I thought was my enemy..."

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"Was it me who damaged the lightsaber? It was wasn't it." Jaxton said as he waited a little while longer before flipping the omelette, letting a little brown accumulate on the eggs. He could hear her a little closer as she leaned into the room, asking if they needed anything else.

"If you want any sauces or condiments you can scour the conservator." He replied as he took off omelette number 1 and put it on a plate, before getting the rest of the egg, spices, and cheese mix and putting it in the frying pan. As the second omelette began to sizzle the lights of the ship flickered and blinked a moment. Seemed they had arrived at Laekia and the auto-pilot had begun docking. Initially he had found he wanted to get this ride over with, get the healer out of the danger zone as quick as possible, but right now? He felt as if he were hoping the ride was a bit longer. No, he couldn't dwell on that. There was danger in Jaxton's job, and apparently more so at the coming battle of Prakith. It was better she get back to her Jedi. Right?

"That just means I'm doing a good job." Jaxton replied as he flipped over his omelette and pressed it unto the skillet. "Your omelette's done by the way." He said, motioning to the plate.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

"Smells re-eh-ally good." She disappeared halfway into the conservator and rummaged around a bit. "Bingo. Hot-sauce and ketchup. I like a little spice in my life. Not sure if that's my own thing or genetics." She shrugged.

Brushing past Jaxton's side, she grabbed her omelette and balanced the sauces with her other hand.

She paused next to the Zeltron.

"So....after all this. You'll go back to the sith? I don't want you to tell me details that aren't safe. I need to work on my story from Kashyyyk when I meet back up with the jedi. They'll wonder what happened to me on Kashyyyk. Got any ideas?"

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Jaxton put down the spatula and looked at Taheera.

"You are your own thing. Don't let anybody tell you different." He said and then went back to cooking his omelette. Jaxton didn't care she was a clone, didn't even plan on bringing it up, because in his eyes it was insignificant. But she had and he'd tell her his opinion, but he'd keep it short. No point in dwelling on it. She brushed his side as she went to grab the omelette, and began ornamenting it with her preference of sauces before pausing and asking him some deeper questions. Things gettin serious all of a sudden.

"Yeah, I'll go back. Try to get what info I can, leak it when I can, and see if I can breed some insurrection in the ranks." He said with a shrug. "Apparently I'll be going to Prakith soon, so probably gonna be preparing for that I guess. As for what to tell them?" The words hung a moment as Jaxton thought and checked the bottom of his omelette. Almost done. " Tell them a dastardly rogue was captured by the Sith and sold to the Hutts, and that you disguised yourself as a bounty hunter to save them. That it didn't work, you ended up a hutt slave, and then ended up chocking your master and saving the day. " He said with a grin, before taking his omelette off of the skillet, turning off the stove, and heading towards the-already set table. It was pretty nice to have company that could actually eat with you.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

"You say I'm my own thing, but it's hard," voice was quiet, introspective. "But your faith in me is refreshing even if you're the one with a hutt fetish now." She put on a brave smile and sat across from Jaxton. She began to dig into her omelette, sprinkling on some hot sauce.

"Tasty. Too bad Stitches can't enjoy your culinary expertise."

She smiled and took a healthy sip of water. She took a shot in the dark with how he was feeling. "You don't have to worry about me. I make my own choices with what I jump into. I can take care of myself...on most days, y'know, when rogue, sith-chiss aren't involved."

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Faith in her? Jaxton thought a moment. He did have faith in her. Faith not only that she was her own person, but that she was a good one too. One worth knowing. Which was more than he could say of any Jedi he'd met for quite some time. It was . . . refreshing. Perhaps the galaxy wasn't doomed to the One Sith after all.

"Stitches has enough things to criticize me about." Jaxton joked as he threw a bit of salsa on his plate, cutting up some omelette and dipping it in before taking a bite. He chewed as she spoke, managing a grin amongst the food. He took a gulp, then spoke.

"You sound very tough there Ms. Sollo. I'd hate to meet you in a dark neighborhood." He said as he took a sip of juice, then began cutting into his egg again when a thought hit him.

"How's your stomach feeling?"

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

She finished off her omelette. When she said she was hungry, she meant it. She shifted a little uncomfortably in the chair. "It's...better," she replied vaguely, keeping her eyes on the juice. She knew she did a number on his shoulder, she saw it.

She was caught between not wanting to make Jaxton feel bad and the reality of what happened. The reality of how her stomach felt. Eyes finally drifted up to meet his.

"It'll be fine."

She stood slowly, gathering her empty juice glass and plate before reaching out a hand toward his plate. "You finished?"

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

A slight frown as she answered. Jaxton knew what words like "better" and "be fine" meant. She was hurting, far more than she'd have liked to admit. Was he feeling regret? No, he had to have done what he did. But perhaps? Perhaps he regretted that it was her.

"Yeah, I'm done." Jaxton said, plate cleaned juice emptied and a half-glass of water being chugged into his mouth. He stood up as she took his plates and followed her, presumably to the sink. He'd start getting the water going and fetch the soap.

"Taheera. I'm sorry." Jaxton said, apologizing for the wound he struck. He hadn't before, partly because he was maintaining his Sith persona, partly because he was trying to rationalize the entire thing. He was an infiltrator, sometimes you had to play rough with your friends. And he hadn't killed her right? Well, that was true, but it didn't make what he did right. He had hurt her. Hurt a lovely lady he didn't even know. And now that he did know her all he could feel was guilt for what he had done. Ashin Varanin had told him that after this infiltration was done he'd be a different man, and he wasn't liking the changes.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

She hovered over the sink. Water trickled down her hands and wrists as she scrubbed at the plates and cups. "Jaxton....don't," she said quietly, voice hitching in her throat. This is exactly what she didn't want. She didn't want him to punish himself. What was done, was done.

She still had a lot of processing to do. She had her own feelings to sort through. Even fake sith chiss would still cause nightmares.

She put the plates down, the water was still running as he returned with the soap. A moist hand wrapped around his upper-arm, her fingers not getting very far because he was ripped, as she turned to him. "Just....make it count. Finish what you started."

Finally, her eyes drifted up to meet his.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

It was clear that Taheera didn't want him to feel any guilt. Didn't want him to blame himself for what had happened to her. Yet he couldn't bring himself there. Mind wandered to the fight, to the hits he landed, to the burns he inflicted. To all the things Stitches told him when he showed her Taheera's unconscious body. Would guilt immobilize him or would it keep him human? Jaxton didn't know. As he laid the soap next to the sink taheera laid down their plates, left the water running and turned to face him. Soft hands sprinkled with water began to pull around the muscles of his arm. Jaxton found his hand had gone to her waist. She spoke softly, telling him to 'finish this' before her eyes came slowly upwards, meeting his. He wanted to say any number of things. Something cool, something tough, but he couldn't. He had spent the past few months lieing to everyone, about who he was, what he believed in, what he was doing. He didn't want to lie any longer. Not to her, not now.

"I don't know if I can." Came Jaxton's voice. Quiet. Soft. "But I'm giving it all I can. Those who've died, those who're in the crossfire, they . . . you deserve nothing less."

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

Maybe they were all just a breath away from being broken.

Toes pushed high, her arms wrapped around the Zeltron. She pressed against him in an embrace. He was still massively taller than her but she leaned against him as if she had the strength to hold up a Wroshyr tree.

The water still dripped in the background but her voice didn't add to it. She let the relative silence ring around them; she felt his heart echo against her ear and she pressed the side of her head against his chest. In that moment, she released a warming sense of force valor and lent some of her strength in the force to Jaxton.

She didn't need words this time to express herself.

Slowly, she pulled back. She turned off the water. "I should go."

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

The healer pushed herself higher before pulling her arms around Jaxton. She was small, much smaller than him, but he could still feel her strength. The grip that didn't want to let go. The slight weight of her hair across his shirt. The press of her ear across his heart, listening to it's subtle beat. Though he put his arms around her the moment they shared was more than the simple embrace one might have mistaken it for. He could feel her reassurances, her desire to aid as she reached out and wrapped him in the warmth of the Force. Jaton reciprocated with an art he hadn't practiced in a long time. He'd never rival Spencer Jacobs or Kitt Solo in battle meditation, but he could bolster the strength of one woman, let her feel his aiding hand as he did hers. The quiet continued, only disturbed by the sound of rushing water and the gentle hum of Stitches at work somewhere in the distance, till Taheera backed up, slowly as if she didn't wish to but needed to.

"I should go." She said, and Jaxton knew she was right. She was a new Jedi healer, young and teacherless, while he was an old Jedi who'd left the Order and was gallivanting around with the Sith, trying to quell the fire from within the coals. But he discarded his better judgement, and held her within his arms.

"Just another-" He was going to say 'minute longer' but Jaxton didn't finish. Instead he closed his eyes and leaned in, bringing himself to kiss a woman he had probably outlived ten times. Darn clone math.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

Lips met. She forgot about her moistened-hands. She forgot about Stitches in the background. She forgot about the image of the sith-chiss. She forgot about how much danger they were both really in.

She pulled back, trying to catch her breath and keeping the color from creeping into her cheeks.

"That's...just not fair," she grinned up at him.

She kissed him tenderly once more before pulling back. "I guess I have to be the responsible one." A regretful smile. Before she realized she wouldn't be strong enough to break the embrace, she stepped away from Jaxton and gathered her things, heading toward the door. But she turned around and lingered in the doorway.

"See you beyond shadows?"

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Jaxton let his grip on the healer grow smaller and smaller, letting her slowly drift out of his grip. Her smile was bittersweet, happy at their kiss but sad she had to go. And she did have to go. His face was likewise smiling, though his eyes told a different story. It was hard to see the woman leave. She went back to the clinic to gather her saber and quarterstaff, and he followed and helped her pack, slipping a couple pain meds into her pack when she wasn't looking. They eventually got to the doorway, where Taheera lingered a moment before turning to face him.

"See you beyond shadows?" She asked, and Jaxton couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah. I'll see you soon." He said, and found himself lingering as well. He wrapped his arms around the woman once more, then let a kiss fall on her forehead, then let her go as quickly as he could manage too.

"Stay safe Taheera Sollo. May the Force be with you."