This Is Who We Became

[Arekk]

NAR SHADDAA​

Ar'ekk's Apartment​

​

The walk down the cold street of the Smuggler's Moon was a wonder to witness, the neon lights reflecting against the wet pavement and many of the remarkable things that the city's wild night life offered came to exist. Ranging from alien call-girls to pazaak dens filled with smoke and people who'd bet their own family to pay a debt.

The rain poured down on the innamored duo who walked holding hands and embraced tightly to face this nocturnal walk back to the apartment. Ar'ekk pointed out a few interesting things that the naked eye wouldn't spot so easily on the streets, years of knowledge and streetmarts put to the test.

Being a few steps away from the apartment, Ar'ekk and Jyn could stay outside and enjoy the rain for a little bit or simply go inside and be greeted by the always grumpy landlord, who'd be minding his own business by the main desk. Waving his hand at the young Jedi Knight and his companion, the Duros landlord would speak.

"Je'toaa akder." (Hello, how's it going?)

Turning back to Jyn, Ar'ekk asked away their next move.

"It's kinda late and don't think it's safe enough to leave Nar Shaddaa during night time. I say we wait until tomorrow morning. What do you say? We can rest at home or keep walking under the rain, if you want."

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

Jyn had found an absolute treasure trove of books at the store.

There was of course the diary, something she had never expected to see in her lifetime, but she had also found a couple of old Force-related tomes hidden within the shelves, things she could thumb through whenever she wanted something philosophical to muse on.

With her finds carefully stashed within a waterproof container, the pair had made their way back out into the Marketplace, glanced over a couple of stalls, before making their way back toward the apartment complex. Her hand was held within his, Kipo was practically asleep on her shoulder, and her other hand held the container.

Just outside of the apartment building, [member='Arekk'] stopped and turned to her questioningly. While the weather was actually somewhat refreshing, and the streets beautifully illuminated, she realized how much work there would be to do tomorrow in order to pack up the things Ar'ekk needed and prep them for take off.

"We should head inside," she said, with a light smile, tugging his hand as she stepped into the foyer where the landlord awaited.

 

[Arekk]

Following her steps carefully, Ar'ekk accompanied Jyn inside the apartment complex where the landlord greeted them with his usual grunty spew of words. He seemed to be holding a datapad in his hand and touching its screen with a stern look, as if he was playing a game of some sorts. It probably had to be Teletrak, a Hutt Ball betting program where you could waste away all your life savings from the commodity of your own place. Luckily enough, Ar'ekk still owned a percentage of that betting company which could mean that he could make him a little gift before leaving.

"Hey, Kahz. Don't play too much with that, alright? You got to keep this place alive, man!"

The man laughed faintly alongside the landlord, apparently they've developed a good friendship between the two of them. It seemed like Ar'ekk had more friends than enemies which seemed like an oddity in Nar Shaddaa. Pressing the button of the turbolift, silence overtook as the young Jedi's eyes lingered on her and appreciated her beauty without saying a word.

As the doors of the lift opened and were greeted with the massive white door that led to the man's apartment, he opened it rapidly to get in and were greeted by the automatic voice in loudspeakers.

"Welcome home, Mr. Daesharacor."

Leaving his wet coat somewhere clean and taking his shoes off, Ar'ekk walked around barefooted until he crashed on the couch. He was too tired.

"You're hungry, Jyn?"

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

She was surprisingly quiet as they made their way through the lobby, giving [member='Arekk'] time to speak with his landlord.

Now that they were inside, she was feeling the very real temptation to open the waterproof case which housed the tomes, after all the rain was no longer a factor, but given that she was dripping buckets she decided against it. There was no rush, what she had in her other hand wasn't going anywhere any time soon... Not if she could help it.

Soon enough pleasantries were out of the way and the pair stepped into the turbolift which made short work of reaching Ar'ekk's penthouse. The automated message caught her offguard, not that it had been the first time she had heard it since coming to Shaddaa, and she frowned in its direction as she passed it by.

Quick to get out of her wet clothes, Jyn kicked off her boots and began to pull off her outer layers, hanging them over one of the doors to dry. Her other clothes proved just as soaked, however, so she stepped through the apartment and into his room in search of a longer t-shirt. She didn't have any of her own clothes laying around, after all, Jyn hadn't made a single trip to her ship.

Kipo was quick to run toward the fireplace, a luxury so few had. His fur was crazy at this point, stuck up in all directions, but he didn't know or care. He just wanted the heat.

Hearing Ar'ekk from the other room, she poked her head around the doorway and pondered his question.

"A little, though it wasn't so long ago that we ate... Was it?"

It was hard to tell the passage of time when night had fallen. For all she knew hours could have passed.

 

[Arekk]

Only when he saw Jyn removing her clothes that he realized his very own were soaking wet as the rain came down heavy from the clouds. Quickly getting off the couch and passing by Kipo to caress his tiny little head, Ar'ekk went to his bedroom where she was inside already looking for a t-shirt in his wardrobe. Passing through and kissing the back of her head, the young Jedi grabbed a towel.

"I don't know why I asked you if you were hungry. We just ate."

He let out a laugh after he delivered the funny comment because it was true. Maybe he was always hungry, who knew?

Most of the shirts were tucked inside one of the drawers to the right side of the bedroom, near the big window. Obviously they wouldn't fit exactly the right way on Jyn but would do the trick for the time being. His plan was to take a relaxing hot shower and warm himself up for the evening, most nights in Nar Shaddaa being really cold.

"I'm going to take a shower, you can take one after if you want. Just leave your clothes where you left them, they'll dry in the morning."

And like that, Ar'ekk made his way to the bathroom and shut the door behind him to finally get inside the bathtub where the hot water would splash his face a few minutes in. Soothing.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

The feeling of his lips on the back of her head made her smile.

She still hadn't found a shirt she really wanted to wear, but she was so cold it didn't really matter and so she grabbed the biggest one she could find. [member='Arekk']'s words had her tilt her head slightly, and a rather cheeky grin spread over her lips. Oh, he was going to take a shower was he?

When the door had closed behind him, Jyn set her wet clothes to one side and picked up a different towel. Then, as quietly as she could muster, she stepped into the bathroom after him and joined him in the shower...

A little while later, Jyn emerged from the bathroom with a towel around her body and a face which glistened from the heat. Venturing through into the living room, with a tshirt in her grasp, she flopped down onto the sofa and let out a long sigh.

Kipo clambered over to her and sat upon the arm of the chair, oo'ing happily with a piece of dried fruit in his grasp. He was quick to chew on it, they had quickly become one of his favourites and he seemed to prefer them over the nuts Fuz had loved.

It just went to show that creatures were as versatile as they.

She turned her head to watch as Ar'ekk stepped from the bathroom, a goofy smile on her face.

"I figured, why waste the water?" she explained, in as coy a voice as she could muster up.

 

[Arekk]

Cloud Nine.

He came out of the bathroom wrapped in a bath towel with a dorky smile upon his face, eyes lingering on Jyn that sat by the sofa nearby. The steam coming from inside the restroom quickly evaporated in the air as he left the door open, making his way in bare feet towards his bedroom to grab some comfortable shorts to wear.

Ar'ekk liked to walk around the apartment with nothing on top, made him feel lighter and cooler when sleeping.

"Like being among the clouds." He replied to her with a wide grin, clearly referencing to earlier.

Taking a seat in the same sofa as Jyn was sitting on and resting his head against her shoulder, Kipo decided to come over and play with Ar'ekk who took him with care and caressed his little head. They were best friends too and the small baby monkey loved to touch the young man's face where the scars where, something fascinated him about it.

Perhaps it was his way to tell him to accept that finally one day. No mask, no need to hide anymore.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

She watched as Kipo betrayed her, mutinied in favour of Captain [member='Arekk'] and his larger vessel.

Feeling lost without the little guy she nestled up with Ar'ekk and let out a small sigh of contentment. The tshirt she had brought with her was set upon the coffee table, forgotten for now in favour of the warm of the towel around her body.

"Do you feel ready?" she whispered, after a few moments of silence, "To return to Aurum?"

A look of guilt washed over her expression, she felt bad for dragging him away from all he had built for himself. But she knew where it had been leading him, she had seen the darkness in him first hand... and could not allow it to continue, to grow.

No.

Turning her head ever so slightly, she brushed her lips against his shoulder and let out a soft sigh.

 

[Arekk]

Kipo nibbled on his dried fruit until it poofed completely, the little hungry monkey just being himself. Oo'ing away and playing around the living room without making much of a fuss, Ar'ekk focused on Jyn next. She looked beautiful and glistened like an angel above the sky, something was so captivating of her.

"I made you a promise, Jyn."

Walking back would never happen. Not in this life. The Hawk's Circle was going to end one way or the other and he wouldn't fall with it. Preparations were put in place so that could occur and they wouldn't have to worry about his past life biting them back. It was a finished chapter.

Grabbing her chin and looking deeply into her eyes, Ar'ekk showed her the true definition of honesty. He couldn't lie to her, never did and never will.

"We are ready."

This is who we became.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

When he gently grasped her chin she was made to look up at him, meeting his gaze somewhat solemnly.

"I know..." she breathed, "But I have to make sure."

Beyond the logistics of it, beyond making it work, she had to know that they were on the same page. That they would not end up back at square one again, with her having to use Asha like some homing beacon to find him if he slipped their radar again. It wasn't as though he had to stay with them, Jyn was not his keeper, but their time apart, without her knowing where he was, had left her shaken and filled with uncertainty.

She had to know he was alive at the very least.

"I'll question it no further," she promised, leaning up to settle a delicate kiss to his cheek, "I promise."

[member='Arekk']

 

[Arekk]

The warmth of her kiss against his cheek made his skin shiver, closing his eyes just briefly and take a deep breath. Jyn's sacrifice to get here and save him from the claws of darkness was something he wouldn't know how to pay back yet...

He only had one thing for her: Love.

That very same concept saved his life, besides her courageous and sefless act of compassion and love. Ar'ekk would never take a step backwards because he made a promise to her and that was one he'd never break no matter the circumstances.

Nothing could change his mind. All the greed, power and lust for more was put behind when she made her way to face the dangers of Nar Shaddaa's scum and yank him out of his "throne". That was the breaking point.

"You are everything to me."

No more words, only actions.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

The rest of the night was spent blissfully within one another's company. At some point food was made, Kipo fell asleep on the back of the sofa, and the two of them snuggled up to watch an old holoflick. As with the previous night they fell asleep right there in the living room, with the bright lights of Nar Shaddaa lighting up the backdrop.

Jyn awoke just before dawn.

She could feel a crink in her neck and could not help but subtly wince. Shifting so that she was sitting upright she glanced around the room and stifled a yawn with the back of her hand. They had so much work to do if they were going to leave on time, none of his belongings had been packed and in truth she had no idea what he wanted to bring. The apartment was full of so many random items... No doubt with a little assistance they could pack it all up, especially if they deployed droids, but her humble room back on Aurum would hardly fit it all.

Though, there were always storage facilities until they had a real place of their own.

"Morning, mi amor," she whispered, brushing her lips against [member='Arekk']'s ear, "Time to rise and shine..."

 

[Arekk]

Their night passed surprisingly fast for him and of course, this was the first time in a long time he was able to fully sleep at all. No nightmares, no waking up in the middle of the night. Just peace and tranquility, and of course the company of her beloved Jyn.

Like any other person, Ar'ekk didn't really want to wake up and his sleepiness took a major role once his eyes opened as the sun came through the blinds directly to his face.

"Just five more minutes, please..."

Yawning loudly and struggling to see anything beyond because of his tiredness, the young man's hand reached out for hers and squeezed it tightly. He felt serene and happy, nothing else bothered him.

Well, kinda.

I gotta pack things up. Feth!

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

While [member='Arekk'] did his best to roll out of bed, Jyn occupied herself by jumping into the refresher, dressing, and working on breakfast. She had sent for a couple of labour droids to assist him in packing when the time came, but they had yet to arrive which gave her all the more time to enjoy the early morning.

"Breakfast's ready" she called out to him from the kitchen, a selection of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and toast all lined two plates, and as hungry as she was Jyn decided to wait for him to join her before tucking in.

Though, she did sneak one slice of toast and munched on it as she poured Kipo some mixed nuts and berries. The monkey had awoken around the time that she had, and was happily chittering away to himself as he roamed around the room, pieces of his breakfast within his hands.

Funny little guy didn't have to worry about waiting to eat!

 

[Arekk]

Sloppily getting out of bed and rubbing his eyes furously, Ar'ekk looked around the lit up bedroom as the morning sunrise casted its lights through the blinds. Yawning deeply and moving towards the bathroom with a towel dangling from his shoulder, the half masked man took a quick shower to be ready for the day, it'd be pretty exhausting.

"Good morning, sunshine."

He passed through the kitchen to give Jyn a morning kiss and pat Kipo on his little furry head as he nibbled on his nuts and berries. Sitting in the other end opposite to her, the man's eyes lingered throughout the room in an aimless manner. His mind was clouded by several thoughts, most of them pretty ordinary such as packing up or worrying about the logistics when they've made it to Je'daii space.

"Did you sleep well?"

The young Knight's plate contained a plethora of delicious food, its scent making his mouth drool as soon as it came to his presence. She always had a good hand to cook and he was the first one in line to taste whatever Jyn had to cook, lovely as ever.

Munching on his pancake like a filthy Gamorrean and licking his fingers, Ar'ekk spoke with a funny mouthful.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

It didn't take too long for [member='Arekk'] to appear from the bedroom, fresh from a trip to the refresher, and when a kiss was placed upon her lips she blushed and returned it wishing it would never end.

Of course, it had to.

Once he was settled across from her, Jyn took up her knife and fork and began to eat alongside him, happily munching away on the spread of food before them. She was glad that she had sent for some groceries the day prior otherwise what little he had kept in his pantry would have made for a subpar breakfast.

"I slept well thank you, Querido," she responded between bites, wiping her mouth with a napkin in order to do so, "You seemed as though you could have done with a few more hours yourself, I'm sorry I woke you up but the moving team will be here shortly and, quite frankly, I didn't know what exactly you were wanting to bring to Aurum."

 

[Arekk]

The entire plate was delicious, from the pancakes to the eggs. He made sure to show his approval every now and then by uttering simple "Mmms" once he tasted the food.

He nodded when she talked about the team coming to assist them in moving things out from the apartment. Certainly, he wouldn't bring the entire place down with him but just a handful of things. Useful ones, at that.

"It's fine, darling. I will take just a few things besides clothing, gearments and small objects of significance. Don't really plan to overburden the room you'll have for me when we get there."

Looking up at Jyn with a sly smirk upon his face, Ar'ekk kept eating the delightful pancakes on his plate mixed with bacon, eggs and a toast on the side.

He felt in a good mood that morning, Nar Shaddaa was just a few minutes away from being a simple distant memory.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

She had figured as much regarding what he wanted to bring, and while clearing a wardrobe and armory was easy when it came to the more sentimental objects Jyn had no clue. It was a good thing that she had woken him up, after all they could get some rest when they were on their way to Aurum. There was one lingering question left on her mind though.

"Are we going to have to travels separately? I know that the ship transporting the creatures we rescued has its own crew, but you and I both have personal vessels here... Though I suppose I could have the droid bring Tranquility home..."

The thought of leaving the safety of the vessel solely in the hands of the pilot droid left her torn though. She knew that was its primary function, knew that it would survive so long as the hyperlanes were free from pirates and the like. With a soft frown she cut a piece of the pancake and took a bite.

"Also, what do you mean the room I'll have for you? Silly, your room is my room. Bring whatever you want, we can make it fit."

[member='Arekk']

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk grinned from the other side of the table as he ate the last of his pancakes, shrugging at the question of their possible separate traveling.

That thought didn't really crossed his mind until now considering The Ebon Hawk could hold more than the two of them on board. However, would she want to leave her vessel behind in Nar Shaddaa or at least have it brought along by one of Ar'ekk's most trusted men?

"We could go on the Hawk, you know? But that'd mean you'll have to leave your vessel here until you or someone I know brings it back. Or uhh... get there in separate ways. What do you think?"

His plate emptied in less than ten minutes, the food was marvelous and he made sure that was obvious by patting his stomach. Rubbing his temple and looking around the apartment, Ar'ekk could see how the morning sunrise turned into a cloudy and rainy day.

Nar Shaddaa's weather was unpredictable, good thing they wouldn't have to worry about getting wet during their journey.

Well, at least for now...

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

She pondered on it for a moment.

"Do you have someone you trust to bring it to Aurum?" she inquired, "Someone who won't draw too much attention to the world, sell us out, or bust up my ship?"

The journey back to the Je'daii would take a few weeks, heck things had really deteriorated with [member='Arekk'] between the time Asha had her vision and Jyn arrived on Nar Shaddaa... There was no real way to rush hyperspace travel, and the thought of being alone during that time when the two of them could easily be at one another's side?

That didn't make sense to her.

"If so, then I'll happily join you in the Hawk. She's likely faster than Tranquility is anyway."

The sooner they got back home, the sooner things could return to normal. They could begin their lives together, bring Ar'ekk away from the horrible influences he had found on Nar Shaddaa, and find some balance in the Force once again.

That was the plan, at least.