To the Edge of the Fringe and Back- Ra

[Brent Smith]

"Nice work out there. We make a good team."

Brent nodded. That made two occasions where her intervention had kept him from ending up on the wrong side of danger. He could see the way this teamwork was going to probably start working out; he would provide the intel with his depth of touch with reality, and she would provide the muscle and mystic skills when needed. Their skills nested well where they were lacking.

"You too, sweet cheeks," he said taking his shades off.

He didn't have any plans on sticking around any longer than needed. He wasn't about to test the compassion and patience of the people they had basically just waylaid for information and pressed for intelligence. He crossed to the cockpit and fired the engines up. Gates rolled up, giving him a trio of whistles.

"Yes, get us up, and out of here. I want far orbit, out of range of any surface to space guns," Brent ordered the droid.

Gates offered an affirmtive beep as it plugged into the dataport and took control of the ship. Brent tapped on the console, pulling up the starmap as Ra suggested. They were in the heart of Hutt Space. Law only extended as far as the blaster could shoot. They would have to pass the Kastolar sector to even find anything with a legal outpost.

"Ruusan seems to be our best bet," Brent said at last, "Even it seems to be tenuous at best. There's a small bounty hunting office and a military supply station. If I were going to cash in a bounty from here, that is where I'd go."

 

[Riamah]

She couldn't help but laugh at his reply and shook her head at him. He took his glasses off, got the ship up into orbit and pulled up the star map like she had suggested. Looking at it from the other side, she nodded.

"Hum, just following a hunch, listening to the Force, but my intuition tells me Jabiim is going to come into play here."

What made Ra say that, she didn't know, but spoke it as the thought came up and looking at the map it started piecing together for her. She gazed at Brent through the map after she spoke.
​
"I'd say go follow this trail to Ruusan and see where it goes. If it turns into a dead end, perhaps we can go to Jabiim and see what's there."

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

Jabiim wasn't too far from Ruussan as Brent looked at the star map. It was a half jump from one to the other. If they were going to cash the bounty in at Ruusan, then chances were they wouldn't stick around long. If they wanted to get lost again, Jabiim would be the place to do it. He removed his trench coat and hung it on a coat peg in the cockpit. The guns concealed in it clanked with the movement.

"Gates, set a course for Jabiim," Brent ordered, "And send a request transmission to the bounty hunter's office on details regarding the status of Frank, use our FOSB clearance codes for expediency."

That would give them an idea of where the Nebuchadnezzar would be. And instead of staying one step behind, maybe they would get a chance to move ahead of their target.

"I am kind of hungry," Brent said motionining towards the galley he had on the other side of the outrider they were on, "Care to join me for a lunch date? I hear there is a wonderful place not too far from here."

 

[Riamah]

Brent killed two birds with one stone in asking for information from Ruusan and setting course for Jabiim. It would be a good place to go into hiding. Almost nobody ventured there and with its weather, would be a good place to keep the random visitors from dropping in. You needed to have a reason to be there.

At the mention of food, Ra had to agree.

"You cooking or me?"

Hearing the items clink​ in his coat made her just wonder what he kept in there.

"You know I still want one of those coats. Ah when you get your upgraded, I'll take this one."

W​atching as he moved off, Ra fell into step with him as they went to galley.

"What's for food?"

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

"You cooking or me?"

"Why not both?" Brent asked with a wry smirk, "I've been told cooking together is a great relationship building exercise."

The kitchenette was small, but for a ship the size of the Celestial Bishop, it was adequately sized. The counters were made of syntheticly made granite, the cabinets were made of dark wood and glass. The oven, stovetop, fridge, and toaster were all a brilliant, polished chrome. It looked like a cut out from a typical house, very stylish and clearly expensive for a ship of this size. Like the rest of the ship, everything was meticulously organized down to the centimeter. Cups were lined up and organized by type, height, use, and style. The plates and bowls were stacked and centered, the cooking devices were all organized and planned out.

Brent opened the fridge, pulling out a wrapped slab of fresh Bantha meat that had been flash-frozen to preserve freshness. Next he retrieved a clear tupaware of fresh greens.

"In the pantry you will find spices, if you don't mind pulling out the Cerrion, Golden Leaf, and Gnochi root, I'd be obliged," Brent said from in the fridge. "This is an old family recipe called corrode-the-septic-tanks Bantha slices."

She mentioned she wanted one of the coats he had. He smirked. "Why would I give you the leftovers when I make the next generation?" he grabbed a knife from one of the drawers and began cutting the bantha meat clear of its wrapping, "I am having trouble with the design concept for the next one. Its not easy making an integrated stealth system in the coat itself without spending a few fortunes. But the design is coming along."

 

[Riamah]

It was quite similar to what Ra had on her own ship. The galley was her favorite location there and she kept it up. Brent got to work getting some things out of the fridge and requested Ra to get out a few spices from the cupboard. She had to laugh at the name of what they were going to prepare.

"This is either going to be totally wonderful or yeah they're going to get corroded. Very likely both."

She handed him the spices he requested. When he replied to her comment on the coat, she raised an eyebrow at him.

"I hadn't thought of that. However, stealth is something you can learn in the Force. Like today on Crait. Just focus on bending the light around you and you disappear. Like this."

Performing the stealth again, the only sign of Ra was the slight wavering​ of the light where she was physically. Coming out of the stealth, she knew she had to actually start training him. He used the Force from what she could tell on a subconscious level. Brent would need to learn how to use it on purpose.

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

"This is either going to be totally wonderful or yeah they're going to get corroded. Very likely both."
"The pipes won't be the only thing corroding tonight," Brent said with a half smirk. He balled the plastic wrapping in a tight wad and tossed it to Ra to be disposed of, "But yes, its pretty good. Even worth the pain a few hours later once its moved through the digestive tract."

He took the spices from Ra's hand and began to lather them on the meat, massaging it and working it with his hands to get the dry rub worked into it deeply. He nodded towards the container of greens, "If you wouldn't mind chopping those into Julianne slices, I won't cross contaminated with this meat."

She did her stealth thing again as Brent looked on. He could still faintly see her outline, probably better than most with his sensitive eyes, and he could smell her still. He knew she was leaps and bounds ahead of him in that department, and while he was ready to learn, Brent was acutely aware of the fact that she would probably always be leaps and bounds ahead of him in this department. She had the time and training he didn't. She had the natural selection he didn't. No matter how hard and fast he ran, she would be ahead. Brent didn't resent Ra for it, and he wasn't jealous over the idea, he was glad she had that. He was just acutely aware of his limitations. And beside, he wasn't too fond of what that time was going to be cut out of. Because that stuff was fun.

"Sure," he agreed flipping the meat over, "But there is still the sound side, or there is if someone stabs a voidstone blade or bullet in me. Or if I run into one of those yalasarmi, or if I am just too injured to concentrate," his hands worked the meat as Brent shrugged, "I like to plan for every possible failure."

 

[Riamah]

Coming out of the stealth, Ra chuckled at what Brent said and got to work on greens he wanted cut up.

Listening to what he said, she shook her head.

"I've not ever come across any of those in my times of fighting actually, so not sure how common those are. Well, besides bullets and knives. Even those can be avoided or deflected. Oh no, I take that back. I came across somebody with that lizard in the dying days of the Dominion! It turned out well though and I obviously got my freedom."

Making plans and taking precautions could only carry a person so far.

"Not everything can be planned for. That when you have to improvise. Using the Force for me is something that is secondary actually. I would rather figure out ways to get something accomplished without it."

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

Brent finished with the dry rub and made his way to the sink. The water ran over his hands as he listened to Ra tell about her experiences. He quirked a brow at her statement of never having run into those things. In the FOSB he had been taught the intimate advantages of each, their optimal usage, and the most effective ways to debilitate his foes with them in every level. Of course those items were still all but impossible to get your hands on, but with the black market opening up the way it was, they were getting easier and easier to find and use every day.

"You did? My God, I thought you were still captured," he teased drying his hands off. "Thanks for the spoiler."

He folded the gray linen towel in quarters and centered it on the edge of the counter once more. Brent rummaged in the fridge, pulling out a carton of cream. Unlike most ships, all of the food Brent had on board was fresh and organic. He could feel and taste the difference. It was a little more, but it was worth it. He paced a sauce pan on the burner and filled it with an inch of the cream.

"I know, and I agree," he said placing the cream back in the fridge. "Improvising is in my wheelhouse, but at the same time," he took up a knife and began slicing the Bantha meat into ultra thin pieces, "I don't like to leave my work to chance. I like to be prepared for every eventuality I can think of. Its hard to improvise without the tools to do that."

 

[Riamah]

"Only captured by you right now."

Giving him a wink, Ra set the greens down in a bowl when she had finished cutting them up and handed them to Brent. Their shared coking habits didn't go unnoticed by her and she liked him even more for it. Both of them would rather have fresh food than prepackaged when they could.

She watched him as he started to cook over the stove. If this was something she liked, then she would learn how to cook it as well. As he prepared things, he agreed about improvising, but wanting to be ready for anything he could think of. Shrugging her shoulders slightly, Ra looked at him closely before speaking.

"You keep on doing what you do, prepare for what you expect and then when a wrench gets thrown in, I'll unconventionally be there to pull your rear end out of the fire."

Giving him a wink and hoping he didn't take her words that seriously.

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

"Only captured by you right now."

Brent rolled his eyes at the comment and shook his head, trying to suppress the smile, "You are a mess. All of a mess. 100% a mess. Be glad I picked your butt up off Umbara or I'm sure something would have eaten you. And I'm pretty sure that you would have gotten shot at Nal Hutta if I wouldn't have carried your sorry sack out of there too."

His tone and facial expression were clearly teasing as he said the words. A humored smirk graced his lips, and his eyebrows arched up slightly at the comments. He finished slicing the meat, they were perfectly even slices. He had made this dish hundreds of times growing up, and even more as an adult. He set the knife down in the kitchen sink carefully. Satisfied, Brent grabbed the meat slices in both hands and placed them in the now simmering cream. He placed a lid over the saucepan and set the timer before they added the greens in for the last bit. When it was done they would have both the sauce and the entree, cooked in one pan.

"You keep on doing what you do, prepare for what you expect and then when a wrench gets thrown in, I'll unconventionally be there to pull your rear end out of the fire."

"More like set it on fire," Brent bantered, moving past her to wipe his hands clean. As he passed her, he took advantage of the situation and swatted her butt, grabbing a handful if his hand landed on her cheek successfully. He leaned against the counter, smirking as he wiped his hands clean, "See? Plan ahead. Execute. Gather info. And the info I gathered is very grabable."

 

[Riamah]

Ra wasn't one much to smile, be funny or even able to express humor, found that with Brent she could. The whole exchange between them and she just couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't a simple laugh either, but her whole self, enough to bring tears to her eyes.

When he came by and swatted her rear end, she couldn't even avoid it if she wanted to. When she could finally breathe and think clearly again, she just looked at him with a smile and almost glowing eyes.

"You're in trouble after dinner unless we're too busy corroding the pipes here."

There was no tone of threat, full of truth and desire to show him just how much trouble he was in. Of course, he wasn't in any sort of trouble and he would know that. ​​

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

It felt good to hear her laugh. Brent had the feeling that she carried a little too much. They both did since it was part of their jobs. But with her past, she carried by far too much, more than he felt he did. She had a nice laugh, he decided. he should hear it more often.

"You're in trouble after dinner unless we're too busy corroding the pipes here."

He took a few steps closer, bridging the short gap between him and Ra. Brent's hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her so their bodies pressed together. He gave her a playful peck on the lips. He could feel everything from the thin veil of a clothing that seperated them. Chances were, Ra felt some things as well--mainly the ones that were on the rise.

"I have a feeling I will be corroding your pipes in the near future," he said playfully.

 

[Riamah]

A moment after Ra spoke, he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her. Totally enjoying the sensations, feelings and him, she let out a slight sigh actually. The playful kiss he gave her, made her smile and his words almost sent her laughing again.

"That's the plan, my dear."

Her tone was just as playful Brent's and they both knew what was going to happen after dinner.

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

"That's the plan, my dear."

"Its a date then," he said. He took a second to admire her smile and her golden eyes. The timer for the meat went off. Brent reluctantly pride himself from Ra and grabbed the chopped greens, dumping them into their saucepan. He would have rather stayed with her locked in his arms and flirting but, he was also pretty hungry. He set the timer for 3 more minutes for the greens to reach their right cooked state. Any longer and they'd be mushy. Any shorter and they would still be too raw and lack the spicy flavor that was mixing with it all. He withdrew a spatula from the draw on the right hand side of the stovetop and mixed the greens in thoroughly before replacing the lid.

"So," he said turning and facing Ra, "When am I going to learn more about the Force stuff?" he smirked, "I figured I'd ask you now since your mouth will be very full of things for the rest of the night."

 

[Riamah]

"I'm rather liking the whole date idea thing."

Their eyes met and for a moment Ra almost felt like melting. It lasted but a moment and was gone, that part of her that feared getting hurt kicked her, but she didn't pull away from Brent. The timer went off and he moved off to finish with the last of the dinner preparation. He asked about then he was going to learn about the Force and hinted again at what was going to happen after dinner.
​
Blushing a little, Ra considered the answer.

"Well, first off, you need to be able touch it on an active level. To know you're using it and not on a subconscious level. Now the best way to learn how to do that initially is to meditate. Not sure if you know how to though."

It came naturally to some, to others it was more difficult.

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

"I'm rather liking the whole date idea thing."

"You better," Brent teased, "I'd hate to have to spank ya."

Things were moving at the right speed for him so far. The flirting was playful, harmless. It was low risk, and low key. And the actions it stirred up were incredibly passionate. He wan't scared right now, he was feeling out who Ra was, and he knew she was doing the same. But just as important, he was getting used to the idea of her. Just like he was sure she was doing about him. Maybe she was even getting used to the idea of someone actually caring about her. In light of the hell her childhood sounded like it had been, it was a wonder she could even let him in on such a low level of closeness.

"Well, first off, you need to be able touch it on an active level. To know you're using it and not on a subconscious level. Now the best way to learn how to do that initially is to meditate. Not sure if you know how to though."

Meditate. Now that was a word Brent hadn't heard for years. It was an action he hadn't done in almost as long.

"I haven't meditated since I was 13," Brent said ruefully, "My mother was a Jedi, she dropped out as a Padawan. When we were growing up she told us to always do our nightly meditations," he shook his head, "I haven't meditated in years. I just drifted away from it, there never really seemed to be much of a point. She said it would help us to be better people, but I never really saw it. But since she was a Jedi, she might have had a different take on it than you."

 

[Riamah]

Her story was confusing even to her at times. So far Ra had only told him bits and pieces of it, not the whole thing. Something to talk about over dinner she expected. The fact his mother had been a Force user didn't fully surprise her. Quite often the ability was passed on genetically, so it made sense to her. Nodding at what he said, she grew a thoughtful look on her face.

"About six years ago or a little more, I didn't know I could even use the Force. Had been that way for six years previously, the Jedi, Sith and any Force users were but a myth to me. Six years ago, I learned I could use the Force and got started on a Jedi path. So I was first taught to meditate then. Growing up, my master found me very early in my life and never taught me how to. It was natural for me to always be on contact with it."

For the Jedi, it was all about finding peace. So even though Ra was sith, she remembered the teaching she had received before and would pass that along to Brent.

"Can't do that while cooking or eating though."

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

He understood what Ra meant about connection to the Force being important. Brent had grown up with it being an integral part of his life, but different from most. His mom had recieved a little Jedi training, and she wanted three boys and one daughter to be raised right. But that hadn't made much of a difference. Brent was still doing things he hated, doing horrible things to people in the name of protecting the weak and innocent. Some days, when he was left to himself too long, Brent wondered if his mom would be ashamed to find out what he had to do some days.

"Mom told us a fair amount about the Force growing up," Brent said with a slight shrug, "At least what she did know. She always wanted us to follow the path of right. She wanted us to be good people and help others. The Force was always some mysterious thing that looked out for you if you did the right thing, and would help you to do it. It was like a guardian angel, but one that could punish you too if you did the wrong thing," Brent chuckled reflectively, "I remember I once cheated on a test in Junior high and the I lost the game that weekend. Mom knew that I had cheated, and when I was disappointed at beating beat, she asked if I had done anything that week I was ashamed of. I confessed and she told me that the Force works in mysterious ways, I never cheated again. Lesson learned I guess."

"Can't do that while cooking or eating though."

"Well we certainly can't do it after either," Brent bantered back, "But I suppose that could wait a little while."

 

[Riamah]

"Here is something she may not have known. The Force itself is neutral. It is the intention of the user that makes it light or dark, in my opinion. So I can do this," Brent would feel a touch of a brush of the Force against his face. Light as a feather, but very much felt. "And not do any harm. Granted there are certain skills that are considered neutral. Jedi, Sith and any other Force user can do that. Now I could do this," Ra's eyes took on the hue of somebody using the Dark Side and she held a finger up. On the tip of her finger was a small spark of electricity. Letting go, she felt the display was enough to show what she meant to him. "I didn't use the electricity that moment, but generally only somebody that can use the dark side employs lightening."

Ra considered his words and thought about the meaning behind them. People that relied heavily on the Dark Side started to look sick, gross and disgusting to her. Not that she was a vain woman, but that was one reason, she didn't use the Force often. Another was there wasn't a need to use it on a daily basis.

"Maybe your mother was correct, but it's never wise to cheat."

Giving him half a smile, it turned into a grin when he finished speaking.

"You realize you could learn how to touch the Force using this passion we have. It is an emotion after all."

[member="Brent Smith"]