Wake Up

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“Never alone Ma'am. This ship has more sensors than you would believe.”

Soliael looked at Kira encouragingly, grinning slightly and beckoning Nien to continue further. The old grizzled man simply nodded to the False god and then continued to explain to Kira what the ship was actually about.

“We have no weapons, no armaments. Shields are good, speed is good, but the hyperdrive and the Sensors are what its all about. We can see...well pretty much everything. Once we get into a system the sensors pick up anything and everything. If we see something thats a danger to us, which were bound to see before they ever see us, we simply observe it.”

Soliael smirked.

Yep, that was the truth. The Manta was not designed for fighting, it was designed to avoid those fights. Soliael found it more to his liking than a massive combat yacht. Why get into a battle when you could avoid one entirely?

Though of course Moross did have warships, just not this one.

 

[Kira Talith]

"That so?" Kira would curiously rock on her feet, then move forward. "Solid State holograms, hmm?" while she would certainly ask curious questions, she was already taking in details. Tiny details. During her tenure as an investigator and then a Shadow, her focus had been on gathering data and information. Some of which depended on her ability to manipulate electronics.

Just how much she could do here was enough to drive her curiosity.

"And you control everything from here?"

Oh one could certainly have fun if that were the case.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Nien simply nodded.

He looked over to Soliael with some interest, not quite sure what to make of Kira and her wild guesses. Soliael only smiled, and nodded again. There weren't really any secrets from Kira so she could learn and find out all she wanted about the ship. He knew that she wouldn't tell anyone or spill state secrets, that was about as likely as him flying.

“Yes.”

Nien looked at Soliael again.

“Would you like to try?”

That was a simple question. Of course they were still in hyperspace, but Kira could at least take control of the inside of the ship and see what the sensors felt like, or what they read about everything hyperspace.

Soliael looked at Kira encouragingly.

 

[Kira Talith]

"Heck yeah," Kira would immediately burst out and say with notable excitement, drawing a chuckle from both men and her own subsequent flush. Okay, so may be was a bit too excited there.

None the less, Nien would bring up the holograms anew, a semi circle of holoscreens that reminded Kira of the little gremlin back at the Fortress. Nemo. Nien went about for a few minutes explaining which screen controlled which appropriate sensors, nav controls, and the like. They were still in hyperspace, but there were some neat things Kira would be able to get her hands into.

So, standing up, Nien would offer her the chair.

"You have the conn, my lady."

Oh, did that sensation of sitting herself down on that chair ever feel so good. A rush of energy came to her then. Or maybe it was the charge of the Force. Who knew. Either way, it was clear the next few minutes would see a very curious Kira exploring the capabilities of the Mantra like ship.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael watched Kira. There was a joy in him, a joy of watching his girl be pleased and happy about something, a joy derived from her joy. He smiled, a genuine smile. It was easy, for him to be pleased when she was like this. Kira brought a certain bubblyness to any situation and it seemed to rub off on Soliael almost instantaneously, making him happy.

“So, Captain.” Soliael said stepping up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “How long until we reach Ossus?”

It wouldn't be long now, he knew that.

The sensors would tell her exactly when they were to arrive.

Soliael looked to Kira, then to the screens. They worked in such a way that he wouldn't actually be able to read them, to him they looked slightly blurry. This was to prevent someone else from sabotaging the pilot from behind, giving the captain a last minute to do what he needed to do before he was taken over.

It was a depressing thought, but one that Soliael had found important. After all, it was very likely that eventually this ship would be boarded and at that point it was best to have features like this in place.

 

[Kira Talith]

There it was. Ossus.

The holographic image of the blue green jungle planet that had been her home for years. Home.

A swipe of her hand would bring that display front and center, the trajectory of their journey and an estimated arrival time blinking gently in pale blue sigils.

Mere hours.

Her heart would skip a beat, the sensation of her stomach sinking would grow. No. Couldn't think like that. She forced a smile on her face, and would remind herself that one couldn't focus on the negative, but in the here and now.

So the remaining hours would be spent like Kira would like them to. Filled with discovery, laughter, and even some training or two -- no piloting for Soliael though.

The mottled tunnel of hyperspace would birth them into the inky black of Ossus space hours later. The dark manta ray like ship would get cast in a fiery glow from the distant sun. Soon enough, the burn of entering atmosphere would engulf them.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He stood with her on the edge of the observation deck. They had absconded from the Bridge some time ago at her request and had moved to do other things. Like always, she had him wrapped around her finger. He didn't object when she asked to do something, training, jokes, pranks, laughter, everything was hers to decide. Soliael never spoke a word against her wished. That was how it was, and how it would always be.

She would rule with a gentle hand, and he would simply follow.

Soliael did this because he loved her, because he cared for her, and because he couldn't help himself.

Of course if the issue was serious he would make his opinion known, but in times like these in the short hours that they had left together, Kira was Queen. As they stood on the edge of the observation deck, Ossus quickly coming closer and closer Soliael reached over and grabbed her hand in his own, gently stroking his thumb across the back of her hand.

“Are you ready?” He certainly wasn't.

The jungles of Ossus became clearer and clearer with every passing second, The Manta coming down quickly near the Jedi Temple. Nien had likely received permission under some lie, and was putting down a mile or two away from the Temple.

 

[Kira Talith]

"I have to be." Kira would answer softly, leaning forward against the railing as the thick jungles of Ossus would sweep past the observation deck. There was a bittersweetness to this homecoming. One she felt at odds with. After everything that had occurred, how does one do right by it all?

Her shoulders would dip as she gave a long low exhale, her fingers tightening withing Sol's larger hand. She felt his warmth, his strength. His encouragement despite the fact that the closer they got to the temple, the more the pang of ache would transfer from the ring to her. Looking down, she would gaze upon their interlocked hands. Slowly she would bring his hand up, closer to her face until she placed a soft kiss over his hand.

Slipping her fingers from his, she would lightly turn his palm over. A scar would lay there, on so curiously shaped. Slowly her finger would trace it.

"How did you get this?" she would ask, keeping her mind at bay. Less than an hour they had. Minutes likely.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael frowned as he looked down at the scar. It was a remnant of the Vir, a project that he had worked on, a mistake that he had made, one that he had torn out of his body and gotten rid of. It was not an easy thing to remember, the pain and hurt associated with it, the agony that had happened when he tore it from his body. The scar tingled slightly as she kissed it.

“It was a mistake.” Soliael said quietly. “My own.”

The ship slowly settled down into a clearing within the jungle, the ship rocked slightly, and Soliael knew that it was time to go. Time to Send Kira back home, back to her Order. He let out a sigh. “I'll tell you on the way.”

He smiled down at her, taking her in one arm for a few seconds and kissing her forehead. From behind them he scooped up her back, picking it up and throwing it over his shoulder. It contained some of the clothes she had brought from Exocron, as well as certain other memorabilia he was sure she had taken, tiny soaps and whatnot. Kira bade a final goodbye to the crew of the ship, or those she had met, and then they walked down the ramp, entering the heated jungles of Ossus.

“Sith Magic is dangerous. You can use it every day, control it utterly, but its effects will twist and change your body. Corrupting us....” By us he meant his primary genetic heritage. “...Is difficult, so instead my overuse of Sith Magic corrupted something else within me. The Techno-virus. It spawned it, gave it sentience of sorts, and bred it into a parasite. I allowed it to stay within me, grow and become stronger mostly because it made me stronger.”

The heat of the jungle touched him, and he was glad he wasn't wearing one of his thick and heavy furs. They moved quickly upon the path, and up ahead Soliael could sense the Jedi Temple. “I had to remove it. The scars are a lesson to me, a reminder that I am but a mortal and that I make mistakes.”

He became solemn for a second as they walked, though it wasn't because of the tale he had just told. Squeezing Kira's hand he moved forward with her until they reached the very edge of the forest. The Jedi Temple came into view, and a Jedi or two caught the two approaching Masters. They didn't move towards them, simply gazed.

Soliael cared not for them.

Instead he stopped at the edge of the Jungle and turned to Kira. Here, were he a lesser man he would have dropped to his knees and begged her to stay, begged her to be with him and not return to her Order, but he knew it wasn't something he could do. Not to her.

“You're not a mistake.” It may have seemed an odd thing to say, but the significance of it would hopefully not be lost on Kira. A man nearly two and a half centuries old made quite a few mistakes, and Kira was most definitely not one of them.

 

[Kira Talith]

Kira stood in front of him, head tilted back to stare up into his vibrant orange eyes. There was a somberness to his expression, in the way the ember of his eyes studied her. She found herself wrapping her arms around him.

"Neither are you." she mouthed, the length of his body familiar and comforting. In her mind she knew that this was it, that the sensation of being in his arms, and that comfort she took in the smell of him would be the last for now. They both had responsibilities. Both had people that depended on them. And Kira knew that despite how much she loved him, she could not walk away from the Order. It would be against her very nature to do so. Not with the One Sith war. Not after everything.

The sound of footsteps would draw near to them. The two Jedi in question now walking towards them. From her pressed cheek against his chest, she could see them draw closer, a bit wary.

"Alright kiddo, the inquisition awaits." she'd say in a low voice, giving him a tighter hug. Words left her. She was back to the jokes, she couldn't help it. A pang rang through her heart and it echoed with a resonating ache. Funny, how everything that happened in the past six months led her here. To this moment. What trials and tribulations she had to go through. Nemene. Eve. Oliver. Ember and Mertaal. The blonde crown of her head rose and turned up to the man that held her.

Sparky. Neth the Keeper. Soliael... Devin.

The man she loves.

It was time.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Months had passed, though it felt like days to him.

The warmth of the sun touched his skin, his hand resting on the wooden railing, and a light breeze pushed the hair from his face, tickling him slightly as it pushed against him. Soliael stood, tall, and half dressed on the balcony of his manor on Borleias, a jungle planet with beautiful beaches and bright blue seas that seemed to span for an eternity.

The home had been purchased only a short time ago, after the Crusade had fallen and Kira had told him of her own little venture.

It was modest compared to the fortress that he had once taken Kira to, only three bedrooms and two stories tall, it stood upon an island, the lone structure hidden within a thicket of jungle trees. Behind it stood the shore, a beach of pure white sand and turquoise water that glistened with sunlight. Soliael closed his eyes and breathed in the the ocean air, smiling slightly.

Perhaps sticking his fortress in the mountains had been a mistake.

His eyes opened as he heard the pitter patter of bare feet coming towards him. Soliael didn't move from his spot, but his body seemed to relax even further. There was only one other person within this manor, only one other person that knew about this home.

Her presence was always welcome.

 

[Kira Talith]

The scent of salt, sand, and a light mist of ocean spray would greet the smaller feminine form coming up behind Soliael. Lightly tanned arms would reach up, the warmth of Kira's palms coming to rest at his flanks from behind. Slowly, they would slide forward, reaching around as she would slip in to embrace him from behind. Her hands would drift over his abdomen, lightly running through the whorls of hair before heading a more northerly direction, where they would splay open and rest right over his heart.

She was still recuperating, but the Jedi Master was getting better. A soft press of a kiss would be set over the blade of his right shoulder, only to be followed by the nuzzling of her face against the warmth of his skin.

"Hey there," she'd say, breathing onto his skin and holding him close.

She wore nothing but one of his shirts. It hung rather comically long on her, reaching just past mid thighs where the fading scars would lay. She felt a bit weak, but she was getting stronger by the day.

"I was wondering where you went off to." she would mull to him aloud, pressing another soft kiss at the back of his arm. That breeze would pick up strands of her blonde hair, ruffling her bangs.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“Well, we can't all lay in bed all day can we?” Soliael said, catching a whiff of her scent as she pressed against him. “Some of us have things to do.”

Of course that was only a joking jab, not serious in anyway. Kira had just undergone surgery, she would be tired, worn out, and drowsy for the coming few days still. She was able to walk now, but he imagined that it was a strain on her, both physically, and mentally. That was on of the reasons they had come to Borleias.

Here Kira didn't have to worry about the cold, didn't have to worry about snuggling up to get warm.

The air here was pleasantly warm, and with the ocean breeze cutting through the manor at all times the normally muggy jungle breath was put down into a refreshing touch on the skin. Soliael had been careful about choosing this place, wanting only the best for Kira's recovery.

He turned within her arms, moving to face her.

She slacked her grip slightly so that he could turn around, his own arms slipping around her tiny form and grasping her body. He was careful with his touches, not wanting to pull at the stitches in her flesh. “How are you feeling?”

He asked her quietly, another breath of wind pushing his hair around.

 

[Kira Talith]

"Peachy," she'd say, smiling into his embrace. He was so gentle with her. And she didn't need the ring to know that. She was healing nicely, and having him here to herself was plenty of homebrew healing.

After she'd gotten sick, things were pretty crazy. Everything was a blur. Nemene's actions had consequences, and it was evident once her body started to shut down due to a lack of hormones required to sustain her health. Soliael had been frantic, but it all worked out in the end.

Her head would dip to come rest against his chest, right ear taking the warm spot right over his heart. There she would hear the steady lubdub of his heartbeat, prompting a wider curving of her mouth as she'd settle against him.

Both of her hands would reach up, sliding from the small of his back to trail up and down in a soft rub. The sensation of his skin, the warmth of it, the way his chest would rise and fall softly with every breath, the thrum of his voice lightly echoing within his chest. She loved it. She loved all of it. Everything.

"Better now." Kira would smile out, nuzzling her cheek against him. Her feet would rock gently, a playful light push that would end with her snuggling closer.

"Mmm.. this is nice."

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He smiled.

It was nice.

They had seen so much over the past few weeks. The war with the One Sith, the battles, the sickness that had come upon her. The frantic panic that had gripped his heart and soul, sending him into a search for whatever ailed Kira.

Now, finally, things were back on track.

They were back to normal, and for a little while he would have Kira at his side, for a little while at least. His arms tightened slightly, and his hands drifted down her back to her rear. He smiled, then gripped there, lifting her up gently and pulling her close against him. He planed a kiss on her lips, then spun around and deposited her on the balconies wooden railing.

His hands immediately slipped upward and to her back, ensuring that she did not fall backward into the white sands.

“Do you like it?” Soliael asking about the manor in which they stayed.

Bright orange eyes focused on her, watching her and at all times making sure that she was okay.

 

[Kira Talith]

There was a short burst of giggles that would fade into soft chuckles of laughter. Her hair would fly in all different directions, the sunlight kissing her skin as he would slip his hands behind her.

"I love it," she told him, flashing him a wide cheeky smile as she would draw her hands from his embrace and open her arms, spreading them wide. Without any hesitation she would lean back, as if about to fall -- but trusting utterly in his hold that he would not let her.

Here, she'd seemingly would appear as if about to take flight.

"Lots of wiiiiiiiiide open space," Kira would say with a grin, wiggling her fingers out in the air as far as she could reach. Her head would tip back, eyes closing. The hem of the shirt would draw up higher over her thighs, her legs rising up along his hips to balance her so.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He held on to her, his hands holding her in place and keeping her from falling.

Soliael grinned, it was a silly grin, one that could only be born from something she had done or said. That was the way it was, the way things were. His smile widened as he pulled her up from her winged position taking her back up to the banister and kissing her softly as she came back up to greet him.

She looked beautiful.

“It's yours.” Soliael said simply.

He was referring to the manor of course, not the planet, though he could very well be referring to himself as well, though she would already know that. Kira was everything to him, and she would have everything from him.

Including this very nice house.

 

[Kira Talith]

Her lips would lightly brush away from Sol's, blinking up at him in confusion. Her legs would reach up, sliding around his torso to wrap him closer. She'd snake her arms through his, dribbling her fingers up his back.

"Hmm?" she'd smile up at him contently. It hadn't registered.

Granted, the young blonde was busy lifting her face up to him to get another kiss. Funny, even after being with each other for some time, she still hadn't lost the desire to show affection. It was in the tiniest of touches, strokes. A look. A brush of a hand. In the silly smiles and joking pranks.

Simply being.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael kissed her again, lips brushing against her own.

A spike of desire pushed through him as her legs wrapped around him, bringing back pleasant thoughts of times before. She would feel it surge through him, spiked, but wrapped in an iron sheet of control. There hadn't been much of that as of late, for obvious reasons, and although Soliael wanted Kira more than anything, he also wanted her to be well.

“The manor.” Soliael said almost breathlessly. “Its yours.”

He wanted to gesture towards her, but his hands were occupied with keeping himself...busy.

 

[Kira Talith]

Kira was kinda getting drunk off of Soliael's sudden spike in desire. It had the added effect of making her own insides all mushy. Then he spoke.

Wait -- what?

The expression that went bathing Kira's face was practically comical. She wore her emotions on her face, in her body, in every gesture. And right now confusion would float on by, her brows drawing together in a frown under the fringe of her bangs.

"Huh?" she'd pull back a bit. Then the words registered.

She began to blink, as if trying to get a clearer look of Soliael. Then she gave a slight taken a back expression. Finally, her eyes slowly began to bulge as they would grow wider and wider.

"What?" she began, drawing a bit more back and almost prompting her to tip over the railing. Her hands immediately went to grab him to hold on.

"GAH!"

What was it with her and gravity?