Well This Just Got Awkward for Me

[Yula Perl]

Zey held back a smirk as Gray became slightly flustered from the kiss but didn’t tease him about it. She couldn’t see the blush, but could practically sense it from the force waves coming off of him. Force sight did have its advantages.

When things began to turn serious, Zey herself settled down into work mode. She took the earpiece from Gray and fitted it into her ear before flipping a few switches and letting go of the controls. The ship shuddered for a few moments before emitting a low, rhythmic beep. She got up from her seat and stretched her body, bringing her arms over her head for a few seconds before following Gray to the hiding spot. “You’ve thought this through, huh? It’s almost like you’re a professional.”

[member="Gray Raxis"]

 

[Gray Raxis]

[member="Zeynab Kazzat"]

Gray laughed at her comment and said, " Yeah it's like I was raised doing this or something." He was really wishing right now that they had more time before they needed to get to work. He enjoyed her company a lot. He added, " Discipline in action, freedom in words. That is how I live my life. I hope I reflect that. Alright, lets get you to that hiding spot."

Gray showed her to the spot not far from the cockpit. He went to a spot and leaned down. His hand seemed to go through the wall for a moment before a hatch was suddenly sticking out of the wall. From the size of the door he was holding up, it was big enough for the curvy woman to get herself through. He said as he held it, " Alright, in you go. It will be a little cramped, but I made sure to install a light and there should be water. Just in case you need either." He would wait for her to start to get down to go in and then lean down to kiss her gently on the cheek. He smiled with a slight blush as he added, " Just in case this goes south on me."

Gray was hoping the job wouldn't turn on him, but you never knew with these kinds of things. His dad's death had taught him that. He would be sure to playfully pat her bottom when she was getting in as well before closing the hatch behind her. He got up and headed to the cargo bay. He got himself behind some crates stacked in a way that would hide him against the wall off to one side of the boarding path the pirates had to take. He got low and pulled out his blaster. He hoped this went well, for several reasons now.

 

[Yula Perl]

Discipline in action, freedom in words. Zey had seen part of that statement, and now she was actually curious to see the first half of it in action. Well, as much as she could. She was going to spend the majority of this job hiding, and her force sight only extended so far. She followed Gray with a renewed curiosity, impressed with how prepared he seemed to be. Not that she was going to tell him that, at least not until the job was over and they were in the clear.

She pursed her lips into a slight pout at seeing the cramped space, not really looking forward to this part of the mission. Not that she could be of much help blasting pirates to bits. Shrugging her shoulders, the pilot moved to enter the compartment, stopping short when she felt Gray return her earlier kiss. She looked surprised at the gesture, but a smile appeared on her lips soon after. As Gray gave her behind a parting pat before sealing her inside, she called out to him. “Hands to yourself merc. If those pirates don't cut em off, I will.” It was a playful warning tone, and had he been there with her she would have smacked him upside the head…or perhaps returned the gesture.

Settling inside her little room, Zey sat and brought her knees to her chest. She hoped that this wouldn’t take long as she could see this position becoming pretty uncomfortable after a while. As an afterthought, she drew her blaster from the holster she wore over her shoulder, and waited. She watched Gray as he left, her sight penetrating through the hatch but could not extend far enough to the cargo bay.

[member="Gray Raxis"]

 

[Gray Raxis]

[member="Zeynab Kazzat"]

Gray didn't have to wait more than about ten minutes before he heard the sounds of another ship attaching a boarding ramp onto the freighter. He put his hand up to his ear and said in a hushed voice over the com system, " Zey, they are here. Try to stay quiet and everything will go well. If you think they are messing with the controls in the cockpit after they board let me know. We need to keep them from taking the ship or making it so it can't move." He removed his hand after and got back into position. The boarding door finally opened after a few minutes and three pirates rushed into the cargo hold taking random pop shots. They yelled as they did, but soon realized they were not hitting anything. They stopped shooting and looked around the hold. They passed right by Gray without even noticing him. They eventually wandered out of the cargo hold and into the rest of the ship.

Gray moved out of his hiding spot quickly and silently after they had left. He headed into their ship and looked around. They didn't have anyone watching the door at all. These pirates were pretty incompetent so far. How had they caused so many issues? He took a guess which way the engine room was and headed that way. This mission was going by pretty easily so far. Maybe this would be easy credits like he let on to Zey it was.

As Gray was moving through their ship, the three pirates went through each of the spare rooms and finally the cockpit. After they saw no one was in the ship, they moved into the hallway just outside of the cockpit. One of the pirates that was a male said, " There is nobody here. Whats with that?" A second male voice replied back, " Maybe they took an escape pod or something." The first male replied back, " Why would they do that? The distress signal is on! This has to be a trap or..... The ship might be haunted." The second male voice laughed and said, " Haunted? At least my idea was possible. It doesn't matter where they are. They left the cargo and that is all that matters." A third, female voice said in an annoyed tone, " Will you idiots stop talking and head into the cargo hold? We need those supplies!" The sound of their footsteps could be heard heading towards the cargo hold.

 

[Yula Perl]

Zey felt a slight rumble as the ships attached, Gray’s voice crackling to life in her ear shortly after. “Gotcha. Hopefully they’ll just go after the cargo.” She muttered back, putting most of her focus into her force sight. She could hear the faint reverberation of their yelling and random shots and reflexively winced, tightening her grip on her blaster even though she knew that she was relatively safe behind the durasteel door of the compartment.

When the pirates searched the cockpit, her breath hitched in her throat as she saw the pirates wandering around. One of them was right in front of her for a few moments, so close that Zey could only see his legs before he moved on. She strained to listen to their conversation as they left the cockpit, holding back a snicker at the one guy who thought the ship was haunted. As they headed toward the cargo hold, Zey waited until they were out of earshot before muttering into the com. “Going good so far. They’re heading down to the cargo.”

[member="Gray Raxis"]

 

[Gray Raxis]

[member="Zeynab Kazzat"]

Gray kept moving through the pirate ship as quietly as he could. He saw little sign of anyone being on board the vessel, which began to ring warning bells. What could make a pirate ship not be full of pirates? They relied on numbers to get their way. As he moved along he eventually heard footsteps. He stepped into a shadowy corner and heard what Zey had to say over the com. He was about to answer when he saw two pirates come around the corner. He stopped himself as they passed. He couldn't hear everything, but he was able to piece together that they were going to the cargo hold of the freighter to unload the cargo. He also heard them mention something about a failed mutiny. He smiled as he heard this.

Gray put his hand up to his ear after the pirates had passed and he said in a hushed tone, " How are you holding up sexy? I got an update for you. There is a change of plans. I'm going to wipe these pirates out without setting off the explosives. They will rush back to their ship, so you should be pretty safe," He moved his hand away and holstered his gun. He pulled out his vibro-knife and went after the two pirates who had passed him earlier. He caught up to them quickly and silently took them both out. They didn't know what had happened until it was too late. He pulled his pistol out of its holster and held the knife in his left hand. He rushed in the direction of the bridge with a smile on his face.

 

[Yula Perl]

Zey grunted softly as she shifted in the confined space, trying to make herself more comfortable. She had to smile as she heard Gray’s voice in her hear again, bringing a hand up to the com. “Fine, but my legs are starting to cramp up.” Her brows knit downwards when he informed her that there would be a change of plans. “Alright, you’re the expert. Be careful out there, and we can blow the credits we earn on drinks after this is over.” She moved her hand back to her side, starting to grow a little restless in the dark. She wasn’t any more claustrophobic than the average person and she didn’t doubt Gray’s skill, but she hoped that things would continue to go smoothly for him.

[member="Gray Raxis"]

 

[Gray Raxis]

[member="Zeynab Kazzat"]

Gray continued on his way to the cockpit of the ship. He found only three more pirates along the way, and took out each of them silently. He didn't even worry about hiding the bodies. The more warning they had the better for him. He wanted them to hunt him down. If they were looking for him then he didn't have to find them. That is what he told himself, but he also knew the real reason deep down was because he didn't want any of them to find Zey. He didn't know how well she could handle herself, and he didn't want to find out. He eventually came up to the cockpit entrance and looked inside. Ten pirates were in there all arguing with each other. The topic seemed to be on what to do with the cargo and the ship they had found. He didn't listen long before he pulled one of the explosives out of the bag. He activated it and then threw it into the middle of them.

Gray got away from the opening and pulled out the detonator. He clicked the button and the bomb went off. He underestimated the explosion radius and the shockwave from the blast knocked him into a wall. Everything went dark around him as he hit the floor almost as heavily as he did the wall. His earpiece got damaged and everything that happened after went through to Zey's end.

The three pirates had left the cargo hold when they heard the explosion and found Gray laying on the floor. The first male pirate said, " Well look what we found here. How much do you think we could get for him?" The second male replied, " He killed everyone. I say we torture him and sell his organs when we are done. No reason to leave him alive." The female voice said right after, " Well I want to keep him. We could find all kinds of uses for him. Like in my bed."

 

[Yula Perl]

Zey winced as the earpiece crackled sharply in her ear shortly after the blast had rocked the pirate ship. “Gray? What are you doing out there?” When there was no response, she felt a bit of panic rise into her chest. Maybe he wasn’t in a spot where he could talk right now, she told herself. Or maybe his com had been damaged during the attack? She bit her lower lip in worry, hoping that he hadn’t been damaged with it. She went back and forth over what to do, her grip slowly tightening on her blaster. Maybe it would be best to stay put. He was a professional, right?

Zeynab flinched, startled when a new set of voices drifted over the com. She was confused for a few seconds, but then her heart leapt into her throat when she realized what they were talking about. She gritted her teeth when a female voice talked about taking him to her bed, and then made her decision. To hell with this. Giving the area a quick scan to make sure it was clear, Zey opened the hatch of the compartment and moved out, stretching her legs briefly before heading toward the docking area. She wanted to move faster, but had to be careful to conceal the noise of her steps.

As made her way down the corridors of the pirate ship, Zey was greeted by various corpses. Damn, he doesn’t play around. She awkwardly stepped around them, making sure to pay attention to her surroundings, her force sight penetrating the walls as she moved. At last, she found the source of the voices from the com. Crouching outside of the room to stay out of sight, Zey held her blaster at the ready. She could see Gray’s unconscious body surrounded by the three pirates who were in the cargo hold earlier. She bit into her lower lip, waiting to see what they would do or if they would move in closer where she could get a clear shot. She’d been in skirmishes before, but nothing like this.

[member="Gray Raxis"]

 

[Gray Raxis]

[member="Zeynab Kazzat"]

Gray was completely out of it still. He had taken a big hit from that blast and while able to hear the voices around him. He just continued to lay there as they spoke.

" Why would you want to bed this guy? He just killed everyone, including your cousin!"

" I have need and there is no way I'm using any of you. Besides I never liked my cousin and he is good looking. What does it matter anyways?"

" Look it is two to one on him staying alive and if she wants to ruin his life by using him as some kind of sex slave, what does it matter? Just go load the cargo while we move him to her room. We will be there to help you out when we are done."

" I won't. That is men's work and I'm going to break him in as soon as I can."

The second male began to grumble under his breath as he walk toward where Zey was hiding at. The other two began to bend down to pick Gray up. They were having a hard time getting him off the ground because he was heavier than they expected. All of the movement and talking had finally started to stir Gray awake, but not much.

 

[Yula Perl]

Zey didn’t realize how hard she was biting into her lip until she began to taste blood. Oh, those scoundrels. Especially that tramp, thinking she was going to use him like that. Only she was allowed to do th—wait, what?

She crouched lower as one of the pirates started walking closer, the other two struggling to move Gray. The words sex slave hit her ears like thunder, and she felt her hand holding the gun begin to shake. She’d tangoed with slavery before, her personal greed costing many young women to be subjected to god knows what. She couldn’t bare the thought of Gray going through the same thing, but at the same time she didn’t know if she’d have a chance at taking these three out.

As the male pirate came closer to her hiding spot, Zey felt her breath hitch in her throat as she raised raised her blaster and fired twice into the man’s head and chest.

[member="Gray Raxis"]

 

[Gray Raxis]

[member="Zeynab Kazzat"]

The pirate dropped to the floor dead from Zey's shots. He never stood a chance the moment she got the drop of him. The other two pirates heard the shots and turned their attention to the direction it had come from. They dropped Gray to the ground. The male drew his blaster and said, " What was that? Wait here, I'm going to check it out. How many people were hiding on that ship? How did we miss them?" He started to move slowly towards Zey.

Gray had been brought back to his senses when he heard gun fire and was dropped. His eyes were a little blurry at first but when they cleared he saw his blaster pistol just under his hand. He heard the pirate talk and something in his head seemed to click. He knew exactly what had happened. It was Zey. She had left hiding and had come onto the pirate ship. She had put herself into danger, and he needed to do something to protect her now. He got his hand around the handle of the blaster and quickly turned around and took several pop shots. The first shot missed but the rest went straight into the pirate's back. He dropped to the floor dead.

Gray felt the blaster be kicked out of his hand as the female pirate. He grabbed her leg with his other arm and rolled. She fell to the floor with a heavy thud and cried out. Gray got on top of her and pinned her to the floor. She tried to struggle free, but it was clear he couldn't be moved. His breathing was heavy and sweat was pouring down his face. He was clearly injured in some way and just enduring the pain. He said as he focused on keeping the woman pinned, " Zey, are you hurt? Did they hurt you? Did-" He winced as sharp pain rushed through his side. He must have broken a rib or something when he got hit by the blast.

 

[Yula Perl]

Zey darted out as the pirate fell, keeping herself low as she made a grab for his blaster. Her fingers nearly brushed it when she heard several shots fire from Gray’s blaster. She figured that it was one of the other pirates, and quickly retreated back behind the wall to avoid getting hit. She ground her teeth together, face a mask of anxiety and concentration as she pushed herself to her limit, using her force enhanced vision to try and see what was happening.

The second male pirate had gone down, and she was surprised to see Gray making a grab for the remaining pirate. He’s alright! She felt a wave of relief wash over her, but it was short lived. She didn’t know how badly he was hurt or how many more pirates there were. She couldn’t see or hear anyone else, so she made a run for Gray, grabbing the closest dead pirate’s blaster as she did so.

When she rounded the corner, she saw Gray locked in a struggle with the female pirate and fought the urge to shoot her in her stupid face. She wasn’t an expert with a blaster, and she didn’t want to risk hitting Gray in case one of them suddenly moved. Instead she kicked the pirate sharply in the head, hoping to knock her out. “Gray, it’s alright, I’m fine...what happened to you?!” She knelt down, placing one hand on his back and the other at his chest. “Are there any more pirates? We need to get you medical treatment now.” She hurriedly looked over his body, hoping that his injuries weren’t as bad as she thought.

[member="Gray Raxis"]

 

[Gray Raxis]

[member="Zeynab Kazzat"]

Gray didn't expect Zey to suddenly run over to him like she had. He was happy to see she was okay, and then she kicked the female pirate. Zey had kicked her hard, but it was not enough to knock her out. She began to scream curses at Zey as a huge bruise quickly began to form over the side of her had she got hit on. Gray had to admit that seeing Zey rush in and kick the woman still struggling under him was kind of a turn o-, wait now wasn't the time for that thought. He picked the woman up and slammed her into the floor. This was all it took to knock her out after the kick from Zey, and Gray went to stand up. As he did, his side began to scream at him. Zey was moving her hands over his back and chest as he stood there. He smiled at her and said, " Can't keep your hands off of me can you beautiful? Glad to see yo-" Gray began to cough a bit. He slide back down to a seated position on the floor.

Gray pulled his shirt up after a moment of sitting there. He looked at his chest as best he could and almost cussed. He had broken a rib or two on each side of his rib cage. He hoped it didn't puncture a lung or cause internal bleeding. He smiled up at Zey as he lowered his shirt back down. He said, " There aren't any more pirates left it seems. Well there is one left. The woman there who is knocked out right now. I have to say Zey, you were really sexy running in like you did. It really tur-" He winced as another sharp pain erupted from his side. He added once it passed, " Not making a good impression right now am I?"

 

[Yula Perl]

“Easy now.” She did her best to help support Gray as he eased back down toward the ground. She couldn’t help the smile that twitched her lips and a chuckle. “No worse of an impression than you made at the bar.” Her face fell when she began to see the extent of his injures, raising her head to look around them as she absently brushed some hair from his face. “Is this thing flyable? Or did you damage it enough in that blast?”

She looked down at him again, sucking in her breath. “Can you walk? Stand?” She was careful to keep her hands away from his sides, noting how that seemed to be what was bothering him the most. She probably wouldn’t be able to do much to help him, not with injuries as bad as his.

[member="Gray Raxis"]

 

[Gray Raxis]

[member="Zeynab Kazzat"]

Gray smiled up at Zey. She just looks so pretty here. And sexy. And beautiful. And....what was another word to say attractive? All the words for it really..... Gray thought he was thinking all of that and then realized he had said it all out loud. He laughed a bit before coughing from the pain in his sides. He thought over what she said for a moment. He had set off an explosion in the cockpit, so there was no chance the thing could be flown any more. He also needed to figure out what to do with the pirate woman they had knocked out. He thought all of it over for several minutes.

Gray finally said, " The cockpit isn't usable. I kind of blew it up along with most of the crew. We can unhook ourselves from them on our end, so not an issue. We should take this woman back with us though. She might have some information we can use to figure out the situation the pirates in the area are in. And as far as me walking goes..... Give me a minute and I'll head to the ship." He smiled at her as he added, " Mind taking this one to our cargo hold? She looks pretty light. If I'm not back by the time you get her there and tied up, you can come get me. How does that sound sexy?"

 

[Yula Perl]

Zey paused as she stared down at Gray, her cheeks flushing slightly. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t constantly complementing her, so why was she blushing? Shaking off the feeling, Zey pursed her lips in thought at Gray’s plan. She was adverse to the idea of moving the injured, but they really didn’t have much of a choice at this point.

“Alright.” She nodded in agreement, rising slowly so that Gray wouldn’t suddenly lose the support she was giving him. “Just try to stay conscious, alright? Or else I’m dragging your body into the cargo hold with the banshee.” She jerked her thumb in the direction of the pirate woman. As an afterthought, she knelt back down and brushed her lips across his forehead before smiling at him.

Turning to the task at hand, she scowled as she stood over the body of the pirate. The thought of her bedding Gray against his will made her angrier than she would admit. She fondled the blaster in her hand, toying with the idea of putting her out of her misery before glancing back at Gray. Sheathing her blaster, the pilot sighed and gathered the other woman in her arms, grunting as she adjusted to get a more comfortable hold on her.

She brought her to the cargo hold, letting out a heavy sigh as she dropped the pirate unceremoniously on the ground. She’s heavier than I thought. Zey grumbled as she bound the woman’s wrists, ankles and thighs tightly. Tighter than would be comfortable. With that done, Zey headed back to see if Gray had made it.

[member="Gray Raxis"]

 

[Gray Raxis]

[member="Zeynab Kazzat"]

Gray just smiled at Zey as she agreed to do what he had asked. He kind of felt that she would just shoot the female pirate as soon as she was out of his eye sight though. He blushed when she kissed his forehead. He wasn't sure why, but he started to feel that this whole getting badly injured thing was worth it right now. He closed his eyes once she left. His sides did hurt pretty badly...very badly actually. He just sat there for who knows how long before he finally decided it was time to get up. He pushed through the pain and slowly stood up. Once he was on his feet, he fought for his balance for a moment before he felt he had it. He walked over and got both of his weapons off the ground. He put them back where they belonged. They were a part of him and he wasn't about to leave them behind.

Gray had gotten the bag of explosives as well and began to walk his way back to the ship slowly. He kept one hand against the wall at all times to keep his balance. He was starting to get the feeling he had done more than just break some ribs. His head was throbbing badly and he felt a little dizzy. He must have hit his head. He kept up his slow and steady pace until he got back to the cargo hold of the ship. He saw Zey and the pirate in the cargo hold. He noticed the places she was bound. He said when he got close to Zey, " Those bindings look good, but what is with the ones around her thighs? Isn't that unnecessary?" He smiled and added, " Oh and I'm back beautiful. Do I get a reward for making it back on my own?"

 

[Yula Perl]

Zey smiled over at Gray when he appeared, inwardly relieved that he was well enough to move on his own for now. “She’s a dangerous pirate. Can never be too careful.” Zey dismissed with a wave of her hand, turning back towards the merc. “Reward, huh? I don’t think you’re up to it right now.” She snickered, shaking her head as she teased him.

“C’mon, let’s get back up to the cockpit. You can pass out there all you’d like. Need me to carry you?”

[member="Gray Raxis"]

 

[Gray Raxis]

[member="Zeynab Kazzat"]

Gray smirked at Zey as he said, " I'm going to hold you to that promise you know. Of course I'd be happy getting to spend any amount of time I can with you." He realized he didn't say anything about how beautiful she was and added, " You are so sexy." There we go. Now he had it out there.... His head felt a little weird. Was the room spinning around him and when did Zey's body get twice as big as it normally was? He knew what her body was suppose to look like normally, and she wasn't normally bigger than he was.

Gray's face reflected what was going through his head right before he passed out right there in the cargo hold. He didn't hit the ground very hard, but there was an audible thud. His injuries were clearly more serious than either of them expected.