Win, Lose or Die

[Connor Harrison]

Words didn't get out of his mouth before the cab throttled away, pulling up sharply to double back and follow the official cab route away from the HQ. Fixx was pushed back in his seat and had to shoot out his arm to grab onto the handrail of the door.

He looked a little surprised and flashed a grimace at Kayleigh.

"Well if battling the Sith doesn't kill you..."

Pulling the belt buckled over him, he snaked his hand over Kayleigh's knee and squeezed it gently.

"You can't beat a cab ride to really get," he started as the driver banked suddenly to take the route planned, "the blood pumping. We should hire this guy for the fleet."

[member="Kayleigh Tyven"]

 

[Mariya Pyne]

Kayleigh giggled as she watched Fixx lose his balance for a moment as the cab sped away, before placing her hand atop of his as he squeezed her knee. "I wouldn't recommend it. He might actually crash into another ship!" She smirked again. If there was anyone that she truly enjoyed spending time it was him. She felt very much at ease with Fixx. She had no idea why, perhaps it was his assertiveness, or positive demeanor, or maybe she was just finally succombing to the primal nature of human emotion by spending her time with him. No matter what the reason, she felt relaxed with him, and she enjoyed it.

A short time later the cab pulled up to the complex where Kayleigh's apartment was located. She stepped out and paid the driver, thanking him as she strolled into the building, looking back to make sure he was in tow. "Try not to be too disappointed at my lack of luxury living, dear." She winked in an overly exaggerated manner, smirking with the top row of teeth showing as her lips parted.

[member="Fixx Kearney"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

The cab finally came to a stop, and a glance to the driver signalled this was actually the right stop. Fixx simply followed Kayleigh out, letting her sort the driver out as he stood and took in the apartment complex; it was big, but not…BIG big. Nothing flamboyant, but very modern in décor and traditional in style. He nodded to himself in approval.

"It looks nice from the outside, that’s one point to you," he said, a sly grin forming as he followed, losing himself in her company again as she flashed that smile.

He followed, one hand in his pocket and the other up with his wrist-com to check messages. Nothing. Good. Looking around the lobby, sparse except for some small pictures on the wall and a holo-vid on the far well relaying news and current features from the galaxy happening now, Fixx watched a few breaking stories scroll by as he waited for the turbolift.

Kayleigh busied herself with getting her personal items and key cards as they got in. The ride was short, as the complex wasn’t towering like many were back on Coruscant.

The door chimed open; she led him forward to a door closest to the lift, and opened the door in which she gestured for him to enter.

"Thank you. Dear."

The apartment straight away felt airy, clean and a sweet smell wafted past his nose, but what struck him immediately was how cozy it felt.

[member="Kayleigh Tyven"]

 

[Mariya Pyne]

Kayleigh closed the door behind them and proceeded to give Fixx the grand tour of the small living space. "It's nothing much, but it's quiet, and gets the job done." In the center of the living room was a false fireplace, nothing more than a heater with a holovid containing a fire. A small couch with an adjacent loveseat facing a modest screen for video viewing. A number of frames on the wall and mantel above the fire place contained photos of Kayleigh, including her graduation from the Naval academy, her awards, and other photos of her with her family. The walls were painted a pale sky blue throughout the entirety of the apartment. She hadn't done the painting, but she very much enjoyed the color choice.

The bedroom Kayleigh used contained nothing more than two dressers, one for personal clothing, the other for the job. The bed was covered by a white and black zebra print comforter, with matching pillows. The room was surprisingly neat, despite Kayleigh being a bit of a basket case, but then again, she had only just moved in recently, so there was plenty of time to get disorganized. Most of her personal assets were simple. A hair curler and straightener, makeup bag, and her weapon cleaning kit rested in plain view atop the dresser, and a mirror mounted against the wall just beside the doorway. A number of candles were scattered about throughout the room as well as the bathroom and living room. The kitchen contained the most basic amenities, a standard refrigerator, stove top, dishwasher, and table big enough to seat two, perhaps three if you really squeezed.

"So, this is it...It's nothing fancy. Hope you aren't too terribly disappointed." She smiled before gesturing with her hands in a 360 degree turn. "Feel free to poke around if you want to, if it will make you feel at ease."

[member="Fixx Kearney"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

With a content look on his face, Fixx followed Kayleigh around her apartment; the living quarters, bedroom, kitchen. What more did you really need? It was just as cosy as expected, and the small touches to make it personal for her were sweet. The gun cleaning kit alongside the make-up bag raised a bemused smile; perfect blend of both sides to the girl.

As she busied herself, Fixx walked to the pictures and personal items above the false fire, which actually looked better than a real one. He looked at the photographs of her milestone moments and memories. Granted he hadn’t know her for long sadly, or spent as much time as he had would of liked to show his dedication to her, but from the pictures he guessed she had been still the strong spirited, positive and warm young lady that had grown into this wonderful woman.

He turned to her, "Thank you, I won’t be a minute."

Pulling up his wrist-com, he pushed a small button and took out a thin aerial no longer than a finger and clipped it to the arm end of his com. Eyes and fingers scanned over it, before he held his arm out in front of him, as if looking at a watch, and slowly walked around the room.

A transmitter identifier would pick up any frequency that was interrupting the one going from his com. That way, silently, Fixx could see if there were any devices in the apartment that were broadcasting out.

He moved around the room, and then the kitchen. The device kicked up a small reading, but his eyes went up to a small radio on the wall. Turning to the bedroom, he walked across the room and passed Kayleigh, automatically reaching out and stroking her back as he passed her, eyes still down.

The bedroom had no readings.

Moving back into the living room, he frowned slightly and pulled out the aerial and slid it back into the wrist-com with a click and switched the transmitter off.

"Apartment clean, as suspected. I don’t know if I thought there would be something – it just means you need to be more careful in your office and around others. Just in case."

He rubbed his hands together, and indicated to the pictures again.

"They’re nice. You have a loving family, that’s very evident. Are they living free from reach of the Sith?"

[member="Kayleigh Tyven"]

 

[Mariya Pyne]

While Fixx wandered about the apartment making his scans for unwelcome listeners of her midnight slumbers, Kayleigh proceeded to the bathroom and pulled out a pair of towels so that they could finish drying off, however as she looked at them she smirked at their design. Upon returning to the living room he informed her that there were in fact, no listening devices present, much to her expected relief. "Good to know that nobody is listening to me sleep." She winked at him, the small prodding joke meant to elicit a smile from him.

Handing Fixx the towel, he would see that it was embroidered with a very feminine pink and white animal print, much like the zebra print on her bed. "What can I say? I like animals."

She noticed he had been looking at the photos around the room and made mention of her family portrait on the wall. Kayleigh wrapped the towel lightly around her hands and stood beside him, looking at it with a bit of a somber expression. "Yes, and no. They're free from the reach of the Sith now. But they're free of it because they were killed on Coruscant by it." She turned around, her body facing the opposite direction as his and she looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "For me, this war is more than just a struggle for peace for the Republic. Has been for some time. Ever since that day, it has become personal."

She snapped out of her tunnel vision and proceeded to undress, gathering the still wet clothes and tossing them into the wash and dry, and extended her hand in offer to take his. "I apologize, but I don't exactly have any man-size clothes that you could put on during the interim...But you're welcome to keep the towel." She smirked, running her eyes up and down his well kept body, her lower lip retracting under the top row of teeth, face turning a soft blush red.

[member="Fixx Kearney"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

All Fixx could do was give a bemused at the towel presented to him in the living room; he didn’t expect anything, but he certainly didn’t expect this. Definitely a girl’s girl. He shrugged and peeled off his damp polo shirt and draped it over his shoulder as he worked the soft towel to dry his skin.

However his wry smile soon faded when she responded to her observation on the photographs – and it wasn’t the response he wanted, and felt awful for asking. As she turned, he tilted his head back and cursed himself for even asking – he should have known better to enquire.

His eyes flicked to the pictures, now priceless memories. She turned and he glanced over to her, hearing the words he so often thought about – making the job personal. Was that right or wrong? He couldn’t answer. The Republic was built on people like the two of them, and they were human with real emotion and feelings and to deny that would be a mistake.

"I’m sorry, Kayleigh. It’d be a pretty heartless person who didn’t want revenge for the death of someone they loved. "

Fixx wanted to comfort her, but she snapped herself out of it and began to undress and use her towel. He kept a placid face as he handed her his shirt. Fixx noticed the look on her face, and he couldn’t help avert his eyes from her body before him.

He moved forward and looped his towel around her neck and pulled her in to him gently.

"We’re in this together."

Leaning in, he kissed her deeply and tenderly, holding the ends of the towel. Pulling back, he kissed the tip of her nose.

"You do I what I do for too long and you steadily lose any part of your soul left to salvage. You’re giving me something to fight for."

[member="Kayleigh Tyven"]

 

[Mariya Pyne]

Kayleigh smiled, "I don't even know if it is revenge that I want anymore. I think it is more than just that. I want to see the Sith empire eradicated, starting with every officer aboard those ships that landed that day."

Perhaps if this were a younger version of herself she would have been teary eyed and sniffling over the memories of the dead, but no more. Gone was the innocent ignorance of what the galaxy truly was. A defiled ruin of constantly deadlocked wars and never ending conflicts initiated by nothing more than greed. Deadliest of all the sins, and quite literally the destroyer of countless worlds. The Republic could no longer afford the weary. Battles were won on snap judgements and the ability to do what was necessary for the good of the majority. Kayleigh understood this to its fullest.

Except for now. Now she was once again that vulnerable girl back on Coruscant. Her growing attachment to Fixx would mean that she would give all for the Republic, but give anything for him. Her heart was in his hands, and regardless of what she tried to say to justify otherwise, she knew that deep down, she would choose him if she were forced to. A terribly frightening thought, as every great warrior would have but one weakness, one thing they could not stand to lose. And now he was hers. Both the greatest joy and the biggest fault culminating as one. All she could do now was hope that she never had to make that choice.

Returning the kiss with her hands placed close together against his chest her lips quivered, and she exhaled with a pleasurable sigh. Placing her hand on his shoulder as she walked toward the couch, the palm sliding down his arm to tug on his hand before it separated she gestured for him to come and join her.

She nodded. "Together."

[member="Fixx Kearney"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

There it was. The small spark of passion in her eye, to show that she was far from giving up on the fight she waged on evil. Fixx smiled and grazed her cheek with the back of his hand as she moved away, encouraging him to follow. She didn't need to try too hard.

Sitting down beside her, he laced his fingers through her hand and curled his arm around her shoulders, bringing her close to feel her skin on his. She was warm, and her hair slightly damp but nothing like it was before, and it cooled his chest. What surprised him most was how comfortable he was here, in an apartment not his own, with a girl he had only spent less than 24 hours with but felt like he'd spent years with.

"Do you think the galaxy would miss me if I killed the signal on my com for a few hours so I could just...forget it all, and enjoy this."

He sighed comfortably as he eased back into the sofa, waving his hand around. He smacked his lips.

"Let me order some dinner later, here. I feel like I know you, but I also feel I've got so much more to learn about you. I just want to spend as much time with you as I can. Although I would take on the whole Sith empire itself if I had to so I could make sure you were ok and get back to you."

Fixx chuckled and winced. "Wow that was a little too soppy, even for me."

[member="Kayleigh Tyven"]

 

[Mariya Pyne]

Her head leaned back to kiss his chin, following her hand reaching to his comm to turn it off, leaving her actions to answer his question, rather than her words. Turning her body slightly she laid across him, her legs stretching toward the opposite end of the sofa as she got comfortable in his lap. .

"Dinner actually sounds fantastic. And you can interrogate, I mean, ask me whatever you'd like." A quiet giggle followed her comment. She enjoyed the attention, especially from him, even though she typically avoided it, aside from when giving orders to her subordiates. "Perhaps a bit, but you're quite the ladies man. Is this all part of your master plan? Seduce a girl with your charm, take her out a few times, have dinner with her and get to know her dirty secrets, all before you disappear into the night, never to call again?"

Something about teasing him made her smile, perhaps it was because she enjoyed seeing him smile in return that made her comfortable. It was rare for her to feel so secure privately with someone else, other than family, but she was ok with being herself, being vulnerable with him.

[member="Fixx Kearney"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Fixx looked at his deactivated wrist com and sighed. Good choice.

Leaning back, allowing Kayleigh to get comfortable, Fixx pulled his arm back and rested it behind his head. Their breathing was almost in unison, and between the two of them, it was peacefully quiet. No noise from outside, nothing inside. Just the two of them, reflecting and internally questioning where they were now.

"I don’t have anything to ask you really. It’ll happen naturally, and using my secret ways of interrogation you won’t even KNOW you’re telling me anything but you’ll be telling me everything."

He started to stroke her hair gently, eyes lost on the small window at the back of the apartment looking out to the planet.

"And then I will have everything I need from the queen bee of THI. BUT you’re not getting rid of me that easy, sorry. "

His hand slinked down the back of her head and drew large circles around her back softly, in a circuit that was as relaxing to him as it hopefully was for her. Partly, he just wanted to fall asleep with her and feel safe, but another part of him was confused as to why he was giving so much to being with her so easily.

He had broken a few hearts over the recent years, but none had taken to him like Kayleigh, and he genuinely cared for her and enjoyed her company. He wanted to be with her out of conflict, but also wanted to be alongside her in conflict, to protect her and fight with her. Hopefully the chance would arise for that to happen one day and he could show everyone how much she meant, not just to him, but also the Republic as a whole.

"If I had go away, if something happened out of my control, " he started suddenly, "would you wait for me?"

[member="Kayleigh Tyven"]

 

[Mariya Pyne]

Kayleigh burst out into laughter in response to his dastardly plot to unravel all of her secrets. "So that is your plot huh? Your sly words will coerce me into spilling my deepest, darkest secrets both of THI and myself?" She playfully pinched his side while he toyed with her hair. "I'm a vault, you'll never break in without my say-so." Her shoulders adjusted as he ran his hands along her back. His touch was relaxing, gentle, and soothing. She bit her lip again as she looked up at him, smiling through her pinned lower lip.

The question he posed to her was something she hated to think about. The reason she had been so guarded until now was because of this very scenario. She didn't want to live through losing another person so close to her. It was the one weakness, the one fault in her that if exploited, would utterly break her. The smile on her face slid away, her lips adjusting so that her inner bottom lip along the right side of her face was pinned between her teeth as she contemplated how to respond to the question.

"I- I would wait for you. So long as you promise me that you will always come back. I-" Her lips involuntarily quivered for a split second. She withheld whatever else was on her mind and instead left it at that.

[member="Fixx Kearney"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Chuckling at her playful ways, Fixx jolted a little at her touch, but she had nothing on him right now, he was too comfortable. However as she answered, a little more hesitantly than before, his hand slowly stopped on her back, and he held it still, cocking his head slightly to see her face.

"I – what? Hey, I’m not going anywhere. I’d always come back. A few cuts a bruises maybe but I’ll always be back. Don’t think anything bad sweetheart. You actually give me something to fight coming back for, ok?"

Fixx stroked her back, this time bringing up his hand to cup the back of her head and stoke her hair as best he could to calm her; trepidation was evident in her voice, as he’d heard it before.

[member="Kayleigh Tyven"]

 

[Mariya Pyne]

She sighed, whether out of relief and reassurance or for the distant hope that he was in fact correct, somehow a psychic, that it would never come to that.

"I believe you. But that is what scares me the most." She closed her eyes and forced a smile. "Just...Don't make promises you can't keep. That's all I ask."

[member="Fixx Kearney"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Frowning a little, Fixx placed his hands on her shoulders and lifted her gently to meet his face.

"I never make promises I can't keep. I'd fight through an empire if it meant getting back to you, Kayleigh."

He cupped her cheek with his palm.

"However I won't jeopardize your feelings to the Republic and even your heart if this is hard for you. I don't want that."

Was he trying to break up with her? No, of course not - it probably sounded like he was edging to that outcome, but inside he only cared for her and hated seeing that smile go behind a mask of fear and uncertainty.

"I want to be with you, through all of these hard times but all of the good."

[member="Kayleigh Tyven"]

 

[Mariya Pyne]

The blonde laid her head in his hands comfortably, at ease with his words. "Then I will accept your promise and hold you to it. You won't jeopardize anything, so long as you keep that promise, dear."

Leaning up she kissed him softly, before sitting back upright and hugging him. "And I want only to be with you. So, with that settled, lets eat, and figure out what to do about this problem we talked about earlier."

[member="Fixx Kearney"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Fixx warmly received her hug, enjoying the feeling of being close to her, skin on skin and safe. He rubbed her back gently.

"Go get me anything you have on that problem, and I’ll call in some food and we’ll kick back, eat and go over everything you’ve got."

Standing up, he took the comlink into the hall to pull up a list of local establishments and cuisines that could deliver to them. He didn’t expect much, but he would work with what he had. It certainly wasn’t the vast choice Coruscant had offered, with new and exciting and galaxy-spanning food on every block.

"Honey," Fixx called out from the hall, "do you want something fresh from the grill with lots of grease, some local pastries and meat, or fresh pasta and salad?"

He blew out his cheeks softly – he would have to take her somewhere special next time.

[member="Kayleigh Tyven"]

 

[Mariya Pyne]

Kayleigh rose from the couch nodding to him. "Okay. I haven't got much. But I will get what I have." She would wander into her bedroom, placing her hand on the biometric safe underneath the bed to withdraw a holo recording, a number for blurry photographs, and a badly burned letter. As she did so, she heard him shout from down the hall. "Pasta and salad sound good!"

She returned to the livingroom and slid the end table around and in front of her, setting up the intel in a neat fashion for when he returned. There he would see the photographs, what looked to be a pair of human males and a single female interacting with either a Duro or Rodian, it was a bit hard to tell due to the discoloration and the blurriness. The holo recording would have a number of voices, both male and female, all speaking galactic basic, discussing the best way to surpass security from aboard a Star Destroyer, to smuggle access codes and navigation routes of the Republic's war vessels. Finally, the burned letter would reinforce that discussion, indicating that the vessels to be targeted were Kayleigh's own flagship, the Caledonia, as well as a number of smaller valiance class light star destroyers.

Sighing, she looked over things again, for what felt like the millionth time. Perhaps he would see something she had missed.

[member="Fixx Kearney"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Hearing her request, probably the best of the three, Fixx ordered the food and had to remember the address for her apartment. Door to door service, no matter where you were in the galaxy, was always a prompt service. Some fresh pasta, sauces and salad would be light enough to carry them over for the afternoon. He killed the com and pulled the towel around his neck again, fully dry and still topless, and walked back into the living room where Kayleigh was laying out an array of data and documents.

He whistled slightly; she’d really been massing a little investigation of her own. Fixx moved closer and sat beside her, hunching forward and casting his eye over everything before them both on the table.

"Ok so what’ve we got," he took the photographs, letter and recordings, " – well you’ve been busy haven’t you. Are you sure you’re not a spy?"

His blue eyes worked over the documents and he reached for the letter, taking it in his hand and holding it up to read with the light helping him. His tone soon changed as he saw the severity in the information.

"You’re safety is compromised. Who are those humans in the picture?"

His brow knotted slightly, and he glanced down at the photographs. Fixx hated the fact that insiders in the Republic were now selling out military secrets, and targeting Kayleigh and her ship.

[member="Kayleigh Tyven"]

 

[Mariya Pyne]

The girl looked over at Fixx as he whistled, and she whistled right back. More so because of his lack of shirt and appealing body than anything, but she didn't care.

"I'm not a spy, no, but I have some people who I do place my trust in, that I know have my back."

Kayleigh lifted the photos closer to herself, re-examining them again. "I don't know...They aren't familiar to me. I don't think I've ever seen or met anyone in those pictures before. If I have, it has only been for such a brief window that they weren't memorable. I know it's not much to go on, like I said, but it's all I have. And I don't know how to pursue this."

[member="Fixx Kearney"]