You have nice manners for a thief.

[Kitt Solo]

"Hmm, force stuff," mirroring Christian, she shivered, knowing she had the ability. She just didn't know if she wanted to pursue it yet. "And no, please don't shoot me." She winked behind him, the water sloshing against the rolled-up hem of her pants.

Okay, okay, so his raw power was a little scary. And he wasn't with the empire. She assumed all sith were.

Leaning back, she found some bacta patches on the counter. Chestnut strands of hair dipped forward as she leaned toward Christian, tickling against his skin as she worked on putting the patches over his wounds. "Why did you help us?" For once, her voice was unusually somber.

@[member="Christian Slade"]

 

[Christian Slade]

Christian sighed as most of the pain had subsided, but he jarred just slightly as he felt the tickle of her long hair against his skin. Soon he relaxed again, though, grabbing either ankle with his hands as she did her work. "Because...", he said, stopping to draw in a sharp breath as he felt another sting as she finished up.

"...you were stealing from me, not trying to kill me.", he said, knowing that in other cases he probably would have not thought twice at all about killing someone who stole from him, especially something so important. "Plus I wanted answers, and the dead can only say so much."

Leaning back a bit, he reached up with his left hand and gripped his right trap muscle between his neck and shoulder. He rubbed it hard, baring down on it for a few moments before he dropped his hand back down into the water and reached up with the other to do the same to his left trap. As he did, he thought, knowing that partially it was because of the girl being as skilled as she was. The man was a liability to her, but she was something much more special, someone much more skilled. And he didn't relish killing beautiful young women, either.

@[member="Kitt Solo"]

 

[Kitt Solo]

@[member="Christian Slade"]

"I don't kill," she spoke firmly, as if reinstating a value that was driven into her by people who loved her. "That stuff stays with you forever," twin, chestnut brows scrunched up in self-examination. "That's not to say I wouldn't do it if forced into a situation of self-defense....," voice trailed off, uncertain.

Would she really?

It was hard to say and she hoped she would never be in that situation. She preferred being on the defensive rather than offensive. Looking down, she realized her work was done. "You're all set. Now you just need plenty of rest and fluids," smiling slightly, amused at her temporary doctor-role, her fingertips patted his bare shoulder - the one without the wound - twice in confirmation of her completed work. Setting the rag and ointment down, she pulled her feet from the tub and gingerly rose from her precarious perch. Spotting two towels on the counter, she stepped toward them. With towels in hand, she spun back to Christian as a lurch of pain from hunching her healing shoulder spiked through her. Wincing, she took an uncalculated step forward on the wet and slick tile. And just as quickly, she found her feet no longer underneath her.

THWACH.

The cold tile was at her back as she looked up in a slight daze at the bathroom ceiling. "Ow," she whimpered, already feeling the goose-egg of a bump beginning to spread on the back of her head. "I promise, I'm usually more graceful....than this," she managed to mutter, the towels tangled around her.

Whelp, she could certainly laugh at herself, even in pain.

 

[Christian Slade]

Christian watched the comical side with a rather bland look on his face, as if he didn't think it was funny. Really he was just trying not to laugh as he watched her lose her footing, a smirk finding the corner of his mouth until she slipped and hit her head pretty hard. That made his smirk fade away rather quickly.

Reaching up, Christian plucked the stopper to his tub out and draped it over the faucet. He then reached out, as the water drained, and slid his hand up under her neck. He then found the knot she'd gotten after she'd fallen and gently examined it, seeing that it was swelling up pretty quickly. Frowning slightly, Christian turned and pulled himself up out of the still draining tub. He stepped out onto the marble, with no shame for his current condition, not caring if she saw him that way. It wasn't as if she'd never seen a naked man before.

Kneeling down, Christian grabbed the girl by the waist and gently stood up, pulling her to her feet, then reaching down and plucking a towel off the floor. He threw it over his head, drying his hair for a moment and then let it roll down his back, drying off a bit more before simply wrapping it around his waist and tying it off. He then reached out and took her by the hand, lead her through his room, down the hallways, and back into the living room.

He disappeared into the kitchen after that for a few moments, but then came right back with a plastic bag filled with ice. Approaching the young woman, he placed it gently on the knot that was still swelling on the back of her head. He held it there for a time, looking down at the woman with those golden eyes he had as he waited for her hand to replace his.

@[member="Kitt Solo"]

 

[Kitt Solo]

@[member="Christian Slade"]

OhgoshohgoshOHGOSHOHGOSH. Please don't let Chuck be awake. She would never hear the end of it if he saw Kitt being lead into the living room by a towel-wearing man. She let Christian lead, leaning on him slightly for support as they wove their way back to the living room.

Thank the stars he was asleep!

She winced as the ice touched her head. He was standing close, really, REALLY close. Hand reached-up, fingertips brushing against his for a moment as she took the ice bag. "Thanks," she spoke quietly, so as not to wake Chuck. "Earlier, you said you couldn't get answers from the dead. Did I give you all your answers? And more importantly, do you have any whiskey?"

 

[Christian Slade]

Christian stood there, looking down on the woman, listening to her. As he heard her mention some whiskey, Christian actually laughed, his audible, but deep chuckle rumbling from the base of his throat softly as he stepped away from her for a moment and made his way over to a minibar in the corner of the room. He then leaned down and plucked a bottle from it as well as a pair of glasses, dropping a few ice cube sin each.

Walking back across the room, Christian sat next to the girl and said, "No, I don't think I've gotten all the answers. As a matter of fact, I have no idea who you are, who was coming for me or the Holocron or what for, besides money." Holding the pair of glasses he poured them about halfway full with whiskey. He then set the bottle down and reached out to hand her one of them. "I have to imagine that the Sith or the Empire was searching for the holocron. Possibly even a private contract with someone who knows what holocrons are and wishes to utilize the knowledge they hold? Either way, they should have sent more people. I'd die before I give them up to anyone."

The air of the conversation was overall smooth. Their company seemed to be more than civil and Christian seemed to think that his new guest was quite something, despite the serious undertones in his voice when he said he'd die protecting the holocrons he'd collected.

@[member="Kitt Solo"]

 

[Kitt Solo]

@[member="Christian Slade"]

Omahgerhd, he still has his towel on. She blinked hard, focusing on the whiskey glass in her hand. One thing was for sure, Kitt Solo was no light weight.

"Alrighty, I guess the least I could do is give you some answers...since you did save our lives," she winked, shifting the ice on her chestnut-haired head. "Name's Kitt Solo and that's my partner, Chuck. We're mercenaries and part-time bounty hunters. I'm new to both professions but Chuck is fairly seasoned. His contacts are usually trustworthy. But this time...," voice trailed off and a dark chuckle escaped her lips.

Tugging the scarlet mask down, a pointy-stubborn nose was revealed along with a set of rosy-hued lips. She tipped the whiskey glass back, feeling the familiar fire slide down her throat. It didn't matter if he saw her face, he knew who she was now. "I guess that's what we get for accepting a job from a mystery benefactor. So your guess is as good as mine. Maybe the attackers were with the Empire, maybe not." Her shoulders rose up and down in a shrug.

Downing the rest of the whiskey, she shot him a sideways glance. "You'd really die for those things? In my experience things are replaceable, not people. What's so special about them?" Was she ignorant in all things force? Yes. Except for how to defend herself.

 

[Christian Slade]

"I appreciate your honesty, Kitt, and it's nice to meet you, though the circumstances weren't very appealing.", he said, raising his glass as if to cheers the young woman, those golden eyes picking out the distinguishing characteristics of her face. He then raised his glass and took another sip of the whiskey.

"As for the holocrons...", he said, reconsidering what he'd said earlier about the holocrons. "I probably wouldn't hold them all in that high of regard, but my father left me a couple of those holocrons..."

He waited for a moment as he seemed deep in thought about his torn apart past. He then raised his glass and took another sip of whiskey before he said, "I would die for what my father left me. It's part of my legacy."

@[member="Kitt Solo"]

 

[Kitt Solo]

"Yeah, I don't blame you," a sheepish smile crept on her face. "We were trying to-uh-steal, er, from...yeah," she trailed off. Better not drive the point home. She and Chuck were still breathing and she wanted to keep it that way.

Shifting the ice on her head, she leaned back on the couch, finally realizing how tired she really was. Unacceptable. A single brow lofted at Christian's statement. "Sounds like you were close to your father. I can understand that." The little tomboy really could. "What's on them?" Of course curiosity got the better of her. She wondered if he ever shared the knowledge with anyone else before. Myrtle ellipses scoured his face.

@[member="Christian Slade"]

 

[Christian Slade]

Christian watched Kitt with those mesmerizing golden eyes he had as he raised his hand, not saying a word. As he did, the holocron toppled off the table she'd set it on in his bathroom when he'd been bathing. It zipped out the door into his bedroom, darted out into the hall and shot through thin air, snapping in his hand when it reached him. He then turned the little square device, ancient Sith markings strewn about it's surface every which way, and gently let the force flow into it.

All of a sudden a small blue beam shot out from the device, a figure appearing at the end of it's light on the table set in front of the sofa they sat upon. It stood about a foot tall, and held facial characteristics that resembled Christian's very own. A strong jaw, golden brown eyes and impressive cheekbones. This man was related to him, and in truth, it was his father, though Kitt may not have put that together from the start. He wouldn't say anything, though, knowing that she was skilled in the ways of observation. She had to be.

"It holds a mass amount of information, and in this case, years and years of knowledge in the force...", he said, looking from that little blue man, who looked over at Christian expectantly, to Kitt who was absorbing what she was seeing still. He stared at her for a moment, waiting for her to realize it as he said, "...passed down from father to son."

@[member="Kitt Solo"]

 

[Kitt Solo]

@[member="Christian Slade"]

"Whoa," she twitched back on the couch as the holocron turned on. Leaning forward, locks of burnt-chestnut hair dripped past her profile. Her gaze scrutinized the image as Christian spoke, picking up on the similarities between the two. Reaching out, her fingertips brushed through the holographic image.

"Is he...still alive?"

 

[Christian Slade]

Christian's eyes fell from the woman, who seemed to be very surprised by the image, and fell on the blue figure again. "He died when I was a child, barely able to function on my own.", he said, solemnly as he looked away from the image and over to the sleeping man in the chair, the woman's companion for that night who'd been hired to steal the item.

"It was a long time ago, but you can understand my protectiveness over the holocrons now more than ever.", he then said, looking from the man back over to the young Kitt.

"What kind of employer highers you to steal something without telling you what it is... what it really is?"

@[member="Kitt Solo"]

 

[Kitt Solo]

@[member="Christian Slade"]

"I can understand," she said slowly, finally tearing her gaze away from the image, myrtle ellipses finding Christian again in a sideways glance. She gnawed on her lower lip slowly, looking away as Christian asked his question. She couldn't sit still anymore. Pushing to a stand, the young mercenary paced in front of the fire place. Her footsteps wobbled slightly, feeling a little lightheaded from everything that had happened, the pounding in her head still there from that dagum wet, tile floor.

"I don't know," she snapped. "Chuck and I got double crossed. I don't usually ask about things related to the force," a small shrug rippled through her shoulders. "I don't want to know about them." It was like she was trying to convince herself. Spinning around, summer-orbs met Christian's. "We probably shouldn't stay here much longer. Don't wanna bring you more trouble. And don't forget that wallet you left on your front lawn." She winked.

 

[Christian Slade]

"I have no need for the wallet.", he said, pushing against either of his thighs as he slowly stood, deactivating the Holocron as he did. He then dropped it, the very air in front of them taking it and throwing it back down the hallway that it had come from. From the table, the glass of whiskey slowly rose and gently found the man's right hand as he turned and circled the chair that her companion was sleeping in. He rounded the couch and then walked across the open room, ending up on the other side before he stopped in front of one of the windows.

"Just like I don't need this mansion.", he said, his golden eyes turning upward towards the stars, wanting so much to be among them, going from planet to planet looking for more, searching for ancient and lost knowledge of the force. A moment later, though, he raised his glass and took a sip of whiskey, his golden eyes glancing over his shoulder as he gulped down the mouthful as he said, "You can stay as long as you like. I don't mind."

@[member="Kitt Solo"]

 

[Kitt Solo]

@[member="Christian Slade"]

They were like two opposite sides of a credit. One was trying to run after all knowledge of the force and the other was running away from it. The glow from the fire cast an ethereal light behind her form as she stared at the sith master, the early light of dawn already creeping through the windowpanes. "You surprise me. You seem like the man who has everything but you're clearly missing something. I don't know any other sith master that would let a pair of thieves stay at his place after a botched job."

She stifled a yawn, suddenly feeling heavy on her feet. Chuck was still snorin' up a storm, the lucky bastard. "What do you need Mister Slade? And don't sith ever sleep these days?" A small smile tugged at her uncovered lips.

 

[Christian Slade]

Christian's golden eyes watched the woman carefully, still glancing over his shoulder, those golden eyes almost glowing in the dark as he watched her. "Maybe that's why I am not a functioning Sith who works with the Empire. Maybe I'm not a Sith at all.", he said, turning and looking away from her again, his golden eyes then slowly rolling over the lights of the city laid out before them from on high in the countryside.

As he watched it, he wondered what each and every being was doing. What were they doing with their time? Who were they spending it with? On a planet like that one, there was no telling what sort of tasteless things that the youth were getting themselves into.

"I don't know what I need, but I'd certainly like to.", he said, finally turning and looking over his shoulder back at Kitt. "Men like me don't sleep much..."

@[member="Kitt Solo"]

 

[Kitt Solo]

@[member="Christian Slade"]

"I can see that," a small smile pulled at the corners of her mouth as she stifled another yawn. "If you weren't a sith, what would you be?" She couldn't help it; her curiosity was keeping her awake. Stepping back to the couch, she stretched out on her side, careful not to put weight on her healing shoulder wound or her tender head. "I'm listening by the way," she stretched a little, eyelids beginning to flutter, as they started to feel heavier.

She convinced herself it wouldn't freak her out too much to fall asleep while he was awake.

 

[Christian Slade]

Christian smirked as he heard what she said about claiming to be listening and not falling asleep. He turned and walked back across the room, elaborating to the girl by saying, "I am simply a practitioner of the dark side of the force. I answer to no one, and no one answer to me besides my apprentice. I do not own anyone who chooses to request my knowledge, though. Not like the Sith like to think they own their students like items or tools."

Taking another sip of his whiskey, he continued to speak. He talked to her for about ten minutes, but he'd known that sometime along the way she'd fallen into a deep and necessary sleep. She was exhausted. He could feel that in the woman. The force he could sense from her was weak, which meant she was next to exhausted. Between that and her injuries, she had a lot of sleep to catch up on.

Rounding the couch, Christian reached down and tucked either of his arms under her back and her legs. He then gently picked her up and carried her down the hallway to his room. Entering the dark room, Christian carried her over to his massive bed. His golden eyes watched as the sheets rolled back by way of the force, and gently he laid her down, a cluster of pillows beneath her head. He then reached down and pulled the blankets up and over her figure, all the way up to her shoulder and then quietly left the room.

Reentering the living room, Christian found the couch she had been on before. He turned and sat down, throwing back the last of the whiskey in his glass. He then leaned back into the soft cushion of the sofa, his golden eyes simply watching the flickering fire for the longest time before finally he too slipped off into unconsciousness, his golden eyes sliding to a close ever so gently.

@[member="Kitt Solo"]

 

[Kitt Solo]

@[member="Christian Slade"]

Face turned into his warm chest as he carried her, something she wouldn't remember in the morning.

A sharp, jolt disturbed her pleasant dreams along with a rather grumpy voice. "Kitt. Get up. Right now."

"Five more minu--." Another sharp jolt. "Okay, okay," myrtle ellipses flinched open to see a worried Chuck.

"What have you gotten yourself into?" His tone was very disapproving. She looked around, a little disoriented not to see the fire place or the couch. Nothing happened last night, right, right?!

"Nothing happene," his hand went over her mouth, a finger coming up to his lips.

"Shh, he's sleeping and we need to get out of here."

"Mffwon'tmffhurtmuffus." He removed his hand. Kitt sat up in bed and gingerly tested her shoulder and head. They felt...better, much better. She was sure the bed had about 87% to do with it.

"Doesn't matter if he won't hurt us, Kitt. We gotta go. It's too dangerous for us to stay here, for us and for him." She understood and slowly nodded, feeling like it would be wrong to just...leave. But what could they do? Seeing him would just make things harder. Chuck was already at the window. Talk about deja vu.

Spotting some flimsy and an old pen, she quickly jotted down a note and left it on the nightstand.

"Kitt, now."

"Alright, alright," grumbling, she dipped out of the window and disappeared into the early morning light. The note crinkled on the nightstand with fresh ink.

Christian, thanks for...everything.
You constantly surprised me, in a good way.
I owe you one. If you need to cash in on a favor, send word through the bounty hunter's guild.
I'll find you.
-Kitt Solo

 

[Christian Slade]

He hadn't stirred in the morning, but he'd been awake for a long time. He'd been awake even before the guile lacking Chuck had snuck out of the room they were in and into the bedroom to find the young Bounty Huntress, or thief, assassin, whatever she'd claimed to be. When he'd left the room, he'd opened those golden eyes of his and was staring up at the ceiling as he Chuck did what he'd expected him to. He warned his companion, which he seemed to prize as more of a daughter than anything. That was why when he chose to flee thinking that Christian was asleep, he did not take offense.

Christian was the furthers thing from what you wanted to bring home to mom and dad.

Rising from the sofa, Christian made his way through the house, leaving the pair more than enough time to gather themselves and leave. He stopped at his bedroom door, linger just outside as he waited for them to make their great escape. As their voices fell silent and he felt their presences begin to weaken, the tall Sith turned into the doorway and walked into his room, picking up the note that had been left by the young woman and unfolding and smoothing it out as he shuffled slowly up to the window.

He stopped there, raising one hand and running it through his long brunette locks as to smooth them over his head. His golden eyes flickered back and forth as he read the words of farewell from the interesting young woman. He then looked up, watching the pair's forms shrink in the distance for a few moments before he lowered his hand, set the note on his bed side table and disappeared again into the darkness of his home.

@[member="Kitt Solo"]