Private You Just Walk In Like You Belong

[Kaile Vera]

Kaile nodded in agreement after hearing Asmus reply, at least pleased that he took to her recommendation for Kurt. It was a good thing he held back on the retort regarding the commonalities between Kurt and Max; perhaps age had indeed taught the former Captain tact and wisdom. However, his body language couldn't help to convey the playful tweak at the corner of his lips.

"Kairon is another, right?" She added, referencing his uncle, only to bump him with her shoulder as they walked, as if to say, hey, what is so funny?

However, Asmus had properly diverted his partner's attention back to the Mesa and the hot tub, reminding her of their game.

"Shouldn't take long. It depends if the water has been refilled and properly maintained." She admitted, chuckling to herself.

There was a pause, and then she contemplated his question about being in the Mesa again.

"Bittersweet. Joyful? There are a lot of good memories there. " she admitted, playfully tugging at his arm with their interlocked hands.

"I lived a long while there. Reckon was the first place I considered to be a home."

 

[Asmus Janes]

"Yeah, reckon it must have been," Asmus replied.

Over time he had become more likely to reflect her language and patterns of speech back to her. When you lived in near isolation together, it was natural to do, even though he was not a lorrdian.

Kairon was a nice name. As he thought about it, he decided that it would be something to run past his uncle first. It was not the kind of surprise he thought the old pirate captain would enjoy.

He gave a tug on her hand and she was drawn off kilter. They bumped together, hip to hip.

"It would be a shame if the tanks were empty. It would be nice and relaxing," he lied.

What would I call my first home? he thought to himself. It would not have been the Quintessence. In hindsight, those days felt like an adventure. A time when he had entertained wild fantasies of being a space pirate with Kairon. It all felt so immature now. Yet, through that he had met Kaile, he had joined the Resistance.

"These the docks?" he asked. They were approaching a tall building with a secure entrance. He imagined that the facility would run deep. Openings to the docking bays built into the cliffs beyond.

 

[Kaile Vera]

The hip bump caused them to collide lightly, prompting Kaile to take a quick step forward and spin on the ball of her foot to walk backward. She still held his hand but swung it giddily from side to side. Her head cocked to the right, chin lifting in devilry.

"Hmm...reckon it would, wouldn't it? Then again, seeing how it should be in long-term storage, refilling it shouldn't take too long. I have to go through all my uniforms and dresses anyways to find that Yum Bunnies uniform."

A laugh, and she tugged her hand from his grasp, bringing both to her back to lock them in a coy sidestep. The flare and widening of Asmus' eyes along with the tick at his jaw, let her know she was affecting him.

Turning to look where he gestured, she read the aurabesh sigils indicating the entrance to the Pyre building. There were many people either in well-dressed attire or work uniforms.

"I think so," she gave a low whistle as they passed a large fountain with statues of past Naboo Senators lining the pathway towards the entrance.

"Fancy." she said, only to add, "Kurt really partnered up." it was chance that allowed Kurt and Jamie to get together and much to Kaile's delight, it was clear that she made him happy.

"He said to use this access card to get inside. Security should allow us in," she told him, plucking the card she had slid into her back pocket.

 

[Asmus Janes]

"You know are times when it's really unfair how you can read me?" he laughed.

It wasn't unfair. Her ability to read micro expressions made no real difference. After their time together he was easy to read. Asmus rolled his eyes.

"I suppose I will have to help you sort through the wardrobe and watch you try things on," Asmus declared. "Dying shame."

The droid acting as security scanned their card and directed them to a personnel lift. There was no hiding his thoughts on the restaurant uniform or the slight spring in his step.

The first lift was an enormous service lift. Designed, he imagined, to take cargo up and down to the ships.

"You think they reckon we're someone's mechanics?" he asked as the lift closed on them. Their card sent it down two floors.

 

[Kaile Vera]

“A dying shame.” Kaile repeated, only to grin the same smile from earlier that he’d told her to quit. There method of reading each other had some dependency on her Lorrdian ways; but to be honest, ever since they met on the Quinn, they had a natural ease of picking up what went unsaid. It’s what eased the door open to expose that vulnerability and what truly lay within.

“I reckon you do look the part of some government officials personal eye candy mechanic.” She let her gaze wander with a proprietary sweep. From the top of his head where his soft hair begged to be grabbed to the tips of his dusty boots, Asmus was tall glass of refreshing sweet tea for anyone to enjoy.

“Maybe you should be mine. Pick out your uniform. Try out your skills. See how well you deliver.”

Back to back. No hesitation. Just salacious proposal. The lift began slowed to a stop while her brow arched in a dare.

“Just how good are you with your hands?”

Only a few more seconds left until the lift door opened. Their destination a large storage hanger for the toys and ships the Naboo aristocracy used to as long term storage. Maintenance droids and other personal staff would wander, not paying much attention. The security may seem lax but it was because no one would be so bold to attempt a theft on individuals with enough generational funds to make it very inconvenient.

 

[Asmus Janes]

"Oh I'm sure my work would be up to standard," he laughed. "I'm thinking then you might have nothing much ton say at all."

He turned to look at her, dark fronds of his hair sweeping across his face before he brushed them back. At least he was fighting back now. His own gaze meandered around a happy path before his focus turned to the Messa.

He had heard of the ship long before he had set eyes upon it. The outside was sleek lines and shocking red paint. The inside was all warmth and comfort, embodying the personalities of its occupants. He couldn't remember a ship with such a contrast between the exterior and interior. The quintessence had looked just as worn on the outside as it was inside.

He let go of her hand as they walked up into what had been the cargo bay. A side glance as the recessed hot tub in the corner.

"A lot of memories here," he murmured. The lights flickered on, revealing the kitchen counter and the furnishings.

"I'll go check the water tanks whilst you lay out what you're gonna wear? Briefly."

 

[Kaile Vera]

"That there are," Kaile murmured, breathing in the cabin air. It still had a slight scent of cedar from the Mantha mothball sachets she had stashed around to keep them at bay. From the throw pillows to the hanging lights and the various knick-knacks, she had done her best to secure the small cargo hold converted to a home. There were a few more items since she'd seen it last, like a few podracer posters from the most recent Boonta Eve Classic -- likely banished from the living quarters where Kurt and Jamie lived -- and kept here for security.

"Lived a long while here." through tears and laughter. Bittersweetness overtook her, the Lorrdian stepping past the hottub to pick up a spare Ysalamir rack for Bobo. Older now, he wasn't fit for space-faring adventures. As he was a hybrid, it was uncertain how much longer he would live, but he was the perfect companion for Bix now. They left him with her to keep her company.

A wry smile returned to Kaile, and she quirked an eyebrow at Asmus's instruction. Her chuckle resonated as she left, heading over towards her cabin. There were only two, one for her and one for Kurt. It meant to her that her best friend kept it just as she left still. They've both went different ways now, her with Asmus and Bix, and he with Jamie. But he was still here for her. A constant for the Lorrdian who never had a perch to settle on. Somewhere she knew she could always return to.

"Arn't we supposed to be thinking of plan Aurek, Besh, and Cresh?" her voice sang as she pressed the button to slide the door of her room open.

 

[Asmus Janes]

"I'd say that we've learned to multitask over the last year," Asmus called back.

He found the tank sealed at the valves. A few were turned and he returned to the kitchen. Nothing happened for a few seconds when he opened the tap, but soon some water was flowing.

"We can always play: how much planning can I do whilst you check the fit of things before I have to...deliver," he called to her.

Seeing the Messa was always like seeing a window into a world he hadn't seen. He had first found Kaile not long after she had left this ship. She had returned here not long after leaving the quintessence, carrying his child. Little touches around the ship told of stories. Stories he had mostly heard recounted, but it made them more real. Made them more tangible in his mind.

She would hear a soft hum as the power started to heat the water, followed by the rush of it filling the tub.

"I think we can do plan Aurek and Besh now and then work up Cresh when we've spoken to people closer to the situation," he said as he rounded the door.

 

[Kaile Vera]

He'd find her bent over the storage space under her bunk, working through stacks of vacuum-sealed packages. There was slinky black dress, a summer dress, a tight-fitted former Imperial uniform, and even a pair of cut-off shorts that by no means had the sense of properly covering any of her assets. One former Jedi Master and a few Jedi Padawans had a near heart attack when she showed up on Lothal with these.

Besides that enticing sight, there would be others to pull his fancy. He'd seen it before when he found her on Reshii. Things had been tense then, and there hadn't been a proper time to study the secret haven Kaile had called home for so long.

There were trinkets, shiny things, on every possible surface., with posters secured to almost spare bit of wall space that wasn't taken up by something else. Her room is decorated with a sense of warmth and welcome, with stacks of blankets sitting on her bed, and pillows thrown about. A color-changing chain of lights hung from the ceiling and the desk in the corner was decorated with standees and models from junk sellers across the galaxy.

Sitting on the corner of the desk was a small cube, a perfect shiny that Kurt had won in a pod race after Kira had saved herself from a swoop gang. This was also near where Bobo's old living nook sat. It had a nice little nutrient branch, with a little lamp for him to sun himself with. On the other side of the room was a small bookcase containing novels and journals Kaile had gathered on her trips. This was also where she had a miniature holoarray control panel with a small portable speaker. If Asmus took it upon himself to play with the array, its activation would reveal just how much Kaile had held him dear, for the switch would activate the series of holoarrays attached to the ceiling. Revealing a copy of the customized star map and playlist he had created for her long ago.

Holopictures are scattered around the walls. A closer inspection would reveal they were of Kaile, Kurt, and, oddly enough, of Asmus. At the academy. In his uniform. A Rogue event.

"It is here somewhere," Kaile's muffled voice would state, shuffling more clothing from storage. Who knew of any of it still fit!

 

[Asmus Janes]

The first thing that happened as Asmus entered the room was painfully predictable. He crossed the space between them and delivered a playful pinch.

"Gotcha," he declared.

He stepped back and placed his hands on his hips. A glance across the outfits already produced told him that the game he had proposed might be a short one.

Asmus had been here before, but it was still an experience to soak up just how Kaile the room was. Despite her changing her appearance and persona for her work, he knew the person she was. He had seen it, on the Quintessence. Subdued, but raw.

He walked the perimeter of the room. Asmus smiled fondly as he took a moment on every little trinket she had collected. There was something intriguing about the cubic prize. He felt something when he let his gaze settle on it.

Finding that a touch disconcerting, he moved on.

There was Bobo's old perch. The lizard must have enjoyed his little setup here. The old boy was remarkably tolerant of Bix. She was - for the most part - very gentle with him. Bobo was more aware than a lizard his size should have been.

"You travelled so far," Asmus said, running his fingertip down the spines of the books. He had been offered everything in life and turned it down for travel and the chance of adventure. She had come from nothing, turned into an asset for security services and had found travel and adventure.

He felt content with where they had ended up together.

"Found it? Bet you've got some good music for dress up on here," Asmus said. He sat on the edge of the bed and offered a smirk.

He turned on the speaker, thinking it would present a display of music choices. Asmus had been planning on something suitable for a show, just to make her laugh, not to keep playing.

"Oh...Oh," he went.

Asmus took a deep breath. He settled back and let the first track wash over him. He glanced at Kaile. He wouldn't ask how often she might have listened to this, thinking of him. It was nice to know she had. Even after the time together, raising their child and acknowledging how they had felt for one another, this struck home.

He smiled a content smile and sat in silence.

 

[Kaile Vera]

The sound of the first notes of the guitar from 'Everlong' made Kaile freeze. Only to turn up her head and cant her face over towards Asmus. He sat there quietly, a content smile on his face. The recognition was there what the content on the holo-speaker meant.

Kaile rarely blushed, but this time, even the tips of her ears turned pink. A hand came up to tuck the wayward strands of strawberry blonde hair behind her right ear, going, "Ah, well, managed to find a decent set of retrofitted speakers."

"Still a great mix." she admitted, dropping her hand to her side on top of the packages of vacuum-sealed clothing she'd pull. It was telling, what the song mix Asmus created meant to her. No other words had to be said.

Ducking her head, a soft smile on her face, Kaile took a breath. Glancing back at the storage bin, she caught sight of a familiar set of aurobesh letters. Here it was.

'Ah hah!" she exclaimed, reaching under the bathing suit for it. Holding it up like a prize, she flashed Asmus a winning smile, "Got it!"

Now it was a matter of seeing if it still fit. After two pregnancies... who knew!?

 

[Asmus Janes]

"Funny how music, like food, can make a memory seem so much closer," Asmus mused.

His heart melted at her embarrassment. There had been walls between them. Secrets that kept their love apart. Now there was so little between them.

Asmus looked up at the stars and smiled.

"I was always going to find you."

That wasn't what he had thought when she had left him. It had all felt so final. She had told him to be brilliant and Asmus supposed he had been, at least a few times.

"Got it!"

"Have you now?" he asked. Asmus sat up, leaning forwards until his elbows rested on his knees. He looked very different to the young man who had cut this mix tape. More brawn across the shoulders, more scruff around the jaw.

The boyish smile was exactly the same.

 

[Kaile Vera]

I was always going to find you.

The fulfilled promises along with the way Asmus sat there leaning forwards, arms braced lightly on top of his thighs and that little boy smile did wonders for her palpating heart. Painted with the blue white sheen of the stars, the strains of the guitar rift in their ears. His magnetism that only grew now that he was older.

They met when he was twenty. So young. Seven years her junior. So many times she’d cross examined herself if what he felt for her back then had just been a manipulation of her skill set. That she’d been using him to find a shelter in the void of her melancholia.

Nearly a decade later, Kaile would finally admit to herself that had not been the case. They met in a time where her universe had been flipped on its side; but it was also when she was the most true to herself and her emotions. Kaile had indeed fallen in love with the scoundrel with the gold flecked eyes in just four days.

That love had only grown true as the years passed. It would be etched in the pieces that decorated this room, from the holo pictures of stolen glances, to the holospeaker playing their music, and the holo projection displaying the many stars he crafted for her. A map, he’d so artfully and geniusly crafted, had turned into the star chart to her heart.

Kaile gave a short self humoring chuckle. The husky intonation clear. A softened expression would study the older, scruffier version of a scoundrel who’d stolen her heart long ago.

“Aye..” she murmured, coming up to slowly cross the short distance between them. The uniform package fell to the wayside. He’d won the war just by the way his hooded half gaze and that little boy smile caressed the fuller curves age and two pregnancies given her.

“That I did,” in a low voice, moving towards climbing up to settle onto his lap, facing him with the smile lines that shaped her face and the wisps of strawberry blonde hair that tickled her cheeks.

The playfulness was there, but muted. Instead, both hands came up to trace the line of his stubbled jaw. Love lined that caress and shone in her chocolate brown eyes.

The uniform could come later. As would their game. He was here. In her room. In the place she had longed for him for years.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus settled back comfortably. His hands came to rest on her waist.

"What?" he asked her rhetorically. It was a question he had asked before many times. He was never after an answer. It was always an acknowledgement of the shift in the mood. If there was a question, the only answer was to show him what followed.

He tilted his head into her caress. Asmus lifted his chin and felt her fingertips glide over stubble to find smooth skin.

Asmus never took his gaze from hers. The little flecks of gold in his eyes were shards of glittering roguish mischief that refused to be subdued in the dark forest of affection.

Kaile had often indulged in fantasy to step away from reality. Here, he realised, she was making a fantasy real.

"You're not getting out of playing dress up," he sighed.

One hand slipped further around her waist. An insistent press of the palm of his hand against bare skin drew her a little closer. His right hand took a meandering path up, his fingers closing around the back of her neck.

She was in his orbit. Dragged down for a kiss that would etch this moment into their lives.

 

[Kaile Vera]

​

The beep of Kaile’s Chrono watch drew her from slumber. Blinking blearily, the Lorrdian picked up her head from its perch on Asmus’s bare chest, peering down to glance at her watch.

Time to go.

A lazy stretch and a caress of her fingers went doodling a carefree path over a collarbone. A path of short, sweet pecks followed after.

“Time to get up, hon.” She murmured, hair mused, a free strands standing on end. She made to push herself up to a sitting position slowly, but her back gave protest.

They were a tangle of arms and legs on her bed, clothes strewn about. The chaos brought forth a bloom of pleasure as it did joy. The holographic display of the star map was still lit, casting shadows and painting the scene with its white-blue glow.

“Gotta meet Theo.” She told Asmus, ruffling his hair in a cafune.

 

[Asmus Janes]

"Shit, yup," went Asmus.

He lifted his head from the sheets, then his shoulders. Then he gave up and laid back down. The chance of running late had been a little jolt, but her warmth had him give up all hope on being vertical any time soon.

Asmus made eye contact and held it as he ran a hand over her shoulder.

It had been a rather cathartic trip down memory lane. Eventually they untangled themselves and rolled away. Asmus picked up a pair of shorts with that bore the restaurant logo.

"Those need washing," he chortled. "Let's pack a bag and get moving. You want the music list for the cockpit?"

 

[Kaile Vera]

“Please,” Kaile replied, arms curling upward in a languid stretch.

“Ooo,” came here slight protest, her pleasantly aching legs slightly wobbly.

“Remind me we need to start lookin at doing more stretches.” She quipped in jest, coming to her feet to take advantage of Asmus distraction to smack a lower right cheek. Pride shone brightly on her face.

They both knew who won.

“While we are here I’ll collect what else we might need.” There were a few items Bix might be interested in. Holopictures. A few others Asmus had added to his pile of tidbits to explore later.

“Oh. We gotta drain the hot tub.” Kurt would get annoyed if she left it to sit like that.

“We can hop on the sonic real quick for a refresher.” A frown grew as her fingers picked at crunchy bits in her hair.

 

[Asmus Janes]

"Yeah I think we should do that," Asmus replied. "Force knows we're not getting cleaner in the tub water."

The three of them had lived out on the beach house for a long time. During that time they been afforded just a few days of genuine privacy on their own, with Bix staying with his parents.

This time they had taken advantage of the privacy for a trip down memory lane. They had certainly taken advantage of the spaces around the ship.

"Aw," he went as he stretched. The playful slap had made him twitch to one side and now something hurt down that side of his back. "Yeah maybe should have stretched first today."

"I'll go cycle the water from the tub, you shower and pack whilst I shower," he suggested.

He walked away, feeling a little sad that they needed to move on with more pressing matters. There was still a spring in his step and a whistle on his lips that told her he was feeling pleased with himself too.

---

"How much?" went Asmus.

He was looking at an entire repulsor sled of parts and a very large bill.

"Come on, you cannot be serious," he said. He glanced at Kaile. She was going to have to be the nice on in this exchange if they were going to get a discount.

 

[Kaile Vera]

So much for a solid discount by cutting off the middleman.

A hand came up to rest against Asmus's upper arm as if to calm him from his incredulous disbelief at the exorbitant price.

"These are refurbished parts; how could they be almost as high as the new price?" There had to be a catch. It didn't make sense.

"While refurbished, requisitions for a customized H-Type do not come with wholesale prices." Theo shot back. He was a native of Naboo, and it showed in his manner of speech and clothing. While he was not of the noble class, he was undoubtedly of the wealthier merchant class.

Kaile would notice Asmus tense, and a glance and a nod in his direction would indicate that there was no need to escalate things. They were out in the open beside the Solaris; the repulsor lift full of the required parts to ensure the Solaris wouldn't fail them when they needed her most.

"Okay, let's think outside the box. Is there a way we can cut the price?" They were running on very limited time.

"Perhaps we can come to an agreement?" If push came to shove, Kaile could try mind tricks, but she knew how Asmus felt about that. Maybe they could negotiate a barter.

 

[Asmus Janes]

"I can't pay full!" Asmus said, throwing up his hands.

He took a step away as if he was going to lose his temper, but Kaile would feel his amusement.

He actually had enough credits, but he didn't want to pay so far over the odds. Even in this critical situation, there was a lot of Kairon in Asmus.

He had travelled with Kairon for years, grown up in the quintessence. With Asmus aboard, Kairon had given up on pirating and kept them in the air by knowing the value of things and having the routes to maximise his profits.

"Look I don't want to take these back," The said to Kaile. "So make an offer. But I can't come down too far. You haven't exactly got tok many options here."