Private Against the Law

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"We've got plenty of time to practise," he said as she leaned back.

He had meant to say something about consistent practise or some other lesson. Instead Lossa's unfortunate empathy would be assailed with a specific scenario. It wasn't very different from one she had experience on the ship before.

It wasn't going to help with concentration.

"That wasn't bad at all," Trextan confirmed. "Just try..."

He nudged the back of her left foot to get her to shift it forwards a little.

 

[Lossa Darcuhl]

There was a certain advantage to being pink that she would never admit to anyone. Between the lean, his words, and the thoughts that followed, she was certain her face was a deep shade.

Thankfully the lanes were limiting in their view, and the lighting certainly helped.

It didn't help when her own thoughts began wandering in those scant seconds before she locked them away. They were here to practice handling blasters. Her hands rising and bringing the flat side of the weapon to her forehead with a sharp exhale as she cleared her mind.

Blaster. Weapons.

She brought it back to aim down the range as he scooted her foot forward in an attempt to help her aim. Adjusting with a look behind her, she steadied herself and aimed. Clicking the safety off once more and squeezing the trigger once more.

Eyes not as tightly shut and body more relaxed than before as the shot fell between shoulder and stomach on the target.

A pleased hum coming from Lossa as she made to spin around in victory. Catching herself by extending her arm to keep the blaster pointed downrange.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Ah

Trextan didn't spend much time around Jedi these days. He had never been particularly skilled at the subtle arts of empathy or altering people's will through the Force.

When he felt a thrum that reflected his own rather particular imagery he knew that he should have been guarding his thoughts.

He mimicked her grin, even if his expression conveyed a touch of awkward realisation.

"Yeah not bad, think we'll practise your blaster safety more first," he laughed in acknowledgement of her excitement.

"It is much easier to use than a saber. You er, wanna keep practising a while?" he asked. "Or we can get out of here and explore the station a little before heading off?"

 

[Lossa Darcuhl]

She stared in equal but less awkward realization, at his realization. He hadn't been around jedi, let alone Zeltrons for a while. He'd said that, and here she was letting her thoughts get the better of her.

Her grin turning thin as she tried to clear her head of the invasively creative imagery about the table the blaster had been set on.

Had she put the safety on?

A task that didn't involve much thought as she flipped the blaster to its side and confirmed it was indeed safe.

"Not bad for handling one for the first time. A blaster, I mean. Not, er. Anyway." She couldn't figure out what to do with her hands as he asked for her preference. "Yeah. It is a bit easier than a saber. At least after you get used to it."

She waved her hand to dismiss the notion of practicing a bit more.

"I'd rather learn a bit more of the basics. Change the, thing. The power pack I mean." She had settled on awkwardly patting her hands against her thighs as she spoke. "Some exploring sounds fun. If you would show me how to er. Make the blaster safe."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Yeah... Safe..." he said, gaze a little distant. His pulse was racing and it felt a difficult to breathe.

They were closed off from one another, but the little telepathic loop had set things in motion. A single moment let slip as he stepped past her in the small both. His fingers intertwined with hers. A sudden sharp grip and tug and then the image was cut off sharply.

"This is the safety catch."

He thumbed it and a soft sound accompanied the disconnect of the power circuit.

"This releases the power pack."

A push on the button until it clicked and the base of the small blaster opened up and he caught the power pack.

"You wanna practise that a couple of times and then we'll see...what sights can be found. I mean, like, not much to explore. Probably a few bars though."

 

[Lossa Darcuhl]

She didn't speak as he seemed to look through her. Or maybe just fixated on her. Swallowing the lump in her throat as his mind let slip an image she let herself get caught in.

The phantom feeling drawing a long breath from her as the image snapped away and found her own heart trying to break free in a frantic gallop.

Brought back to reality as her thoughts scattered under his instruction. Eyes so focused on his hands moving she had to make herself cling to the words he spoke. So close to her that goose flesh rose as she stared in drifting wonder.

"I'll. Practice, a few times." Words eventually finding their way into the air, still caught up in her own imagination as she tried to remember what his hands had been doing moments before.

"And we'll find something exciting to do. I'm sure." She dared to bump against him, eyes roaming up and down him briefly before mimicking his instructions.

The first time a fumbling show that eventually had success before the proper way found home in her mind. Her gaze sneaking away from the blaster to catch where his eyes were in between the practice.

The second attempt smoother while the third had confidence behind it. The power pack and pistol stashed as she pushed away from the table.

"Let's go see what we can find then." She didn't stray far from him, leading him along and away from the range.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan offered a brief - and slightly panicked - smile at the offer of excitement. Another fleeting image slipped past his weak sense of self-control.

He was certain that he was interpreting signs that weren't there. The young Warden could have been slapped across the face with the signs over and over and Trextan would still assume he was making a mistake.

"You're getting better with that," he observed. "It sounds really silly, but getting the muscle memory down for loading a blaster is like getting your stance right for saber forms. Feels wrong at first, but slowly becomes second nature."

The station was a mix of cultures and there was little sense in how the districts had been arranged. Space had been hived off in small contracts which meant a bar could be tucked between two industrial salvage zones. There was also little sense of time. Ships arriving could be running on any timezones.

"You wanna watch the ships come and go for a little bit or go to a bar?" Trextan raised an eyebrow, lips quirking upwards. "I guess it's offensive to assume a Zeltron might want to hit a bar?"

 

[Lossa Darcuhl]

The smile paired with the slip of control put a visible hiccup in her process, the power pack clacking against the port as the image found her before it slid in smoothly. A quick shiver starting just above her shoulders and running clear down as she let her tongue roll across her lips.

His explanation of muscle memory something she did have the sense to actually listen to. A small island of reason in a overwhelming battle of sensibility and otherwise.

The diversity of the station made her smile, taking the edge off of the tight tether she had around her emotions and thoughts. Eyes slowly taking in the sight of the ships coming and going.

A grin appearing at the mention of watching them for a while.

The second half of the option creating a different smile. She hadn't ever been to a bar proper without having to worry about her way home. But Trextan would have to worry about that she supposed.

"I'd like to watch the ships come and go for a bit yeah. And then the bar." Eyes sliding over to him as mischief marred the grin. "I won't hold it against you if you can keep up."

She led the way to a spot that seemed empty and missing any sort of traffic, plopping down before patting the spot beside her. Getting situated, and scooting a bit closer to him, she pointed to a ship that was coming in before looking back to him.

"You know what that is?" A genuine question as she let the hand drop into her lap.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"If I can't keep up ill just have to surrender," he laughed.

"I, er, don't drink a huge amount," he added. For him, there had been a little too much meaning in his first reply and the second just sounded like more of a fumble.

He was already struggling with his self control. There was no alcohol flowing through his veins. There was something that made him feel as if he was in a constant struggle to keep his hands from trembling, but it was not alcohol.

Would it be so bad to let his guard down a little and have some fun for once?



Trextan leaned back comfortably once Lossa had found a spot. He liked to watch the ships come and go. Many different shapes and sizes. Each culture had their own aesthetic, but he didn't know to recognise them.

"That...is definitely a freighter," he replied. He grimaced, but gave her a gentle nudge with his shoulder.

 

[Lossa Darcuhl]

"I'm sure you'll do just fine."

She wasn't entirely too sure how he would take the assurance. And she wasn't about to clarify since she wasn't sure herself about what she had been throwing at him.

The back and forth of heated intensity to cool reserved was giving her enough whiplash that she wanted to turn her brain off for a bit.

Easier said than done when he made her laugh and gave her a nudge. A gesture she returned in kind by nudging him back.

Hers a bit more forceful since she leaned all the way into it.

"If it's not a freighter I'd be a little concerned. Thing looks like it could smack someone around." Adjusting her seat to be closer to him. The hum of the engines and whooshing of air wasn't something she realized she would enjoy until she could hear nothing but that as a constant in the background.

"Point out one you know then." Came the requirement from her, turning to face him with a grin.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Yeah, I can manage that," he said, almost as much to himself as to Lossa.

It was quite a calming spot. He spent a lot of time at space stations now. It was cheaper to refuel and move on from a space station than taking the hit of taxes and expended fuel to land on a planet. And, when working as a Warden, landing on a world introduced an entire raft of local legislation to deal with.

These moments were peaceful. Even now, with the building sense of anticipation that he had decided to ride along with, rather than fight.

"Looking for a circle shape..." he muttered. "Those are always CEC models..."

"Out of interest," he started as he watched the incoming silhouettes. "Why did you end up in jedi training?"

 

[Lossa Darcuhl]

The mention of a circle shape had her looking to him in silent question. Further curiosity mentioning something about CEC. A blank stare before the aha moment struck as she realized he had meant the Corellian Engineering Company.

Recognizing shapes that ships came in was probably something she would need to get used to out this far as he posed a question her way.

Her arms tucking beneath her thighs as she rocked softly back and forth while thinking.

Eyes to the ships coming in but not quite seeing them as her mouth opened for a heavy sigh.

"Those health things I talked about. What it comes down to really." She frowned at openly admitting to it. "Was dangerous for me to a space wizard without knowing about it. But,"

Her gaze stayed up, but now looked to the stars past the ships.

"My parents do a lot of relief work. Did. Did a lot of it. Don't want to get into all of it. Quick and dirty then," She nodded before mentally chopping down what was and wasn't pertinent. "Mom and I both have a wrap sheet with hospitals. Got expensive. Dad got tired. I threw some doctors and staff after I got upset. Tossed a room. Emotion stuff from myself and others."

She forced a smile before she looked at him. "Needed to learn to regulate and control to be safe."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

He understood a little more from her explanation. She was an empath who felt the emotions of others.

A little bit of colour touched his cheeks. He had been just a few metres from Lossa in that sonic and hadn't thrown up any guards around his thoughts.

He swallowed and returned his thoughts to the present.

"I've never been good at control, not exactly," he explained in the context of teaching Lossa, but another context would soon become apparently. "Was trained by sith and have never been very good at backing down from a challenge. I know Wardens who are much better teachers than me," he added.

"There!" he said suddenly. "That's a correllian freighter but...Its a Y-series but I can't tell which from this far."

He turned to Lossa to offer a victorious grin. She hadn't exactly thrown up the challenge to almost name a single ship, but that was how he had taken it.

"So, er, your breathing problems. If we did anything strenuous...you'd need to keep that close to you?"

The flicker of a smile showed that he wasn't just thinking of training.

 

[Lossa Darcuhl]

She listened, not realizing why he had that strange look as though he were concentrating before speaking again. Remembering his previous statements about being questionable because of his training with the Sith.

"I think there's worse than-" Cut off by the sudden motion towards an incoming ship. The shape being committed to memory as he mentioned that make. Filing it away to be looked up later. "Worse than not knowing when to back down."

The conversation taking a sidestep as she looked at him wide eyed before the blank looked changed to a grin.

"Close will work. It's hard to focus sometimes on keeping a steady breath." Leaning closer to him as she tilted her head enough to see all of him.

"We'll see though." Teasing the idea in her mind and letting the whisp of imagination float across to him.