Cloud Nine

[Danger Arceneau]

Spoiler

C O R E W O R L D S
S H A W K E N
E N R O U T E T O S H A W K E N S P I R E



"No peekin'" Danger's voice sang by [member="Alric Kuhn"] 's right ear, a low murmur enhanced by a thrum of excitement. She sat on the acceleration couch behind Alric, her hands lightly securing the blindfold over the Tetan's eyes. At any other time, one would wonder with an arched brow at the many reasons why Miz Arceneau would blindfold a man, but in this case, it was for a specific purpose.

Embracing her vacation, Danger set to make the most of it. The most of it included enticing Alric to take a vacation along with her. As he had surprised her with the ice hotel, she had wanted to surprise him in turn. Granted, it wouldn't be something she created, but more of an experience. The Shawken Spire was a skyscraper located on the planet Shawken. Construction of the Spire took over nine millennia to complete, by which time the skyscraper had reached a low-orbit altitude.

Knowing how keen the Tetan was about modern marvels and the scope of ingenuity, she figured this might be a good spot for them to go visit. Granted, it was in the middle of One Sith Space in the Core Worlds, but... well, they wouldn't be dealing with the Sith this time around.

'Sides, there was no snow nor desert for him to complain of. Granted, being that high up might be a little chilly. But she figured she could make up for that.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric leaned back against the acceleration couch.

He had taken small vacation with Danger before, a day there, a weekend here, and while she had endured the first week of her mandatory vacation he had tried to work from home as much as possible. Now, however, Danger had coaxed him into taking a few actual days off, likely having grown bored with snooping around his things and reorganizing his kitchen utensils into a more "efficient arrangement".

"There better be something worthwhile in front of my eyes when I take this off." Alric said, his voice obviously full of humor, no real anger clinging to him. "Perhaps something warm, smiling, redheaded...lacking clothes."

The Tetan threw out some suggestions of what he wanted to see, not really sure if that was what was intended or not.

Of course wherever they were going was a secret to him, though by the tone of her voice Alric guessed that it wasn't something he would hate. That was a good thing he supposed, though more often than not he no longer cared where he was, as long as Danger was with him.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Her arms would draw around him, tugging him close. Settling him comfortably, he'd feel her chuckle, a slight mammaquatia that also shook her shoulders. A press of her lips would brush the top of his head, and her hands would fan out to run over his chest, smoothing the fabric of his shirt.

"Now that depends." she'd coo, yet again, another soft chuckle, a low rasp by his right ear. "I do bribe pretty easily." she'd say with a smirk on her lips. If she was serious or no, that was up in the air, but she followed it up with, "What are you offerin'?"

Their flight would bring them to Shawken soon enough, and once they exited hyperspace she would remove the blindfold once they flew close enough for him to get the best view upon approach. She had plans to actually tour the Spire on the inside, but she knew that coming up to it from an orbital standpoint would be breathtaking. Her hope was that Alric would enjoy it.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Well." Alric began, his voice somewhat incredulously, as if he couldn't believe she actually had to ask. "I've been told I give excellent massages."

His voice remained steady, though he was more relaxed than usual. Unlike Danger he wasn't completely tied to his company. Vanir Technologies mostly ran itself, save for a few major projects that Alric himself oversaw. Yet generally there was a good amount of tension within him due to his daughters, the company itself, and small stresses that simply built up over time. Now however, they seemed either forgotten, or temporarily subdued. "They require absolute cooperation however."

The Tetan kept speaking, it was what he was best at after all.

Sometimes he wondered just how much there was to gain simply by talking. With Danger, there wasn't much. She knew every game, every ploy, every single trick that he had, but Alric had a silver tongue, and often it got him into quite a bit of trouble. Still, the Banter that he had with her was something he enjoyed, even if it hardly got him what he wanted.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Cooperation is it?" she'd ask, devilry in her voice. At the mention of massaging, Danger's hand would drift over his chest, sliding back up to settle over his shoulders. A light press and roll of pressure of her fingers would move over his shoulders and down his arms.

"Hmm... that's a lot to request. A girl wants to make it worth her while." she'd joke, chuckling again. The warmth of his body against hers was comforting, and it would be a lie to say she wasn't content simply sitting like so. The more they interacted, the more they spent time together, even more so after she moved in, was simply a pleasure of being. Oh they'd talk, they'd banter back and forth, but it was nice. It was nice to have him there, to feel the beat of his heart, to hear the tenor of his voice. To feel the affection in his touch.

He was a heady cocktail she could get intoxicated on, and the more they interacted, the more she found herself just letting go. Taking a few more steps forward, a little more bold. The entire process was at a snail's pace, and she often wondered if that frustrated Alric. Yet at the same time, watching him watch her, when he held her... made her realize that was a silly thing to think.

"What sort of cooperation are we talking here?"

The notice of the upcoming exit of hyperspace came over the overhead comm then.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Complete and total." Alric said quietly.

He was starting to feel sleepy. Sleep had come more easily to him than it had in months. He found that he was now actually able to fall asleep, actually able to get rest. It helped immensely, though quite honestly he suspected the reason wasn't the bed he had bee sleeping in. Rather it was the person who had been sleeping beside him.

Danger had a tendency to not fall asleep until he did. It was either her nurturing nature, or her own inability to fall asleep without a thousand things at once. Either way, Danger would steadily caress and hold him, be there for him even as he attempted to sleep. It was nice, comforting, and true to form now that Alric's body was feeling those same sensations, and was technically sitting in the dark, he found himself getting more and more tired.

Funny that.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

She felt the lingering but if tension leave his body, noticed how his breathing deepened, the rise and fall of his chest slowing. Danger couldn't help but smile against the crown of his head. He had been insomnictic, but he was getting more and more rest lately. The past week had been him utterly engrossed with work at home, although he had made time for her.

The pads of her fingers would roll and massage lightly back up his shoulders, drift over his neck then up towards his temples. Gently, she would start to sweep her fingers in firm pressure over his forehead, tracing the line of his eyebrows.

"I might be able to indulge that." She said, a faint smile in her voice. They would come out of hyperspace the next few minutes within Shawken Space, and while she was excited to show Alric the approaching view, what they had here was enjoyable enough. Not like they couldn't orbit the planet and then show him afterward.

"Is there anything you want to do the next month?" She asked him, wondering. While she had her own plans, she was curious if he was inclined to do anything specific.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He smiled. "No not really, but why plan?"

Of course there were some things he did indeed need to take care of, but they were all business, all things that could be forgotten about in the end. Personally, he had no plans. There was a trip to see Lily that was vaguely scheduled, but she was just as busy as he was when it came to her company. That thought brought a certain amount of pride to Alric, something that beamed from him whenever he mentioned her to anyone.

"Why don't we just see what happens?" Alric mused out loud. "Much better that way I think."

He didn't know if it was actually better, but for some reason he didn't feel like planning. He just wanted to see where things went with Danger naturally, he wanted to do what he felt like on a whim. He wanted to take the path that Rose had chosen to take. Alric would take his vacation soon enough, and on the first day he would wake up and do whatever he wanted.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

The rumbling chuckle would quiver against Alric anew.

"Hmm... spontaneity." Her massage came to a pause as the light shudder of the ship birthed itself into realspace. On approach to Shawken, it would be a few minutes before the planet was visible. They had plenty of time to wander over towards the larger viewports for Alric to see the Spire. Hmm, taking whatever path came to them. Naturally. There was a bit of a rush to that. Her life had been a series of calendar dates and slotted activities. The only times she held a moment of spontaneity was when she was back on Tatooine, where she would be able to do as she pleased. Well, at least had been until Alric came back.

"Alright... but if it ends up somewhere cold, I demand extra insulation." she quipped, referencing his warmth.

Tucking her chin on the crown of his head, she gave him a lingering hug, drawing him close with a gentle squeeze. "We're here." she told him, a smile in her tone. "I'll need you to get up so I can guide you on over to where I need you to be."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric made a strained noise, but he did as Danger asked him to. Slowly he drew himself up from his position on the acceleration couch. It was a slow draw, more exaggerated than it really needed to be. A loud groan escaped form him, obviously also exaggerated. "I think I'm too old for this."

He said the words just as he stood up all the way, stretching slightly and moving with surprising confidence even while still blindfolded.

The Tetan stood, tall and somewhat proud. He had no idea what Danger had planned for today, no idea what she wanted to do, and that was alright with him. He was almost completely confident that his surprise would not be a gift wrapped naked Trade Queen, but that didn't mean it would be bad. More than likely she was bringing him somewhere she thought he'd like, much like he had done with the Ice Hotel, a structure that was now bringing in a surprising amount of revenue.

Briefly Alric wondered if Danger had built him a hotel made out of sand.

He wouldn't like that at all.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

A roll of her eyes, and a shake of her head would follow his dramatic flare of exaggeration.

"Come on you old coot," Danger said with mild sarcasm, snaking her arm around his to hold him close. "See if your old bones can get you to the viewport." it was likely an odd request, but it gave a small hint at the situation. Granted, a Danger dressed only in her birthday suit and the cool glass of transparisteel was not an uncommon connection. Alric would remember that well from Titan Station.

With careful steps and a mix of banter, Danger would carefully guide Alric past the acceleration couch and the lounge area. She made sure he wouldn't trip, although she was sure he was joking with her a few times that he was about to.

Shawken was but a growing blue green sphere off in the distance. There were only a few scattered white streaks over its surface, which pleased the redhead. In a few minutes, they would reach the optimum distance to see the Shawken Spire in low orbit.

"Alright..." her honeyed voice poured over him. "Reckon you can take that blindfold off now."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric pulled the blindfold from his face in one smooth motion. The black cloth fell away into his hands almost immediately, dropping to the floor as it half rested in the crook of his fingers. His eyebrow raised slightly as his vision adjusted to the light, though his eyelids managed to stay open long enough to register the site of the massive tower.

The Tetan let out a long whistle.

It was an impressive sight, and he knew exactly what it was right from the outset.

The massive structure was another one of those galactic wonders that Danger and he had wanted to visit, and this one was far more his style. The huge expansive building was something he had always wanted to see, and truthfully it was more impressive than he had actually thought it would be. He had seen massive constructs like this before, buildings on Coruscant stretched for miles, yet this, this was entirely different. It was solitary, alone, and seemingly entirely defenseless.

Alric had often wondered how something like this had survived for so long, how it had survived the gulag plague and all the war that had torn through the galaxy as of late. It was easy to see he was impressed.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

A flush of pleasure would settle on Danger's cheek at the appreciative whistle. She had worried for a bit that he may not enjoy the sightseeing trip, but the look of impression on his face was certainly worth the flight.

She beamed.

"The Shawken Spire," she told him, leaning in closer to him to point out the looming construct as their ship would make a wide slow loop around it. It was part of the show after all, being able to see it from low orbit. "It is the second incarnation of the fact; the first was destroyed."

It was rather startling, what the preserverence and ingenuity of the Shawken's to not only take near nine millenia to build it once, but twice. "Took nine millennia to finish it."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He knew that, but he let Danger explain. A small smile tugged at his lips.

There was a part of him that wondered if constructing something like this would even be worth it. If the money, the human work, the sheer amount of effort was actually worth putting everyone through. He supposed that it depended on perspective, he supposed that it was different for everyone. More than a few people would call his accomplishments worthless. More than a few people would say that Titan had been naught but vanity and Vanir much the same.

Truth be told, he would be hard pressed to argue against them.

He shook his head slightly, realizing that it didn't matter in the slightest.

Alric turned away from the viewport, his arms slipping around Danger, finger's letting the black bandage fall onto the ground without a care. He pulled her close, his arms wrapping around her and squeezing her gently as he did so. "Thank you."

The Tetan knew this had been done for him, and he appreciated it.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Taken into his embrace, surrounded by his warmth, Danger couldn't help but smile. The tug of her lips would widen, and she snuggled close against his chest. Tipping her head up, she cast that warm expression up to the Tetan.

"We have some options. Could dock out at the top of the Spire, or land on the surface to make our way up." she began to explain, detailing what choices they could take. Touring the Shawken Spire could very well take an entire day to tour, but the turbolift inside would make the ride up spectacular. It ran slower than the normal turbo lift of course, with several stops along the way for those who would prefer to take in the view at a lower altitude.

There was even a restaurant at the top of the Spire, along with other accommodations. As a Wonder of the Galaxy, Shawken made the most of this tourist spot.

"Depends how old you are feelin' today," she teased, her arms snaking under his to wrap around his torso. Leaning into him, she came up on her tippy toes to press a small kiss against his chin.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He mused for a second, thought about what to do. Going from the bottom up was more his style usually, but right now, well, he still felt tired. As odd as that was, Alric realized that all he wanted to do was relax. Most of his life he had spent simply running around, running a company, chasing girls, being married...even the latter had had more running than he would have liked. Not to mention raising the girls.

Maybe it was time to relax.

"Let's just head to the top." Alric said quietly, giving her a small squeeze.

The Tetan planted a kiss on Danger's lips, lingering there for a moment before speaking again. "Let's see if you can convince me to start my vacation early, and we'll go from there."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Danger's mouth twitched under his kiss, and he would feel her shudder slightly with her chuckle.

"Is that a challenge, Mistah Kuhn?" she'd drawl out, eyebrows drawing up over her brow and her eyes glittering with growing devilry. She slowly began to take steps back, left then the right, her hold on the Tetan encouraging him to come along with her. The corner of her eyes crinkled, laughter lines some would call it. This close up one would see the fine lines of age, the faint scattering of sunspots that dusted her skin along with the freckles.

"I reckon I can find a way or two," the corner of her mouth quirked up, and she kept on with the backward walk tug. They just needed to confirm with the captain and they would be able to dock at the top of the Sphire.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He scoffed. "I'm pretty stubborn."

That was true enough, Danger would know.

Most of their lives had been dictated by his stubbornness, most of what they had experienced together and done was because he had in one way or another refused to do what a normal human being was supposed to do. Instead Alric had done things his own way, had made things go the way he wanted and needed. It was who he was, that wouldn't change even when he was eighty years old.

In fact it would probably get worse. "Why don't you go check on the pilot? See if we can't land this rust bucket and you can get to convincing."

Alric asked as his hands sneakily fell and his eyebrows waggled.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"But what about the Spire?" Danger shot back with a quip. There was a gleam in her verdant eyes, a knowing. A tease. Just what was the minx up to?

Before he knew it, two fistfuls of his shirt were quickly taken captive by the redhead. With a mischievous chuckle, she tugged him right at her, prompting a sudden one two step that would land them against the nearby wall with a light thud. Her back hit first, but it was of no consequence. It was just having fun.

"I mean..." Her face upturned, and the corner of her mouth twitched. She pressed a kiss by his neck, nuzzling the hollow there. Hands went drifting low, "Think of the trouble we could get to in low orbit?" Further still. "Unless you reckon there are other far more interesting views to survey and map at our leisure?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Well." Alric said calmly as his hands squeezed gently. "I happen to be excellent at Surveying."

That wasn't a very subtle innuendo, but no ones ever accused Alric Kuhn of being a very subtle person in the first place. "That usually requires a very high vantage point."

Despite other things, he did genuinely still want to see the tower itself from the inside.There was something about it that appealed to him, the design, the effort of construction, everything about it seemed to be rather out of this world, unnatural. That was what he liked about these sorts of construction projects, that they were unnatural.

They took genuine effort to create, not some natural happenstance that was created by coincidence.