Private Damage Report

[Mathieu Brion]

D A M A G E . R E P O R T

Location: Kashyyyk
Local time: 17:35
Tags: Sam Sheridan

After a long day out, Mathieu could finally return back to the Silver Rest. It was good to be home. Descending upon the planet he contacted flight command and started reporting in his arrival. "Five minutes" he reported and got a chuckle from the person he was corresponding with "Same spot as always?" Mathieu smiled - happy that the controller remembered him "You bet" he responded, setting the coordinates for the hangar he was heading to. "It might be a tight fit today, but I'll make it work" "Thanks, mate"

The freighter smoothly made its way in. It was clear that he had landed in the spot many times before - by now, he could probably land in there blindfolded. While the sun was just beginning to set outside, the hangar was still made brighter by the yellowish skies with several larger spotlights highlighting work areas and spots which ships could easily bump into as they landed. All to better the work environment and up the safety.

Mathieu sat back for a few short moments, letting out a sigh - food, a shower and then the bed. That was his plan. Clad in long brown robes, he finally sat back up straight and started turning off various operations and processes whilst simultaneously lowering the ramp. It had been a few months since he had joined the Order but already, he was starting to feel right at home with them - with the people whom he had idolised as a child. While tired, few things could upset or sway his good mood now.

 

[Sam Sheridan]

Sam was still adjusting to her new role. She'd only been there for a week at most, so she was still figuring out the rhythm and pace of the hangar. But she was happy. She was doing what she loved and she was certainly cementing a rather comfy spot in the team for herself... though it would still take a while for her and the team to get along smoothly. Especially when things didn't go the way she planned.

"MOTHER KARKING SON OF A-" she shouted as a panel fell shut on her hand. Pulling back from a starfighter she was wrenching on, she threw a hard kick to the body in anger. "Those parts are fragile, you know." one of the machanics quipped, earning a glare from Sam. "Then get tougher ships!" she barked at him. The poor guy merely shook his head with a chuckle before continuing with his work.

Sam picked up her wrench with her good hand and took a step back to nurse her throbbing hand. "Yo Mike, don't get too busy. We're gonna have to move that other fighter in a bit. I just wanna get my hand under some water." she called out to the guy she shouted at. "You got it!" he called back to her, giving her a thumb up. Walking away, Sam took a deep breath to calm down... though that wasn't going to happen, apparently.

A freighter flew into the hangar and landed right on the spot she was planning on using. "Mother karking..." she growled as she walked towards the new freighter. It's pilot started to disembark but she was quickly planning on chasing him back in. "Hey! HEY MUDSCUFFER! I need this space! So get your ass back in that seat and MOVE IT!" she shouted at him as she came to stand by the end of the ramp. Looking up at its pilot, though, her entire mood shifted.

"Matt...?" she muttered, nearly dropping the wrench in her hand. Wiping her injured hand against her overalls, she glanced around then blinked, making sure she wasn't seeing things. "Umm... what are you doing here?" she stammered out, still reeling from the shock. Not for a moment did she expect to see him in the Jedi temple, of all places.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

He could hear the woman's voice from the corridor before even arriving by the ramp. Someone needed to get their temper checked - perhaps a session with Master Zvezda would do her good. The Morellian was about to holler something back at her - a witty retort or perhaps a joke to ease the tempers. But he remained silent - the voice was familiar and some of the warm sensations he used to feel when he was with Sammy were coming back to him. It was not only pleasant memories that came flooding back, however - being shot at was never fun.

Stepping into the opening of the ramp, he looked down at her, barely capable of believing what he was seeing. "Sam Sheridan" he said with a low voice that clearly seemed rather surprised. If listening closely, a hint of happiness could be detected. He walked down to her but lingered on the last part of the ramp, much like he had during their last meeting. It was not the same ship as before and instead of the heavy armour, he was now wearing robes of the Jedi. "I live here." He spoke with a soft tone whilst scanning her for weapons. It was then that she studied her apparel and the tool next to her. "I take it you live outside? At the district?" he said pointing at the wall behind which the community for the non-Jedi who connected to the Temple tended to live.

Mathieu had grown much since the last met - but he had not really changed as a person. He still carried the same smile, he looked at people in the same way and he could still sympathise with them. He was proud about not having become a mindless drone but upon seeing her again, he didn't quite know how to act. They had not parted on good terms. "How have you been? It looks like you have been taking care of yourself."

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

She certainly didn't expect his answer. "Oh..." she muttered, clearly surprised by the answer. Why did he live here? His clothes looked like Jedi robes. Was he... a Jedi now? "Y-yeah. I uhh... I work here in the hangar but I uhh... yeah." she stumbled over her words, not sure how to answer him.

He asked how she was, but she wasn't sure on how to respond. The happenings of their last meeting was still fresh in her memory. "I try. I managed to get a job here in the hangar with Cas' help. It's... it's fun." she answered with an awkward voice. "You... you're a Jedi now?" she asked him with a bit of a forced smile.

"Yo Sam! We gonna move that fighter?" Mike called out to her. She looked around to him, scratching the back of her head. "Yeah, just... gimme a few." she called back to him before looking back to Matt. She slipped her wrench into her belt and lightly massaged her lightly swollen hand. "I uh... I'm gonna look for a sink. My hand's killing me here." she commented, looking down at her hand then back to him.

"Was nice seeing you again." she forced herself to say. There was a lot she still wanted to say to him, which he might be able to pick up on, but she couldn't get herself to say it. She lingered by the end of the ramp, looking up at him for a few awkward moments, before finally getting herself to move. Rather stiffly she turned and glanced around, looking for the washing basin.

Her mind was a whirlwind, her heart was pounding. She couldn't think clearly. Seeing him again wasn't something she was ready for, especially not now.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

She mentioned Cas by name. It meant that he had probably informed her that they had met. For a brief moment, Mathieu wondered what on earth his mate had been thinking in bringing her here - but then, it was a good job, far removed from crime and the front lines. Still, he had a hard time managing the situation and let out a short "Oh" of his own. Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, he let out a brief "Nice"

"A Padawan" he said, being rather brief in his sentence. After parting on such bad terms, it was hard to suddenly speak to her normally. The turnaround was strong enough to give him a whiplash. But then, she seemed to have changed and she was not even armed. Back when they were still together, there were few moments when she would ever be unarmed. Still, finding something to say was more challenging now than usual.

He looked over to Mike. The guy had taught him a thing or two about how to maintain or modify his ship but for the most part, he was self-taught, and so, their contact was somewhat limited. Only when he looked back at her did he noticed the girl massaging her swollen hand, quickly triggering his protective instincts. Instincts which she had tried to work away on their last mission together. At least to a degree. And with that, he nodded "Yeah, take care" he said whilst watching as she left for the sink.

***​

It would not be long before the former Mercenary returned, joining her by the sink. It stood by a wall in the hangar among many of the workbenches, but for the moment, nobody else seemed to be within earshot. "Hey" he said, walking up to her, holding a kolto-band in his hand "Here, take it. It should make you hand heal a bit faster" Mathieu looked at her, hoping that she wouldn't refuse it. If she decided to accept it, he would watch as she took it on, ready to intervene if she struggled and tried asking the question again "How have you been?"

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

Sam was in her own world for the moment as she walked towards the sink. She was struggling to figure out how to feel. On one hand, she was happy to see him. He still held a very special place in her heart and likely always would. There was even the returning thoughts of whether they could get back together again. But then there was the painful thoughts and -likely- realistic outlook that he didn't feel the same. Reaching the sink, she placed her hand under the cold water and tried to soothe the pain.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when he spoke up next to her. With a look of surprise, she glanced between him and the kolto pack before accepting it. "Thanks." she said softly as she started to bandage up her hand. He asked again how she was and this time she took a while to answer. "Staying afloat." she finally answered. "After what happened, I got lost a bit. It wasn't easy, suddenly being alone and all..." she spoke as she finished up with the bandage. "Eventually I came here looking for Cas. He helped me get my head back in the game. Eventually I started to ask around for work and he helped me get a job in the hangars. It's hard work but honest. And I don't have to fight like hell for the money." she explained as she turned to look at him.

"How have you been?" she asked him softly, wanting to keep the conversation between them.

After a while, she cleared her throat and looked him inthe eye. "Listen, I don't wanna be rude, but I gotta get back to work." she said rather hesitantly. She started to walk away but stopped to face him again. "Listen... I'm sorry. For shooting you, for how we parted. It was a limp-dick move and I feel guilty for it. So... yeah, I'm sorry for what I did." she spoke rather stiffly, but it was clear that she meant it. "After work, if you want... you can come to my place. We can catch up a bit, if you'd like." she offered him with a smile.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

And there they were - speaking again. He nodded as she spoke of having stayed afloat. It was good to hear and he was happy that Cas had been able to help. "Good man" he said, letting the short comment out as she mentioned the Knight helping her find a job. A soft smile spread across his closed lips "That sounds good. That sounds really good." he said before getting a playful glint in his eye "You don't have to fight like hell? Sounds like Mike is going soft on ya'" Mathieu joked, and looked over to the more senior mechanic, catching him in a glance towards the two. The force did work in mysterious ways.

He nodded, more so than necessary as she asked how he had been. "Keeping busy" he said - it was the truth. For when he worked on other things, he would not have much time to think about anything else. But in truth, the hurt from their break-up had started to fade some time ago already - it was only natural, seeing how there were so many wise and experienced teachers who tended to form healthy and close relations with their students. "Maybe it is hard to see under all these robes" he said, letting out a chuckle whilst thinking of the gains he had made during their time apart. But the Morellian soon turned more serious as he spoke to her with sincerity "We have been doing a lot of good, Sam. This, this is nothing like Mercenary work. These people, they are good, and they do good things. And now, I am one of them."

And then came the apology. He looked at her for a while. It was a surprising thing to hear from her but he could see the sincerity in her words. Nobody would be able to forget about being barraged by blaster bolts like that but forgiving a person for it - that was still quite possible. "I forgave you a long time ago, Sam. But thank you, it means much to hear you say that. And... well, and I did hit you with that stun bolt, didn't I? I hope the residual effects weren't too severe."

"Sure, you've got my comms details, right? Send me the address and I'll be there in an hour or two."

If everything went as planned, he would show up at her door an hour later - now fed and cleaned up after the mission. While he didn't show up in robes, Mathieu did arrive with the soft tunics with matte colours that the Jedi so often wore. Coming to her unarmed and without armour was daunting - but then, she seemed to have changed so much as a person and in the worst case, he still had a few tools at his disposal.

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

Sam chuckled at his comment on Mike. "When the day comes that I have to pull a gun on him for my payslip, you know something went wrong." she answered with a smile. It was odd to chat so casually with him but at the same time, it felt good.

He explained how he was doing, earning a smirk from Sam. She studied him as he mentioned his physical state, giving him a knowing look. "I take it any chances of me seeing what's underneath is long gone, right?" she joked back, giving him a tap on the stomach. He went on to accept her apology, mentioning the stun bolt he threw at her as well. She waved it off with a smile. "I've had hangovers that were worse. It did shake me up for a bit, though. That much I can tell you. she admitted as she looked at him with a glimmer in her eye.

To her delight, he agreed to her offer. But on the flipside, it was probably not going to be the visit she was hoping for. "I'll send it to you in a bit. she quipped before walking off. In truth, she was rather nervous.

After work, she returned to her quarters and managed to snatch an extra plate from the cafeteria. Not by a longshot was she going to make her own food if they had so much proper food at their disposal. She heard the buzzer go off at her door and quickly answered it. Dressed in her signature tank top and shorts, she held a towel in her hand. She just finished her shower befire he arrived. "Hey." she greeted him rather nervously. Stepping aside, she allowed him inside and closed the door behind them. Her place was modest, with two bedrooms, a living room and open plan kitchen. In truth, it was just what she wanted for a place of her own. "This week's been rather hectic, so cleaning has been less of a priority. Sorry about the mess." she admitted with a guilty laugh.

Walking to her fridge, she openedbit and looked for something to drink. "You want something? A beer, cola? I got some caf if you want as well, gourmet stuff." she offered him, flashing him a proud grin. "Make yourself at home." she insisted as she snatched a beer for herself and whatever he was in the mood for.

She sank down into her couch and rested one leg on top of the other. "So, what do you think? Not too bad, right?" she asked him, gesturing to her home. She was evidently proud of her place.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Joking and shooting a few casual lines at each other, it felt good. Much better than he had expected when meeting her again. He laughed at her joke and looked down at his abdomen as she poked at it "No. These robes aren't too cooperative for quick peeks" His hand searched for a convenient gap somewhere - but his only hope was that they had been cut during the mission and that was simply not the case. Giving up after a while, he looked back up at her. She too was joking the shots away, making it much easier for them to put it in the past.

***​

Upon seeing her, still not armed and sensing a sense of peace which he did not 'feel' when still unaware of his own force sensitivity, Mathieu immediately relaxed a little and let his shoulders fall "Hey" he said, keeping a calm and steady voice. Stepping inside, his eyes scanned whatever he could see that wasn't closed off. It was not too clean - but he had not expected that from her. "Homely" he said, feeling how much it 'belonged' to her.

Letting out a chuckle, he shook his head "It is too late for coffee for me. A soda would be nice" he said, not wishing to risk dulling his senses for the night. Mathieu waited for her to take out her beer and his soda. Taking it with a "Thanks", he walked over to the living area with her. He sat down on the armchair and leaned to the side on which she sat. Although he opened the soda, he didn't drink from it directly, instead, he felt how some of the sparkling bubbles started to plop over onto his hand. "This is a nice place. Much roomier than what I've got at the temple"

The Morellian did not know what to say to her. He very much wished to avoid sore spots of the past or unearth hurt emotions which had already been buried. Instead, he took a zip from his drink and let out a satisfied "Ahhhh" before setting it down on the table. Finally managing to think of something, he looked over to her "How do you know Cas anyways? He seemed to know much about me" the comment was asked with a curious voice without any hints of animosity.

"Oh, right" he said as he dug into his pocked and took out a deck of cards "I brought some Pazaak if you're interested"

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

Sam chuckled at his comment of his own place, glancing around then back to him. "You could save up and get you a place like this as well. Granted, this place wasn't cheap." she commented, taking a long swig of her beer. The tension was still a bit thick between them, but the more they spoke, the more Sam managed to relax around him.

Matt took a sip before asking how she knew Cas. Sam gave him a confused look. "I thought I told you way back." she quipped, clearly surprised. "Oh well, not an issue. I met him a year or so back when I got into some trouble on Tatooine. Gang that was trying to move in framed me for some stuff and the Hutts got angry. I quite literally ran into him and he managed to help me sort it out. Since then, I stayed in contact. I guess from there we just stuck. Your name made some rounds in our conversations. We didn't exactly have any weird secrets between us so I was fairly open." she explained, running a hand through her drying hair. "Kolto worked wonders, by the way. Thanks for that." she spoke with a smile, looking at her hand.

Matt pulled a pack of pazaak cards crom his pocket, earning a laugh from Sam. "That will be rather awkward. You got the Force mumbo jumbo and I know how to play it." she quipped as she looked at him. She was skeptical about gambling against Jedi, but this game might be good for them. She gave a nod and sipped at her beer. "Kark it, I'll bite." she quipped as she got up and pulled her coffee table closer to them. "Know any tricks to shuffle or should I?" she asked him as she sat forward, giving him a smirk.

She looked at the deck then between the two of them. "It's not proper pazaak if there isn't something on the line. But I don't got the creds to gamble right now and I doubt you do too. Any ideas?" she asked him, finishing off her beer.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

"The ship is cozy" he said, knowing that he was far too bad with his credits to be able to afford buying something big.

His forehead furrowed as he thought back - it had been some time ago but he couldn't remember being told about the guy. Ultimately, it didn't matter and so, he just shrugged it away and let her tell the story. Half teasingly, he stretched with a bright smile "Well, Sam, I must say - you have a good taste in friends" He was taking another sip as she thanked him for the Kolto "No sweat! I keep a few around the ship, just in case, you know."

They wouldn't ponder on the topic of kolto packs for long. Pazaak was the name of the game - or at least the mechanic considering whether she should play it or not. "Come on, I'm not a cheater at cards" he said, giving her a friendly smile as he tried to encourage her to play. A winning smile spread across his lips as she agreed to play and asked if he knew any tricks. He was not going to do anything with the force - but the life of a Mercenary involved a lot of waiting around and that had given him plenty of time to up his game.

Shuffling the deck of cards with a few quick moves and then doing it again, he soon had it all set up. "Come on. We can can play for the fun of it and the honour in winning" he said, hoping that it would win her over.

Whether she proposed an idea of her own or if she agreed with him, they would eventually start playing. It was not the most fast paced game and he was happy to chat with her, but he still wanted to win. Not solely focusing on that, he looked up at her "Have you had any use for that spare bedroom yet? Any friends coming over to visit?"

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

Matt suggested that they play simply for the fun of it, earning a smile from Sam. "Well I would have suggested naked pazaak but that's probably not the best choice. Okay then, deal." she agreed, sitting back to watch him shuffle the cards. She was secretly hoping that he'd do some cool force tricks with the deck. But then again, Jedi were always buzzkills when it came to that. Matt was probably not going to be any different.

As he dealt the cards, she got them both refills. Soon the game started, and it was clear that Sam was playing it casual. Though she wasn't going to let him win that easily. She looked up at Matt after her turn and sat back, taking a sip of her beer while keeping her cards against her chest. "At the moment, not much. Cas has slept over once or twice but other than that, it's open. Believe it or not, I'm not exactly inclined these days to just invite anyone into my place." she commented looking back at her hand of cards. "If you feel emotionally capable, you could spend the night here." she offered him with a wink before she could stop herself. It wasn't a good call from her end, not with how much of a mess her mental state was at the moment. It could lead to rather problematic situations...

The buzzer of the door drew her attention. "Who the hell..." she muttered, getting up and walking towards the door. Opening it, she was looking at a young Zabrak girl barely in her teens. "Can I help you? she asked the girl. " Yeah, are you Sam Sheridan?" she asked Sam. The former mercenary blinked in surprise, but gave a nod. "Yeah, that's me. Who are you." she asked the girl, her brow curling into a frown.

"My name's Ara. Ara Sheridan. I doubt you'll remember me but I'm your kid. she stated rather bluntly, earning a shocked look from Sam. "My kid? Yeah right." she dismissed her, turning to close the door. "You remember Joe Highsinger?" the kid spoke up before Sam could close the door. That seemed to grab her attention as she turned back to look at her. Her eyes narrowed as she studied her for several moments. Finally her eyes went wide and she spun around to shut the sliding door in her face.

With heavy breaths she leaned against the door as if fighting to keep it closed. She looked at Matt with enormous eyes as she tried to comprehend the situation.

"Oh shit."

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Mathieu smiled at her offer "The Temple isn't far. But thanks. Might take you up on the offer if I ever get expelled" he joked, trying to alleviate them of some of the awkwardness which would inevitably arise if he had only declined the invitation. He still viewed Sam as a friend - at least after she had showed that she was no longer the kind of person who would shoot at him again. But even then, sleeping over in her spare room had too many risks and he was perfectly happy to head home instead.

But that was a question for another time as their game was still very much unfinished.

"Expecting someone?" It became obvious that she was not as she seemed just as surprised as he was. Gesturing towards the door with a light shrug, Mathieu stayed behind in the armchair. His position was conveniently close to the door which meant that he could - for better or for worse - hear every word that was said. His mind immediately went back to the photo he had seen falling out of her pocket so long ago as the girl claimed to be Sam's daughter. But then, she also had a rather troubled past which could have all kinds of implications in this situation.

Whatever was happening, he heart was going out to the girl who had came seeking her mother. But then the door closed. He froze for a few moments, listening intently to if he could hear anything - but the only sound he heard was Sam going 'oh shit'. Suddenly, he got out of the armchair quickly and dashed towards the door where she found the mechanic. Her back was pressed against the door. His face formed a sympathetic grimace as he took a few calm steps towards her "Sam, what happened?" he asked before looking at the closed door behind her "You've got to open it. Sam."

She could be stubborn at time and he hoped that this would not be one of those occasions. Trying to hear noise from outside, he then looked back at the human "Is she still there?" he paused before speaking again "If she is your daughter... Sam, at least let me go after her, OK? Speak to her, make sure she's alright and that kind of stuff. I mean, how old is she? To come here all on her own." he trailed off. If they were lucky, the girl would still be waiting outside but if she was anything like her mother, she may already have started running - and if that was the case, Mathieu was in for a challenge.

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

Glancing behind her, she wasn't fully paying attention to what Matt was saying. That was until he mentioned letting the kid in. "You crazy?!" she fired back, nearly shouting at him. "She's... what if..." she stumbled over her thoughts, unable to think clearly. "She's alive?!" she muttered rather loudly, staring at him with wide eyes. "I can hear you, you know!" came the muffled voice from the other side of the door. Instinctively, she reached for her pocket to pull out a cigarette. But alas, she decided to quit smoking after her last packet ran out.

Matt asked about the girl, insisting on letting her in. Sam clutched her forehead and sighed heavily. "Thirteen. She's thirteen. Kark me. Not only is she alive, she's thirteen karking years old... and standing outside my house." she muttered, staring back up at Matt. "Still here, you know! Not like I got anywhere else to go!" erupted the voice from outside. Sam glanced behind her then back to Matt. "You stay right here. You're not leaving me alone with this kid." she ordered him with a hushed voice before getting back up. She turned to face the door, took a deep breath in, then opened the door. The girl's striking green eyes glared back at her then at Matt. "For the record, you weren't my first choice. But I got nowhere else to go." the girl commented, crossing her arms and flicking her hair out of her face.

Sam took a step closer, looking her over with shocked eyes. Her clothing was worn and dirty, her hair was messy and the worn backpack in her hand was stuffed full with stuff, likely her only possessions. Sam was utterly speechless as she looked her up and down. "So...? Can I come in or what?" she asked bluntly, earning a weak nod from Sam. She stepped aside and let Ara into her home. The girl placed her backpack on the island between the living room and kitchen as she looked around. "Got a bathroom I can use?" she asked Sam. "Down the hall, first door on your left." she answered weakly, staring at the ground. The girl disappeared and Sam hugged herself, slowly rubbing her arms. "It's really her, Matt. She has his eyes, his look... it's really her." she spoke softly, looking up at him.

She walked up to him and pressed her face into his chest, releasing a shaky sigh. "I'm starting to think us not having any kids is a good thing." she quipped with a chuckle, but her smile immediately disappeared. "I guess we better go hear what she has to say." she muttered as she walked past him into her home. Inside, Ara was sitting on the couch, shuffling the deck of cards rather impressively. "I dunno who was sitting on the couch, but that person was planning on cheating." she commented bluntly, putting the neatly stacked deck back onto the table.

Sam glanced at Matt with a nervous smile before looking back to Ara, taking a seat on the armchair next to her. "Ara... why did you come looking for me?" she asked her softly, studying her. "Like I said, you weren't my first choice. Ol' Joe looked after me, but some nutcase destroyed the gang that was bringing him in all his money. Burnt the place down and everything. Some people even say that was you, but I doubt it. Anyway, him and his girl couldn't afford to take care of me anymore, so I left. After bouncing from one place to the other, I decided to look for you. I'm surprised you let me in to begin with, I expected you to chase me away." she explained, shuffling the deck once again. Sam looked at Matt then at Ara, not sure what to do. She decided to dismiss Ara's rather accurate assumption of her slaughtering her old gang, no need to bring that up. "Who are you, by the way?" Ara asked Matt, looking him over. "You supposed to be a Jedi or something?" she asked rather curtly.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

It was a little heartbreaking to hear the girl outside the door. She kept knocking and banging to get to see her mother again. It was all the more reason for the young Morellian to keep trying to persuade Sam to give the girl a chance. And eventually, she seemed to be coming around and even wanted him to be there. It meant that he might have a role to play in it all, even if it was just a small one. "Of course, I'll be here. Don't worry about it." he said, giving her an encouraging smile before standing back a little.

Just by appearances, it was not obvious that Sam and Mathieu were or even had been a couple. While his form with broad shoulders and well muscled frame could make him look rather stoic, the youthful features of his face prevented it from having full effect. As she peered in at him, he sent he a friendly smile but decided to stay back for the time being. The mother and daughter were communicating without tearing each other's hair out and that was not something he wanted to disrupt. Mathieu smiled at the mother warmly when she turned to him. Ara had just gone to the bathroom and with that, they got a little moment for Sam to compose herself in. While his left arm remained limp, the right one reached up for the back of her head with a soft rub "You're doing great. And look at her it's your daughter, not only in appearance but in demeanour too." he said - there were differences, but there were also clear similarities. His lips formed a thin flat line as she mentioned them not having kids. Considering their relationship status, he thought she was right, and his nod indicated as much, but he also added "Kids are cute"

Mathieu faded into the background once more, occupying himself with some dishes which had yet to be done, only to shoot Sam a surprised look as she was exposed to cheat in cards. All bets were off as he let out a high-pitched "Hey!" he said, pointing at the mechanic "She sat in the couch! Were you going to cheat?" The large Morellian then let out a sigh as he shook his head with an amused smile before returning to the dishes. Once again, he was fading into the background, listening quietly whilst trying to be as unintrusive as possible.

He was unsure of how Sam would have behaved during the time the two of them were together but was pretty sure that the daughter was correct if he wouldn't have been in the picture. This new Sam, however, she seemed to be touched and cared - her nervousness told him as much. The room grew quiet after Ara had told her story - Sam was not responding, at least not yet. For a while all that could be heard were the dishes being done until the young girl spoke again.

He had been summoned.

Wiping his hands clean, Mathieu turned to the two women. He had been fortunate enough to not have a bunch of water splattered all over him after doing the dishes without an apron. Still, some water were there to weigh the otherwise loose shirt down a little. He took a seat at the other end of the couch "I'm sorry to hear that, uhm, 'Ol' Joe' couldn't take care of you anymore." he said, feeling like some sort of reaction to her monologue was required. "I'm glad you sought out some help." he spoke with a warm voice and kind smile. The Morellian took a deep breath and nodded "Yeah, but I'm just a Padawan. I'm just here as a friend though. Chat a bit, play some Pazaak, you know. Oh, and, if you ever get bored around here, give me a call. If I'm free, we could explore the planet together" His voice turned more enthusiastic as he spoke - in truth, it was still unclear if Sam wanted to keep here there or not. But in a way, he felt like his duty was not only to her as a loyal friend, but also to Ara, as a good person. She was just a child, after all.

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

Sam snorted at his comment on kids. She could really use a stupid joke now. "Yeah, 'till they come knocking on your door after a decade. Come on, let's go." she quipped before going in. Back in the apartment, Sam was deathly quiet as she listened to Ara talk. But she was clearly also studying her intently. She was mesmerized by the girl. Not only her looks but also the fact that she was sitting just a few feet from her, just starting to go into her teen years.

When Matt joined in, she snapped out of her trance and glanced up at him. "If you knew Joe, you might actually be glad she's not there anymore." she commented, looking back at Ara. "Yeah, she's got a point. Joe's an nerf herder. Only reason I stayed there was 'cause I had my own room and proper food from the bar. At least he was a solid cook so I didn't complain." Ara agreed with Sam, glancing up from the deck of cards for a second. Matt continued on to admit that he was simply a padawan, earning a confused look from Ara. "I'm confused now. Are you a Jedi or a padawan?" she asked him, blinking a few times. Sam snickered at the comment but left the explaining to Matt.

Ara continued to stare at his soft features and happy demeanor, looking a little concerned. "He's weirdly happy, is he high right now?" she asked Sam, pointing to Matt. Sam simply shook her head. "Nah, he's like that." she commented, smirking at Matt. "Someone had a happy childhood, then." Ara quipped as she set the cards aside. "Could I have something to drink, please?" she asked the two of them. Sam quickly got up and poured her some cola before handing it to her. "Thanks." she muttered before sitting back and sipping at it. "Just stay put for a sec. We'll be right back... don't touch my stuff." Sam ordered before giving Matt a tap on the shoulder and gesturing to the door. Leaving Ara inside, she closed the door and immediately released a heavy sigh. She looked at him for a few moments then back to the door. "For the record, I thought you were gonna cheat." she confessed, getting that proverbial bantha out of the room.

She paced around for a few seconds, running a hand through her hair. Finally she looked at him and rested her hands on her sides. "Well? What's your input on this?" she asked him, rather desperate to hear someone else's thoughts on this situation. "I won't lie to you, it was arguably one of my wildest years when I had her. I didn't want the kid growing up in the gang and Kaa didn't want anything to do with her. So I gave her to Joe after a few months. He offered to take her in. I forgot about her and moved on... though I'm starting to think that might be in the top three of the biggest mistakes of my life." she confessed to him, leaning against the wall and staring at the ground.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

For their shots at him earlier about now knowing who Joe was, he simply shrugged. The girl had been kicked out from her previous home and for that, he was sorry. As for her confusion, he leaned his head to the side "Within the Silver Jedi Order, we are all Jedi. And then there are different ranks among us - Padawans, Knights, Masters. People usually think of the Masters or Knights - they know their stuff and have a lot of agency in what they do. We Padawans are more like trainees. On the job training, off the job training, and usually a master to follow." he said, cheery as always.

Apparently, the girl was not used to cheery people. To him, it seemed rather saddening. Her guess was correct - while Mathieu was quite the capable fighter at thirteen, he was definitely no adult and being brought up in a military family, he was used to a hierarchy and he was definitely not on top of it. Instead of falling into a grumpy state, he simply gave her a friendly nod "Hey, you. You aren't that old. You can still be happy and stuff. Don't give up. Look, you seem mature and all, but having some fun can be important too. Makes you more stable and stuff." he said - the offer to go sightseeing with her had already been made, so pushing for it again seemed futile.

Soon after, Sam pulled him out. He listened to her share her thoughts and her inner conflict "She seem like a fun kid." he said before looking away en letting out a long breath before returning to her. "You are her mother, Sam. And she has nowhere to go. I think she'd be better off with you rather than alone." he said and leaned a little closer, looking her intently in the eyes whilst putting both his hands by the side of her arms "And more importantly, it looks like you care for her. And if you do, and you do your best to give her a good life, I think you'll do a great job."

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

Matt explained the situation to Ara, who gave a nod to indicate she understood. "So... you're just a trainee?" she asked him. "Meh." she quipped, looking away once more. She looked back to him as he tried to help her understand that being happy was a good and normal thing, but she merely gave him an annoyed look. "Look dude, it's hard to be happy when you're sitting next to your mother that literally didn't want anything to do with you." she retorted rather curtly. Sam was clearly hurt by the comment, but her saddened face was quickly replaced by an annoyed glare. It was obvious where she got her personality from.

Outside, Sam listened intently to what Matt had to say. "I'm not throwing her away, Matt. I don't want to. Not again. That's... that's not who I am, anymore." she assured him, looking away. He stepped closer and took hold of her, drawing her attention back to him. She gazed up at him with the same glimmer in her eye as before the breakup. She might be starting to move on, but it was still hard to completely lose the love she still had for him. "I'm trying to be a better person, Matt. I want to leave who I was behind. That's what I've been trying for months now." she gazed past him at the door behind them, thinking for a few moments. "I don't want to mess it up again. I just... don't know how it's gonna work. I mean, you saw how she looked at me. She's here out of necessity. She thinks that I'm still some sort of scumbag. Granted, I still am probably... but still." she admitted with a weak laugh.

She looked back to him and took hold of his wrists, giving them a gentle squeeze. "I don't know how I'll be able to change her mind if all she knows about me is who I used to be." she spoke softly, gazing into his eyes. She let go of him and moved towards the door. "Thanks, Matt. For staying, I mean. It might not look like it, but you're helping me out a lot here." she spoke as she shot him a warm smile. She opened the door again, glancing at Ara who was messing around on her battered datapad. "I don't know what you guys talked about out there, but I hope you're not gonna throw me out." Ara spoke up as they walked through the door. She placed her datapad onto the coffee table and stood up to face them. Sam glanced at Matt then at Ara, stepping closer to look at her. "No, Ara. I'm not gonna throw you out. You're welcome to stay here as long as you like." she reassured her, giving a warm smile. Sam took another step closer, wanting to bring her into a hug. But before she could even raise her arms, Ara took a step back and held out her hands. "Um... no thanks. I don't know you well enough for that." she refused, much to Sam's dismay.

The mood was broken when her commlink came to life. "Hey, Sam! Sorry to bother you this late but uh... the fighter in one-three is spewing coolant all over the floor. We need an extra hand." Mike spoke up. Sam glanced at the device then at her two guests, looking like she was having a panic attack. "Kark me... I gotta run. I'll be back in a bit. Could you keep her company, please?" she asked Matt hurriedly as she rushed to grab her jacket and rush off. "I'll be back in a sec!" she called out as she ran for the door.

Ara stared at her with wide eyes then looked to Matt. "So... how do you know her? You a one-night-stand or something?" she asked him, tilting her head slightly.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

She was a tough kid, that much was for sure. Mathieu really didn't care much for what she thought of his status. This was the best position he had ever been in, even if he had more authority while still doing increasingly well-paying jobbs as a mercenary. That was enough for him. It was still sad to see how little hope the mini-Sam had, for a few moments, he wondered if she had been like that too. The tall Morellian leaned over a bit and stretched out a hand, easily reaching her head to mess her hair up a little in a playful rub "It'll get better"

Well outside, he gave Sam a nod of approval upon hearing that she'd let Ara stay. Of course, she was still worried about things - he had much sympathy for that. His demeanour remained calm and friendly as he listened to her concerns. He had never been a parent himself and Sam was extremely different from his own parents and putting the Zabrak through a marshal upbringing really didn't seem very realistic. "Time, love and care. It's the best you could do, right? The best of what anyone could do, really." he said and paused for a few moments to think it through another lap "And probably patience. A lot of patience." He felt how her relatively small hands took hold of his wrists as she expressed another concern about her past. "Time, love and care, Sam. You can only do your best." he said and gave her a nod and warm "Of course" before going back inside.

Mathieu felt bad when he saw Ara's dislike of being hugged by her mother. Personally, he liked hugs a lot but then, there might be more animosity directed to Sam than he had first expected.

"Yeah, sure" it was a simple answer that came almost immediately upon being ask. There was no question in his mind about staying with the girl for a while. It looked like she was capable of taking care of herself, but he imagined that it might give her a better impression of her mother if she was not abandoned to be on her own the first night they reunited.

The Padawan looked at her as his right eyebrow slowly rose in an amused expression. He picked up his soda and took a sip from it before looking at the can and then at the girl "Does this really look like a one-night-stand to you?" he shook his head and sent her a teasing smile. Before answering her question, he sat down on the armchair again and picked up his Pazaak cards "Come on, let's play" His voice was lighthearted, standing in stark contrast to what either of the Sheridans had been able to produce during the night. Having a hunch that she might want stakes in it like her mother, he quickly added "And I'm just playing for fun."

Unlike before, he now had a rather casual approach to the game - he wanted to get to know Ara better and make her feel comfortable in her new home. Winning was secondary. "We were together a few months back. I hadn't seen her in a while until I suddenly found her working here." he said, pointing casually towards the temple. "I used to take contracts before I knew I had the force. Used a big chaingun and heavy armour." he said. He found himself exceptionally lucky in the game and ended up at 20 without having to pull any cards from his deck. In order to win the round, the girl would need to be exceptionally lucky or burn through the cards of her own deck to land at 21, thus lowering her chances later. He leaned back with a grin and watched curiously at what she'd do.

His eyebrows furrowed for a brief moment before returning back to normal. Was she? Mathieu was not very well trained in the force yet - but one of the fields in which he had the most knowledge was force sense and Ara seemed like she might just have the force. Still, he was far from sure since they were in an area with so many other force users around. Still, he decided to pay attention to the possibility. Whilst watching her decide, he asked a question "I don't know how much free time you used to have, but are you doing any sports?"

 

[Ara Sheridan]

With her mother suddenly running out of the door like a crazy person, leaving her alone with the random guy. He made a joke about her question, earning a scoff from her. "You want me to answer that?" she quipped, sitting back down. He soon joined her and suggested that the play a game of Pazaak. That seemed to grab her attention as a smirk formed on her lips. Slipping a few strands of hair behind a horn, she looked at him and then at the deck. Her smirk quickly faded at the mention of only playing for fun. "You're probably the first person I've met who wants to play it for fun." she remarked as she sat back, waiting for him to deal their cards.

He explained how he knew her mother, earning a surprised look from the girl. "Your standards must be pretty low." she commented as she opened with her cards after him. She didn't say anything as he commented on his previous choice of gear, though the mention of a chaingun made her glance up, clearly curious about that detail. Though she kept quiet and instead focused on their game. She was a little nervous over his hand, studying her cards hard before looking back to him. She started to draw from her hand but slipped the card back in, unsure whether it would be the right call. A snicker escaped her as he asked about sports. "I guess you could say I used to before I got kicked out." she admitted with a devious look in her eye. She looked back to her hand and a confident smirk formed on her lips. She started to draw her cards and managed to match his 20 with her own. "Talk about being lucky." she quipped as she looked up at him.

"I used to race swoops for some side money a few times a week. I wasn't too bad at it, too. Managed to get around some pretty bad crashes that totaled a lot of other racer. People liked to think I cheated, but I'd like to think I just got luck on my side." she admitted as she looked back at her hand. Her turn wasn't over yet. Confident as ever, she pulled her last card... only to burst. "Kriff's sake." she muttered, glancing back at him. "You're cheating." she accused him flatly, eyeing him up and down. "No Jedi tricks, okay. Otherwise I'll start cheating too." she warned him with an unimpressed look before getting ready for a new round.

She sat back as she let him deal again, watching his hands very closely. "What's your name, by the way?" she asked him out of the blue. "You're acting all nice and stuff, but I don't even know your name." she asked him, sitting forwards slightly to glare at him. She was trying to play her intimidation card, but it would likely just make Matt laugh at this point.

Mathieu Brion