Hyperspace Is So Boring

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Ah the graveyard shift. There was nothing like it. Sitting in the cockpit of Jaster's Sparrow with nothing but the star lines of hyperspace travel seen through the viewport, the flickering lights of the control panel and navi-computer. It was BORING.

Lori had her feet propped up as she listened to music from her headphones. A bottle of a fizzy concoction held in one hand, the sugar meant to help keep her awake. The rest of her crew on this mission were asleep. Or at least they should be.

A wide variety of people made up her crew for this journey. A smuggler, a thief, an assassin, a bounty hunter and a...well, Lori wasn't quite certain what [member="Curtis Learchin"] was just yet. He gave the others the cocky impression that he was to be her bodyguard, herself included. More than likely he'd just be some added muscle. His armour was strange and it made her wonder what culture or planet he came from. That'll come at another time though.

For now she just went over the mission at hand inside her head, while the music played out. Only 7 more hours of this shift to go! How long before she's unable to resist the urge to watch a movie? Or read a holobook? Maybe by the end of this music album...

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Curtis wandered the corridors of the Jaster's Sparrow in an almost aimless fashion. In truth, he was snooping around the ship, seeing if it gave any indication as to the type of person his newfound captain was. She seemed nice enough, and he couldn't deny a certain attraction he had towards her, however small it was at the present moment. There was another reason he was up though, he really hated sleeping on ships. It had never felt right to him, and being in a bunk with others somehow made that worse.

A faint light caught his eye, coming from the cockpit. It was [member="Loreena Arenais"]'s shift after all, it made sense that she'd be in the cockpit. Strangely though, he had the urge to join her. He wasn't sure why, but the feeling didn't go away, and eventually he gave in, approaching the cockpit with an anxious determination.

"Hey." He said, taking the copilot seat for his own, before noticing that she was wearing headphones. He lifted his hand a gently tapped her shoulder.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori had her eyes closed, her head bopping up and down in rhythm to the music. Was she listening to pop music? Classical? Heck no! She was into the heavier kind of rock music that her parents and other adults would probably say was too loud.

And loud it was! [member="Curtis Learchin"] probably heard it faintly coming from the headphones when he sat down. Not that she noticed he was there at all. As a Jedi-in-training, she should have been more aware of her surroundings than she was. But the music was just TOO GOOD.

It wasn't until he touched her shoulder that she realized she wasn't alone. Lori jumped, her eyes snapping open as she removed her legs from the console and planted them back on the durasteel floor. She removed the headphones and was surprised to see him there. It wasn't as though she minded, but wasn't he asleep like everyone else?

"Oh! When did you get here? Aren't you gonna get some sleep? My shift just started not long ago. Unless it's over already? What time is it?" The words just poured out of her as they always did when she was either uncomfortable or excited. At the moment it was a nixture of both.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Curtis gave a warm smile and a chuckle, leaning back in his chair. She was flustered, and he wondered whether he had anything to do with it or not. She wasn't annoyed by his presence at least, so that was a step in the right direction.

"Don't worry, your shift is still on. I just can't sleep and thought you could use the company. What are you listening to?" He spoke almost as quickly as she had, but with some air of confidence now that he knew he wasn't intruding. Gazing out at hyperspace, he became slightly lost in its dangerous beauty, and wished that he could experience it without a metal bird keeping him safe.

But that could never happen, so maybe there was something that could give a similar feeling...

[member="Loreena Arenais"]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"Oh!...Well thanks. I should have napped before my shift, but I was too busy and just sort of forgot. So having you here for a bit will keep me awake." Lori sipped her fizzy drink and then tipped the bittom of it towards him. "Do you want one? I have extras in the cooler there."

She hit the top of the cooler with her foot so that [member="Curtis Learchin"] would know where it was.

"I'm listening to Path. It's a great rock song. Did you want to hear it? What kinds if tunes do you like?" Now that she was basically alone with him for the first time, she could find out more about this mysterious new recruit that liked to consider himself her personal bodyguard. At least he was very easy on the eyes. She could get used to having him around.

Reality hit her then. She couldn't fall for anyone easily. Not after that first and last time that she did. Lori was crushed to learn that she was just some flavour of the month to some playboy. She wasn't about to let that happen again.

Ever.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Curtis nodded at the offer of a drink, and reached into the cooler, pulling out a can and cracking it open. He took a sip, feeling the cold and fizzy liquid trickle down his throat, and let a smile grow across his face. It had been so long since he'd had anything that could be considered a treat, and for that he was thankful.

"Thank you, it has been too long since I've had one of these." He said, placing the drink down onto a holder. She asked about his music taste, and that gave him pause. He had never been one for music, never really had time. When he was younger, the music he heard was tribal and chaotic, but he would give up everything to hear it again. "I can't say I'm up to date with music, but I'll happily hear whatever you have to show me." He replied with a smile.

He took a moment to look at her features, and became slightly lost in how soft she seemed, almost delicate. He had joked about protecting her, but in that moment, he felt more strongly about it, as if it truly was his reason for being there.

[member="Loreena Arenais"]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori snickered. "Well there's plenty more where that came from. I always have some in stock. I've got Commenori brandy as well. I don't tend to drink that when flying though."

She raised a brow as [member="Curtis Learchin"] said that he wasn't up to date with his music. It wasn't as though he was old. Or was he? With some people it was hard to say. Some were centuries old, yet looked no older than her Dad.

"Sure. Let just playback it for you." Once she got it set up on the headphones she handed them to him. Once they were on, she hit play. Hopefully it wasn't too loud for him, but Lori really liked to hear the bass.

As he listened to it she watched his reactions, perhaps a bit longer than intended. Catching herself almost staring at him, she turned her attention to the viewscreen and waited the few minutes for the song to end.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Curtis smiled and accepted the headphones, realising how old he must've seemed. He was in fact the same age as [member="Loreena Arenais"], though maybe the beard made that difficult to tell. With the headphones on he nodded his head to the beat, listening to the bass and actually enjoying himself a bit. His eyes briefly met hers, and smiled at her, before turning away as she did.

Once the song finished, he removed the headphones and handed them back to her. His ears hurt a little from the volume of the music, but the song was good, and he would have to hear more. Maybe they'd listen together.

"I liked that, wouldn't expect you to be listening to something so hardcore though." He joked, before taking another sip of his drink.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori smirked at the joke that [member="Curtis Learchin"] made. "Oh I'm just full of surprises." She then grinned and gave him a wink as she took back her headphones and had a swig of her own fizzy drink.

She propped her feet up on the console again, remaining silent for a moment or two. Now was the time for small talk. Right? At least she was in the comfort of her own ship instead of some bar or club.

"So.....where are you from? What bad karma did you get dealt with to end up on my ship and in my crew?" Lori snickered to herself. She wasn't THAT bad of a Captain. Or so she thought.

Of course she hadn't started showering her crew with unexpected pranks yet either.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Curtis felt his heart jump at the wink, and laughed awkwardly. He wasn't used to talking to people, much of his time on Bastion and Dathomir had been spent alone, learning whatever he could. Now there was a someone, a girl no less, asking him about his life with genuine interest. Very unusual.

"I grew up on Dathomir, lovely place once you get past the blood red sky." He said, taking a sip of his drink. He wouldn't reveal everything, but he would have to tell some of the truth. "I left to explore the galaxy a bit, and that brought me to you, luckily." He could feel the awkwardness creeping up on him again, but he could control it.

"What about you? What planet did such a fine lady come from?"

[member="Loreena Arenais"]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Dothamir...Dothamir...Dothamir...

Nope! She hadn't been there before. She couldn't even place it on the map. Not off the top of her head, anyways.

Lori nodded as [member="Curtis Learchin"] spoke of a want of exploring the Galaxy. She had that little itch for travel too. That was why she got her own ship afterall! Maybe it was due to always needing an escape or something. Or a want of adventure outside of home. It was hard to say.

She snickered when Curtis called her a fine lady. As if! She didn't considered herself poised or graceful like other ladies that she knew. "I was born on Commenor. Lived there for most of my life. This ship is my home now, more or less. My twin brother has a house built for himself and my parents have homes all over. But I just don't have a reason to settle or plant my roots yet. There's just too much to see out there, you know?"

 

[Curtis Learchin]

"Commenor... never been myself." Was all Curtis had to say. Sith weren't welcome in most places, but especially not on Commenor. He would be an idiot to attempt it, unless he had something to secure his safety. [member="Loreena Arenais"]'s want to travel was commendable, and perhaps he could tag along for longer than just one trip.

He took another drink from the can, and as he placed it down, the back of his hand brushed against her. His face went crimson, to the point where his warpaint was the same colour as his skin.

"Sorry." He said quickly, coughing slightly. "So, anything specifically you want to find out in this big galaxy?" He was eager to move on from what he thought was an awkward moment.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"Oh it's a pretty planet. And it has this wicked place called the Valley of the Storm. The lightning there is fantastic! It's all Jedi territory now though." Lori still wasn't used to someone else having control over her homeworld. But then again it didn't quite feel like home anymore. Nowhere did.

She glanced iver to [member="Curtis Learchin"] has he touched her by accident. Was he going red?? Did he find that embarressing or something? Why would he unless...

Lori turned her head away briefly, her eyes widening slightly. Did he like her or something? Was that it? Or was it all just inside her head? More than likely it was the latter.

She welcomed the change in subject however. It was a big distraction from the mess of thoughts inside her head. "Yeah...though I'm not sure how specific it is. I just want to know what path is right for me. I'm being pulled in different directions by family and circumstances. They all know what they want and what path to follow. I'm just...confused. I don't want to make the wrong choice. But I don't know which is right for me." Lori tried not to get into specifics. But she didn't mind getting some advice.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

"Jedi..." The words echoed through his mind as if it were a deep chasm. She could've been stating a fact, but he felt as though she was hiding almost as much as himself. Maybe her past was something she wished to keep hidden, while he hid the present. Friends don't tell lies, but they weren't friends just yet.

"No choice is right or wrong, they just have outcomes. Yeah, your family have their own paths to follow, but you have to make your own." He gave genuine advice, though it crossed his mind that he could've tried to corrupt her in some way. But something stopped him, something deep inside his own being kept that from happening. "Besides, that path has brought me to you, so it can't be so bad." He joked, finishing his drink. They must've been talking for no more than 30 minutes, but he didn't want to leave.

[member="Loreena Arenais"]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"Fortunately I don't need to make a choice anytime soon. But I guess in some ways, in doing my own thing and travelling with my crew when they are available, I already have chosen." That choice was to be her own self.

Lori slid down in her chair a bit and crossed her feet at the ankles so that she was more comfortable. She smiled at [member="Curtis Learchin"] as he joked. He was right of course. Even if he did say it with a joking tone. "Oh just wait. When there's trouble, as there ALWAYS is with my family, you may change your mind. My family are....well connected....let's just put it that way. My brother and I are just lucky enough to stay away from most of the troubles." But now it was different. Now they were caught in the middle. Lori just kept trying to forget that. She didn't want to risk having to fight her family on the battlefield. So maybe in doing what she was doing, Lori was running away from it all.

Yet her Dad told her to stay away. So that's EXACTLY what she was doing.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

"At least you have a family..." Curtis said, and immediately regretted it. If there was a rewind button in real life, he would've used it. He had revealed more than he'd planned, but in a way he didn't mind. It wasn't a secret among the Sith of what had happened to his adoptive family, it had been one of their own that had executed it. For the most part, that was what drove him to gain power. It was maybe the only reason he was still with the Sith, because if he could gain enough power to kill the Sith Lord who had done that to the ones he loved...

He could feel the anger swelling, and decided to move on instead of lashing out in some way. He reached into the cooler and removed another drink, cracking it open and sipping from it. He gave a smile to [member="Loreena Arenais"]. He was enjoying himself, but he would have to be more careful about what he said. The last thing he wanted was to be shot out of the airlock.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori caught that remark, and it caused her to furrow her brows a bit. That wasn't very fair. Yes, she had a family. But they were each in separate corners of the Galaxy. Even her extended family were elsewhere. The most constant thing that she had was her ship and some of her crew.

"Families come in all shapes and sizes. Most aren't even by blood...." She didn't need [member="Curtis Learchin"] to know that she was royalty. Most would assume that she was sheltered all of her life and never knew pain or loss. But she had gone through a lot more than any would expect.

Brushing aside any bad emotions, she followed Curtis' lead and gave him a smile back. "Maybe you'll find a new family too. It's a big, wide Galaxy out there...."

 

[Curtis Learchin]

"Yeah you're right... sorry about that." He meant his apology, he could tell that his remark had somewhat hurt her. Why that was, he didn't know. Maybe losing his family twice had made him deaf to that kind of pain. Losing people for him was par for the course, and it wasn't fair for him to take that out on her, especially when she had accepted him onto her ship, and in a sense into her own quirky family.

"You lot seem to be interested in my armour, don't think I haven't caught you looking." He said with a wink. He knew how that comment could be taken, but he didn't mind. Maybe secretly he wanted [member="Loreena Arenais"] to take it that way...

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"It's okay. No need to be sorry." Given that they were still practical strangers to eachother, it was easy to misconstrue certain things that were said. So she did her best to not be offended at all for any more than five seconds. Lori would make her own mistakes, surely. And who knows how [member="Curtis Learchin"] would handle the first prank that would befall him? Hopefully he wouldn't be angry.

And then there it was; the comment on her looking at him when she figured he wouldn't notice, followed by a wink. Oh gosh! He noticed! Her cheeks went slightly red and she hid that all behind her drink as she took a big, huge and rather laege gulp. It gave her a few seconds to think of some kind of a comeback. "Well....we can't help it. It's just so....unique. Are you ever without it? I mean, do you sleep with it on? Shower? That sorta thing?" Lori redirected her eyes to the lines of stars. No, no she was not imagining what he looked like without the armour on. Nope! She was just thinking like...like...a practical person would. Yeah. That's it.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Curtis smiled and laughed at the comment, though he understood why she was asking. He was rarely without his armour, but he did own other clothes. A set of robes for ceremony and a formal suit were two examples, but he didn't really wear those when travelling. More often than not, the armour was needed, since the galaxy wasn't the safest place.

"No I do change my clothes, but I understand why you look at it." He paused to take a sip from his drink. "It stands out, but if it didn't, you might not have noticed me in the first place." The truth was, the armour had been crafted to mimic some of Dathomir's fauna, using the same logic animals did to keep predators at a distance.

"Maybe one day you'll see me without the armour." He flirted with a wink and a cocky smile.

[member="Loreena Arenais"]