Impact

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"Hey!" He replied accusingly. "I've always been a good shot. I was just... A little overenthusiastic back then."

[Overenthusiastic?]

Asmus rolled his eyes, even as his focus was kept firmly on the silhouette on the horizon. The air faintly shimmered beneath the speeder.

"I kept shooting at things whilst trying to look good. And tended not to notice when I was getting flanked. It is not - as Madunson likes to say - that I get shot because 'I have that kind of face.'" Kaile was given a look that challenged her to contradict him. With a small smirk he looked back to the speeder.

[I am detecting communications between the two speeders.]

Asmus lined up his blaster. If they were being watched he wanted them to know they were armed. The speeder behind them started to close. It seemed they had made their mind up.

"Wrong call," he muttered to himself. He didn't have Jarrick or Kairon here but he wasn't about to roll over for some common thieves.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Soon as [member="Asmus Janes"] said that, the first shot of a blaster flew straight at their speeder. At least whoever shot it wasn't a crack shot, for it barely missed Asmus by a good ten centimeters. However, it was close enough for a close call.

[ We are being shot at!]

"Well someone is impatient." Kaile cried, eyes wide as her attention drew toward the direction the shot had came from. Pulling her own blaster out, she saw the movement of the speeder and the Rodian yelling at his driver.

"Oh no you don't." the Lorrdian uttered under her breath, sighting in to send a few pot shots down range.

"You okay?" she called out to Asmus, turning back to him.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"Yup, still just the one blaster hole," he replied, raising his voice over the whine of the engines. Asmus didn't turn back to face her. The speeder ahead of them started to angle in, aiming to come at them quickly from the side. The one behind them veered slightly to the right and accelerated. "You could say impatient. Or overenthusiastic."

[We cannot match these speeders for velocity.] Jay announced.

Asmus still didn't turn. The speeder going over a slight rise in the ground shifted his aim. His hand was remarkably steady despite the ride. His head stayed lined up with the scope whilst his left arm provided stability. Several more bolts came freely from the vessel behind them. One struck the speeder beside him and burned a two inch hole into the durasteel. The next bolt sailed just inches over his head and still he stayed stock still.

He was the lone fighter on a bombing run, crossing the hull of a destroyer and aiming for the bridge. Bolts arced out to meet him but he stayed true to his course. He trusted the Force a little, but mostly his luck and waited for the one shot that would make all the difference.

He pulled the trigger.

Just one shot went back at the speeder behind them. It struck the very centre of the right engine which immediately started to burn. The airspeeder left a trail of black smoke and stated to wobble as it veered away.

[The speeder behind us is stopping its pursuit.]

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

"Fantastic shot!" Asmus likely would be quick to preen but for a few fleeting seconds at the proud and surprised expression that swept over Kaile's face at his successful shot. The corners of her eyes had crinkled, and she flashed him one of those rare pearly white smiles. It was fleeting, of course, what with their circumstances still a bit up in the air - what with being shot at - but it was something.

"A great bit of news." while they were able to get rid of the speeder tailing them, they still had to deal with the one up ahead.

"Duck!" the Lorrdian agent cried out at Asmus, extending her arm to aim in. If she could just nab the pilot with a good shot...

The bolt went flying, a vibrant orange flash that struck the pilot right on the shoulder. He cried out, weaving sharply to the right and sending the speeder into a wild spin.

Unfortunately, Jay Four was currently driving them straight towards it.

"Jay swerve right!"

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

For an instant his expression had been blank. This was the moment after steady hands had seen the payload home. It normally took the pilot a moment to breath again before shouting for joy down the squadron channel.

But he didn't normally get such a precious reward. Asmus grinned back. For a fleeting instant he forgot where they were, even the pain in his arm from taking the shot faded from mind.

Then he dropped down as Kaile took her shot. Jay didn't seem to react to Kaile's order at first. His head twisted just a tiny fraction from side to side on his shoulders.

[Thirty-two point...] He muttered. Then he yanked the controls hard to the right and the missed the criminals. Asmus caught an overweight gran hanging on for dear life with his mouth wide. [Apologies there was a thirty two point five percent chance of collision until I had established that the driver had lost full control.]

Asmus nodded his head mutely and turned to Kaile with a shrug. His expression said 'okay then'.

"Jay is there anything else on sensors?" He asked. His blood was pumping furiously around his veins now. The sporting blaster slid into Atherton's hand made holster with a satisfying thunk. He twisted about to sit on the floor of the speeder with his back against the rail he'd fired from.

[No. We are clear]

"Good." He said firmly. That little boy smile returned as he looked to Kaile and patted the space beside himself.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Asmus wasn't the only one getting flung wide. The sudden sharp turn had Kaile give a small yelp in surprise, eyes going as wide as saucers as she fought for balance. She swayed, grabbing hold of one of the railings to try and prevent herself from completely eating the floor.

"Omph!" the left side of her body crashed hard, and she went slumping down for purchase. A dull ache ran down her spine, but she grit her teeth. That was likely going to bruise.

"Good... let's head back to the shop and finish the trade." Sliding in beside Asmus, Kaile let out a sigh. The weird sensation from that voidstone still made her feel suffocated. Sort of connected to the Force but muted, almost as if through a haze.

"Well... at least we'll get the parts we need now."

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"That involved getting shot at less than last time you went on a cargo run with me," he said through a thick grin. He clenched and unclenched his left fist. That shoulder was started to feel much more stable. Perhaps the artificial flesh had settled. Still hurt like hell though. Ignoring the pain he let his left hand come to fall on her thigh. With a sigh he leaned back against cold durasteel and closed his eyes. "Best go check our man is still holding up alright."

---

Asmus wiped his forearm across his brow to keep the sweat from getting into his eyes.

[Where did you want this?]

"Just by there please?" Asmus asked, waving towards one side of the engine bay with his hydrospanner. Jay was a robust droid it turned out, able to lift several times his own considerable weight with ease.

[If that's all, I'd like to go and power down for a time?]

"Of course, we're nearly finished up down here I think." Asmus walked to a console next to the twin reactors. His pistol and holster were laid out next to the new box of tools. "Hows that going?" He called out to Kaile as Jay stomped off.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Kaile was on her back, grease stains already a smear across one cheek and both her hands. Her clothing was not spared the treatment, as a few more dark marks marred the fabric here and there. She'd taken off her jacket, leaving on an offwhite tank top and her trousers. With her hair in a messy ponytail, she appeared more the picture of the Kaile from the Quinn than the SIS agent the Wraith had to recently adjust to.

"Yeah, almost done." the woman's muffled voice would reply, a small grunt and a grimace as her slender hands worked the hydrospanner in place.

"Won't be long now." the entire exchange once they reached Madenson's storefront was a rather particular and interesting mix. In the end, for their trouble, not only did they get the parts and tools, but also a small crate of that odd voidstone.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Her appearance hadn't gone unnoticed. It was too easy to draw up memories from the past. When they had spent the day doing tedious work, but been content just to spend the time talking and singing. To when he had waltzed her across the cargo bay floor.

Asmus marched across the engine room and then got down on all fours. He crawled underneath the engine mount she was working on to end up lying beside her. He leaned on his right shoulder and kept his left arm close to his side, even if he had forgone the sling for now. The pilot liked her like this, working messy and grimy. It also evoked memories of the day he'd found her after years apart. A recent memory, yet it also seemed like an era ago.

"It'll be good to get on the move again," he said. Yet there were things he didn't want to speak of. The uncertainty of returning to the Subversion and what might happen to them both. But right now she was here. As soon as she had tightened the last bolt he reached out. His hand wrapped around her own and he moved to gently pry the spanner from her hands.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Feeling the warmth and slight bump from Asmus brushing up against her own shoulder drew the Lorrdian's attention from the reactor safety wire she was installing over to the Wraith.

"Yeah... " he was close again. With the way he was laying on his back, the dark forelocks of his hair were swept away from his temples, just barely enough of a curl at the end. The dark shadow of scruff still decorated his angular jaw, and he seemed to be making himself comfortable if a bit chatty. Well, at first glance. A more discerning eye, like that of the agent's own, would notice the brief flutter of uncertainty that swept over his --

"Oh, " he took the spanner from her hand, gently moving it away, making Kaile lose her train of thought. Large, chocolate brown eyes grew a little wider, the fan of the air blowing her long bangs away from her face. At this distance, once could see the thin sheen of sweat and grime that coated her skin with its thin film.

"Hey..." a little bit of awkward nervousness came to Kaile again, as always, Asmus had a way of making her belly flutter. Even if they were only laying down on the ground covered in grime under the reactor.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"What?" he replied softly. His voice was barely a murmur. His lopsided smile was that of the mischievous scoundrel. But there was no humour in his eyes. There wasn't much room under here, his shoulder was just inches from the engine mounts. Instead of being oppressive it felt, to Asmus, as if they finally had their own little space isolated from the rest of the Galaxy. There was a clang as the hydrospanner was deposited behind his back. His left hand returned. Long, slender fingers combed through her bangs to push them from her face before the backs of them gently brushed down her cheek. It left another smear of grease down her face and he didn't care at all. They had their very own sonic after all.

His left hand carried on its path down until it came to rest across her waist. Fingers flexed to grip her as he drew himself closer. He marginally avoided bashing his head on a bolt and spoiling the moment before coming to loom over Kaile. Tousled dark locks no longer fell forwards to get in the way. She was afforded an uninterrupted view of his expression as forest green eyes traced the lines of her face, settling on her lips before meeting her gaze again. The sonic could wait. The space between them evaporated in an instant.