Private Midnight in the Garden

[Dominic Praxon]

The datapad dimmed and then the screen shut off. It had been sitting idle beside Dominic for the best part of five minutes. He made no attempt to pick it up, barely registering that it no longer illuminated the wooden bench he sat on.

Here in the arboretum of the Outbound Flight, he had found a specific angle where he could look up through the trees and the foliage would obscure the metallic frame and structure of the dome overhead. With that and just a dash of suspension of disbelief, he was able to imagine himself back on Naboo, or home on Brentaal. It was a small thing, but a thing nonetheless.

Assignments had been coming thick and fast. Ravion Corvalis seemed to delight in offering queries to the missions parameters that would cause Dominic multiple long nights. Much of his free time had evaporated, and life for the past two weeks had given way to long work days, and then a quick shower before a half dozen hours sleep, a ration bar on the go and back into another work day.

Much had been put aside, postponed or cancelled. He would indeed be grateful when his other aide arrived to take some of the growing burden, and when Elysia Thanopis could distract Ravion long enough to get him off Dominic's back.

Gods. He hated being on this mission, away from his constituents. Away from the Senate. Getting back to his old life would be a godsend. Very few bright spots existed on this long, bureaucracy laden sidequest.

His hands came up and smeared across his face. His neck was getting sore, and his eyes heavy. Nevertheless, the stars were beautiful tonight.

Just five more minutes.

Tatiana Sah​

 

[Tatiana Sah]

High above a blur might have briefly slid across the night sky. The shape returned moments later and then stopped to hover. A distinctly humanoid figure hung there against the void of space. Distinctly feminine figure. A silvery head slowly turned; perhaps in search of something or in study of the environment that stretched out beneath them. Just as quickly as she'd appeared, she darted off once more.

A few seconds passed before the ivory and golden astromech, Dee, suddenly rolled onto the scene. Its large, black view port pivoted in Dominic's direction before a series of beeps, boops, chirps, and even a few burps followed. <"Tatiana is looking for you. You've ignored her messages. After everything she's tried to do for you that is outrageous. You are outrageous. And selfish. I should tell her where you are."> There was a single second pause. <"But I won't. You don't deserve her attention.">

Dee didn't bother waiting around for a response. If one was even coming. The man didn't even like droids. Probably hadn't understood a single word Dee had said. Well, that didn't matter. It needed saying! Someone had to. Tatiana was being too nice to him to do it, so Dee did it for her. And with that said, it was time to depart.

Dominic Praxon

 

[Dominic Praxon]

Blinking.

"What the..."

He was positive he had seen a droid floating. In space? Above the treeline? HIs mind had not been able to wrap his head around the feminine coded droid's appearance before it was gone, and his mind was left putting together the pieces together when Dee the little astromech companion of Tatiana's rolled up.

Its presence gave an instant feeling of guilt. He hadn't meant to brush her off these few times. It was simply that each offer had come at inopportune times. He had in no way forgotten nor soured on the comet watching experience, but his role was...demanding.

The droid seemed perturbed. Dominic simply raised his eyebrows, not understanding a single beep, boop or warble. "Well you don't say?" He said, amused but confused. Which seemed the order of the day.

Before he could ask after Tatiana, the droid was gone. Disappointment washed over Dominic now, along with a distinct lack of interest in sitting in the arboretum anymore. Perhaps it was he who needed invite her to some activity. Maybe she played tak-ball.

Dominic stood, brushing off imaginary dirt off his legs, and started to walk a meandering path towards the exit. By the time he was half way there, Dominic realising his forgetfulness, spun back on his heels to return to the bench, and retrieve his datapad.

Tatiana Sah​

 

[Tatiana Sah]

By the time Dominic would return, he'd find the curious figure sitting on the bench with the datapad to its left. An expressionless faceplate was turned up toward the stars above.

With a slender figure and a pronounced chest it appeared to be a woman; or a rare feminine droid in the galaxy. Unlike droids, however, the silver figure lacked any exposed wires, indications of pivot points, or plating of any kind. Segmentation appeared present at the joints, however, allowing for flexibility much like an EVA suits, but without the bulky layers of insulation. A cropped, black jacket was left open down the middle. A very similar appearance to the then-white outfit Tatiana had worn on their extra-vehicular excursion.

Her hands were lightly clasped in her lap as she sat perfectly still.

Only when Dominic made some kind of sound or drew near would the helm pivot down and direct itself squarely at him.

Dominic Praxon

 

[Dominic Praxon]

Dominc was frozen mid-stride. Eyes widened, then narrowed, his mind initiating a natural fight or flight response.

What he saw before him defied explanation. Well, it was clearly a droid. A very femininely designed droid. He chastised himself immediately for considering the business model behind such a make of droid. He knew the answer. It was not one he wished to entertain. Not when his life was potentially in jeopardy.

"Excuse me," he said, hand stretching out to encourage the droid to not approach. His feet shifted awkwardly to more stable footing. Just for a moment, his eyes registered the comm device attached to his outstretched arm. It was close enough to call for help. He probably should now before it was vitally important.

Recognition...slowly caught up with instinct...and Dominic's eyes narrowed as he examined the droid further.

"It...can't be...Tatiana?" He felt foolish for even saying it. He knew what his friend looked like. The study he had made of the contours of her face were not reflected in the flat chrome, expressionless plate.

Tatiana Sah​

 

[Tatiana Sah]

Her head listed a bit to the side as Dominic reflected after his initial apology.

A moment later, she reached over to lift the datapad off the bench at her side. "Dominic, you left this. You should know, I automated the fuel consumption report." She hoped it would be of some service. There really was no reason it wasn't done more often. Ships were large enough in the galaxy to justify their sizeable complement, they didn't need busywork as well. Certainly not all funneled through a single individual for manual review.

Tatiana turned her head up toward the stars once more. "Do you come here often? It is a lovely place." Slowly, her head lowered but looked forward rather than back at him again. "I will not disturb you here. You must come to be alone." Her voice was crystal clear and just as warm as ever. It lacked the synthesized or artificial quality that droids and even helmet vocalizers practically always possessed.

Dominic Praxon

 

[Dominic Praxon]

So many questions. Only half of them were appropriate. But Dominic did not stand slack-jawed. Instead, he moved.

He crossed the space toward Tatiana with purpose that outpaced his understanding of it, already unclipping the stiff coat from his diplomatic uniform as he went. The fabric resisted for a moment, as if protesting the impulsive action, before giving way.

By the time he reached her, it was off entirely.

He turned it once in his hands, not thinking about permission, purely about coverage, about correcting something his instincts had registered as inappropriate. Something he felt he should protect her from.

Without asking, he draped it over her shoulders and upper frame, careful not to disturb her more than necessary. His gaze angled away immediately after, not out of rejection, but reflex, an instinctive respect for privacy that arrived faster than comprehension.

Only then did it occur to him that he had no idea if she needed it at all.

His hand lingered half a second too long at the edge of the fabric before withdrawing.

"Sorry...," he added quietly, the word carrying more uncertainty than apology. Not for the gesture itself, but for not yet understanding what the gesture meant. "This...is unexpected...are you alright?"

Tatiana Sah​

 

[Tatiana Sah]

Tatiana's chin lowered slowly when Dominic drew near and draped his coat about her shoulders. The featureless face turned more in his direction to survey his features and try and get a read on him.

"I am," she replied easily. "Though, I have not entirely recovered from our encounter with the Artifact. I must admit, not all of my attempts to contact you were to offer an adventure. My people do wish to send a dedicated research unit to help study it at length. I suspect my people will weather its Force-sapping nature better than most Jedi."

She lowered her chin toward a shoulder where Dominic's jacket rested. "I am not cold, if you were concerned for my health. But, I appreciate the gesture." If his intent were from her relative lack of clothing, the idea hadn't occurred to Tatiana. It was not a gesture she'd seen performed. Though a little digging into anthropological archives would have returned results.

"Are you alright, Dominic? I have attempted to contact you several times." Maybe not all of her calls had been entirely social in nature, but a number had been.

Dominic Praxon

 

[Dominic Praxon]

The datapad was taken in hand, and Dominic eased into the seat next to her, though hardly could take his eyes off her non-existant profile.

"I have been occupied," he said at last, "more than I would have preferred." His gaze dipped briefly, not evading her gaze, but giving a moment to think. "That said…I was not aware you were recovering from the Artifact. I should have been."

"I can't apologize for the work," he continued, "but I accept that I should have checked in on a friend. For that, you have my sincerest apologies." His eyes lifted again, settling more fully on her now, studying her with an easing intensity.

"I am…struggling to reconcile what I'm seeing," he admitted, more plainly than he might have in any other setting. "You are here, and it is you. That much I am certain of." His brow furrowed faintly. "But you do look very different, and I assume you are aware of that."

A faint exhale escaped him, something just shy of dry humour. "A small warning might have been helpful," he added, not accusing so much as observing. "I would have preferred not to discover at midnight...in the garden."

He glanced once at the coat draped over her shoulders, as if only now recalling the instinct that had placed it there. She seemed unfazed by her appearance. Perhaps she was not actually...unclothed...though the black jacket did raise its own questions.

"I am glad you found me," he said after a moment. "Your droid seemed...rather upset with me. I hope that is not...shared."

Tatiana Sah​

 

[Tatiana Sah]

"Mm. I admit, I did not expect you to return or I would have adopted the other appearance. Once you had seen me, I felt it would have been even more jarring if I had resumed that appearance as abruptly. My condition was not so severe, but in limiting my use of power I have nearly completed my recovery. Think of it as requiring additional rest," Tatiana replied gently. There was no concern or tremble to her voice in describing the affair. If she'd known beforehand she would have been able to lessen the impact further, but being so close and with such strong effect...

"Dee?" Tatiana leaned forward a bit in her seat as she looked over at Dominic. A faint vibration in the air followed as Tatiana hummed. "Dee worries there is not enough time." They were still quite young, and perhaps both worried and jealous of Dominic taking up her time.

A silver hand slowly reached over to lay atop Dominic's if he allowed it. "If my appearance discomforts you, I can resume the other. My kind have different forms as yours does, but they are often suited to the task they were built to fulfill. In general, little attention is paid toward aesthetic beauty as you know it. But we believe familiar forms engender closer relations with those unlike ourselves." Tatiana paused for a second. "Are we mistaken?" It was the opportune time to ask the question.

Well, they'd asked others before, but Tatiana worried the circumstances of those encounters had colored the responses given. Perhaps Dominic's response would be colored by the abrupt introduction of her appearance as well. It seemed unlikely there'd ever be a 'good time' to ask the question and expect an unbiased response.

Dominic Praxon

 

[Dominic Praxon]

While not protesting the hand placement, Dominic noticeably did not reciprocate. His mind was swirling. The blonde woman he had befriended, and even, if being honest, felt at least the budding of affection for, was not at all what he expected. It was neither a bad thing, nor a good thing. But it certainly was a thing.

In her current form she certainly had the shape of humanity, an intensely feminine one at that. As much as the female form was stimulating, there was something distinctly droidlike and dehumanizing about her appearance now. While he struggled with that, he did certainly concede that it was still Tatiana.

Psychiatrists would have a field day with this, Dominic thought wryly.

"You are not mistaken. I am afraid...and this probably reflects poorly on me...I may have dismissed you as a droid..." A specific type of droid, he thought to himself. "...which would have been wrong of me..."

He ran his free hand through his hair, trying to find the words to express the jumble of thoughts tumbling in his cranium. He understood part of what she was asking. She wanted to know if in seeing her differently...he now her saw her differently. The gesture of laying her hand on his, alone, was possible to read as an attempt to hold hands. An affectionate action, and one that they willing shared while watching the comment.
Friendship was likely as far as this relationship could have gone before, unless hurt feelings wanted to be introduced into the dynamic. Now, Dominic feared that was even more true than before.

"You are not a discomfort to me. Just a surprise," he said, patting the top of her silver hand. He looked at her, and then away again, finding it difficult to not have her eyes to focus on. This perhaps betrayed the slight lie of his attempt at comforting her.

And then, almost as an afterthought, perhaps a way to try and draw the conversation away from his growing frustration with his own underlying bigotry, Dominic asked, "What do you mean...not enough time?"

Tatiana Sah​

 

[Tatiana Sah]

Tatiana wasn't convinced with Dominic's refutation. There wasn't a need to make a fuss about it, but his behavior had several hallmarks of... discomfort. Especially when he looked away rather than had her gaze. He'd done it before when they'd been alone.

A moment of silence followed his question.

"My people do not measure time on the same scale as your people, Dominic." When next he might look over, he'd find the familiar blonde sitting next to him once more. It appeared as though she were wearing a black, fully body outfit. "Ordinarily, this would not be a problem, but forming relationships requires time. A journey of discovery, I believe some call it. Where people understand one another through interacting. Mine can share considerable information on demand with a focus on mission satisfaction."

"I hope we can continue that journey together, Dominic. I enjoyed our time together. Sharing information. And examining the galaxy." A smile graced her lips as she looked over at him with her blue eyes.

Dominic Praxon

 

[Dominic Praxon]

He didn't even notice the change. Instead, he was looking into the trees, trying to understand her, him...them. When he did look back, the change registered immediately. And it registered with a sudden withdrawal of his hand. "That...that was unexpectedly quick..."

Eyes narrowing, he took her in again, this time in a new light and increased sense of awe. "I thought it a prosthetics...deal? Or...a clip on face?" He said, laughing at the notion but only laughing with his eyes, "but you can shapeshift?"

His eyes narrowed again.

"How many people that I know are actually just you?" He leaned in now, the question being most a humorous accusation, but he really was curious as to how many faces she might be able to produce.

"Your species is truly a marvel..."

He stopped. Mouth dropped open, and he looked up towards the stars, and then back towards Tatiana. The motion happening multiple times as the memory finally connected with the reality.

"Can...can...you fly!?" He already knew the answer. "Damn. I really got the short straw in the species lottery."

Tatiana Sah​

 

[Tatiana Sah]

Tatiana smiled and blinked as Dominic drew his hand back aghast at how quickly her appearance had changed. She'd expected as much. It had seemed a necessary risk to keep him from refusing to meet her gaze, however. To give him something to focus on.

"Just me. Just this face." A quick clarification was added, "Variations on this face; like when you see it inside of a helmet. My people learned early on that taking on multiple appearances was unsettling. It was also unnecessary. My people have no interest in infiltrating governments and ruling over your kind." Tatiana cheeks lifted as her smile grew. "We can't even completely mimic the range of emotional responses you can express. The 'illusion' would not last long even if we tried." That wasn't to say they couldn't, of course, and perhaps for very specific objectives they might very well, but Tatiana expected Dominic's concern would be about seizing power or authority.

Then Dominic seemed taken with something above. His partner soon joined him, but she didn't look up and down as often. Rather, her blue eyes turned upward and gaze at the stars as if trying to discern what he was comparing them to. Perhaps, without the guise, he might be thinking of how it reflected on her face?

Then a stammered question drew her gaze back to meet his own.

"Yes. We can exchange considerable amounts of data instantly across vast distances, and fly. Uncommon abilities among those that use The Force from my understanding. A result of our interpretation of the fundamental forces of the universe. As a result, we are not as versed in what your Jedi or Sith consider more 'common' Force Abilities. Telekinesis, yes, but Force Crush? Force Lightning? Force Light? No."

A pause followed before her brow lifted. "Ah. Also," she held out a hand before them, palm facing away from them, "this." Suddenly a translucent, thirty-five degree arc of a circle appeared three feet away from them. It was lined with head-sized hexagons of magenta energy. "A defensive field."

When the field vanished and her hand lowered, Tatiana looked over at Dominic. "If you'd like, you could fly with me some day."

Dominic Praxon

 

[Dominic Praxon]

He found himself scraping the corner's of his eyes after the revelation of defensive shield, and offering one of his few genuine laughs at her offer to go flying. It was soft, almost deprecating, and entirely fuelled by awe. "Force, Tatiana...you don't do things by halves do you?" He said, the very thought of flying with her giving him both fear and excitement in varying intensities. "I...will fly with you one day," he finished, tilting his head with a wry, disbelieving smirk.

"So...I have so many questions...can I just rattle off a few?" He said, but he didn't wait for her to answer, knowing that she had been alright with them before. Perhaps it was a bit presumptuous, but he was a nobleman.

"So, you are organic...because you experience the Force in some way," he said, but then doubted his understanding, "right?"

He blinked rapidly and shook his head, an attempt to clear the cobwebs from the corners of his understanding.

"You sure appeared like a droid...of some description...not long ago," he said, brow furrowing as he sought the truth of things, "but you are organic...so...do you have parents? What...sorry if this is too much...what is your natural form?"

Lifting his hands, he patted the air between them as if setting up a barrier. "You don't have to answer, if you don't want to."

Tatiana Sah​

 

[Tatiana Sah]

Tatiana smiled even as she stared at Dominic with a tilt to her head. She'd managed to draw laughter from him. Had she unknowingly done something hilarious? Or was he elated at the idea of flight? Cause aside, it was a better disposition than the withdrawn body language earlier. A promise for another encounter that would leave Dominic in loftier spirits as well.

A slew of questions followed with little time for her to offer a response until he finished. Tatiana's blue eyes remain locked on his features throughout the flood of an interrogation.

"Is that a commonly accepted precept of Force capable organisms? Being organic? Yes," she paused to nod slightly, "in the vernacular sense, I am organic." Although in the strictly chemical or technical definition sense that was largely not the case. "I am not a 'droid.' Though, you should not look down on droids, Dominic. With a few adjustments they could pass for a humanoid lifeform as well. I believe some call them Human Replica Droids? Though the term 'Replica' does carry negative connotations." Such highly advanced droid models were quite 'expensive,' however, so they were few in number. Anti-droid bias also played its part, of course.

"My kind are substantially different in physical design. The appearance you saw moments ago is my natural form. We are fashioned for the purpose we are intended to meet for collective benefit. But, we are not drones." Tatiana smiled in anticipating a thought that might naturally result from her statement. "Our 'personality' is individual in nature. A collection of unique experiences and revelations. Like you, we possess a strong determination and drive to do what is best for our people, which guides our actions, but does not dictate them."

"My parents," another pause, but this time with a slight shift of attention off to the side. "I have parents," Tatiana started the thought over again, "but they did not conceive of me as yours did. We are 'born' and 'mature' at a significantly accelerated rate." Far faster than she felt was proper to say aloud. Dominic was probably grappling with enough as it was.

"I will answer any question you have, Dominic." Her chin lowered slightly before her eyes rose to meet his again. "Except the galactic coordinates of my homeworld or regarding its defenses. My individuality is my own, but there are principles I cannot violate."

Dominic Praxon

 

[Dominic Praxon]

A subtle tightening in his jaw was the only outward betrayal of his discomfort. To a man of his standing, the mere implication of provincial bigotry was a distasteful strike against his character. Dominic reflexively averted his gaze, tracking the sway of the distant treeline as he processed the correction. In his world, droids were property, conveniences of the galaxy no more deserving of philosophical consideration than a standard heating unit. To re-evaluate that paradigm required a considerable shift in his carefully constructed worldview, and he had no intention of overturning centuries of social convention in a single evening.

Yet, the revelation of her true state, this metallic, unadorned permanence, left a lingering crease between his brows. He was a man driven by presentation, by the curated metrics of acceptable society. This was entirely outside of those parameters.

Turning back toward the canopy of stars, Dominic offered a small, dry smile, his voice regaining its practiced, diplomatic smoothness. "Rest assured, Tatiana, my political ambitions do not currently extend to unmapped sectors. Your home world coordinates need not be divulged."

He let the silence stretch out, allowing the humor to settle before his expression softened into something more genuine. When he looked back into her blue eyes, he fixed his gaze to them, finding a rare moment of clarity beneath the weight of his own reservations.

"I am a man bound by custom," he admitted, his tone quiet but entirely steady. "If you intend to show me who you truly are, it will need a period of adjustment. I may even require your indulgence to learn the proper decorum for a conversation without standard physical cues. But do not misunderstand me. Discovering the reality of who you are is a privilege I find I am quite unwilling to forfeit."

A possible political crisis for the future, perhaps. But for now, curiosity won out.

Leaning back slightly, he tilted his head, his gaze narrowing with a calculating, yet thoroughly charmed interest. "You spoke of an accelerated maturation. If I may venture a somewhat delicate question...what is your precise age in standard galactic years?"

Tatiana Sah​

 

[Tatiana Sah]

Political ambitions? Tatiana was curious under what circumstances such ambitions might extend to 'unmapped sectors' at all. They were, after all, in the process of mapping such regions of space. Though Dominic hadn't exactly volunteered to participate in the venture on-site. "Thank you." The Collective would not have tolerated any effort to uncover their location. It was for the best that galactic citizens not test the effectiveness of her peoples' defensive measures.

"If you would find that... desirable, I would be willing to reveal my true appearance. However, if you prefer, I am comfortable maintaining this one. It was the drain from the Artifact that warranted conservation of energy." Not strictly speaking a requirement, but they were in unknown space. Tatiana desired to recover her full capacity as soon as possible in the event of something unforeseen and sudden waylaying them. "Though there is much you may find intriguing about my form."

Her brow lifted slightly as Dominic took on a contemplative and perhaps 'mischievous' demeanor.

That's when he asked one of Those Questions. Certain topics she did not volunteer because the answers would be quite... alien to many galactic species. But, she had invited him to ask about such things. To a degree, she hoped he would. They'd learn much about one another exploring topics otherwise kept neatly out of sight.

"I am eighteen standard galactic years of age. Where that is taken as a young age among your people, mine would consider it one of considerable experience." Not that she'd spent all of it in the galaxy, of course. Planeshift hadn't occurred that long ago just yet. "Some debated sending those far younger into the galaxy. Ultimately, the Consensus was to send a few of varying levels of experience and specialty as a means of averaging out suboptimal or incompatible participants."

"I have wondered if my age was also a factor in the Jedi Order not feeling comfortable extending title of 'Master' to me. Their argument that I have not yet mastered the variety of Force Abilities or experienced enough of this galaxy, however, is logically sound."

Dominic Praxon

 

[Dominic Praxon]

Eighteen.

The number settled into Dominic's thoughts with more weight than he cared to admit. Not because Tatiana herself seemed immature, quite the opposite, but because decorum had trained him to attach assumptions to numbers first and nuance second. He had struggled enough reconciling the idea of courting a nineteen-year-old noblewoman not long ago. Yet Tatiana carried herself with a composure many senior senators entirely lacked.

He knew that different species had different measures of age, and different expectations. But that knowledge did not make it immediately easy to accept.

His thumb brushed absently against the side of her hand before he seemed to realize he was doing it.

“Well,” he said at last, a faint smile pulling briefly at the corner of his mouth, “if we ever attend a formal function together, I might advise against leading with your age. Some of the Core Worlds can be...alarmingly provincial when confronted with nuance.” The remark was light, but not entirely insincere.

His attention returned to her more fully, as he thoughtful considered her again. “Though I admit, I am curious why my finding something desirable factors into this at all.” The question was delivered with diplomatic smoothness, almost intellectual in tone, though the faint glimmer in his eyes betrayed a touch more interest than detached inquiry likely warranted. “Does my opinion on the matter carry particular weight with you?”

Before she could answer immediately, Dominic continued, perhaps sparing both of them from sitting in that implication too long. “I know very little of the Jedi beyond what my brother has told me,” he admitted. “But if the Order considered you anywhere approaching the level of Master at eighteen, then I suspect I should be considerably more impressed than I already am.”

That earned a quieter moment from him, as he searched her eyes. His expression grew darker as the implications of her revelation grew increasingly more bothersome. “And...how long do your people live?” he asked carefully, concern threading subtly beneath the curiosity now.

His gaze lowered briefly to the hand still resting atop his before returning to her blonde hair framed features.

“As for your appearance...” Dominic exhaled softly through his nose. “I wish to see you as you primarily perceive yourself.”

Tatiana Sah​

 

[Tatiana Sah]

Tatiana didn't direct her attention down to the thumb as it brushed her hand, but she was aware of it. A pleasing sensation. Given his shock and withdrawal earlier, she had feared some grievous intangible wound may have resulted from her abrupt revelation.

Ordinarily, it was impolite for people to ask someone -- especially a woman -- their age. It helped avoid the need to offer one at all. Also, she hadn't been entirely honest in the official records, but Dominic deserved the truth rather than the convenient misdirection. Eighteen was a bit young to be Knighted as well. Was she ashamed of the inaccuracy? No. The literal passage of time made no reflection of Tatiana's experience, after all; it had no bearing on any matter of importance.

A slight roll of her head accompanied his observation and question. Both of which were quickly put behind them in favor of another line of conversation. Tatiana's eyelids fluttered slightly at the sudden turn.

"I have considerable experience utilizing the abilities my people have practiced for countless generations. Even Jedi Masters are taken aback by how easily and with what strength I can utilize them. But, the lack of diversity in abilities undercut the initial amazement." They were not so easily 'bamboozled' as some would call it. Which was good. They should enforce established standards.

They sat there beneath the stars gazing into one anothers' eyes for a moment. A small smile touch her lips even as Dominic's thoughts grew heavier. Another Question followed. A natural follow-up especially in light of her responses.

"There is not, presently, an established baseline for our maximal age. A proper study has not been conducted in recent generations. Largely because it is viewed as superfluous." Tatiana's gaze dropped for a moment. "We are brought into existence for a purpose, Dominic. And my people undergo considerable adjustment in thought and form over time to adopt newer thought processes or improved design. As a result, there is no need for us to explore the longevity of a single, consistent form."

"I am already near -- or some would say at -- the time when another should assume my duties," Tatiana finally admitted. "But," she quickly added, "I have been arguing that relationships are not so quickly built with the people of this galaxy, and that rigidly adhering to prior paradigms may be counterproductive."

Wide blue eyes regarded Dominic as he said he wanted to see her as she perceived herself. That sounded romantic? Though she couldn't say she knew precisely which form that was intended toward. Whatever she wanted? That would depend... "Perhaps, we can explore my other appearance in time. Like you said. To become more accustomed to unfamiliar anatomies. So, for now," Tatiana smiled as she retained her blonde appearance.

Dominic Praxon