Private Of Beginnings & Escapes

[Rorie]

//: Arra Thatch //:
//: Attire //:

​

Perhaps Arra wasn't aware, but Rorie couldn't really expect anything from anyone… Rorie heard everything. She heard the hissed curse and the girl and the droids tumbling. She felt horrible knowing that Arra had just gotten physically assaulted and then tossed the girl around like a rag doll in the back of the shuttle. Rorie was acutely aware of the annoyance that had bled into the curse moments earlier.

But it was said in a way that made it hard for her to hear. So Rorie did her best to pretend she didn't hear it. Still, she looked embarrassed and apologetic as she continued toward the ship's main corridor.

Arra leaned against the wall for support, and Rorie knew that everything leading up to now only made her ankle worse. She didn't say anything at first, letting Arra talk and get what she needed out. But Rorie tried to look on the bright side — she did keep her promise.

Her ears stayed pressed to her head as she nodded and tried to think of something to say, but then Arra revealed a fun little fact about the shuttle. Rorie looked around, following Arra's gaze.

"This is Dax's ship?" She asked, and she huffed out a little laugh as karma played out. "I checked earlier, but he didn't even have it registered yet, so it's fair game… probably would have to fake it for a bit till he gives up looking."

Seeing Arra's grin, Rorie felt safe returning one.

Still seeing the girl lean against the wall, Rorie stepped forward, having already scoped out the shuttle before stealing it. She knew where the bunk was, and if anything, it would be a good place for Arra to put her foot up and rest. She stopped in front of Arra, nearly cornering her. Rorie looked forward, and the height difference let the Lupo avoid Arra's eyes for the moment.

"I know you're going to say no…" Rorie murmured, "But I know your ankle is swollen… probably reinjured…" She glanced up, catching Arra's gaze through the veil of copper bangs.

"So, I'm not going to take no for an answer… I'm apologizing now."

Before Arra could take another step, Rorie caught lightly at her jumpsuit. Her eyes fell on the tear Dax had left, and her fingers loosened at once. She didn't want Arra to feel another rough tug.

Instead, she slipped her arms around the taller girl and drew her into a gentle hug. Her cheek rested against Arra's shoulder, her hands settling at her waist. She lingered there for a moment, quite certain that being held nicely might make being picked up again a little less objectionable.

It was meant to be reassuring; so much had already happened.

Then one hand slipped around Arra's back, the other tucked beneath her knees, and Rorie scooped her up again. She kept her close, adjusted her hold, and glanced up with a small, pleased smile.

There. That was better.

Rorie considered her plan a success: walking on a hurt ankle was much harder when neither foot could reach the floor.

The walk to the bunk was short; only two bunks stuck out from the wall, neatly put together, and the bedding was obviously brand new. Probably the only brand new thing in the clunky shuttle. Rorie ducked her head slightly, making sure that she didn't smack Arra's head again… yeah, she heard the thud earlier too…

Concern gathered in a small crease between her brows. A knock to the head could mean a concussion, and she studied Arra's expression with an earnest concentration, quite unaware of how little space she'd left between them. When she tilted her head to get a better look, a loose strand of her own hair slipped forward and brushed Arra's cheek.

"Sorry," she mumbled, tucking it away absently.

She lingered another moment before straightening, then paused when she noticed dark hair falling across Arra's injury. Her fingers slipped gently beneath the strands, sweeping them aside. She held them back with her palm, her thumb resting lightly against Arra's temple as she examined the swelling.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, softer this time. A fingertip barely grazed the skin beside the bump. "I'll go find an ice pack for that…"

Her gaze returned to Arra's, and she offered a small, hopeful smile. It took her another second to remember to move her hand. Then she withdrew and headed toward the kitchen, focusing on finding what she was looking for.

It wouldn't take long; Rorie would return with a towel and ice wrapped inside it. She offered the ice pack to Arra.

"Should help with the bump. I'm sorry that was a horrible way to start — I was fairly confident with what I've read before, and the shuttle was helping a bit." She shrugged sheepishly. She ran a hand through her mess of hair, unsure what to do or ask next.

"Do you know how to fly?" She glanced back at Arra. "Do you also know where we can start looking for your Suri?"

 

[Arra Thatch]

​

The news that Dax hadn’t registered the ship didn’t surprise Arra in the least. She rolled her eyes. He’d probably been expecting his dad to take care of it. Still, Rorie’s reaction didn’t seem as triumphant as she’d expected. Arra would’ve thought that, given the redhead’s vocal disgust and her snarl in the spaceport, she’d have found it way funnier. At least she seemed to be in a good mood too, based on the grin.

But then Rorie moved, deliberately blocking her way. Arra stopped short and blinked, raising her eyebrows. The space felt smaller and Rorie was looking away from her. A quiet voice in the back of her mind whispered that maybe this was a Dax situation and that Rorie had only waited until Arra had nowhere to run.

"I know you're going to say no…" Rorie murmured, "But I know your ankle is swollen… probably reinjured…"

Panic flared. Maybe this really was a Dax situation. Maybe this was part of Rorie’s job in her criminal gang.

Rorie finally looked up at her, gray eyes wide behind her red bangs. She looked nervous and apologetic. Guilt instantly replaced the panic. Rorie had said she wouldn’t hurt her. Arra had said she trusted that.

"So, I'm not going to take no for an answer… I'm apologizing now."

Before she could move, Rorie caught her jumpsuit, her grip loosening to something lighter almost instantly. Panic and confusion shot through her and Arra froze, tensing instinctively. But then Rorie wrapped her arms around her, rested her head against her shoulder, and held her close. For a heartbeat, Arra stayed frozen, a thousand questions running through her mind all at once. Was this what Rorie was apologizing for? Or was this the apology?

Warmth seeped into her skin. Rorie radiated it. Something inside unclenched at long last and Arra leaned into the hug. Slowly, she lightly put her arms around Rorie’s shoulders, leaning her cheek against her head. The last person she’d hugged had been Suri, before the Sith invaded Abregado-rae. It had been a while.

Rorie shifted and Arra loosened her hold, thinking Rorie was ending the hug. It took a moment to register the arm behind her knees but by the time she realized, Rorie had already lifted her off the ground again. Her grip on Rorie’s jacket tightened instinctively as she was lifted off the floor. So the hug had been the apology and this was what Rorie was apologizing for. The self-satisfied smile made her feel self-conscious, and Arra felt her face burn with embarrassment. This was twice now that Rorie had lifted her off her feet with no problem.

Still, her ankle complained a lot less being carried.

The bunks had been irritatingly close enough that Rorie reached them quickly, but far enough that it would’ve taken Arra significantly longer to limp to on her own. Rorie set her down gently but didn’t didn’t move away, looking at her face intently. Arra leaned back slightly, but there was no real retreat from Rorie’s proximity. A strand of hair tickled her face as Rorie continued looking for whatever it was.

The apology came quietly and close enough Arra could feel the breath of it on her face as Rorie brushed the wayward lock of hair back into place. When the redhead straightened, something in Arra’s chest eased and she breathed a little easier. Getting stared at that close had been very uncomfortable. She opened her mouth to ask what it was that Rorie had been looking for but soft fingertips gently brushed over the skin of her forehead and brushed her bangs back. The words caught in her throat as her eyes looked everywhere but at Rorie.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, softer this time. A fingertip barely grazed the skin beside the bump. "I'll go find an ice pack for that…"

Arra winced as a gentle touch brushed near the bruise on her head. She had forgotten about that—not falling into the wall but forgotten that a knot usually formed afterward. She nodded when Rorie’s gaze met hers again. Something cold for the swelling—Suri had often done the same for other bruises when she’d come home from the fighting pits.

The air felt cooler when Rorie left, heading for the galley. Around her, the ship’s quiet hum filled the space. Arra wiped her hands on her pants. The adrenaline of their hectic escape was finally starting to fade and she could feel a slight tremor in her hands. Maybe when she finally got some rest, the tightness in her chest would unwind.

"Should help with the bump. I'm sorry that was a horrible way to start — I was fairly confident with what I've read before, and the shuttle was helping a bit." She shrugged sheepishly. She ran a hand through her mess of hair, unsure what to do or ask next.

"Do you know how to fly?" She glanced back at Arra. "Do you also know where we can start looking for you Suri?"

Arra took the offered pack and held it to her head. It ached and it didn’t take long for the cold to begin to burn through the towel but Arra held it steady. The ice pack would help in spite of her current discomfort.

“No, not really,” she said. “I only know where the systems are on this ship. Actually flying… That’s another matter entirely.”

She chewed her lip as she thought about Rorie’s question. To be honest, she had thought she’d have more time to prepare for her search, figure out where refugees from the invasion had gone.

“And no,” she said quietly. “I don’t know where she could’ve gone. I was… just going to check where all the refugees had gone, planet by planet.”

Tags:
Rorie​

 

[Rorie]

//: Arra Thatch //:
//: Attire //:

​

Rorie nodded as she stepped away. She looked down at Arra's ankle and noted she'd need more ice for it. Knowing the situation, it was probably already swollen, but elevating it should help. Her head was the bigger issue to handle. She didn't say much more about the girl's injuries, figuring she was already embarrassed enough by being carried. Rorie hadn't forgotten how she looked or how she'd responded when Rorie first suggested it back on Abregado-Rae.

The moment Rorie cleared some distance between her and Arra, she began peeling off the layers she wore to keep warm on the oddly cold planet. People had warned her it was cold and that a blizzard had warped the surface—she didn't believe them. Either way, the coldness of space was kept at bay by the warmth rising in the cabin. The autopilot seemed better than she expected.

But now that the rush was wearing off, the ship was starting to feel a little too warm. First came her jacket, then the shirt underneath, then the thin undershirt that had started clinging to her skin. She pulled each layer off without much thought, pausing only to untangle her hair. Once she was down to her cropped tank top, she kicked off her pants and wriggled out of the longer, tighter pair underneath.

After all of that, the Lupo stood in just a pair of short shorts and her cropped tank top, all of the tattooed seals on display—something she often forgot existed. Rorie lifted her arms into a lazy stretch, her back arching slightly as she yawned, a soft noise from her throat. The movement drew the hem of the short tank higher. Rorie hardly noticed, too busy feeling how good the cooler air felt against her skin. With a small, satisfied sigh, she let her arms fall, finally feeling at ease as the last of the adrenaline loosened its hold on her.

Her attention finally returned to Arra, who was still where Rorie had left her. She stepped forward again, leaning against the small wall that separated the other parts of the ship. She crossed her arms loosely over her midsection as she thought quietly about the predicament Arra was in with her Suri.

"There are only so many planets nowadays that would accept refugees." She quietly mentioned. She only knew this because someone had once tried to put her on a shuttle to Naboo. But she wanted to stay on Coruscant, especially after learning Naboo was where the Jedi and potentially Galactic Alliance refugees went.

"They would be nearby, and from what I know… could be Republic Space or Mandalorian Space. Both are not hard to get into, but there are a lot of worlds." Rorie chewed on her lower lip as she thought.

"You remember any markings on the shuttle she went on?"

She asked, suddenly feeling the urge to step a little closer. Rorie didn't want to miss any detail. They had a goal, and she wouldn't let anything get in the way. The more information she had, the easier it would be to locate Suri. Wherever Suri went, there would be a record, and all they had to do was find it.

"If you can describe the shuttle, we could probably figure out where she's gone to. I'm sure during war time, humanitarian aid would have come down to help?"

It was hopeful, but Rorie remembered the skies burning when the Covenant invaded Coruscant.

She didn't say anything about that, only wanting the survivors to feel they had survived.

"We'll find her sooner than later, I promise."

 

[Arra Thatch]

​

As Rorie nodded and stepped away, Arra set the ice pack aside and bent over to take off her boots. The warmth felt stifling after being half frozen outside but it would help her feet thaw out. She’d just got the left boot loose when she caught what Rorie was doing out of the corner of her eye. Arra looked up then quickly looked away as Rorie continued pulling off clothes. Her scuffed boots, held together with mesh tape, suddenly became more interesting as heat warmed her face, neck, and ears. She finished pulling off the left boot, hissing as the pressure around her ankle released. It felt good not to have her boot pressing in on her skin but it also hurt.

Rorie’s movement decreased and Arra stole a furtive glance toward the redhead. She was still dressed, thank gods, albeit in clothing that showed a lot more skin. Tattoos similar to the ones on her arms wrapped around her thighs and hips. Arra focused on tugging the other boot off as Rorie stretched and made a little sound. She would not be stripping down to her base layer, no matter how warm the ship got. As pretty as Rorie was, Arra would be embarrassed to have her body seen in comparison.

Scooting back a little, Arra stretched her left leg out in front of her on the bunk, getting a little more comfortable. It was cramped as most ships in the galaxy were not built with Epicanthix in mind, even if she was short for one.

"There are only so many planets nowadays that would accept refugees." She quietly mentioned.

That had been the one thing that had kept Arra from despairing. The knowledge that not every planet could take in refugees significantly narrowed her search down. Still, finding out which planet the shuttle had been going to was going to be like looking for a bolt among screws. Arra drew her right knee up to her chin and leaned against it.

"They would be nearby, and from what I know… could be Republic Space or Mandalorian Space. Both are not hard to get into, but there are a lot of worlds." Rorie chewed on her lower lip as she thought.

"You remember any markings on the shuttle she went on?"

The shuttle. Arra stared through the bulkhead, trying to remember. She’d been so focused on Suri, trying to get to the kiosks, and avoiding the Mandalorians. It had been chaos. Add to that she couldn’t read any of the names or models of the transports that had been available. But she’d gotten a glimpse of it when she gave Suri the only ticket and waited for her to get on the transport. If she could just remember.

Rorie stepped closer and Arra shifted her outstretched leg over, in case Rorie wanted to sit down on the bunk.

"If you can describe the shuttle, we could probably figure out where she's gone to. I'm sure during war time, humanitarian aid would have come down to help? We'll find her sooner than later, I promise."

Arra smiled weakly at that. “Thanks. I just… I-It all happened so fast and there was so much going on. I wasn’t looking at the shuttle or what it looked like, just…”

She sighed and leaned her forehead against her knee. Bone pressed against her bruise and she hissed in pain before remembering the ice pack. Arra grabbed it and held it again to her forehead.

“I… I remember it was old,” she said, slowly. She closed her eyes to try to recall the shape of it better. “It was really flat. Cockpit looked like one of those really old Imperial shuttles but it didn’t have the wings. Looked ancient too.”

The shape of a ship model slowly took form and Arra frowned. “I wanna say it was an old Kappa-class shuttle.”

She wasn’t a hundred percent sure but old ships and shuttles often lasted well beyond their stock life expectancy because of retrofits and refurbs. And it was the only ship that matched what little she remembered.

Tags:
Rorie​

 

[Rorie]

//: Arra Thatch //:
//: Attire //:

​

Rorie returned the smile. At least the information she could give seemed to ease something. She watched and listened, seeing that Arra was much taller than she had anticipated. The bed's size was obviously uncomfortable, and Rorie knew she wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon, so she moved over to the small panel on the side of the bunks. A hand gently pressed a series of keys, and the upper bunk slid back into place on the wall, giving Arra a bit more headroom.

"Sorry about that, I probably should have put that away a little earlier." She pointed to the area above the other girl's bunk and kept her gentle smile. Her eyes wandered again, remembering having seen a small first aid kit. While the bump didn't seem like an open cut, there was still some bacta and ointment that could help with the pain.

Remembering suddenly, she moved back to the kitchen area and grabbed the case. As she returned, Rorie was already digging through the small packets for something specific. Stepping toward the bed, Rorie casually kicked her clothes under it and watched as Arra made room for her. Taking it as an invitation, the Lupo climbed onto the bed. Her eyes dropped to the injured ankle. Arra wasn't wrong; it looked extremely painful, but without a doctor's help, there wasn't much they could do for now.

At least with the Shens she'd be able to get her into contact with someone — at least cash in on a few favors a certain doctor owed Rorie. She didn't stare long; her attention returned to Arra, who had hissed just moments earlier.

"I think I have something that might help that," she spoke gently as she crawled up the short length of the bunk. Here, Rorie realized how tall Arra actually was.

Thankfully, with the top bunk now put away, Rorie could get a better look at Arra's forehead. She moved closer, swinging her leg slightly over the girl's thighs and sitting lightly on her lap the best she could. Arra had been a bit stubborn earlier, mostly leaning away when Rorie tried to get a good look at what had happened.

"Let me see it." Her voice was much gentler than before as her hand reached for the ice, guiding it away from the bump.

"Good news, it's not getting any bigger, though… your pupils look a little dilated… not enough for me to worry about a concussion, though."

Another little toothy grin as she stared into Arra's eyes for a moment. Then her attention returned to the bump. She carefully tore open the bag with her teeth, and as she did, her body shifted to regain a bit of balance. With the bag open, she leaned forward and gently rubbed the pain-relief cream onto the bump.

"Should reduce swelling and make it not so painful." Her fingers finished applying the cream, then she blew softly. She let it dry so it wouldn't mess up the girl's hair.

"There we go."

Rorie, quietly pleased with herself, didn't move.

"Oh, those ships!" She thought back to the planets she had heard about on the holonews as the refugees were relocated. A hand rested on her chin as she tapped it lightly, sitting without a care on the taller girl's legs.

"There's Taris, Coruscant… Um, I think for the Republic, some were sent to Naboo and Corellia?" She couldn't think of the names of the Mandalorian Empire planets; perhaps they kept that quiet, not wanting to incite chaos, knowing they were going to a Mandalorian world.

Rorie still didn't know the difference between them, except one came from Mandalore and the other came from some other backwater planet.

"We can probably search the symbols on the ship to make sure… or make a wild guess where your Suri could be…" She leaned forward again as her excitement showed once more.

"Can I come with you and help look?"

 

[Arra Thatch]

​

"Sorry about that, I probably should have put that away a little earlier." She pointed to the area above the other girl's bunk and kept her gentle smile.

Arra laughed softly and shook her head. “You were a little busy getting us out of there.”

Suddenly Rorie disappeared further into the ship—the galley from what Arra could tell. Arra blinked, a little confused. Had Rorie gotten hungry between the diner and now? They hadn’t spent very long eating, so it was entirely possible. But Rorie emerged with something in her hands, already rifling through it as she walked back. She climbed onto the bed and looked at Arra’s swollen ankle. If she’d found something in that medkit to help, it would be a miracle. But Rorie looked back at her instead, eyes flicking to where Arra held the ice.

"I think I have something that might help that," she spoke gently as she crawled up the short length of the bunk.

“Oh, okay,” Arra said, prepared to take whatever Rorie offered. She froze, however, when the redhead clambered up the bed and sat on her lap, legs on either side of her. Arra’s face burned as she leaned back, coming up against the bulkhead and unable to escape.

"Let me see it." Her voice was much gentler than before as her hand reached for the ice, guiding it away from the bump.

Rorie’s hand burned against hers as she moved the ice away from the bump. Her skin still burned where her hand had been when she removed it to look at the knot on her head. Arra held completely still—she felt paralyzed, really. No one had been this close to her since she put Suri on that transport and even then Suri generally respected Arra’s personal space. Generally.

Her brain glitched for a moment when Rorie held her gaze for a few moments, smiling. Her sigh of relief at Rorie leaning back was cut short when Rorie shifted her weight, tearing open something with hands and teeth. She was acutely aware and she instinctively pressed herself back against the bulkhead as Rorie leaned forward again.

“I-It’s not that big a—” Arra winced as Rorie’s fingers gently started smearing the cream onto the bruise. At first, Arra didn’t think anything was happening but then her skin tingled and a dull ache she hadn’t noticed faded. She grunted softly with relief, not wanting to admit how much better she felt after her protests. Then Rorie blew on the skin—Arra assumed it was to dry the ointment but something in her stomach felt weird.

"There we go."

And still, she didn’t move. Arra, for all intents and purposes, was trapped. The redhead wasn’t heavy and it wasn’t entirely uncomfortable for her to sit on her lap. It just made her feel weird. But then Rorie mentioned ships and Arra latched onto that train of thought. Taris, Coruscant, Naboo, and Corellia. Arra hadn’t heard of Taris but it was a big galaxy so if Taris was a place people could run to, she was absolutely going to check there.

Rorie suddenly leaned forward again and Arra tried, once again, to lean back but her head was already against the bulkhead. She felt her face flush again. They were absolutely having a conversation about personal space at some point. Preferably when Rorie wasn’t sitting on her.

But… If Rorie came with her, she wouldn’t be on her own again, looking for a single person in a galaxy of trillions. It meant help. It meant someone watching her back. It meant there’d always be a way off-planet and a shelter.

It meant a lot.

“Y-yeah,” Arra said, nodding awkwardly with her head against the wall. “If, if you really want to. It’d… It’d be great not to have to d-do everything myself.”

Tags:
Rorie​

 

[Rorie]

//: Arra Thatch //:
//: Attire //:

​

Arra's reaction was perplexing to Rorie. Her constant attempts to pull away were worrisome, but she didn't bring it to the girl's attention. For Rorie, she assumed that Arra was in so much pain that even just thinking about the Lupo touching her made her flinch. It was alarming, but once the cream was on and Rorie could blow it dry, things got better.

Rorie wanted to put the rest of the cream on Arra's forehead, but her ankle also worried her. She was scared to touch it, but she knew that the pain was probably more than what anyone should be enduring. Just thinking about it made the Lupo's ears fall slightly, but she fought the small whine in her throat. The last thing she wanted was to worry the girl; if Arra worried, it meant that Rorie couldn't take care of her anymore.

The Lupo smiled slightly as she listened to Arra forget the pain in her forehead and possibly her ankle. Her focus shifted to the possibility of finding her Suri. Suri mattered, and Rorie was slowly learning how much this girl mattered. A small weight sat in her stomach when she thought about how much Arra focused on Suri. Every conversation, even if there weren't many, seemed to end up talking about Suri.

"Of course I want to," Rorie nodded, holding the rest of the packet in her hand.

Part of her wondered if she had pushed a little too far by taking care of her forehead. She'd wait a little before putting the cream on Arra's ankle… maybe even until the girl had washed up.

"I told you I'd help you find your Suri… so I'm going to do that." Rorie smiled, looked down at the cream, and did her best to seal it back together for now. If Arra wanted the cream for her ankle, Rorie would wait for her to ask. Tilting her head, Rorie waited a moment and thought about her next question.

"Did you want to go to Coruscant with me? We can stay at my place between refuels and while your ankle heals." The little pack of cream crinkled as she talked, her eyes struggling to meet hers.

She wanted to suggest staying on Coruscant, especially if they can't find Suri — but that would sound horrible, because Suri made Arra happy.

The ankle pounded in her mind as she struggled to bring up the ailment.

"Arra," Rorie shifted on Arra's lap again, unknowingly. "I'm really worried about your ankle; we should go to a doctor that I know on Coruscant… and we should clean up now that we're not on Abregado-Rae?"

She held up the cream packet with a sheepish little smile.

"It feels good, doesn't it?" Not knowing what she was doing to torment the other girl, Rorie leaned in close, shaking the packet, hoping to entice Arra to accept the aid.

 

[Arra Thatch]

​

As long as she focused on the conversation and Rorie’s face, Arra could ignore the fact that the redhead still sat on her lap. The reassurance that Rorie wanted to, that she said she would help and was going to follow through on that made her heart light. She could have hugged her but Rorie was putting away the cream she’d used and Arra didn’t want to accidentally make a mess.

"Did you want to go to Coruscant with me? We can stay at my place between refuels and while your ankle heals."

Coruscant brought up complicated feelings. The Sith ruled Coruscant. It had been everywhere on the news when the Empire took it over, and again when new Sith came in. The same Sith that made Abregado-rae a nightmare. And the reason she’d lost her only family.

But.

The idea of a place to stay and, more than that, a friend to stay with sounded better than the alternative. As strange as the whole day and some of her conversations with Rorie had been, Arra liked having Rorie around. She made things feel lighter, easier, somehow. And she’d just offered the solution to most of Arra’s logistical problems.

Tears pricked at her eyes but she swallowed them down and again, the urge to hug Rorie surged through her. But Rorie wouldn’t look at her, not really, and there was the packet of pain relief cream still. The redhead shifted again, and awareness of the movement cut through the bit of worry that Arra had when Rorie didn’t look at her.

"Arra," Rorie shifted on Arra's lap again, unknowingly. "I'm really worried about your ankle; we should go to a doctor that I know on Coruscant… and we should clean up now that we're not on Abregado-Rae?"

Wait, her hurt ankle bothered her? Arra searched her face and found only genuine concern.

In less than an hour, Rorie had given her food, a ride off of Abregado-rae, a place to stay in between searching, and a friend. More than that, she’d given her hope.

“You really are something else,” she said quietly.

"It feels good, doesn't it?"

She rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah,” she said. “It did help. But—"

Then Rorie leaned forward again. There was no escaping it so Arra’s fingers dug into the blanket as her heart stopped and started again. She forced her breathing to remain steady. Rorie had to stop startling her like that.

"Y-you said something about, about cleaning up?" she asked, her voice shaking a little. "Is— Does the 'fresher actually have a shower?"

The last shower she’d had was the night before the Sith fleet showed up. Arra had tried to stay clean by using refresher sinks and snow when she couldn’t get to a refresher, but she knew she probably smelled. And being smelly in a small space was terrible.

“Kriffing hell, a shower sounds amazing right now.” She nodded at the pain relief cream, trying to focus on something other than how close Rorie was. “That, that can wait until after. I doubt it’s waterproof.”

Tags:
Rorie​