Private Second Base

[Tess]

Lothal/Capital City​

13:02 local time​

Despite having totally different jobs and being literal worlds apart most of the time, they were making it work. Tess had declared Lothal their own little getaway place for when they wanted to see each other. And every month or so she'd try to get them to see each other. She tried to make it irregular to keep prying eyes off her and to also keep him from getting in trouble. From the feed off his datapad, it seemed to be working. However every time she checked in on his device, she felt bad over it. She was starting to legitimately think that she had been compromised by him...and she was rather okay with that thought.

This week was going to be another visit, complete with fun in the sheets, some other plans she had for them to do...and a surprise she was dying to show him. They were going strong and she really was starting to think that maybe they could make it work for the long term.

She was in her thick coat and beanie, arms folded as she leaned against a speeder. She was waiting for his ship to arrive. According to her calculations, it would be arriving at any minute now. She was relaxed and had a light smile on her face as she looked at the people coming and going from the spaceport. Some families were reunited, others were clearly in a rush. One man in overalls was holding his little girl and likely his wife in his arms with a bright smile...he'd clearly been gone for a while. In the corner of her eye she spotted something coming towards her location from the air. It seemed to be his ship. She pushed off the speeder, patted down her clothing and waited with her hands on her hips for him to land. Once his ship touched down, she walked over to it, climbed onto the wing to get to the cockpit...then straight up dropped herself into his lap with a smirk. "You're late, master Jedi." she said with a joking tone of annoyance. "It's not nice to leave a girl hanging, you know." she kept teasing before planting a deep kiss on his lips. "Now get your ass out of this fighter, I'm dying to show you something." she spoke with a normal voice, clearly excited as she hopped out of the fighter again with a big smile.

She waited for him beside the fighter and held a hand out to help him carry his things for the week. "I got a bunch of stuff planned for us for the week." she quipped as she tossed his things into the back of the speeder then walked around it to reach him. Without wasting a moment she threw her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. "I've missed you." she mumbled into his chest before looking up at him. "How've you been?" she asked him gently with bright eyes and a soft smile.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

En route to Lothal, Cas had managed to acquire another short leave of absence - short enough where no one would notice he was even gone... except for Yenna. Both her and Sakadi were growing ever more suspicious during his departures from Kashyyyk, Yenna more so and it was getting to the point where he was running out of ways to keep his relationship with Tess a secret. As much as he hated to admit it, he'd have to tell her soon.

Despite the impending confession he'd have to do, he was ecstatic to see his beloved again... especially after this crazy and stressful month he'd had. Right now, all he needed was the comfort, support and a week of quality time with the person that mattered most to him. A small smile formed on his face at the thought of his ever growing feelings for Tess.

As he entered Lothal's atmosphere, BB-5 began preparations to land as Cas drew closer to the docking port. He would see Tess in the distance waiting with her hands on her hips as he began lowering the fighter to dock, chuckling he shook his head at her before docking completely. Flicking a switch, his canopy slid open and not a moment later, Tess was on the ship's wing and then on his lap within seconds. After receiving her kiss, grinning, he fired back "Sorry, that tends to happen when trying to get my Padawan off your scent." while pointing at her. At the mention of being shown something, a smirk formed on his face "Is it a Tooka? I bet it's a Tooka isn't it?" the Jedi Knight jokingly guessed as he followed suit and vaulted onto the starfighter's wing with BB-5 being propelled out of his astromech socket not long after.

Reaching back into the cockpit, Cas pulled out a backpack which he strapped on - he wouldn't need much for the week, just some basic essentials. "No worries, I got it." he assured her. Heading over to the speeder though, he gave her his backpack to place in the back before folding his arms and chuckling "Yeah? You gonna fill me in or are you going to leave me hanging on a thread, as per usual?" he quipped as he reciprocated her hug. Kissing her neck "I know." he responded back, his brown doe eyes gazed into hers and he bit his lip in response to her question. Inhaling through greeted teeth, Cas used his gloved hand to rub the back of his neck "Uhhhh... I've been okay, stressed. A lot's been happening this month and not to mention Yen's getting more and more suspicious of this." he confessed looking Tess up and down in referral to their relationship.

Gazing into the distance he let out a long sigh before locking eyes with her once more "How about you? What have you been up to?" he asked with a smile, both out of curiosity and to get off the topic of his own working life.

Tess

 

[Tess]

Tess laughed at his first guess, though she was rather tempted to now alter the surprise a little. "Sadly not. I think we can keep that surprise for next time." she quipped with a smile. He carried the bags and soon enough they were by the speeder. She could tell his work was getting to him a little. "She's the one that likes snooping, right?" she asked him with a chuckle. He then asked about her work and she shrugged with a shake of her head. "Boring as hell. Haven't had much coming my way so I've been trying to keep myself busy. Training, target practice, stuff like that." she explained with boredom in her voice. She made sure to keep the part about breaching a pirate vessel and blowing an entire fleet apart quiet. He didn't need to know that...

She let go of him and walked over to the driver's side. "Hop in. I'm dying to show you." she said as she opened the door and slid in. She started the speeder up and soon enough they were zooming through the streets. After likely half an hour's drive she stopped in a secure garage connected to an apartment complex on the outskirts of the city. "Come on!" she spoke as she hopped out and grabbed his bag. She led the way up and entered an elevator. It took them to a floor close to the top and she led him to a door.

By the door she pulled a keycard from her pocket and held it out for him. "Open up." she said softly, standing by for the door to open. Once it did, she ushered him in and plopped the bag on a nearby kitchen counter. "That card is yours. The speeder is on my name but your name's also on the insurance. Welcome home, baby." she explained calmly as she wrapped her arms around him again. She looked to the apartment. "I'm a sucker for an industrial look, though any decorations you want to add, go ahead. This is our place. Paid for, secured, out of the way and away from prying eyes." she continued. The place, sure enough, had a rather industrial look to it. The furniture was simplistic with square tubing for the frames, though they were deceptively comfortable. It was also rather bare as far as decor went. But that department she left for him.

"I figured we're far enough to move onto step two. And like I said, feel free to decorate however you like. I did the whole part of getting here. You can do the rest." she finished with a smirk before planting a kiss on his lips. Still beaming all the way, she looked at him with excited eyes. "So? What do you think?" she asked him...though she was waiting to see whether his answer was the truth or just him sugarcoating again...

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

"That's Yen for you, nosy little gremlin." he said in an affectionate manner, confirming Tess' question. Raising a brow, he was surprised to hear that her time away was pretty tame, he was sure she'd have an exciting story to tell him - shrugging, he added onto her statement "Now that I'm here, I promise to spice up your week." he chuckled, planting a kiss on her forehead.

With that over with, Cas wandered over to the passenger side of the speeder and opened its door before turning to his astromech "BB-5, come on or we're leaving without you!" he called out to the spherical droid who was wandering around the port, beeping and chirping he rushed to the speeder and hopped into the backseat. Getting inside the passenger seat, he relaxed his hands on the back of his head and leaned back into the seat. Cas was uncharacteristically quiet during the drive to wherever they were headed, he simply rested his eyes and enjoyed the airflow hitting his face.

Arriving in a garage, Cas opened his eyes and Tess' excitement to show him whatever she needed to show him brought a smile to his face, seeing her excited was definitely a pleasing sight. With BB-5 close behind the two, Cas matched Tess' speed as she led them into an elevator and finally stopping off near to the top, he continued to follow her to the outside of an apartment door. It took him a moment but he managed to put two and two together just as Tess handed him a keycard. Glancing between the keycard and Tess, his face lit up like Tatooine's suns "You're messing with me. For real?" he asked chuckling.

Slotting the keycard inside the locking mechanism, the apartment door slid open and he was then ushered inside by Tess. As Tess explained, Cas wandered the living room alongside BB-5 who let out an impressive beep. With Cas and Tess now owning an apartment together, it really brought things into perspective... how serious things were between the two and ironically enough, their new apartment symbolised the potential of a future they could really have together.

Returning to Tess, he reciprocated her kiss. Pulling away, he scanned the room they were in once more before locking eyes with Tess' pale eyes and a large smile formed on his face. "This is... this is great." he said, looking around again "This is just what I needed." he added, grateful Cas kissed her again "I didn't know you had it in you." he quipped. Stepping back slightly, he held both of her hands and let them hang between the two - the Kiffar bit his lower lip and averted his gaze, displaying a hint of anxiousness - he debated if he was really going to do what he was about to do. "Tess... I--" he paused, unsure of himself, shaking his head a fake smile formed on his face as he attempted to quip himself out of the situation "Heh, next month you'll be proposing to me. I don't blame you though, I'm quite the catch."

Looking in the direction of the bedroom, he turned back to Tess "What do you say about a proper reuniting activity?" he proposed with a smirk.

Tess

 

[Tess]

Tess was both relieved and happy to see he was grateful over the new apartment. She kissed him deeply and held his hands tightly. "You should know by now I'm full of surprises." she quipped with a wink as she looked up at him. Though her smile faded somewhat as she saw the nervousness on his face. She tilted her head slightly as she waited patiently to hear what he had to say. "What's wrong, babe?" she asked him softly as he stammered over his words. But he brushed it aside and put on his trademark smile.

She chuckled at his joke and shook her head. "Hell no, I dropped the surprise this round. That surprise I'm leaving to you." she teased with narrowed eyes and a smirk as she lightly wiggled his arms a bit. She let go of his hands and instead leaned against the counter, a mischievous grin forming on her lips as he laid out his suggestion. She slowly closed the distance between them and calmly started working on unbuckling his belt. "Sounds like a plan. And I want to see whether or not that bed is as quiet as the guy advertised." she teased him with a snicker. "Now, Master Jedi, are you going to take the lead or shall I?"

**********​

Laying on top of his chest with her legs still straddling him, Tess held onto him with a smile on her face. "Yeah I think the bed was money well spent. This mattress is quite comfortable." she joked as she poked his sides. She rested her chin on his chest as she looked at him for a few seconds. Her smile faded as she watched him, her arms holding onto his shoulders. "...Babe..." she started softly. But she averted her gaze and instead got off him, taking the sheet and wrapping it around herself. She sat beside him with a blank face, clearly deep in thought. Though after several moments of silence she looked back to him and laid down next to him. "This is a big step for us. It's also the furthest I've ever been in any relationship. I...I think this calls for some laundry to be hung up." she started gently and carefully.

Her hands took hold of one of his and held on tightly. "What I'm about to tell you, I've never told anyone else before in my life." she stated with a shaky breath...though going further was becoming harder and harder.

"I..." she croaked, clearing her throat and taking a deep breath. "My..." she couldn't get any further. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she watched him with serious eyes. "Please don't say anything yet. Just listen...keep an open mind, please." she said with a serious voice, squeezing his metallic hand tightly. "My...I...can't have kids." she stammered out, dropping her head to lie down on his arm. She raised her head again and looked at him with embarrassed and guilty eyes. "We're getting serious and we've been kriffing like womp-rats. I felt...it'd be fair to let you know." she explained softly and carefully.

She felt horrible. She wanted to trust him fully, to trust him with what she really wanted to tell him...but she couldn't. Not now. He didn't need to know yet.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Cas was surprised but pleased that she... went along with his joke, and even more so that she was open to the idea of the two getting married. That was definitely enough to energise the young Jedi Knight, that and Tess unbuckling his belt, answering her next question with his actions, he grinned and reached under her thighs and lifted her up before planting a deep and passionate kiss on her lips. Still holding her up, he carried her to the bedroom.

*********
​

Burying the back of his head into the pillow, Cas used his flesh hand to wipe some sweat off of his forehead before exhaling in pleasure. Tess had given him a real workout this time. "You can say that again, I could fall asleep right now... but that'd be rude." he joked before shooting her a suspicious look "How do you do that by the way? Look damn great before, during and after?" he asked lightheartedly, tucking a loose strand of blonde hair behind her pale ear.

Their moment was cut short when something clearly troubled Tess, enough to make her get off of him and sit up beside him. Cas remained lied down, however. She was silent for a few moments and he could sense the conflict within her, but he stayed silent and allowed her to come to terms with what was bothering her. Finally, she laid beside him and revealed she had something to confess, he had a bad feeling about this but he rested his hands on the pillow and behind his head in an attempt to feign confidence. As she took his metallic hand and revealed what she was about to tell him, she hadn't told anyone, his heart rate increased slightly and he subtly bit his lower lip but he nodded encouraging her to continue.

He'd never seen her this nervous before, had never felt it through the Force either - which made him even more nervous. His face would remain calm to keep Tess comfortable enough to reveal what she had to say.

Then she said it, her big reveal, she couldn't have kids - Cas' lips parted ever so slightly and his face finally gave way and revealed his surprise. Gazing away for a moment, kids would have been nice, turning to Tess again he weakly smiled "I'm too young and free-spirited for kids anyway." he joked halfheartedly in attempts to bring up the mood but the news was a small blow to his prospects of raising a family but, it was what it was. Cas sat up slightly as his facial expression turned serious "Tess... I... uh... I love you, y'know? Yeah, raising a family would have been cool I guess but as long as we have each other that's all that matters right?" he said, caressing Tess' soft cheek in hopes of comforting and reassuring her "Thank you. For telling me."

Still, after her confession - Cas could sense something else troubling her. Raising an eyebrow, he lifted his hand off of her cheek and placed it in his lap "Is there anything else you wanna say? I can sense something still messing with you" he asked with a worried look.

Tess

 

[Tess]

She was happy that he handled that piece of information so well. She would have been rather taken back if he dumped her because of that. He tried to cheer her up and she flashed him a gentle smile, resting her cheek in his hand. Though he caught on that she still had something to say. A rather nice reminder that Jedi were actually good at anything involving strong emotions. she gave a guilty chuckle and scooted up to kiss him. "Nothing gets past you, huh?" she commented with a smile before it faded.

"Remember...open mind, please." she stated again and took another deep breath. For several seconds she looked at him as she tried to get herself to tell him. "My...name...my real name...isn't Tess." she started. "It's experiment T3/21-SS." she stated with a shaky breath. "You remember on our first night? When you said it was like I was made in a lab? I was. I was an experiment for a company that was testing to see what they can achieve with genetic and cybernetic enhancements. I don't know where they're from or where they even are, I literally have no memory of their location. I have no clue where I came from or even if I was born or really made in a bottle like they said I was. I just know that I was made...to be a perfect spy." she let it all out, sounding like she was letting a huge weight off her shoulders.

Her eyes were filled with worry and her heart was pounding. He could probably feel it with her so close against him. She looked around and then back to him with her hands holding onto his with an iron grip. "That's my secret, Cas. I'm not a cop. I'm a spy meant to blend in, infiltrate, gain info and kill anyone who gets in my way." she finished, waiting to see just how he'd react to this news.

Of course, the danger now was that he knew her real identity. If this went south...she might be forced to do something she really didn't want to do...

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Although he was right to sense Tess' conflict, Cas was again nervous at what else she could possibly say - maybe it wasn't bad but the way she felt about what she was going to say still made him worry. The 'open mind' comments filled the young Kiffar with dread each time, so much so that he physically tensed up and his muscles displayed it.

As she explained further and further about who she was, where she had come from, Cas' face only watched Tess in complete shock and disbelief. When she finished, Cas backed away slightly - the mechanical movements of his arm being the only sound that was made. He averted his gaze, removing his hands from her grip and got out of bed. Reaching for his draws, put slowly put them on before facing away from the woman he had thought he knew.

Placing his hands on his hips, he hung his head low and let out a long exhale - Cas felt like he was going to throw up. He felt... betrayed, violated. The young Jedi Knight had given every part of himself to her, emotionally and physically. For him to find out that she'd been lying to him, lying and omitting the truth from him deeply wounded him. Clasping his cold metal hand to his mouth "This- this doesn't make any sense... this doesn't make any sense..." he repeated over and over through the covered mouth.

This entire time he was in love with this, idea, this concept of Tess - some kind of sick role she was playing. She'd made a complete fool out of him. Finally removing his hand from his mouth, he turned his head in her direction but his back remained to her "So... that's it, huh?" he asked calmly, but with anger behind it "That's why you chose to stick around? Gain my trust so you wanted secret information? About the Jedi? Then when you were done you were going to what, kill me in my sleep?" he questioned again, voice beginning to elevate.

He was livid. Not only at Tess, but mainly at himself. This entire relationship with her was just too good to be true - why would someone like her ever be interested in some dumb kid like him, how could he fall for it? And why didn't the Force warn him of this in some kind of precognitive dream.

Tess

 

[Tess]

It was quite understandable that he was angry. Though it felt rather unfair for her in a way. Then came his suspicion.

Tess' eyes went wide but quickly turned into a determined look as she hopped out of bed, leaving the sheets behind. "What? No! she spoke loudly as she walked around to stand in front of him. "Cas, if I wanted you dead, I could have killed you when we were in that warehouse on Zeltros! Or literally any time in bed here on Lothal!" she stated with a serious tone.

She grabbed hold of him and made sure he looked her straight in the eye. "Cas, I love you! And on top of that, I trust you! More than anyone else in this galaxy. I wouldn't have told that to anyone else! I wasn't lying when I said I never told anyone else! she explained, though a hint of frustration was starting to bleed through in her own voice...along with fear.

"Dammit, Cas! I'm not telling you all this because I'm playing you or something! I'm telling you because I trust you! I love you." she stated, giving him a shake by his shoulders.

This wasn't good. If she couldn't salvage the situation, then she was going to have one big problem on her hands...

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

He wanted to believe her, he wanted to more than anything but... after finding out she had been lying to him all this time, it really broke his trust. With her attempts to salvage this, stating she loved him and that he was the only person she trusted in the galaxy, he merely averted her gaze and calmly placed his hands on her wrists and removed her hands from him, turning his head away as he did so.

"You trust me now, sure. But what about then? You can't not admit that you were playing me at first, right?" he asked her in an accusatory manner, still his voice remained calm as he was trying to remain level-headed as possible, cautious yes, but still level-headed.

Clenching his fists, his youthful features wrinkled as he closed his eyes and tensed every muscle in his face - he couldn't look at her right now. Backing away slightly, he deliberated and tried to think with his logic instead of his emotions but it was difficult, and a struggle he was losing greatly. His face finally relaxed however and he opened his eyes to gaze on her pale, beautiful features.

"I'm sorry, Tess..." he started, voice croaky "But I can't trust you anymore..." he confessed softly before trailing around the bedroom, picking up his scattered clothes. He didn't know what'd come next, he didn't care - honestly, his trust for Tess was so completely broken that he was unsure of what she'd do with the decision he made. Did he even really know her well enough to waver an answer?

Tess

 

[Tess]

Tess gave him a look that just screamed 'really?' as he spoke. He removed her hands but she brought one to his cheek to turn his gaze towards her once more. "That's not how trust works and you know that. You don't trust someone fully right off the bat, that's not how it works." she stated with annoyance, eyeing him all the way. "I wasn't playing you, I was getting to know you, there's a difference." she continued.

But he merely stepped away and...naturally...wanted to leave. Tess watched him with wide eyes as he turned to leave. But she quickly snapped out of her thoughts, pulled on a t-shirt and sprinted after him. In the hallway she grabbed hold of his shoulder and pushed him into the wall with strength rivalling someone much stronger than herself. "Cas, I'm not letting you leave!" she stated with a determined look on her face. "We're gonna work this out. You hear me? You can trust me and I trust you. And I'll keep telling you that until you believe me. Got it?" she spoke with authority, keeping a hand on his shoulder as she stood right up against him to keep him in place. "Besides, if you leave. I'll have to kill you." was another sentence on her tongue, but that didn't sound like it would solve the dilemma for them now. No, she was going to have to do whatever she could to keep him there until she could sort the mess out.

Her other hand rested on his chest as she looked up at him. Her pale eyes were filled with sincerity and worry. "Cas...stay. Please. We can work this out together." she spoke again, more gently this time. Her grip on his shoulder relaxed but she still held him lightly.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

The look she gave him, like he was stupid, as she brought his face to meet hers wasn't helping the situation. "Didn't stop you from kriffin' me though!" he argued back as he pulled away from her, she tried to assure him she wasn't playing him but he had a hard time buying it.

Putting his pants on and grabbing his shirt, he dragged it along and headed to the living room to get his stuff and BB-5, to just get the hell out of there where he could clear his head. Halfway down the hallway as he was scratching the back of his neck in frustration, he heard the bedroom door open and then close followed by the sounds of fast-paced footsteps behind him. She grabbed him and forced his back to a wall, he was in such distress that some of his motor functions were still on auto-pilot - Tess grabbing him nearly took him off of his feet completely.

Looking devoid of all life, Cas' head drooped as Tess spoke to him, refusing to let him go. She was being stubborn about this. She pleaded for him to stay, gazing sideways Cas clenched his robotic fist tight, so tight he could crush a rock before eventually releasing his grip. Calmly, he removed her hand from his chest before tilting his head up slightly but finally locking eyes with her "Fine." he uttered coldly.

Turning around, he continued on his way to the living room. He was a mess right now, completely emotionally unbalanced. Head facing in the direction of the doorway to the living room, he addressed Tess "This better be all of it. If I find out you're keeping anything else from me, now or in the future..." he didn't finish but he was sure she got the implication.

Sitting at the couch he rested his arm on the back of the sofa, turning his head to look out the window in the distance - he didn't need to speak, his scowl said it all.

Tess

 

[Tess]

Tess breathed a sigh of heavy relief and stepped away, letting him take a seat on the new couch. She glanced at him as he spoke, secretly cringing to herself. It was definitely not all of it and if she was going to try and fix this, then she needed to get everything out in the open. Otherwise they'll be right back here only with no hope of fixing it again. But she couldn't just let him know everything, either.

She walked over to him and rested both hands on either side of his shoulders against the couch as she held her face inches away from his. Her pale gaze drilled into his eyes, even if he wasn't looking at her. "Cas...promise me that whatever we say or discuss in this apartment, doesn't leave it. Promise me." she said softly. Her hands shifted from the couch to his shoulders, giving them a light squeeze. Only once he agreed to her request, would she continue.

She stepped away and sat down on the couch between him and the door, though she tried to keep it subtle. "It's not all. I want to come clean with you. I want to lay it all in the open so this doesn't happen again." she said to him before taking a deep breath. She hoped her makers didn't have a chip on her to listen in. "I work for anyone who seems promising. Anyone who looks like they need to have an eye kept on them. No matter who or what. In this case, I'm...working for the NIO." she explained rather nervously as she drooped her head. No doubt that would get him riled up. I've been working with them, integrating into their system and learning whatever I can of them and how they operate. And to further prove my point, even they don't know anything of what I've told you. Unless you had some other interaction with them, they don't even know you exist. And as far as they're concerned, I'm simply a girl from Naboo who wants to make a difference."[/color] she continued calmly, trying her hardest to stay level-headed.

"That's everything. My ins and my outs. You now officially know more of me than the entire galaxy." she tried to joke with a weak smile, but with how thick the tension was, it probably wouldn't do much...

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Cas remained in the same position motionless as Tess made him promise to keep everything that has been and will be said between them. Sighing, he nodded in agreement "Just get on with it..." he demanded in a sorrowful tone, his heart wasn't ready for this.

He quickly noticed that when she sat in the seat between him and the door it was preparation to stop him if he tried to leave, she would try. Cas quickly glanced between her and the door to display that he knew what she was doing before listening to what she had to say. Staring forward with a deadpan look, at the very moment she mentioned working for the New Imperial Order he kissed his teeth loudly and growled in frustration before shooting up from his seat. Standing, he placed a palm on his forehead before running it through his dreads.

This was a joke. The fact she even tried to joke as she concluded proved it, he clenched his jaw in annoyance before snapping his head in her direction "That supposed to be funny?!" he asked. Cas began pacing around the room, running both hands through his hair trying to take the hurricane of emotions he felt and formulate it into cohesive words.

After a few moments, he finally turned to her and stared into her soul - "What the kark am I supposed to do with this, Tess?!" he asked rhetorically, voice noticeably breaking "My loyalty is to the Jedi, keeping our relationship a secret is one, harmless thing but this... you..." he growled in frustration again and buried his head in his hands. Taking a deep breath, he regained his composure again and lifted his head away from his hands. Looking at Tess mournfully, he struggled to get the words out "I love you..." he confessed, averting his gaze and pausing for a moment "But this... us..." he added while pointing back and forth at himself and her "We can't keep doing this..." he concluded, fighting back his overwhelming emotions.

Turning away from her, he continued "This whole thing was based on secrets and lies. It was always doomed to fail." in a begrudging manner. Resting his hands on his hips, he positioned the side of his body in Tess' direction before turning his whole head to face her "I won't tell anyone about your background, alright?" he promised with a sigh, hoping to reassure her "But... I need some space."

Tess
[/div]

 

[Tess]

Her smile faded as he started to freak out. she rose to her feet and wanted to hug him...or something. She just wanted to help him process all of this. But instead she kept her hands to herself and hugged herself rather. She really wasn't liking this feeling welling up inside her. This was her chance at a normal life. Now it was slipping away with each passing second.

She looked up at him as he said those words. She bit her lower lip as she held a hard, neutral expression. He promised her not to blurt out her secret which made her feel a little bit better. But not by much. The pit in her stomach was becoming more and more prominent. A huge headache was forming and her eyes were starting to become misty without her even forcing it. A knot formed in her throat as she kept her eyes glued to the ground. It was horrible and what made it worse was the face that she wasn't in control of these emotions. This wasn't her forcing it to play the part of a girl needing help or some nonsense like that. This was outside of her control. And it was quickly becoming too much for her. So she did something that would just make the moment easier to process...

"Okay..." she answered simply and softly, still not looking at him. The whirlwind of emotion emanating from her disappeared until only the faintest of emotions could be felt. She breathed deeply, sniffed lightly, and turned to walk back to the room. By the hallway she stopped and glanced at the ground in front of him again. "Remember your keycard. It's on the counter there where you left it. Feel free to take the speeder" she spoke with a calm and neutral tone, slightly pointing at Cas' keycard lying on the kitchen counter. She calmly walked back to the bedroom like a ghost drifting through the air and took a seat on his side of the bed. Devoid of emotion, she stared out of the window with a blank expression.

Once Cas left and closed the door behind him, the sound of furniture being thrown about and glass being broken echoed from within the apartment. The faintest sounds of sobs could be heard as a storm of emotion erupted from inside the apartment.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Cas could sense it within her, no matter how much she tried to hide it - it made him feel all the more worse, adding onto his already emotional state.

"Okay..." he repeated after her, this was really it. Their relationship was over before it even truly began. As much as it tore him up inside, he couldn't trust her. Not anymore. With a huff, he listened to what she said about the keycard and the speeder but didn't comment on it - he didn't have a witty comeback or a fake smile to brighten the situation because there was no way to lighten this.

With that, she returned to the bedroom and Cas was left in the living room by himself. He heard BB-5's sad chirps before turning to see him in the corner, he had witnessed everything between Cas and Tess. Without words, Cas gathered his things and made his way for the door with BB-5 following close behind him, the heartbroken Kiffar had taken about five steps in the outside hallway before he heard the sound of smashing glass and thrown furniture and a faint sound of sobs from behind the walls.

Clenching his eyes shut, Cas gritted his teeth and through a moment of weakness, he smashed his cybernetic fist into the wall cracking it before turning around and leaning against the wall. Sliding down it, he lay sat on the floor and cradled his head in his hands, fighting back his own tears. BB-5 let out a few concerned beeps before rolling next to Cas and nuzzling against him.

After losing an arm and having his chest physically scarred by a Sith Lord, this was by far the worst day of his life.

Tess