Private Shifting Sands

[Jas Katis]

Once again Jas found himself astonished at her ignorance and amazed at his own expectations of her knowledge when it came to Sith planets. He was so used to people knowing exactly what they were that this was still a surprise to him. Regardless, he continued to remind himself that she wasn’t Sith. ”Place. It is a planet even us Sith rarely go to. It was the site of a great battle thousands of years ago, but now all that remains is ash and husks of old Jedi and Sith long gone. There was a temple there that lies in ruin now. I figured it might be something interesting for you to read up on or visit someday.”

There were likely many more planets with significantly more interesting locations to read up on, but he wasn’t knowledgeable enough of other planets. He didn’t exactly travel to different planets simply to explore.

”But that is something we can ponder on later.” He commented, rising from his seat to clean up the table. The dishes and utensils were loaded into the kitchen sink while the leftovers were set aside. That could be breakfast before they went on with their mission.

After everything was sorted, Jas looked around to get his bearings for a moment. The idea of chasing someone out of their own living room was odd to say the least. ”Alright, I think I shall tuck in for the night.” it was even more awkward to say it aloud. Clearly a bit embarrassed, he gave a strained smile. ”Um... good evening. Sleep well.” Perhaps shoving his lightsaber down his throat and igniting it wasn’t a bad idea. Once he was settled and he made a bed for himself on the couch, he got rid of his extra clothing until all that remained were his trousers.

It wasn’t a pleasant sleep, but at least it was warm and he didn’t have to sleep with one eye open. The next morning he was up early and felt like his body was broken in a dozen different places. After a reasonable session of stretches and exercise, he got a pot of caf brewing and heated up a portion of the leftovers for himself, patiently waiting for Jae to wake up as well.

Hopefully she wasn’t someone who slept into the next afternoon...

Jaeviko Fitzsix

 

[Jaeviko Fitzsix]

Jae slowly pushed herself up in bed, rubbing her eyes. She stretched forward, flexing her wrists. "Mornin' Sam." She mumbled.

"Good morning. It is 9:35 Naos time." Sam's replied, the voice coming out of the small speaker above Jae's bed.

"Can you start the caf machine?" Jae asked, swinging her legs off the bed. Her sleep clothes were casual-- soft black leggings and a loose-fitted tank top advertising some band she saw once and never heard from again. No socks or shoes though, as the Manta was the only place she felt comfortable being barefoot (as much as she enjoyed it).

"I would," Sam said as Jae headed towards her door. "However your traveling companion has already made some, and the pot is still warm."

Jae blinked a few times, then chuckled. Right, Jas. "Thanks Sam," she replied. "Run a scan of the Manta's vitals, please." With Sam's affirmative answer, Jae opened the door to her bedroom, which led straight into the living room... which gave her a full view of a mostly unclothed Jas.

She could feel her face turning red as she tried not to stare. She smiled, doing her best (and somewhat failing) at keeping a facade of nothing being amiss. "Mornin. Sleep well?"

Jas Katis

 

[Jas Katis]

Jas glanced to Jae’s door as it opened and she emerged... with a blush swelling almost immediately. ”Not bad at all, that couch is surprisingly comfortable.” He lied, not wanting to make her feel bad. ”I brewed some caf and heated up the leftovers if you are feeling hungry.” He offered with a smile. His curiosity was getting the better of him as he studied her. ”If I may ask, why are you blushing?” He asked gently. He only realised after a few seconds that he was likely the cause.

He looked down at his bare body before he glanced back to her. ”I seem to have forgotten my manners. Give me a moment.” He excused himself and quickly found his shirt before he returned to her. He wouldn’t dare to make a joke with her in this state, especially this early. Without hesitation he climbed back into his caf as he stepped aside to let her get to the items if she wanted. ”I must confess that I am not used to wearing my shirt on my own ship. I’ll try to change that to avoid future... blushing sessions.” He apologised calmly before taking another sip.

Jaeviko Fitzsix

 

[Jaeviko Fitzsix]

Jae held her hands in front of her, chuckling lightly. "It's okay," she replied. "Just, uh, a surprise. I'll gladly take caf and leftovers, though." She walked into the 'kitchen' area and grabbed one of her mugs, filling it with a bit of caf before adding milk and sugar. She needed the energy, but she needed it sweet. She grabbed a bowl of the leftovers and slid herself onto the couch, pulling part of the blanket over her for comfort.

"Ready to brave the cold again today?" She asked. "Oh, and probably bring a set of sleep clothes. I'm not sure how far down the cavern goes until we reach the site, so we might have to camp. I've got a tent with some heat in case it's still cold down there." She grabbed for her holopad and pulled up the few map references she had, hoping to at least find some sort of information on the cave she hadn't noticed before, but she had a feeling there'd be nothing.

Jas Katis

 

[Jas Katis]

The amount of jokes and teases that cropped up in his mind was frightening to say the least. He was fully convinced that his time spent around humans wasn't exactly good for him with how his mind worked in that last year or two. At least he had the manners to make sure that he didn't say them outright as they popped into his head. A gentle smile graced his lips as he watched her get her breakfast and tuck in underneath his blanket.

He chuckled at her question as he gestured to her current position. "Between you and me, I think you might be the one least tempted to go back into that cold." He joked as he sat down next to her on the couch. His sip of caf was interrupted completely at her suggestion of bringing extra clothes and items to camp out, just in case. He raised an eyebrow for a moment as he took a long sip of his drink. "What you see on me is what I have. I didn't exactly have time to grab all my things when we set off from Tatooine. I only have the... more important things and my robes. Aside from that it's the garbage I bought on Tatooine and on here." He admitted as he turned slightly to face her. "Though I do hope you have extra blankets along with that heater, otherwise we're going to get very cosy with the cold out there." He couldn't resist anymore. Coupled with a wink, and a smirk that betrayed the mischief behind his serious tone, he couldn't let every single opportunity slip by.

He quickly finished his drink and set aside the mug as he rose from his seat. "Let's get ready to move out. The sooner we get this over with, the better." He glanced back to her as a chuckle escaped. "Unless you want to stay under that blanket for a while longer?" He quipped.

Jaeviko Fitzsix

 

[Jaeviko Fitzsix]

Jae rolled her eyes, and dramatically pulled the blanket closer to her. "What can I say? The warmth calls to me." She relaxed down onto the couch as he spoke. She'd forgotten how nice it was to just sit down and talk to someone. Not about business (although this was sort of business-talk, but it didn't feel like it), not being in danger, just chatting over some caf. She made a mental note to have guests on the Manta more often... or to keep Jas around for longer.

She snorted at his comment about being cozy in the cold, and she had to put her mug down on the table to avoid spilling it. "Well, that privilege is up to you, my dear," she teased back. "If you can carry the blankets, you can sleep with them," She opened her mouth to continue the statement, but quickly realized what direction her accidental word choice was going to, and decided to swerve at the last minute. "So better start packing now." She grinned, staving off the entendre she'd danced around.

She stood up, draping the blanket back over the couch. "Nah, I'm ready to get going. Been ages since I've gotten to do a good ol-fashioned cavern delve." She walked across the main area back into her room, and began packing her gear. The tent was one of her favorite purchases-- one that folded and unfolded itself up from a small container to a tent with enough room for two. She packed her usual set of cold-weather blankets, and dried food that she'd be able to use for a mix of meals and snacks. She tossed a few extra blankets onto the couch for Jas to take. He was still technically under her employ-- he could carry his weight, she figured with a smirk.

Jas Katis

 

[Jas Katis]

Jas had an unwavering look to him with an equally smug grin as he listened to her speak. With his hands on his hips, he waited to see whether or not she would fall in that trap. Fortunately, or unfortunately, she was smart enough to watch her wording as she continued. ”After you, then.” he quipped before he turned to do the same. He took a bit of a liberty and ran through the shower before he proceeded to get dressed and pack his things. It was a dismal display, but at least it wasn’t much to carry. Merely some survival accessories and the heap of blankets in the backpack. It wasn’t like he had any extra cold gear to bring along.

After swiping the tent from her along with some other heavier things, he was ready to roll out alongside her. He made sure his face was covered and his goggles were on when the ramp opened up for them to descend into the cold once more.

He elected to save his stamina and pressed on rather than cast another bubble. They had no clue what was waiting for them in the caverns, the last thing he wanted was to be fatigued and unable to do anything.

When they eventually reached the site, he calmly waited for her to take the lead on it.

Jaeviko Fitzsix

 

[Jaeviko Fitzsix]

Jae adjusted her bag, tugged her coat on, and stepped out, braving the cold. Somehow it was worse the second time around. She knew what she was in for, and yet it still smacked her face like a thousand rubber pellets. She trudged forward, making her way towards the cavern, and staying quiet to conserve energy. As long as they got there safely, she'd be fine, and that was all she was focused on.

After a few hours, they reached the cavern, and she clapped her gloved hands excitedly as they entered. "If my guesses are correct, the site will be further down," she explained. "If it's been undisturbed for as long as I think it has, there's got to be hassle to get to it. Otherwise, I wouldn't be the first trying to get there."

She slipped her gloves off and shoved them into her pocket, then pulled her datapad out of her pack and began walking, taking scans of the area to generate a map to aid in their way out.

Jas Katis