The Adventures of a Healer and a Viking: Pirates, Part II

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

The shirt came off with a final tug. Hair became mussed-up. She threw the burned fabric in one corner.

"Don't look at me like that," she said quietly without looking up. Being an empath wasn't a mind reader but it was pretty darn close. "I know your feelings are justified. I know you can't trust me like before. I don't blame you. I would feel the same in your shoes. But don't look at me like that. Or, at least just look at me like that when I'm sleeping."

There was a small smile that didn't last. She didn't want to lose a friend after she'd just lost so much. But maybe she had.

Fingers drifted down to her stomach, checking out her own handi-work of the lightsaber. The force flowed through her and began repairing some of the burned flesh.

There was a lot more to heal than just a wound. Her emotions would take longer.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

”It’s not a matter of trust.” He told her quietly.

Oddly enough, he did trust her in a weird way. Yes a part of him still didn’t quite believe it, but he knew that she wasn’t a pirate, knew that she remembered him, and knew that...well she couldn’t have been anyone else. That alone was enough for him, but that didn’t make any of this any better really.

”It’s a matter of understanding.” What did he mean by that? ”This isn’t something...normal. I don’t think it is for you either, but I don’t use the force, I’ve never learned a thing about it, and I’ve certainly never used it before. Your healing is enough of a mystery to me.”

In fact, it was practically magic.

”This...this is just…” There had been stories of body-snatchers in the old books. They had often fought the Brave Knights or sought to stand in their way somehow, but some of those stories had been different. Tales of the body-snatchers doing good, helping people, even being heroes themselves.

It was a childish equivalent, almost laughably so, but it was really the only thing that val could think of in that moment. Taheera, the woman he knew wasn’t evil.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

"Weird. Unnatural. Disgusting. I agree." She sat down, knees pulling up to her chest with green arms circling around them. Chin rested on top.

She didn't move to put on a flight suit yet.

"I never asked for any of this."

Hands reached down and began peeling off her boots. "I can sleep up top. Outside on the hatch if it'll make you feel better."

She was being serious.

And to think she thought being a clone was unnatural or weird enough. She didn't know it could get worse. But at the same time she wasn't looking for pity. She didn't know what she was looking for.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"What?" He asked. "No."

That was ludicrous.

"It's not disgusting." Maybe a little bit considering the fact that neither of them knew exactly where that pirate had been over the last few years, but that didn't really matter all that much in the grand scheme of things. Val was weirded out, yes, but mostly because he didn't understand how this could have happened, how...well how any of it came about. There wasn't a guidebook that he could check, a holo-doc he could read, it was just...well a glaringly big mystery.

"Don't be silly." He told her.

It wasn't like he now despised her or anything, it was just...strange. She had a new body, but that didn't really change who she was...right? As long as the same mind was there, the same school of thought, the same attitude. That was all that mattered.

He frowned slightly though as he realized something...what had happened to the pirate?

Best not to ask.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

"No...it. Kind of is. For a healer. I feel like an abomination."

Final boot came off. She wiggled her green toes. "To take a life to live, goes against everything I stood for. It's hard to live with myself now. I don't know if it's something you can understand." Fingers came up and tucked chestnut-strands of hair behind her ears.

"But...what's done is done. I can't change that." Jaw set in that same, determined line, so similar to her old-self.

"As soon as we get to land - a city. I'm going to track down some force masters for some answers. If I can find any," voice trailed off.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"To be fair." Val began. "She killed you first."

Pointing that out likely wouldn't help the situation any, but...well it was just the first thing that came to his mind. He probably could have put it in better terms, or maybe not said it at all, but it was true. Whoever this pirate was hadn't exactly been a kind person, and...well if you were going to kill someone it might as well be a pirate. Val didn't really see any issue with it, but over the years he'd outright killed hundreds of people. Perhaps his morals were just different.

"What sort of force master would know about this?" Probably not a good one.

He doubted Jedi went around snatching bodies, and that meant...Sith.

Val frowned slightly at the thought of someone trying to steal his body, wondering if such a thing was even possible. His fist flexed for a moment as he thought about his own conscioussness, quickly cutting off that line of thought as he realized it would likely lead him down a rather dark rabbit hole.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

"I don't know," she admitted, stretching her legs out along the bench and letting her back lean against the far wall. Head leaned back against the wall and she looked up and into their 'sun-roof.' "Whatever happened, it wasn't natural. It was painful....I think it was the darkside."

She trembled.

"I'm sure I could find someone...," voice trailed off. That sounded ludicrous. Even if she found a sith willing to talk and not slice her down, they'd most likely use her...in some way. It would be dangerous. But could she make it dangerous and not foolish?

"Sometimes there are force-masters in between. Or jedi who once were sith. A holocron might be an idea too," lips pursed in thought.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

He had no idea what the difference was between the lightside and the darkside of the force. As far as he knew all that set them apart was that Sith used one and Jedi used the other. That should have been enough, but there were Sith in the galaxy that were known for doing good and Jedi that were known for doing bad. Really the lines were rather blurry, and for an ordinary person like himself, they were even more so. That in it of itself was a problem really.

Val just didn't understand.

"What's a holocron?" He asked inquisitively.

He took her problem seriously of course, but...well he just had no frame of reference. He had no clue what a holocron was, nor did he know what it meant when a Sith decided not to be one anymore. It was all very...confusing.
Were there rules to this?

Did people just make it up as they went along? The more that Val thought about it the more it actually seemed like everyone just did whatever they wanted without question, reason, or logic. He frowned slightly and tried to reason through it all, as if he could somehow find the correct conclusion that would lead to him being able to help Taheera in some way.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

Head snapped back to Val.

"Oh, sometimes I assume everyone knows...," voice trailed off. Scooching over, she spun to face him again, crossing her slender legs. Elbows propped on her thighs and shoulders curved as she leaned forward.

"Holocrons are like living databooks. They contain knowledge of the force. Typically only a jedi or sith can access them. They're like interactive instruction manuals for certain techniques for force users. Does that make sense?"

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"Oh." Sounded complicated.

Val wasn't simple by any means, but...well something like that had to be completely over the top complicated to create, much less use. He frowned for a moment and imagined a device like that. "Makes sense I suppose."

It was like a replacement teacher, for when you couldn't have a real person.

"They're rare?" He guessed they were.

Something like that wasn't often left laying around the house.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

"Jedi temples usually have some. I could try the Jedi Academy first. Maybe hire an information broker if that doesn't work."

Of course, she didn't have many credits so....that plan might bust. She doubted a professional would just help a 'do-gooder' for some charity work.

"If all else fails, maybe go into sith space." Shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "I don't know," she began to gnaw on her lower lip. Then again, she believed in the will of the force. Maybe it would lead her to where she needed to go. She still had faith. Kinda-sorta.

"Do you know anyone...I mean, I know you haven't met any other force users....but do you know any good information brokers...or even heard tales of other jedi or sith that would be good contacts, places to start?"

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Val shook his head.

"I've never even left the Outer Rim." It was a sad fact really, but a truthful one. He had never bothered to move out of the few systems that surrounded his home. Even now they were only a few hyperspace jumps away from Vilith.

"There's stories." He said with a shrug. "Nothing specific."

For a second Val lulled his head to the side. "The God's of Moross were said to be force users, or rather their avatars were. People believed that they were real Gods come to life, they inhabited regular human beings and granted them power beyond compare. That power manifested itself in the strength of the force. Three living Gods at one time. I believe the last three were the God of Knowledge, Healing, and Shadow. "

That was all he knew about force users, or stories of them.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

"The gods of Moross," she leaned back. "I've never heard of them but that's a great place to start." Hands rubbed together, already feeling better. She had a lead. Not a huge or solid lead but a lead. It was better than nothing.

The rest of the day, she excused herself to sun on top. The fresh and warm air was freeing. And if she concentrated, she could make the breeze pick up. And she may have imagined it but she felt the energy of the waves. By the time she came below again, the sky was painted with stars. And Val was asleep. Sprawled over almost the entire pod - due to his size.

The mirialan shook her head and grinned.

Being as quiet as possible, she took one of the blankets and found some of the only available space, still halfway into his side. She put the blanket over them both and tucked into the space, inevitably, letting her head fall to his chest.

There was really no where else where she could lay it. Eyes closed and she joined manbun in sleep, lulled by the steady rocking of their pod.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Val woke up first.

He had been tired from the day before, and his stomach was beginning to growl. Food was nearly always an issue for him unfortunately. His metabolism was quite active, and if he didn't eat...well his face was already becoming more gaunt, his skin pale and his eyes sunken. It was an odd sort of phenomenon that he couldn't really explain, something that was likely connected to his father, or perhaps even his mother. His eyes snapped open, bright blue and orange searching the pod.

The odd sort of bob of the pod still denoting that they were floating.

"This floor is uncomfortable." Val said to himself, sort of missing the cave. He noticed Taheera had tucked herself against him, blanket wrapped around the both of them and her head laying against his chest. He frowned for a moment, looked about, and then decided not to move.

She'd been through a lot, she deserved a little rest.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

It took her a little longer to wake up. Mostly from the sound of Val's rumbling stomach. She curled against him, eyes stirring and then opening, then squinting in the bright, morning light.

"What is that?"

Head lifted, chestnut strands of hair brushing against his bearded-jaw.

"Sounds like a herd of banthas is trying to get out of your stomach."

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"My stomach." He explained quietly. "I'm hungry."

Val couldn't help it.

One day he would have a genetic test done so he could find out what he actually was, but...it wouldn't be today, nor would it be tomorrow. He had to eat something soon, or else he'd be liable to start passing out in the bottom of the escape post, something that Taheera would likely find somewhat concerning. He frowned slightly and shifted, though she was still half atop him so doing so was more than a little difficult, not that he minded the warmth that she provided.

He got cold often. "We have the rations though."

It wasn't a huge concern just yet, starvation, they would be able to stave it off for some time.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

"Oh right," green cheeks still blushed. Who knew? She pulled back, the blanket dropping away from her semi-clothed form.

Hands went to push off his chest as she maneuvered onto one of the benches. Reaching over, she grabbed a ration pack and handed it to manbun.

She took one for herself and began munching.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

He took the ration, though he was much more selective in exactly what he ate. For instance he immediately threw away the candy, tossed the veggies, and well..basically ignored everything that wasn't made of meat or some sort of protein.

Val wasn't a picky eater by choice, he just knew that if he ate the wrong thing...well it wouldn't become a very pleasant trip for him. As it was this ration barely constituted a meal for him, and in fact they would probably have been better off simply trying to fish. He wasn't one to complain though, and thus he quickly ate his meal, accidentally breaking the plastic fork that had come in the packaging for it in the process, then frowning and simply using his fingers.

"We have no idea how long we'll be at sea." He told her quietly.

An unfortunate truth.

"You know, whatever else happens." He looked up at her with a smile, his hand slipping onto her bare skin. "Green isn't so bad."

It was meant to cheer her up.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

She tried not to laugh as his fork...maybe spork, broke. To be fair, it started off at about the size of his pinky. She finished her own meal as his hand slipped around her, sending betraying goosebumps over her flesh.

"Well. Green is what I'm stuck with now. You're just lucky I didn't become a wookie. Then we'd be in different po-," the waves must've picked up or something because the pod gave a sudden lurch and she found herself knocked off the bench and onto Val's chest with an oomph. Knees pressed into the tops of his thighs, hands on his chest as she hovered over him, head cocked to the small window.

Searching.

"What the frex?!"

Probably just a rogue wave.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

”Ow.” He said quietly as she first knocked into him and then decided to press herself into his knees.


For a second Val let her linger there, if only so she could get a look.


What she would see beyond the window was...well simple by all points of view. A beach, stretching for a short distance before curving slightly into itself, likely denoting an island. Beyond the beach sat a thick jungle, and within its center was a singular tall cliff that seemed to race up out of the sea itself.


After a moment, Val grew tired of the pain.


”Come on.” His hands wrapped around her hips, fingers latching tightly onto her. ”Down you go.”


He picked her up, and then very suddenly pulled her down and against himself.