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

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

His fingers did the trick to distract her from the pain in her forehead. Frex. Frexfrexfrex. Why was he so good at this? Well, she knew why. He had tons of experience. A guy like him meant lots of women. It's what he did - somehow.

A rogue chocolate fell from her back as his hands continued to move.

"Stars," she breathed. Palms went down to frame either side of his face. "Just shut up and kiss me already." Lowering down, her lips smashed against his. But she pulled away almost just as quickly. "But this doesn't mean I want to be just another one of your one night stands. Got it?"

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

It was true enough. One Night stands were common for him. It wasn't because he was callous of course, in an odd way...he actually cared quite a bit. There was a reason for his running away, a reason for his apparent disregard for the feelings of the women he slept with.

He was running.

Val would never admit it, not to anyone else and certainly not to himself, but he was still feeling the pains of loss. Aerith still haunted him, but more than that, the memory of what he had gone through stuck with him more than anything. He had lived for a hundred and twenty years, yet he barely looked like he had just left adolescence. There was no telling how long he would live, no telling how much time in this galaxy he had left. Getting close to someone, to anyone, it was more painful that he could admit.

"I..." Val leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. He wasn't ready to love, he probably never would be, but... "Wouldn't mind that, I think."

Perhaps a friend.

His fingers roamed over her, lips cutting off any words she could have.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

She smiled as his lips captured hers. That scraggly beard of his felt like a tickling sandpaper against her skin. Jeeze, she'd probably have to use more lotion on her face. Thumbs gently circled against his cheeks.

This, she could do. She didn't have to think about the man she'd lost. The man maybe she'd never find again.

She was good at being friends. Kissing friends? Sure. But that was as far as she wanted to go.

And so, they continued to kiss. Fine. Kissy-kissy. She kissed him on the face, along his beard and down his neck and then back to his lips. And for a good, long moment, she forgot it was cold in space.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Eventually they had made it to the bed, Val having simply scooped Taheera up and off the floor after getting tired of laying on the ground.

He'd seen the look in her eye when he'd carried her to the bedroom, the odd sort of disquiet that crossed her features. Val had been alive long enough to know what the look meant, but a reassuring word and a gentle touch had been enough to seemingly calm her mind. He did not push or prod, did not press her into anything. Doing as such was a lesson that he never had to learn. He was noble in that way, he joked and most would consider him forward, but he never went too far.

It simply wasn't like him.

Hours passed on by, or perhaps just a few minutes, Val had long lost track of time. Taheera lay facing away from him, one arm wrapped around her, hand resting upon her stomach, the other gently caressing her back, thumb pressing into her spine as his lips pressed slowly and almost methodically up and down her neck. His warm breath faded on her skin every now and again.

It was a calm, still scene.

A moment of relaxation after all the harrows they had been through.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

She relaxed against him, head on the pillow. And that's all she needed. That look from his eyes and she knew he wouldn't push things. Hand came up, fingers entwining with his at her stomach. Her thumb massaged the skin on the back of his palm.

Eyes closed and she dozed off.

When she woke again, she wasn't sure how long it had been. "Val?" She whispered, not sure if he was awake. She turned and shifted so she could face him, lying on her other side. "Are you scared about what we might go up against...with the pirates?"

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

He let his hand slide across her skin as she turned in his grasp, fingers resting on her hip for a few moments, tightening ever so slightly as he took in a breath. His eyes had a soft look about them, as if he were taking in a pleasant view that lay before him.

"No." Val answered truthfully. "It's not within my nature."

What was there to fear? Death? He did not fear death. He didn't wander towards it, but that didn't mean he would avoid it. There was a certain allure to it in fact, not that he would ever admit such a thing. If he died on purpose Aerith would never forgive him in the after life, but die saving lives? Putting a stop to piracy? He thought she would be okay with that, he thought he could at least look at himself after that. He frowned for a moment, and then shook his head.

"Are you?" His fingers twitched slightly on her hips, the arm that had now looped around her back tugging her closer just a little bit.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

Palms came up to rest against his chest. She wasn't sure if she wanted to tug him closer or push him away. Or just...stay like that. Things seemed simple in this moment. It was a nice break for a jedi.

Lips thinned into a growing frown.

"They teach us how dangerous fear is, as a jedi and as a force user. Letting fear control you can lead to the darkside. But I don't think it's something that can be turned off like a light because I...I am scared." The last three words were whispered. Eyes drifted down and away from Val's face, more so at her own shame.

She wasn't scared for her life. She was scared of failure.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"Fear is natural." Val said simply.

He was no force user, no great philosopher, but he had lived a long time. It had taught him things. He was not afraid of pirates or death, but that didn't mean he was never afraid. There were times when he was scared, there had been times when true terror had gripped him. He knew that emotion well. It was no surprise to him that Jedi taught Fear was dangerous, they had often seemed rather odd to him, their teachings oddly twisted to make themselves...better.

"I've lived a long time." He said quietly. "Long enough to know that fear can't be avoided."

For a moment Val paused. "it's something to be overcome. Not run away from."

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

"I know," she said very quietly. She curled against him a moment longer. With the sith, she'd failed so much already and she'd have to be prepared to accept it when it happened again. She knew she wouldn't always win. Sometimes, she felt like she alone carried the weight of the galaxy.

A puff of hot air swept across his chest as she exhaled against him, her shoulders rising and falling.

She began to withdraw and sit up. "I should get up and check the flight path. Get something to eat."

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

For a moment he lay still as she wiggled free from his grasp and sat up in the bed.

He watched her for a few seconds. Even a fool could tell that she carried some sort of great weight on her shoulders. Val saw it every time she moved, and oddly enough, every time she got a bit closer to him. It made him wonder. He had shared a bit of his past with her, though in truth it had mostly been vague statements of where he came from, no details. Yet she had shared nothing. He considered that thought for a second more and then quickly followed after her.

A thick arm went wrapping around her belly, hand gently roaming over her skin as he sat up behind her and pulled her back into him with a soft embrace.

"Who said I was done with you?" He kissed her neck. "We still have to negotiate for that candy."

He kissed her neck again, this time lingering. "And I'm inclined to let you have it all."

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

And so, the healer got most of the candy.

Win/win

Two days later and some change...

"Alright, you're cleared to dock in hanger 999 - 2XB. Proceed to the coordinates."

"Very good," her finger hit the comm switch off. The pilot droid whirred in the seat and their ship headed for the factory. She couldn't help but stare wide-eyed out the viewport as they past under and between massive pieces of Star Destroyers in-progress and ones that looked ready to go. The shadows of these giants cast their tiny cockpit into darkness.

"Wow," she breathed, then frowned. Something tingled on the edge of her senses. A foreboding. Perhaps she was just nervous? Fingers fell down to the blaster at her hip and she called to Val.

"You ready? Make sure you give me half the charges. We can split up and cover more ground."

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"Don't need to." Val said quietly as he spotted one ship in particular.

It sat towards the end of the row, looming behind three other Star Destroyers of different make. It was an ancient Imperial Star Destroyer, likely several centuries old, yet it looked brand new. It's guns had been refitted, the metal sheeting nearly glistened in the starlight, and everything about it looked pristine, everything save for the mark that had been scrawled on its underside. Val stared at it, a frown pulling his lips as he pointed it out to Taheera.

"That mark is used by the pirates." He told her quietly. "Several of them had Tattoos."

It was three claw marks etched deep into an old Imperial symbol. He had no idea how they'd first come up with the mark, but it was distinct enough that Val remembered it quite well. He frowned slightly, watching the ship as they approached the hangar bay. "It's leaving soon."

He could see the fuel lines detaching as they passed into the hangar bay.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

"Then we'd better hurry," she gave the pirate symbol one last look. The ship came to a smooth stop and landing, thanks to their pilot droid. Bless the jedi for these ideas! Grabbing her bag, she shouldered it on. She had some healing supplies, a spare power-pack for her blaster, her lightsaber, and some other miscellaneous items.

There was a good chance they might get stranded on-board, especially if the ship was about to take off.

The ramp lowered and she began to head down. "These things have escape pods, right?"

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"Star Destroyers, Yes." Though the question was whether or not they could actually get a chance to use them. The charges that they had bought would certainly work at destroying the ship, they just had to set it on the ships reactor.

Val had no idea how many pirates were aboard that vessel, nor had he any idea whether or not they knew how to properly crew it, but he did know that they were leaving. That meant he and Taheera didn't have much time to actually think about their options. They had to get on that ship and stop it, or else a pirate crew would get away with an entire Imperial Star Destroyer, a vessel that by all rights was powerful enough to conquer entire worlds on its own.

"We gotta move." He said following after her. "Run."

Without another moment of hesitation Val broke out into a sprint.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

And there he went.

HEY.

She couldn't yell it. Pursing her lips, she took off after him. The force spiked up and churned through her muscles, allowing her to match the much taller man's pace. Some workers looked up. She brushed past one, causing his hydrospanner to drop with a clatter.

"Watch it!" He hollered.

But at the rate she and Val were running, his voice was quickly lost behind them. Up ahead she could see a cargo entrance to the destroyer. Other entry points were already closing and it looked like the blast doors to this one were beginning to slide down.

"Faster," she breathed. Muscles burned and the force continued to flow through her until she began to pass Val in a chestnut-haired blur.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

He shifted last minute, sliding on the smooth metal floor and launching himself into the boarding tunnel. Taheera was already ahead of him, and to his surprise there were no guards standing watch. A heavy breath filled his lungs and he continued to rush forward. They moved down the tunnel as fast as they possibly could, but halfway there was a loud snap, then a hiss as the metal tube detached from the retreating destroyer. Val's eyes popped open, a curse escaping his lip.

The air chilled instantly.

A rush of vacuum passed over them and ahead he could see the gray hull of the destroyer slowly backing away. He felt himself get snapped up in the massive rush of air that was being sucked out into space, lurching from the ground as he was launched forward. His arm stretched out as he caught Taheera, snatching her tumbling form out of the air as they both flew out into the vast stretch of space. He felt his lungs burn, his face chill, and then a hard smack as they landed against the outside of the Star Destroyer.

His eyes searched.

His hand slammed against a large red button, a door opening just a few feet from them.

With one massive push of his legs Val sent them soaring through space, flying far until finally they passed through the shimmering barrier of a ray shield that contained one of the Star Destroyers airlocks. As soon as they passed through the shield both of them fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

The protective bubble immediately sprang to life the moment they hit space and flickered off just before hitting the energy shield. She hit the hard deck plating, Val halfway on top of her. Lungs burned. Face still felt tingly and cold from those seconds of space exposure before and after the force bubble. Chest heaved as she sucked in the precious oxygen.

There were voices. Muted voices. Were they close?

She groaned and pushed herself to her palms and knees, chestnut hair cascading down the side of her face. Hands fumbled over Val's form as she shook him, vision coming back slowly. "Val....you okay? Come on, we gotta move."

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Val rolled onto his back.

"Cold." It was remarkable that a man as large as him got cold so easily. One would figure that he'd built up some sort of immunity to it by now, but in truth, even though he could tolerate it fairly well, Val hated the cold. it made him uncomfortable, more so than any sort of heat. He frowned slightly and wrapped his arms around himself, considering for a moment whether it would be okay to just lay there and try to warm himself up for the next hour or so. "Cold."

He repeated.

Taheera said something, though he barely heard it. For a moment his thought flickered back to Winter of Vilith, what those nights had been like when blizzards had raged and ice covered everything. Those had been miserable days. He frowned, and eventually drew himself out of his odd little slumber, eyes flickering up at Taheera and then towards the voices that came from beyond the thick blast doors. "I'm fine."

"Let's get out of here." Star Destroyers were big, they needed to get their bearings before doing anything.

Val launched himself to his feet, taking a step towards the door and popping it open to reveal a large hallway. He poked his head out for a moment, peering about and motioning for Taheera to head to the left.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

She frowned when she saw his lumbering form stumble. His teeth were chattering. He wasn't okay. But they didn't have time to argue, or wait around. Giving him a sharp nod, she went to the left, crouching low.

Fingers dipped down to her blaster and she un-holstered it. The setting was on stun. It always would be for her. Her palm felt cold and stiff against the weapon. Giving another nod to Val, she mouthed, 'cover me,' then slipped out.

There was no one.

But there were footsteps around the corner. And a data-terminal. Quiet, fast footsteps took her further down. She hugged the wall and checked doorways as she went. This wasn't a great place to linger. They were very exposed here.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"Need to find officers quarters." He told her as he went slamming into the bulkhead beside her.

Stealth was very obviously not Val's strong point.

He was big, lumbering, and fierce, but most definitely not stealthy. Every step he took seemed to clonk, every single moved he made seemed to expose him in some way. About the only place that he would blend in was in a pack full of Bantha's, and even then it was unlikely he'd be able to keep himself from standing out for too long. A frown settled on his face as he looked down at her, his eyes settling on the data terminal. He had no idea what would be on it.

"There will be full access to all systems from there." He sounded like he'd been on one of these vessels before. "Plus we can get our bearings there."

They needed to be able to open doors without much noise, best way to do that was to steal a security key from one of the officers quarters. They'd also be able to get a map and direction, not to mention it was secluded, something that would be helpful for Val.