The Return

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Over the roar of the engines and the rush of the wind, Mac managed to notice [member="Lady Kay"] slow down beside him, signalling for him to join her on the pebbled beach nearby. He swerved his swoop bike gently around and parked besides Kay on the beach. Mac powered down the vehicle, removed his goggles, and hit the pebbled beach with a soothing crunch. Not realizing the reason why Kay pulled over, Mac teased her gently, "Oh. I'm sorry your highness. What goes around comes around." He was clearly pleased with himself on how soaked he had gotten Kay, but a sudden stiff breeze reminded him that he wasn't too dry himself.

Mac combed back his wet hair from his face and began to undress himself, removing his duster coat and his leather tunic underneath leaving him with just a loose fitting undershirt and pants. After he laid his clothes out to dry on the pebbled beach, Mac finally took the time to admire the scenery in which they stopped. It was getting very late in the afternoon and they wouldn't have too much sun left, but the water lapping on the beach made such a pleasing sound and the weather was nice and cool, a fact obviously not lost on the soaked Lady Kay. "Aren't you glad we came out here? Its beautiful."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smirked as [member="Macoda Haberon"] teased her. "Yeah, yeah, I guess that I deserved it. Still, you cheated. My fuel level is low. Can't beat you on an empty tank."

She got off the swoop bike a bit stiffly and removed her jacket, placing it down on some of the rocks that had already been warmed by the sun. She stretched out her muscles and then watched Mac as he eyed the scenery. "I used to come out here every week. Just to unwind. Then Veiere built our Estate for me us to escape to. But it's nice to come back here and remind me of what I'm been missing. Nothing but peace, calmness and nature all around. I hope that it always stays that way."

Of course nothing was ever promised. "Thanks Mac." Kay stood still on the beach, just watching the waves. "Thanks for getting me to come here." She grinned. "So does her Highness' skills on a swoop live up to your standards?"

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac looked down at [member="Lady Kay"] standing beside him. "Aye, you aren't half bad." He offered her a half smirk in response. In truth, Kay had given him a run for his money. Did he make sure that Kay didn't have too much gas in her swoop bike? Nope. Was he glad that she didn't? Yep. However at this point, his teasing tone had died down somewhat. Mac studied the Queen for a second with a hint of concern as she continued to watch the waves. Something was still off about her. She still continued to speak with a slight hint of nostalgia or worry or sadness, Mac couldn't exactly put his finger on it. However his goal was to get Kay's mind off of whatever was bothering her and so he didn't mention anything about it, although his facial expression probably gave him away. The sun was just beginning to set now, the sky above the ocean was turning to a rich rosy color. He turned back to the view.

"No problem Kay, I'm glad I dragged you on this little excursion of ours. I was beginning to think that you have forgot how to have some fun!" Mac offered a smile towards her. "Well, unless you want to ride in wet clothes, I guess I better start a fire." He started walking back to the forest line which wasn't too far off. "Besides, now seems like a good time to catch up!" He called over his shoulder.

As soon as he reached the treeline, Mac unholstered one of his axes and began to chop at a small tree that had already fallen. With just a couple of swings, he managed to split the small tree in two and then proceeded to split the logs in half. He figured they wouldn't need that much wood so he gathered an armful and headed over to the two swoop bikes. He arranged the split logs in the form of a pyramid and placed some kindling in the middle of the logs. Mac took out a flint and steel from his pocket and struck them together a couple of times. Soon after, a spark caught the kindle and a small fire emerged from the wood pile.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay laughed a little. Sure a lot of the young people probably figured that she didn't know how to have fun. Her idea of it lately was to curl up in one of her comfy chairs and read a mystery novel. But that was moreso because she tended to attract trouble when she was outside of the Palace. It got so bad that people prefered her to not go anywhere. Did [member="Macoda Haberon"] know of her capture by bounty hunters a while ago? Probably not. She wasn't so sure that even he could've stopped it. She had [member="Darlyn Excron"] with her, but it wasn't enough. Not nearly enough.

She watched as Mac headed off to get some firewood. A fire certainly would be nice. Kay wasn't exactly planning on stripping all of her wet clothes off. She had her modesty. Just the jacket was good enough for now. The fire would help with the rest.

She prepared a pit on the beach for Mac to set up the fire, ensuring that the rocks were dry and space so that air could help feed the fire. As Mac returned, she sat back and let him work. "First time in a long time that I've sat at a campfire. And here's me without my tea supplies...Oh I can hear the mock gasping and laughing now."

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac straightened back up with a grunt, pleased with the fire he started. He shot a glance and a quick smile over at [member="Lady Kay"] as he wiped off his pants from where he had been kneeling. "Have you ever considered that you might have, you know, an addiction?" Mac chuckled softly to himself. The thought gave him some comfort. Considering all the things that seemed to have changed in his absence, Mac figured that as long as Kay obsessed over tea, then his home hadn't completely gone topsy-turvy.

Concluding his train of thought, Mac caught himself staring into the fire. The soft flame was flickering in a mesmerizing dance. It was soothing to look at for a moment, until a memory flashed into his mind. As he stared into the small campfire, he now saw his homeworld engulfed in a hellish inferno. His face soured into a scowl and his heart began to pound. He felt like he was still there on that battlefield. He remembered how he looked around wild-eyed and helpless, overwhelmed by the screams of those who are now long dead and an overpowering feel of dread. The forest behind him was on fire. The whole planet was. And emerging from the gates of hell was a giant silhouette-- Mac quickly shut his eyes, concentrating hard on trying not to panic. He turned his back on the small campfire and on haunting memories. He exhaled once as his heart rate slowed down. A moment of silence had passed as Mac collected his emotions, trying to look as stoic as he could in front of Lady Kay.

"So tell me. What's been going on with you, Kay?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay laughed, her head rolling back as [member="Macoda Haberon"] suggested that she had an addiction. She did. She was fully aware of it, as was everyone that knew her. Sometimes such an addiction had an advantage, while other times it didn't. But it was far better than some other addictions; spices and alcohol included.

She held her hands out to the fire, stepping a little bit closer so that her clothes would have a better chance of drying. Her eyes fell on Mac as his mood changed. He just got so still. It wasn't until he turned away that she had wondered. Was he afraid of fire? Or did it have to do with his past? She remembered some of it, a Sith Lord destroying his home, killing everyone. It had brought about his fear of Force users, a fear that she had worked hard at gaining his trust with.

Yet he changed the subject, obviously uncomfortable with talking about it. Kay was fine with that. She knew full well of what it was like in his shoes. So she obliged in answering his question. "Well...in short, we've expanded a bit more, grown our fleets to protect them. I was caught by a couple of bounty hunters, out for that same bounty that you tried to cash in on. That bounty is gone now, however. It's been settled and there aren't any more." And Veiere has left. She wanted to tell him that, but couldn't. She was still trying to process the change in her beloved husband.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac busted out laughing in spite of himself at [member="Lady Kay"]'s response. His panic had subsided as quickly as it arose. The dreaded feeling could last from a few seconds to several minutes at a time, almost always unexpectedly, but the transition between states of mind was almost always quick. Mac looked over at Kay and shook his head with a playful smile on his face. "You say that like its normal! You were caught by a couple of bounty hunters?" He chuckled and sat down beside her. "I swear, you are gonna be the death of me someday! You have a talent for trouble." Mac's tone made it obvious that he was teasing. He picked up a pebble and and turned it over in his hands, looking at the sky which had now turned a deep red in the oncoming twilight. He liked this pebbled beach since it wasn't sandy. Mac didn't really like sand. Its coarse and rough and it gets everywhere.

"Yeah....I should've been there for that." Mac felt a little guilty in being remiss in his duties as Head of Security, though his tone wasn't sad but merely reflected the truth of the statement, Kay wasn't hurt after all. "Well tell me! How did this one particular grand adventure of Lady Kay go?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Well she hoped that she'd never be the death of him one day. [member="Macoda Haberon"] was a dear friend and the last thing that she wanted was for him to die while protecting her. The guilt of it would be difficult to bare. She'd rather that he just died of old age or something. But more than likely, that wouldn't happen.

And now he wanted the story. Hopefully he'd find it amusing. "Well, Darlyn and I were going for a walk in the marketplace when the bounty hunters struck. There were two of them. They tried to get rid of Darlyn, while I ducked into a building. I did my best to hold them off, but they used smoke and flash bangs. I was struck by a dart when I tried to get behind a counter. Darlyn came in and tried to rescue me, but the building had caught fire. He didn't want to risk having us both taken away or have himself killed, so he let them take me and tailed them instead. Veiere, Darlyn and Ghorua came to rescue me. I tried to escape on my own, but each attempt brought me closer to death. Oddly enough it was a Sith Lord that paid my bounty. I owe him a favour now, but have some leverage on him. It's just...politics. But in the end, Veiere and the others brought me home. Hopefully that'll be the end of bounties on my head."

What she didn't tell him was her full thoughts on the subject. Something was taken from Veiere's mind by the Sith Lord, and ever since then he'd grown more reclusive and was now living away from home. It was just a coincidence, but still, she blamed hrerself in many ways for her husband's downfall.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

The last part of [member="Lady Kay"]'s story grabbed Mac's attention. "You owe a Sith Lord a favor? Careful Kay." He paused for a moment as he then remembered that Kay had once mentioned being captured by some Sith Lord in the past. "Although I guess I don't really need to tell you that do I? I'm just glad that everything worked out and that you're alright."

He tried to lighten the mood a little. "I mean I am sure that you could've given those bounty hunters a run for their money, but its good that you had Veiere and your friends to help you. You know, save some ass-kicking for the rest of us!" Maybe Mac jumped to a conclusion too quickly on why Veiere had relinquished his crown. Maybe Mac was just too cynical on the idealistic views of the Jedi. The more he thought about it and his experiences with Veiere, the more likely it seemed that Veiere had just embarked on one of those soul-searching journeys of prolonged meditation or some shite like that. He reflected on the first time he met Veiere in the Jedi training facility here on Commenor. What could've possibly happened for him to fall? Now it just seemed unlikely that he did at all.

Content with what he heard, Mac continued to dry in front of the fire. It was almost dark now.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded a little. Yet [member="Darth Abyss"] was hardly ever in her sector of space. She had a feeling that her oweing him a favour would be forgotten about in time. There was a lot going on in the Galaxy that pointed everyone's eyes away from them. And that was a good thing.

She watched the flames, seeing them dance far better than she ever could. They held such grace and fluidity in their movements, while she was clumbsy. Even while sparring, she thought too much. But that was the politician in her, always searching for multiple ways to achieve one's goal.

"Not to worry. I'll always save some of the fight for you. And if you're really lucky, you can have all of it." Kay grinned to [member="Macoda Haberon"] as she sort of teased him. There was some truth to it, of course. But she hoped to avoid trouble. She's had too much of it.

The darkness came quicker than she thought. It was so easy to lose track of time. "It's getting late. We should try to head back. My swoop's low on fuel, so I'll have to catch a lift with you."

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac looked up to the sky, now turning a deep dark blue as the last bit of the sun dipped below the horizon. "Ah you are right. We better get back to the palace before someone starts to worry." Mac got up and brushed himself off before turning to help up [member="Lady Kay"]. Mac then quickly donned his tunic and overcoat which he had laid out on the warm pebbles of the beach. They were surprisingly dry, maybe they had been here longer than he thought. How time flies when you are having fun. Mac looked over to Kay as he dressed himself and what he saw gave him a little bit of pause. She looked.... well she looked beautiful. Not that she wasn't before, but Mac supposed that he rarely ever got to see her in this light, both literally and figuratively. Normally she was the Queen of Commenor and he was the Royal Guard but now, it felt like they were just Kay and Mac. The sight of Kay standing next to the fire, the flickering flames highlighting her features, gave Mac a feeling of confused happiness. He was glad that he had brought her out tonight and gave a small smile in spite of himself.

"And don't worry about the swoop bike", he added as he went to put out what remained of the campfire, "I'll send out the patrol tomorrow with some fuel to pick it up, it'll give them something fun to do." Mac hopped on the remaining swoop bike and motioned for Kay to sit right in front of him. "Come on, I need you to point out where to go. I don't know how to get back to the Palace and you won't be much use if I'm blocking your view." Mac neglected to put on his goggles. He wouldn't be driving very fast now that he could control the pace.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Better to get home than to camp out overnight. It wasn't as though she wouldn't of wanted to, but she didn't need to worry anyone. Sure she was with her bodyguard, but she wasn't scheduled to be away from the Palace tonight. And with them last being seen on swoop bikes, people would probably think the worst had happened. But more than likely [member="Macoda Haberon"] had commlink on him in case of trouble.

Kay got to her feet with his help and watched the fire for a little bit longer. It was nice out there with the waves gently rolling onto the beach. Once it was time, she put on her jacket and helped Mac put out the fire. "We should do this again some time. It's a nice little break." And it was. She enjoyed it. It made her forget her stresses for a time. Exactly as he wanted it to.

She approached the swoopbike and sat down in front, holding onto whatever she could. This was going to be a weird ride. She wasn't going to be in control, outside of giving directions. "Head east, but go past where we came through." The way back was far easier, away from the Twin Canyons and onto Rock Point Beach. With the dark of night upon them, it wasn't safe to navigate through it. She was good, but better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac smiled at [member="Lady Kay"]'s response as she sat in front of him. "Aye, I'd love to do this again." As she got settled, he bent over Kay and powered up the swoop bike. Mac then slowly hit the accelerator to a nice and leisurely speed and angled the bike eastward in accordance with Kay's directions. Luckily, Mac was large enough to see clearly over Kay's head and he could comfortably rest his hands on the handlebars as his chest pressed against Kay's back. The position was...rather intimate, a fact that Mac was very conscious of. The swoop bike was traditionally made for only one person but due to Mac's size, Kay was basically sitting in his lap. However the intimacy was necessary, or at least that was what Mac told himself. After all, he truly did not know the way back to the Palace, let alone in the dark. And despite what Kay may think, he did not purposefully leave her with a low amount of fuel. Was he glad that she did run out of gas and have to hitch a ride with him? Well....

Wait, what in the name of Urdu am I doing? She's the Queeeen and she's marriiiiiied to a Jediiiiiii!! I went to her wedding! And she would never have these feelings for someone like me.... right?

Mac tried his best to snap himself out of whatever he was feeling. There was absolutely no way that this situation could even remotely work out, so he best not start to develop feelings for the dear Lady Kay. His brain continued to scold his heart for its naivety as he made his way towards the Palace. Not naivety, more like stupidity. How could this possibly go well? She's a queen! She's his employer! She's his friend! She's married! She's a force user! Stupid. Stupid Stupid.

However, despite the thousand reasons that his brain gave advising otherwise, Mac couldn't help but savor his ride back with Kay.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Well it was settled then. They would go out for rides sometimes. Maybe she'd even take him to the Valley of the Storm. Of course she wasn't sure if he was a fan of thunderstorms. The flowers there were unique as well, changing colours with the change in humidity levels in the air. It was a neat thing to witness.

[member="Macoda Haberon"] started the swoopbike's journey rather smoothly. Kay wasn't sure if she'd have to yell for him to hear her directions, yet he kept the throttle low so that the engine wasn't too loud. She was well aware of him pressing against her back, but while his mind was on sorting through his feelings, her mind was focused on the path ahead of them and on how awkward it was for two people to be on a bike meant for one rider. At least she didn't have to worry about falling off. Mac's arms on either side of her prevented that.

As they passed the access to the canyon from the beach, Kay pointed to the east as a reminder. "Just a few clicks along the beach, then take a left at the valley." That would take them to the large back field that they had begun their little adventure on, just from a different side of it.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac was overthinking the situation. Perhaps the reason that he bore these feelings for [member="Lady Kay"] was because she was the first person, let alone the first female, in a very long time to care about him in such a way. Maybe he was conflating this intimate friendship for something more than it was. Was it fair to say that this friendship meant more to him than it did to Kay? Mac did not know the answer nor did he really wish to know. For right now, he was content with where he was: close and protective to a person he cared very much about. In what way he cared about Kay has yet to be fully determined. However there was undoubtedly a hint of desire in Mac of wanting something more than friendship from Kay. And no amount of rationalization could detract from that.

Satisfied with this temporary, indeterminate conclusion, Mac continued to coast with Lady Kay back towards the Palace. The scenery became a little bit more familiar once Mac had past the valley in accordance with Kay's instructions, and he increased the speed ever so slightly once he knew where he was. The trip back didn't take that much time, it seems that Mac and Kay took the long way through the canyon to what ended up being their final destination on the pebbled beach. He coasted into the back field and finally towards the hanger where they had initially started their journey. Once safely in the hanger, Mac powered off the swoop bike and looked down to Kay sitting in front of him. "Ah it feels good to be back! Thanks for humoring me by agreeing to go on this little excursion of ours."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Once they were back into the area that [member="Macoda Haberon"] was familiar with, Kay just let herself relax during the ride. It felt good to have him back again. It was hard to believe that during their first meeting, he had tried to cash in on her bounty, and now they were close friends, despite his fear of Force Users. He was a good man to be tasked with such a tough job of babysitting her. And it was a tough job. As nice as she was, the situations that she sometimes put herself in weren't so nice.

Once they returned, she turned her head and laughed a little. "As if I had a choice?...Kidding, kidding." Kay climbed off the bike. "Thanks for bringing me out. It was a good idea, Mac. We should make a habit of it." Put it into her weekly schedule. Although it might be better to be spontaneous as some weeks were different than others.

"Time to call it a day, I think. See you in the morning after breakfast?" She waited for him to get off the bike and then began walking with him out of the hanger to the main hallway. All least the day ended better than it started.