Together Again - A Wonderful Life [Shmi]

[Josh Dragovalor]

He would frown, then, when she would admit she had been distancing herself from him. That certainly wasn't what he was wanting to hear. Especially from the person he loved the most. He avoided her eyes a moment, as he would let her continue though, and then he would let out a breath once she had finished.

"Honestly... Distance thing aside... I've been thinking the same thing" He would admit. "I've been at this for over 20 years... Nonstop... Just endless time spent... Serving. It was always to someone, you know? To the Republic's Jedi... To the Silvers... To the original Jedi Order we once knew that is long gone... And I'm aware that's never going to change. But... I sometimes ask myself... What would life be like if I hadn't been born to serve? If I had been born to a normal family, who was... Well, still here... Or if I decided to just...

Run..."

Josh would release her hands then, only to warn her about the jump before the ship would rocket off into hyperspace shortly after Josh used his now free hands to hold on to the seat to keep from flying back. Once they were safely in hyperspace, he would turn back to her, letting out a breath.

"But... I realize that's never going to happen. I want a family as much as I want success in our mission... And just as much as I wish I had my family back."

Josh would let out another exhale, biting his lip.

"Fact is... We'll never get to be normal. We serve until the day we die... This is all we know, this is what we're trained for... A Jedi's work is never done. Although... I suppose, perhaps... Perhaps there'll come a day where we can... Perhaps lessen our schedule. There are hundreds of Jedi out there, after all... And let's face it. We're off radar. The Silver's heads could care less about me. They wouldn't notice if I was gone. We're not expected to do anything. We just... Do.

But... With that in mind, perhaps we can use that. Perhaps... One day, we'll be able to settle down... Start a family. Relax a little, try and find some semblance of being... Well... Normal. It's something I've been considering for a long time now. Because I've begun to realize something..."

He would look her in the eyes, unsure of her thoughts.

"I am more then a weapon... I am more then a tool, or a pawn in someone else's game. People forget that we're not just living weapons, living encyclopedias of knowledge... We're people, Shmi. We are living beings, with thoughts, and feelings, and while some might not agree... Emotions. We are people with just as much of a right to live as anyone else. We have sworn ourselves to the Jedi... But that doesn't mean we can't be people.

And let's face it... Nobody would give a damn if we lessened our load and tried to live peacefully for awhile, between missions. We're not the "in" thing right now. We're barely a blip on the radars of our so called leaders, or, well, who most Jedi consider them. It might be for the best for me, honestly... Down the line... Because the way I'm going, my body's not going to hold up. I have trained this body of mine to withstand inhuman amounts of strain... Inhuman amounts of wear and tear. A normal man would be dead, with the schedule I take, and the strain I put on myself. But a body, no matter how well trained... Can only take so much.

We're only human."

Josh let out a sigh as he would get up, offering for Shmi to join him if she pleased. He needed a drink, thinking about all of this...

"But all strain issues aside... I know we have a responsibility to be Jedi... But we also have a responsibility to ourselves. Human lives... They're short. And when a warrior's life can come to an end so quickly, at any time... Do we really want to end them with regrets?"

And then to address the elephant in the room. He would turn back to face her after a moment.

"What I don't understand is... Why distance yourself from me? Why push away? Emotions are normal, Shmi... We're people. If you push away, all you're going to do is hurt yourself more then if you stayed. I know older, and to a degree, newer Jedi tenants talk about a lack of emotion, but... It's impossible to truly ignore what's inside.

We feel sadness when our comrades die. We feel upset when we watch them die in front of us. We'd be just as bad as the Sith if we didn't, although they use certain ones as a weapon, and don't appear to feel others. But... What I mentioned before, things like sadness... Those are emotions... Feelings. Yes, they can cloud judgement... But sometimes, they're what's right. And sometimes, you just can't control it. That doesn't make you weak, it doesn't make you any less of a Jedi, or a person...

It just means you're alive. Just... Do me a favor, never push me away again. All it does is create pain, and we have enough of it as is. For the pain we do have, and have to endure... We can face it together."

Josh would take a moment to sit down and pour himself a drink. His throat was parched, after all. He'd spoken far more then he'd intended. But he just wanted Shmi to understand... Wanted her to know that these feelings, these emotions, they were all normal...

And that he, and her... They were more then just weapons.

And more importantly...

There was a future where they could have a family if they so desired.

[member="Shmi Labooda"]

 

[Tarrlok]

Well his face said it all, and he obviously wasn't pleased with something she said. Though she figured what it was that forced him to not even look at her. She expected maybe he was express his disinterest in her feeling that way...perhaps even get irritated with her but his response surprised her. Everything he said she had already went over in her head a billion times, overthinking it all. She knew she could never reject the calling the Force had on her life...and to not be a Jedi wasn't what she wanted she just didn't know how to juggle both.

His response highlighted that perfectly. It was good to hear him relate. When he got up she stood up and followed him. Standing just to his side when he began to speak again. She looked up, not breaking eye contact with him. Though when he spoke about her putting distance between them she did lower her head, and grip her left forearm with her right hand.

"I'm sorry..." She said defeated. She took a seat next to him, however she sat facing him while he took his time to pour his drink.

"I didn't do it to hurt you. I just didn't want to feel the emotion of possibly losing you or not being able to go further. When I was away...I just saw so much on a scale worse than I have before...and it really shook me Josh." She said taking a pause after her last few words faded out. That girl she kept seeing was a girl she saw and couldn't save during her mission. Subconsciously, that girl served as a symbol of emotions Shmi was refusing to feel. She began to understand that after talking to Josh.

"Can we just go...not run away but just take a break. I feel like I need one. I mean this is the perfect time...can we just stay on Naboo for awhile?"

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Well, here's a question" He began, as he would look toward her. "If you'd distanced yourself from me, pushed me away, how would that be any less painful then losing me in another fashion? You would have still lost me either way, and I'd have had to deal with the pain of losing you as well" He would remark, a blunt tone to his voice. He didn't like to chastise her, but the fact was... It wasn't the best logic. Sure, he understood her plight, but... All it would have done was create more pain. For the both of them.

He would chug down the glass immediately, before offering her the bottle and a glass of her own if she wanted. "I understand you went through a lot, but... You were only going to make it worse for yourself and for me, the way you were going. If there's pain, if there's emotion... We can handle it together. We always have, right?"

He took a breath, pouring himself another drink when the bottle was free. He considered her question for a few minutes, and then he would smile faintly.

"... I don't see why not. A break could do us some good, I suppose."

[member="Shmi Labooda"]

 

[Tarrlok]

Her lips curled at what he said, he was right it didn't make sense. She knew that and that was part of the struggle. All she could do was agree. She got so caught up in herself that she was being too selfish to see that she could cause Josh pain as well. She knew that would rip her apart as well. All she could do in that moment was nod in agreement.

She just sat there watching him drink, he offered but she shook her head no in response. She wasn't much of a drinker, and in this moment she just couldn't get into the mood to do it casually even. She eventually looked down, and started fiddling with her hands. She shook her head yes when he spoke again,

"Yeah, that's true." she said smirking when she looked back up at him. But it was what he said in the end that allowed her smile to grow. He agreed to the break, and that was big because they were both workaholics so this was exciting in a way that it something they would get to experience together. So much so that she scooted closer and attached herself to him; she hugged him and didn't plan to let go for a few minutes. Though it did cause her a bit pain as she was sore, her face scrunched up but whatever.

"Yes! I can't wait to see where your from..."

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He didn't like to tell Shmi as such, but... Well, Josh wasn't really someone who tended to sugarcoat issues, or just flat out lie to someone. Especially someone he cared about. Lying to Shmi would be a disrespect to her, in his eyes. He was blunt, he knew, but it was better that Shmi knew rather then just let the issue fester and potentially happen again. From there, the topic appeared to be dropped. He didn't forget, of course. How could he forget? Shmi had flat out wanted to push him away, more or less to take away her "weaknesses", make herself more like the "Weapon" that people thought she and even himself should be. All without thinking about what it'd do to him.

Without realizing it'd destroy him.

He would smile then, as Shmi's mood seemed to lighten when he agreed to a break. A break... Did he truly realize just what he had said? He wasn't sure if his mind had fully comprehended his words just yet, but part of him knew this break was needed to recover, to rest... Another part just said it to make Shmi happy, but he knew it was best even if she hadn't been there. Even if he hadn't fully comprehended it yet. Sure, he knew the workaholic side of him would disagree and he'd think long and hard on this later, but...

He was sure in the end, he could justify to himself taking a break. What was wrong with one break after 20 years? The Silvers wouldn't even notice, he wasn't even sure they remembered he was still a part of the Silver Jedi. When was the last time he'd spoken to Coci? Oh right, that one time he'd actually met her. Or was that Coci? He couldn't even remember. He couldn't recall ever even meeting Thurion either. He didn't even know what their leadership was, besides the two.

Oh, how different his life had become. He'd gone from such a high-profile life within the Jedi, being on the Council, being one of the more highly sought out and busy men in the Jedi, even at one point being Grandmaster himself... And now, he was barely a blip on the Jedi's radar. But part of him didn't mind. Sure, he kind of missed being busy, but.... At the same time, he'd begun to realize he was human. He was a person, not just a working tool. He was fine with being busy before because it was all he knew. If the Jedi were happy with his performance, he was happy.

But now he'd become independent... And now, it was time to work on him. Perhaps now it was time to set work aside, just a little bit, for the first time in his life... And work on that life he'd always wanted. He knew it was possible now. With Shmi, perhaps it really was... But who knows?

It was funny though... They'd only actually been together for what, six months? He hadn't seen her for most of that. And yet it felt like far longer.

Granted... Deep down, he knew he'd loved Shmi for far longer. It was funny when he thought back on it. His jokingly flirtatious ways were known across the galaxy, especially by Jedi. It was standard fare for him, or, well, it had been. And while it did get him into a lot of trouble, he never did mean any harm by it, he just enjoyed making people laugh, making people smile, in the only way he knew how.

But Shmi had always received an... Interestingly increased amount of attention in comparison. He'd always been more attentive to Shmi, always given her more of his attention whenever she was in the room, always got the joke flirting far more then anyone else. Not that he ever said so, of course, and since he for some reason never gave anyone else that sort of attention when Shmi was around... Well... Hard to tell, right? But if one saw all the signs, they'd know. Perhaps he didn't know until quite awhile after, but it was true.

Still... Time didn't matter all that much, he supposed. He was here for the long haul, if Shmi would have him.

He would smile then, as she hugged him, pulling her close and tight as he put his drink down and gave her all of his attention once again. He would close his eyes, cuddling up to her as he would just relax for a time...

------------------

They had arrived on the pastoral, lush planet of Naboo. Josh had brought up a bit of information on the planet earlier from his datapad, which read "Naboo's surface comprises of a vast array of different landscapes, from rolling plains and grassy hills to swampy lakes caused by the water-filled network of deep-sea tunnels. Beside its natural features, Naboo is considered a world of classical beauty due to the aesthetics of its population centers." They ended up landing in an underground hanger, that opened up to let them in automatically upon seeing it's docking codes digitally. How had Josh managed to afford this? Well, it sure as hell wasn't from his business revenue, he wouldn't dare use that income for that. No, he just had connections, and years of owed favors. The connections especially, who when he had this built, understood that at the time, he needed to just... Hide.

As for said business revenue... Well, Josh had told her the story right? Of saving a man during his Padawan-ship who tried to pawn a doomed business off on the naive young man, and his absolute luck in having a staff team that knew how to run the thing incredibly well but hadn't been given the power to. He'd shifted all income, and the day to day to them a the time, all income to their wages as well as to going toward furthering the business. He took none for himself at the time. He didn't need it at the time. He was used to the low Jedi wages and his expenses were smaller back then.

It took a lot of luck, and a lot of elbow grease, but the group had managed to get the company out of debt, and with the money in pocket, and the right people in the right places. The company ballooned, making tons of credits as it expanded rapidly over the years. And when it did, the employees tried, they did, to get Josh to take a wage. It took a few years, but eventually they did, albeit small. Enough to pay for his living expenses, maintenance on his ship, all of that. But they kept badgering, the more that the company succeeded. He'd given them a second chance, given them a way to bring credits home to their families. They wanted him to take a more fitting wage and he kept refusing, even when the company no longer needed the extra credits. To be honest, he did appreciate it, he really did. But he didn't see a reason to take that wage, he was a Jedi after all. Sure, Jedi-hood paid next to nothing, but... He felt he didn't need it. He felt they needed it more. But they convinced him eventually. It took a bit of threatening, but they did. But as frugal as he was, from being used to little spending from being a Jedi with their low wage... Josh hardly used it. The credits accumulated as the years went on. Just there, unused, earning interest.

And then time came that he was to... Well, hide for a long while. Be away from the galaxy at large and work independently after what happened with the Republic's Jedi. The result of that would be in full view as the two would make their way out of the hanger, and outside. Greeting them was a large compound, fenced in to keep visitors out. Shmi might glimpse a garden obscured, being tended to by a droid. But in front of that was the result of that story...

The house was about two storys, and looked to be in good condition. The fact was, when Josh decided to go away for a little while, and recover from the psychological warfare he'd dealt with, he decided to finally use all that money that had accumulated. He spared little expense, because as he considered what should be built... He remembered his dreams of one day having a family. Why not kill two birds with one stone? The home, with it's size, was clearly built for just that. Sure, it was a bit big, especially for just one Jedi who wasn't around much. But for a family, it was perfect. It was a reflection of his dream. Although the house did look as though it needed some fixing, as though he hadn't been there in a handful of months. Which of course, was very true. The inside would probably look the same, but at the least, Josh had a habit of making sure the place was clean before he left to go on mission. One mess could become something major on his return, after all...

"Well, here we are... It's not much, but it's more then I could ever dream of, for sure. I owe a lot of people for this even being possible... And a lot of luck as well. I had this built when I left the Order, and come back here from time to time when my body hits it's limits" Josh would speak softly as he would gently hold her hand, taking a breath. He would turn toward Shmi, and smile slightly.

"Hope it's enough, this'll be our home for a good while. If you wish."

[member="Shmi Labooda"]

 

[Tarrlok]

She exited his ship, and began the walk from the hangar to outside and she immediately felt the cool breeze hit her skin. Then came the sun that had a comfortable warmth to it that made her feel even more welcomed. As soon as she stepped from the shadows created by the hangar and full into the sun where she could view the compound, her face lit up. After Josh, it was one of the best things she'd laid her eyes on since she got back. She looked over at him and then took another step forward to take it in.

If was also a reflection of her dream, yes she could see herself having a family here...one of her own. It was just as she had envisioned it when Josh told her of it before. Her stomach grew light, as she was seeing things in real time. She was a Jedi so she never cared much for materialistic things, but even if she wasn't the simplest of things were just enough for her. She would have completely ignored any damage it had because it meant so much more than that.

He grabbed her hand, and she held on. She moved herself closer and she stood close, she placed her off hand on his chest just as she had a habit of doing for some odd reason. While he spoke she just looked on.

"This...this is perfect Josh. I can't explain to you what I'm feeling but...I just want you to know how grateful I am for you to have chosen to share this moment with me." She said smiling.

Obviously their earlier conversation still lingered, she had been selfish and she knew it affected him because of who he was and what they shared. It was emotions she shouldn't have let best her, when in reality she should have just clung onto Josh more rather than push him away. That's where the clarity and strength would have originated. She knew he still thought about...she didn't need to read his thoughts. Now that they were on a break, perhaps they would get closer and their bond would grow greater than it already was.

The atmosphere reminded her of her days as a child, when she would run the streets of Jordir. Her innocence was priceless and those were some of the best memories she had. Then she never would have imagined being in the position she was in now...when she lost her mother she never felt love the same way again, so becoming a Jedi was a little easier in that regard. When she became a Jedi she never would have thought she would suddenly become relevant enough to the others to even be considered for the Council or the office of the Grandmaster. However she didn't think too much but rather did her duty and gave her all...though it wasn't until Josh came around and stuck around that she became less of a robot. Her laughs were real and genuine, and she even started to use some of his lingo and engage in his playful banter.

He literally become her best friend and biggest supporter, the only other person to give to her. How could she be so selfish and disregard his feelings the way she did. Here he was giving again...and she just felt extremely grateful. During their break she was determined to strengthen their bond.

"Its more than enough" she said admiring his smile. She leaned forward on the balls of her feet to reach his height, wrapped her arms around his neck and she kissed him in a display of affection. Then playfully she gently slapped him on his shoulder, "Can we go inside?" because she was truly excited to see the inside if the outside was this beautiful.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

For Josh, he never had a real childhood to speak of. His parents had spent most of Josh's early years on the run, though he did vaguely recall getting to run around and play on Naboo for a longer period then the others. Still, unfortunately he didn't have the memories that Shmi did, even if he wished he had. He'd been in the Jedi since he was 5, memories like that were... Well, hard to come by. Still, he did remember getting to play on Naboo some, running around when he was really young, seeing the trees and the grass and just being carefree and without stress. Actually, the remains of the small home his family had in Naboo was just a few miles from here... Sometimes, when he was home, he liked to take a walk over there. Sure, it was just a smoking wreck now... But it was the memories of the few shreds of childhood he had, that were important to him.

But her reaction to the house made him smile, and he would turn to meet her kiss with one of his own, wrapping his arms around her waist and playfully lifting her up a little, laughing as he spun them both around a little as he kissed her, before placing her down. "I suppose we can go see what's inside. Hoping the place hasn't burned down inside with how long I've been gone" The Jedi Master would joke with a cheeky grin as he would take her hand again and head inside.

The house still seemed clean, even if a bit dusty from him not being around much. The home had a decent amount of furniture, but clearly hadn't been filled out too much. The essentials, plus a few luxury things like a couch and HoloTV in the living room and all that. All in all, a rather barebones family home. His belongings were on tables here and there, but.... Well, a Jedi didn't put much stock in material possessions, right? But it was a fixer-upper. There was nothing -wrong- with the house, really, it just didn't have as much in it as you'd expect from a family home. But, well... Considering the only one living there was a Jedi who was barely home, it's not much of a surprise. On the bright side, there was a great view from the windows in the home of the grassy plains that stretched downward, and the garden was still well-tended to. The house would do, at least, it had what they needed, and a bit more. With them both being Jedi, it was doubtful that either would really mind.

Though Shmi might be shocked when a silver-colored HK unit would stomp over and stop in front of them.

"Master! I-Zzst-Is good to see that your functions have not-Zsssssszzt-expired! No troublesome organics have trespassed upon the property in your absence!"

Josh would smile then, and nod his head. "Thanks HK. Sorry it's been quite awhile since I was last around, compared to the norm. I've been busy" He would remark, scratching his head with his free hand.

"Master, while I do not understand the terms of exhaustion personally, I do have in my database that overexhaustion can have... Unfavorable consequenc-ZZZSSSST-es to humans. Guarding your abode would be utterly meaningless if you were to suffer such tragic end-Zzzsttt-Master, so I find myself forced to insist against such matters. I-"

The droid would seem to notice Shmi, and would immediately point it's blaster at the Jedi Master.

"MASTER! There is a human-like enemy droid holding onto your hand! I will-Zzzssst-blast it for you, Master!" It would cry out. "Whoa, whoa whoa, whoaa!" Josh would cry out as he would hold up his hands. "Don't worry, hey, hey, she's harmless. And... Not a droid. Actually she has a very dynamic personality, when she's not buried in her work" Josh would partly joke. "But she's fine, I promise, and... Like I said, not a robot. Her name's Shmi, she's very special to me. She's going to be living here with me for a good while" Josh would plead, taking an exasperated breath as though this wasn't the first time the droid had done something idiotic.

"But Master! I insist she is a droid! It is all in the details! There is a laser on her forehead that could be very much dangerous! Humans do not have lasers, as far as I know! And her ears are pointed, as though they messed up her construction!" The droid would plead, and Josh would push the blaster down.

"She's fine, HK" Josh would respond calmly, letting out a chuckle as though the whole thing was amusing to him. He would look over at Shmi though, and tilt his head to the side. He had noted the interesting mark on her forehead before, and had meant to question about it in case it was part of perhaps a culture she was from that did branding, though he didn't know if she'd be offended if he did so he was a bit hesitant to do so. But this was actually the first time he had noticed that Shmi had pointed ears. The head tilt seemed to be his checking for the ears, and when he saw, he shrugged his shoulders with an expression that seemed to read "Huh, neat" before he would turn back to the droid.

Well, that seemed to indicate Shmi wasn't actually human... But he'd have to ask about that later. Not because it was a concern or anything. Actually, he couldn't ever recall taking on a lover that was a human in his entire life anyway. But he planned to ask simply to know more about her. And if there was anything he should know that might apply to her but not to the human species. If she had any needs that needed to be fulfilled while they were here, that his home didn't accommodate for, things like that. All in all, he was just thinking about Shmi's needs and Shmi's happiness. Actually, he seemed to do that rather often.

Regardless, he would let out a breath, and turning back to Shmi, giving her a light smile. "This is HK-J7. While I can't recall all that well how I managed to get my hands on the parts, he's the result of my deciding to spend my time after leaving the Order and taking solace here, wanting to learn a few new things. In particular, learning how to build a droid from scratch. Wanting to learn from trial and error and all that. He's mostly finished, I've managed to trial and error most of his functions and for the most part, he's a fully functioning HK Unit. But uh... As I said, I'm... Still kind of learning" Josh would admit, with a sheepish grin. "I'm having trouble with his speech and behavioral mechanisms. No matter what I do, his speech isn't always complete, there's a lot of static, and sometimes his behaviorisms are a bit... Erratic. I've replaced the chips and all, but those don't seem to be the problem. I've had people offer to do it for me, but... Y'know, it wouldn't be a learning experience if I didn't do it myself, right? Although maybe I'll ask someone to show me how to do it. The reason I want to is... I've worked with droids since I was young, as a Jedi. I know Binary by heart, but I've never once assembled a droid without specific instruction or help from others. And after the whole thing with the Order... It's pretty clear I need to learn how to do pretty much everything independently" He would explain.

"As for why I leave him active? Well, he guards the house fine, and if he malfunctions because I messed something up... Well, if I come to find the house a mess, that means I messed up and lesson learned. I also want him to come with me onboard the ship once I finish, so the house guarding is like a test for him and I want him to be used to it for when it comes time" Josh would add.

"Anyway, why don't you make yourself at home, while I go restock the fridge with what I have on the ship, and then make us some coffee?" Josh would suggest, giving her a warm smile as he would squeeze her hand. "Then we can catch up like we wanted to."

"I mean... We have all the time in the world now, right?" Josh would crack, with a grin. It was true... They were going to be here awhile. It was still sinking in...

Still, it'd be a pretty good way to get to know one another, he figured. A good opportunity, one they really hadn't gotten a chance to have before with how busy they always were.

[member="Shmi Labooda"]

 

[Tarrlok]

This was a honest living arrangement, and it suited her just fine. She never cared much for luxurious living anyway, simple was always the best route to go in her opinion. As she looked around she heard stomping sounds approach them and when she looked down she saw an HK droid. Now her immediate reaction was curiosity, as most encounters she's had with these droids they were attempting to harm her in some way. However, it was obvious to see that such a droid would be present to provide some sort of security. He certainly responded to Josh as if he was his master. However she did remain cautious as they both spoke and she remained out of the view for the moment. She didn't think it could revert to hostilities...

Annnddd she was wrong, her body stiffened up when the blaster was pointed at her face. Before she could breath, Josh had jumped between them both. Her left eyebrow rose and she observed the interaction between the two. Though when he mentioned her dynamic personality, she folded her arms and rolled her eyes because he turn it all into a joke. Only Josh could bring humor in these types of situations. She wasn't mad...it just wasn't the route she thought he'd go then and there. But when he mentioned that she was special to him her heart just melted and she placed both of her hands on her chest in admiration.

Laser on her forehead, her body jolted backwards in confusion. She thought to herself, "Laser?" and just then as she contemplated she heard the comment about her ears and then her eyes squinted in slight irritation. "Hey!" she said softly.

Just as she looked over to Josh she saw him observing her, she playfully slapped his shoulder. A slight smirk appeared on her face, and it occurred to her in the back of her head that she never really explained her marks she'd just gotten so use to people not asking that she didn't explain too much.

"It's alright HK...I know I'm not like any of the other women Josh has brought home with him. But I swear to you I'm innocent." She said tilting her head down as she giggled to herself.

It made sense, his story about HK. Having proper security for your valuable while your away is a must and she understood that to a tee. However, she found it really interesting that he built him himself, she didn't know he had interest in these types of things. Though she had always been curious she never had the patience nor skill for repairing or let alone building a droid. But she did like to watch others do it. Maybe if Josh would work on him she would be able to watch and maybe even pick up a skill or two. Hobbies were good to have when you were stepping out of something you did every day 24/7.

"I think you did a good job. He certainly knows who and what he's protecting. I suppose thats a start. Besides I'm sure you'll have some time to work on what you wanted." she said in support

He squeezed her hands, and when he tried to walk away she pulled back playfully indicating for him to stay. It was all fun and games, but she knew that would have had to get done eventually so. "Right, ok!"

She watched him walk away, and then she turned to HK and shrugged her arms. "Well...I guess its just me and you HK." she said walking towards the steps and following them up. She rain her hands along the railing, it was smooth and had grooves in it that apparently signified that this place had been used before. She liked that...it had a faint sense of warmth her and it stood the test of time. She got to the upper level and walked into one of the rooms. This one had a view...and thats all she could focus on for the moment.

"It's just so beautiful..." she turned and then crawled onto the bed and stretched out looking at the view the whole time.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Her quip about the "other women" Josh had "brought home" would bring a metallic tilt of the droid's head, as though it were confused at the statement.

"Other women? Miss Shmi, I don't believe I register your statement" The droid would respond, notably changing his phrasing of her from "droid" to "Miss Shmi" as though in reaction to Josh's proclamation that she was "special" to him. "No organic has stepped into this house besides the Master, unless they are showing up unannounced and invading my Master's privacy. Most of which, unless the Master has deemed them safe, I have dealt with-ZZZZZSSSTTTT- in the swiftest fashion and then disposed of them quickly so their blood does not stain the floors-"

Josh stopped the droid with a raising of his hand. Josh would scratch his head, letting out a breath. "Actually, uh... This is the first time for this home" He would admit with a light chuckle and a bit of a blush. "I haven't brought a soul to this home since I built it. And I didn't build HK until this home was built and I'd been staying here for a few months" Josh would explain. Sure, he'd brought a girlfriend or two to his old apartment on Coruscant, but that was Coruscant, an apartment, and an old home from years ago. An apartment he'd cleared out and left the day he left the Republic. "I wanted to keep this home a secret, except from the people I trusted the most. This is more or less my sanctuary, after all. Has been since I left the Republic. I didn't want to be found here, because I knew that here I could rest undisturbed, in safety, before heading out again."

It spoke volumes then, about how special Shmi was to him if he had brought her here. Such easily abused knowledge, and yet he'd brought her here personally. But he knew he could trust Shmi... He hoped.

Josh would smile then as Shmi would pull him back when he had made a move to leave. A light chuckle escaped him as he would lean in to place a playful little peck on her lips before releasing her hand and leaving for real. Though he did acknowledge her remarks in support of his building HK. He'd certainly be taking more time to finish HK while they were here, now that he had time to do so finally. Perhaps he'd shrug off his pride and look for proper manuals. Sure, there was a sense of pride in doing it via trial and error, but the fact was, Josh hadn't the slightest clue what he was doing throughout the process until further in. He'd learned a lot, building HK. But it'd be good to seek a manual and fine tune HK while finishing him, and he'd probably learn a few things in the process. Knowing the exact specifics would help and not hinder at this point, hopefully, now that he'd trial and error'd through most of it and had gotten a good idea of how building them worked. Josh had worked with droids for years, after all, maintenance, repair and re-building were good skills for him to learn.

Once Josh had left and Shmi had made her remark, the droid would turn to face her. "Joyful, I've always-ZSSSSSZZZT- wanted to be alone with a complete stranger" The droid would respond, indicating said "behavioral issues" Josh had cited in it's sarcasm. Although one might find that sarcasm endearing as well, which may suggest as to why Josh clearly had not wiped the droid's memory. If one thought about it though... Josh was a smartass himself. It fit.

The droid had left to go patrol the grounds once Shmi had made herself at home in the bedroom. Eventually, after finishing up, and looking around for her, Josh would peek into the bedroom, not expecting to find Shmi there, but checking anyway. "Oh!" He would chirp as he would find Shmi sprawled on the bed. "Eager, aren't we?" The Jedi Master would joke, shooting Shmi a playful, almost wicked grin at the clearly dirty jest as he would step in, closing the door behind him as he would sit on the bed, handing Shmi the cup of coffee he'd brewed. He would follow her gaze to the view outside, and smile lightly.

"Enjoy the view?" He remarked as he would playfully peck her cheek, before taking a sip of his coffee. "So, I've been wondering... Honestly not sure how to phrase this, but... Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself and where you came from? The pointed ears and the "laser" tell me you're humanoid, but not human, but I've never seen your race before" Josh would remark, making a motion with his fingers at the word "laser" to indicate it being in sarcastic jest, but the question was sincere.

"While I'm asking partly because I'd love to know more about you, I'd also like to know if there's anything I need to know about your race" Josh would add, letting out a breath, a bit of a shaky one at that. One that indicated he was trying to tread lightly, knowing talking about someone's race could be rather... Risky. Like a ticking time bomb with a red, blue and green wire. "In particular, if there's anything you need that's not offered here, I need to know. We're gonna be here awhile, if there's any necessities that I need to grab for you, I'd rather I know as soon as possible, you know?"

He'd had to accommodate his home for a significant other before, to be frank, it was likely Josh was simply learning from... Prior mistakes. Last time he'd done so, he had to keep the apartment tidy and keep from leaving things on the floors for when she visited, seeing as his last "flame" had been a Miraluka. Man, Jak had given him an earful of jokes at his expense when he found out his significant other at the time was blind.

Back to the subject at hand, Josh did want to discuss Shmi's travels and where she had been, and what had prompted her to distance herself from him like that. But he figured that seeing as they'd just gotten here and were enjoying themselves, it'd be better to start small.

[member="Shmi Labooda"]

 

[Tarrlok]

She gotten so caught up in daydreaming that she didn't realize how long she'd been laying there, she wasn't even fully aware of Josh peaking into the room until he spoke. She turned over and sat up, scooting towards the wall to prop herself up. Then she couldn't help but laugh at his remark. Her response was to throw him a wicked grin in return which was followed up by general laughter. She then forced herself forward to grab the cup of coffee he'd made.

"Yeah, it's such a simple beauty..." She said looking back off through the window and slowly taking a sip of her coffee. Then when she heard him saying he was wondering, her eyes slowly grew in size and she turned to look at him to see just what he would say. She slowly nodded to herself, she realized before she hadn't discussed it much and he was the first to really ask her. Though she did think whatever he was going to ask was going to be something else. When he said he didn't know how to phrase it, it made her just a tad bit anxious.

His sarcastic gesture forced her to tilt her head and glare at him albeit playfully. She couldn't hit him because her hands were occupied.

"You wanna know more about me huh?" She said slightly teasing and ended with giggling. "Well.." She turned and sat her cup down on the nightstand on the side of the bed.

"I am Chalactan." she said then slapping her hands on her thighs and looking over at Josh. "Biologically I'm just like you...besides my ears having a point at the end. Not all of us do." she said scooting closer to him. Then she point at the two marks on her forehead, "These are my Greater and Lesser Marks of Illumination. The one thing that defines my people is our spirituality, it's a big part of our culture and most might say it's what separates us from other humanoids." she said smirking at him.

"When I was knighted...I traveled back to my homeworld to further connect with my heritage. I sought out the Chalactan Adepts which is a mystic order of scholars back home. I studied for years and years to unlock the inner workings of my mind, to understand and apply the natural laws of the galaxy to my life and others. It was more of a spiritual thing, a quest to find enlightenment. I earned this Lesser Mark when I began my journey." She said pointing to the smaller mark on the bridge of her nose. "At the conclusion of my journey I was granted the Greater Mark," she said then moving towards the more notable one on her forehead. "When I finally became an Adept this was granted to me as a symbol of the universe and the Uncloseable Eye that sees it." She said smiling at the end.

"Now my mind is attuned to the others around me, I feel emotions and things on a much grander level." she said taking a deep breath afterwards. "I don't need special attention haha, all the necessities you require I'll require." she smirked as she placed her hand on his cheek.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He found humor in her response, seeming to find it adorable her surprise when he would arrive. Once he'd gotten his questions out of the way though, he would smirk when she would make her own sarcastic remarks. Smartarse. Geez, they really were more alike then one would think, when they were casual, aye? Perhaps when not so casual too, really. They were both workaholics, obsessed with their jobs and determined to the core. But in their casual senses, they were both smartarses, with quips and jokes for days when they were comfortable. It just so happened that Josh seemed to be able to get into that casual sense a little bit easier then Shmi did.

Regardless, he would watch her carefully, nodding along as she would begin to talk of her people. It was... Interesting, really. Enlightening, even. He figured the marks were birthmarks, birthed from people of her race in general. But apparently they were earned through trials. Honestly, he hadn't even noticed the second one until she pointed to it on her nose, just the one on her forehead that the droid earlier had referred to as a laser. What had Josh thought the mark was before, anyway? Y'know, before finding out Shmi was an alien. Honestly, he couldn't remember. Probably figured it was part of her heritage, from a sub-race of humans. What was it...? Indian, Hindu-type Humans? Force, he couldn't remember what the name for those were, or if he was just imagining it. Regardless, he hadn't really put much thought into Shmi's marks, besides wondering where she came from a time or two, until the droid had pointed out her ears. He didn't even think she was an alien until the ears were pointed out. No human he knew, or had heard of, had pointed ears, after all.

But it was all so interesting. A humanoid species that put so much stock in enlightenment... In discovery, in their knowledge. It was honestly a great race for a Jedi to be. Which might partly explain why Shmi took to the job so well. But he knew that wasn't the main reason. The main reason was... Well, it was Shmi herself. You couldn't pinpoint a background reasoning, couldn't justify it through that... It was all Shmi. Shmi's hard work. Shmi's dedication, Shmi's determination and heart. A dedication to her work that he could emphasize with, and admired her for. It made him want to work harder then he did before. She spurred him on, though he'd never told her that.

Though at the least, she was able to be accommodated like a human was. Well, that saved him a trip to Space Mart. Luckily for him, he'd restocked the ship with groceries yesterday, so he'd moved it all into the house, due to him planning to stay awhile, so they were set for a good while. So he wasn't getting away from Shmi anytime soon.

Honestly, he wouldn't have it any other way.

He would place his hand on hers as it lay on his cheek and smile. The whole time he'd just stared at her, studied her face, listened attentively. Interested in her story of course, but also just in her in general. She had a beautiful face, she did. Sure, beauty wasn't the only thing. He'd met many a beautiful woman, but who he'd call ugly to the core due to their personality and their sheer lack of a heart. But he couldn't help but admire her features all the while. "Well, if it helps any... In my eyes, you're perfect just the way you are. I wouldn't change a thing about you" He would remark honestly, chuckling a bit as he would lean in and place a little peck on her lips. Though if she could feel things to that degree... Perhaps was that how she knew he was peeking? Or maybe she just caught him via sight. Who knows?

"That does sound interesting though. Very much so. Are you sure someone like you can stand being stuck with a boring old human?" Josh would joke, shooting her a grin.

[member="Shmi Labooda"]

 

[Tarrlok]

She smiled at his remark, she couldn't help it. As she did that her cheeks turned completely red, and she scrunched herface up and shrugged her arms just before he leaned in for the kiss. And she found herself not being able to cut the redness off, so she lowered her hand and began fiddling with her fingers for the moment. That's until he spoke again.

"Your an amazingly good looking human so..." she said then forcing her head up and looking up at the ceiling; she played coy. "I think I could manage.." she said laughing as she leaned over and bumped her shoulder against his. Now she wasn't blushing as much because she was able to engage him in their playful, flirtatious banter. It was only when he happened to stare at her the way he did that made her feel out of control. Perhaps thats what she needed for once...to just sit back and follow. They both did a good job of exchanging roles perfectly and it just fit them.

"I'm glad you found my culture interesting...Nobody has really asked before. It felt good to share some of me ya know?" she said nodding and looking forward.

"So what of you?" she said slowly turning and looking at him directly, with a curious look in her eyes. "We're here on your homeworld, tell me about your family...tell me about what you use to do here when you were young?" she said with smirk on her face. Hopefully it wouldn't be to painful for him to relive...did she want to know? Yeah she wanted to know everything there was about him and more but if it hurt him to share then she was completely against that.

She tilted her head, and just observed him. Really she just wanted to run her hands through his hair because it was something she liked even when she first met him. It stood out...and drew her attention. One of few things she loved about him. Though his humor was what really stole her heart, maybe he figured that by now.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Her remark brought a chuckle from him and he would place another handful of small kisses on her lips, before pulling back a little when her head went up. "Well, I suppose that'll have to do. Not everyone can be a super-intelligent race based on enlightenment, after all. Some of us gotta be normal... Even though I'm pretty far from normal. Or so people tell me" Josh would crack, leaning against her from there. He was able to relax with her, truly relax... And be able to just be himself. It'd been years since he could do that with someone. In a way, she was the sole comfort that there was someone he could trust fully in this world. And if she were gone... Well, it was likely he'd go cold. All-business wasn't a life for anyone, but it was a life he'd come very close to living several times in the last few years. It was Shmi who had stopped that. And deep down, he was grateful that she had.

He was happy though, that she seemed happy about the whole thing. Her culture was interesting, moreso then he had expected.Perhaps he'd learn more in future? Though when she would ask about his own family... Man, he didn't know how to explain. He would bite his lip, scratching his head with his free hand. It was an uncomfortable thing, to be honest, but... He did trust her. He... Might leave out some bits for now though. Bits that perhaps he'd be comfortable with telling her about in the future.

"There... Isn't much to tell when it comes to my family" He would admit, letting out a breath. "I don't remember them as much as I'd like. All I know was that they had at one point both been Jedi, higher in rank. Well respected. But I guess as you can tell by my own situation, respect and success in the Jedi can make you enemies, even within the Order. Sometimes ones that are Sith, among us pretending to be our brothers, but with sabers of crimson hidden behind their backs, waiting to strike. This particular one was able to frame them for things that the Sith himself did, and had them expelled. They left, they married, and had myself and my brother. I was born here on Naboo... In a small home just a little ways from here. I picked this spot out in particular because of that. I wanted to be able to walk there from time to time, and see the sights I used to see, when I lived a life without stress, without pain. I was about four when we had to go on the run. We ran into financial problems, and my dad, well... He had a lot of pride. He was too damn prideful to sell himself as a mercenary, and combat was the only life he knew. He resorted to using his affinity in the Force to cheat, in gambling, and it holded us for a good while. But then guilt began to set in. And it clouded his abilities. Soon enough he started to lose hand after hand, and we ended up heavy in debt. When those couldn't be paid, people were sent. That was when we ended up on the run. We left Naboo, and floated from planet to planet on the Outer Rim, not staying in one place too long.

It... Was a trip to Coruscant, when I was five, to restock on supplies that ended our journey. They caught up to us, our speeder was shot down... My mother was killed in the explosion, I was left comatose, and both my father and brother disappeared."

Josh couldn't meet her eyes anymore. He'd told this story plenty in the past, and had learned to accept what had happened. But it didn't make it hurt any less to think about. Still... She deserved to know. She'd told him about herself, after all. It was only fair.

"The Jedi saved my life. If it wasn't for the Jedi... I wouldn't be here, at all. I would have died then and there had they not found and restored me to health. I woke weeks later, and with nowhere to go... Well... From there, I pledged myself to the Jedi. And the Jedi has been my life for the last 15, almost 16 years. I don't know another life besides this. It's why I work so hard... I don't know anything else. That's why I was so overjoyed, when I became Grandmaster... It felt like everything I had done was worth it, and I would be able to help further the cause that I loved, that I believed in so much... And why my ousting destroyed me. It's also why I fought so hard to help it survive, when we met... It was all that I ever knew. Now it's gone. Now the Republic is gone. Now I'm working with the Silvers on the side, but... Now I'm at a crossroads in my life. For the first time, I could do anything, nothing is tying me down anymore. But... For the first time, I have no idea where to start."

He let out a breath, and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry if mine is a little more... Depressing then yours. I didn't mean to drag the mood down. Especially that last bit, I guess I kind of had to get that bit off my chest" He admitted, with a light chuckle as he tried to lighten the mood. "But I will say... Whatever I choose to do, I'd be honored if you'd walk that path with me. You've brought a light to my life that I never imagined possible. And I'm so happy that you're here with me...."

"Still..." He began, smirking faintly as he took a sip before swallowing and placing a playful little peck on her cheek. "In the end, I'm just a workaholic Jedi, who in terms of the woman he's looking at right now, he loves very much."

[member="Shmi Labooda"]

 

[Tarrlok]

She noted the mannerisms, whenever he got slightly uncomfortable he would scratch his head and bite down on his lip. She then regretted that she asked, because the last thing she wanted was to go down that route. Perhaps it was too soon...I mean she was sure he was feeling a little something in the back of his head with them even being here. When he finally revealed the tragic ending she got as close as she could to him and placed her left hand on the back of his head and her right on his shoulder. When she noticed he couldn't look at her, her eyes even teared up.

It was a tragedy and there was still some pain that lingered and she felt it. However she didn't allow herself to cry. She was so emotional! "I am so sorry Josh." She said finally looking down at him and even softly caressing his hair. She only wanted to comfort him, and she felt them grow closer in the moment as he shared something that was a catalyst into who he was now. This wasn't just a tale...it meant so much and she knew that.

She looked down for a second as their was a slight pause, and in the moment she didn't know what else to say. Then came a warmth through the shroud of pain, and when she looked up at him he was smiling. "No..no I'm happy that you were willing to share that with me. I know it must've been hard. Your strong." she noticed he was trying to lighten the mood. His next phrase brought light to her face, "Of course! I want to spend the rest of my life with you...I mean" and she felt embarrassed that she came out and said that the way she did. "Uhh" she had nothing else other than super red cheeks.

His kiss of her cheek came, "Glad I was able to earn your love, because you've earned mine."

"This is so worth it. I fought hard to get back here."

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

It explained a lot, really. It explained why when Shmi talked about her childhood, he'd smile, and usually just say something about the Jedi in response. He didn't have much of a childhood to speak of, even if he wished he had. It explained part of why he was such a workaholic, it spoke so much of who he was. The future will always be influenced by the past and the present, and it showed in him. He was curious though, if he should have told Shmi, but... Well, what use was there in trusting in her in this relationship, if he couldn't trust her to know what he had seen, and done, and experienced? To know who he was. To many others, he was a mystery and he kept it that way because he didn't want people to see him for that past. He wanted them to see him only for what he'd do in future. Shmi... Well, with Shmi it was more personal. He trusted Shmi, and he trusted her to be able to see all sides of him. To see who he was, who he is and who he possibly could be.

He trusted her, and she deserved to know.

He could sense her emotions, sense the sadness from her, potentially near to tears, and he felt worse. It'd been meant as a show of trust, but... Shmi being sad made him sad. And now he'd been the cause of it. It was a feeling he didn't like, but hopefully from here, he'd be able to make up for it through making her happy more and more. That was a goal of his anyway. He just wanted to make her happy... In what ways that he could. Josh let out a breath, managing to look her in the eyes and smile at her words, her embrace. It was that one line though, that part about spending the rest of her life with him, that brought a chuckle from his lips. The blush was cute, she was cute.

Her last words would bring another kiss, this time a soft one against her lips, pressing his forehead to hers as he would speak. "Well, feel free to give the details of how hard you fought, honey... We have all the time in the world, after all" He would tease as he would play with Shmi's hair a little bit. "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I promise. It's just you and me..."

[member="Shmi Labooda"]

 

[Tarrlok]

She brought her hands up and gently placed them on each side of his face and held them there after his display of affection. It made her feel warm inside; completely. Josh was adorable, kind, and giving and everything about that made her want to spend every moment she could with him. She literally considered just grabbing hold of him, wrapping her arms around his frame and just staying attached for as long as she could. Wherever he went she would just follow. Her head pressed up against his and she looked down in a full display of shyness. She'd never been in these types of positions and so it was an experience for her.

She giggled when he began to play with her hair, and her hands came down and sat just between them. She did that fiddling thing she did with her hands, and even in that moment she had a smile she just couldn't break.

"Well...I guess for starters I somehow ended up in a Sith raid. Completely unexpected..." and then she thought of the others who didn't make it out with her. "I took on three Sith Lords..." in the beginning she wasn't sure if she should tell Josh because she thought maybe he would flip out but then who knew. "The Yutan Temple has fallen..."

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

All she would find in his eyes was absolute love and affection for her as he continued to play with her hair, chuckling a bit when he noted her reaction to it. Well, he knew what to do a little more often then, judging by that positive reaction. He could just spend all day here with her like this, and he wouldn't mind one bit, not at all. He would land a few more kisses along her cheeks, sneaking another onto her lips with a laugh after she brought her head down. He wasn't used to Shmi being so shy, really. Honestly though, it was absolutely adorable, and certainly interesting seeing these new sides of her. Being able to see her personality more... Personally, had certainly been an experience, one he looked forward to seeing more of the more they spent time together. But for now, he was just happy to have the time they did together.

The conversation became solemn though, as she would explain where she'd been. The Sith raid, he'd heard bits and pieces, but seeing as the Jedi didn't keep him in the loop at all, bits and pieces were all that he knew. As Shmi probably guessed, this was his first time hearing that the Yutan Temple had fallen, and he would frown in turn. The Jedi Master would let out a breath. It was clear this had been bugging her, even if he didn't really want to think about work right now. Still, he would simply hold her close and play with her hair a little more, placing his coffee and hers on the table nearby as he would wrap his arms around her, laying back on the bed and relaxing his head on the pillow, bringing Shmi with him as he did. The fact the temple had fallen was clearly worrying him, by the look on his face, but he tried to push it aside in favor of wanting to try and soothe Shmi. He held her a little closer as he brought her down with him, before pressing his nose to hers and managing a smile.

"I understand..." He began softly. Thinking quickly, he tried to find a way to make light of this. This bothered him, it really did. And clearly there was more to the story, and Shmi clearly had more on mind in the matter. Just what was she thinking? How much had this effected her? He was sure Shmi would explain this when she was ready. For now, he just wanted to relax her. Unfortunately, there was only one way he knew how.

"Three Sith Lords, huh? Geez, I feel like I've lost a step, you're kicking my ass in this Jedi stuff" Josh would joke, managing a smile as he continued to play with her hair. But he knew deep down, that jokes alone wouldn't do much. Perhaps it was time he was just honest on the matter. Honestly, he was starting to kick himself for making the joke, visibly evidenced by a frown soon after, accompanying a look that pretty clearly noted his disdain with himself. Force alive, she'd just gone through something that was likely traumatic, and all he could do was make jokes? Geez, he was bad at this. Sure, he didn't have much in the way of social contact in the last handful of months, but that didn't excuse that. He had to approach this more gently... But in the end, all he could do was be honest, he knew, and try to reassure her.

"Listen..." He spoke softly as he would place another little peck on her lips. "You did everything you could, Shmi. I'm sure nobody faults you for the Temple falling, and if they do, they're idiots" He remarked bluntly, but still with that softness in his voice. "The fact you fought what you did was amazing in itself. If the Temple still fell, well... I doubt you could have done anything different to stop that. I just wish you'd called me, I would have dropped everything if I could, to be there with you."

The fact he hadn't heard anything about the attack until it was too late, AKA those little tidbits, annoyed him. But that blame fell on the Jedi as a whole, not Shmi. Josh knew that him being there wouldn't have changed anything, but he would have still been there for Shmi, and that was good enough for him.

"If there's any feelings you have on the matter you're holding in, inside... It's fine to let it all out. It's just you and me here, I'm not going to judge you for getting emotional, or for showing what other people may consider "weakness" at all." He spoke softly. "You're... Well, humanoid, I guess I can't say human but you're just as good as any."

"... Damn that phrase 'You're only human' really doesn't work in a galaxy full of humanoid races that have the same general sense of having natural emotions and feelings" He would quip afterword. "But you get my point. You have emotions, and feelings... These are natural, a part of us. It's part of our very nature, our very core... It's fine to just let it all out sometimes. It's like I said back on the ship... We're people too."

[member="Shmi Labooda"]

 

[Tarrlok]

She moved with him as they both found comfort in laying in the bed. Josh' frame was much larger and muscular than hers, so with her arm still wrapped around her she laid her head right next to his and snuggled up to him. While she had been through more than that on the far reaches of the galaxy she wasn't quite ready to disclose all of that yet. However, Yutan was the most recent conflict and much more closer to home; it was an issue she was still dealing with as of yet. She ran her fingers gently across his smooth and defined face, and she looked into his eyes almost seeing the urge to comfort her.

His joke made her smile, even forced a giggle out of her. Only he could get her to laugh during a conversation with a slightly heavy topic. Actually he was the only person who could ever really genuinely make her laugh. His humor was one of the things she loved most about him. But it was working in breaking down that guard she had up.

He caught her attention again, and she quickly jolted her eyes back up to look into his. She was met by another kiss, and then his soothing voice. "Your right..." she said nodding slowly. It was just she felt so out of the loop, and that maybe if she had been around she could've been here to be on the front lines. However, she knew that wouldn't make much of a difference really. The Republic was an entity when she left and when she came back neither it nor the One Sith remained...rumors made her curious to see what remained of that temple and not only was she surprised by what was left but by an order of Sith. She'd been fighting non stop to get back to Josh because she missed him like crazy and she knew he'd missed her too.

"I know you would've came for me." she said smiling at his last remark. She knew he was protective over her, she liked that. "Really...that situation on reassured my desire to have a family of my own, hopefully with you." she said lowering her tone at the very end of her sentence. Sure he heard it but it would have made her turn redder than an apple if she had to say it out loud and look him in the eyes. "I only felt bad for those I led into that trap. We'd fought long and hard to get back here and one little rest stop led to more bloodshed..I just wanted to step away for awhile, still do. Now here I am."

She would laugh at his quip, even playfully slapping his shoulder. His point was valid. He was right, they were people as well and if she desired a life of balance she was going to have to learn to embrace all of her emotions fully. She slowly moved her head forward and planted her lips softly against his. A kiss for him to know that he was completely right and she heard him.


[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Cuddling, snuggling, these were things he hadn't dealt with in years. So it was a bit of a shock at first, but within a few moments he had relaxed and would cuddle up to Shmi, holding her a little closer as he would continue to play with her hair while he spoke. He missed the front lines himself, really... But it was clear the Jedi had little to no interest in him anymore. He wasn't the flavor of the time anymore, he wasn't even on their radar. And... To be honest, he was okay with that. He'd been at this pretty much nonstop for an incredibly long time. His body was tired... He was tired. He still intended to work, to go on mission, to keep the peace, to fight the Sith... But maybe he needed to give his body more of a rest here and there. Hopefully this break of theirs would be the start of something. The start maybe, of showing that he could be a bit more then just a Jedi. Hopefully a family man, to start... That'd be great.

A chuckle escaped him when she would flat out say she hoped to have a family, hopefully with him. "Why hopefully? I'm sure we could make it happen" He cracked, tapping her nose with a finger playfully, amusement and a playfulness in his voice at that. "No need to hesitate on conveying what you want, Shmi. Chances are, I probably feel the same."

He would place a hand on the back of her head, pulling her a little more into the kiss as he went long for this one, letting it linger long, letting the embrace go on without concern to the idea anyone could be watching... It was just them now.

He could get used to this.

He acknowledged what she had said, of course. He heard her. She blamed herself, felt bad for those she'd led into that trap... But how could she have known? She just wanted to get the group rest. She wasn't to blame. But he didn't want to put focus on it... Not when they were finally calming down and getting into a good mood.

To switch topics, as he broke the kiss he would playfully poke her lip with the tip of his tongue, leaving it there a moment before bursting out into a cry of laughter upon what would likely be her reaction.

[member="Shmi Labooda"]

 

[Tarrlok]

She laughed right along with him, in the back of her head she was thinking about what he said. She said hopefully because she wasn't sure when would be the perfect time to start. I mean did people actually plan for those things or did they just happen? Maybe it was a combination of both. I mean yeah she was felt ready, her heart determined that a long time ago and Josh reiterated it.

"I'm sure we could...why don't we?" she said looking up to him, "I mean if thats something you feel ready for..."

Yeah she was confident they could do both, she considered many others who have done both and continue to do both. Coci was married, had children, and still fought for everything she believed in. Why wouldn't Shmi be able to do the same? Josh seemed like the perfect family man. It would be so cute to have a mini version of him running around...where his first words would more than likely be something sarcastic. Those were things to look forward too of course, and she believed he wanted it to just as much as her.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]