Together at Last

[Laira Darkhold]

The door closed behind her as she walked aboard the ship. It had been too long, and all I wanted to do was hold her in my arms again and never let go. If it weren't for what little bit of common sense I had left I would have already kissed her. Instead, I remained in full armor, not because I thought she was intentionally a threat, but because I was being cautious about what that Sith may have done to her. Even still I embraced her in my arms, gently pressing my forehead to hers, the skull shaped visor reflecting in her bright, shinning yellow eyes. If she could have seen my face she would have seen tears of joy starting to form in my storm grey eyes. "It is so good to have you back Mesh'ika. I missed you more than words can describe. So has Meliha. She's safe, just not here. I keep her location secret, out of the way."

The pair of medical droids behind me, moved forward just a little. "I need to run some basic medical scans on you to make sure you are alright and he hasn't done anything to you before anything else though. Just a quick molecular level scan of you and your armor to check you out is all. We are already on our way to see Meliha." I was not about to let her go, or send her off alone, but this needed to be done before we became laxed. The ship turned and made the jump to hyperspace, plotted on a route so convoluted it would be nearly impossible to trace us to our end location taking a long route through wild space away from Mandalorian Space.

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

Quite frankly things were still striking the Twi'lek as slightly surreal, and the lingering hibernation sickness wasn't helping with that. There was a small part of her that was fairly convinces she'd gone mad and this was an elaborate fantasy she'd concocted to console herself. If so it was one she wasn't keen to escape any time soon.

Draco was here. Her Viyi'ee. Her Drahr. Her husband. Even in the brief moments when her vision faded out or biology insisted she blink, she could feel him through the bond, connected, surrounding, supporting. And above all just being present. She was not alone. Alone with no one but herself for all eternity. The relief of it was very nearly enough to have her break down, sobbing at his feet. A lifetime of bluffing and hiding weakness however, helped to prevent such a thing.

Still it was close, particularly when he told her their daughter was safe. Draco hadn't aged noticeably, so perhaps it hadn't been too long. Perhaps she hadn't missed too much.

"I missed you too Viyi'ee."

The words heartfelt but pronounced carefully, to ensure there was no slurring. For a moment he might catch the shadow of a memory. Of a loneliness so great it transcended loneliness and needed a new word to properly encompass it. An isolation even deeper than that of those who lived alone on deserted planets, for even they at leas had the planet for company and distraction.

She nodded when he mentioned the scans. It made sense. Why had the Sith released her? That did not make sense. Unless she was a threat in some way? Better to die, or even to return to that which was worse than hell than to hurt her family.

"This is wise."

A pause.

"How long was I.. gone?"

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

I picked her up in my arms, carefully lifting her and carrying her through the ship. I finally had her back in my grasp and I did not intend to let go of her so quickly. She asked how long she had been gone, which was a frightening question. It had taken me some time to get over my own grief and go looking for her and Meliha, and that had delayed her rescue a lot more than I would have liked had I known she was alive, but after Wayland, and Mandalore, after those experiences, I had frozen for a time, but that time was over. Now all that was left was to make sure my family was safe and was provided for. "A few months." I paused for a moment. "I thought you died. And that hurt me. I... I couldn't sense you or Meliha and... I spiraled for a while. It took me sometime to pull myself up by my boots and find the two of you. I am just thankful you are both safe now."

The medical droids went to work as soon as I laid her down on the table, but I grasped her hand in mine, waiting for them to say something, say anything about her current condition, but these things took time. Especially the full molecular level Bio-scans I had ordered for her. I needed to know she was safe, and I needed to know that the Sith had not just given me a timebomb waiting to explode when I was most vulnerable. "Everything will be fine now Mesh'ika. We are together again. Together at last. And I am never letting you go again."

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

Months.

Even with the armour between them, it was good that he had picked her up. The physical closeness helped negate the shock. Months was not as bad as it could have been, but Meliha would be walking by now, and she had missed it. Had she spoken her first words yet? What was going on with the Ravens? She did not blame Draco for not finding her immediately. If he'd thought them dead it was a miracle he'd found her at all, let alone in months. If their positions had been reversed and she'd thought him dead.. She almost certainly would have self destructed, throwing herself at whatever was to blame for his death until it or she was no more.

"Are you all right?"

A funny question perhaps, coming from the one lying on a table being scanned by just about anything and everything in the known universe to see if she'd been turned into a weapon by the Sith. One that was entirely in character however, as yellow eyes ran over his armoured form. Before she could have assessed him through their bond in moments, currently she was still too off balance. He wasn't actively dying, that was about the best she could tell. Still, the hand that grasped his in return and the ferocity of the grip was proof that she was and would recover. If she had a defining trait, it was that she survived.

"And the Ravens?"

He'd likely not have details, she'd never brought him too deeply into that world, but if the attack on her was only the first in a campaign against them, if all out war had begun, that he might know. He was here, they were going to Meliha, that was family covered, and so she moved to her obligations.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

I smiled from behind my visor. Even with everything that had happened, she was concerned for me and my well being. I guess it went with the territory when you were with someone and bonded to them like we were. "I am truly happy for the first time since you left. Finding Meliha had helped me, but your absence left a void in my soul that she could not fill." I said, the feeds from the scan visible on the HUD of my helmet. So far so good. "I am just glad to have you back and safe. Once we finish scanning you and make sure there isn't any kind of tracking device on you I will tell you where we are going." I said, looking her over. Still as beautiful as the day we had met, if not more so, she seemed unharmed, or at least lacking serious injury. Nothing a little rest and recuperation couldn't cure.

Then she asked about her Ravens. There wasn't much good news to tell right now. "They merged with the Techno Union not long after you disappeared. I never heard anything from them, so I had originally assumed whoever took your place had you removed." I didn't know how she would take that. Her Ravens had been her life for so long, knowing that they had been dissolved might be more damaging to her than the carbonite sickness she was suffering some after effects from.

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

Whoever took your place. A brief frown at that.

"Khaleel?"

Well. If it had been months they couldn't have gone that long without someone at the helm but.. But why hadn't they found her? The feeds from the ship had been going to Skolnick. She'd had him contact the Ravens. They'd have gotten those feeds, they'd have seen who took her, seen the fight, been able to reach the conclusion that it was Sith. It wasn't like the places the Sith haunted were secret. She'd have gone to find any of them.

Looking at it from a brutally pragmatic viewpoint, perhaps they'd written her off as too costly to retrieve. She did not like that, but she could understand it.

And all of this was really secondary from the thought that she didn't really want to think because she didn't really want to deal with. Because she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Even if there had been no treachery, they'd replaced her, and moved on. Her Ravens were no more. She was not President. She was.. What was she? Only Chiasa. Mother and wife. and perhaps this was all right, part of her whispered. Perhaps it was for the best.

"I suppose I am out of a job then. You've married a deadbeat Drahr."

A deadbeat with more credits than most beings ever saw in their entire lives stashed away in various banks and investments but still. She'd never not had a purpose, a goal, a task.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

I smiled at her, seeing the scans finish and revealing her to be fine. I removed my helmet and pressing my forehead against hers. "I married for love, not for credits. I have enough money to last a hundred lifetimes, but I will never have enough of you in my life." I said, gently putting my hand on her hip opposite of me.

"You seem to be fine medically, Mesh'ika. We are going to Endor. The station I had built to house Meliha is there with a few of my most trusted employees and guards." I paused for a moment, before adding the name of one of her close associates I didn't really get along with. "And Henn." I said a little perturbed that I had to house him now. I guess I owed him that much, he had saved and taken care of my family for a while when I needed it most, but I still didn't like the Togruta. "One of my old friends and his wife takes care of Meliha when I am not there. Though, this has been the second trip I have taken since I found her."

The journey to Endor from Fresia would have normally taken us through the deep core, but the path I had chosen included no inhabited planets, a dozen microjumps and took us out into the Unknown regions. The next 'civilized' planet we would pass would be Bakura, and even then we wouldn't simply drop into the system. No, we would skirt the edges of habited systems and move around them as much as was possible, and in space a lot was possible. Even once we arrived in the Endor system, the station was difficult, sometimes nearly impossible to detect, and the ship we were on was an excellent stealth vessel as well. "We should be arriving soon, my love. This is a fast ship, it doesn't take long to get from one place to another."

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

"Clean bill of health then?"

She commented with a half smile as he removed his helmet, eyes closing as his forehead came to meet hers, one hand rising to his cheek. When he confirmed this, his hand finding it's way to her hip, the smile switched to a grin. It would have been cruel to be reunited with him only to have to kill herself if the Sith had done anything too dangerous.

"Endor? I suppose it's far enough from anyones influence.. Henn? How did that come about?"

It wasn't as if she didn't know the two weren't exactly fond of each other, but she was still glad to hear it, because it meant that someone outside her family had stayed loyal.

"She is.. more used than she ought to be to being left with minders. I suppose that's one good thing about becoming a Lady of Leisure."

She'd done her best not to leave Meliha for too long or too often, but it had been hard to avoid. Her work had oft been dangerous. As this last event proved, it was dangerous even when it was relatively safe.

Chiasa nodded once when Draco said they'd be there soon.

"Good, it has been.. No time and eternity since I saw Meliha I.. I wasn't sure if I'd saved her or doomed her."

For a moment a micro-expression showing some of the fear and worry she'd felt flashed across her face before it was replaced with a far more serene one. Her husband and daughter were safe, and they were on their way to being reunited. This fact helped her find her centre, and she started consciously channelling the Force to burn away the last of the hibernation sickness. This under-way, there was another urge she felt free to give in to. Her lips found his in a slow lingering kiss, before she pulled away, head coking slightly.

"Station?"

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Well, Henn is the reason Meliha is safe and sound. He found her and went into hiding while I was... dealing with your loss." I said, a little ashamed. But then she kissed me, and everything else melted away for a single moment. That was her effect on me. She was my foundation, my everything when I needed when I could go on no longer. "I figured I owed him that much, a place to stay, a roof over his head, a job that is simple and easy. I don't like him, but I won't turn my back on someone who helped my family in our time of need." It was about honor and repaying a debt I was sure I owed, just as I was sure I was alive, and that I loved Chiasa. I didn't like it, and part of me wanted to hand him a breifcase of spice and a briefcase of unmarked bills and dump him somewhere, but he was not my friend. She was the one that trusted him with her family. She could be the one to make the decision of what all to do with him.

"Lady of Leisure eh? Just how much free time do you think I will be allowing you over the next month?" I said rather playfully. I wanted to give in, but I could wait. Meliha had not seen her mother in months and we were close enough now that it would be rushed, and Chiasa was not something I wanted to rush my time with.

"Yes. I had a Station built for us to live on if Mandalore or Concordia became too... hostile. Its a little retreat for us to run to if we find ourselves in trouble. It can move from system to system, albeit slowly, and its stealthed as best as I could manage. Its a place we can call home if we need to." It wasn't the greatest accomplishment that anyone had managed, but it was a relatively safe place. I had picked the Sanctuary Moon for posterity sake. It was far enough out of the way for the Empire all those years ago, and the New Republic had never established a long standing base there. Basically no one had ever cared enough to build anything permanent on Endor as far as I was aware, and for now, it was deserted as a tomb, except for a fairly small station, hidden away in the little system.

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

Henn had found Meliha? That fit. He was rarely far from wherever she was, so it made sense that he'd been the one to respond. But Draco had said no one has contacted him, and that Henn had gone into hiding. Which suggested that he too suspected there'd been treachery, and while Henn was no genius, he'd survived in the criminal world for a long time. Had Khaleel really been involved then? Even if it was only in supplying the coordinates and then not reacting. Had her Blood betrayed her? It was possible. Too many people had turned on her for it not to be.

If Henn had thought it safe he'd have brought Meliha back to the Ravens. If he was uncertain but fairly comfortable he'd have contacted Draco. He'd done neither. He's gone straight into hiding. This was.. troubling. At least since Draco had kept him around she could speak to him about it later, get his reaction and suspicions.

"Clearly I am going to spend the rest of my life lounging about and drinking wine, only the best of course, someone has to do something with all those credits of yours, since you've far too many for one man in a single lifetime I'm told."

Was her easy response. Obviously this was not going to happen. There was only so much leisure Chiasa could deal with before she started getting bored. Then restless. Then a little bit crazy.

"I like that.. That there is a home we can count on. Somewhere safe for our family."

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Yes, a home for our family. That was all we really needed was some place we could be safe and hidden once in a while, to recuperate with each other when we needed it most. A place where my family, and that of a few others could rest, and Meliha could be around kids her own age, and be raised safely, without Chiasa and I having to worry every time business, pleasure, or war called us away. Everything she needed was here, even fresh air, grass, and trees. All of it could be held aboard the ship.

The little stealth corvette slipped into the system silently, taking a quick scan of the system before moving towards the sanctuary moon. The Station, on the night-side of the planet, safe from being silhouetted by the star's light, and cloaked from sensors, but I could feel the men and women aboard the ship, maybe a hundred total. But what I couldn't feel was Meliha, and panicked for only a second when I detected her on the Moon's surface, no doubt with one of her nurses or one of the trusted people aboard had thought taking a trip to the surface wasn't a bad idea. In truth it wasn't, it wasn't at all, assuming that there was security on the ground with them and they had a rapid evacuation set up. I knew my Dragons were capable and intelligent, no doubt they had seen to those details when the trip was suggested, but part of me was still worried, still annoyed at the development.

"Well, it looks like we will be going straight to the surface of the moon my love. One of the caretakers must have thought to take Meliha down there for some reason or another." I said to Chiasa. Meliha first. She needed her mother much more than I needed my wife. "A little rest and recuperation under the stars after your ordeal will do us both some good I believe. I didn't wanna talk about it much, but when I thought you died, I lost it. There are more than a couple people I have hurt since, some of them allies, some of them innocents while I wandered the stars. I lost my sense of direction, and all that was left was pain without you my love. I need this time with you to get my head on straight."

[member="Chiasa Vereen"]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

For the briefest of moments, a flash of worry and possessiveness. That was her daughter and she did not know what dangers might be lurking. It was quickly quashed however, with the reminder that she had been gone for months, and that her daughter had been in the care of a drug user who spent most of his free time hiring women and gambling, and that this was not a new development. It was quite likely that Meliha was safer with Dracos people than she'd ever been before, which inspired a brief flash of guilt and shame.

She'd done the best she could at the time though. She knew her old life was not ideal for a child. Not safe. Hadn't she tried to send the infant off to her sire to keep her safe? It hadn't worked. Not that she regretted that. She loved her daughter.

She'd do better now. That was what mattered. Especially with Dracos help. With him there as her partner, she would do better.

"As much time as you need."

She agreed, his words bringing her back to the present moment. They were troubling on several levels. First and foremost she worried about him. Ensuring he was steady and sane was first priority of course. These allies and innocents he'd hurt also concerned her however. How hurt? Who? And most importantly would they be out for revenge now? Perhaps this wasn't what the average person would think of first, but it was the necessary line of thought if you wanted to survive as a criminal. Even if technically she wasn't one any longer, the method of thinking remained.

"Those you hurt.. Any of them the cause of a stealthed station for a home?"

A relatively diplomatic way of asking if there was a new batch of people who might be gunning for them, so she knew who to watch her back against.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

I smiled at her, angling the ship towards the surface of the moon near where we could both feel Meliha. I listened to her voice, sweet and soft, like her. She asked about whether or not I had made any extra enemies while she was gone. That in and of itself wasn't a bad question, but to my knowledge other than the Sith and their allies, and not even all of them, had become stronger relationships than when she was abducted. "As for the few innocent bystanders I do not know, but there have been no bounties, and they weren't particularly influential." I said. True enough they had mostly simple workers or small business owners at the wrong place at the wrong time.

"There are some who might still be sore, both literally and figuratively. I put Anija Betna in the hospital. Her husband, Arrbi Betna wasn't pleased. But they weren't exactly murderous and personally I still count them as allies. There might be some repercussions for me, but I don't believe he would take it out on you." That was true. If anything now that my family was safe and I was much more under control he may decide its time he tried to get some form of justice for what happened on Mandalore. Not that I would stand there and let him at me, but not that I didn't deserve a little retribution from him. "We are almost to Meliha. I will probably give Clan Betna a call and see if they would like to come out and meet you and Meliha after you get yourself reacquainted."

[member="Chiasa Vereen"]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

The innocent bystanders were almost immediately discounted. She didn't care. She'd long ago gained the ability to partition. She couldn't be responsible for everyone. There were people who were hers, and people she didn't care about. It was as simple as that. Plus she'd likely been indirectly responsible for far more civilian casualties than most. There was no point losing sleep over it. If she slept, which she didn't.

"It would take quite a bounty to bait anyone into trying to go after you. Likely only the novices would accept, I see no danger from that."

That was assuming a bounty was eventually posted, which if it hadn't been by now, it probably wouldn't be.

"Repercussions for you, are repercussions for me."

This was said firmly. Good that he counted them as allies, and she filed their names away, but if this Arrbi did decide to try and get vengeance for the assault on his wife, he would find that Draco had a partner who was just as, if not more, protective.

"Regardless of whether you think you deserve it or not, I am not standing by while you let a Mandalorian mete out whatever justices he thinks is correct. But I would not be averse to meeting them."

She after all, had some experience with Mandalorians who thought they were in the right and the physical 'justice' they brought to bear.

Eyes switched to the displays, she could feel her daughter now, unseen but felt she flared once more in the Force, re-establishing and strengthening that bond. Mother was home now, and she was coming.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"I never said I was going to sit back and let him mete out his brand of justice or retribution. Just that he might want to." I reached over to her and took her hand in mine. "Do not worry. I did not hunt you across a galaxy only to loose you know or spend our first week back together in a hospital bed." I smiled at her, trying to be reassuring, and making light of the situation. "And besides. I am bigger than him." I was bigger than him, but that wasn't really the point. The point was we were together again, we were partners in all things again, and I wouldn't be letting anyone change that.

The ship slipped into the atmosphere and descended towards the ground smoothly, taking it slow so that Chiasa suffered no discomfort during re-entry. I could feel Meliha, she was safe and happy, and there were maybe thirty other sentient beings in the general vacinity of where I was angling to land. Within a few minutes a rather large clearing rose in the distance where a shuttle was sitting on its landing struts. I let the auto-pilot handle the landing part and led Chiasa down the ramp, the wave of autumn forest air refreshing and cool against my face as I brought her down the ramp. Most of the beings nearby were Darksteel Dragons, the elite taskforce I commanded and paid through ArmaTech, but there was also an elderly duros couple, Benji and Yara Idiro, Henn, Chiasa's togruta ally, and Meliha, playing in the knee high grass with another human child with a parent nearby.

[member="Chiasa Vereen"]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

"I have another bed in mind for you..."

Purred Chiasa, at least half serious for all that she was teasing. She had missed her Drahr, and intended to be as close to him as possible, after seeing Meliha of course.

"And I am absolutely certain you are."

That last with a wink, and then they were landing and heading for the ramp. Chiasa was still feeling a bit as if he skin had been flayed off and her nerve endings laid bare, but mentally she'd largely caught up again. Besides, physical discomfort could be ignored when necessary. Bluffing and posturing was second nature. Never look weak. Occasionally when she was alone with Draco, but that was the only time. In any case, nothing would fix it save time, so there was no point fussing and she was trying to keep it our of her force signature so Meliha didn't catch any of it.

Though she moved with calm assurance, a slight tenseness might betray to those who knew her better that what she wanted to do was to run, to sprint, to go and snatch up her baby, her child, who she'd feared she'd killed. As she approached the infant turned from her seat in the grass with her playmate, rising on unsteady legs, small hands making grabbing gestures. Self control aside, the Twi'lek could not help but tear up a little as she lifted her daughter into her arms.

"Meliha, sei sama, sei tal'a, sei teeubo, do fic nliy'eo dan."

She whispered to the girl, holding her close, careful not to hold too tightly.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

I walked up behind Chiasa, hugging her, smiling at her and Meliha as the infant giggled and hugged her mother's neck. My arms wrapped around them both and squeezed gently only for a second. This was my home, were I felt most comfortable. It didn't matter where they were, so long as there were with me anywhere out in this wide galaxy full of uncertainty and pain. I kissed Meliha on the forehead as she looked up at me from her mother's arms, and then kissed Chiasa on the cheek, releasing her. "She missed you almost as much as I did, but we took care of her. I only wish I had found you sooner my love." I said, taking a step or so back and looking at the two of them for a long moment. Seconds ticked by and my heart rate slowed, my mind didn't race. There was nothing more important than these two. Nothing.

I raised my holo-comm to my mouth. "Arrbi Betna, this is Draco Vereen. I am on Endor if you wouldn't mind coming out to join me. There are some people here I'd like for you to meet." The message was relayed to a holo-transceiver and sent across the galaxy, seeking Arrbi Betna's own Holo-comm

It was a simple message to the leader of the Protectors, the small sub-group of Mandalorians I was a part of. The last time I had asked a member of his family to meet with me it had resulted in, well, a very tense situation, but I did want to introduce my wife and my daughter to my allies, friends I might even call them, given enough time spent fighting together. But they would never be family, and for my family I would do anything. "I guess I can introduce you to the people I have spent most of my time with, and maybe even do a bit of exploring the area. This is Endor after all, there is a bunch of history here."

[member="Chiasa Vereen"] [member="Arrbi Betna"] [member="Anija Betna"]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

"I see that, she looks no worse for my absence. And you did find me. You came. This is what matters. Thank you Viyi'ee."

Balancing her daughter in one arm, her free hand came to quickly wipe away the tears of relief that had formed. While Firebird was known for some of her emotions, there were others that were almost always hidden. This was one of them. To show and acknowledge this level of relief was to admit how afraid she had been. While she trusted those around her to some degree, because Draco trusted them, she knew only one.

Henn.

He'd been staying back. Obviously loathe to intrude on the recently reunited family. She would catch up with him later. She had to thank him for what he'd done, and find out everything he knew or suspected.

Dracos words drew her attention back to their current location, and her mind immediately flipped through what she knew of it. She was versed in the broad strokes of history. After all, it had been expected that she would be able to hold an intelligent conversation with any patron on the matter of their choice. For an unassuming little moon he was correct, Endor had played a large part.

"Mm, this is so. They tried to do tours for awhile no? Though from what I recall it was only one company and severely mismanaged."

And there had been accidents. It was long ago and this was merely trivia for conversation however, so she did not know if the accidents had been caused by Endor, or by the mismanagement.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

“I don’t know much about those who controlled the planet after the Empire. I just remember that the old Galactic Empire ‘fell’ here. Oh, and there are furry little bears that run around on the planet.” I really didn’t read much up on Endor when I ordered the station to move here after its completion. Really it was chosen solely for its obscurity. No one owned it. No one was interested in it. No government was vying for it. And it was in the opposite direction from Mandalore in case anyone was after us. No, for now, we were safe from all the horrors of the galaxy.

“Well, until my friends arrive, shall we take a walk through the forest. I can think of no better time spent than time spent with you, and I love seeing the ways your eyes sparkle when you see nature’s beauty.” I pulled a small aurodium locket from a pouch on my belt.

Slowly, I put my arms back around her, holding her and opening the small locket, which activated showing the image of Chiasa and I kissing in the sunset of Aduba IV, its sun setting behind us, silhouetting us, the field of purple flowers dimly lit around us. “I remember the way they shone on Aduba four. It’s one of the things that kept me going while you were gone, that at least I had this memory of you.” I leaned down and kissed her neck, feeling her warmth again. She was real, and in my arms, where she belonged.

[member="Chiasa Vereen"]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

"Wildlife. Wonderful."

Came the dry reply. Ewoks did not largely figure into her knowledge of the planet. She knew there were primitives, she knew they'd somehow managed to get the better of Imperial forces, this was about it. Wildlife, as far as she was concerned, was not to be trusted. It was probably poisonous, or going to eat you. Or scent mark things. The closest she'd thus-far come to a pet were two droids in the shape of dogs.

"I would like that, and the views do tend to be much better when I am with you."

As had perhaps become apparent, Chiasa was not in fact overly enthused about the natural world as a general rule. It was filled with unknown dangers. The beauty rarely offset the inconveniences. On the other hand, she trusted her Viyi'ee to watch her back, so if she was going to enjoy the great outdoors, she was far more likely to do so in his company.

Perhaps it was the after-effects of the hibernation sickness, perhaps it was some of his emotion leaking over through their bond, perhaps it was just her iron control faltering, but as his arms encircled her, pulling her close and he opened the locket, yellow eyes threatened to tear up again, though it was quickly blinked away. She remembered Aduba !V. She would always remember Aduba IV. That he had thought to capture the moment, and carried it with him..

"Draco.."

A throaty whisper, as her free hand reached back to caress his cheek, the gently raise his head so that she could kiss him again as she leaned back into him. The moment was either ruined or completed depending on your view of things, by Melihas laugh and a small orange hand coming to pat both faces.This won a light chuckle in return from Chiasa as their lips parted.

[member="Draco Vereen"]