Private You Just Walk In Like You Belong

[Asmus Janes]

"Second door on the right!" Asmus shouted down.

They had been in that room several times, letting the machines carry out scans. After Quin they had both been so nervous. Asmus hadn't gone through that pain with Kaile, something he would always regret. He knew why she had done it; he had been so young and naive. Asmus had spent a good month going a little over the top in trying to cater to every need. It had, after all, come as a surprise.

The idea of losing Kaile was like a needle through the heart. He had to put it aside. Chaz was an exceptional pilot, but he didn't know the Solaris.

They were going to get hit. The ship had cells built into the hull that could self-repair, but only once. He eased off on the acceleration, forcing the TIE pilots to change their course.

They would be assuming that he had diverted power from engines to shields to pass by the destroyer. In fact his plan was the opposite. As they altered their course to intercept at different coodinates, Asmus held his nerve. Gentle changes in course made them difficult to track.

He slammed the power into the engines. The sleek streak of silver accelerated and he aimed them right at the cruiser. He dipped beneath the plane of their hull, forcing the gunners on the underbelly of the ship to slew their cannons around to target him. At the last minute he pulled up again and the Solaris streaked past the bridge, coming within five hundred metres. On the scale of a space battle, it was a hair's breadth away.

Green lights flashed past him as the TIE fighters finally started to catch up. There had been no fancy, break-neck manoeuvres. Just careful calculations and outthinking their pursuit.

 

[Kaile Vera]

Chaz gave a curt nod then proceeded as instructed. His boots made clipped hurried sounds down the polished floor, passing the first door then coming to the second.

It slid open without a single hiss, a testament to the high luxury of the craft. Inside was the large white chamber, with the highly advanced medical pod within.

Lucy gave a double take, not expecting to see such expensive technology, but Chaz quickly called out to her, “Lucy come here,”

They navigated the instruction panel, and when it confirmed Kaile had to remove her clothes, both Chaz and Lucy got to work. Kailes face was blanched of color, and by the time they took her shirt off, she had a large charred red circle on her lower right abdomen.

Quickly setting her within the pod, they watched as it automatically began to slide shut. Lucy’s fingers moved over the panel, swiping left and right and making selections for diagnostics and emergency triage.

“Go. I got this,” Lucy told Chaz, telling him to go back to Asmus Janes .

Another curt nod, but then he hesitated, reaching over to give Lucy a strong hug. While the Fondorian rarely showed emotion, he did so in this brief moment.

“I love you.” He told her.

“I know,” she replied, giving him a squeeze back.

“Go,” she told him, pushing him to leave. Within seconds, Chaz went back to Asmus.

 

[Asmus Janes]

"Laser cannons," Asmus said.

He didn't even turn to look at Chaz. The final calculations were running, but the TIEs were closing to make a pass that could knock out their engines..

The fondorian didn't mess around. He was in a seat and the turret dropped from the belly of the Solaris a moment later.

Asmus angled the nose down. A stream of bolts lashed out towards the TIEs, forcing them to break. The laser cannon had just enough power to threaten an unshielded starfighter.

"A few seconds..."

One of the imperial cruisers fired a volley of torpedoes. Asmus kept one hand need the countermeasures, but willed the navcomp to hurry.

"Starboard!"

"I see it."

This one wasn't a warning volley. It just passed the Solaris' nose as Asmus was finally forced to pull a tight maneuver.

Beep

"We're gone!"

For a few seconds, Asmus simply stared through the viewscreen and panted.

"Kaile..." he murmured, sprinting from his chair.

 

[Kaile Vera]

The medical pod swept over Kaile's prone form, a green light sweeping over her once, twice, and then three times. Then, a 3D holographic display would be displayed. Three other medical sensors would sweep over her before the diagnosis beeped. It hummed and then shifted to triage, focusing on the nasty charred blaster wound over her lower right abdomen. A series of stims for pain, antibiotics, and stabilizers were injected in her arm.

Lucy gave a brief sigh of relief as the advanced medical pod began its procedures to take care of the blaster wound. At the very least, the screen showed that Kaile's signs were stable. She was unconscious but should be okay.

It wasn't long before she heard the stomp of feet rushing over. Shaggy mop of dark hair, green eyes, and a frightened expression of alarm and concern etched the former Wraith Commander's face.

"She's okay." Lucy answered.

"It's working on her right now."

Asmus Janes

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus took a deep breath. He double checked the readouts. He didn't like the look of the blaster burn, but he knew that a large one could sometimes just be burns around a fairly benign wound. A small neat hole could be the fatal make of a disruptor that had cut through the heart.

Content, he turned to Lucy.

"S'good to see you," he said and he drew her into a tight hug.

"Go on, Chaz is up top. I want a minute."

 

[Kaile Vera]

It was strange for Lucy to see Asmus after all these years. Nearly half a decade. She leaned into the hug and then let go.

"Janes, I - " Lucy began, the redhead reaching up to tuck the auburn curls away from her face. Genuine concern and regret were reflected in her expression.

"I'm sorry. I didn't intend for this to happen." she wasn't sure if her apology would even matter to the former Wraith Commander. Aware that Asmus meant what he said when he wanted a minute, Lucy gave a nod, then quietly left. The door hissed shut behind her, leaving Asmus and Kaile alone in the medic room.

Kaile's face was still pale, but it wasn't as pale as it was before.

 

[Asmus Janes]

"I know you didn’t," Asmus said.

From his perspective, he had seen Chaz and Lucy emerge first and rush for the ship. Kaile had been covering them, they may not have known that she was wounded until he sounded at them to help her.

Asmus knelt beside the table. There was a chair, but against the wall.

"We shouldn't have split up," he said quietly to himself.

Asmus placed the flat of his hand against the glass. They still had some liquid organiplastic substances it had used to seal the wound. Real cells would be stimulated to grow beneath it.

She'd been under anaesthetic for the work, but the machine could wake her up now. She'd been given saline fluids. It didn't seem as if she had lost enough blood to need a transfusion. Blaster wounds were good at cauterising, if nothing else.

Asmus tapped the screen and she was administered something to wake her back up gently.

"Hey," he said softly. He felt a little swell of nausea as he imagined what life would be like returning to Bix alone.

 

[Kaile Vera]

Consciousness came in degrees. There was a slight fog to the Lorrdian's thoughts. Being under the influence of medications or drugs always threw Kaile for a loop; for a woman who needed her faculties to detail the tiny nuances of her body to communicate, the hazy fog of anything that would inhibit it would make the former SIS agent feel as if she were being smothered.

Blearied-eyed, Kaile opened her eyes, lashes fluttering. The bright white glow over the overhead halo lights and the holographic display's multicolored flashes over the pod's clear plastiglass assembly.

The slight knock drew her attention. Her head turned, that strawberry blonde crown swiveling to the right, tilting until she saw the worried expression painted upon Asmus' face. She gave him a hazy, lazy smile.

"Yous gots us out." she slurred, closing her eyes again to rest the heavy lids but still cognizant enough to continue the conversation.

"Knew yous would."

Asmus Janes

 

[Asmus Janes]

He breathed a sigh of relief. Even if the readings had told a story, it was different to hear her voice.

"So far so good," he told her. "They clearly went flying somewhere that pissed off a lot of people."

Chaz and Lucy would have been part of a team of at least four, but six was more likely. The imperials were either making a point or they wanted whatever data they had gathered buried, along with everyone who knew about it.

It was going to be difficult for anyone to follow them now. The Solaris was fast. Someone would have to guess where they had jumped for and Asmus had chosen a random plot of empty space near their destination. This was not his first run.

"They're both alright, you got them out," Asmus said. "Vo's contact got hit. I didn't mean to panic you."

 

[Kaile Vera]

“Oh nos.” While her voice was slurred the concern in her expression was there. Her lashes would flutter open, looking up at him.

“I was scared. Verreh scared. I thought I lost yous.” Her lips began to wobble. Side effect of the medication and pain stim; emotions were more easily perked.

“You can’t die.” She told him. As if the mere command would ensure he didn’t.

 

[Asmus Janes]

"Not planning on it," he said.

He drew his hand back from the glass. His fingers lightly trembled. Once again, the adrenaline had nowhere else to go.

"I don't know where Vo wants to..."

Asmus stopped himself. In the state she was in, there was no point going into mission details.

"We're going to live long lives," he told her. "Want to sleep on your own or I can put you back under?"

 

[Kaile Vera]

Kaile gave a delirious chuckle. Of course her mind went to the gutter, a silly grin crossing her face.

“I knows a few ways to get me to sleep…” there was no hiding her salacious drawl as she deliriously hit on Asmus for alternative ways to get her to go back to sleep. Not that those would be viable at this time.

“Stay with me.” She murmured, already closing her eyes again.

“Til I sleep…” she was out in less than a minute.

Asmus Janes

 

[Asmus Janes]

"I coułd fit..." he said, pretending to visually measure the medical unit.

"I won't go anywhere."

After she had fallen asleep he headed up to the cockpit. He didn't address the question of where the pair had been. If it was going to come up he wanted that conversation with Kaile present. In truth, neither he nor Kaile were likely allowed to know any more.

This had been worth it to save the lives of their friends. Vo's schemes were another matter.

Lucy was sent back to stay and watch Kaile as Asmus checked the health of the ship and gave Chaz a quick rundown of the controls.

Their shields had held, but there was a little laser scorching on the hull. They were without an astromech unit to go and investigate. Asmus took a stim pill to stay alert through the flight and beyond.

As Kaile woke, the ship were shudder as they came out of hyperspace. Lucy was asleep on the chair beside her unit.

 

[Kaile Vera]

Again came the hazy wake-up, although this time, it was without the heavy pain stims to quell the aches. Blinking rapidly, the Lorrdian took stock of her circumstances. Okay, I'm in the medical pod. Briefly, flashes of the firefight and the commotion that had ensued came back to the fore of Kaile's mind.

I'd been shot, she recalled, lifting her head to peer down at her belly. Just over her abdomen off to the right, a small pale white circle shone. The Pod had done its best to heal and close the wound from the inside out, and although it might appear to be fresh skin, it was really an organic plastic substance to help it heal faster and keep it from getting infected. There was soreness there, but it wasn't terrible.

WIth a press of her fingers, Kaile activated the pod to open it's bay. The quiet hum managed to wake up Lucy, who immediately sat up. Wide eyed, she came to her feet, giving Kaile a once over.

"Hey, you feeling alright?" as if recalling that Kaile was as naked as a jaybird, the redhead went back to grab a robe. "Here, let me help."

Kaile took the robe with a quiet thank you, trying to stand on unsteady feet.

"Just take your time," Lucy encouraged, holding her hand out for Kaile to use as a brace should she need it. Kaile took it gratefully.

"Where are we?"

"Just got out of hyperspace." Lucy replied. "Let me get Asmus. He wanted to know as soon as you woke."

 

[Asmus Janes]

The intercom buzzed.

"Asmus, Kaile's up."

One upon a time, Lucy had been the loudest voice on the flight deck. They had one called out for 'Lucy silence on deck' when they needed to launch for an exercise. Now she was quiet and to the point.

"I'll be right down," Asmus replied. "Chaz, just hold position. Passive sensors only. Make me a nice nest picture of what's on the system. If we're happy we'll micro jump in the next hour in."

He left Chaz at the controls and made his way back out and down to what acted as a medical bay. Even if it was just an empty room with a table.

They had only made the door, Lucy had left Kaile resting against the bulkhead in her robe.

"I think...I think we might be clear," he said, offering his hand.

 

[Kaile Vera]

As soon as Kaile saw Asmus, a smile broke over her face. She was still a little pale, but seemed better. There were little nuances such as the favoring of her left leg to keep the strain off of the right flank, but otherwise, she appeared well.

"Well reckon that's a bit of good news," Her fingers interlaced with Asmus's, palms touching each other. She shuffled over to wrap her arm around him and lean into his strength.

After a few seconds, Kaile felt the jitters rush over her. Remembrace. The rush of adrenaline. She hid her face along the crook of his neck.

"I was scared back there." she admitted, voice hoarse. She'd never felt that way in a mission before. Never had to consider what happened if she failed. What would that affect? Who would that affect?

"Alls I could think about is Bix and you."

Asmus Janes

 

[Asmus Janes]

"I was fine, obviously," he lied horrifically.

Unable to squeeze her properly, his fingers pressed through the robe into her shoulder. It was as far from the wound as he could go.

Asmus leaned back far enough that he could meet her gaze. He enjoyed having her warm against the crook of his neck, but he wanted to look at her as he spoke.

"We're not doing something like this again," he said firmly. "This is a last favour to pull some friends out of the fire. I know Vo has probably done us a favour and be watching out for us, but we...we just can't."

Asmus had tried to stop himself from thinking. He'd stopped his hands shaking and just focused on flying, almost disconnecting his brain between what he saw and how he flew. Now, confronted with her fear, he allowed his own to sink in. It was a deep, uncomfortable feeling.

 

[Kaile Vera]

It wouldn't take a Lorrdian to know Asmus was lying about being fine, but it certainly allowed Kaile to pick up on the subtle tells. The strawberry blonde would look up at him, staring at his face. Her hands came up to cup his face, thumbs grazing over the stubble there.

"Hey.... hey... I know we went through a lot. I won't say its okay, 'cause it ain't. It's okay. We're okay." Kaile reminded him.

"We can have it be the last. Just stick to our family. We've paid our dues. " she tried to comfort him as she agreed, because honestly, Kaile could see how easily thrown off she'd been when she'd been so worried about Asmus and Bix. Feelings like that could cause mistakes. Chocolate brown eyes would search the beloved planes of his face, noticing the angles just a little bit tighter, the golden sparks in his green eyes a little duller.

"I'm okay now... but there's somethin' more ain't it?"

Asmus Janes

 

[Asmus Janes]

"Hey.... hey... I know we went through a lot. I won't say its okay, 'cause it ain't. It's okay. We're okay." Kaile reminded him.

"We're okay," he agreed.

He sighed and gave a shallow nod. He suddenly felt a little hollow.

"I'm okay now... but there's somethin' more ain't it?"

"I don't know if it's something more, but... I thought I could have lost you and I couldn't take the thought of that. It's hitting me now. Can we take a moment before we head back to the others?"

It had been difficult going back into that professional mode. IT had never quite suited him. Asmus was a person who enjoyed people, observing new cultures and behaviours. It was almost frightening that he close himself off when Kaile was close to bleeding out still.

 

[Kaile Vera]

"I don't know if it's something more, but... I thought I could have lost you and I couldn't take the thought of that. It's hitting me now. Can we take a moment before we head back to the others?"

Asmus didn't have to ask twice, the Lorrdian reaching back to tighten her embrace and hold him close. Palms would splay, and she would rub his back up and down soothingly. It was for both of their sakes as much as her own. As a Lorrdian, having these moments of tactile confirmation served to reconnect to Asmus in the most intimate of ways.

"Okay," As long as you want, went unsaid. Taking a deep breath, Kaile set her check to his chest, feeling the thump thump of his heart. She closed her eyes, letting the sound soothe her, until both of their heart beats seemed to synchronize in rhythm.

A dribble of her fingers and she gave his back another squeeze.

"So what's the plan?" She asked, wanting to know what was next.