Part 2

Sighing heavily, Rowen ran her fingers through her hair, suddenly thinking that she might steal a quick shower before bed. Hopefully, Idris took a quick shower. She wanted to get the grime from the day's work out of her hair, off her body, and just curl up in bed and pass out. She decided she could just nose around the bedroom, while he was indisposed, and try to find an extra pair of clothes for bed. Her mind was elsewhere, completely, as she entered the bedroom, absently shutting the door behind her. She was searching through the things scattered around while her eyes looked over at the refresher. A little scream flew out of her mouth and she leapt over to the door, promptly shutting it.
Thankfully, for the both of them, Idris was in his own little world, having finally distracted himself enough to begin going over the assignment details in his head, planning out the rest of his trip. His eyes were also closed, so he both neglected to see her and was unable to hear her. If she didn't say anything, he'd never know.
Blushing furiously, she retreated to the bed, a part of the bedroom where she couldn't see him, and he couldn't see her. "Oh...great." She groaned softly, and just sat there staring at the floor, waiting for him to be done. Her entire body temperature had sky rocketed upon seeing him, and right now she wanted him to get out of the shower so she could take a cold one.
He finished washing his face, rinsing the soap out of his eyes, and then started scrubbing his limbs. One thing Idris prided himself on was cleanliness. After every single assignment, time allowing, he deep cleaned every inch of his body. He looked over at the door and wondered a moment. He didn't remember if he had left it open or...left it shut. He felt very self conscious and started to speed up his normal routine, managing to get clean and have the water off in only another five minutes, instead of fifteen. He grabbed a towel and wrapped himself in it.
Hearing the water shut off, she remained where she was, looking up only when she heard him walk to the entrance of the chamber. At least he was covered. Staring right back at him, she held up her hand for him to stop when he moved to shut the door. "It's a little...late...for that...I'm afraid. Um..." Not wanting to explain her comment, she stood up and pointed to the refresher behind him. "Mind if I..." It was hard to even make eye contact with him after what she'd seen of him and what sort of thoughts were going through her head now. "...get in now? Um...Also...I...need extra clothes. If possible." She took a few steps towards him, then stopped and finally raised her eyes to his. Finally she managed to squeak out. "Sorry?"
He'd stopped when she protested and looked at her. He arched and eyebrow, perplexed by her confession, then he realized and his eyes went wide with understanding. "Oh...I see. Or...you...saw...rather, I suppose." He nodded at her, but in his mind he couldn't help but think...clothes? What would a girl like her want clothes for...surely she'd never wa- He shook his head and took in a long breath, and then sighed. "Right, clothes, of course. I...just, when you get out, call for Ophelia. She can help you with that. And, well, you are more than welcome to use the refresher." He moved out of the way to let her into the chamber.
"I...uh..." Best not to speak in that moment. Stepping forward into the refresher and moved to shut the door. Suddenly, whether it be those hormones, or something like that, her playfulness kicked in. Gently she shut the door, only half way though. If he wanted to, he'd be able to get a good look at her...
"You know, I didn't stare at you that long. Little unfair." She grinned at him, shaking her head. His bed was, indeed, very comfortable. And, she now realized, so was Idris. "Are you feeling better? I mean after the fight with the...uh...Pyre...thing. I don't remember what Ophelia called it."
"I do feel better. Thank you." As he turned to face her. "And, in my defense, pyre fiends usually aren't so giddy in transit. A lot of things got neglected on the way out of our last stop. And usually, when I go in there, they're not waiting for their next meal and already on the attack."
"Well I'm just glad you weren't hurt." She spoke with sincerity. "Um. So..." Looking at him, she smiled a little bit. "How long did it take you to plan this little...encounter?"
He smiled at her, his hand moving up to her cheek. "You're very pretty...but, I promise you, this was not premeditated. I didn't want to kiss you until we were hidden away in that niche on the street." He chuckled weakly. But then he noticed how her smile faded and he wrinkled his forehead. "What's wrong?"
She could hear how intense the concern was in his voice. "Uh...nothing. I..." And all the warmth she had been feeling slipped away from her. She had trusted him so fast and let him in so quickly. Never had she trusted anyone this way. Maybe it was because he knew her secret. She had become an idiot over a man just because he knew her secret and didn't try to kill her because of it. Uncertainty about her own actions and feelings, as well as his, bubbled up and she suddenly felt very vulnerable. "I'm just tired all of a sudden. Um...let me go ask Ophelia about some clothes." She climbed out of the bed, heading for the refresher.
His eyes went wide as he felt the temperature drop in the room, quite suddenly, as he watched her almost run away from him. He opened his mouth to speak, but he felt suddenly overcome by a stormy onslaught of emotions. Rejection was the one that boiled to the surface, but he managed to fight it down and reign himself in. He looked at her as she walked away. It took him some time, but after a few moments of trying, he finally managed to reply. "Uh...clothes...right...you...yes, ask her, she can help you...find some." He looked around the floor and put on the first assortment of clothing he could find. Then he left her. He felt his mind and body urging him to flee. He went into corridor and walked to the cockpit, feeling his breathing getting out of control as he got away from her, panic setting in as wave of emotions started to boil over. He sat in the chair and tried to become completely immersed in the intricate working of Atalanta's systems.
She felt shaky and cold all over. She just didn't know how to deal with what had just happened, and then there he went right out the door. Plopping down on the edge of the bed, she wrapped her arms around herself. "Ophelia?" She called out trying to keep her voice from quivering. "Could you help me?" Her mind was spinning now and she felt sick to her stomach. What if he didn't care for her like she was starting to think she cared for him? What if this was just a quick romp? He had left so fast, dismissed her so quickly when she had backed away - maybe that was all it was. Hurt built up inside of her, and she shook her head, lying back on the bed. She trusted him so much, and that was absolutely terrifying.
He looked over the systems, checking and double checking, and double-double checking. He sighed and shut his eyes. "Ophelia?" He waited a moment, and then looked around. The short projection came to life on his console. "Ophelia, if you could, I...need you to help...our guest." He waited for her to acknowledge. She nodded briefly and then disappeared. He sat there, thinking about everything, and about Rowen. He wanted to be with her, to kiss her again, but he felt so uncertain, so he maintained his distance.
The image appeared on the dresser within arm's length. "Mistress Cairn, Captain Chariton asked that I..." There was a short pause and then the projection turned around. "I'll see if I can find something for you to wear..."
"Yes...please. Just to last me until we dock. Then I'll be out of your hair, and no more trouble to either of you." Feeling sick again, she kept her head down, and her eyes on the floor.She was reverting back to who she was years ago, scared, unsure, distrustful of anyone, even herself.
"I am afraid I don't have any clothes for you in any of the closets, Mistress, but we can find you something to wear until I can have some rendered from the extra material in the dispenser unit."
Rowen looked at her, perplexed. Then she heard Idris' from the quarter's entrance. "Don't worry, they won't be edible. They both just use the same matter streams." Idris held up a hand and motioned for Ophelia to go wait in the galley, pointing into the corridor a quick second, before moving to Rowen's side. He sat down next to her, and looked at her. He reached out his hand and slowly turned her to face him. "Hey, what's going on?" He looked irritated, but he was more concerned than anything. "Are you alright?"
"I'm...fine, I'm just stupid." She answered softly, shaking her head a few times, as she pulled away from him, even though she wanted to simply just collapse into him. "I...realize that this is my fault. I should have thought it all out, because I..." She swallowed hard, still unable to look at him. "...I trust you. And I never thought that maybe this, what we did, was the sort of thing that happens when you only have three days." She sighed. She wasn't making any sense and she knew it. "You're taking care of me, and I trust you, and you trust me." Tears slowly streamed down her face as she spoke.
"Hey, hey, calm down." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. He even went as far as to pull her into his lap . He let her face find his chest as he embraced her. A rule he'd learned, what felt like eons ago, when was anyone, girls especially, started to speak in ways that made little to no sense...and increased in their nonsensicalness...usually it indicated they were in the middle of losing it, or had already lost it. He spoke softly into her ear as he held her. "Rowen...it's ok. You're safe. You're safe, ok? I am not going to hurt you, and you're not alone. Please...just tell me what's wrong?" He felt awful. He just wanted to fix this, whatever it was.
"I am calm." Rowen whispered - lying of course, glad to feel him pressed against her again. It put her more at ease than just sitting there had done. Taking a deep breath, she sat up only when she felt calm enough to look him in the eyes, when she felt like she had gained control back. "Idris, I just...I trusted you. And I still do, a lot more than I've trusted anyone in a long time. And...I rushed into...things...with you. I never thought that maybe you didn't...trust me or...feel..." Now she was digging herself into yet another hole. "I understand men pretty well, Idris. I've worked around them enough. I understand if this was just a...three day thing. And I take full responsibility for all of this, for not thinking anything out."
Now he was even more confused. He decided she needed to be interrupted, and before she could say another word, he pressed a finger to her lips. "Rowen, I'm sorry. I should have realized that maybe you didn't want...all...of..." his voice started to trail off as he got more and more flustered. "I'll stay away from you...if you'd prefer. And you're wrong...I really...I really did...want it...this...you...and I do trust you." He wasn't sure whether to feel guilty or offended by the rest of her conclusion. "And...I'm not like other men you may have worked with..." He exhaled slowly, only now having realized that he'd been holding his breath. He kissed her on the cheek and turned like he was going to move away.
The kiss on her cheek did her in, and she stood up very quickly. "Idris, wait." Rubbing the back of her neck, she looked up at him smiling very faintly. "I don't want you to stay away from me, that's the thing. And...I...I wanted to, I just didn't know if...I was worried about trusting too quickly, jumping into things. I didn't want to be your fling, I wanted to be something..." More, she finished in her head. "I thought I...I'm talking myself in a circle." She studied his face for a moment, offering him another small smile. "Can we go into the kitchen, make some tea, and then...just relax?"
He smiled at her affectionately. "Ok. We'll find you something to wear first so you don't have to go around clinging to your towel." He turned and, almost on cue, the familiar image was standing there in front of him on the edge of the dresser.
"As I told Mistress Cairn, Captain, we have nothing for her to wear."
"So no girl clothes board? Then this means Captain doesn't entertain female visitors very often, or they just don't hang around?" Granted, she was genuinely curious, but she wouldn't penalize him for anything.
Idris' eyes nearly popped out of his head as he turned to Ophelia.
She started to explain, "Well, Captain Chariton has-"
Idris shook his head. "Uh uh, don't answer that!" He turned back to Rowen, red-faced, and smiled angelically. "It's...not...important. No women stay aboard Atalanta for more than-" he shut his mouth before he could finish the phrase. "For, very long, I mean...so." his mouth continued to move, but he didn't say anything.
Rowen couldn't help but grin, stifling a loud laugh as he shushed Ophelia. "For very long, huh? Don't worry, Idris, I don't stick around very long either unless I'm given good reason."
"Don't worry, we'll...get you...something." He smiled a little more uneasily and found a shirt for her to wear. He handed it to her. He continued to search through the clothes, but he didn't feel comfortable giving her anything he could find. He looked over at Ophelia. "How long...did you say it would take you?"
"For her measurements, I can make her some leggings and a tunic in about thirty minutes." Idris seemed to think about this, contemplating and weighing out if this was fast enough. He got distracted from his current task of finding her some clothes.
Shrugging she pointed to the door. "How about you allow the girls some privacy so she can take my measurements, and get started on my clothing? You can go make us some tea. Go, go..." Walking over to him she ushered him out, fully planning on having a little girl talk with Ophelia. The computer liked her, she figured, and they were both...feminine. So, they had a natural bond. That was the way the universe worked.
Idris was opened neither to catering to her while they had "girl talk," nor was he comfortable with her rummaging through his room. He started to protest, and was a little thankful when Ophelia seemed to be giving him an out.
"I've already collected your measurements, Mistress Rowen, and I've already started making the clothes."
"There, see, she's already started-"
"-But I do think we should allow Mistress Rowen some privacy, as that is what my programming tells me would be appropriate."
Idris gaped at her a long moment, then pointed at her. "Traitor!"
"Traitor? Nonsense, Idris, stop being so paranoid. Go make the tea, I'll be out soon. Go, go..." She hurried him out the door, and as soon as he was out, she let it slide shut behind her, smiling almost triumphantly. "Thank you very much, Ophelia. So what do you think about us having a little 'girl talk'? I'm sure Idris gets a little boring sometimes. And I, for one, like you quite a bit."
As the door slid shut in front of a still fuming Idris, she could hear what now sounded like mumbling coming through the door about "I made you," and "all your fault," though it wasn't entirely clear who he was addressing. Then he walked away and went into the kitchen.
The image watched as the door slid shut and then looked over to Rowen again. "You are...welcome? I am sorry if Captain Chariton feels as though my honesty has betrayed him. It is appropriate for you to have a modicum of privacy when you are dressed...or rather not dressed, as such. However, I am not sure I understand what you mean about 'girl talk.' Is this another language, some kind of gibberish? I am afraid I am not familiar with any language like that." The image looked genuinely confused, but curious. "As far as the captain getting boring, that does not really happen. I do not get bored. And from what I have heard of it, I should be grateful."
"No, no girl talk is...uh...never mind, too difficult. I guess I just want to ask a few questions, if you don't mind. Would you mind possibly explaining to me a little more about those girls Idris brings aboard? No need for extreme detail just...an overview." Smiling sweetly at the hologram, she sat down on Idris' bed pulling the blanket around her for added modesty. Even though Ophelia was a computer, she still felt like she should keep as covered up as possible. "Oh and by the way, Ophelia, thank you for helping with my clothing situation." Nodding she laid back on the bed, curling up under the warm blanket.
Ophelia still didn't seem very sure. "Are you sure you cannot just ask the captain these things you want to know?" The idea of secrets was not a concept that she had begun to grasp. To her second statement, she nodded. "Of course, Mistress Rowen. It is of little effort for me to procure you some clothing." She paused for a moment, considering. "I...suppose if you feel it would be alright with Captain Chariton for me to disclose some details as far as some of the passengers we have had aboard in the past...it is probable that he would not have any issues with me telling you, since it already took place, but I am not permitted to give out any details about our next assignment, though I will confess, I would not currently have any information to provide you, were you to ask."
"No, no, Ophelia, I would not ask about your upcoming assignment. Just...about past passengers is all. Aside from me of course, and as you know - I did not stay very long. And I'm sure Captain Chariton wouldn't mind." Well that was a lie, but if it would get some answers out of Ophelia, then she'd lie away. "And if he says anything, he can talk to me about it, don't worry Ophelia. So..." She waited patiently from the bed, closing her eyes for a moment, glad to finally feel warm and comfortable again.
"Well, Mistress, if memory serves, Captain Chariton has only had a few passengers aboard, other than you. The last one was a woman from Janx City, in the Kollarin System. Before that, Captain Chariton had only three other passengers. Two little girls, from an escape pod out near the rim. There was a firefight and the captain felt compelled to use the tractor beam to bring them in. He rescued them from the pod, and then sent it back out into space. We barely managed to get away intact. We dropped them off on a planet in the Aneway System. Before that there was you. And before you there was another Gifted. Her name was Ariadne. Though I am afraid she didn't stay very long either, because shortly after she came on board, she passed away."
"Another Gifted? Passed away?" She had been expecting gossip of sorts, but that didn't seem to be the case here. Frowning, she sat up, looking at Ophelia's little projection. "Ophelia, how did Ariadne pass away? Do you know?" For some reason Rowen had a worried feeling in her gut and she didn't know why. Perhaps she just felt a kinship with other Gifteds, although they all seemed to stay completely out of each other?s ways and never find one another. Calming herself down, she took a deep breath, staring at Ophelia, practically on the edge of the bed waiting for a response.
The small image shook its head. "I do not know. She had sustained a fair amount of injuries when Captain Chariton rushed her on board. We did everything we could to save her, but I am afraid her injuries were too advanced for my mediocre level of programming. Captain Chariton never told me what happened to her. Though, I did not ever bother to ask. It was very sad though, and I know the captain was unwilling to disclose any details." The image's expression looked melancholy as she stared at Rowen.
"Oh...poor thing. Both of them." She was silent for several long moments, lost in the thought of losing one of her own. Granted, she had never known another Gifted, it still meant something to her. Sighing softly, she finally spoke up again, looking at Ophelia. "One more question, Ophelia. After I left...the Captain. Was he...sad at all? I...I've always felt guilty leaving him like I did...and I just wondered how my departure affected him." That, and she was still unsure if her affections, that had begun when she first stowed away on the ship, were matched by his own blossoming affections.
"Captain Chariton was devastated when you went missing. He had to abort his assignment and he searched Geleria for twenty-three rotational cycles. I think the only reason he stopped is because we no longer had any credits to pay for Atalanta's docking space. He took an SI assignment after that and we did not visit another planet for almost two solar cycles." The machine paused a moment, regarding her. "Why do you ask, Mistress?"
Rowen stared at Ophelia, not sure she believed what the little computer was saying. He looked that long for her? And she had been so ungrateful, she had just...vanished. Guilt washed over her and she feigned a small smile. "I uh...curiosity is all, Ophelia. And um...that's all. What is the status on the clothes?" She stood up keeping the blanket and towel pulled tightly around her.
"Your clothes are almost finished. I am afraid I was only able to get enough materials for black. I hope it is a color you like. How do you want the pieces cut? And, I forgot to ask: How...many pieces...or what pieces, I suppose I mean, do you want?" The little image seemed very unsure of herself. It was obviously not something she did very often, making women's clothes from scratch.
"Black is perfect Ophelia, I'm just grateful you're doing this for me. Um...pieces? Just what you can put together. A shirt, and pants. Or at the very least a dress? I'm sure it will look wonderful." She smiled warmly at Ophelia, wishing she could reach out and pat the computer, but unfortunately she'd just be poking at a projection. Walking into the refresher, she looked over herself, brushing her hair out again, which was a little messier than she had realized. She blushed a little and hurriedly fixed it.
"I have already made a pair of warm, black pants. And a long-sleeved shirt. But, do you want...anything to wear underneath? I did not notice if you had anything in that nature on when you came on board. My sensors are still a little limited, but if you want them, I can probably render a few of those as well. The dress can be constructed, as well." The image followed her, walking across the dresser, appearing at the bed, and then in front of her on the bathroom vanity. "I would imagine a girl with your measurements would look perfectly appealing in whatever we can have rendered for you, of course."
"Undergarments. Right...um...yes, I need those. Silly of me. Undergarments are top priority, Ophelia, the dress can be made with what is left over, if anything." Smiling at the image, she paused when the computer gave her a compliment. "Thank you Ophelia that's so sweet. You know, I like you very much. I think you and I will work on perfecting 'girl talk' and then when Idris isn't paying attention, we'll gossip, and chat." Then suddenly she realized she was only scheduled to be here for three days. Looking down she cleared her throat gently and chuckled.
The image nodded at her, then paused. "Sweet? I am afraid I do not know what you mean. My projection does not have a taste...or smell, for that matter, but I will get to work on the rest of your clothes. You need not worry, we have enough material for me to render enough clothes to last your at least seven rotational cycles. However, I am afraid Captain Chariton will not have as much tea or coffee in the dispenser for use until we reach our next assignment." Though puzzled by the term "gossip," the image didn't say anything about it, just watching her brush her hair in front of the mirror, waiting for instructions.
"Um...well...sweet...never mind. We'll perfect that also. I just mean, thank you very, very much." Smiling faintly, she turned to look at Ophelia and nodded a couple of times. "No need to make enough clothes for that many days. Just three days worth of clothing, alright?" Finally done fidgeting with her hair, she returned to the bedroom and looked at Ophelia. "So...where should I collect my clothing Ophelia?"
"The clothing you had rendered will be on the shelf in the armor chamber. But, you will have to speak to Captain Chariton as I am unable to grant you access to it. Also, I will make sure to have the rest of your clothes made before you and the captain wake up tomorrow."
"Thank you again, Ophelia. I will go talk with him now." Dropping the blanket, leaving only the towel around her body, she walked towards the kitchen, pausing in the doorway. Twenty-three rotational cycles. Realizing that she was going to get teary eyed thinking about it, she gently cleared her throat. "I need um...access to the armor chamber. Ophelia has put my clothing there. If you don't mind..." She bit down on her lower lip waiting for him to respond.
When the door to the bedroom slid open, Ophelia disappeared. The image was waiting for her on the part of the table nearest the entryway. "Shhh, Captain Chariton is asleep. It would be impolite to wake him." The image made a show of putting a finger over its lips. And there was Idris, reclined in a chair, his eyes shut, his quiet breathing slow and steady. He was rolled to a side, his hands in his lap. They had been in his room for almost thirty minutes, and with nothing better to do, he'd dozed off waiting for them.
"Oh...I...Ophelia, I have to wake him up. I'll be very polite about it, alright?" Looking up at the little image, she gave her a reassuring smile and walked over to the sleeping Idris. Bending down slowly she whispered, very softly. "Idris. Idris, wake up." Reaching out she lovingly touched his cheek, hand caressing his face. Then, leaning down even further, she placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "Idris."
He started to stir, groaning a little, then he was awake, sucking in a deep breath of air, with almost a jerking motion, he came to and looked around. He seemed panicked when he woke up, but when he saw her and Ophelia in the room, it seemed to reassure him. He shut his eyes and wrinkled his forehead, rubbing his neck with his hand. "I'm sorry, I fell asleep. Did you girls find what you needed?"
"No, no need to be sorry. We girls took a while. And yes, Ophelia finished up some clothing for me, but we need access to the armor chambers." She paused a moment to study him, smiling tenderly at him, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on his lips. This kiss was unlike any other kiss she'd given him. It was tender, sweet; she took her time with it. It was filled with something much more than she expected from even herself. Backing away from him she cleared her throat gently. "So...armor chamber?"
He was still a little groggy, so when she kissed him, he wasn't quite awake enough to properly reciprocate, but he did have the presence of mind to pucker his lips and meet the kiss after her lips were pressed against him. He moaned weakly, his eyes closing as he kissed her back. He reached up to touch her cheek...just as she pulled away. It took him a moment to snap out of it. "Armor...armor chamber. Right!" He slowly stood, and had to catch himself on the table as he nearly collapsed. He caught himself and then stood on his own two feet, looking out of the corners of his eyes as if no one had seen. He walked slowly into his room and started looking through the mess on the floor for the remote. "Since there isn't really a closet of any kind, other than this one, I guess it would make sense that Ophellia would put your clothes in the chamber. I guess that means you'll just have to bug me every time you need osmething to wear." He made a face, flaring his nostrils a little.
"Need any help?" She asked from the doorway, a hand on her hip.
"Yes." He pointed at the wall where the armor chamber was. "Get to work on breaking that open. I'll see if I can't just find the remote." He couldn't even remember where it had ended up. He couldn't remember where he had placed it when he'd open the chamber last. He looked over at her then, taking a second look. "And...make sure you hang that up in the refresher beforehand."
"You can't find the remote? How did you lose it?" Grinning at him, she shook her head walking over to the armor chamber door. "And what do you mean hang it up before hand? I think you bumped your head somewhere, Idris, you're making no sense." Laughing softly, she stepped back from the door, studying it quietly as she held up one of her hands, as several bright yellow flames erupted from her palm. She looked from her palm to the door.
"I just think that if you take off the towel that-" Then he looked over, and saw he throwing flames at the wall. He leapt to his feet and rushed over, taking her arm by the wrist and pulling it away. Rowen giving him an odd look, as he dashed at her, and then grabbed at her hand, the one with FIRE in it.
"Idris!" She yelled and the flames vanished. She stared at him, half laughing half in shock. "I was not going to burn your door down. I was just kidding. You really think I can burn through this door?" He sighed. Well, at least now he was awake. Rolling her eyes she stepped back, gasping as her towel fell right to the floor. "Alright, this is why I want clothes." She grumbled her bending down, scooped up the towel and wrapped it around her tightly shooting Idris a dirty little look.
"Ophelia, where is the key pad remote?"
"I believe it is in the armor chamber, where you left it, Captain."
"Ah, well, can you open the keypad for me?"
"But Captain, you said-"
"OPEN...the keypad, Ophelia. If I enter the code incorrectly, you can still vaporize me, ok?"
The key pad popped open and he entered the access code. The door swung open into the chamber. The armor was still there, right where he'd hung it...and the remote was on the shelf where he'd placed it. He beckoned Rowen inside, and as she'd walk in, she'd see the shelf come out of the wall, a pair of pants and a shirt folded neatly on the shelf, as well as top and bottom underwear to go with it. From the opposite side, a smaller shelf extended out, a long, elegant, black dress tumbling down and then suspending off a hanger.
Idris looked at it, and the way it was cut, and gaped. He looked at Rowen. "W-wow. What...what exactly did you girls talk about, anyway?"
Rowen shot Idris a look and tossed her still slightly damp hair over her shoulder, grabbing her things, and then turned around just as the dress appeared. She choked slightly, taking a step back to admire it. "Uh...not about this. Um...Ophelia - this dress is absolutely beautiful but...it's a bit elegant for running around a ship, don't you think?" Walking up to the dress, she reached out and ran her fingers down the front of it, studying the cut. Rowen was never much of a dress sort of woman, preferring pants and a shirt to skirts and dresses any day. But she couldn't help but love this dress.
Ophelia seemed confused by her comment. "I am afraid I do not understand, Mistress. What level of elegance do you feel would be appropriate for your stay on board?"
Idris turned to her, then back at Rowen, and then at the dress again. "No, no it's fine, Ophelia, it's ok. I'm sure-certain...that, we can find...a use...for...it." He cleared his throat, visibly trying to gather his wits.
Unable to keep from smirking at Idris' reaction to the dress, she patted him gently on the back. "Easy, Captain, you're not the one who'll be wearing that at some point. I'm going to go get dressed in the bedroom. Thank you very much, Ophelia, for the clothes." Walking out of the armor chamber, she headed towards the bedroom where she dropped the towel.
"How does it look? Fit alright?" She asked, doing a little twirl in front of him so he could see her from all angles. "It feels good anyway. Ophelia is an excellent tailor."
He followed her out of the chamber, making sure to have the little remote in his hand as he entered the bedroom. "I think you look beautiful." He smiled, no ridicule or malice in his expression, just pure sincerity. "And I am sure that they are very comfortable. I've never put on a pair of clothes, rendered by her, that were anything but wonderful."
He walked over to Rowen and kissed her cheek, lingering near her side a long moment. "Are you hungry?"
It wasn't hard to pick up the difference in his attitude and voice, and she gave him a funny look as he walked over, placing that lingering kiss on her cheek. "Hungry? No, but I'd love a cup of tea." Running her fingers absently through her hair, she gave him another one of her looks. "You alright, Idris?" She asked gently, taking one of his hands in hers, and gave it a loving little squeeze. Despite the worry, and pain she'd been feeling earlier, she seemed much more at ease with herself. That, and she was honestly not trying to think about her limited time on his ship. He expected her to be gone in three days, as did she. If she wanted to stay, she wasn't sure when or how she'd bring it up.
He winked at her in response to her question, and walked away, his hand lingering with her own for as long as it could until his arm could no longer reach her. He walked into the galley and started work on the dispenser, having it make something much more soothing. He drank some, closing his eyes as he tasted it, and then made a cup for her as well, walking back to his quarters with a saucer in one hand and his mug in the other. He had made his decision. He'd wait for her to start sipping, and softly remark. "You know...Baramasta...isn't a very friendly planet...nor is it very safe for outsiders..."
When he returned to the bedroom, she had a brush in her hand that she had managed to find, and her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she had replaced the blanket she had used earlier and set it back down on the bed neatly. A smile crossed her face when he brought in the mug and saucer. "Thank you." Standing, she walked over to him and took mug, sipping carefully as she sat back down. "I'm not familiar with Baramasta, but I'll take your word for it. You have to go there on business, I presume, Idris, so there's no really changing your destination now."
His gaze drifted as she sipped, his mouth opening a little, a pause before he started speaking. "Yes..." he said slowly, "however, my next destination...is not yet known. I was planning on traveling to Eradin, to have maintenance done on Atalanta...and do a few upgrades. That journey, alone, all the way from Baramasta, would take a week. I just wanted to discuss any...alternatives...any places that you might know better, that you..." his voice drifted off and he puckered his lips, and then pursed them, clearing his throat. "I mean, perhaps there is somewhere you'd rather...go to...maybe..." He swirled his cup in his hand for a long moment, looking down into it as if it might display a secret for him, before he looked back at her. He didn't taste it again in the moments before her response.
"Eradin, oh..." Falling silent, Rowen also looked down into her mug, making a slight face as she processed what he was asking her. They were discussing her departure, so...he wanted her gone. Which was understandable, she thought. It was a small ship. He had work to do. Feeling only a little down, she shrugged her shoulders and answered quickly. He could visit Eradin; it wouldn't be as if he'd be gone forever. "Eradin is nice. Nobody knows me there...I could...find a job there and settle in, I suppose. I don't have a preference, wherever we dock is...fine." She didn't look up at him again, simply tapped the side of her mug, taking a couple of small sips.
He opened his mouth to speak, and closed it, repeating the process about three times before he finally managed to speak. "Well...I mean...we don't...have to. But, I know...you probably don't want to be antispace bound for longer than you need to...so..." He went to speak, and then sighed. "I am sure we can...figure it out. I just...I don't want to hold you here...I mean...against your will. If you want to leave sooner...then...I am sure...we can figure something out. But if you...don't mind...staying...for the whole trip...well..." his voice trailed off and he let out a long breath. "I mean...it's...your decision, Rowen." He smiled weakly at her, his shoulders slumping a little.
Rowen wasn't sure how to respond to anything he'd just said, or if she could decode any of it either. Sitting there, dumbfounded, she sipped her tea, blaming it on her own fatigue for not being able to fully comprehend his words. Did he want her to stay? Was he just being helpful? Shaking her head, she continued to sip her tea, watching him, as he walked out to put away his mug.
He shut his eyes for a long moment. He was so tired, and now to make it worse, he felt completely helpless. He sighed, and after minutes, though it felt like an hour, of just standing in the galley, he walked to the dispenser, dropping his cup into the discard bin. He was going to avoid being asleep as long as he could while she was awake. He walked back to the living quarters and slowly moved to her, sitting on the bed next to her.
When he came back, she had her mug set to the side, and she was sitting quietly there, staring at a spot on the floor. His presence brought her back to reality, and she smiled at him. "Idris?" Reaching over she placed a hand on his knee, and leaned against him gently. Ophelia's words echoed through her mind all of a sudden - twenty seven rotational cycles. The words warmed her. "Could you and I sleep? Here? I'm...very tired and I'm guessing you might be too." She lifted her head to look at him, smiling as she waited for his answer to her invitation.
It was his turn to be dumbfounded. He opened his mouth and closed it and then opened it again. "I, uh...suuure." He looked very confused, and then looked towards the galley and then back at her, his expression a little suspicious. He began to doubt his concept of time and how loudly he might have been thinking in the kitchen. He started to rehash details and try to remember what she'd looked like when he walked away, and if when he got back, if there had been a noticeable different that might have indicated more time, than he comprehended, had actually passed...or if he'd fallen asleep in the kitchen again. He was very tired, but if she was really going to leave, he felt a very intense emptiness at having to sleep in his bed...as opposed to...
"I mean...are...are you sure? I mean, if you're really that tired then, I mean..." He started to get diarrhea of the mouth, his lips and mouth moving, without saying anything, or anything intelligible at least.
She couldn't help it, she chuckled softly, nodding her head as he asked if she was sure, and all while he blubbered on she continued to nod. Finally when words were no longer even bothering to come out of his mouth, she leaned forward and pressed her lips gently against his, making sure to completely cease his movement. Kissing him softly, for a good, long moment, before she eventually pulled away. "Come on. Let's go to bed, Idris."
When he felt her lips press against his own, he shut his eyes, reciprocating the affection as he immediately fell silent. As she pulled away, and tugged at him, he submitted and rolled into bed with her. He wrapped his arms around her, wanting to have her as close as possible. He tried to stay awake, listening to her breathe and feeling her warmth so close to him, but he barely lasted a minute before his body relaxed and his soft, even breathing could be heard.
He was a very good sleeper, and to his knowledge, he'd never snored or spoken in his sleep, two facts that made him all the more receptive to sleeping so close to her. Rowen curled into him, enjoying the warmth that emanated off of him. She was glad he said nothing, because she didn't want to do any talking in that moment. All she wanted to do was soak up the feeling of being held by someone, instead of have them just walk right out the door. To actually trust the person next to you because they knew you. As her thoughts became more and more sparse, she found herself finally relaxing completely and sinking into an extremely peaceful slumber. Lucky for her she didn't snore or speak in her sleep either.
Ophelia had never been programmed to alert Idris or wake him in any instance, save that of an emergency. One thing Idris hated about himself was how easily, frequently, and over-sufficiently he slept. He would easily sleep for twelve hours if not roused, especially after having been so...exhausted. He'd remain there, not moving, his arms holding her tight, but the dreams would return, dreams that hadn't haunted him in a very long time. Was it Rowen's presence that reminded him so intensely of Aria...or was it the revelation that Rowen was a Gifted that made him so apprehensive and worried for her?
Idris' expression would communicate nothing as his sleeping remained quiet. It was rare Rowen slept in, often awake at the first sign of light in the sky. But here, where she was so comfortable, she slept for a long while. When she finally did stir, she felt intensely groggy as if she'd slept through an entire day. Murmuring something inaudible, she rolled over to face Idris. A small smile immediately appeared on her lips as she reached up, and gently caressed his face. "Good morning." She whispered, not sure if he'd wake up to her whisper. Leaning forward, she placed a soft kiss on his forehead, and then laid back on the bed, beginning to stretch out her body. Even if Idris did sleep, she knew her way around the ship for the most part by now. She could clean up, and help herself to breakfast.
He heard her voice...somewhere, but his head only turned a little and the most inaudible grunting noise was made. He didn't stir anymore than that, just lying very still. He made almost no other sounds, and unless she woke him, she would end up fending for herself, at least until Ophelia found her.
Chuckling at his grunting noise, she sat up, sighing softly. Biting her lower lip, she studied his sleeping face, not sure if he wanted to be woken up. "Idris," she said again, this time a little louder, and reached over to give him a very gently shake of his body. Not too rough, she didn't want to go and throw him out of his own bed, poor guy.
He didn't respond to her voice this time, but as she shook him, he sucked in a sudden gust of air, groaning a little as he stirred. His eyes opened, very slowly and he looked over at her. He smiled at her as he realized who he was looking at, his eyes barely open. "Hi..." his eyes shut for a long moment before opening again. He looked groggy and still very tired. He was barely even awake as he went to reach up, his hand blindly searching for her. When he found her, he pulled her back in bed and wrap his arms around her.
"Hi back." She whispered softly, chuckling as she felt him pull her back down and had his arms wrap around her. Allowing him to pull, she laid back down on the bed, scooting to him, this time facing him. Ready to get up? We've been sleeping a while. Breakfast?" He grunted at her first response. Laughing again, she reached up to run a hand down the side of his face. For a fleeting moment, she thought what it would be like to have every morning be like this, to wake up beside Idris, try to shake him awake. And then it was gone. She dismissed it as a groggy thought, since she, herself, wasn't very awake at that moment. "Come on." She leaned forward kissing him very quickly. He moaned softly at her next suggestion, his eyes closed. He was drifting again.
Then Ophelia appeared on the bed a good distance away. "If you are going to wake him, you will need a lot more effort than that. Anytime I have had to wake him, like say for an emergency, I've almost had to roll the ship and disable gravity just to get him awake." The image smiled at her. "Push him out of bed...I am sure he'll come to if you do that." It winked at her and disappeared.
She jumped at the sound of Ophelia's voice, and turned to look at the little projection, nodding. "Thank you, Ophelia." Turning to look back at Idris, she sighed a little bit, then shrugged helplessly. "I tried to get you up easier. Sorry." And with that, she reached out, placed her hands against Idris' chest, and shoved hard, sending him right off the bed. She sat up as soon as she heard him THUD to the ground.
He groaned, much louder this time, and looked over towards the bed his eyes opening as he groaned again in pain. The floor of his bedroom was not a forgiving surface. He slowly got to his hands and knees and then stood, wincing as he looked down at her. He had a look of annoyance on his face as he grumbled at her, rubbing his head.
Rowen held up her hands as if in surrender, giving him a "oops" look. Scooting back a little on the bed, she studied him for a second noted there was no blood and finally piped up. "For the record - Ophelia told me to do it. I was trying to go the gentle shakes, and kisses route, but you just weren't getting it. So..." She smacked her lips together as she stood up in front of him, not at all deterred by his annoyed expression. "Breakfast?"
Idris reached up and pulled her off the bed. He cushioned her fall with the strength of his arms. He looked at her, still a little dazed, his finger running over her face, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. He smiled at her as he gazed at her for a very long moment and then kissed her.
She laughed a little, yelping as she lost her place on the bed and felt his form beneath her. But when he kissed her, it made her stop, and she pushed her face back against his own. She felt his arms moved around her and felt her hand move to his face. When the kissing stopped, they both lingered and looked at each other. "You know...I'm not leaving soon." She teased gently, picking her head back up to look at him. "...We'll do this plenty more."
He looked at her, biting his lip. "Does...that mean you'll stay then? Have I changed your mind?" He trembled a little, his head rested on the metal surface of his floor. His eyes looked at her, full of hope and optimism as he watched for her response and reactions. "Hm?"
"Changed...my mind? I..." Then realization hit her and she couldn't help but begin to laugh. "I thought you didn't want me to stay...that...you brought up my preferences on planets as a hint to...leave. I never thought you wanted me to stick around, Idris."
Slowly, his teeth released their ferocious hold on his lower lip, and his mouth opened into a horrified gape. He started to visibly tremble, and he went to speak, but he got something caught in his throat. When his eyes begin to water, he took in a quick, sharp breath, and blew it out even faster. He turns away from her, still pretending as though she didn't just get a front row seat of the catastrophic destruction of what little composure he'd managed to maintain around her. He shook his head slowly, looking at the floor. His voice is barely audible when he speaks. "I...no...I didn't..." He falls silent, his eyes shut for a long moment.
He feels the overwhelming force of the emotions, the memories and flash backs of the last time she was on his ship. He had never told Ophelia what really happened...why he had picked up and left at the end of their stay. He felt the memory boiling up to the surface to haunt him. He didn't turn to face her when he finally spoke again, his voice cracking. "I'd...rather...you stayed..."
"Idris?" Frowning immediately, her laughter and smile completely demolished at the sound of his pain in his voice. "Idris...I..." But she couldn't speak; she needed to see his face. As he turned around, her heart nearly broke when she saw the emotions in his eyes. And then he asked her to stay. Her heart swelled at those words, and it was her turn to begin to lose composure. No one had ever asked her to stay anywhere. It was always go, move, change places, change jobs, uproot her life...People didn't want her. And he did. "I want to stay Idris. I want to stay with you. I don't ever want to run away from you ever again. I..." She wrapped her arms tightly around him in an embrace.
He shuddered and pulled her closer. He took another long, sharp breath. She could feel the trembling calming down as he hugs her, and only a few more tears roll off his face before he pulls away from her a little. "I don't want you to go. I want you to stay here...I promise, I'll keep you safe. Just please...don't leave me...not again."
"No, I'm not going anywhere. Not for anything. Idris...Ophelia told me about...about after I left. You looked for me. I didn't think you would. I was only on your ship for a couple of weeks, I didn't think..." Taking a deep breath, she reached up to take his face tenderly in her hands. "I didn't understand that you cared, or that anyone could care about me. I'm so sorry I left like I did. I'm so sorry."
He shut his eyes when she brought it up, slowly shaking his head as he starts to tremble again. "No...no...you're safe...it's ok. I won't let..." He turns away from her again and shuts his eyes tight. His back and body trembling as he shakes his head. His head faces the floor as the tears roll down his face, muted sobs barely audible as his composure finally breaks down completely.
"Idris..." She took his face in her hands, trying to get him to look at her, not caring if he was crying. Her arms wrapped around him and she held him there firmly, placing soft kisses on his cheeks. "Idris...I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere. Alright? Please...don't cry. Oh..." She held him tighter, not wanting to let him go until she was sure he was alright.
As he felt her wrap her arms around him, he slowly calmed down. He sighed, the trembling subsiding. He sniffled. He looked at her, and felt compelled to tell her, to explain, but he held his tongue. He closed his eyes again and nodded slowly. "I'm...sorry. I...I don't know...what came over me." He tried to smile, but it wasn't very convincing. He shut his eyes again and sighed, feeling as though he could breathe normally and that he had stopped trembling.
"It's okay Idris. I'm here, I'm going to take care of you, too. Alright?" Smiling warmly at him, she reached up to wipe his cheeks dry.
He smiles at her but shakes his head. "That won't be necessary, I promise."
"Now, now, Idris, since I'm sticking around we're going to have to share. That means you get to take care of me and I get to take care of you! How about a hot meal? Then we'll curl right back up in bed and be completely lazy. To be honest my legs...are a little weak still." Chuckling she gave him a playful nudge trying to boost his spirits.
Her words brought a smile to his face as he listened to her. He leaned up and kissed her forehead. "Thank you, Rowen. I...needed that."
Rowen smiled brightly at him, touching his face lovingly. "And I don't think I'll ever get tired of you. Even if I did tired of you, I can gossip with Ophelia. She's a wonderful gossiper."
He rolled his eyes at her and shook his head, sighing. But their moment was cut short.
"Captain!" The image came to life, standing next to them on the floor. She was standing over him a little.
"Ophelia?" He turned on her, glaring at the image. He said her name like he was swearing.
"Sorry, Captain, but, there is a message for you from Secondary Initiative on the console! They say it is urgent!"
Idris paled. He turned back to Rowen, his eyes closed. He did not look pleased. He grunted, exhaling, and leaned up to kiss her on the forehead again. "Listen...I'm really sorry...but, I...have to take this, I'm afraid." He smiled weakly and then frowned, his shoulders sagging. "I promise though...I'll join you in just a moment, ok?" He was not very happy about leaving her, but he was thankful that they were not in the middle of a conversation, but more towards the end. He grudgingly walked away from her towards the cockpit.
Ophelia looked at Rowen. "I apologize, Mistress Rowen. I did not mean to interrupt yours and Captain Chariton's conversation, but I am afraid that the captain has made it very clear to me that I am not permitted to neglect messages from SI. I am sure he'll return, though, quite shortly."
Well, she had been Rowen's favorite right until that moment, nodding a bit disappointed at Idris, then watched him walk away, addressing Ophelia as she moved towards the shower. "Don't worry, Ophelia, it's perfectly alright. Thank you." Climbing to her feet, Rowen went into the galley to find some food. When she finished, she walked back to the bedroom, waiting for Idris to come back, constantly checking the doorway for any sign of Idris returning. The only thing she could hear was the uneasy silence that had fallen over the ship and the low humming of the life support systems, the thrumming of the antispace propulsion.
Ophelia appeared, and it was quickly clear that her intent was to try to distract Rowen and prevent her from both realizing that Idris had been absent for so long and attempt to deter her from obtaining a spontaneous motivation to investigate his whereabouts. "Do you need any more clothes, Mistress, or something to eat or drink? There is still a lot of material left in the dispenser and I am sure we can render something special for you." She smiled pleasantly, almost too pleasantly, as the image looked over at her from the dresser.
Very disappointed that Idris was not back. She barely gave Ophelia a second glance. "No, no, Ophelia, I'm fine." Strange, where had Idris run off to? Surely his call wouldn't have lasted this long? "Ophelia, is Idris still speaking with...whoever was trying to reach him?" Whether or not Ophelia answered, Rowen was already walking towards the door. She wasn't worried, just curious about what happened to the man who had promised to return.
"I...am not sure that I know what you are talking about, Mistress, but if you are looking for Captain Chariton, I am sure I can locate him for you and notify him of your desire to have his presence..." Her voice trailed off, as she walked away.
A door, which had not been there before, had shut off the passage from the ring corridor to the cockpit. Behind it, occasionally, she would be able to hear a little bit of Idris' voice, but the overall conversation was inaudible from behind the durasteel door. He was obviously still talking to someone. "No, no need to tell him. I can tell him myself, Ophelia. I..." She stopped when she almost smacked right into this new door. Frowning, she reached up to lightly tap it, and then paused to listen to the voices. "Ophelia...what's going on?" She asked, as soon as she walked back into the bedroom. Seating herself on the edge of the bed, she looked towards the computer's little hologram, not amused by what was going on, her mood slowly, but surely, souring. Running a hand down her face she sighed heavily as she impatiently awaited an answer.
The image shook its head. "I am afraid I am not sure what you mean, Mistress. Everything is operating perfectly within normal parameters. I am sure whatever you need, however, that I can be of assistance." The image smiled, politely and sincerely now.
"Ophelia, for what I need right now, you definitely cannot be of any assistance."
The sound of the door opening, with somewhat of a metal-scratching-metal noise, followed by footsteps, could be heard from the ring corridor. Sighing heavily, she laid back on the bed, curled up by the time Idris returned to the room. Idris looked...different somehow, in a way that wasn't necessarily apparent or immediately perceivable, but something was definitely different. Despite himself, he smiled. He held up his hands and his expression became overwhelmed with remorse and submission. "I'm so sorry, Rowen. I...it..." His mouth hung open, as he ran out of things to say. "I'm really sorry." His shoulders slumped and he frowned, his eyes pleading.
Noticing the change in him, she immediately frowned and sat up, mildly alarmed. Holding a hand up to cease his apologies, she studied him closely for a moment. "What's wrong? What was that call about? Idris...what happened?" She didn't stand, not yet. She was beginning to feel uneasy, not sure what had happened from the time he had left her until now. .
His expression changed, and he looked very calm, confident even. His expression was the perfect neutral and his eyes looked...happy? He moved to sit on her bed, and then his smile grew in confidence. He shook his head. "It's nothing, Sweetie. I just got a call. I..." He stopped and cleared his throat. "How are you?" He smiled at her.
Ophelia piped in, the image speaking from the dresser opposite the bed. "Captain, I'm afraid she does not believe you, not in the slightest. Her complexion and surface temperature readings indicate that she has no intention of believing your cover story any longer."
Looking away just as Ophelia spoke, she arched an eyebrow. Ophelia was back in her good graces, and Idris was certainly not. Looking over at the projection she smiled a bit. "Thank you, Ophelia, for being honest." Turning back to Idris, she remained completely silent as he sent Ophelia off, and then began to explain himself.
Idris shut his eyes, his expression filling with irritation and annoyance. "Thank you, Ophelia. Why don't you go check and make sure that the antispace communications board is inactive since you don't have anything else better to do." His eyes remained shut, and he opened his eyes and looked at her, his expression sad. It didn't appear that he was sad she'd seen through him or even that she didn't want him to know. He looked sad that now that she had seen through him, he had no choice but to tell her. "I received a transmission...from...a faction that calls themselves Secondary Initiate." He stopped, wanting to gauge her reactions to the statement, hoping to read any sense of understanding in her eyes.
She didn't understand. Frowning, she shook her head a little bit. She knew this wasn't good news. The sadness in his eyes explained that all. "So? Secondary Initiate, who are they?"
"Secondary Initiative, or SI as they are often referred to, are a splinter faction that I did a few jobs for after..." his mouth moved to open, and whatever he was going to say, disappeared. "After...it...well, it was a long time ago." He smiled weakly. "Anyway, I've done a few...things...for them, here and there." He smiled again, just as weak as before."And...the...communication...took longer...than I had anticipated." Another weak smile.
"That doesn't mean anything to me. So they called you, what did they want from you? Why do you have that look on your face?" There was more to this story that she hadn't gotten yet, and it was making her annoyed. Feeling as if she were itching she stood up, remaining in front of him, but now she was looking down at him, impatience flashing across her eyes.
"They had a task for me, and an update. And what look?" He looked up at her.
"That sad look. Guilty also, and a little bit of...I don't know, something else that is not anywhere near happy."
"I'm sorry, SI isn't fun. I wanted to avoid involving you or even depriving you of your ignorance. The last thing I'd ever want is for you to show up on their radar. They love Gifteds, and they recruit them quite actively. Some get the fun stick - they get jobs, money, assignments...and...some get the short stick. They get recruited into programs that are less considerate to the...candidate." He frowned and shut his eyes, his gaze falling toward the ground. He looked back up at her after a short moment. "What else...do you want to know?" He looked defeated, though it was clear that if she had any questions, this was the perfect opportunity to ask them.
Listening as he explained about the Gifted, she shook her head and took a step back. "You locked me out. You were trying to shut me out. Which is...fine, I suppose. I'm just...I'm just...no one here. But still...they wouldn't know I was a Gifted. No one can tell. I look perfectly normal from the outside. And trust me, I don't go around lighting people on fire. I...don't want to know anything else. It's obvious you don't want to tell me anything. So I'll spare you." Turning, she headed for the door, rubbing the back of her neck.
He looked hurt and helpless. As she went for the door, he stopped her. He got in her way, holding up his hands in surrender. "No, wait. Just..." He exhaled, his eyes closed. He looked at her, his eyes a little wet. He sighed roughly and breathed out through his nose. "Ok, look...just...sit down...please? I'll just..." his gaze moved up toward the ceiling as he briefly contemplated his actions before he looked at her again. "Just sit down...and I'll tell you everything, ok?"
Frowning at him she allowed him to lead her back to the bed, plopping down on the edge. Arms crossed, legs crossed, she had her guard up, eyes watching him closely.
He shut his eyes a long moment and his shoulders sagged. "It's not that I don't want to tell you. It's just not your burden to bear, Rowen." He opened his eyes and looked at her. "But I can't handle you...that..." his frowned deepened. "I can't bear it when you...look at me like that."
"Look at you like what?" She asked feigning a mock innocence, then immediately shrugged looking away. "Sorry. Idris...you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to." If he didn't want to let her in, that was fine, then he wouldn't be let in either. Except she had already let him in, more than she had ever let anyone in. Sighing softly, she raised her eyes back to his, trying not to show the hurt in her eyes, keeping herself in that closed off position.
"Ok...so first things first. You're...not the first Gifted that I've been..." He searched for the right word, but he looked to be at a loss. "That I've..." He exhaled through his nose. "You're not the first Gifted whose been on this ship, Rowen. There was another...about five years ago...not long before I met you for the first time." He watched her, waiting to see how this affected her.
Rowen stared at him for a moment, her muscles tightening. "That you've been with." She answered simply, and actually scooted back a little, or maybe she just seemed to shrink a little. Suddenly, she felt all her happiness just go right down some drain, felt herself possibly even pale. But she kept her jaw set, her chin held up. "Fine...go on." she said, a little colder than she had intended, and quickly cleared her throat gently.
"Aria was a member of SI and I met her out on one of the rimward planets. She hired me to pilot her somewhere. Unfortunately, she neglected to give me all the details. When we set down at the destination, she was ambushed. SI still won't tell me who it was or recognize their existence, but...after that, I was on their radar. SI kept trying to bring me into their fold. When..." He shut his eyes, a tear streaming down his face. "I tried to save her. I managed to fight off the...whatever they were. I don't even know how I survived. But I managed to get Aria back on board. We got off the surface and as soon as I could safely make the jump, we were in antispace. I tried to...to treat her, but back then, my knowledge of emergency medical first aid was very limited, and Ophelia didn't have the programming to help me assist in treating her injuries. She died about...an hour after the confrontation. I..." He sighed. Then he shook his head. "Anyway, after...she..." He paused a long moment. "They contacted me, requesting an update. When they found out what had happened, they showed up and seized Atalanta. They threw me behind bars for two days while they checked the ship. I think they simply wanted to erase her...from...everything. Anyway, after that, they reimbursed me and sent me on my way, letting me know that they would be keeping in contact with me."
He sighed again and looked at her. "About two weeks later, I found you on board my ship. You know all about that...and about everything that had happened. When you left, though, I tried to find you...but the Jastarian Militia were not a bright or helpful bunch. I tried to find you on my own...and...I..." his voice trailed off, and his gaze went to a distant place that she couldn't see. He shook his head. "When...when I couldn't find you...I..." He shook his head again. "Anyway, not long afterward, SI contacted me. They somehow knew my situation and offered to pay me in return for services. I did a few jobs for them, just a few supply runs. They paid me very well and even upgraded a lot of Atalanta's systems to standard military specifications. About...one or two solar cycles later, I was pulled from a job to do an emergency rendezvous. They wouldn't give me the details, they just had me abort and arrive at a destination. I did. I waited for about six hours before a little corvette analog dropped out of antispace and popped onto my sensors. They were being pursued." He looked at her, smiling with a great deal of malice.
"One of the details they'd neglected to notify me about. Anyway...the ship's AI hailed me and I was able to get a lock on their little ship. We docked and evacuated the passengers, miraculously, while evading the pursuing battleships. Somehow, these two little girls had found a way to escape on this little escape craft and get the attention of two Elite Class Planet Busters. We got the girls on board and ditched the analog. We outran the battleships and I made the jump to the secondary coordinates that General-" He cleared his throat. "That SI had given me. They took the little girls, who apparently were well associated with them."
He shook his head. "It scared me to death to know that this splinter faction already had these girls in their hands...so much so that they recognized each other. I didn't feel comfortable asking any questions, but I doubt I'll ever be able to get Kastia and Freya Wymond's little faces out of my mind as long as I live. I...never saw them again. Anyway, after that, I got cold feet. I ditched SI and told them never to contact me again. Ever. That was when I got my first real civilian job. It didn't pay as well, but...it paid."
He sighed, his frown returning. "Anyway, apparently an SI vessel was attacked by the...the faction that they won't tell me about. They busted the ship and took its crew prisoner. Captain Jon Wymond, and his sister, Freya Wymond, were two names listed on the ship's manifest." He shut his eyes. "Anyway, they...the call...took a little longer...because it wasn't a simple, 'No, I'm still not interested. Drop into a gas giant and die, Scum.' I...they wanted to recruit me for the offensive they're planning...but I'm...I don't want to go back. I'm not going back." He looked at her, frowning still. He shook his head closing his eyes. "I'm sorry...I just...my...my past is not...relevant to our future. I didn't want you to have to...to force you to be a part of it. I'm sorry."
Rowen was stunned into silence. It was a lot of information to take in. Staring at him, she just focused on her breathing. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in...she needed something simple to focus on. Something that would keep her head from spinning off into a whole other universe. Very slowly, Rowen stood up, arms hugging herself tightly, and she walked to the door, then turned to walk back, then back to the door, then towards the closet in the room. It was an endless, circular pace that she started up, staring at the ground. She needed to just focus, to process everything that had just been thrown at her. Finally, she disappeared into the refresher and emerged with a few tissues, walking over to him, and without a word, or a change in her stunned expression, wiped his damp face tenderly. Biting her lower lip, she continued to clean him up 'til he had a dry face, then she gently backed away, disposing of the tissues. Walking back to him, she stood in front of him, staring down at him.

Part 1

Idris had not expected the streets to be so busy so late in the rotational cycle. Last time he'd been on Adrondonas, the street had been virtually empty at the same hour. He didn't have any trouble, despite the crowd, making his way back to the port. He was anxious to return. He did not favor crowds, and the unknown they potentially held. As well, the rendezvous had a time-limited window involved with it, but he was confident Atalanta would be more than capable to make the deadline. He hardly took any notice of the individuals of the crowd or anything that they were dressed in. His dark green and black pants didn't stand out in anyway, nor did the cloak he wore. As long as Drexel Rynn and his thugs didn't spot him, he was certain to be safe. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw the marker. He remembered the sign was only a kilometer away from the port entrance. He patted his side, feeling safer as he reassured himself again that his weapon was still in his shoulder holster. He looked over the busy sky lanes and watched as the Adrondonas' second sun descended beyond the horizon of the busy metropolis of Kandis Spaceport.
Rowen Cairn, who was also traveling within the spaceport, didn't think she'd get into trouble this soon after settling in Adrondonas. And yet here she was, plowing through the crowds of people, pushing them aside, trying to get away from the three large men behind her. Three very unhappy, angry men who wanted to grab her, beat her, and possibly a few other things that were much too unpleasant for her to think about. Well, what was she expected to do when a customer cupped her butt in a crowded restaurant? Just sit back and let him have at? She had promptly stepped back, said something mean to him, and then set his right sleeve on fire. That hadn't gone over well with several people around her. Then the screaming started, the panicking, the accusations, and now the chase. She had to get off this planet and soon. So she was headed where she knew she could get a ride - the docks. As unique as she was, Rowen Cairn didn't look any different than most people. Long brown hair, currently loose around her face, and simple clothing - black pants, and a grey button up shirt, soft slip on shoes on her feet. Panting, a sharp pain acting up on her right side, she picked up speed as well as she could. She could hear the men behind her, yelling for her to stop and let them catch her, but for some reason, she didn't feel compelled to acquiesce.
She'd hoped to find an open ship, sneak on as she had done on so many ships before, and be gone, just like that. Unfortunately, that was not in the cards today. These men were much faster than she planned, and the crowd was thinning as she neared the ships. She decided to abandon her plan of finding a ship and stowing aboard, and settle for simply finding something to help her. Seeing a man walking idly along, she made her selection and ran up to him quickly.
"I need your help," she said, but not in a begging or pleading manner, more in a confident tone that left her prey with little choice. Turning the man to face her, she hesitated as she recognized the face, recognized his eyes. How long had it been since she'd seen this face? Eyes widened, and she quickly turned to see if she caught sight of the men chasing her. "Well? Are you going to help me," she demanded, grabbing his arm, and pulling it gently.
Idris was caught off guard, and even jumped a little when she snuck up on him. His hood fell away, revealing those green eyes and chiseled face. His hair was still the short brown mess it'd been before, but that expression of panic had been unmatched up to this point. And he still wasn't very tall, short of two meters. He went to say her name, but in the moment, his brain came back with a blank. Despite this, His mouth kept moving as he tried to say or even remember her name. After a moment, seeing the look of urgency in her eyes, he realized that he didn't have very much of a choice. It was still at least five hundred meters to the port, and maybe a minute after that to his ship. It took him a moment, but once realization kicked in, he took her hand and ran. His energy surpassed her own, as he'd only been walking, and as his pace accelerated into a run. "This way!"
When he pulled his ignition pistol out of his cloak, the crowd seemed more compelled to obey. "Move! Out of the way!" More and more bystanders fled out of his path as he almost dragged her tired form to the dock entrance. He saw a small niche and pulled her into it. It was small enough not to be noticed, but large enough to accommodate both of them as he pulled her lithe form up against his body and held her tight. Her back pressed against his chest as he prevented her from moving into view. He peered out from the hiding place to see that the men would actually catch up with them long before they made it to the ship. Thankful he had found this spot, he took care to make sure he saw the men disappear back into the crowd before she and him continued on down the street.
"Idris..." She touched his arm, turning him gently. She barely remembered his name, but at least she remembered it. "Thank you, for helping me...again." She opened her mouth to add something, and then stopped. She was suddenly realizing that she still had to get on a ship. Staying here was not an option for her.
He felt terrible when she said his name, his mind still failing to supply him with one for her. His speech seemed unnerved as he went to speak, clearing his throat some way through and regaining the ability to speak more clearly. "I-It-I-of-of *ahem* no...problem, of course. Why wouldn't I help you?"
"Why wouldn't you help me? Maybe because last time you did, I vanished on you without so much as a 'see ya.'" Rowen continued walking alongside him, running her fingers through her loose hair.
He shook his head and then asked, "Well...are you alright? What happened?" He indicated her pursuers, who were now a great distance ahead of them.
Well, she wasn't going to tell him that she had lit some guy on fire, and now she was a criminal. "...Let's just say, they don't care for me much, and if I stick around here, I'm dead. So maybe you could...give me a lift? I promise to be a better guest this time." She grinned at him, hoping he bought into it. Granted, she wouldn't blame him if he turned on her. She had vanished on him years ago, never thanked him, and now was popping up again asking for more help.
He nodding slowly, not believing her about her attackers, but not pressing the issue. "We'll see." He continued walking with her, back in the direction of his ship. He'd momentarily forgotten his time constraints, in light of their fleeing, but as things began to calm down, he remembered it again in the back of his mind. His pace was evenly sped, but as they continued walking, a subtle acceleration went into his stride as he tried desperately to stay and talk with her and get back to his ship, both endeavors currently quite contradictory of each other. He wanted to stay, yes, but...he simultaneously needed to go.
"Look, it's fine if you-" she sighed, cutting herself off. "I'm Rowen, in case you'd forgotten. I was that idiot who decided to secretly hide on your ship to bum a ride, and you were the nice guy who helped me out. And now..." She immediately noticed his acceleration of speed, but she kept up with him. "...I'd love it if you could help me out a little more."
The fact that he didn't stop dead in his tracks, laugh in her face, and push her aside was a good sign he was going to agree to her coming along. Still, she kept smiling at him, just to be safe, walking quickly at his side. "I am headed anywhere that isn't here. I'm going where you're going, and at the first stop, I'll get off, and you don't have to worry about me anymore." Her head turned for a moment, eyes searching around just in case those guys were coming for her again. Focusing back on Idris, she bit down on her lower lip, studying him for a second. "Please?"
This was as close to begging as Rowen would get. Her smile grew a little, and she realized suddenly that if he didn't say yes to her, she was going to be more disappointed than she should have been. Very rarely did Rowen ever see a familiar face, and even though they hadn't known each other well, he was part of her past, and now part of her present. That didn't happen very often. People came into Rowen's life and then they went out, and never came back.
Idris nodded a little, as she spoke, but his countenance noticeably changed. Not in a way he realized, but in a way that was quite obvious to her. He wasn't sure how eager he was to have her come aboard for all of one stop and then disappear out of his life just as suddenly, though pleasantly unexpectedly, as she had re entered. "You can come along, if you like."
"I promise I'll be a good guest. I'll even do some chores for you on the ship, alright? But we have to hurry and leave now. We don't have time to just stand around."
"Time? TIME!" He groaned audibly, realizing he'd completely forgotten about the time. In the spirit of impetuousness, he said nothing, just grabbed her hand, and started running again. He'd completely neglected his deadline. He didn't like to be pressed for time or feel rushed, but the longer he was with her in the corridors of the spaceport, the less time he'd have to make the jump. He lead her along, down the passage they'd found themselves in, and made a quick turn down a different path. The first door on his left, he pushed open, and was nearly dragging her like a rag doll to the foot of his ship.
Despite being dragged, and feeling a twinge of annoyance at being dragged, Rowen went along just glad she was actually being taken. Idris called out a name, a name she might have recognized, but with so much time having passed, it was possible it would be as unfamiliar as any other name Idris might speak. "Ophelia! Start the engines and warm up the ship! And OPEN THE DOOR!"
The landing ramp slowly descended from the roof of the ship. He dragged her aboard, and she would already be able to hear the various engines and generators gearing on and switching to life. The lights in the ring corridor were dim for a moment, and then sprung to life, bathing them both in an ambient, but gentle, lighting. Once the ramp was back up again, he turned to look at her. "Ok, if you're going to come along, we're going to have to have a few grounds rules.
She nodded slowly. "Okay..."
"Alright, for now, I need to get off this rock. So, I want you to either sit in the copilot's seat, or buckle up in the galley." He pointed, indicating their locations. "Once we've left the system, and I've made the jump, we'll figure out where who is going to sleep where and find you something to change into. I don't usually have passengers on my ship, but, no offense, if you're going to be with me for three days, you get to use the refresher at least twice between now and then. That's...not negotiable."
"Rules, rules, rules, got it, check, understood. Copilot's seat it is."
He started walking, down the corridor and around to the corridor that came off the ring and into the cockpit. He sat down and strapped in, reaching up overhead and flipped a few switches, looking up at the night sky and the air traffic lanes. He looked over at the copilot's chair, and waited a moment, giving her some time to buckle in, but then lifted off, regardless of how secured she'd managed to get beforehand. He heard the roar of the sublight engines as his little cruiser analog took to the sky and broke free of orbit. "Ophelia, bring up the navicomputer, and get me Baramasta jump coordinates."
He waited until the antispace window generator had a green light, and then throttled forward. The vast window seemed to peel open for that small fraction of a second and then they were sucked in, the veridian and azure hues of antispace engulfing them. He looked down over the panel, and then at his wrist, checking to be sure his chronometer matched the ship. He sighed, and then remembered her, turning to look towards the copilot chair.
Sighing softly as soon as all seemed calm. "That...was...fun. So, Baramasta?" She turned in the co-pilot's chair to face him, arching an eyebrow slightly. "You can dump me there. I won't be offended." Arms crossed and she turned again, facing the front of the ship.
He shrugged, but not with his arms, his eye brows shifting up in a "sure, whatever" expression.
It was then that the miniature projection came to life on the control console, standing near the center. "Captain Chariton? Why...do we have a passenger...again?"
When the little projection came up, she jumped slightly, frowning down at who she could only guess was Ophelia.
The figure was about as tall as Idris' forearm. Her long brown hair fell over her shoulders and her blue eyes seemed perplexed, not angry. She was more curious than anything. The light green, uniform-style shirt and pants covered her in a very conservative style. Her black shoes matched the attire very well. And while her appearance was that of an adult, as was her even-toned voice, her personality and countenance seemed child-like more so than the mature adult she appeared designed to emulate.
"We have a passenger because..." He stopped midsentence, looking over at Rowen a moment, his eyes taking in her appearance, before he turned back to her. "Because she had nowhere else to go, obviously."
The image looked over at her, and then slowly tilted her head to the side. "You look very familiar. Has Captain Chariton had you aboard once before, Miss?"
Gathering her wits, she straightened up, unbuckling herself from the chair. "Yes, Id-Captain Chariton has taken me in before. Both times unwillingly, for the most part. He's a kind man."
Idris stood, satisfied that Ophelia's attention was directed away from him, and walked into the space that connected the cockpit to the ring corridor of his ship. He turned right and walked around to the galley. He was starving, a sensation he'd only became aware of as he'd spoken to Ophelia.
Feeling a little strange talking to the computer, she looked over at Idris, and noticed he was leaving and quickly began to follow. "It was nice to see you again, Ophelia." She called over her shoulder, before she followed Idris into the galley. "I think we should discuss sleeping arrangements. I know this isn't a very big ship, so if you just hand me a sleeping bag, blanket, anything - I'll be fine. It most likely won't be the most uncomfortable place I've slept in before." It was true. Since Rowen had become such a wanderer, she'd become no stranger to uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, but she did what she had to do to get by.
The machine in front of Idris dinged and he reached into the opening, taking a bowl from it. Steam flowed off the top as he moved over to sit at the booth-style seat that surrounded about half of the galley, a table extending around in front of it. He set it down on the surface and looked over at her. The food was a little too warm to consume just yet. He looked over and saw Ophelia sit on the edge of the table, looking over at him.
"Or I can just sleep outside..." she muttered, feeling a little ignored.
He was still contemplating how he would manage everything. He didn't feel right about making her sleep on the floor, or any other place on the ship that might be equally uncomfortable.
"Captain, what is our next mission? We haven't been to Baramasta in almost twenty-seven cycles."
Idris sighed. "Let me eat first and then we'll figure it out." He looked over at Rowen. "Are you hungry?"
Eyes went to that bowl he pulled from the dispenser. She hadn't realized she was hungry until that moment, but guilt followed her hunger. She had already sort of forced her way onto the ship. She didn't exactly feel great about eating all his food either. Sitting down at the table, she jumped when she noticed Ophelia. She was going to have to get used to that little projection popping up here and there without any warning. "Am I what," she finally said. She hadn't realized she was being addressed. Looking down at his bowl, then back up at him, she feigned a little shrug, and looked away. "Only a little. I'm sure I can hold off until morning."
He arched an eye brow at her. He left his bowl on the table and went over to the dispenser. He looked at it a long moment, then looked over at her, as if her appearance somehow was going to assist him in deciding what to prepare for her. He programmed the device and waited a few moments. He took the bowl from the machine and set it in front of her, along with a spoon. He plopped the second spoon into his own bowl and started sipping at it.
"Thank you." She responded, genuinely, as he set the bowl down in front of her. Trying not to think of the last time she had an actual warm meal, she brought the bowl towards her, stirring it with her spoon. Blowing gently to try and cool the liquid, she kept herself quiet until she had sipped. "Thank you, for taking me in again. It's not often someone will take you in twice. Especially after the first time they just sort of...vanish." She raised her eyebrows and shrugged, scooping up more soup.
Making a face more at herself than him, she leaned back in her seat, eyes moving back up to him. "What is in Baramasta?" She noted that it seemed like the captain now had two curious females aboard. Lucky him.
"There is a lot in Baramasta. That's all either of you need to know until we get there."
Idris' soup smelled obviously different from her own. He'd served her psyrian fowl soup. The broth of his meal, however, looked a lot darker, some kind of red meat she'd probably never smelled before. He ate his soup at a very slow pace, almost out of character, considering how hasty he was with everything else. He breathed in the scent a long moment. "Don't worry, you're not inconveniencing me. We're onboard, and I've no problem taking you along. Put it out of your mind." He grinned at her and winked before going back to his soup.
Glad to see his smile, it immediately reassured her somehow. Returning his smile with one of her own, she took another bite of soup, her mood almost instantaneously improving. "This time, Idris...I will say goodbye, and give you a proper thank you, before I leave. Last time...I was younger, and scared, but...not anymore." Nodding a little bit, she fell silent, not wanting to pester him anymore while they ate. As her soup cooled, it was easier to eat it, and soon she was almost at the bottom of her bowl.
He continued to eat his food, and despite his slow pace, he managed to finish it before she finished hers. He got up and went over to the dispenser. He dropped the bowl into the discard bin and realized he had forgotten to empty it while he was on the surface, but he was confident it would not be an issue. "Why, if you do not mind me asking, were the nice men chasing you?"
Rowen shook her head, finishing off the soup, standing up to place it in the bin just as Idris had done. "Well first of all - they weren't nice men. One of them grabbed me when I was trying to clear off their table. Grabbed me...not so politely. When I..." Lit him on fire? No. There was no way she was telling Idris about her powers. If she did, the next thing she knew was she'd be thrown off the ship, or tied up as a captive and turned in once they reached their destination. "...put him in his place - he got mad. So he and his buddy chased me. End of story." Not really, but she figured Idris would take it. Clearing her throat gently she sat back down across from Idris, running her fingers gently though her long brown hair.
He laughed a little. "Ah, I see. Yeah, I can't say I like it when strange, ugly men try to grab me either."
"Happen often?" She laughed at that, although she wasn't entirely sure if it had or not. Still she chuckled, and leaned against the table, placing her chin onto of her folded hands.
He grinned at her without answering. "It's ok, I doubt they'll even remember you, and I have a feeling you'll not be compelled to return to their planet anytime soon anyway." He had to admit though, having seen the size of the guys chasing her, that he couldn't deny how curious he was to know the details of how she'd gone about "putting them in their place." It was a question he decided to wait until a much later time to ask her. "Well, I am going to check the ship and make sure everything is in order. Usually, I have a moment to do a preflight checklist...but for some reason, I just didn't get around to it this time. So I guess a post-flight checklist is in order."
When he announced he'd be checking the ship, she immediately stood up, wondering if she could help. Considering she didn't know the first thing about ships, she decided maybe it was better she didn't offer up any help. "No time for preflight checklists. Gosh, I wonder whose fault that was." Shooting him a little grin she headed back towards the cockpit. "I'll just stay in the cock pit till your done - keep out of your way and everything."
He smiled and winked at her as he walked away. He'd left his cloak on the seat and she could now see what his cloak had been hiding. A large pistol was still in his holster, and his shirt was stained with green, purple, and red smudges. His pants didn't seem to have anything on them, and it seemed like Idris wasn't even aware of how filthy his shirt was. When he got to the cockpit, he stowed his pistol under the control console, the designated place for it on long flights like this. He started looking over all the indicators, and grabbed a large datapad from the left wall, reviewing each box and checking it mentally to make sure that everything was ok. He hoped that Rowen was good luck and that Atalanta would not feel compelled to break down.
Heading into the cockpit she plopped back down into the copilot's seat and remained quiet as he went about his business. She could be a good guest when she wanted to and stay quiet, and out of his way.
As he was reviewing the checklist, he wrinkled his forehead, looking from the paper up to indicator on the console and back again. He tilted his head and looked up out of the corner of his eye. "Ophelia?"
"Yes, Captain?" The image appeared on the console again. "What is it?"
He turned to looked at her. "According to your sensors, what is the temperature of the aft cargo hold?"
The image's gaze looked over at Idris and then seemed to go very far away for a moment. Then she blinked and looked at him. "It would appear there is an unusual amount of heat coming from the hold. I recommend you investigate it."
He sighed. "Well, at least the SHIP checks out...now I just have to make sure that nothing else came aboard that wasn't scheduled to. He reached under the console and retrieved his pistol. He walked out of the cockpit and down the hall.
Hearing that something strange was going on, Rowen immediately sat up, intrigued. Well she could only TRY and stay out of the way. Whether her curiosity got the best of her or not was another story. She let the two talk, but when there was talk of investigating, and Idris was leaving the cockpit, she was out of her chair immediately. "Idris?"
"Captain. I recommend you-" The miniature image lifted her hand, as if to signal him, but then her gaze looked impatient and she disappeared.
"Yes, yes, the Tiderian armor suit..." He mumbled to himself somewhere down the hall. He went over to his living quarters, opening the door. He didn't really want to take any chances. If it was something dangerous, it was better to be safe than dead. He started rifling through the closet as he looked for the compartment behind the false wall.
She followed him into his living quarters, not even realizing what room they were in till her eyes fell on the bed. Oops. Shoving her hands into her pants pockets she leaned against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. "Um...do you need any help?"
He looked over at her from his closet before looking around his room, subtly indicating more that she wouldn't want to be in his room more so than she wasn't allowed. "Well, I would let you...but I only have one...uh..." He looked at the floor, scratching the back of his head. He'd always considered his suit to be a secret, but it seemed like less and less he was able to keep secrets from her. "It wouldn't be safe for you, Rowen, and I'd feel terrible if anything happened to you."
"I can take care of myself, Idris, but..." No sense in starting up some stupid argument right now. "...if you want I'll just go back to the cockpit, sit down, and just chat with Ophelia." Part of her wanted to light HIM on fire and then say "HAH, see? I can take perfect care of myself!" But of course, she resisted that temptation and stayed quiet.
He managed to wrestle something out of his closet. It looked more like a remote. He looked behind her and pointed the device. A hidden compartment opened up behind her and he walked over to it. The various pieces of his armor were hung in a room that was covered in transparinite. He walked back into the space, which was large enough for about ten people to comfortably hide. He started to take off his shirt and looked over towards where she was standing to see if she was looking over at him.
She jumped away as he opened up that hidden compartment. Watching him, she felt her breath catch in her throat as his shirt went up an over his head. And she was definitely not moving her eyes away from his bare chest. When he looked over at her, she immediately looked down at the floor, shaking her head a little bit. "Fine. I'll go to the um...the...cockpit. And...just be careful." Arms crossed in front of her as she shifted from one foot to the other.
He smiled and rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "I'm not really that bad, Rowen, it's just...an off day for me." He stuck his tongue out at her, indicating his ragged appearance. He was very lean, but it appeared that he would be able to hold his own in a fight. One thing that might have drawn her attention was a long scare that went down across his chest from his left collar bone all the way down to his waistline. It didn't look like the cut had been very deep, just a thin line across his chest. Once his shirt was off, he waited, seeing if she had decided to stay and get a free show or if she was going to do as she had indicated and return to the cockpit. While he didn't like the idea of her and Ophelia "catching up," so to speak, he could hardly think of anything else to do.
"No, I didn't say you were bad. I...I mean, you're not bad at all. I like..." Shut up Rowen! A light blush rising to her cheeks she turned away from him and pointed at the door. "I'm going. Be careful." And out the door she went, taking a deep breath. It was just a shirtless man, she thought to herself, kicking herself a few times. No need to get so flustered. She was flustered because she had liked what she'd seen. Rolling her eyes at herself, she hurried into the cockpit and sat down in the copilot's chair. "Hi, Ophelia." she said aloud, looking around for that little projection she expected to come up. She was hoping that flustered look had been wiped off her face, and she no longer worried about anyone questioning her about it.
The projection illuminated into life on the same place on the console that it always did. "Hello, Mistress Rowen. What can I-" She stopped midsentence and titled her head. "Mistress Rowen, are you alright? You look a little flushed and your pulse seems a little elevated." She gazed on, watching her with her normal curiosity.
Back in his room, Idris unbuckled his leggings and let them fall to the floor. He still wore a pair of black shorts that covered up his thighs and the important, more valuable parts of his body. He reached over and grabbed the bottom half of the armor and started to pull them on before putting on the top. He listened as the pieces clicked together, letting him know they were secure. He grabbed the boots and put them on and then took the helmet and placed it over his head. He reached both hands into either glove and waited for his heads-up display to light up. His movement was not impeded as he walked away from the room and down the hall. He felt the door to the hold and his heads-up reading indicating that is was a little warm. He entered in the access code and let the antechamber door open in front of him. He pulled it closed behind him as he stepped in and locked it.
Rowen put on a little smile and quickly nodded. "Of course, Ophelia, I'm fine. I'm just here to...relax and chat with you while I wait for Idris. As you know, he went to check on that heat." Taking a deep breath, she let it out gently, hoping that Ophelia noticed she was calming down and wouldn't press on the subject any further. It'd be strange to explain to a computer why she was so flustered to begin with.
The image nodded. "Yes, of course. I'm sure it's nothing, Mistress. These things happen occasionally, but I think it's been a very long time since a pyre fiend managed to stow away in the cargo hold. And the MMK II tactical suit is more than sufficient for exterminating things like that, or whatever it is that is in there."
"Pyre fiend? What exactly is that, Ophelia?"
The ship bucked then, suddenly and almost on cue, and an alarm in the cockpit started to go off. "There's been a significant power surge in the navigational systems. We're dropping out of antispace, Mistress. I recommend you restrain yourself." Suddenly, the green and purple hues faded away as gaping nothing of real space opened up in front of them. The force of the reversion was enough to knock Rowen forward, but the crash webbing engaged just fast enough to restrain her from splitting open her head on the console. A mysterious, loud clank was heard down from the corridor.
The ship jerked, making every muscle in Rowen's body to tense up. "Dropping?" That didn't sound good. Panic bubbled up in her throat as she was thrown forward in her seat. She watched her nose come perilously close to the console before the restraints leapt out to prevent her injury. "I'm going to go check on that." Whether Ophelia liked it or not. Rowen moved to undo the restraints and was standing up again, one hand on the wall next to her - just in case the ship jerked again. Frowning, moving carefully but at a brisk pace, Rowen made her way down the hall towards the strange clanking noise. The cargo hold's antechamber door had broken loose, and red and yellow hues were casting from it into the corridor. There was an intense heat coming away from the hold. She could also hear an abundant amount of swearing coming for the hold as well.
Idris struggled to extinguish the flames in the compartment while simultaneously firing at the creature. He was trying to kill it, but it seemed like the beast was completely impervious to the energy of his weapon.
Eyes widened, and she felt not only her muscles tense, but she felt her whole body just freeze. Well it wasn't a normal thing to see what she could only assume was a pyre fiend. Maybe for Idris it was, but unfortunately, he didn't look like he was doing so well. Even though it should have, the heat coming from the hold didn't bother her, and she stepped closer to it. "Do you have another extinguisher?" She yelled at Idris, looking around to see if she could answer the question herself.
He felt his heart jump up into his throat and then fall into his stomach. "Rowen! Get...out of here!" He watched as the animal's attention shifted to Rowen, and he leapt onto it, trying to tackle it. His suit's armor could take the heat, but even with the weather controls inside the suit, plus the entire compartment moving up to temperatures around the boiling mark, he was worried that it might overload the internal systems. The beast snarled and its long tail whipped around, slicing through the air and struck Idris like a bat, knocking him into the wall. "Ugh, xfing Drondos! I'm going to blast their shop to the ground!" The beast made a move to go after Rowen again, and Idris leapt for the beast, but fell short, merely catching hold of the creature's tail as it went to escape into the antechamber. "Get out of here! And close that door!"
She wasn't going anywhere. Rowen stood her ground, dug her heels in, and looked around for an extinguisher. At least, until she heard the beast coming at her for a second time. Unfortunately, Idris was unable to hinder the beast as he had a moment ago. Frowning, she turned to face it, debating what to do; defend herself the best way she knew how, or run? Shaking her head, she watched at Idris continued to struggle and made her choice. Turning, she shut the door, but she was still inside. Moving towards the creature as fast as possible, she brought a foot up to kick it right in the face. Its heat and the flames in the room didn't bother her one bit. She knew she was giving herself away right now, but Idris was in trouble, and if she didn't help, he could very well die.
As the beast started to run, Idris was suddenly on his feet. Another audible clanking noise was heard from the boots as they fastened themselves magnetically to the floor. Idris managed to maintain a grip on the tail, stopping the beast just before it leapt at her. The kick did little more than anger the beast. Idris tried to pull the creature back to him, by the tail, but the beast lunged and tried to pull Idris forward, but he didn't move, his footing remaining sturdy as the beast used him as an anchor, swinging around by the tail and colliding with him. Idris buckled, falling on his back, and a moment later, his feet left the ground. "Get the...in..." his words were few and far between with the struggling of the creature as it tried vicious to tear into the suit, barely managing to scrape the metal as the teeth gnawed at the head plate. "On the wall, get the gelidy gun!"
Taking a deep breath, she turned around as Idris began to attempt to order her. Gun? Gun! Whirling around, she lunged for it, grabbing it off the wall quickly. Now she just had to figure out how to use it. Fingers fumbled with a few buttons, until she heard it come to life. Aiming, or at least she hoped she was aiming, she pulled the trigger, taking a step back as the gun's force shoved her back a little.
Idris watched as she finally fired the weapon, the large blast of white energy emitting from the gun. The energy seemed to seep into the beast's flesh, or metal, or whatever it was made of, and slow it down. Despite being somewhat incapacitated, the beast was still trying to kill him. The temperature in the room seemed to drop about a hundred degrees in only a matter of moments. The crackling noise, like ice melting...or unmelting, in this case, seemed to fill the room as white crystals leached from the creature and into the floor, completely restraining the creature.
The black, red, yellow, and orange colors seemed to fade into white and blue as the creature seemed enervated and slowly stopped moving at all. Despite everything, it still appeared to be breathing. Idris groaned as he tried to move, but unfortunately, he'd been mounted to the floor by the spreading ice. He stopped struggling, and sighed. He looked over at her, and while his entire face was hidden from her, his words seemed sincere. "Thank you, Rowen." He sighed again and lied still. He was trying to decide how to defrost the ice around his armor without waking up the creature.
Breathing heavily now, she sighed with relief when she realized the beast was incapacitated, and Idris was safe. Gently she set the gun down to the side, walking over to the two on the ground. "No problem. I'm just glad you're alright." She was speaking sincerely as well, but it showed in her face, and especially in her eyes. Realizing he was very much stuck, frozen to the ground, she knelt beside him, studying the predicament he was in. Eyes went up to his face then back down. At least if he freaked out, he wouldn't kill her, considering he owed her his life. Her hands reached out, a few inches above his armor. Little orange and red flames seemed to conjure from her palms and slowly the ice on his armor began to melt away. It only took a few minutes for her to completely defrost his armor, while leaving the beast in his frozen state. Quietly, Rowen stood up, looking down at her hands and watched as the flames flickered away. Backing away from Idris, she looked down at him, and smiled sheepishly. "I think you can get up now."
He groaned as he wriggled out from underneath the creature. He moved over to the gun, without a word, and flipped a few switches on the device. He then pointed the device at the beast again and sprayed a thick layer of something over the creature. The white film spread over the beast and began to solidify. After a moment, the creature was covered in a transparent block. He then turned to her, and shivered. She could see that his boots were leaving footprints. It was then that she'd noticed she could see her breath when she spoke and the room was getting colder. "Hurry, get out of here!" He ran out of the hold into the antechamber and then proceeded into the ring corridor.
While extreme heat did not bother her, she noticed how cold it was getting and needed no additional coaxing to rush out of the compartment after him.
He waited for her to get to his side and then, with a great deal of maneuvering, pushed the door closed. He sighed and leaned against the door. "I hate pyre fiends...especially the big ones." He lamented. Then he tilted his head, pulling his helmet off as he looked at her, pointing a finger. He thinned his eyes at her. "You've got some explaining to do, young lady." He looked very confrontational for a moment, but then he winced and walked away from her. "As soon as I get out of this suit..."
Well there weren't any curses, no charging at her with a weapon. Always a good sign. And then he just winced and walked away. "Um...alright. I'll just...wait here?"
As he walked into his room, he then went into the armor hold. "Ophelia." He didn't yell, he barely said her name loud enough for someone in his room to hear.
"Yes, Captain?"
"It would have been nice if you'd notified me of our new passengers unique disposition to controlling THE ELEMENTS!" He'd started calm, but then found himself unable to contain his emotions.
"You never asked if she was. I wasn't aware that you'd wanted me to disclose everything about your mystery passengers."
Idris rolled his eyes as he stripped down to his shorts again. He hung the pieces in their designated racks and then walked into his room, the small image fading out of the hold and appearing on his dresser, following after him. "Well, from now on, if we get any more visitors, in private, notify me of any anomalies or any uniquenesses our company might possess, ok?" He started to get dressed again, this time in clean clothes. He needed to use the refresher, but he felt the matter at hand was more urgent. He walked back to where he'd left her, but discovered she'd wandered into the galley. This time, Idris was wearing a clean, white tunic and tan leggings that were cut just below his knees. He was barefoot also. He stormed into the galley and looked around for her. When he saw her, he tilted his head. He seemed a little worked up. "You're a Gifted?"
Rowen lifted her head as he entered, and as he began to speak to her, she winced as if he had slapped her. "Gifted? That's not what they call me, Idris."
He didn't mean to say the word like he was swearing, just with emphasis. His tone didn't tell any emotions he had about the conclusion other than surprise. "I just really wish you would have told me." He paused, and then looked at her, disappointed, but more with himself than with her. "Is...is that the real reason why those guys were chasing you?"
She wanted to shrink away from him, to vanish entirely, but all she could do was sit there and let him ramble on and on, letting him have his say. "Told you? And what? Risked my safety? My own life? Yeah that's why the guys were chasing me, that's why I've had to be on the run since I was a kid, because the minute someone finds out what I am, they call me ugly names, and try to KILL me. Do you understand that?"
He frowned and sighed, running his hands through his hair rather raggedly. He sat down in a chair across from her and reached out and took her hands. When he grabbed her hands, she yanked away immediately, standing up, taking several steps away from the table. "Rowen, I'm not like other mercenaries. I'm not going to jettison you into space or sell you to a trader. I realize that I hadn't really earned your trust, but if you're going to stay here for two days, I'd appreciate it-" He stopped, chewing on his lip a moment and then started speaking again. "I'd be grateful, " he corrected, "if you told me anything else out of the ordinary that you feel otherwise apprehensive about telling me, alright?" His shoulders slumped and he stared at her with a look of disappointment, as if her secrecy had left him feeling rejected or rebuffed. "You don't...have to if you don't want to, but I promise...you don't have to worry about me, ok?"
"Mercenary? Right, because trusting a mercenary is a great idea for me. Do you know how many times I've been chased, shot at, tied up, or beaten?" Realizing her voice was getting a little too high, and she was panicking a little too much, she took a breath, placing a palm to her heart. "I'm sorry, Idris...I just..." The hand covering her heart moved up to her eyes and she took a breath. "There's nothing else. Basically, what you saw, alright? Thank you for not killing me, I appreciate it. Don't worry, I'll be gone in two days." That look of disappointment was killing her, and she looked away, feeling tears well up in her eyes, and she couldn't fully understand why. "I'm sorry you got stuck with the likes of me."
He sighed and rolled his eyes, and looked up at her. "Well, I can sugar coat it all I want, but in the end, yes, I am a mercenary. A hand for hire, a man in it for the money, because money holds this ship together and puts matter into my dispenser." He frowned as he watched her. Did she really think so little of him, or was it humans, in general, that she had a hard time with? "What good would it do me, to end your life? You just saved mine. What kind of grateful would that be if I turned around and shot you afterward." He sighed and shut his eyes, feeling his heart aching from the sight of her panicked expression. "I have no intention of doing any harm to you, or calling you any foul names. I would just like it if you were honest with me, ok? And I am not stuck with you. I assure you, it is a pleasure to have you around."
Not in a long time had Rowen received this sort of kindness from anyone. The last one was the woman, Maggie, who had taken her in when she was a child. But that was so long ago, and long before her abilities had surfaced. Her eyes lowered to the hand stretched out for her, and she took a step forward. He was accepting her - for what she was, for what she could do. That had never happened. Eyes went down to that hand again, but she didn't want to take it. Her heart swelled up and a gratitude, like none she had ever felt, burst inside of her. Moving around the table, she walked right up to him and threw her arms around him, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Idris. You don't understand what you've done for me. Thank you so much." Holding him she suddenly realized how nice it felt to be holding someone. And then she recognized how odd it might be for her to hold him for so long. "Sorry." She whispered quickly and let him go, taking a step back. "I got a tad carried away. Sorry."
He felt his body get chills as she wrapped her arms around him, and then felt the goose bumps on his skin as she kissed him. He had to fight the urge to turn and kiss her, and his will won out as she let go and stepped away. He smiled at her, trying to look calm even though his heart was ready to leap out of his chest. "I...sure...it's...*ahem* of course, Rowen. It's me. You're...welcome."
She'd be one big, fat liar if she said she didn't get those same chills from holding him. She hadn't been trying to initiate anything but holding him had felt so nice, so comfortable.
He smiled, and as she backed away far enough, he stood smiled at her. He then pulled himself away from her gaze and presence and forced himself over to the dispenser. He hit a few buttons on the machine and pulled away a glass of hot tea which he drank eagerly and without any regard to its temperature. He kicked it back down his throat in one motion, like he was taking a shot. He discarded the cup into the bin and looked over at her. "So...uh...I guess..." He tried to speak, but his mouth appeared to be malfunctioning. "Sleeping arrangements... You...um...I guess...you can..." He scanned the galley as if the answer, or even the rest of his sentence, was hidden in writing on some object in the room.
Snapping herself out of it she watched him as he drank down the hot tea, wincing as he threw back the hot liquid. Smiling faintly, she cleared her throat a little bit, trying to hide the blush that had appeared along her cheeks. How could she have forgotten? The giant monster in the room. Shoving her hands into her pockets, she looked around also, and then quickly focused back on him. "I'll sleep in here. Or the cockpit. Ophelia can keep me company. Just hand me a blanket and pillow and I'm set. Really, you've already done enough for me, I'm not depriving you of your bed or anything." Nodding as if she had settled the matter, she looked up and around. "Ophelia and I can have a girl's night, isn't that right, Ophelia?" Laughing a little bit, she focused on Idris and shrugged. "Please don't worry about me. You deserve a good night's rest in your own bed." She stepped up to approach him and reached out to gingerly touch his shoulder. Realizing she got those same chills and lowered her hand quickly.
He jolted visibly when she touched him. He stole one long gaze over her many appealing features and shook his head. "No...it's...ok. You can have the bed tonight. I...'m...not even tired." He smiled weakly, almost in a way that approached convincing her. "I...we'll...take turns, ok? I'll sleep in the cockpit tonight and...you...can have the bed. But only on the condition that I get the refresher first, of course."
"Idris..." She began to fight him, and then stopped, realizing the two of them were just going to argue back and forth about the stupid bed unless one of them conceded. "Fine, we'll take turns. I'll take the bed tonight, and tomorrow you'll take it. And...you get the refresher first. That's only fair...Captain." Smiling warmly at him, she studied his face quietly for a second, and then shook her head. "You look tired, by the way. And you know...if the cockpit ever gets uncomfortable. You...can just come into the bed." Realizing how that sounded she felt her cheeks definitely blush now. "And wake me up, of course. And I'll gladly move to the cockpit. Not that we have to share the bed because...I'm sure you'd hate that. Um...yeah. Right."
Oh right, of course, how awful it would be to have to share a bed with someone like her. He could feel the dread building in him already...or was that repressed excitement? "R-right, I mean...if...if I...can't sleep...then..." He swallowed. "I...need to use the refresher." He walked out of the galley and went to his room. He took deep breaths and stood there a moment before he started undressing. In his fit, he hadn't realized that the door was still open. He got down to his shorts again and walked into the chamber. The entrance to the refresher was almost exactly aligned with the entrance to his bedroom, but still offset just enough that you couldn't see directly into it from the corridor. He started running the water as he looked around.
His exit was so sudden she could only stare after him in mild shock. "Right." She muttered, wanting to kick herself. There she went scaring him off. Grumbling under her breath, she headed for the bedroom after him, shaking her head, and mumbling under her breath. Walking into the corridor, she could hear the sound of running water. He'd already ducked into the refresher, go figure. He needed away from her as fast as possible. Sighing heavily, she waited until she figured he was immersed in the refresher, door shut and all, to head towards the bedroom.
The refresher, unlike the rest of his ship, was actually rather elegant. It had ivory tile from top to bottom and a mirror that covered the wall space above the vanity sinks. There were two, each large enough for a five year-old human to bath in, it appeared, or more likely, for Idris to immerse his entire limb in the sink. The shower was made out of transparinite with durasteel handles. The water came from above, from the left and right, and even from a faucet in the back. The commode was on the right immediately near the entrance, but a wooden door separated the small room from the rest of the bathroom. On the face of the door was a full length mirror, tall enough for even an Ulratian to see head to toe. The vanity was on the right and the shower was to the left, with the towel rack immediately in front shower door. The shower and vanity both were off to the side, out of the immediate line of sight of the bedroom, but once inside, there was nothing in the shower to deter a person from seeing every detail that was within as the transparinite had a moisture-resistant coating that made water stick to it almost as well as it might stick to oil, a measure intended to help deter soap scum and stains. He took his time, trying to get all of the pollution out of his hair from the last planet he'd visited and used the time to hopefully distract himself from his surprise guest. Not that he found her unappealing or even bothersome, he just desperately needed some time away from how the girl made him feel.