Cat and Mouse: Facing the Music

[Ser Gregor]

The drawn-out lines of stars comforted Adrian as he sat in the cockpit of the Jubilant, his family's bronze-hulled, streamlined ship so not beffitting of a Jedi. It had been docked at Hosk Station even before Analia had called Adrian to inform him of Alcor's death.

He had discarded the dressy clothes for a much simpler all black tunic, cinched tightly to his torso by a wide sash. His lightsaber hung to his hip. He looked more like a Jedi now than he had in a long time.

Qailan was with him. He had asked her to come. He didn't know where she was on the ship now, though. He had sat staring at the hyperspace stars since they took off six hours ago, trying to lose himself and ignore the growing, crushing thing that was pressing in on his heart.

They'd be at Alderaan in about seven hours, give or take, and then Adrian would have to confront his cousin, Analia, for the first time in months. He loved her dearly, but right now he wanted nothing but to turn the ship around and head as far rimward as he could.

 

[Sreeya]

Qailan had never felt so out of place. First, she was completely confused about her feelings. Everything had happened impossibly fast, and she was launched headfirst into a series of events she hadn't foreseen. Just as things began to make sense, Adrian got a call that seemingly turned his life upside down. She had known about the former Chancellor Alcor Bac, though he was a mere political figure in her eyes. He was Adrian's uncle, and he had been killed in a bomb blast. She didn't know how to react, never being one to be able to sympathize. However, as Adrian urged her to come with him, she couldn't deny him. The pleading in his eyes made her instantly pack her things and follow. Now that they were on the journey, he seemed withdrawn and lost within his thoughts. Qailan had left him alone, cooped up in her own quarters of the ship.

The dark sider still had many things nagging at her mind. She knew she was putting herself into deeper trouble, walking down a path she wouldn't be able to turn away from. She sighed and leaned back in her seat, wondering what kind of spell Adrian had cast on her. This was the kind of situation she had always avoided, and here she was going to the ends of the galaxy and putting herself in potential danger because of him. As the hours passed, Qailan decided it was time to break the silence. She quickly rose and walked towards him. His sorrow made the air almost thick and she felt it cling to her, feeding into her dark energy. Qailan ignored it, approaching him from behind. She thought about how to do this, completely lacking in skills in dealing with situations like these. She decided to go with her gut instinct and placed a hand on his shoulder. Her voice was gentle, lacking the sarcasm usually dripping from it.

"Adrian...will you be all right?"

 

[Ser Gregor]

Adrian felt Qailan’s gentle touch on his shoulder. He turned his head, looking up at the woman with a side-long glance, smiling slightly. It was a smile that did not reach his eyes.

He placed his own hand on top of hers, his thumb rubbing along her knuckles, before dropping back to his lap.

“... I was never close to him. He was my caretaker and family, but I never saw him as my father. He treated me like his charge, and that was our relationship. But I still loved him.” He was silent for a moment before he realized he hadn’t answered her question.

“I just need to organize my thoughts, Qailan. I’ll be alright, eventually.” Rising from his seated position, he turned to look at her. The almost ivory-white skin seemed to glow in the artificial light of the cockpit, long shadows drawn across her face. It made her yellow eyes almost violently bright.

He closed the gap between them and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Thank you for coming with me, Qailan. I... don’t know why, but it makes this a lot easier.”

 

[Sreeya]

The almost predator-like glow of her eyes softened to a warm amber. It appeared her eyes reflected her thoughts, and his words had truly struck a chord. His touch was still electrifying, though she knew now was not the time to ponder on it. She withdrew from him and offered him the most genuine smile she could muster.

"And I'm glad to be here with you."

She absentmindedly lowered her hand to his, allowing their fingers to entwine. It was an impulsive action, one that just felt right. Her eyes lowered to their hands for a moment and she appeared lost in thought. Qailan glanced up at him, worry etched across her features.

"Will it be appropriate for me to be there? I'm a stranger and don't want to intrude on anything.."

She had felt completely comfortable around Adrian, but the thought of her meeting his family was unnerving. Qailan also felt a strong pang of guilt at withholding the fact that she was a Bogan from him. She quickly pushed the thought from her mind in case he could sense it. The Bogan inside her was caged at the moment, the monster constantly rattling its confines and threatening to creep up on her. Being around Adrian had made it easier to hold it back, though sometimes she feared losing control.

 

[Ser Gregor]

Adrian felt worlds better when he saw Qailan’s smile and heard her confession. It was really amazing how much more at ease he felt around her.

Squeezing her hand in his, he let himself focus on that point of contact, just basking in the waves of emotion exchanging between them. It was comforting. When he was around Qailan he could feel himself in a zen-like state, completely calm and centered, like a Jedi should. It made no sense, but he had come to accept the fact that he was better with her in his life.

When she asked him about his family, he shook his head. “The only person you need to worry about is Ahdam. We don’t get along, and he’ll try and make you feel uncomfortable. Analia will welcome you with open arms, I promise. You’ll be with me, and they’ll understand.”

He brought her hand to his lips, kissing the back lightly, his lips barely touching her skin. His other, free hand came up to trace the delicate jawline, tilting her chin out to look up at him. He had closed the remaining distance between them and he could feel the warmth of her body with his, despite the inch or so that separated them.

He didn’t kiss her, though. He was lost in thought, almost as if he was being drawn in by her wide eyes.

And then he was laughing, light, healthy chuckles that reverberated out from his chest. Letting go of her hand, he cinched his arm around her waist and held her to him as he finally took a kiss from her. It was brief, as the fit of laughter could not be subsided for long.

When he broke away from her, he held up a hand to calm any sudden outburst. “I’m sorry, but this entire situation is so... unbelievable.”

 

[Ser Gregor]

Adrian felt worlds better when he saw Qailan’s smile and heard her confession. It was really amazing how much more at ease he felt around her.

Squeezing her hand in his, he let himself focus on that point of contact, just basking in the waves of emotion exchanging between them. It was comforting. When he was around Qailan he could feel himself in a zen-like state, completely calm and centered, like a Jedi should. It made no sense, but he had come to accept the fact that he was better with her in his life.

When she asked him about his family, he shook his head. “The only person you need to worry about is Ahdam. We don’t get along, and he’ll try and make you feel uncomfortable. Analia will welcome you with open arms, I promise. You’ll be with me, and they’ll understand.”

He brought her hand to his lips, kissing the back lightly, his lips barely touching her skin. His other, free hand came up to trace the delicate jawline, tilting her chin out to look up at him. He had closed the remaining distance between them and he could feel the warmth of her body with his, despite the inch or so that separated them.

He didn’t kiss her, though. He was lost in thought, almost as if he was being drawn in by her wide eyes.

And then he was laughing, light, healthy chuckles that reverberated out from his chest. Letting go of her hand, he cinched his arm around her waist and held her to him as he finally took a kiss from her. It was brief, as the fit of laughter could not be subsided for long.

When he broke away from her, he held up a hand to calm any sudden outburst. “I’m sorry, but this entire situation is so... unbelievable.”

 

[Sreeya]

As he closed the distance between them, she thought he would kiss her for sure. Her eyes were halfway closed and she leaned in. However...he abruptly began to laugh. Confusion marred her features as she stepped back, completely surprised. She immediately felt her face, wondering if something was on it to trigger his laughter. Qailan was about to ask if he had gone insane when she felt him pull her close. He kissed her then, though it was terribly short. The Bogan could only gawk in confusion as he finally calmed himself down. When he spoke, she thought over everything that had happened. A grin slowly began to spread across her face.

"You...are the worst Jedi ever..."

She thought over the words before a small chuckle escaped her. The action was so foreign that she had to stop and ponder over it. The thought that she was surprised by her own laugh spurred her to laugh even more. Within moments, she burst into her own fit of laughter, not having done it in years. She couldn't control it, couldn't understand it and couldn't have done it at a more inappropriate time. Qailan lightly shoved Adrian, almost embarrassed that she appeared like a giggling little girl. As she finally began to calm down, she looked up at time, smile still on her face.

"What the hell did you do to me?! I'm supposed to be all serious business."

 

[Ser Gregor]

“I know, I’m horrible,” Adrian said through a wide smile, forgetting about where he was headed to, at least for the moment. He let her go as she started to laugh, simply unable to control herself. As the short chortles turned in to a rather raucous bout of laughter Adrian couldn’t help but chime in with his own, deeper laugh, and pretty soon they were both laughing at the absurdity of it all.

His eyes were rimmed with tears of laughter when they finally settled down a spell. When Qailan went to lightly shove him he let himself fall back in to the high-backed pilot’s seat, sinking in to the comfortable chair while looking up at Qailan.

“You shouldn’t be. Frowning and being all boding doesn’t suit you. You’re much prettier without the scowl. And a lot less scary, too,” he added with a lopsided grin.

 

[Sreeya]

Qailan smiled as he fell back on the seat. She shook her head, still in shock from her burst of laughter. She had felt like a child again, back when she knew what happiness was. The Bogan had sucked it out of her, leaving her as an empty shell. She had emotions, though there wasn't room for any positive ones. The Bogan quietly watched him for a long moment, wondering how a single man, a Jedi of all things could do this to her. As he spoke, she looked wounded.

"Scary?! I'm perfectly innocent!"

She grinned at the words. Without thinking twice, she plopped down into the seat along with him, halfway on him. She made no move to push him over, pretending as if she hadn't noticed he was sitting there. Qailan leaned back against him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You really are something...and I'm not being cheesy either. I'm awful with this stuff but..I feel so different around you. I feel..human. Does that make sense? Or am I going crazy..."

It took every last fiber of her being not to utter the word 'Bogan' during her sentence. She knew it would make him back away from her. Qailan knew that was the last thing she would ever want.

 

[Ser Gregor]

Adrian shifted in the seat so Qailan’s weight wasn’t pressing along his thigh bone, shifting her so she sat more in his lap. Her black hair brushed against his cheek when she settled in and it almost made him cringe in tickled torture, but he managed to fight back the urge. His one arm wrapped round her right hip, his hand resting on her thigh, while his other idly traced abstracts along her left shoulder.

“I know exactly what you mean, Qailan,” Adrian replied, his voice quiet. There was no need to be loud when they were so close to each other. “I’ve never been so focused and calm before. When I’m around you I feel like a Jedi in more than just name.” He had to laugh there. The irony of that statement was incredible.

Adrian sidled over more in the chair and shifted so his back was half against the armrest, Qailan mirroring his position on the other side, her legs draped across his thighs. It separated them a bit, but it gave Adrian the chance to marvel at the woman that sat with him.

Swivelling the chair, Adrian pressed a few buttons before a holographic screen with a counter appeared super imposed on the transparasteel window. 5 hours remaining before they reached Alderaan.

“Have you ever been to Alderaan before?” he asked Qailan, ignoring the timer and the lines of stars visible. At the moment she took his entire attention.

“It’s beautiful. It reminds me of you; gorgeous, impossible to comprehend, and incredibly dangerous if you let your guard down” he added with a lopsided smile that seemed to appear with more and more frequency, leaning forward, closing the minimal gap between them. His rough hand cupped her cheek, holding her there as he pressed his lips to hers, kissing her with an odd passion. It was intense but held very much in check, as if Adrian was trying to stay in control of whatever this was.

 

[Sreeya]

Qailan opened her mouth for a retort to his comment, but was met with his lips. She did not hold back, unlike him, leaning in to savor the kiss. She had grown to love the taste of his lips and his gentle touch had always made her feel comfortable. The Bogan maintained the same level of passion, though it was laced with just a hint of the primal desire that came with her aggressive personality. She shifted yet again, moving to face him while remaining on his lap. Qailan withdrew from the kiss, her lips tender from it. She gazed directly into his eyes, her golden orbs gleaming and seemingly piercing through him.

"Adrian..."

She couldn't muster any more words. Qailan couldn't put into sentences what went through her mind at that moment. She simply knew how he made her feel and how odd, strange, wrong, completely insane this all was. Her mind screamed protests at her, the shouts reverberating loud enough to where she couldn't hear herself think. But no thoughts needed to be woven together anyway, as she let her heart do the guiding. As if tugged by an invisible force, she leaned in once again, wrapping her arms around his neck and tilting her face to meet his lips. She shifted closer to him, completely surrendering herself to her desires.

 

[Ser Gregor]

Adrian woke to the repetitive chime of the autonavigation’s alarm, alerting them that they had arrived in the Alderaan system. He groaned, craning looking at the computer sitting on the small quarter’s solitary desk, flashing a luminescent green over the bed.

He did not want to get up. In fact he couldn’t get up without waking Qailan. They had fallen asleep with their limbs entwined, and despite shifting positions, his left arm was still under the pillow Qailan slept on and his right arm was currently trapped between her breasts, Qailan having captured it in the night and hugged it to her like a teddy bear. It was horribly cute.

He let his head fall back to the single pillow the two of them had shared, his face burying in her black hair. Kissing her shoulder, he tried his very best to slowly extricate himself from her hold, managing to slip away without stirring her.

Getting out of the bed, he looked down at her naked form, marvelling at the beauty. His eyes were drawn to her back, where a massive, intricate set of interlinking geometrics forming a vaguely star-like tattoo drew him in. He doubted it was for show. Qailan didn’t seem like the kind of woman who’d do that. He knew that the patterns had to mean something. He’d have to ask her sometime.

“You have reached Alderaan, Mr. Bac,” came the animated voice of the ship’s virtual interface. It was loud enough to easily wake Qailan up.

“Thank you, no further notifications, please,” Adrian growled in consternation, fetching his undergarments and clothing and lazily putting them on.

“We’ll be landing soon,” he said to Qailan when he heard her stir. He didn’t mention anything about last night, not verbally, anyway. Dressed, he walked over to where Qailan now sat in the bed and bent to give her a kiss that was markedly different from any of the kisses they had previously shared.

“You better get dressed.”

 

[Sreeya]

Qailan yawned as she sat up in bed. All the noises around her appeared to pierce into her skull. She immediately missed the warmth from when Adrian had laid next to her. The room was suddenly chilled as he moved away, causing her to protest. However, she knew they had arrived and had no time to lounge around. The Bogan couldn't help but think back to the night before, the events that had sealed how they had felt about one another. It had laced both her aggressive personality and his mysterious and refined one together. It was an experience unlike anything she had felt before, leaving her with a warm, tender feeling that made her smile.

As he kissed her, she couldn't help but tug him towards her, almost playfully pushing him back onto the bed. However, he withdrew from her before she could. As he told her to get dressed, Qailan rolled her eyes. She was not too thrilled at having to be woken up and she made no motions to hide the fact. Qailan stepped onto the floor, grimacing at the cold surface. It took her moments to get dressed and join Adrian. She did not speak of last night either, though she felt much closer to him. There was a connection between them that was bolstered by the Force auras each of them projected. The two entwined and she was content, for the first time in a while. It was an odd feeling, though one she embraced fully. Qailan outwardly did not reveal anything, though Adrian knew by now how she felt about him.

"How long are you planning on staying here?"

She knew the question lacked tact, considering his reasons for going there. However, at the back of her mind, she knew she had to get back on Prime at some point. It bothered her that she had completely forgotten about the path she was on before he had come along.

 

[Ser Gregor]

Adrian had to pull away from Qailan as she tried to pull him down on to the bed. He wanted to let her win, desperately, but he couldn’t. Last night, the confrontation with his family seemed far away, but right now it was all he could think about. Even Qailan, in her naked beauty, couldn’t shake those dour thoughts from his head.

He reached out a hand to grasp Qailan’s, and he smiled. He had always been rather attuned to the energies around him. It’s what made him such a great listener. When he was younger he’d just know when Analia needed him.

Before, when Adrian let himself open to Qailan’s presence in the force, their two auras always met with a clash and explosion of conflicting, powerful emotions. Now, however, he couldn’t feel any conflict between the two. At this moment, at least, they existed in near-perfect harmony.

How long that was likely to last, Adrian didn’t know and didn’t care to think much on.

“No longer than I need to. Alcor was family, but he was never my father. The only one I really felt close to was Analia. I’m going there as much for her as I am for myself,” Adrian explained, clipping his lightsaber on to his belt as they walked out in to the main hub of the small transport.

He made his way to the cockpit, letting go of Qailan’s hand as he sat down and began the procedures for landing at the Bac compound.

“You’re going to leave,” he said at length, not looking back at her. It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. He could tell. He had ripped her completely out of her life she had before, and even with how they were now, he doubted she could find a way to live in his.

“Just... stay with me for a while, alright?”

 

[Sreeya]

Qailan was surprised when he firmly stated that she was going to leave. She wanted to protest, wanted to tell him everything was fine and that she would stick around. Only silence would meet him.

"Yes.."

That was all she could manage. Thankfully, he had spoke directly after, telling her to stay with him. Qailan was surprised and thankful at the same time. It bothered her to no ends to have such a weight on her shoulders regarding the Bogan. She wished, at that moment, that she could simply abandoned the Order and simply run away with Adrian. No, that was not an option. He had no idea what she was and he could never know. Qailan approached him from behind and sighed, resting her forehead against his back.

"I'll stay as long as I can. I wish I could stay longer.."

'I wish I weren't a damn Bogan' was the thought that replayed within her mind, though well hidden from his thoughts. Qailan mentally berated herself for even thinking such thoughts. The Bogan had raised and trained her and this is what she had to show for it?

 

[Ser Gregor]

Adrian nodded curtly. He had known since last night that this wasn’t going to last, but he still needed to hear Qailan say it. Now he had, and he found that he accepted it. That had surprised him. He keyed in one last line of commands in to the auto-pilot before standing, regarding the blue marble that was Alderaan quickly growing bigger in the cockpit window.

When he felt Qailan come up behind him he sighed. Turning to face her, he gave her a smile. His hand came up to brush her bangs clear of her eyes before descending in to the mane of black hair, weaving his fingers through the locks.

“I’ll take every second I can have,” he said at length. He couldn’t keep her with him. He needed to make every minute he had with her worth it, no matter the consequences.

A warning light lit above them, notifying them that they were entering atmosphere. They’d have to sit.

Tilting her head back, Adrian bent to give her a quick kiss before he slipped in to the pilot’s seat and took over manual controls for the remainder of the flight, fighting buffeting winds upon re-entry.

---

They had landed without much difficulty. The Bac Compound was a vast complex of sprawling hallways and out-buildings and gardens and looked akin to a palace, really. The sight didn’t bring him any pleasure, though. It just brought up old, unhappy memories. The truth of the matter is he hated the place.

Adrian did one final check to make sure the landing had gone without a hitch before getting up from his seat, whisking Qailan out from hers and grasping a hand in his before he walked down the landing platform and on to the wide duracrete landing pad.

The pad was in a boxed off compound with high walls and short grass surrounding out around the circular pad. The walls were to help buffer noise and keep the gardens safe from exhaust. A solitary door on the far wall was used for people to come and go from the pad, and as Adrian set foot on solid ground he saw it slide open to reveal his cousin Analia.

He hadn’t seen her in months, truly almost a year, and it brought a pang to his chest. He hated to meet under these circumstances. She was Alcor’s princess. He may have not been a father to Adrian, but to Analia he was the greatest in the world.

Squeezing Qailan’s hand almost painfully, Adrian took a shaky breath before moving up to his cousin, meeting her half-way between the ship and the door.

“Analia...”