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[Zana Ari]

Zana’s face turned that familiar shade of purple as she heard him mutter something about her being cold. In truth, she was very cold and wouldn’t have been able to stay asleep if not for the blanket. The completely surprised look on Thelian’s face, however, was priceless. Did he expect her not to notice a blanket conjured up out of the blue?

The twi’lek remained silent, watching him quietly as he rose to stand. She didn’t miss how he almost misstepped a bit, clearly slightly dazed. Zana didn’t believe a word he said, gaze lingering on him as he began to walk past her. She chewed on her bottom lip, idly fiddling with her lekku as she thought about what to do. However, she exhaled and took a few steps behind him before grasping his wrist. It was a gentle grab, but enough to stop him in his tracks.

“Wait,” She said simply, guiding him back towards the common room. She motioned for him to sit down on the floor across from her, “Do you remember Master Oola’s lessons?” Zana asked. She knew she would be met with a glazed over look, but thought to ask anyway. Oola was a particularly boring Jedi teacher at the academy that taught about the art of mindfulness, meditation and mental sanctuary. Most students found the class dreadfully boring, and on several occasions she had looked back to see Thelian way in the back completely passed out and taking a full on nap. On the rare days that he showed up at all, it was always him and this Zabrak boy that took turns napping in the class, both nudging one another whenever the teacher called on them. It was very clearly a planned out scummy ploy that caused her to roll her eyes.

“Close your eyes and clear your thoughts, I’ll do the rest,” She said simply. If he did as she asked, it would take him a few tries. However, he would be back within his own mind actively attempting to push the darkness back. Very different than usual would be a new source of light in his mind. If he looked, it would be a whole new presence there. He would recognize it as Zana at once. She waved at him from the distance, beckoning him towards her. He had to cross the distance to get to her. As he took steps forward, he would feel resistance growing.

Zana could see the horrors behind him, but she focused only on him, not daring to look past him. She could see dark tendrils coiling around him to hold him back, fiercely clinging to him.

“Come on! Almost here!” She shouted, extending her hand to him in the plane of the Force. Whispers and echoes grew louder and she heard bits of what Thelian heard on Dantooine. She heard the screams of the civilians. It was terrifying, and it was only a subtle echo in the distance. Zana didn’t budge, even as the path towards her began to crumble a bit. She kept her hand extended, waiting for him to close the distance.

When he finally did, Zana clutched his hand fiercely and hoisted him towards herself, yanking him into the mental sanctuary she had crafted. Thelian would find himself in evergreen fields with a blue sky and sunshine all around. He would see the deep shadows and darkness of his own mind far behind him.

For the first time since Dantooine, Thelian would hear nothing but silence in the plane of his thoughts. Zana smiled at him, “Stay as long as you want,” She said simply before she slowly faded away. He was left within that warm cocoon and a world more peaceful than he had experienced in perhaps years.

If all went according to plan, Zana returned to the present, still seated across from Thelian. When she looked at him, he was still in a meditative stance. His face, however, looked exceptionally peaceful. The twi’lek smiled at that before she rose to stand, leaving the room. He would be in a deep, healing meditation that would rejuvenate his body and give him back that energy the consistent lack of sleep had depleted from him.

@Altaris

 

[Thelian Lsai]

Despite his best efforts, Thelian was struggling to ignore his exhaustion at this point. The Echani practically stumbled as he sprang up from the couch, wobbling a bit as he straightened his back. The frostiness had all but vanished from his face, and it was clear that silver eyes constantly fought to remain more than half-lidded.

Without another word, the Echani began to stride right ahead – attempting to make his way towards the kitchen area of the ship. A few shots of espresso, dunking his head under cold water, and Thelian was confident he could drag himself along for a few more hours. He knew he couldn’t avoid sleep – and thus the nightmares - forever, but the Echani would stave it off for as long as possible. It was the same, torturous ritual he put himself since Dantooine. It was the same ritual he expected he would be putting himself through for years to come.

Thelian only made it a few steps away from the couch before he stopped dead in his tracks – silver eyes going slightly wide – when Zana abruptly grabbed his wrist. The grip was gentle and not at all forceful – almost tender in nature – and he Echani made no attempted to pull away. He immediately turned to face the girl, quietly following as she led him back towards the common room.

He blinked a few times when she spoke. “Yeah,” He replied, squinting a bit. Thelian did remember Master Oola’s lessons – if only due to the fact that he recalled being bored out of his mind each and every time. The Echani was known for habitually skipping classes, no matter how many times he was reprimanded for doing so. On the few occasions that the Echani did show up for one of those classes, he usually used the opportunity to take a quick nap in the middle of the day – often relying on his Zabrak partner in crime to avoid getting caught. Though to be honest, Thelian was fairly confident that he could’ve gotten away with sleeping even without his buddy’s help. The Bothian Jedi Master was ancient, after all. “I also distinctly remember you sitting at the front asking questions every five seconds.”

It was always Zana and one Mikkian girl in particular, seated as close to the front as possible and practically battling to see who could get their hand in the air first. This was often to the immense dismay of other students, due to the fact that Master Oola was known for being overly longwinded in his answers.

He shook his head slightly, taking a seat on the floor. “You’ll do the rest..?” The Echani immediately looked skeptical, but nevertheless followed her instructions without much more backtalk. Silver eyes fluttered closed, and Thelian began to clear his thoughts. As predicted, it took the Echani multiple attempts to completely silence his mind – struggling with a task that often came easy to many Jedi. It took him multiple tries, but Thelian finally achieved his objective – suddenly transported into the plane of his own mind.

When Thelian opened his mind once more, the common room and the ship had vanished – replaced by a new scene entirely. The Echani knew he was back on Dantooine, though it was a far more twisted image of that day. The Jedi Base was little more than a smoldering ruin behind him, and the endless field of tall grasses had been set ablaze – clouding the air all around him with thick, black smoke. And within the smoke, hiding just beyond sight, were all the horrors that haunted his mind. It was the same place he’d visited a dozen times or more in the past, and yet there was a single, important detail that had changed. There was a new source of light amongst the smoke and flames – a sense of warmth that reached out to him.

Zana.

Thelian finally turned to face Zana when she beckoned him forward, allowing the twi’lek girl the first real glimpse at his face. Within the plane of his own mind, there were no icy walls or barriers for Thelian to hide behind. There were no deadpan expressions or broody, intimidating stares to deter any attention. Within his own mind, Thelian was left completely bare and exposed for the twi’lek to see, and in that moment, she would see one emotion from him that she’d simply never witnessed before.

Terror.

For the first time, Zana would be able to see the overwhelming fear that gripped the Echani, manifesting plain as day in this plane. How his body seemed to tremble in place and his knees threatened to give out beneath him. How those normally frigid, unwavering silver eyes had become exceptionally wide with terror. For the first time, Zana would see the tears that stained his cheeks and fell the ground beneath him.

“I can’t..” The words were nothing but a faint whisper, and yet somehow they carried far enough for Zana to hear. She would be able to hear how his voice cracked when he spoke, and the way that somehow, the Echani looked so very small amongst the burning fields and rising smoke. Despite his own words, despite the doubts that threatened to overwhelm him, Thelian forced himself to take that first step through the smoke and flames – towards the single source of light to cling to. Each step felt like dragging his feet through concrete, his arms exceptionally heavy at his sides.

From Zana’s perspective, she would be able to see the literal tendrils that attempted to hold him in place – the black smoke all around him twisting into blackened chains that wrapped around his body, attempting to drag him backwards and into the abyss. Despite Zana’s attempts not to look, the darkness nevertheless creeped into view – and should her concentration slip for even a moment, she would clearly see the horror’s that lurked within the Echani’s mind.

Zana would be able to see the precise moment that Aadya had plunged her saber into Thelian’s shoulder, crimson plasma carving through flesh and muscle. She would see moment when Senin’s lightning coursed through the Echani’s body, his muscles spasming and limbs contorting into unnatural positions. The twi’lek would be able to see, and feel, just how alone Thelian was on that battlefield, completely overlooked and abandoned by Hannibal.

All of the horror and trauma of Dantooine was laid out for the twi’lek to see if she so chose, and if she dared to look a bit deeper, she would see images that ran far deeper.

Amongst the twisting plumes of smoke, Zana would be able to see Thelian not as he was today, but as he was a few years ago. The Echani was far mor scrawny and dirty, the clothes on his back clearly the only ones he owned. Zana would be able to clearly see the moments of Thelian sleeping in the same kind of disgusting, trash-filled alleyways that they had trekked through at the refueling station. She would be able to see moments of the Echani digging through dumpsters for scraps of food, or pickpocketing random civilians to survive – nothing more than a streetrat of no value.

It was everything that Thelian had once been, and tried to put behind him. Everything that the voices in his mind reminded him that he would be nothing more than.

A bit deeper into the smoke, and Zana would briefly catch a glimpse of the white-haired woman from the picture, holding Thelian in a tight embrace – mother and son desperately clinging together. And Zana would see the precise moment he was torn from her arms.

Desperately, Thelian forced himself to put one foot in front of the other – dragging his way through his own twisted mindscape and towards Zana. As the Echani grew closer, the chorus of sounds – emitting all around him only grew louder – loud enough for Zana to hear clearly. The twisted, sickening laughter of Hannibal, overlaying with the screams of civilians. The screams of the little boy, watching his mother torn to shreds by a Jedi Master’s negligence. And amongst the screams and cries, Zana would be able to hear another voice – the familiarly deep tone of Thelian – echoing in the background, begging for it all to stop.

The screams and sounds of battle roared, and there were whispers that wove between the chorus – dark ruminations that raked and clawed at the Echani’s mind. Seeds that had been planted deep by Darth Raze, and had only festered and grown in the weeks since that day. As Thelian drew ever closer, Zana too would be able to hear them scratching at her mind.

Give me a kiss!


“Stop it.” He muttered.


Do you not wish to break him?


“Stop.”


Give me a kiss!


“Please..”

The whispers seemed to grow louder and louder with each repetition, booming in the Echani’s ears until he ears started to ring. Eventually, the flurry of whispers began to unify into a single, horrifying chant. They zeroed in on the thing that cut the Echani the worst, and Zana would know it. It cut him his very core, because in Thelian’s heart, he knew it to be true.


You are so alone.


That single phrase pounded against Thelian, hammering him with each and every step he took. It was as if the weight of the galaxy pressed against his shoulders, threatening to crush him like the insignificant insect that he was. And even still, step by step, Thelian moved closer. It would feel as if an eternity had passed, but Thelian finally reached Zana - grasping onto her hand the moment it was within each, a bit more desperation in the grasp that she'd ever witnessed from him.

Immediately, Thelian felt himself pulled into the mental sanctuary that Zana had crafted – silver eyes wandering across the paradisal landscapes of verdant fields, cloudless skies and of sunshine that showered him with warmth. Most importantly, Thelian focused upon the peaceful, soothing silence that filled the air.There were no screams or agonized cries of battle. There were no whispers to claw at his mind.

Only a peace and tranquility that the Echani hadn’t known for years.

In that moment, Thelian was simply incapable of words – stunned silence washing over him as silver eyes scanned the horizon. He briefly glanced back to Zana when she spoke, staring at the twi’lek girl as she suddenly faded from his mind. As soon as she was gone, Thelian allowed his body to fall backwards – collapsing onto his back against the soft, rustling grasses - silver eyes turned upwards to gaze at the sky.

On the physical surface, the Echani remained in that same meditative pose – his eyes closed and body unmoving. Nevertheless, there was an exceptionally peaceful look on his face - all of the underlying frost and broody demeanor, in that moment, melted away.

Hours would pass before Thelian finally roused from his meditation, taking his time to fully replenish his strength and energy. It had been weeks since the Echani had been able to sleep more than a few hours at night, and this was the first opportunity for him to fully recuperate. When the Echani exited from the mental sanctuary and rose back to his feet, it was clear that the exhaustion had finally abated.

Without a single word, Thelian began to make his way out of the common room, moving to locate Zana wherever she had wandered off while he meditated. There was a definitive purpose behind his steps, his pace quickening until he finally found the twi'lek. He proceeded to stride right up to her, silver eyes fixated onto the girl intensely. Without warning, the Echani grabbed Zana by the shoulders and pulled the twi’lek against his chest, wrapping his arms around her smaller body and hugging her tightly.

"Thank you.."

 

[Zana Ari]

Zana had walked away from the common room confidently enough. However, the moment she stepped into the hallway, she all but collapsed to the floor. No amount of training and her mental state of being could have prepared her for the horrors she saw within Thelian’s mind. Out of respect for his privacy, she had avoided looking, but it was impossible when the monsters and chaos within his mind lunged out towards her. The sight of Thelian’s tear stained face, the voices that echoed, the extent of his injuries, all of it came crashing down at once.

For a long time, Zana simply hugged her legs to herself, pressing her forehead into her knees to sob and pour out all her emotions. Her own trauma had been locked away in a neat little box, and some of it began to seep through the cracks. She was reminded all over again of the screams she had heard that day so many years ago. They overlapped with the agony she experienced within Thelian’s mind, the thoughts that chased after him and refused to let go. She knew then why he never slept. Why it was torture to ever escape within his own mind. He was locked out of the only true sanctuary a sentient being ever had - the private confines of their thoughts. Even that little sliver was snatched from him.

Hours passed and she remained where she was before she finally wiped her face off and rose to her feet, making her way to the kitchen area. Zana began looking for food, finding nothing but gross-looking instant meals. Soon enough, however, she had some powdered eggs and hashbrowns cooking. Naturally, she burned half of it, but was taking great care of the portion she managed to salvage.

Zana looked up when she saw Thelian approaching. She blinked a few times, grinning sheepishly at the smell of burnt food, “Did the meditation help-” She paused when he abruptly closed the distance and pulled her into an embrace. The spatula fell from her grasp from shock, her face burying against his chest. Though she stiffly stood there for a second, the weight of everything came crashing down again. Zana wrapped her arms around him in turn, saying nothing for a long moment. The sizzle of her cooking attempt resounded in the background, but she ignored it, simply holding him back as long as he held her.

The twi’lek drew back after a long moment, stepping back to smile at him. There was a look of silent understanding there. No questions, no prodding, no mentioning what she saw, nothing.

“Whenever I get nervous,” She said simply, eyeing him curiously for a few seconds, “I do that lekku thing whenever I get nervous.”

Zana said nothing else, smiling at him again before going over to salvage anything that wasn’t burned just yet after rinsing off the dropped spatula.

“This will taste pretty bad, but it might actually be better than the slop at the academy cafeteria,” She said as she hopefully scooped spoonfuls of eggs and hashbrowns into plates for them both.

@Altaris

 

[Thelian Lsai]

Thelian strode from the common room, and there was a clear purpose in every step. He knew exactly where he was going and what he wanted to do in that moment, silver eyes fixated strictly ahead of him. The moment he stepped into the kitchen and Zana was within reach, Thelian yanked her into that exceptionally tight embrace, practically squeezing the breath out of her in the process.

He uttered his gratitude, and the Echani was completely silent after that – even as the spatula hit the ground and the sound of half-burnt eggs filled his nostrils. There were no words that were spoken, and there didn’t need to be. Zana had seen into his mind, and witnessed all the horrors that haunted him. She knew all the reasons why he avoided sleep as long as possible, torturing himself in the process. Zana would know that she something that had been snatched away since Dantooine. For that, Thelian would forever be indebted to her.

When they finally drew back, Thelian looked down at the twi’lek for a long moment. There was a distinct wateriness to the Echani’s eyes at that moment, and a faint smile brushed at the corners of his lips – meeting the expression that seemed to come so easily to Zana.

Thelian arched a brow when Zana spoke again, finally answering his question about her constant fiddling with her lekku. “Didn’t realize I made you so nervous,” He replied, giving a light shrug of his shoulders. The passive expression on his face had returned by now, though his words perfectly portrayed the shit-eating grin that he likely had to suppress.

His attention then flicked to the food, silvers suddenly going a bit wider than before. It had been well over a day since they’d eaten anything other than granola, and the Echani didn’t quite realize how hungry he was. At this point, Thelian probably would’ve eaten the instant meals, as well as the box they came in. “Food is food,” He said flatly, proceeding to reach over and swipe a chunk of egg out of the pan – not seeming to mind the fact that it was completely burnt on the bottom.

Given some of the things that Thelian had eaten over the years, it was unlikely Zana could do anything to those eggs that would completely dissuade him. Even less so because he was starving.

Taking the plate from her hands, Thelian didn’t even bother sitting down – casually pacing around the kitchen while he shoved a large spoonful of eggs and potatoes into his mouth, chewing a bit louder than necessary.

“So, any guesses on where we’re headed?” He spoke in-between chewing. “Maybe we'll get lucky and still be in Alliance territory. Pick up some supplies on a friendly planet before we set course for the actual destination.”

 

[Zana Ari]

Zana still looked at him warmly after telling him about the lekku fiddling. Of course, he came back with a quip that made her face turn a shade of purple. However, instead of turning away, this time she playfully shoved his shoulder, laughing softly, “Shut up, idiot,” The smile lingered on her face longer this time than it normally would.

The twi’lek hummed one of those Induparan songs as she scooped eggs for both of them. Zana plopped down at one of the counter seats, nibbling on the food that wasn’t as bad as it looked. She scrunched her face up as she heard Thelian chewing. Zana’s eyes narrowed, but she knew he would only chew louder if she said anything. She simply rolled her eyes and kept eating her own food, scrolling through her datapad.

When he spoke, Zana paused, her eyes widening slightly, “Uh...well I think it’ll put us right at the fringe of Alliance space,” The twi’lek was quiet for a moment, pushing along a piece of egg on her plate, “You...You still want to go? I figured you’d want to hitch the quickest ride back to Yavin,” Zana looked down at her plate, sighing, “Nothing has gone right since we left.”

@Altaris

 

[Thelian Lsai]

Thelian could hardly contain the smug, satisfied look on his face – clearly noting the way Zana’s face changed to a new shade of purple. There was something about the flustered reaction that always draw the Echani’s attention longer than it should have, and this time was no different. The playful shove, and the way her smile lingered, however, caught the Echani entirely off guard. A tinge of red brushed his pale cheeks at once, followed by Thelian quickly looking back to the eggs, feeling the need to clear his throat a few times.

Clearly the Echani was battling some kind of lingering cough.

It very quickly became clear that Thelian was better at masking his exhaustion then he was his hunger. As soon as the food was served, he dove right in – alternating between eggs and hashbrowns with little pause in between. If Zana expected any kind of refined table manners from the Echani, she would quickly be disappointed – met instead by his elbows planted flatly on the table, his loud chewing, and the sight of him shoving food into an endless void.

Growing up, food was very rarely a guarantee – going plenty of nights in a row with an empty stomach. Consistent meals were one of the simple luxuries that the Echani would never quite take for granted, and it was clear that dude liked to eat. Not to mention, the food Zana cooked was far better than it looked. Quite frankly, even if the entire damn thing was burnt, Thelian probably will would’ve eaten it.

Thelian was silent – at least verbally, anyway – when Zana spoke, taking a few more minutes to chew his food. Mercifully, the Echani didn’t stuff his face again before answering. “Nope, not a damn thing,” He replied flatly, agreeing with her assessment on their lack of success. “But your stupid ass plan hasn’t gotten us killed yet, and its better than twiddling my damn thumbs back at the temple. So why not?” He shrugged, leaning back in his chair. The Echani pushed off the ground with his foot, balancing the sturdy chair in its two back legs.

He paused for another moment, silvers fixated onto a random point on the wall. “You saw into my head,” He muttered, clearly not intending to elaborate any further on that specific point. She would either catch his meaning or she wouldn’t. “So you should know why I think having shit from your past is important.”

With that, Thelian finally turned his attention back to his plate – allowing his chair to fall back forward with a thud. He would only have a few seconds to shovel before the ship was filled with a sharp beeping coming from the cockpit – indicating that the ship was close to exiting hyperspace.

They were about to find out exactly where they’d set a course for.

A few moments would pass, and Thelian finally arrived back within the cockpit, seating himself - naturally - within the pilots chair. The vortex of stars continued to swirl all around them for several seconds more, before the ship finally lurched out of hyperspace.

The moment it did, the little color on Thelian’s face drained away. The barren, desert world ahead of them was unlike any Thelian knew off of the top of his head, and the appearance of Imperial Star Destroyers stationed in orbit left little mystery to the fact that this was most definitely not FWA territory.

“Uh…”

@Sreeya

 

[Zana Ari]

Zana glanced over at him a few times, first annoyed by his eating habits. However, once she looked for a moment, she saw beyond that. She began to realize that he was actually thoroughly enjoying and wolfing down food she had cooked. It was a simple bit of cooking, yes, but there was something oddly endearing about seeing someone shovel down food she had made. The twi’lek only smiled briefly before looking down at her datapad, not commenting at all on his obnoxious noises.

His roundabout way of answering her question and padding it with how he supposedly would be bored at the temple otherwise would have been spotted by someone older and wiser than she was. However, she took his words at face value and simply chuckled, rolling her eyes, “Yeah, I guess this has allowed you more opportunities to beat people up and space them,” Zana quirked a brow at him before finishing up her meal. She stood up and began to clear both their plates, knowing fully well Thelian wouldn’t help whatsoever.

Zana paused for a moment when he mentioned her being in his mind. She tilted her head to look back at him, “I mainly saw just you. I blocked out the rest,” She answered truthfully, “I...don’t want to just know everything. I only want to know things you would tell me yourself,” Zana was surprised he was unfazed by what she may have seen, but her tone made it clear she had largely seen only him and heard the voices from Dantooine. She smiled sadly at him, “But...thank you for understanding why this is important to me all the same.”

The beeping of coming out of hyperspace resounded and Zana quickly put the dishes away before following Thelian into the cockpit. Her jaw actually dropped when she saw him casually plopping down in the pilot seat.

“Are you kidding me?! After you landed us into this mess in the first place? Get up!! I’m not asking again,” Zana stormed over to him, “I don’t care how many times you have to clear your throat, I’m sitting on your stupid ass if you don’t move.”

It was clear the twi’lek would bicker with him all the way through almost jumping out of hyperspace. She was not going to ease off on this. Once she was back at the controls, Zana took over manual control, having studied the hell out of the instructions on piloting the ship. To Thelian’s surprise, she was actually maneuvering the ship quite well.

It wasn’t long before she spotted the destroyers. Zana leaned forward in her seat, “Did we show up in the middle of an invasion?!” She all but screeched, her voice high pitched. However, after a while, she realized that they were simply standard defense fleets. As their ship was a regular transport ship, it was small and unremarkable enough to get through without needing to announce. They had no choice but to park and refuel.

“Well,” Zana said, clearing her throat, “It appears we may be a bit past Alliance space,” The twi’lek didn’t look at Thelian, panic clear on her face.

As they arrived on the surface of the planet, she could make out vast deserts. Zana found a main space port and eased the ship in, circling around a few times before she found the confidence to park it right. It was jerkier than intended, but she managed to avoid crashing. Zana exhaled, not even realizing she had been holding her breath.

“Okay...okay…” She blinked, looking out to see all the Imperials wandering around in the port. Zana looked over at Thelian, “Think the soldiers had some extra uniforms we could borrow?”

@Altaris

 

[Thelian Lsai]

Thelian glanced up from his food, pausing mid-chew to stare at Zana when she spoke. He blinked a few times, unable to help rolling his eyes. “Don’t you mean both of us?” He stated flatly, silver eyes narrowing ever-so-slightly on the twi’lek. “Or did you forget you were the one who smacked that fucker with a frying pan, and then hogtied him with zipties?” He arched a brow at her, though a half-grin gradually worked its way onto his face.

He watched as Zana stood up and began to clear both of their plates. As expected, the Echani was entirely worthless as she did so – leaning back in his chair and proceeding to idly pick his teeth while she did her thing.

The Echani paused when Zana tilted her head back and spoke once again. Silver eyes went a bit wide at the her words, clearly catching him by surprise. Thelian had truthfully expected Zana to have seen everything there was to seee. He had expected her to have seen all the things that haunted his mind and all the things that made him weak, despite whatever frosty exterior he projected. The fact that she didn’t – that she had purposefully focused on him, only wishing to know what he freely divulged – was something the Echani wouldn’t easily forget.

He blinked a few times when she smiled sadly, thanking him for understanding. Thelian stared down at his eggs for a few moments, lifting a hand to idly rub the back of his neck. “Yeah don’t mention it..” He muttered softly.

Naturally, the Echani more than a little bit pleased that beeping started when it did – sparing him from looking any more awkward in that moment. Thelian didn’t think twice before plopping himself into the pilot’s seat – completely glazing over the fact that, in reality, he was the one who had gotten them into this mess in the first place. The Echani was prepared to take charge, only to spot Zana stomping towards him like a pissed-off rancor.

Thelian couldn’t help but go wide eyed, staring at her with a comically stupid expression when she went off. To her surprise, the Echani actually did as he was told – quickly pushing out of his seat and getting out of her way. “Alright alright, I’m moving.” He muttered. He didn’t argue after that, determined not to have a repeat of his awkward moment from earlier.

He narrowed his eyes slightly when she mentioned them no longer being in Alliance space. “Really, Zana? I never would’ve fuckin’ guessed.” He dramatically swept his arm out in front of him, gesturing to the defensive fleet surrounding the planet. “Any other astute observations for me?” He grumbled.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but stare with mild amazement, watching as Zana guided the ship down for a mostly smooth landing. Despite not being able to fly worth shit himself, Thelian fully expected that Zana would somehow be worse and send them crashing into a nearby mountainside.

Instead, Thelian watched as the ship touched down within the spaceport, silver eyes cautiously flicking between the various imperials who maneuvered through the station. While Thelian had managed to remain cool as a cucumber the last time they landed, even he couldn’t deny feeling a bit nervous with their current predicament.

He glanced at Zana when she spoke again, mentioning the uniforms. “Nothing that is going to fit your shrimp ass.” He stated dryly, pushing himself out of the co-pilot’s seat and proceeding to make his way towards the crew quarters.

A few minutes would pass before the two emerged once again, stepping down the ramp into the busy starport. The Echani was dressed in standard imperial armor – a trooper helmet concealing his stark white features. Luckily for Thelian, he was of a standard height and decently muscular – meaning that the extra uniform fit to his body relatively well. Zana, on the other hand? As predicted, the twi’lek’s armor was loose and clunky on her smaller body – clinking around loudly as she moved.

“You look ridiculous.” He muttered dryly, blinking a few times at her before turning his attention back to the spaceport ahead.

@Sreeya

 

[Zana Ari]

Zana remained purposely quiet as Thelian had his long sarcastic theatrics. He wasn’t exactly wrong, but it didn’t change the fact that she was certainly panicking right now. Or that he was testing her patience.

“Your left shoe has a tear on the side,” She stated icily when he asked if she had any other astute observations to make. Zana had purposely not said anything before, knowing it would send him into hysterics based on his reaction in the alley. The twi’lek pointedly ignored him the rest of the time, though she did wonder how she was going to fit her head into any helmet.

Instead, Zana tied a bandana around the lower hemisphere of her face. She decided she would explain she was returning from a planet that had potential exposure to some toxins if she were asked. The twi’lek looked at Thelian as he pointedly told her she looked ridiculous in the armor for the rest of her body. She was going to open her mouth to quip back, but she decided to try something else. Zana’s gaze tilted down and then back up till she looked into his eyes, arms crossed over her chest.

“Well I think you look hot,” Zana stated flatly before she descended down the ramp. With any luck, that would buy her some blissful peace and quiet without his insufferable commentary.

The twi’lek began to walk around the ship towards a refueling pump. With any luck, the trip would be a quick in and out. The only complication was that she actually didn’t know Ajan Kloss’s coordinates. She was only a child when she was evacuated, and the Jedi made a point of hiding the knowledge to prevent exactly what she was attempting.

Zana paused as she looked at the refueling pump, doing some quick math before groaning, “We can’t afford this! Fuel prices are ridiculous here!” She wondered if it had something to do with the news going crazy about sanctions into Sith space?

@Altaris

 

[Thelian Lsai]

Thelian practically growled his words, silver eyes narrowed sharply as he gestured to the Star Destroyers station above the planet. Not that he knew what plan they were on, of course. Despite maintaining his frigid exterior, the Echani couldn’t help but panic internally. They were neck-deep in enemy territory, and the amount of danger they were now faced had triples in a matter of minutes.

Naturally, his internal fears manifested as the intense sarcasm that dripped from his tone.

Silver eyes snapped back to Zana when she did, in fact, have another astute observation for him. He blinked a few times, staring at her for a moment as if he didn’t understand what was said. “Huh?—” He finally registered the statement and glanced down at his left sneaker, silver eyes fixating on the large gash in the side of his sneaker, widening with terror. Thelian really didn’t know how he didn’t notice his toe sticking out of the shoe until Zana curtly pointed it out.

“SON OF A BITCH! PIECE OF FUCKIN—” He screeched down at his own shoe, starting off on a string creative of profanities that put the vocabulary of even the worst space pirates to shame. Like his boxing wraps, those sneakers were one of the few possessions that Thelian genuinely treasured as something for himself.

Thelian managed to chill out by the time they stepped down the ramp and into the busy spaceport, though the pure and unadulterated grump on his features had long since returned. Even within spaceport, the heat of the barren, mysterious planet was oppressive, which only made the heavy armor he wore all the more unbearable.

He made his snide comment, and wholeheartedly expected to get a fiery response. Instead, Thelian went wide-eyed behind his helmet when Zana looked him up and down and flatly stated he looked hot. Whether or not the words were genuine, it was enough to leave the Echani completely flustered and stunned into silence. Thanks to the helmet he wore, Zana would not be able to see the comically stupid expression on Thelian’s face at that moment – nor the way his pale face went tomato red. Instead, all she would see if his helmet lingering in her direction, as well as the muffled clearing of his throat that echoed through the mechanized filter.

As expected, Zana’s comment afforded her a solid five minutes of complete silence from the Echani – quietly following along as they made their way towards the refueling pump. He squinted at the prices listed, pausing for a moment when Zana spoke.

“Who the hell said anything about us affording anything?” He narrowed his eyes at Zana behind that helmet, staring at her for several long moments. Once again, when in doubt, Thelian defaulted upon being an actual crook to solve his problems. “All we need is to spot one of these fuckers with loose pockets and we’re golden.” He turned to look around the spaceport, eventually stopping to subtly point out one guy in particular who was leaned against a pillar. “Like that idiot with his back turned.”

He grumbled, sighing under his breath. “Our bigger problem is getting where we need to go. I don’t know the coordinates off the top of my head, and I doubt you do either.” He scratched the back of his neck, thinking for a moment. “Maybe we commandeer a pilot droid and take it back to the ship? Or try to swipe the coordinates from someone..”

Thelian immediately stopped talking as he glanced to his right, noticing two Imperial troopers staring directly at them suspiciously from across the way. Clearly, the twi’lek’s bandana had already caught the attention of others within the spaceport. Unfortunately, the two hadn’t discussed Zana’s little alibi in case she was questioned, so he took matters into his own hands. He straightened a bit, proceeding to awkwardly bring his hand up to salute the other two soldiers. “Uh.. Long live the Empire?”

The two troopers glanced between one another before looking back to the pair.

@Sreeya

 

[Zana Ari]

Thelian could practically see Zana’s eyes go wide enough to where they would almost fall out. Despite how much time she had spent with him, she was still in awe of him defaulting to mugging or maiming others to get his way. The twi’lek shook her head, but ultimately said nothing. She opened her mouth to say something when they arrived at the troopers only to have Thelian blurt out some patriotism. Zana stared at him for a moment, seriously debating on whether this was any better or worse than their infamous bird calls.

The troopers began to walk towards them and Zana did some quick thinking. Every single invasion she had learned about had always been led by the Sith. The Sith played the roles of generals and officers while the Imperials were the enlisted support. The twi’lek cleared her throat, putting on her best adult voice.

“You two,” She said, her tone surprisingly commanding, “I require passage to Ajan Kloss at once.”

The troopers looked at one another. One of them scoffed and looked back at Zana.

“Who the hell do you-”

Zana coiled the Force around the trooper and pulled him towards herself. As a result, he skidded across the smooth surface of the floor, his arms flailing slightly as he did so. She released him when he was only a foot away.

“I do not like to be questioned,” She said with a hiss. Her naturally golden eyes narrowed, selling the role even more.

“I-uh-y-yes, my lady-” He stammered, “Y-You can use our transport. There is already an assigned pilot droid and astromech, you simply need to tell it where you wish to go...er...my lady..”

“Good,” Zana said simply as the trooper handed over the ship keys and the proper requisition orders to show the droid. The twi’lek walked right past him, without bothering to look at Thelian.

She shuffled up the ramp and waited for Thelian to enter before finally exhaling the breath she didn’t know she was holding. Zana collapsed to sit on the ground, her entire body trembling from the experience. Whatever she did, the way the Imperial genuinely feared her...She knew that wasn’t her. Zana hugged her knees to herself, exhaling in quick, shallow breaths in what was a clear anxiety attack.

@Altaris

 

[Thelian Lsai]

Thelian couldn’t help but blink a few times, looking almost surprised at the words that flowed freely from his lips. While the impromptu patriotism sounded perfectly good in his head, the Echani immediately cursed himself as soon as it was verbalized – very clearly sparking the suspicion of the troopers. There was no denying that the Echani was slightly more nervous than usual – quite literally knee-deep in hostile territory - and it manifested in his less-than-smart decision making. Honestly, he may as well have tried a birdcall.

What the actual fuck was that, Thelian?

Silver eyes went wide behind the helmet he wore, watching almost in slow motion as the Sith troopers began to approach them. He knew that their cover was – if it wasn’t already - about to be blown, and Thelian immediately began to scan the surrounding spaceport – trying to piece together their escape route. His gaze rapidly flicked around for some alleyway or side street that could book it for, before then snapping back towards the crowd.

With split-second consideration, the Echani attempted to gauge the likelihood of him and Zana being able to disappear into the ever-shifting flow of people, his helmet turned and fixated in that direction for a moment. While the Echani was largely anonymous with the armor, he knew that Zana would be spotted before long.

Naturally, the Echani’s attention was very quickly brought ahead when Zana began speaking – her naturally bubbly and upbeat voice suddenly taking on a more serious tone. Luckily, the helmet that he wore masked the completely stunned expression on his face. Thelian’s mind had immediately gone towards fleeing through the streets like some kind of petty thief, so naturally the idea of actually trying to sell their roles went right over his head.

Thelian’s jaw proceeded to drop when Zana suddenly coiled the Force around the trooper, pulling him close as she hissed her commands. It was the complete, polar opposite to how the twi’lek usually behaved, and it caught the Echani just as much off guard as the trooper being rag-dolled around. To his credit, after a solid five seconds of gawking like a dumbass, Thelian managed to straighten his back and do his best to stand at attention. Very helpful.

He followed closely as Zana began to walk towards the ship, letting out a sigh of relief as soon as the troopers were behind them. As soon as they were up the ramp, the Echani pulled the helmet off of his head. Even the brief exposure to the Korriban heat – not that he even realized this was Korriban – was enough to leave the Echani’s snowy hair damp with sweat.

He blinked a few times as Zana curled up onto the floor in front of him, her body trembling in what was very clearly an anxiety attack. While Thelian felt an overwhelming urge to name Zana a badass for what she just did, somehow, the Echani had the sense to bite his tongue.

"Uh..” He muttered, staring down at his own feet for a moment. It was abundantly clear that the Echani didn’t quite know what to say in these situations. Words of comfort never came easily to him, and this was no exception. He chewed on his bottom lip for a few seconds, looking a bit awkward before taking a step forward.

Without another word, the Echani sat down on the floor in front of Zana and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, loosely pulling the girl close and hugging her against his shoulder. For a few moments, Thelian simply held her loosely - pointedly staring at a blank portion of the ship's interior ahead of them.

“You really saved our asses back there.” He finally muttered flatly, silver eyes flicking over to Zana.

@Sreeya

 

[Zana Ari]

Zana’s chest rapidly rose and fell as she was having a full blown panic attack. She was barely aware of Thelian standing there or any of their surroundings. It was as if the realization of where they were, who they were pretending to be and what she had done all came crashing down. The twi’lek stared at the floor, trying to call upon all her classes and teachings. She slowly began to steady her breathing, still in disbelief over her own actions.

Her eyes widened when she felt Thelian wrap an arm around her, easily tugged closer to the Echani. While Thelian may not have known how to offer comforting words, that gesture certainly crashed her train of thoughts to pull her out of her spiral. Zana stared ahead for a moment, her breathing finally returning to normal. She didn’t draw away from him, finding a sense of comfort in his warmth.

There was nothing but silence after he spoke. After a long moment, she finally turned to look at him, “What happened out there...that’s not me..” She said very quietly as if attempting to convince herself, “I know it’s silly and nothing compared to what you faced in Dantooine. But seeing that soldier so...terrified of me and trembling like that really bothered me.”

Zana sighed and shook her head, easing herself out of his grip, “You don’t care about this feelsy stuff, I know. I’ll stop,” She slowly rose to her feet, looking at the ground dejectedly as she began to make her way towards the crew quarters. The ship engines began to hum as the droid prepared to take off.

@Altaris

 

[Thelian Lsai]

Truth be told, Thelian didn’t know what the hell he was doing at that moment. When it came to offering comforting words, the Echani drew a complete blank - left gawking like an idiot as he fruitlessly searched for something to say. Even as he moved to wrap an arm around the twi’lek, there was no lack of hesitation on Thelian’s part – as if attempting to gauge if his actions were the right ones. While he said nothing, the Echani was prepared in case Zana snap or shove him away.

He kept his silver gaze fixated strictly ahead, staring holes into a completely blank section of the wall. The Echani didn’t know what the right thing to do was in this situation, and so Thelian simply followed his gut and did what he felt – wrapping an arm around Zana and tugging her close to his chest.

It was exactly the type of comfort that Thelian had craved all those years spent on his own, and it was the only thing the usually-moody teenager could think to do in that moment.

He was quiet when Zana started to speak, chewing on the inside of his lip.

“That isn’t you,” He muttered, briefly glancing down to meet those golden eyes. “You just did what you had to do, and we’re both here because you thought on your feet and acted.” There was no sarcasm. No condescending edge to his words. It was one of the rare moments when Thelian was entirely genuine and raw – even if his words carried a somewhat abrasive, straightforward tone.

He blinked a few times, watching as Zana spoke once again, slowly starting to ease herself out of his grip. Without really thinking, Thelian reached forward and grabbed onto the twi’lek’s wrist before she could reach her full height.

“I’m here, aren’t I?” He said in response to her dismissive words, silver eyes fixated onto Zana and nothing else on the ship – completely ignoring the sound of the engine roaring of the mechanical beeps and chirms coming from the engine room.

The Echani lingered in place for a few moments before glancing down to his hand, blinking a few times. With an almost guilty look on his face, and without another word, Thelian slowly released the twi’lek’s wrist and curled his fingers inward, allowing his arm to drop back to his side. He allowed Zana to walk off or go wherever she so choose at that point, once more staring ahead at that familiar point on the wall.

A few moments more, and Thelian gradually rose up to his feet – finally taking a moment to stare down at the suit of armor he was wearing. While the duraplast suit was little more than standard issue in Imperial space, it was quite a rare find in the Free Territories and Republic – making it a rather valuable collectors item.

He blinked a few more times, and suddenly the Echani could hear credits clinking together in his head.

@Sreeya

 

[Zana Ari]

“Can’t Sith say that?” She asked quietly in response to his comments, “Can’t Sith say they do what they have to?” Zana exhaled, “What makes me any different?”

She was caught entirely off guard when Thelian grasped her wrist to keep her from walking. Zana looked back at the teen, her eyes visibly wide. She didn’t pull away, staring at him for a few seconds. Her heart thundered against her chest for inexplicable reasons and she blinked rapidly a few times. Zana’s expression softened as she looked at him, a faint smile appearing on her face.

“You are here..” She repeated barely audibly. For a moment she simply held his gaze. She began to take a step forward, but her courage evaporated. As soon as he released her wrist, Zana idly fiddled with her lekku, spinning on her heel to quickly shuffle away. Her face was burning hot and several shades of purple.

For a moment, Thelian was left to his petty criminal thoughts of hocking the Imperial armor. Zana found herself next to the droid in the cockpit. After a while, the ship jerked into hyperspace, positioned to arrive on Ajan Kloss in just a few days.

Zana left the cockpit and ventured back towards the crew quarters. Unlike the last ship, this one was well furnished and packed full of extra clothing and amenities. There was even a section of the cargo hold repurposed into a gym. Zana was giving herself a small tour until she found Thelian again.

“We’ll arrive in about two days,” She blurted out. While her panic had passed, she suddenly found herself seeking him out for no apparent reason.

@Altaris

 

[Thelian Lsai]

Thelian opened his mouth and closed it rapidly when Zana spoke, once more opting to chew on the inside of his lip. He really didn’t have an answer to the question that Zana posed him – mulling it over for several long seconds in his mind.

The Echani had been to Dantooine, and had been the Sith in action. He had seen the cruel way that Raze had murdered that mother in front of her child, and he had been on the receiving end of the Sith Lord’s mental manipulations. Perhaps Zana was right – perhaps Raze and the rest of the Sith truly did justify their actions are simply what was necessary.

It wasn't something he had an answer to, and so naturally, Thelian didn't linger on it.

There was no denying, Thelian was equally surprised by his own actions. There was no deep thought or consideration that went into the decision to grab Zana’s hand, done without a moment of hesitation. It was visceral and instinctive, and the Echani likely couldn’t explain it any better than Zana could if he asked. The only thing Thelian knew at that moment was he didn’t want see the twi’lek walk away, nor did he want to give reason to reaffirm the notion that he didn’t care.

Of course, when he started to care, and why he did at all, was something Thelian didn’t understand not even in the slightest.

Clearly battling some kind of lingering cough, Thelian felt the need to clear his throat a few times when Zana muttered under her breath, starting to take a step forward. He could practically feel his heart leap into his throat, pounding hard enough the Echani was convinced it was going to leave a dent in his ribcage. Worst of all, Thelian could feel as his face gradually started to go hot – his pale complexion quickly overtaken by that rare, beat-red tint.

He blinked a few times, watching as Zana once more began to idly fiddle with her lekku when he let go of her wrist. There was something about that simple, reoccurring gesture that always caught the Echani’s attention – once more gawking like an idiot as he cleared his throat.

His gaze lingered for a few moments more before he looked away, back to staring at the wall. That bright tint of red lingered on his face for long while, a color made all the more obvious by the boy’s naturally pale complexion. He pointedly kept his eyes fixated onto the wall in front of him and did not look at Zana as she walked off.

As if by holding very still, and not looking at the twi’lek, she somehow wouldn’t notice the way his face resembled a baboon’s ass.

Back on his feet, Thelian turned his attention to the armor that he was wearing – all of his flustered expression shifting to a look of genuine thoughtfulness. While the twi’lek was likely doing complex calculations and imputing commands into the navigation droid, Thelian was faced with an equally important and difficult dilemma.

Namely, whether it was more profitable to sell his current armor as a set, or individually pawn it off piece by piece.

Both options had their merits. As a full set, the suit was immensely valuable as a novelty item to interested collectors to set onto a rack – displayed in the penthouse of some Republic Senator or wealthy corporate elite. Additionally, someone looking to actually wear the damn thing would have the luxury of buying a complete suit of matching armor.

Of course, that isn’t to say selling individual components was half-bad either. As valuable as the full suit might’ve been, it was expensive. Selling a pair of gauntlets or a cuirass was easier on someone’s wallet, and would’ve been off his hands faster.

Not to mention, Thelian could easily mark up each piece for more. That way, by the time the entire thing was sold, he would’ve made more than if he sold it all together.A solid five minutes passed as Thelian stood in place, entirely lost within his petty crook train of thought – all while Zana blissfully toured the ship.

And, y’know, actually contributed to getting them moving.

A few more minutes would pass, and Thelian finally moved his ass past the ship entrance – putting away the idea of pawning his armor for the time being. The Echani didn’t bother touring the entire ship at the moment, glancing in a few opened doorways before miraculously stumbling upon the gym after the second or third try.

Bingo.

By the time Zana found Thelian again, the Echani was already gleefully surrounded by free weights, punching bags and cardio equipment – looking like a kid in a candy store. The boy often had to fight for space on the equipment back at the temple training facilities, but he had the entire place to himself here.

His attention snapped up to Zana when she spoke, pausing for a moment what he was doing. The Echani had already slipped out of the armor he was wearing, standing in a pair of baggy gym shorts. He was in the process of slipping a tank top over his torso, the fabric still bunched up in his hands when the twi’lek walked in.

“Two days?” He almost groaned, that grumpy expression back on his face by now. The Echani finished slipping the tanktop over his torso, tugging at the hem for a moment before looking back to Zana. “Well, what do you want to do in the meantime?” He shrugged.

“No more Prince in Paradise.”

@Sreeya

 

[Zana Ari]

Zana’s face turned violet once again when she realized Thelian was shirtless. She quickly spun around to give him privacy, but not before catching an eyeful. He was certainly better built than most padawans she had seen, and those tattoos actually looked quite- Zana shook her head, coughing a few times. She heard him groan about the time and her expression changed as she rolled her eyes. She intended to keep her back turned, but his quip about her show made her quickly turn around with a grumpy look on her face.

“Excuse me,” She said icily, “You didn’t mind it that much. And we’re definitely watching it because this week is supposed to be Saleucami’s Prince Korizin and I want to see if that bimbo Loxa finally gets booted off,” Zana crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. She looked at the gym around him.

“Besides, you’ve found your natural habitat,” She said dryly, “You’re never leaving here, so I don’t have to watch your stupid fight shows that are obviously staged and fake,” Zana said as if her shows weren’t scripted at all.

@Altaris

 

[Thelian Lsai]

In perhaps the most unsurprising twist of the century, Thelian was entirely oblivious to the fact that his being shirtless might’ve caught Zana off guard. The Echani padawan was used to being surrounded by other dudes in the gym and locker-rooms, where walking around without a shirt on was entirely normal. As a result, he had a comically stupid expression on his face when the twi’lek abruptly spun around, and it took him a minute to connect the dots as to why her face had gone several shades of purple.

“Relax,” He muttered dryly in her direction, pulling the tanktop over his shirtless torso. “Not like my ass is hangin’ out. I got pants on.” He rolled his eyes a bit, walking over to reach for a pair of boxing gloves that were hung over a rack – thicker padded and meant for going at the heavy bag at the far end of the room.

Thelian blinked a few times when Zana spun around, looking exceptionally grumpy in response to his remarks about Prince in Paradise. The Echani would never mention the fact that he had eventually flicked back to that wretched show, nor was he going to tell her the fate of that Pantoran she so hated.

“I tolerated it. Mostly the only other option was Rordon Gamsay cooking shows.” He grumbled, looking entirely unamused with the prospect. For as much as the dude liked to eat, Thelian hadn’t cooked a day in his life and thus didn’t really get much out of watching those types of shows.

His eyes narrowed slightly when Zana mentioned the latest drama unfolding in her favorite show. “I didn’t even fuckin’ know Saleucami had a prince, first of all. Second of all, the dude’s name sounds like a brand of hemorrhoid cream.” Thelian shook his head. “Who the hell are you even rootin’ for this round, anyway?” The Echani wasn’t exactly sure why he was interested, but the question seemed to slip from his lips before he could think about it.

“Abs don’t build themselves.” He muttered when Zana mentioned him finding his natural habitat. Of course, she wasn’t far off. Thelian probably spent more time in the gym than he did any of his classes, and the Echani had no shame in it. Of course, his silver eyes narrowed significantly when Zana started to disparage his fights.

“..Fake?” He almost gasped in disbelief.

Those were fighting words. Entire star systems and empires had gone to war over less offensive statements. Thelian could do nothing but stare completely dumbfounded for a solid ten seconds, blinking rapidly at Zana. After a few more moments, the Echani finally crossed his arms over his chest.

“There is nothing fake or staged about GFC fights. These are trained, professional athletes – no different from any other sport and those matches are completely legitimate. And besides, you’re really one to talk considering your choice in shows. You cannot fuckin’ convince me that those stupid-ass dates weren’t all scripted.”

He shook his head. “I swear, that Onderonian Prince looked like he was going to off himself during that date with Twila.” To his credit, Thelian wasn’t wrong. The last time they had sat down to watch it, the Onderonian Prince had looked visibly bored during the date with that Zeltron chick – proving that pheromones weren’t everything.

Of course, the Echani completely forgot that Zana was asleep during that segment.

Oblivious to his little slip up, Thelian strode forward towards Zana. “You know what? Fuck it. That’s exactly what we’re doing.” He removed the boxing gloves, tossing them back onto the bench where he was previously getting dressed. “I was going to watch the next line-up on the big screen in here, but no. We’re going to sit down any watch this shit together – just so I can prove you wrong.” Without another word, Thelian strode over and grabbed Zana's wrist, proceeded to guide her towards the living room area.

@Sreeya

 

[Zana Ari]

Zana’s jaw dropped at Thelian’s tirade. She crossed her arms over her chest, golden eyes narrowing.

“You seem to be an expert on hemorrhoid creams,” She cut in dryly, clearly unamused. When he remarked that abs didn’t build themselves, Zana’s face flushed purple again. She would never admit that she definitely caught a glance of his rather defined stomach. However, that was quickly eclipsed by his blasphemous accusations.

“Yeah well-” She paused suddenly, her eyes narrowing, “Wait a minute. What date with Twila? That didn’t happen while we were watching. That would have been during the next-” Zana was cut off as Thelian loudly continued on with his rant. She continued to eye him suspiciously, but said nothing else on the matter.

Zana opened her mouth to protest but simply sighed as he all but dragged her back towards the living room. The twi’lek sat down on the couch again, shaking her head as he flipped on the stupid show once more. She watched a few minutes of it, interjecting with her criticisms every now and then. She pointed out a few moves here and there that were obviously staged - and it was clear from how the other fighter seemingly reacted accordingly.

“Well..” She said quietly after a moment, “I like watching stuff with you,” Zana said as she glanced over at Thelian. She looked nervous for a moment before cracking a grin, “Even if it’s stupid fake stuff.”

@Altaris

 

[Thelian Lsai]

Thelian kept his silver eyes narrowed onto Zana, arms folded across his chest and looking entirely unamused. He had completely ignored her comment about his familiarity with hemorrhoid creams, and though Thelian couldn’t help but grin slightly when the twi’lek’s face turned that familiar shade of purple, it quickly faded by the time he started to go off on his GFC-related rant.

Trivial as it might’ve been to an ordinate person, those professional fight shows were – as Zana quickly learned – something he was actually passionate about. The rather bloody sport was something Thelian genuinely enjoyed watching in his free time and begun to follow fanatically, and any attempts by Zana to disparage the legitimacy of them wasn’t’ going to be stomached.

Of course, Thelian couldn’t help but go slightly wide-eyed, pausing for a brief moment when Zana began to question his mysterious Prince in Paradise knowledge. It wasn’t until that precise moment that Thelian realized where he’d slipped up in his earlier statement – only then remembering that Zana had been completely conked out during that segment of the show.

Rather than simply admit that he’d been watching the show, Thelian simply began to rant over Zana’s trying to interject – continuing on his fight-related rant for few minutes more without pause. Any attempt to probe further about the Echani’s mysterious knowledge about that HoloDrama was met with Thelian simply ranting louder, up until Zana simply eyed him suspiciously. Which he purposefully tried to act like he didn’t notice.

Like a man on a mission, Thelian grabbed Zana by the wrist and dragged her towards the living room. He was very clearly determined to prove the twi’lek wrong in her assessment – and it clearly had nothing to do with simply wanting to sit next to the girl while watching the Holo. Nope.

He plopped down onto the couch beside Zana, immediately reaching for the remote to flick on the show – promptly ignoring any groans of displeasure from the twi’lek. Almost immediately, Thelian’s expression seemed to brighten as the first rounds began to play – leaning forward on the couch as a particular burly looking Orcolan and Wookiee started duking it out.

He excitedly looked back at Zana a few times, only for his expression to shift when Zana cut in with her criticisms. Regardless of the fact that she was most likely accurate in her assessments, Thelian nevertheless argued right back at her – bringing forth his own counterarguments to multiple of her points. The Echani couldn’t help but furrow his brows when Zana pointed out several moves that were very clearly staged, suddenly unable to dispute what she was saying with anything logical. In lieu of a proper counterpoint, Thelian simply muttered a very unconvincing, ‘you’re being ridiculous’ before moving right along.

By the time Zana started to speak once more, the Holo had switched over to a commercial break between rounds. Thelian was reclined back into the couch, both feet propped up onto the coffee-table in front of them. He glanced over in Zana’s direction, silver eyes suddenly going wide when she quietly remarked that she enjoyed watching things with him.

“You do?” He blurted out before he could stop himself. Thelian blinked, suddenly feeling the need to clear his throat a few times. There was an undeniable tinge of red against his cheeks, and the Echani very pointedly starting staring at the end-table in front of him. “Yeah well..” He muttered. “You’re shows are shit but.. I like watching stuff with you so it isn't so bad.."

"And my shows aren't fake." He added in, narrowing his eyes a bit for that comment.

He scratched the back of his head. After a few more moments of awkward silence from the Echani, he abruptly reached into his lap and tossed the remote towards Zana to catch. Considering the fact that they were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, it was entirely unnecessary as Thelian just as easily could’ve handed her the remote. “Alright, you’re turn.” He grumbled, as if he hadn’t willingly passed the remote.

“Soo.. What else do you like to do?” He muttered, looking far more nervous than was usual. “Other than watching those cheesy-ass dating shows.” There was an edge of genuine curiosity to his words, glancing back to look at Zana with an arched brow. The Echani couldn’t explain why he was even remotely curious, but he was.

@Sreeya