Ask Onderon More Target Practice

[Kliedden Raxx]

"Yeah, Aska's no joke either. You should try to learn what you can from her." Klied agreed with Ali's praise of her mistress. He leaned a bit closer and smirked. "When she's not getting into trouble that is." He joked. He was glad to hear he was right about Ali being more comfortable with the new blaster, and chuckled as she commented on the aesthetics. Looks didn't matter much to the Onderonian when it came to weapons, but Ali would be Ali.

As they turned back down range and the Togruta continued her practice, Klied's smile only grew. She was making great progress, learning from every shot and hitting a little closer to home. It was rare for him to see improvement this quickly. It made him think she had a natural talent, ironic as that seemed. Her form was excellent. She was doing everything he had told her to do, and she was quickly getting an understanding of how to aim. When she finally stopped and asked how she did the hunter smiled and patted her on the shoulder.

"You did great." He praised her. "Not perfect, but that's still a great start." He said as he nodded down range. "I think you've earned a break. Pool's open." A hint of nervousness crossed his expression, his brows knitting together slightly. Now they were treading into waters he had no experience in. As far as he could remember he'd never even swam in a pool before...

@Bex

 

[Alisaah Tila]

Ali felt a sense of pride that was unusual for her when Klied pat her shoulder and praised her progress. "Thank you Kly" she said, her cheeks going a deeper shade of red to that of her usual skin tone. Compared to the girl who had been sobbing her eyes out in the wine cellar a few days earlier, and even the girl that had walked into the armory earlier that day, Ali's mood seemed to have improved. There was still a long way to go before she would be completely competent and comfortable with a blaster and it was unlikely that the slave would ever fully accept weapons and violence, but under Klied's patient teaching there was a far greater chance of her picking it up and becoming more useful to the group.

The Togruta's green eyes lit up when Klied told her the pool was open. She did not notice his nervous expression, but instead, placed the ELG-3A pistol down daintily on the bench and clasped her hands together. "We can really go in? Thank you Kly!" she said with audible excitement, "Then we should get changed! We can't go in wearing our clothes." In a manner reminiscent of her days as a slave under Hota Zugg, escorting guests around his palace, Ali linked arms with Klied and walked with him back towards the house.

The pair of them went inside and dispersed to change into their swimwear. When she reemerged, Ali was wearing a white backless one-piece swimsuit. She also had a beach towel which she had wrapped around her lower half for now, like a skirt. The slave did not know whether Klied had finished getting changed or not, so she made her own way over to the pool to either meet with him or wait until he came out to join her.

@Reyn

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied smiled warmly when Ali thanked him, and despite his nervousness, he couldn't help but laugh in the face of her excitement. Although his newfound candor evaporated the moment the Togruta locked arms with him. The hunter sputtered and went still as a board, face turning redder than his alien companion's as he simply allowed her to guide him back into the house. This was about the last thing he expected to be doing when he got up this morning. It still felt somewhat strange for the Togruta to be interacting with him in this way, even though he was aware she was much more... open in her behavior than he was.

As she went off to get changed Klied stood dumbly in the hall for a few moments, watching her go, before he realized something terrible. As far as he was aware, he didn't even own a pair of swim trunks. "Kark." The Onderonian cursed under his breath as panic mounted. Why would he have a pair? He never used that damn pool. Up until a few months ago he barely used this whole damn house! After a few moments of pacing nervously, worriedly scratching at his head, the hunter took off, frantically accosting any male staff member he could find and asking them if they happened to have a pair that could be borrowed. To his tremendous relief Forren, one of the gardeners, admitted that he liked to use the pool occasionally when the master of the house was away, and kept a pair in his quarters. With some urging, he agreed to lend them to Klied. They turned out to be a bit short for the hunter's liking, but they would have to do.

He would arrive at the pool shortly after Ali, a rolled towel under one arm as he awkwardly approached. Klied was by no means self-conscious under most circumstances, but suddenly he felt naked. The Onderonian was lean and athletically built, though his skin was riddled with the faded scars of all manner of different claw and toothmarks crisscrossing all across his limbs and torso. A few more recent scars were the telltale burn marks of blaster scoring. The hunter stopped a few feet from Ali, looking at the pool then somewhat sidelong at her, trying not to focus on her very liberal choice in clothing. After a moment's hesitation he cleared his throat uncomfortably. "So..." He trailed off, unsure what to say.

@Bex

 

[Alisaah Tila]

Once outside, Ali had made her way to the pool. There were some sun loungers lined around the outside where the Togruta took off the beach towel, exposing her long legs, and placing it neatly across one of them. She was not waiting long before Klied arrived himself. Ali had never seen him wearing anything less than his hunting furs or the fine clothing he had taken to wearing more often since they began their stay at the Raxx estate. Her green eyes saw the various scars and burns lining his body. She felt bad for him, for how much it must have hurt to receive those scars, but he looked rugged, strong. Ali supposed Klied never had any problems taking care of himself and the people he cared about if he was that tough.

The Togruta idly bit her lip whilst she was watching him approach. She did not have quite so many scars as Klied since her owners aimed to ensure she had retained value as a slave dancer by being as blemish free as possible. She did however have white markings on her skin, which were on show even more than normal in the backless swimsuit she had on, and were the hunter to see her lower back, he would have seen the Zygerrian brand that was forced upon her as a child.

When he reached her, the slave noticed that he seemed a little sheepish. Ali was not sure why that was, but she stepped towards him and gently coaxed his towel from under his arm, unfurling it and placing it the same way as her own onto one of the other loungers. "So... now it's time to get in" she said sweetly before walking past him, her feet making light noise as they tapped on the stone that surrounded the pool. Ali reached the steps and daintily placed one foot into the water, feeling the cool touch against her toes, then her ankle, and then her shin as she started to walk in. The Togruta had always been encouraged to be graceful as it was more alluring and enticing to guests of her masters and those behaviours persisted. She waded down the steps before looking over at Klied again to see what he was doing.

@Reyn

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied remained very still as Ali took the towel from him, his eyes focusing on hers. As she turned to lay the towel out on the chair he allowed himself to look at her body, and noticed the markings and the Zygerrian brand. It brought a slight frown to his face as he was reminded again of her status as a slave. While outwardly he did his best to make the Togruta feel comfortable, and to show her what he considered respect due to any sentient, privately his mind was still very much conflicted on how to feel. He constantly wondered if she did what she did out of a genuine desire to, or because she was conditioned to do so. It made it much more difficult for him to enjoy the moment.

As she turned back to face him and speak however he forced a smile, and then followed her to the stairs. As he watched her enter the pool before him, he only really noticed for the first time how beautiful the Togruta was. Not that he had ever thought of her as ugly before, but this was the first time he ever considered her in such a way. When he typically looked at people he saw them through a very different lens, as though he was always sizing up their ability as a fighter. Poffo and Aska ranked quite high on that list. Ali... Not as much. Although she had potential. And now that he saw more of her, he had to respect that she kept in very good shape.

As she looked back at him the Onderonian gave a more sincere smile, and stepped forward. The water of the pool was cool, but not uncomfortably so. He waded in behind her, stopping as the water level reached his waist. They were still in the shallow end of the pool, with the deepest section on the opposite side from where they were reaching ten feet. "You look... good." Klied complimented the Togruta a bit awkwardly, as again he was compelled to avert his eyes briefly, looking across the yard towards the gardens. He forced himself to look back at her as he continued. "Did Aska buy you that?" He asked, meaning the suit she was wearing. He still wasn't fully aware how the relationship between the two women worked, if Ali got her own share of the profits from whatever work they did, or if Aska managed all of the finances.

@Bex

 

[Alisaah Tila]

Ali was now standing in the shallow end of the pool herself. She had not yet submerged her whole body in water, having been waiting for Klied to get in the pool too. Once he joined her, the two of them stood together for a moment. Ali enjoyed the feeling of the water flowing against her and the sun on her red skin. The silence was broken when Klied, seemingly a little unsure of himself, complimented the Togruta's appearance. He averted his eyes soon after to stare across the gardens before returning his gaze to her and asking if her mistress had purchased the swimsuit she had on.

"Thank you Kly" she smiled sweetly, "Meela bought this for me actually." The slave then looked down at herself before turning in an attempt to assess herself from behind. Since she was a slave dancer, it had been important for her to always look good regardless of what it was she was doing, whether that was mixing a cocktail, performing for guests or simply lounging around, adorning the arm of whoever her master asked her to entertain. Though she no longer lived that life, the habits remained and her strict regimes of exercise, hygiene, fashion and beauty would no doubt stay with her for the rest of her life. In the grand scheme of things, this wasn't exactly a bad thing, but the manner and reasons for which it had been drilled into her were dubious at best.

"Since mistress freed her, Mimi seems to really enjoy buying me presents..." said Ali thinking on it, "She said I would look cute in this. I'll have to let her know you liked it." A lot of the Twi'lek's own tastes and habits had rubbed off on Ali over the years. It was only natural since Meela had been the closest thing the Togruta had to a mother and so she was Ali's role model. Even though Ali was a lot older now than she was when she had been sold to the Zygerrians, it apparently hadn't stopped Meela from wanting to spoil her surrogate daughter. In addition, Ali did not yet have her own money to purchase things for herself. As a slave she forwent payment and relied on her mistress or others to gift her things.

As she spoke with the Onderonian, Ali slowly began to lower the rest of her body under the water in the shallow end of the pool. She dunked herself down so that her shoulders were under the water. As she did not have hair, her head tails which draped over each shoulder and down her back also got wet.

@Reyn

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied smiled back at Ali as she spoke, though made a conscious effort to avert his eyes as she turned her back to him to judge her appearance for herself. When she turned her attention back to him to speak he made eye contact and nodded along, though visibly winced slightly when she used the word 'mistress' again. He badly wanted to ask her to stop that, though he wouldn't say as much aloud.

"She has a good eye." The hunter agreed with Ali, although his taste in fashion wasn't exactly discerning. As the Togruta lowered herself deeper into the water Klied matched her movements, submerging himself up to his neck and leaning back a bit as he floated. It was strange to simply drift in the water, but doing laps right now didn't really feel appropriate either. "You know if you were free-" He started briefly before catching himself, putting his tongue in his cheek as he thought. That probably wasn't something to discuss now. He didn't want to make the girl uncomfortable. After a few moments of silence he spoke up again. "So I'm guessing you enjoy swimming a lot?" He asked instead. A much easier question to answer no doubt.

@Bex

 

[Alisaah Tila]

Ali had a feeling that Klied was not quite comfortable. He seemed fine generally, but not relaxed. He was always more serious and sensible than her mistress and Poffo, but he was entitled to take a break and unwind just as much as they were. The hunter followed her lead and they now had both of their bodies submerged underwater up to their necks. Klied started to lean back and begin to float. Ali smiled at him and decided to copy. She leaned back slightly just as he did, the back of her head touching the cool water of the swimming pool. It was in stark contrast to the midday sun that was shining down upon them, warming their skin.

As they lay there together floating in the pool, Klied asked about her interest in swimming. "Yes, I think it's wonderful. I like to swim for exercise and it was one of the nicer activities to do when we were entertaining guests at Master Zugg's palace" she explained. The Togruta was rather casual and up front about her status and history as a slave, but then she did not have much else to talk about. It had been her life. The fact that Klied perhaps did not know who Master Zugg was did not dawn on her. She spoke as if it was common knowledge. Whether the Onderonian had heard the name before or been told about him by Aska, Ali did not recall, but she would answer any question the hunter might ask.

In order to ensure that she could still hold her conversation with Klied, Ali paddled herself using her hands so that her shoulders were parallel with his. Her original position would have been fine, except that there was a barrier to their conversation in the shape of the Togruta's chest. She would have had to talk over her bust, which the slave thought was rude and she wanted to avoid somehow offending her host. She floated there peacefully. Aside from their conversation, the only sound came from the breeze, the light rustling of plants and the occasional sound of a bird or insect. "Do you enjoy swimming Kly?" asked Ali, turning her head sideways slightly to look towards him as they floated.

@Reyn

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied frowned slightly as he heard the name of 'Master Zugg'. He recalled him as the Hutt gangster that Aska had stolen Ali from. Klied had worked for the Hutts in the past, occasionally they sought out his services to acquire exotic pets for their palaces. He never much cared for the slugs, they struck him as particularly repugnant. But his uncle had always advised him it was unwise to make enemies of them, so he tended do do what he had to and kept out of their way as much as possible. Or... At least he used to. He had bloodied their noses on Teth, and assumed he'd be running up against their forces much more frequently in the near future. Considering what they did to people like Ali and Tegan, he didn't mind the prospect all that much.

As Ali paddled around so the two of them were parallel Klied turned his head to look at her and smiled. As she asked him the same question he had asked her he sighed and looked up at the sky, clasping both hands over his stomach as he continued floating idly in the pool. "It's alright I suppose..." He answered a bit distantly as he thought over his experiences. "It feels nice, usually..." He smirked to himself as he said that, then looked back at the Togruta. "It's not something I do often. I go out on the water to fish. But if I end up in it it's usually because something big has knocked me in and is trying to eat me." He chuckled and looked back up at the sky.

"It's weird to just... sit here. I'm not sure what to do with myself." The hunter remained in his position a few more moments before the stillness got to him and made him restless. He took a deep breath before turning over and diving beneath the water, swimming down into the deeper end of the pool before coming up again for a breath of fresh air. "Did your... master ever let you outside the palace? Or has Aska taken you anywhere interesting?" He disliked circling back to the subject of Ali's bondage again, but he was still curious just how much freedom had been afforded to her, if any. He knew some slaves within Hutt space had it infinitely better than others.

@Bex

 

[Alisaah Tila]

The Togruta lay there floating next to Klied with the sun shining down on them both. It was quite possibly the most peaceful moment that Ali had experienced in a very long time. It felt good and she was enjoying the Onderonian's company. She shut her eyes for a moment as he answered her question, just enjoying the atmosphere, the cool water against her skin. Her brow furrowed a little when Klied told her that he usually only went swimming when he was knocked into the water by creatures looking for their lunch. "That sounds scary..." she said as she gently kicked her long legs in the water. Klied seemed to be unfazed by his experiences. He must have been a very brave man.

The hunter seemed to be struggling with just floating there, relaxing, feeling the need to do more with himself. Opening one of her green eyes, she heard the sound of Klied flipping over and diving underneath the water. The motion caused the water to gently rock against Ali as she lay there. The slave stopped floating, placing her feet back on the shallow end of the pool, to see where the nobleman had gotten to. He was treading water in the deep end of the pool now, his hair was wet and flattened atop his head. The Togruta smiled without realising.

"Oh yes, Master Zugg would sometimes take me places but I was usually with him the whole time. I don't really know any of the places we actually went to. We were either on a ship or meeting people in their palaces or compounds" she explained. The slave had led a very restrictive and protected life. There was so much she did not know. "But I remember all the places I've been with Mistress Aska. We met on Nar Shaddaa, went to Nal Hutta, Zeltros and Coruscant where we met you and Mr. Poffo. And then we went to Bespin and now here..." She was now counting all of the places on her fingers like a child to make sure she didn't forget one. "That's six places" she said, sweetly smiling at him. The Togruta then dipped herself under the water again and began to swim breast stroke over to him in the deeper end of the pool.

@Reyn

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied remained in place, treading water and keeping his eyes on the Togruta as she spoke. He was finding himself smiling a lot more than he usually did. As Ali dipped under the water the hunter laid back once more, beginning to do a backstroke as he slowly pushed himself across the water's surface towards the edge of the pool. He would wait until he saw Ali come up again before speaking.

"It sounds like you need to see the real side of the universe." He said casually as he looked up at the sky again. "Coruscant and Zeltros can be pretty, but they're nothing like the forests of Kashyyyk or the plains of Naboo." He smiled to himself as he imagined the many different vistas he had witnessed in his travels. "There's a life there, a heartbeat you can feel in your bones. Something the city smothers. It's not really something I can put into words..."

As he reached the edge of the pool Klied flipped over again, dunking his head beneath the water once more before coming up on his stomach. Placing his feet on the wall he pushed off, gliding back towards Ali's position at a slower pace. "If you like I could show you some time." He said with a smile, making eye contact with her once more. "It might be a little scary, but nothing you didn't see in that lab back on Coruscant." He wasn't sure if the Togruta would react positively to that, considering that experience had been more than a little unpleasant, but he hoped the thought would pique her interest at least. He could always use a new hunting partner and neither Poffo nor Aska seemed the type.

@Bex

 

[Alisaah Tila]

Ali broke the surface of the water when Klied reached the end of the pool. The hunter explained the places he had been, that he enjoyed seeing. The names of the planets did not really mean anything to the slave, but had she been there, seen what Klied had and made her own memories there, then they would. He described the feeling of being there so poetically and the Togruta could tell in the way he spoke and from the way he was so soft and patient towards her, that beneath the guise of a hunter and soon to be mercenary leader, that there was a sensitive soul. One that Ali quite liked.

As soon as he had stopped speaking, Klied was off again, this time pushing off from his end of the pool and gliding across the water towards Ali on his stomach. He extended an invitation to her, to accompany him on one of his expeditions. It was a kind gesture, but the mention of the lab on Coruscant and the memories it brought with it sent a little shudder down her spine. "You would look after me, wouldn't you Kly?" she asked a little unsure, "I'd like to see these places you talked about. You made them sound magical." Her green eyes met his blue ones and she smiled kindly as he swam in her direction.

The Togruta paused to think for a moment as she watched him, about the danger going on a hunting trip might pose. As she had told Klied earlier when they were shooting, she was always so scared, so out of her depth. She felt she needed someone there for reassurance and because she was not capable of surviving by herself. Whether it was accompanying Aska and the others in their ventures, or her interactions with that dreaded Sith holocron, the sheltered life of a slave in a Hutt's palace had resulted in her being ill prepared for the wider galaxy and what it might throw at her. There was so much she did not know and that was just as scary as any dangers they might physically come across on their journeys.

Having visited Iziz the day before with her mistress, there was a new unknown that had started to weigh on her mind, among her self-pity following the altercation in the wine cellar, and the general fear about what might happen to Aska if she was not there to stop the vision from the holocron. She had been silent for a moment or two after she stopped talking, her mind had wandered and she bit her lip, wondering whether she should tell Klied the news that Aska had delivered to her just yesterday.

@Reyn

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied chuckled at Ali's response. He didn't know if he'd call it 'magical', but at least he'd seemed to get his feelings across. "Well, I think with a little more training you could look after yourself just fine." He said as he came to a stop near the Togruta, going back to treading water. He gestured with a move of his head back towards the shooting range. "You catch on remarkably quick. It's surprising really. But yeah, I can watch your back in the meantime." As he was reminded of Ali's current choice of clothing the hunter's face reddened a bit. "I mean, if you don't mind that is." He said, and briefly averted his eyes again. When he looked back he noticed the girl had become awfully quiet, seemingly distracted. At first he was worried he might have offended her, but soon realized something else was eating her.

"You alright?" He asked, moving a bit closer to try and look her in the eyes as she wandered off in her own thoughts. He knew she'd been through a lot lately, what with everything that happened since her status as a slave had been revealed to the group. He'd hoped this whole training session would help her forget about it for a while, but maybe it was about to rear it's ugly head once again.

@Bex

 

[Alisaah Tila]

Ali was brought out of her daze when the Onderonian was complimenting her on how quick she seemed to learn things. On telling her that he would watch her back, he seemed to blush and started to get a bit flustered. Ali thought she understood why this time and giggled, but Klied had noticed she had been off in a world of her own for a moment and asked her if she was okay. "Oh yes, I'm having fun, I was just thinking about something mistress told me yesterday is all" she explained, treading water in the pool as she spoke with the hunter, "I don't really know what to think about it..."

The Togruta started to swim up to the end of the pool that Klied had been moments before, stopping there before holding on to the side. She looked back over to the Onderonian, water trickling down her headtails. "Do you know what force sensitive means?" asked Ali. There was no hint of condescension in her question, she had only just learned what it meant herself and was not certain if it was something other people knew about. "Mistress said that I am. Mimi told her something about what I did to Kayto on Bespin. She said I used the force. She told me what it is but I don't really understand it and... well, everybody was really upset with me for what happened the other day and now mistress said that I'm force sensitive. Does it mean there's something wrong with me, Kly?"

Normally, Ali would perhaps have been more emotional about this. There certainly was a tinge of regret in her voice when she referred to the incident in the wine cellar, but she was still composed. It was clear that she was just trying to work through something in her mind, and having spent the day getting to know Klied better and seeing a side of him she had not seen before, it made it easier for her to open up to him. Being in his pool in the sunshine and tranquility of his garden certainly helped, but Ali was feeling that Klied was a man she could truly rely on. He had always been nice to her, whether it was out of pity or because he was a genuine person, but they were bonding and the Togruta found that she was comfortable talking to him. The first person outside of Meela and Aska that she felt able to talk to, and certainly the only man she was comfortable with.

@Reyn

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied gave Ali a quizzical look at her response. Something Aska had told her? He swam after her as she moved, coming to the edge of the pool by her side and hanging onto it as they looked at each other. As she mentioned Force sensitivity his eyes went wide with surprise. Given his education he probably knew more than the average sentient did about the Force, but that still wasn't much. So it was very unexpected to him to learn that Ali had the same potential as the Jedi and Sith.

The Togruta seemed worried over it however, not without good reason Klied thought, so he tried to reassure her. "No, no nothing's wrong with you at all." He said firmly, though there was a look of concern on his face. "It just means you're... different. You have a power that not many people have. That power makes you very dangerous." Realizing he was probably sending the wrong message he forced a smile. "Of course, anything is dangerous if used improperly. Just like a blaster. You just need to be trained, that's all."

That wasn't all. That wasn't even close to being all, but for the time being that was all Klied could say to try and put the girl at ease. This was something that would require further research. The Onderonian knew that some Force sensitives became Sith, although he wasn't sure if that was due to choice or the Force itself. If it was the result of some kind of unwilling corruption, he had to make sure Ali wasn't at risk of falling prey to it. His eyes turned downwards for a few moments as he mulled these things over in his mind, then looked up again and smiled softly at her. "You'll be alright." He said as he reached out to pat her on the shoulder. "We'll make sure of that."

@Bex

 

[Alisaah Tila]

It appeared that Ali had made a good choice to speak to Klied about her force sensitivity. His words were comforting and washed over her much as the water from the pool did. The Onderonian did not believe there was anything wrong with her and that was a start, but according to him, force sensitivity meant she had power - a thing that she had never in her life possessed or had ever dreamed of having. The Togruta's face grew visibly nervous when Klied mentioned that the power made her dangerous, but he managed to save himself by elaborating further. For her force sensitivity to be prevented from becoming dangerous, she would need training; something that it seemed she needed in most aspects of her life these days.

Being rather naive and innocent in these matters, Ali took Klied's words on face value. She did not realise that there was an awful lot more to force sensitivity than he was letting on. The Togruta watched his eyes as he looked down in thought over the subject. Water from the pool trickled from his damp hair, down his temples as he mulled things over. Before long, his blue eyes looked back towards her green ones and he smiled, before giving her a comforting pat on the shoulder. The feeling of his masculine hand on her bare shoulder was surprisingly gentle and she could feel herself blushing.

In an act most uncharacteristic of the slave, after a couple of pats, Ali moved closer to Klied and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, resting her chin on his broad shoulder. "Thank you Kly... you've done so much to help me. I hope somehow that I am able to repay my debts..." she said, her voice starting to waver a little. Klied would be able to tell she was getting emotional. "If training will stop me being dangerous I'll do whatever I'm asked, I promise I will..." A single tear rolled down her cheek, eventually dripping off onto Klied's back. "Mistress told me that she's going to leave for a while and that I have to stay here with you and Mr. Poffo... I'll do my best to serve you" she said, sniffling, "I don't want her to be disappointed in me... I don't want her to leave me behind... what if I never see her again?"

Everything that had happened since they got to Onderon, the wine cellar, the trip to Iziz with Aska the day before, that morning's training was all catching up with the slave and she was struggling to adapt to the changes and everything she had learned. It was clear that she only wanted to do what she believed was the right thing, by following instructions, and that she had good intentions, but she felt powerless to stop Aska from leaving her again and that she was out of her depth learning to fire blasters and being introduced to force sensitivity. Klied was a rock that she felt comfortable enough with to share these insecurities with. She hoped that if she stayed here with him, that the Onderonian would bring some stability and keep her safe.

@Reyn

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied was taken quite off guard by Ali's response to his reassurances, going still as she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder, sinking slightly into the water from the added weight. He kept one hand on the edge of the pool, holding on while he slowly, and a bit awkwardly brought the other in to return the hug. The hunter blushed deeply, glancing sideways at the Togruta as she spoke to him. It was clear from her words and her tone that the last few weeks had been particularly hard on her, even before everything that happened in the cellar. And for whatever reason she seemed to feel she could put her trust in him. Maybe it was because she was unused to encountering decent people, or maybe there was something more there. Either way, again he felt compelled to assure her that she'd be alright with them.

"You don't need to pay me back anything Ali." He said gently, turning his head slightly to get a better look at her face. "We take care of one another... And nobody is getting left behind." That was probably something he shouldn't have told her. Certainly no one would be abandoning Ali by choice, but the life of a mercenary was far from safe. Each one of them had already come dangerously close to death, and Klied had no doubt they would be skirting that line again in the future, and frequently. But he knew one thing for sure. No matter what happened he would do everything in his power to protect those close to him, Ali included.

The Onderonian fell silent as the two of them remained floating there in the pool, the Togruta embracing him closely and doing her best not to break down again. The estate grounds had become quite peaceful, with little noise other than the sounds of birds and the faint bustle of Iziz not too far away. Klied wasn't one for lazing around, but there was something about the moment that appealed to him greatly. Despite himself one corner of his mouth turned up in a grin as he continued to hold Ali.

@Bex @Tulos

 

[Alisaah Tila]

The Togruta buried her face into Klied's broad shoulder as they embraced. His words had choked her up a bit and she felt unable to talk anymore. Even despite the whirlwind of emotions she felt, Klied was still there being nice, comforting and gentle as he always was. In that moment, Ali forgot who she was and consoled herself, feeling the closest she had felt to protected for quite some time.

The sun was still high in the sky and the light breeze still lapped against the surface of the water and the pair's skin. Ali had no intention of moving. It had not even crossed her mind. The Togruta was off in her own little world, thinking about all that had happened to her since that day at the auction house on Nar Shaddaa. The people she had met, the adventures she had been on, who she had been and trying to make some sense of what she was now.

Ali squeezed Klied a little tighter, pressing up against his chest with her own. "Thank you Kly, thank you for everything. I promise I will take really good care of you" she said, finally. It may have been clear to the Onderonian that Ali had perhaps interpreted his words in the same way she might a slave's orders, but ultimately the feeling and intent behind what she said was the same. She cared about him and wanted to do her best by him.

@Reyn

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

As Ali held him tighter and said that she'd 'take care of him' Klied couldn't help but chuckle softly in response. "Lucky me." He replied jokingly, a deep blush still painting his face as he watched her. Although given this new knowledge of the Togruta's Force sensitivity, there may have been more truth to that then he originally would have expected. She still needed guidance to be sure, but Klied was beginning to suspect Ali had tremendous potential, whether she realized it or not.

Their little moment was unfortunately interrupted as one of the staff came outside and stood at the edge of the pool, drawing her head back a bit in surprise at the sight of the pair. "Um, my lord?" She asked, leaving Klied absolutely mortified as he wordlessly looked up at her, his mouth agape slightly as he tried to speak. The servant just gave a nervous, or perhaps amused grin in response. "I believe your dug guest has had a bit too much to drink. He's causing a ruckus and well... I didn't want to have the security droids throw him out without your permission..."

Klied rolled his eyes as annoyance overrode his embarrassment. Of course Poffo's new friend was making an ass of himself. Again. Slowly and gingerly, he extracted himself from Ali's embrace, giving the Togruta an apologetic smile before looking back at the servant. "I'll be right inside." He assured her, his following silence being enough to send the hint that he wanted to be alone. Seeing as they were right on the side of the pool, Klied hefted himself up and sat on the edge, still leaving his legs dangling in the water as he looked down at his companion.

"Sorry about that..." He said, averting his eyes as he scratched the back of his head. Looking back at her he cleared his throat, still blushing a bit from their close encounter. "We should... talk more later. This was a lot of fun Ali... Enjoy the pool." With that he would quickly stand up and round the pool, grabbing his towel before making his way back inside the house. Well, this day had gone quite differently than he expected. Not that he minded one bit.

/End Thread
@Bex