Ask Raxus New Horizons

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique still loved the park adjacent to their building a lot. Especially during fall, when the leaves turned into various shades of red, orange and yellow before they'd end up on the ground, all dried and crunching if you stepped on them. The Knight-Captain had made a habit out of parking the speeder at a side alley and quickly cross a corner of the park before reaching their apartment, simply because it was just the right place to take a breath of fresh air.

She was in a good mood despite having worked all day. She had recently returned from a whole series of missions, so she had been rather fine with staying on Raxus this week. From early morning to night fall though, she had been training Squires, however she knew Jon was already at home and just like her, he had the night off.

She had a backpack loosely slung over her shoulder as it carried precious content: A very special present for him that had taken her quite some efforts and hours of making, but she inbetween breaks and layovers, she had kept working on it without him even having the slightest idea about what shebwas doing, so she was overly excited to finally show him.

Her steps were somewhat exhausted, but as she finally made it, she was really relieved, knowing some quality spent with him would recharge her inner batteries asap. "Hey there" she said to him with a wide, warm smile as she popped her head inside before she entered. "It's been a little longer again...there has been another incident, but I'm glad to be back now". She greeted him with a kiss, not fully able to hide her excitement.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

Life for Jon had slowed down considerably as he settled into his role of Raxus. The pace had eaten him at first, but he had grown accustomed to it. His days were filled with inspections and meetings, not the most exciting work, but important nonetheless. His thoughts had turned to what was next for him and his career, though, as of late, he hadn't talked with Kali about it yet. He was in no rush, having grown quite used to the small amount of normality they had squeezed into their life.

He had been home for about an hour but wasn't expecting her home for some time yet. So, he had taken to getting a workout in in the meantime. The barbell lifted and fell steadily as he lifted the weights. A part of him did not like working out at home at first, but if he had to admit, it was pretty convenient.

He paused as he heard the door open, setting the barbell back on its rack with a small clank. Stepping out into the living room, he spotted Kali poking her head in the door. He tilted his head slightly to the side out of curiosity. She was acting weird. "Hi there..." he said after a second. She finally stepped inside, Jon raising an eyebrow slightly as the door closed.

"Is everything alright?" he asked as she mentioned an incident. She kissed him and his hand brushed against her side. No, nothing was wrong, but she was acting strangely.

 

[Kalique Baize]

She could see it in his face right away. This slight hint of suspicion. Her lips immediately curled into a smile and while she could most certainly keep a poker face in most cases, this was one of the rare occasions were it just slipped. "How has the rest of your day been?" she warmly asked upon entering, brushing a strand of her behind her ear.

"Everything is fine, yes. There were just some struggles with some Squires and training took longer, but everything was settled in the end" she reassured him and it was the truth. Her excitement had a different source and he was about to find out.

Her smirk just widened as he met her gaze, his light brown eyes studying her so as if he could read it in her eyes, but no, she was absolutely certain he had no clue. "I've brought a little something though" she began teasing, taking one of his hands into hers and leading him towards the couch.

"Okay so I need you to extend your hands and close your eyes" she announced, knowing he wasn't too keen on such secrecy but she couldn't help it. She literally couldn't wait to see his face.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

He didn't need the force to read that she was acting strangely, but it obviously wasn't bad with her expression so he relaxed slightly. "My day was uneventful, but good." he answered before she explained some of the hardships of her own day. He understood the feeling; even if he was no longer so tied to the day-to-day aspects of training people, he had been and knew it was draining. "They need to keep their Captain on her toes, I suppose." he finally said with a smirk.

Her expression grew more giddy, practically lighting up the room. It was somewhat unusual, but Jon would lie to say he didn't enjoy it. "Oh?" he said, eyes shifting to her backpack.

Jon wasn't one for surprises; he was kind of boring in that regard, but he knew Kali enough to know there would be no escape from this, so he let himself be dragged over the couch. He raised an eyebrow again before letting out a short sigh and complying with the request. He let out a breath as he closed his eyes and held out both his hands towards her.

He truly had no idea where she was going with this, but waited expectantly. Even not like surprises, there was a good amount of excitement swirling in him, perhaps picking it up from her good mood.

 

[Kalique Baize]

She softly chuckled at his remark, especially because he knew some of her Squires. Some could be a handful while others usually behaved, but the day had still been a rather regular one. "Maybe I'll send some over to you again for a little internship" she playfully nudged him. She did know he was doing absolutely well with them and it always helped fostering collaboration across branches, but here she also used it to quip, knowing they did throw him off his regular routines, too.

Once on the couch, the last thing he'd see where her truly excited emerald eyes that shimmered in the cozy living room light. "No peeking" she clarified once again before she finally started rummaging through her bag. He'd hears some metal clanking before she'd drop a lightsaber's hilt into his extended hands.

"Okay careful now. Close your hands and tell me what you feel" she'd instruct him excitedly, waiting for his description. She was pretty sure he'd guess correctly, yet it probably left him even more perplex than before. Once he'd guess the hilt, she'd add, "Open your eyes".

His gaze would then fall onto a hilt that definitely didn't belong to her with delicate details and engravings on the silvery hilt. She'd softly teach for his arm and pull him back to his feet, barely able to contain her excitement. "Activate it".

He knew exactly what to do as he had repeatedly wielded her second orange lightsaber before, the one they jokingly referred to as 'Jon's lightsaber', but upon activation, the Commander's potentially incredulous gaze would fall onto a white, purified blade energetically whirring in his hands, the silvery light illuminating the whole room. She didn't add anything else and waiting for him to solve the puzzle.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

”Someone has to ensure they are being trained properly.” He jabbed. He hadn’t minded working with Imperial Squires. He saw the importance of integrating them into the Imperial Military as a whole. He still was uneasy about how young some of their members were. Having children train for war never sat well with him.

He let out a breath “I’m not peaking…” he said with a huff. He listened to her shifting through the contents of her bag for a moment before he finally felt the cool metal cylinder fall into his hands.

His hands moved across the metal, feeling the detail work in it. He figured out pretty quickly what it was. Lightsabers were rare and unique weapons but he had become quite familiar with them during his time with Kali. “It feels like a lightsaber hilt…” he said before he was told to open his eyes.

He sat in silence for a moment, studying the detail work along the hilt. It was truly a beautiful design. More decorative than Kali’s lightsabers she carried. “What is this?” He asked, giving her a somewhat confused look as he was pulled to his feet.

“It’s beautiful..” he said, thumb sliding over an engraving. He ignited the blade when he was asked to and the room was bathed in a warm silver glow as the blade cracked with white light. His eyes were transfixed by it, he had never seen a lightsaber with this color before. He knew the colors meant something, but hadn’t fully grasped it when she had explained it to him.

His eyes shifted to her emerald eyes, seeming to glow with the reflection of the blade. She knew he collected weapons, though he wasn’t sure what her intentions were with this particular weapon. He would love to have a lightsaber. “Did you make this?” He asked, excited to hear the story behind this blade just as much as he was to hold it.

 

[Kalique Baize]

"Wow..." was all she had left for his mean jab as she shook her head. Her full attention was already on her final revelation anyway, and so she excitedly carried on. Jon was puzzled at first, which didn't surprise her at all, but he immediately picked up what it was.

She could barely contain her grin as his eyes finally opened, taking in the fine, unique details that she had used to mark his new possessions with. "I did...but not alone", she drew the second purified lightsaber and briefly ignited its white blade. She herself found them incredibly mesmerizing even if they left her conflicted.

"They're yours", she already revealed, answering a question that would have surely surfaced soon, deactivating the one in her hand and tossing it back onto the couch. "You might want to stick to one first, as you know, wielding them without the Force isn't that easy", she walked around him, until she gently cupped his hands with hers and guided in hand into the right holding position.

"I still can't get over those colors...I wished they'd obey me, but they don't", she knew it wasn't always that easy for him to follow when she explained her stuff, so she clarified that they were indeed a weapon that was more suited for him. "I've been working on them for weeks, but Leon was the one who had purified the crystals as I'm incapable of doing so" she continued, knowing that purification rituals were something even she had just recently understood correctly.

"I thought it would be cool if you'd have your own lightsaber...I know you like your weapons, but we've really repeatedly seen that you're an absolutely natural" the whole process of building the sabers had been long and exhausting, but she was so incredibly excited to finally share her results with him now. "You know I'll absolutely hit you up in the afterhours for sparring sessions now though..." she mischievously added with a wink, taking a few steps back to let him test the weight if he felt like it.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

He gave her another inquisitive look when she said she hadn't done this alone, but his gaze soon returned to the lightsaber hilts. They were beautiful works, and he was quite sure no one had ever gifted him something as perfect as this.

His first instinct was to tell her she shouldn't have done this. It was impractical to spend so much time on weapons that would likely never see combat, but he resisted that urge. "Thank you..." he said softly, looking back towards her. "These are perfect," he said as she guided his hand into the correct position on the hilt, her touch soft against his hand.

He didn't quite understand when she had explained how the force interacted with the crystals that powered their blades, but he listened with a slight nod. Apparently, these white crystals required the work of a Jedi. He knew of her Jedi friends, the ones she associated with. He knew they weren't the monsters the Empire had painted them to be, what he had once thought they were, but the whole idea still made him feel a bit uneasy.

"Tired of me using yours, huh?" he said with a playful grin. He moved the blade around as she stepped back, causing it to whir with the motion for a moment before deactivating the blade and placing it reverently down on the table. He smiled at her comment about sparring. "I am sure I can find some availability to squeeze you in for some training." he playfully responded.

He stepped to her, gently resting his forehead against hers. "I mean it when I say these are perfect. You are perfect," he said, his voice growing quiet.

 

[Kalique Baize]

She knew Jon wasn't the super excited type, yet she could see and sense that he was indeed delighted about the surprise. Kalique was already thrilled by the idea of actually starting a little sparring session and she pondered the idea of her simply using the other purified one, not only to figure out how it would behave, but to give herself a little handicap that would even the odds.

He tested its movement before he set it back down, and she softly replied, "Obviously". She'd still call her left saber 'Jon's', out habit and because she simply found the story behind it amusing, but even if he wouldn't always carry them around like he carried his, she somehow had a feeling they'd proof themselves useful at some point.

"You know my waiting list is long, but you'll receive a few bonus points because you're...you" she gave him a playful smirk before she close the distance between them, his touch as soft and gentle as always which immediately flooded her with this familiar warmth.

"You're sweet...I love you" she whispered back quietly, closing her eyes, enjoying the gentle moment while she wrapped her arms around him. Her excitement slowly died down and the comfort set in. She opened her eyes after a moment, her hands reaching up to cup his cheeks. "Is there anything you feel like doing tonight?" she asked him softly. It was way past nightfall, but that was how it was during fall, so it wasn't very late yet.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

He leaned into her hand momentarily before scratching at his beard as he thought about what to do. He hadn't made plans since he wasn't really sure she would have even been able to make it home tonight. As he thought, the gears of spontaneity began to turn in his mind.

"What do you think about taking a couple of days off and getting out of here? The city near the farm on Spintiir has this amazing apple festival this time of year. Plus, a couple of people there have become rather insistent on seeing you again. I know its a bit short notice, totally understandable if you can't swing it." he said truthfully. He understood her work and dedication to her duty as an Imperial Knight. He respected that trait immensely in her, but sometimes, it was good to take a break and do a little recharging.

They had been swamped with work, their schedules rarely lining up for days in a row. If they waited for the perfect time they could be waiting a long time.

Besides, there was a thrill in spontaneity, especially when the only time they normally experienced it was in emergencies.

"So, what do you say?" he asked with a somewhat pleading grin.

 

[Kalique Baize]

With her gaze holding his again, she saw uncertainty briefly crossing his features. Something already told her that staying here potentially wasn't a good idea until he voiced his thought. "Actually...That's an amazing idea..." she instantly replied, wrapping her arms around his neck again and burying her head in his chest for a moment.

With all the work, she usually felt somewhat restless. She could never fully lose this internal tension when work was so close. He had always been her safe haven, her anchor, the one person that could always ground her, but their schedules rarely ever allowed quality time.

"That apple festival sounds lovely already and I miss you're parents...". Jon's parents were incredible, loving people and she had started loving from day one. They couldn't afford too many trips, given there was always something that needed to be done, but as she ran through her schedule for the next days, she realized that restructuring it was actually possible.

"Let's do it" she kissed his cheek, before she took out her datapad and started writing mails and instructions. The whole rescheduling procedure took quite a while, but she received clearance from above as she hadn't taken any actual breaks in months, and so the organizational part was through.

"It feels like our last trip had been ages ago..." it wasn't very farfetched, but as she gained certainty on how she could actually do it, her excitement grew. Yes, it would take her a moment to let go and get her mind off work and thus shake this constant sense of responsibility, but it would be good for her. "I'd say we start packing and get going? We could take a nap while the ship stays on autopilot" she suggested, however waiting for his assessment. If he planned on departing in the morning, she'd also be fine with it, what mattered was the prospect of actually getting off...

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

His face lit up when she agreed to the plan. "I am pretty sure they like you more than me, so the feeling is mutual." he said with a chuckle as he held her for a moment.

"Let's do it!" he echoed, and they set about pushing off their respective responsibilities for a few days. The Empire would survive for a little while without their supervision. Within a few minutes, it was done, and they were both clear. There was an excited air in the apartment as they prepared. "Its been too long, for sure," he said as he sat down the datapad.

"Sounds perfect," he said. The longer they were here, the more likely something would come up, and one of them would need to stay. The sooner they could get off the world, the better. "Guess I should clean up a bit," he said, looking down at his sweaty workout clothes.

The next half hour, both of them hurried to pack small bags and prepare to leave. He made sure to pack both of his new lightsabers. "We can still squeeze in some practice," he said, winking as he finalized packing.

"You ready?" he asked.

 

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique simply shook her head at his reply, knowing now much they loved him. She had always loved how openly they had welcomed her, even though she was a Force-user and that they got along so well. Surprisingly, her parents had grown very fond of Jon, too, and even if Jon didn't always tell her, she was certain her Dad regularly hit him up with some golfing stuff he needed on opinion on.

"I can't wait" she whispered before she pressed another kiss onto his lips, grabbed his hand and led him to the bed room. "I'll join you for a shower". She, too, hadn't manage to take on in the HQ, so apart from packing, that was still on the To-Do-List, but she absolutely agreed with him on rather leaving right away than waiting.

They quickly had their bags out and eagerly started packing after the shower, Kalique chose a comfortable leggins and a top for the route. As he packed his new sabers, she couldn't help but to smirk, amusedly quipping, "I would have beaten you to it...You know sometimes the Squires start their morning routine at 5, for you I'd say it's 4 in the morning, we start with sparring each day". It was obviously a joke, she couldn't wait to sleep in a little with him, but they'd surely get the chance to actually practice a little.

As they were all set, she confirmed, "ready" and soon the two of them were already headed to the parking spot of their private vessel. It offered much more comfort than the official ones and it was much safer for traveling anyway. "Have you told your parents already or will we surprise them?" she wondered after boarding, a warm, excited smile on her lips as they prepared for takeoff. "And what's this apple festival about?" she also curiously wondered, however noticing how she had phrased it and knowing how he'd respond. "Don't say apples...".

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

He changed into flannel shirt and pants before packing the rest of his small bag.

"We might already be up by then." he joked. They wouldn't be made to help around the farm, but Jon had always been a pretty early riser, and going home only drew that out more. He actually wouldn't mind a sunrise training session or two.

They met back in the living room a few minutes later and were ready to pack for their impromptu trip. He grabbed both of their bags, and they made their port where Kali kept her ship. "Thanks for agreeing to this.." he said with a warm smile, tilting his head towards her as they arrived.

Jon was uncharacteristically excited. "I guess I didn't tell them." he said with a shrug. "We will make it a surprise." he said with a smile. He knew it wouldn't be a problem.

They sat down, and Kali prepared the ship to depart. He looked towards her as her question came, her perfectly predicting the "dad joke" answer he was already preparing. "Well, besides apples, its to celebrate the end of the harvest season. There will be all sorts of food and stuff to do. Its a lot of fun." he said, his mind drifting to a lot of fond memories of that time of year growing up.

Within a few minutes, they were in space and jumping into hyperspace. "I am going to get some tea, do you want anything?" he said, standing to head to the back of the ship.

 

[Kalique Baize]

"No no no...thank you for suggesting it. I'm glad we're doing it". It was perhaps the much needed little break they needed. Work could be consuming, and just having a few days of would do wonders. She was already feeling much better, much calmer and simply excited to leave.

Thankful for him carrying the bags, Kalique closed the door and locked their apartment before she hooked her arm into his and walked alongside him. The walk was rather the short and the fresh night air was oddly calming. As they reached the ship, she reciprocated his smile, softly adding, "they'll love it". She was absolutely certain of it.

"Ooh so is it like a fair?" she curiously asked, her eyes widened. She was actually very excited and while she was usually the part who showed it more, she could see he was also thrilled to get going. Flicking the last few switches, they were good to go and she brought them up. Just a few minutes later they were leaving the atmosphere, jumped, and were ready to just lean back and relax.

"Sure! I'd take one, too, thank you. Flavor...Hmm, surprise me!". She threw him a smile over her shoulder before she entered the coordinates, set up the autopilot and soon followed. She found him at the kitchen corner still, and while leaning against it, she met his gaze again. "What about sipping our tea, curling up and watching something before getting a little sleep?", she suggested.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

"Something like that, you'll see." he said in regards to what the festival was like as they left.

After they had taken off, Jon made his way to the back of the ship to the small galley. He prepared two cups of floral tea that Kali always kept. Jon normally consumed stronger brews, but it was late, and this was a great tea to wind down with. A nice floral scent from the steam filled the kitchen as Kali entered.

He passed her a cup a moment later before picking up his own. He took a sip of the steaming liquid. "Sounds great" he said before they found themselves in her quarters. The bed was comfortable enough for a ship. He sat on the bed, his back against the headboard as he settled in, taking another sip.

"You feel like watching anything in particular?" he said, tilting his head towards Kali. "Actually, let me guess, you probably want to watch some scary movie?" he said with a shake of his head. Horror movies had never been his go-to, but he had come around to them a bit since they had met. He started scrolling "Nightmare on Tanglewood Drive." he listed one of the titles out loud. It was about some dumb ghost hunters trapped inside a haunted house.

"Who would purposefully go into a haunted house..." he scoffed.

 

[Kalique Baize]

His answer didn't satisfy her at all, but she stopped asking further questions for now. She was extremely curious and excited still, but he was right, she'd see for herself and why spoil the surprise?

Once inside the kitchen, the tea was already brewed and Kalique happily accepted her cup with a soft, "Thank you". They moved over to the bedroom where Kalique set her cup onto the nightstand before she rolled right into bed. She stripped off her shoes and cuddled up next to him, knees pulled to her torso as for now she still felt like sitting, but his arm was soon around her and her head resting on his shoulder.

"Mhh...only if you feel like it, too", she smirked up at him, however studied him for a moment to receive the certainty she needed. She knew he wasn't too keen on those movies, but she found the thrill amusing most of the time and so the movie seemed like just the right choice. "Then let's do it".

She dimmed the light accordingly and the plot started rather quickly with a duo of 'ghost hunting interns' getting called to an abandoned house after 'reports of violence'. A classic story, yet the characters were quite interesting. 30 minutes in the film she couldn't help but to chuckle as she said, "This guy is suicidal...why is he so keen on getting a photo? But she? Damn, even worse. Notice how she purposely keeps going back to their truck to get more equipment to set up? It's sketchy...he's in there all alone". Kalique usually wasn't too keen on commenting the plot non-stop, but this slight shit show just called for it.

The random jump scares did make her jump every now and then, but she it kept drawing chuckles from her, too. "It reminds me off Entralla...you know, when you entered the house again to get me". Despite the traumatic parts, it was also a precious memory. It was an eternity away, yet when she met his gaze, the same feelings that had started to grow back then returned, just much more intense.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

With the movie settled on, the lights dimmed, the movie started. It was a slow start, but he enjoyed the company as he pulled her just a little closer.

The main characters walked past a creepy-looking music box. "Oh, that's for sure cursed..." Jon commented. "No..Don't pick it up...why do they always pick it up!?" he said.

"I mean, yeah I guess. If you were trying to get proof of a ghost, I guess you would want a picture..." he said with a bit of a shrug. They obviously were both making terrible decisions, but that's how these movies went.

He almost threw his cup when the old, demented-looking grandma with a sickle appeared right behind one of the ghost hunters. "LEAVE!" he said.

Movie aside, it felt so cozy. Kali brought up Entralla; the thought of that village still sent ice up his spine. Compared to that, this movie was basically a comedy. He shivered slightly before leaning down and kissing the top of her head. "Hey, you saved us big time there. The whole platoon was in a pretty rough spot before you showed up.." he said. He had chased after her, but he knew she would and had done the same for him so many times. There were certainly a lot of feelings there, both positive and negative, around that time. The growing feelings between them collided with the horrors they had been sent to deal with.

"Wait..." he said, his attention moving back to the movie. "Did she just ask if that ghost was trash?" he asked someone confused.

 

[Kalique Baize]

The movie was entertaining for sure, the characters did exactly what horror movie characters often did and never seemed to get any hints. They'd die, she assumed, but for now they kept watching their admittedly interesting paranormal investigation skills. "Oh I haaate that sound". Whatever came out of the music box was incredibly creepy and she was convinced if she ever heard that in real life, she'd lose her well composed self.

"No no no....like why? What are they doing anyway? It seems like they only want proof but no one considers getting rid of this ghost" she pointed out, gesturing wildly. Where they getting paid for telling people what ghost they were dealing with and that was it? She had so many questions.

She couldn't help but to burst into soft laughter as Jon desperately tried to advise the ghost hunters to leave. "Wow...he just stood there and tried taking his photo. Admirable, but suicidal" her point remained the same. The woman that was portrayed was a coward, he was mad.

Despite the horrors of Entralla, despite the nightmare that had dwelled in his head, she remembered the tender moment they had shared that night fondly. "Without you it would have killed me...and also, I still find it absolutely remarkable that you had allowed me to enter your thoughts that night". She had stayed with him, driven the vile spirit out, yet he had already placed his full trust in her back then...

As much as she loved dwelling on the thoughts of how they had begun to find love, she busted into laughter as Jon repeated the ghosthunters question. "What the kriff are we watching?" it was so random, so misplaced, and obviously the ghost didn't take the question kindly so that the next attack it launched made Kalique jump.

"I'm taking notes...if that's how you handle spirits, we've been doing it wrong". The plot continously escalated, and after an hour they had apperently learned the ghost was a so called 'Deogen' and it freaked the hunters out. "I'm not getting it...haven't they tried reaching Steven with this ghost box thing and no one ever replied? I thought they were waiting on it?". Steven was the name of the deceased person and apparently that was important, but she had to admit that her eyelids were growing heavier and her thoughts drifted off.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

He laughed as she cringed away from creepy sounding music box. “I don't know, it's kind of nice” he said as he started to hum along to the haunting tune.

He had to agree with her, their job seemed pretty random but he didn't think to deeply into it. “I mean havjngproof there is a ghost would be useful. We need to remember to take a picture of the next horrific creature we fight…he joked, nudging her. “So many missed opportunities”

It was a trust she had earned. She had never abused her powers with him, never pushed into his mind without his knowledge, even when it would have been advantageous of her to do so. It showed a level of integrity that Jon adored in her.

As Kali jumped, it caused him to also jump. Her jump scare had been much more scary than anything in the movie. His body tightened for a second before relaxing back and letting out a nervous laughter. “Yeah, this has been good research.” he said with a shake of his head.

The movie progressed as the hunt continued. He asked Kali a question, but she didn't answer he looked down to see her eyes closed. For the moment, he let the movie continue to play but turned it down slightly.

As the movie ended, he shifted slowly helping her reposition before he pulled the covers over her before laying down himself. He tucked his arm under his head as he thought about what he would have done in that movie. He bet he could have got that picture for sure…