Ask Slice of the Sun

[Arla]

Arla watched the way his ears swiveled and turned. Although she had less and less Sephi blood with each generation, she recognized the movements well enough. The involuntary nature of them, and the story they told all on their own.

She felt the tips of his fangs against her lip, but didn't pull back. Instead, she leaned in and captured his lips with hers, letting the kiss linger for a moment before making good on his request. They weaved their way through the ship until they arrived in the bedroom, and in an instant it became very clear that this was not simply a wide sided desire that lay with her.

He pressed her back against the wall, and she took in a deep breath at the feeling of his hands touching her. It had been far too long, and she returned his kiss with a hunger she didn't expect.

He pulled her shirt away, and she turned the tables, spinning him back against the wall only to see him stop, her sensitive ears picking up the sound of his mumble and she paused, following the gaze of his eye down to the scars that covered her skin.

She simply looked straight at him, unwavering and unashamed of them. They were the price she paid for the life she led, and she... didn't regret it.

Is there a problem? she asked, her voice almost taking on an amused tone at the sign of his surprise.

 

[Z'Kair]

He had never seen scars as extensive as these, his eye trailing over them all. Kai traced his fingers along some of them, his touch feathery soft with the claws just barely grazing. He should have been unsettled or afraid, but he almost envied how unashamed she was. She stood by her choices and line of work. Kai reminded himself that this was a cruise. They would part ways the next day and keep just the good memories. It didn’t have to be more than that.

A fleeting thought told him that perhaps she was one of the only people in the galaxy that wouldn’t balk at the sight of him without an eye patch. He hadn’t even allowed his mother to see the horrific gap left behind. Kai pushed those bitter thoughts aside, focusing back on the stunning woman before him. Instead, he shrugged off his own clothing, revealing a slender but athletic torso. He had a simple necklace and scars along his body as well. However, she would notice he had a brand mark on his left pectoral, the mark of a Hutt. Kai hoped she wouldn’t ask too many questions, just as he opted not to for her.

“Yes,” He finally answered her question as he grabbed her by the hand, toppled backwards onto her bed, and pulled her atop him, “I don’t have you all over me yet,” Kai said with a smirk, his hands working to toss away the last bits of her clothing.

 

[Arla]

Arla's head tilted to the side, watching him as he looked at her. It was a gratifying feeling, and she didn't pull away as his finger traced along the scars. Instead, she let a light smile grace her lips.

As he pulled away his own clothing, she saw that he had scars on his body as well. Many scars that told of more than just a kitchen accident. She didn't know what had led him to this point, but it was clear that he had had a hard life. The tattoo on his chest was one she didn't recognize, but it somehow gave her the impression that it had meaning. She said nothing of it.

She didn't hesitate as he moved back onto the bed, climbing atop him and kissing him deeply. Cruising? Best decision she'd made in a long time.

---​

They had thoroughly enjoyed their time together until she felt fatigue beginning to pull at her, simply laying there in bed and feeling better than she had in quite some time. There was only here, now, on this ship. She felt relaxed.

She had laid there in silence, unwilling to fall asleep in the company of a stranger, and instead opted for meditation as a substitute for sleep. She knew others who did it regularly, but she had always enjoyed the action of sleep... but she also usually slept alone.

 

[Z'Kair]

There was definitely something wild and almost animalistic about her that rivaled his own wild nature. It was an exhilarating ride that left him surprisingly taxed. He almost dozed off a few times, but he remembered he had a job to do. Kai glanced over to marvel at Arla’s slender form beside him. His tail was cozily pressed against her, providing her an extra bit of warmth. He had no idea that she wasn't asleep, so he took a moment to look over her scars again. What was her story? He would never know. If it didn’t sound like the cheesiest line in the world, he would have even told her that the scars made her even more beautiful.

Kai sighed, knowing this was the part that would brand him an asshole in her book. Nevertheless, he leaned in to tenderly kiss against her cheek before slowly sliding out of bed. He silently got dressed and slinked out of the room as quietly as possible. With her affinity in the Force, Arla would be able to clearly pick out that he had some very conniving intentions with where he was going.

 

[Arla]

Arla simply lay there in silence, letting the minutes of the night tick by. She felt the fur of his tail brush up against her, the warmth and softness a nice addition to the relatively comfortable bed.

She led his emotions wash over her, at first a mixture of satisfaction and enjoyment, but she noticed as the time passed a growing apprehension or stress seemed to be mounting within him.

Finally, he started to stir, climbing out of the bed and even planting a kiss on her cheek. She nearly said something then and there, but she didn't say anything for the same reason she had stayed in bed to meditate... she didn't need to weird him out.

Unfortunately, that growing sense of off continued to mount even as he left the room, and her eyes finally snapped open. She spun out of the bed in a flash, her clothes flying to her from all across the room and practically putting themselves on with the power of the Shadow. The fact that she could get completely dressed in a matter of seconds was something even she had never realized before.

As it turned out, though, she was now running barefoot through the cruise ship. Not that that bothered her, she'd run barefoot in much worse places before, but it was somewhat amusing to see.

Through a couple of tricks with the Shadow, he would round a corner and find her standing there, a skeptical frown on her face. Was she showing off and being theatrical? Absolutely. There was a part of her that enjoyed the surprise. The same part of her that enjoyed the way he looked at her.

Did you rob me? she asked out of the blue. Despite the abruptness of what probably should be called an accusation, it didn't have an accusatory tone to it. Almost more as if it were asked in confusion. It was the vibe she got off of him in the Shadow, although it wasn't her that he was planning to rob.

Because you snuck out like you did, she said. She didn't seem angry like most women might have been. Almost like she found it to be some extended form of flirting. Yeah, flirting may not have been her strongest suit.

 

[Z'Kair]

His mind had shifted completely to the gem by the time he was a corridor away from Arla’s room. Sex was great, but nothing gave him a rush like a robbery. He was already in a great mood from a tumble in the sheets, and he was ready to put his dexterous hands to use on a whole new prize now. He moved with a hunter’s precision, sneaking like a shadow and avoiding cameras and people.

He turned a corner preparing to descend to the lower deck when he got the shock of his life. An involuntary yelp escaped him as he sprang back, his eye widening as he spotted Arla there. What the fuck? He stared in stunned silence as she spoke. It didn’t matter if she was calm, he was completely shocked by her abrupt appearance. Was she one of those overly attached girls? Shit.

Kai awkwardly scratched his own ear, shifting in place, “Of course not,” He said, his tone genuine. Why hadn’t he robbed her? He robbed almost everyone he had ever spent a night with to some degree, but he hadn’t even bothered rummaging through her things. He chalked it up to focusing too hard on the gem.

“I had to get going and didn’t want to disturb you. Staff aren't supposed to have...relations with guests,” He said sheepishly. He cleared his throat, “So…see you at breakfast tomorrow?” He asked quietly, hoping that would be it and she would just head back. Damn cruises and his lack of ability to straight up vanish as he often did.

 

[Arla]

Arla had to try not to laugh when he yelped. Yes, she knew she was being difficult, but she didn't really care. Plus, she really wasn't convinced that there wasn't something untoward going on. He was definitely in a hurry to get somewhere and do something.

She still couldn't place what was going on, but she didn't get the impression that it was a target against her. That brought some of the tension off of it. He wasn't a scout out to assassinate her or something... although that was pretty unlikely, wasn't it?

She kept that silvery gaze on him as he seemed to be uncomfortable by her questions. Well, okay, tha was probably fair. She had just asked him if he robbed her.

No, you said that you are done tomorrow, she said as he mentioned seeing her at breakfast. Was he just trying to get rid of her? No, there was something more. Her mind flashed back to the various scars across his body and that tattoo. A gang tattoo? Was someone after him?

Are you in trouble? she asked. It wasn't really her business, she knew, but her curiosity was piqued, and already she could feel the excitement of the hunt trying to pop its head up inside of her.

You have seen my scars. I am sure you have put together that I have... unusual life experiences. I can help you, she said. Yes, yes "if you're good at something, never do it for free" but that assumed that she only worked for money. That wasn't the real reason she fought, though. In all of her barefoot glory.

 

[Z'Kair]

“What? You’re canceling our island date?” He shot back, making a smooth recovery from his breakfast slip up. It was true - he wasn’t working tomorrow, but it was also true that she had invited him to hang out on the island. Though Kai preferred to make a getaway after he nabbed the jewel, he could probably stall on an island with Arla before she had to return to the ship.

Kai was caught off guard when she asked if he was in trouble. He was used to people always being suspicious of him, but seldom showing genuine concern. And her follow up was even more telling - a subtle implication that she wasn’t afraid to get rough if things got bad. Kai’s tail swished back and forth as he considered ways to get out of this. There was no way he could tell her what he intended to do.

“Why are you really out here?” Kai asked after a moment, tilting his head, “You know for a fact I didn’t steal anything from you,” He said. This was dragging the encounter on, but a part of him was genuinely curious.

 

[Arla]

Arla wasn't certain she believed him, but she also couldn't force him to tell her the truth. She was skeptical that he had any intention of showing up on their island date, though that would be a shame if he wasn't. She knew it was foolish for her to be butting into someone else's business, but she was on vacation. She had an opportunity to dip into things she didn't normally do.

For a moment, she considered her answer when he asked why she was really out here. How honest should she be? Honesty wasn't always the best policy with certain situations, and she wasn't the best at judging situations like this.

I like you. Call it my intuition that something is wrong, and I would like to help, she said. Was that too forward? Possibly, but Arla was nothing if not forward. He already saw that she wasn't afraid to be direct, and she could already tell there was much more to him than met the eye.

However, if you tell me to piss off or that nothing is wrong, I won't believe you, but I will drop it and go back to my room, she said. Yeah, about as subtle as a social sledgehammer. It wasn't like he didn't know where to find her, though doubt crept into her mind about whether she'd ever actually see him again if they parted ways here. She'd say she doubted it, but something told her that their paths were... perhaps not linked, but at least had more intertwining in them.

 

[Z'Kair]

When she confessed she liked him, his eye widened in surprise. As a certified con artist, he kept himself on lockdown when it came to any kind of ‘liking’. He couldn’t even remember the last time he genuinely liked someone like that. Surely that wasn’t what she meant, right? Kai was silent for a few seconds, even after she offered to piss off. His tail drooped slightly along with his ears. The Fiani ran his fingers through his hair.

“Believe this - I’m no good,” He said with a fanged grin, “I’m rotten to the core. And you’re better off with the memories we made already,” Kai walked slightly past her, tilting his head over his shoulder to smile at her before he began descending down the steps, “Have a good night, Arla.”

With that, he turned and walked down the steps. His heart was racing from the thrill of the hunt, and he hoped he made a clean enough break for her to get off his tail. There was a pang in his chest as he really did want to know her more. It was one of the rare instances where someone genuinely didn’t look at him like a crook, which was why he felt compelled to make it clear he was one.

Kai brushed the thought aside and got to work.

–​

The next morning, the ship arrived at port as scheduled. However, there was a lockdown before guests could disembark. There was an alleged robbery of a very precious gem and everyone was advised to return to their rooms until an initial sweep was completed. Local authorities would be boarding soon. All staff members were being checked as well.

Kai was still stuck on the damn boat. Now with the gem in question.

 

[Arla]

There was the faintest twitch of her ears as he spoke, perhaps the most obvious and yet a subtle sign of her disappointment.

I still do not believe you, but very well, she said, and it was true. Or at least she didn't believe him in the way he meant it. He may have meant trouble, but so did she. People who were genuinely out to hurt her, though, didn't say it outright.

Until next time, Kodi, she said, and gave only a few moment's pause as he turned and walked away. It was a shame, but she shouldn't have been surprised. Nothing in life was simple, and her luck with relationships had left a great deal to be desired. At least it had been an enjoyable night while it lasted, and it had released a great deal of pent up tension she didn't even realize she had been carrying. She supposed she'd head back to get some sleep of her own.

---​

When she awoke the next morning, she was determined to have a lovely day at the beach for herself. The night before had ended with some disappointment, and she foolishly hoped that perhaps he was still keep their date today. She knew that wasn't going to happen, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she hadn't seen the last of him.

Ultimately, she'd gotten up, showered, and gotten ready for her beachy excursion and headed on the way to breakfast when she was told to "Return to your room, ma'am. There has been a theft aboard and all occupants are advised to remain with their belongings in their cabins until further notice." She didn't like taking orders from droids, but with a none-too-happy face, she had returned to her cabin.

She decided to settle herself in to meditate to pass the time.

 

[Z'Kair]

He was in deep shit. He was on a boat with all the exits blocked and a precious gem in his possession. Worst of all, everyone was being interviewed and he had no alibi. He already knew that a lot of the suspicion was on staff instead of guests, because only staff knew where the cargo was stored. Kai was internally panicking, thinking of how cornered he was. And it was too late to put the gem back where it was, and he would rather throw himself overboard than just ‘lose’ it.

A ridiculous idea popped into his head, and he decided to go for a hail mary.

Moments later, Arla would hear a knock at her door. If she opened it, she would find Kai there with a bottle of wine and two glasses. He had a sheepish grin on his face, “I guess we’ll have to have our date here, huh?” He asked playfully. Kai knew if he could hide out in her room, she would likely cover for him. A charge for sleeping with a guest was nothing compared to stealing what he did. This provided him an alibi for his whereabouts.

Arla would be able to sense his intense anxiety, and it was impressive how well he hid it from his face. The nonchalant pokerface was worthy of a Thorne. If Arla was inclined, he would pop the cork and pour them both a glass.

 

[Arla]

Arla's mind had wandered across the ship, curiosity creeping along with her. Tensions were high all throughout the ship, guests were irritable, staff were stressed, and it seemed to be much to the contrary of what a beach cruise was supposed to be.

That was when she heard a knock at the door, and her mind was pulled quickly back into her body as her eyes flicked open. She stood and unlocked the door, opening it to find none other than Kodi standing there with wine and glasses in hand.

She was... a bit surprised if she were honest. Surprised and skeptical. And also a bit happy. It was a strange mixture, really. She stepped aside and motioned for him to come in, closing the door behind him.

I'm surprised you came by, she said honestly. Pleasantly surprised, but surprised, she added, taking the glass that he handed her and moving over to sit cross legged on the bed as she sipped at it.

She could sense wild amounts of anxiety in him, but he played it like a professional sabaac player. It never crossed his face or even his ears or tail. Had she convinced him to give it a second chance? Was he worried about hurting her? Was he worried about exposing himself? Was Arla terrible at navigating these situations? Who knew!

 

[Z'Kair]

“Why surprised?” Kai asked as he poured them drinks, "A date's a date," He sipped from the glass as she moved to plop down on the bed.

“Crazy, isn’t it? Locking down an entire ship over some stupid robbery,” Kai said nonchalantly. Robbery over a gem in his pocket at that very moment. He kept his cool for the most part, his tail casually draped over the side of his seat.

“So do I get to ask you how you got your scars?” Kai asked after a pause, sipping from his wine. Normally he didn’t give a shit about knowing anyone’s story, but this woman intrigued him. Even beyond being a great lay.

It wouldn’t be long before there was another knock on the door. It was a Ranger that was stopping to ask questions of the guests.

 

[Arla]

Hm, Arla humed quietly as he said that a date was a date. She didn't press the topic, but their conversation last night had certainly led her to believe things were... well, not all good, at least. But, don't look a gift fathier in the mouth, right?

Seems a bit excessive, she agreed. She didn't know what had been stolen or what it's price was, but unless it was in the seven figures, she couldn't imagine it was worth wasting the time of all these people who were collectively losing thousands of dollars just sitting here.

She smirked slightly as he asked about her scars, but she had no objection to sharing at least a bit about them. Perhaps not all the stories that covered the canvas of her body were ones she would be willing to tell, but the broad strokes weren't so awful.

Only if I get to ask you the same, she said. He was missing an eye and had scars of his own. He was no stranger to hardship, it seemed.

I'm a military contractor. Quite a good one, but if you hunt big enough prey, you still pick up scars, she said, leaving out the fact that she was, in fact, the founder of the company not just an employee. Normally, she was always pitching for Apex and trying to sell it to people, but here, she didn't have to worry about that so much.

Knuckles rapped on the door a moment later and she pushed herself up to open the door, finding a rather good looking ranger standing at the door, though he was about fifteen years too old for Arla. Not that that would have bothered someone like Altair.

Hello, are you Miss Valley? the man asked with just the hint of a drawl to his voice. He wasn't in uniform, and something about him gave Arla the impression that he was the person that got called in for the important jobs. He was just a little too unorthodox to get that much leeway if he weren't good.

I am, she said. She'd grown tired of having to fight with the name fields for a surname, and decided that "Valley" was a good enough substitute for "of the Forgotten Valley." It would have been easier if she could just put her real last name - Thorne - on things, but that posed too much risk to the rest of her family for her to risk it even here.

Oh, hello. Manifest didn't list a Mr. Valley? the Ranger said, eyes carrying past Arla to Kai. But excuse me, I should introduce myself. Deputy Ranger Tivens of the Sector Rangers. I've just been working my way around and talking to the guests. You know, because of the theft last night, he said.

Neither of you saw anything suspicious last night, did you? he asked.

 

[Z'Kair]

Military contractor? He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but that was not it. He studied her for a moment, really looking this time. It was her eyes - while they were vibrant and stunning, they had something about them that corroborated her story. Fair was fair, however. He took a sip from his drink.

“A wanderer mostly,” He said vaguely, “I ran into some trouble in Hutt space. Got into the wrong circles,” All of that was true, but he was still in the same circles. There was a pang of pain in his heart as he thought about it, his thoughts wandering back to his enslaved mother.

Kai almost considered jumping out onto the balcony when the knock came. He kept his cool, letting Arla talk first. He thought he was fine until the Ranger looked over some descriptions, “Actually,” He began, “I have someone of your description missing from the staff area below deck. Would you happen to be Mr. Kodi D. Fox..” He said the name very slowly, looking up with a quirked brow.

Kai really needed to work on his aliases…

Roll: 6/20 on sus check

 

[Arla]

A wanderer from Hutt space. Honestly, that added up, didn't it? She'd been to Hutt space and other places like it that were lawless. It was the kind of place it would be easy to pick up scars for any reason or no reason at all.

Unfortunately, as Arla was about to talk about how she hadn't seen anything suspicious, the Ranger started looking at Kodi like he was all wrong.

Kodi D. Fox. You know, on the surface she might have missed it, but when it was read out real slowly like the Ranger read it... yeah, it didn't look great. Arla flicked her head back to look at Mr. Fox with an expression that was still quite blank. Oh, for kriff's sake, she thought to herself.

This is your first trip as a chef here, isn't that right, Mr. Fox? he said, and even as he said the words "Mr. Fox" you could just tell that he wasn't having any of that.

Where were the two of you last night at around two in the morning? he asked, looking up first and Arla and then setting his eyes like laser-beams on Mr. Fox.

I was here in my room, she said. That was true. She didn't know where Kodi was, and it still wasn't entirely clear if Arla would affirm if he said he was still with her.

 

[Z'Kair]

Kai knew he was in deep shit. Even Arla was looking at him like he was sketch. His alibi was falling apart before his eyes and he had to think of something quick. His tail was twitching erratically and he considered his options. The Ranger wasn’t exactly armed for any kind of serious confrontation - this was a theft but not murder after all. Kai knew he was fast. Very fast.

“Yes, this is my first chef job on board,” He said, “I actually have my time logging sheet right here,” Kai said, reaching into his pocket to take out a sheet of paper. Kai walked towards the Ranger. The man rolled his eyes and prepared to look at the paper. However, when the Fiani closed the distance, he abruptly swiped his claws at the man’s face, leaving deep gouges on his cheek. The ranger cried out, stumbling back to clutch his face.

By then, the Fiani was long gone, a blur of motions as he darted down the corridor. His target was to get to the nearest balcony and find some way to climb down a mooring rope without getting shot.

Arla would be left behind with the Ranger angrily recovering and bringing up his comlink to start reporting Kai and calling for backup.

 

[Arla]

Well, Arla hadn't seen that coming. Almost before she could react, Kodi D. Fox was darting for the door, slashing the officer, and Arla was just left... standing there.

She didn't move to help the officer, nor did she move to stop him. It was already becoming clear that she was going to be in for trouble and unwanted questions at the least. She found herself left with more questions than answers about her overnight buddy.

You stay there! the ranger shouted, pointing at her and she simply raised her hands and shrugged. She was not here under alias and would rather not have charges leveled against her, which meant compliance was probably in her best interest.

I don't even know what's going on, she objected, but the Ranger was already darting off after Kodi.

As he made it above deck, it was strangely quiet because everyone was in quarantine. Almost creepy in a way. Or peaceful, depending on who you asked.

As he looked around, he would see a large pipe coming up onto the deck that seemed to intake air or vent steam. There didn't seem to be anything hot coming out of them, but it would make an excellent hiding spot if he simply suspended himself inside. Surely no one would ever find him. Surely if he accidentally dropped something down there nothing bad could happen to the engine.

Alternatively, he could steal a lifeboat and row for shore. They were hanging from the side of the ship. It seemed there were an abundance of the vessels... more than enough to carry everyone aboard the ship, as it turned out. That was excellent at least.

 

[Z'Kair]

Kai bolted through the empty corridors at top speed. Everyone was stuck in their rooms and this worked in his favor. His keen hearing could pick up talking and other noises where the Rangers were posted. The fox slipped easily enough out towards the balcony where he saw rows of lifeboats. This was the stupidest thing he had ever done, but technically since the ship was docked, he only needed a makeshift elevator.

The Fiani climbed onto a lifeboat, grabbing a hold of the ropes to start lowering himself down to the water. That was when he began to hear footsteps rapidly approaching. The ranger that he clawed was finally catching up and scrambling to stop Kai. The Fiani cursed to himself and pulled out a knife to hastily cut the ropes. The drop was steep, but he had to time his jump off to land on the dock just right to avoid breaking his legs.

Kai looked down at the height and grimaced before returning to sawing away at the rope. This was beginning to rank among his worst con jobs ever, and he only hoped to make it out alive.