She rubs a weary hand across the back of her neck before pushing her chair back from the table. "I have a 0600 call. I'm heading to my bunk." Keelah pauses and stares down at Ti'ta as if she'd like to say more. I watch them over the rim of my tankard of Andoan ale as the Esseles' lounge bustles around us with activity; gambling, drinking, dancing, laughing. This transport has so much going on it can make a man dizzy with the possibilities.

My name is Corso Riggs. I grew up on Ord Mantel. My father is a rancher, was a rancher. He's gone now, just like Mom. Both were killed by Separatists. But that's another story for another time. I'm a mercenary, smuggler, right hand man, weapons mechanic and future co-pilot to Captain Ti'ta Harootunian. I'm a simple man, with simple needs and simply want to get my revenge on a man who stole my favorite blaster pistol, Torchy.

My lip quirks into a grin hidden behind my tankard, watching as Ti'ta smiles up at Keelah. It's hard not to smile at Ti'ta, on account that her smile lights up her face and I'll be spaced if it isn't contagious. She laughs at whatever Keelah says and I nod respectfully in response to Keelah's abrupt nod of farewell.

A companionable silence falls between me and Ti'ta as we both ponder our own thoughts. I lost count of how many drinks Ti'ta has thrown back and I'm not about to let her out of my sight. An overnight trip on the Republic transporter Esseles and we'll be on Coruscant by nightfall tomorrow. I feel kinda responsible for Ti'ta. She's too nice for her own good and some lowlife might try to take advantage of her inebriated disposition.

Keelah Se'lai, correction Lieutenant Se'lai, Havoc Squad. Havoc is some kind of elite military thing that is very respected and does top secret missions and is all hush hush. Keelah met up with us at the Republic Fleet. She's accompanied by a Sergeant from that same squad, a proud Cathar named Jorgan. First name is unknown, at least by me. He was introduced as Sergeant Jorgan and didn't offer a first name. Didn't offer much of any conversation really. He ate in silence then excused himself with a good night. They both seem to be very straight laced military personnel. Which is such a contradiction to Ti'ta and me.

I met Ti'ta Harootunian just over two months ago. She came flying in to the spaceport and landed somewhere in my heart. Kinda fast, I know but she's just one of them ladies that have a way of making you consider things you wouldn't normally. Oh but I'm getting ahead of myself. She is the… was the Captain of her own spaceship, an independent smuggler, up until that lowlife Skavac stole it along with the cargo she was delivering. That is the same lowlife scum that stole Torchy.

After Skavac, I introduced Ti'ta to the smuggler I worked for, Viidu. Viidu was a decent guy, smart business man, just not smart with the ladies apparently and got himself shot dead. Now we're on the run from a mobster, running to catch Skavac and just a hop and a skip ahead of the bounty hunters.

I watch Keelah wind her way to the door as a question rumbles through my mind that I've been meaning to ask but hadn't had the opportunity until now. "Hey, Captain," I lower my tankard to set it on the table, "how did you two meet?"

Ti'ta glances in the direction Keelah went and shrugs a slender shoulder. "Keelah's my cousin." Cousin? Now there's an answer I didn't expect. They are nothing alike but I guess cousins don't have to be alike to be related. Ti'ta is a tiny, dainty flower of a girl with short deep red hair and lively green eyes, fast with a smile, fast with a blaster and even faster with her wit and charm. Keelah is auburn haired with brown intense eyes, rather tall and stocky for a girl, not an ounce of fat on her, all muscle and brawn and she could probably break a man in two if he looked at her wrong. Ti'ta chews on her bottom lip for a moment before continuing. "We kinda bumped into each other on Ord Mantel a time or two…"

I'm not sure what that hesitation is about, but I'd wager it isn't pleasant from the way her eyebrows furrow like that. "What's wrong?" I turn in my chair almost reaching out for her in concern, only to remember my manners and keep my hands to myself. We haven't known each other that long maybe she doesn't want to talk about it. "I'm sorry if I'm prying."

A small grin tugs at her full lips and she shakes her head slowly while waving a hand vaguely in my direction. "Nothin' it's just…" Ti'ta pauses long enough to take another long drink. She stares in the tankard before continuing. "Somethin' musta happened," her words had been slurring together and are starting to get worse. "Keelah isn' tha same sweet girl we spent summers with as kids."

"You and Keelah spent summers together, huh?" I can't help but chuckle at the mental image of a little Keelah running around playing soldier with Ti'ta. As tiny as Ti'ta is now, how small was she then? "I have a hard time picturing Keelah as a young sweet and innocent kid."

She laughs and leans her head on a propped arm, drunkenly slouching to her left so she can look up at me. Ti'ta gets a far off look on her face, green eyes dancing, cheeks flushed, she's never looked prettier. "Oh yeah, Keelah, Aida and me, we'd-"

I can feel my eyebrows shoot up in surprise; another cousin, a sister, a friend? "Aida?" I didn't mean to interrupt, the name just spilled from my mouth before I could stop it.

Ti'ta physically winces, all humor leaving her face abruptly, so fast it makes my stomach drop to my boots. "Aida… she… she's…" She peers at the empty tankard in her hand as if she's surprised it's there and I'm sorry I ever opened my mouth, "Aida's my sister." She looks around for a server slamming her empty tankard on the table. "I need-"

"To go to bed. Sorry, Captain, but I think you've had enough for the night. You're gonna feel that come morning." I take the tankard from her hand, surprises us both that she lets it go, surprises me more when she grabs my hand instead.

She has a look of pain in her eyes. "Corso?" She's pulling on my hand and I wrap my fingers around hers giving it a soft squeeze.

"Ya, Captain?" Her eyes are all shiny now and my heart is in my throat. The tears and weaving, oh this can't be good. I pull the little woman into my arms and hold her close. Her body shakes and trembles against me. If she wasn't so blasted wasted and crying, this could be real nice. Ti'ta feels pretty damn good in my arms, not to mention how good her hair smells and the way she buries her face in my chest, clinging to me and… oh ya, back up, Corso, easy does it. Ti'ta is still a lady. "Shhh, it's gonna be okay, Captain. I'm here for ya."

Eventually her tears stop and her trembling slows, although her clinging doesn't and after a while I start to wonder if she's fallen asleep. While I don't particularly mind holding her all night, the lounge isn't the safest place to do that. Not to mention if anything were to happen to Ti'ta, I'm pretty sure I'd have to answer to Keelah and that notion scares me to my core. That is one lady no one should tangle with. Not sure even Jorgan is keen on that idea and he is one tough Cathar.

"Captain, let me take you back to your room," blast it, that sounded bad. "Um… to sleep, you need to sleep this off." Thankfully Ti'ta isn't upset with me for my poor choice in words. She doesn't speak only nods her head against my chest. I reluctantly release my hold on her and help her stand. Poor girl keeps her head down and lets me walk her out the door with my hand at her lower back guiding her.

To my pleasant surprise, Ti'ta leans against me so I slip my arm around her shoulders as we make our way down the hallways to her room. With a gentle tap of her palm, the security is cleared and her door drifts open with a soft swish. Now comes the truly awkward part. Do I leave her here or do I walk her in? To my utter shock, she grips my shirt and looks at me with pleading eyes. "Don't go."

How can I resist? I can't. She needs me. So I rub her back gently, urging her to enter. "Okay." The door swishes closed behind us. My heart is racing and my palms are sweating because I know what I want but it's not right. Ti'ta needs me but not in that way. She needs a friend and I can do that. I can be her friend.

I'm glad we had the foresight to change into casual clothes before dinner. It would be uncomfortable for Ti'ta to try and sleep in her armor and there is no way in the galaxy I'd be able to undress her. I help her to her bed and she sits down. She doesn't let go of my hand so I kneel in front of her and help her take her boots off. She smiles a little smile that looks so sad and lost, it breaks my heart. "Lay down. Get some rest, Captain."

"Corso, I…" Her voice trails off and I grin at her. I give her a reassuring nod and turn out the lights casting the room into an eerie false darkness as the small strip of safety reflective light glows below the exit. I make my way back and sit on the floor next to her bed. Her hand slips back in mine and she lies down staring at me. It's pretty unnerving the way she's staring at me, like I'm going to suddenly turn into a monster. So I give her hand a gentle squeeze and she smiles, a real smile this time that make it all the way to her eyes. "Silly, farm boy, you can lay in the bed with me. I trust you." And with that she tugs at my hand and my heart.

She trusts me. How is it that a lady I just met two months ago has managed to turn my whole world upside down? "I'm good, Captain."

Leaning my head back against the wall, I close my eyes. I kind of lied, this is pretty uncomfortable but maybe I didn't lie since I will sit here as long as Ti'ta needs me to. Or my butt falls off. I think it's numb now as a matter of fact. Sure didn't take long.

Some time passes and I manage to drift off to a light doze. It's hard to sleep solid sitting on a hard cold floor. "Aida was my sister," her voice is so low I'm unsure if she is really talking or I imagine it. I open my eyes, blinking as a word she said hits me like a blaster to the heart. Was. Aida was her sister. Ti'ta's thumb slips lightly over my fingers rubbing idly as she talks. "There were three of us girls; me, Aida and Willa. Aida died young, barely seven, wandered to the garden before I could go with her, found a live grenade. Willa was only four, I was eight. Suddenly I wasn't allowed to let Willa out of my sight. She was my little shadow after that."

Ti'ta shudders, her voice cracks but she continues. "Turns out Willa is force sensitive and she was taken away. Our parents died on when I was sixteen…" I use my thumb to wipe away the new tears that fall. "I'm all that's left."

"You have Keelah…" and me. My voice is as hoarse as hers. Her eyes meet mine and I try to give her an encouraging smile but it falters. I know all too well what it feels like to lose family.

"Ya, Keelah." She nods once and tugs at my hand again. "Would it be rude of me to ask you to hold me?"

My mind is racing, searching for a reason to say no but I can't find one. Not now. Not with her looking at me so open and vulnerable. "Course not, Captain." Cripes, my lower half is asleep. Maybe that's for the best but it doesn't make it easy to stand.

I manage to get my boots off and crawl on the bed beside her, lying on my back. Ti'ta rolls over to face me. She's so small the bed doesn't even move much when she does. I wriggle my arm around her and she somehow presses so close I can feel her breath on my skin. Stars her body feels so warm against me. I close my eyes and she lays her head on my shoulder, her hand rests on my chest, slipping her leg over mine in a possessive gesture. Or she's just getting comfortable, better that I don't read too much into this.

"Thanks, Corso." Her voice is soft, exhausted, spent. I can feel her breath on my neck, her body relaxes against me. I move my head slightly to the right so I can smell her hair without looking like I'm doing exactly that and I can feel the smile fighting to sit on my face. I give in and smile in the dark. If she wasn't so vulnerable, if she wasn't in such emotional pain, this would feel right, like it was meant to be and that sits just fine with me.