Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars
Third Time's the Charm
Jarael walked up the boarding ramp into the Hot Prospect. The mining ship had been bought by the Trandoshan, Slyssk, when Gryph had asked him to get them a new ship. A bizarre and ugly thing it was, not at all like the Last Resort, but it was home at least for the moment.
Jarael sighed as she headed to her quarters. Since Goethar Kleej had recognised her tattoos as being Flames of the Crucible, her past had caught up with her. She had had to reveal to Zayne that she had been a slaver, working for the Crucible, and that had led to an argument between the two. Looking back, Jarael supposed she had overreacted a little. She had basically accused Zayne of being out to kill her once he found out she had been a slaver. She had left him behind in the forest, and had returned to their landing site to find Malak waiting for her. He had wanted her to join him in his crusade against the Mandalorians. What worried Jarael most was the fact that she had been slightly tempted. She'd wanted to run away from the group now Zayne knew she was once a slaver. However, the fight between Rohlan and Malak had brought an end to any thoughts o her joining, as she wanted to help Rohlan find what he was looking for. But Malak had been persistent in his arguments, and she had felt herself sliding towards supporting him. She didn't know why, but perhaps she had felt an escape from Zayne's group was in order now they knew who she was. However, before she could consider Malak's offer further, Zayne had put a stop to her considerations. Apologising for angering her, he had kissed her, and told Malak they were going away from the war. Malak had taken that as his cue to leave, and Zayne had promised to help her break open the Crucible.
Jarael entered her quarters and lay down on her bed. Zayne wanted her to stay with him. Despite the fact that she had been a slaver. She smiled slightly. She supposed she shouldn't have overreacted and basically told him he was going to try to kill her for being a slaver.
She leaned back and considered the problem facing her. She knew Zayne and Rohlan would help her fight the Crucible until their dying breath. Perhaps she, like Zayne, would eventually escape her past.
She rolled over and thought about the days events. What annoyed her most was the fact that Malak still seemed to be trying to hook up with her. She had told him on Taris that she wasn't interested. However, he had dragged a Hammerhead class Cruiser all the way across the galaxy to try to get her to come with him. In reality, Jarael felt she would actually rather stay with Zayne. At least she wouldn't be thrust into a war that had very little to do with her with him, and she wouldn't be surrounded by Jedi who may not be quite as lenient as Zayne was about her past. Zayne. She felt accepted with him, felt safe, just as safe as she had with Camper before his mind had gone. She could remember kissing him in desperation aboard the Arkanian Legacy, and rather enjoying the taste of his lips. Him kissing her earlier had certainly been a surprise, but it had been very pleasant to have to endure.
She shook her head, irritated with herself. Zayne and her were just friends. She had helped him when he had needed her most, and now he was there for her. Nothing more could ever happen between them, especially not if Jarael knew Chantique. The evil leader of the Crucible would exploit their friendship as it was to get to Jarael. The danger they would be in if they became something more...
Besides, she was sure Zayne had kissed her just to get rid of Malak. She didn't want to go and fight the Mandalorians, and Zayne knew that, so he had kissed her. And it also calmed down any of Malak's thoughts about her in that way. She won all round. She got out of going to war with him, and got to stay with Zayne's group and confront her past, and also got a nice kiss into the bargain.
Jarael hit the pillow, getting more and more annoyed with herself. Zayne and her were not going to be together. They were just friends. Close friends, who had shared a lot, but friends all the same. But, there were instances when there was more pointing to him having more than friendly feelings towards her...
For example, running halfway across the galaxy just to free her from Flashpoint. He didn't know there were other Jedi there. Had he been simply paying back a debt, or did he have other concerns?
The way he seemed so reluctant to say goodbye on Raltiir when they parted ways, when she had been complaining about Gryph. He had sounded hurt that she hadn't mentioned him when she said goodbye.
How he had pleaded with her not to go after Camper and stay with him to help him defeat the Covenant, and how he had been willing to sacrifice himself to Lucien twice to save her and his other friends.
When they were on Odryn, how he had seemed to be tentatively asking her if she was staying just for him.
And had he not been willing to kill on the Chancellor Fillorean to save her from Toki Tollivar?
Perhaps he did feel more for her...
And if she was honest with herself, she liked having him around a lot. He was caring, considerate, kind, loyal to his friends, adverse to killing, and kind of attractive. And he had helped her after Camper had gone and genuinely cared what happened to her. Perhaps she too...
With a great sigh, she got to her feet. She owed him an apology and more thanks anyway. She headed towards his quarters, planning out what she was going to say in her head.
She came to his door, and knocked twice. When there was no answer, she felt slightly relieved, and also slightly hurt, and prepared to go back to her room.
"Jarael?"
She turned to see him coming down the corridor towards her, his hair wet.
"What happened to you?" she asked in concern.
Zayne rolled his eyes.
"Slyssk. I told him to wait until I gave the signal to turn on the pump, but he didn't listen, so I got soaked." He said irritably.
She smiled slightly.
"What's up?" he asked, looking at her in concern as he towelled his hair.
She looked up at him shyly, and was annoyed to feel a blush coming onto her cheeks. For heaven's sake, they were FRIENDS...
"I...wanted to apologise for yelling at you earlier. I made the same mistake your master's made, and assumed you would kill me just because I was a slaver. I assumed you would actually kill someone because of what they were, and I was wrong."
He grinned at her, and touched her cheek.
"It's alright Jarael. You at least have something of an excuse. They knew me for years, and the most violent I got was in practice sparring sessions with Shad. You at least have seen me come close to killing someone." He consoled.
"I still shouldn't have done it." She said.
"It's alright." He intoned amusedly.
She smiled at him, and wiped a bit of moisture from his hair.
"Why did you?"
"Why did I what?" he asked in confusion.
"Try to kill Tollivar." She said.
Zayne looked sheepish.
"Well, you were in trouble. And he had hurt Slyssk. But I wouldn't let him kill you if I could help it." He said, looking embarrassed.
Jarael smiled at his embarrassment.
"Well I'm glad you did it." She said, squeezing his hand.
All the while her instincts were crying just friends huh? but she ignored them.
He smiled at her as he rubbed away the last of the water.
"And I wanted to thank you. After yelling at you, I wouldn't have expected you to do that." She said, her turn to look embarrassed.
"Hey, we all do things we don't like in our past. Mine's was meeting Gryph." He said with a grin.
Jarael smiled at him.
"And besides, I didn't want you to go before you were ready. I could feel it. Part of you wanted to go, but a bigger part wanted to stay. And I'm glad you did." He said, then hugged her.
"Well, thank you for keeping me here. And I want to stop running from the Crucible."
"And I'll help you do that. You did it for me, I'll do it for you."
Jarael appraised him as he let her go. He was attractive, more so than she normally saw. And he looked even better looking while his hair was a mess in her opinion.
"Well, night." He said, going for the door.
"Zayne, wait." She said, making up her mind.
"What?" he asked in a weird voice, as though nervous about what she was going to say.
"Why did you choose that method?" she asked him, her voice wavering.
Zayne looked confused, and to her great annoyance, it endeared him to her even more.
"What method?"
"Kissing me." She said, boldly, sticking her chin out to show she meant business.
His face flickered a little, as though he was going to say something then decided on something else, but the emotion she saw was nervousness.
"Well, let's face it, Malak can be pretty stubborn. And your fighting skills aren't the only reason he wants you with him. I figured doing that would cut it short and send him packing without having another fight or a long, drawn-out argument." He mumbled.
Hurt blossomed inside Jarael. Ah well, she thought stoically, at least you can go back to normal now. But it surprised her a lot to see how much his rejection of her hurt. She knew he had gotten further under her skin than was usual for men, but she didn't think he had gotten that far. Rejection and pain flooded through her, and she was enraged to find tears starting to well up in her eyes. Oh for goodness sake, not now, please...
"Oh. It's alright, I just wondered. Night." She said, her voice shaking only slightly as she headed back to her room.
Zayne looked at the beautiful Arkanian as she headed back to her room. Now that he had finally admitted to himself that he was attracted to her, things were meant to be easier. She'd been there for him and supported him during the worse time of his life. His feelings for Jarael were a lot stronger than any feelings he had ever been for Shel. And that relationship had turned sour due to the Covenant's murder of Shad. Jarael had believed he hadn't done it, and had been one of his greatest friends, saving him where he otherwise would have died. He remembered when she had kissed him on board the Legacy, feeling the electrical charge that had run through his body when she had done so, getting past the numerous hours in Adasca's cell by remembering the wonderful feeling of her kissing him. And then, he had kissed her earlier, yes, to get rid of Malak, but also, because he wanted to. Zayne knew that Jarael was special, and didn't care that she used to be a slaver. And that could only mean one thing: that he loved her. He looked at her, and saw how much he had hurt her just be saying what he had said.
Strangely, he could hear Xamar's voice in his head:
For goodnesss sssake boy, if you love her, don't let her get away!
Zayne shook his head. Maybe it was because Xamar had been the one to confess about the Covenant, or because he had helped sometimes where Lucien hadn't, but Zayne was a lot more inclined to take his advice than he would be to take Lucien's.
"Jarael, wait!" he cried, running to catch up with her and taking her hand.
She turned to face him, but kept her gaze on his chest, to try to hide the tears in her eyes. He felt terrible for having upset her, and went in.
"Jarael, I'm sorry I upset you." He said, hating himself for having done it.
"You didn't." She assured him in a watery voice.
"Yeah, I did, and I'm sorry. See, there's another reason I did it. I..."
No matter how much he struggled to say it, it wouldn't come out. He grunted in exasperation, and Jarael started to pull away.
"I won't keep you." She said, her voice choked with tears.
"Wait, I..."
He then gave explaining himself up as a bad job. He took her cheek gently in his hand, tilted it up, and kissed her. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she then closed them as he kissed her passionately.
Zayne could feel the electric current pass through his body again as he kissed her deeply.
Jarael on the other hand could feel her entire body fill up with fire, energised by the kiss,
He broke off, gently moving his lips away from hers and standing back to look at her.
"And the other reason is...I love you, and I don't want to lose you." He said breathlessly.
Jarael looked deep into his eyes, and smiled beautifully at him.
"And part of me didn't want to leave. And I guess I know why. I love you too." She said.
Zayne grinned and kissed her again, and she responded this time, standing on her tip toes and wrapping her arms around his neck as he increased the pressure and the sweet taste of his lips. Zayne kissed harder, and she reciprocated.
Gryph had been doing the dishes when he walked into the corridor to see Zayne and Jarael kissing each other deeply. He gave a weary sigh.
"Henchman!" he barked.
The two broke off, looking sheepish.
"You aren't allowed to kiss the hired help." He teased.
"Be quiet Gryph." Jarael said, and pointedly kissed Zayne again.
Zayne's look of surprise was all too brief in Gryph's opinion, before he kissed her back.
Gryph rolled his eyes, seeing that Zayne wouldn't be of much use to anyone but Jarael for the next while.
"Slyssk!" Gryph called, pointedly ignoring the tow kissers.
"Yes master Gryph?" the Trandoshan called back.
"You are temporarily promoted to the rank of Henchman, due to the other one being off on Hormone Leave." He said irritably.
"Ooh, thank you master Gryph!" Slyssk called.
Rohlan then appeared, bound for the loo, newspaper in hand. He took one look at them, and shook his head before disappearing into the toilet.
Zayne and Jarael broke apart again.
"You're allowed a maximum of three days!" Gryph warned Zayne.
"I'm allowed a holiday for this?" he asked, his face flushed and his hair made even messier by Jarael.
Gryph sighed theatrically.
"Well, watching you two over the past few years sort of clued me in that you two were getting closer, and the fact that you so spectacularly sent Malak packing sort of confirmed it. I knew it was coming." He said wearily.
Zayne smiled.
"Thanks Gryph. You're a good boss." He said with a smile, and Jarael smiled at him too.
"Well, I suppose we'll have to share him after he returns from leave." Jarael said with a smile.
"Yeah. Now, don't you go over exerting yourself! I want you ready for the next scam by Sunday!" Gryph said, waggling his finger.
"Right boss." Zayne said, though was paying more attention to looking at Jarael's figure.
Gryph grunted in exasperation.
"You could at least get a room!" he said, before he took his leave.
Rohlan's voice then emitted form the loo.
"Do you really want them to do that?" he asked.
Gryph turned in horror, and saw that the two of them had gone.
"What have I done?" he wailed.
Inside Zayne's room, Zayne looked at Jarael's beautiful face.
"I love you Jarael." He said.
"And I love you Zayne." She said.
He bent down, and all her worries, the Crucible, Malak, and the war, and all his, the secret he was keeping from Gryph, the fact that he was now hearing Xamar's voice in his head and his concern for Jarael, vanished, along with the rest of the galaxy, and Gryph's horror-stricken wails of grief, as he kissed her once again.
Well, that's that!
I quite enjoyed writing that actually. I'm really glad Zayne finally initiated a kiss this month rather than let the woman kiss him as he normally does.
I hope you liked that little romance story between Zayne and Jarael, and I hope we see more in the comics soon!
Third time of course refers to the first one here being their third kiss, and Xamar had to make an appearance, as he's my favourite Covenant character (see KOTOR III: Sith Unleashed for more hom and Q'Anilia), and I enjoyed writing Gryph and Rohlan's part too.
I hope we find out what Zayne's hiding soon too!
So hope you enjoyed this, it was a little aside before I go back to Primeval tomorrow!
Until that's done, please read and review this one! (And as it's my first romance fic, please be nice:P)