Chapter Two: Together Again
Grievous made his way to the observation deck and waited for River staring into space, a habit that he picked up from her. When he had learned from Count Dooku that he would be working with River again his emotions flooded through him like one big giant solar wave. For he had pushed every thought of her out of his mind and wholy focused on his work.
Over the course of five years he had become distant and it took alot of effort to bring him out of the depths of his stratiegic thinking and when he wasn't doing that he was in the depths of his past remembering sweet memories. He had grown hard to others and was easily irritated over the period that she was gone, she had kept him in the present and kept him in line whether she knew it or not.
River walked in and he turned around to watch her approach. She had taken her cloak off, pulled her hair back, and washed her face and it glowed in the soft light. Her features were more defined, her grace and beauty stronger, and she walked with dignity and purpose in her rank of Commander and master of an apprentice, thirteen years old at that. Instead of her cloak she had put on a belt that had a varity of sabers on it, ones he had never seen before.
"Count Dooku said that you would have more to tell me about the mission I've been assigned and I'm eager to know what it is," she said professionaly.
He looked at her with a curious look in his eyes. "We've just been reunited and all you want to talk about is a mission?" he asked/critized in a raised voice but not yelling.
"I would like to get it out of the way before I allow myself the pleasure of chit-chat so that I don't get scolded by the Count," she said with a twitch of her head still sounding professional.
"Well then that I can handle..." and he went into what she was supposed to do and when to report and all the info she needed for the mission.
After he finished there was a silence, River placed her left hand on the window pane all her will to stay composed and in the proper posture gone and all she wanted to do was just think and wrap herself in his caring embrace. He lightly fingered the finger that had the bone circle on it taking the hand in his.
He looked in her eyes to find them having little streams of tears flow out of them. "Whats wrong?" he asked holding her hand gently.
"Oh everyday of the past five years."
"What was wrong about them?"
"Your absence," she said as a shiver ran down the length of her body.
"You've done a terrific job with the task's you have faced and from what I've heard same with your apprentice."
"Will I don't know about terrific but I do my best with Ezzy... She even calls me mother and I call her my daughter. I never thought that I would have a apprentice let alone a daughter to call my own even if she's not my flesh and blood."
"From what I saw of her she looks at you with love and adoration with respect in the mix also."
"Yes she is very sweet, loving, brilliant, and skilled with a blade."
"I'm hoping that I can see her in action during one of your lessons for I'm curious about you technique that you use."
"Why the same one that was used with me with some encouragement," she said teasingly.
"I may not have told you that you were progressing but I would leave in your charge like the entire flagship was praise and encouragement because I trusted you could do it."
"I know I was only yanking your chain."
"What chain? I don't have a chain but I do have a saber."
"Is that a challenge?" she said as she drew her two double sabers out of her belt.
"It can be and it is," he said splitting his arms in two and pulling four saber out and igniting them green, blue, and purple beams descending from the hilts.
She switched her sabers on deep saphirre, and vilote blades desending from their hilts. She made the fisrt move pouring all her strength and skill into the four blades attacking and dodging his attackes.
"I can tell your hungry for a good duel," said Grievous as he dished out a attack and dodged at the same time only to have the attack blocked by a purple blade.
"And I plan to get it," she said as she switched her weapons to the opposite hands from what they had originally been in attacking. She started to feed off her weariness like she always did with old wounds flaring up like they did when she over exerted herself.
He started to falter in his defeances and she took advantage of it. "My old master told me never let my gaurd down and I believe that isn't wise for you to do that." she said as she knocked one of his sabers out of his hand. In a matter of ten minutes he was weaponless.
She chuckled to herself. "Either you have decreased in skill or I have gotten better than you. But I would like to believe that you were unable because it's been to long since you had a good duel."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because I never liked the idea of being the number one warrior."
"Ahh...Its nice to see you again, I missed you."
She looked at him with a suprised expression in her wonderful eyes. "I missed you too believe it or not." She sat down in her chair looking at the floor with her forehead resting in the palm of her hand. "It's about time I should turn in, and I'm off duty any way so I'll show you back to the shuttle so that you can rejoin your fleet."
"Um I came ahead of my fleet so their a day's journey behind us. I was a little eager to see you," he confessed.
"A little eager? Hmm. Okay no worries follow me," she commanded walking out of the observation deck.
"You know how to handle you position don't you?" he said half teasing half serious.
"I've had five years of experiance. I would hope that I knew how to handle my position without fumbles," she said looking back at his hunched over form. "You like doing that don't you?"
"What?"
"Walking like a predator."
"I never considered it but know that you mention it yes. Yes I do."
"Hmm. Mabye I should try it," she said looking at him playfully.
"That wouldn't work in your favor."
"Really? What a bummer," she said as she walked into a large chamber that was more to his liking.
Dark, a large window with a chair, and a desk to one side. He walked up to the window drinking in the the welcome darkness and the open space outside his window.
"Oh and you'll be able to see your fleet when they arrive. Good night," said River as she turned and walked out of the room.
"Good night my dear," he said as the door slid closed.
River made her way to her room feeling tired and complete.