Corso pulled the heavy gear bags off his shoulders and they hit the floor with a loud thump. At least it's clean, he thought, and the bed looks okay. We can cook on the ship if we need to. He stood for a moment, hands on his hips. He wanted Miriah to be able to stay asleep, and wake in this beautiful place. It was very early morning, and still dark outside. He opened the windows to the salt laced breeze and pulled the covers down on the bed. When he was satisfied that he could bring Miriah in, he trotted out to the ship, parked a good ways from the cottages, and went up the ramp.
Maura and Aric had left the ship and immediately cloaked under stealth generators, going in different directions, rounding the perimeter of the small island. Aric planted proximity sensors, and Maura strategically placed small cameras, linked to Aric's datapad. They passed each other, and Aric grabbed his wife around the waist, pulling her into his body. "I can't wait to see you in a swimsuit," he growled, close to her ear, before he gently bit her neck. Maura shivered, loving his attention, and reluctantly moved to her feet again.
"Very soon, hon. Although, not sure if clothing is required in the cottage," she told him, seeing his eyes widen before she started off with the cameras. Aric watched her for a moment, before his cat-like vision couldn't see through the stealth any longer. He sighed, his body cooling in the absence of his wife, and continued in his mission to make this retreat as safe as possible for Miriah.
Lana felt a large dark force push against the neutral force on Odessen, and was instantly alert. She closed her eyes and felt Devin awake, his force signature always recognizable. She pulled herself from under Nico's arm and quickly dressed. When she was decent, she leaned over to place a gentle kiss on his cheek, rewarded with his whiskey colored eyes. "Gotta go, Alliance business," she whispered, and Nico only nodded, squeezing her arm. She hurried out to the offices, and saw Devin as he came off the elevator, his hair still sleep mussed, his robe flowing around him.
"What the kark was that?" he demanded, but then hung his head. "Sorry, we had a long night with a teething Merida," he explained, and Lana nodded.
"I felt it, but I have no idea what it is," she admitted, and together they walked over to the long range sensor display. "It's like a query," she said, her forehead furrowed in thought. "I don't sense it near."
"Agreed," Devin said, and rubbed his face, reminding Lana of his father, a familiar gesture. He sighed. "I think it was just that, a question. I'll put up an alert for anything on long range, and we'll be notified if something pops up." They had just turned to leave when their datapads and the room's red lights clicked on. They turned as one, seeing the little blinking dot on the sensor map that was barren only moments ago.
Corso quietly stepped into their quarters and stopped to admire the view. Miriah had fallen asleep in his arms, and now, sprawled on her back, he couldn't help but stare. Giving his head a quick shake, he wrapped her in a soft blanket and lifted her into his arms. She put her face in his neck, content with his closeness, and settled back to sleep. Corso walked carefully, his toes in the still-warm sand, his boots inside the cottage. He was almost to the door when Miriah shivered, the cool breeze even colder over her naked body. Corso readjusted the blanket and hurried inside, tucking her into the bed. When he was satisfied that she was resting, he walked back outside, sitting on the step of the cottage, waiting for Aric and Maura to finish their security sweep. He knew he should be tired, but he was really here, here on the beach, with Miriah! The excitement he'd been trying to throttle rushed through him and he smiled. He was finally here, and he swore to himself that he'd make the most of every minute.
Lana and Devin watched the dot as it very slowly moved, as if it might tell them something about the ship or the occupant. When Lana realized it was days away from Odessen, she straightened and turned to leave. "Nothing we can do at the moment, and there's still a bit until dawn," she said, yawning. Devin nodded but stayed a bit longer. Why is it that the entire galaxies know when Mom is gone, he wondered. He sighed again and felt his eyes grow heavy, but rather than go home, he went to his parent's place and was asleep almost as soon as he had stretched out on the sofa.
Calypso sat up with a start at the sound of another person in the apartment, but when the intruder made his way into the family room, she waited a few minutes before peeking around the doorway. When she saw Devin, she sighed and turned back to the bedroom. "It was just Devin, he must have gotten called to the war room for something," she whispered to Torian. They had pushed clothing aside, exploring each other, the sensations almost too much for Caly to bear. She knew now what all the uproar was about, and she wanted to feel Torain's hand slide over her skin more than she wanted her next breath.
"We should cool it for now, Caly." Torian's breath was coming in shallow and rapid bursts as he fought his natural urge to do more. He was shirtless and Caly was only in her underthings, and he knew if he touched her, he would be hard pressed to hold himself back. Still, he bent forward to place a kiss on her shoulder, and felt her lean toward him. "Devin is in the next room, sweetheart, and if we really get down to skin on skin, there will noise. Lots of noise." She purred deep in her throat and he felt his self control slip another notch, but she did sit up and reach for her shirt. He could tell she was disappointed, but really, it was for the best.
Caly turned to look at Torian over her shoulder. "We'll have our bed in our new apartment tomorrow night, and my brother will not be anywhere around." The heat between them ignited again, and he crushed her willing mouth under his. This wedding cannot possibly be soon enough, he thought, burying his hands in her hair.
Miriah woke to sunlight, and realized she was on Rishi, but Corso was nowhere to be found. She dressed quickly, noting that their bags had been stowed in the closet and made her way out of the cottage, spotting Corso and Aric near the water's edge. She buried her toes in the sand, and instantly felt relaxed. Maybe there's something to this, she thought, smiling to herself. Corso held out his arm to her, and when she was in his embrace, he pulled some sunglasses out of his pocket. "Here," he told her, and she put them on, grateful he'd been prepared.
"This is some place,"Aric said, looking around. "We have perimeter sensors and cameras in place, but we didn't see anything at all around us, just water."
"Maura still sleeping?" Miriah asked, and saw the tips of Aric's ears go pink.
"She is, we are already enjoying this vacation," he replied. "I saw some huge fish on the other side here, if we want to try out luck?"
"I think, at least for today, I want to be lazy and lay by the water," Corso said, squeezing Miriah to him. He wanted her to be stress free for as long as possible. "I'll even cook tonight."
"I love the idea of a lazy day, and I see some lounge chairs over there," Miriah pointed to the palm trees behind them. "Let's go." The three trudged through the fine, white sand and made themselves comfortable. All communications were off, as they didn't want any electronic signatures to be traced, so all was quiet except for the birds that soared above the water. Miriah realized both Aric and Corso were asleep after a bit, and rose to find something to eat, her stomach still and quiet for a change.
Devin woke and hurried home, after seeing that the vessel on the sensors had made little progress. Mia met him with a hug. "Everything okay, love?" she asked softly, Merida sleeping on her shoulder.
"Yeah, we may have visitors soon but still several days out," he told her, and picked Declan up for a hug. "I'll make pancakes," he said, and Declan clapped. He had several done when Mia rejoined him, Merida in her crib. "I wish I could just wait patiently, but Lana and I both felt the dark force," he said, and Mia nodded.
"I felt it, too, but it seemed, I don't know, benign somehow. Like the user was just testing things." She cut the pancake for Declan, and praised him when he used his tiny fork to lift it to his mouth.
"That's it, exactly. I was so tired I couldn't figure out how to describe it when Lana and I were talking," Devin responded. "But what does it mean?"
Mia only shook her head. Time would tell, but at what cost? She put her head on her husband's shoulder and they stood there, drawing strength from each other.
Lana woke by herself, and remembered Nico was flying scout today. She smiled, thinking about the evening before, and made her way into the shower. Once dressed, she hurried to the war room, anxious to see the progress of the unknown ship. Not very fast, are we, she thought, and with instructions to the tech to message her if anything was amiss, she went to her office. Morgana was her first list item, and she took her holo from her pocket. Arcann's image formed and Lana once again marveled in his transformation. "Arcann, do you have a decision regarding Morgana?" she asked.
"The community feels that death would be a quick resolution and too kind to someone who has betrayed so many. Therefore, we have voted for her continued incarceration, until she dies of natural causes," he said, his face grave.
Lana nodded slowly. "I understand. Shall I inform her, or will you?"
"I take it as my responsibility to do so," he replied, and again, Lana nodded.
"Very well, then. Please let me know when the matter is settled." With a curt nod, Arcann ended the holo and Lana sighed. She could see the logic, but if it had been her, she would have wanted a swift death. She logged the conversation and went on to the next item. Theron Shan. She frowned at that one, and then remembered that she was to check that he had the necessary items in his apartment. Should be quick, she thought, and headed through the underground tunnel to the smuggler wing. When she rang the chime, she waited for a bit but there was no answer. She hesitated, but rang again, and heard Theron call out to her. She eased the door open, and saw him on the floor of the kitchen. Rushing to him, she offered her hands to help him up. Once he gained his feet, she eased him into a nearby chair, visually checking for injuries.
"I'm fine," he said. "I was just trying to get some food, but I tend to overestimate my stamina these days." He chuckled weakly, and Lana narrowed her gaze.
"You should have at least a droid with you, until you're a little stronger," she said.
"I'll have one later today, the science section is sending one over that can do medical as well," he said, and sighed. "I hate to ask, but would you please hand me a container of yogurt and some of the nuts on the side cabinet? I'm actually hungry today, for a change."
"Of course," she told him, and retrieved the items. Once he was set with food, Lana took a step toward the door, suddenly uncomfortable.
"Thank you, Lana," Theron said in a soft voice, his eyes sad. "I appreciate you checking on me."
"Glad I could help," she replied, and hurried out the door with a wave. She saw Torian then, exiting the apartment down the hall. He looks rather pleased with himself, she thought, but smiled and said hello, walking with him down to the elevator.
Caly lay on the floor, the blanket they'd slept on wrapped around her, but her body providing all the heat she needed. When she woke, after sleeping in her bra and panties, Torian was pressed against her, his hands under her bra. She could feel the effect she was having on him poking her in the back, but she had trouble thinking about that with his hands on her breasts. He nibbled her neck and she sighed with pleasure. When his chrono sounded, he groaned and pulled away, making her cry out. Torian pulled his shirt on and then his boots, as she had watched, her body still aching for his touch.
"Sorry, sweetheart," he told her, bending to kiss her. "We will continue this later, hopefully in our bed." She could only wave, her voice lost to her thoughts. Yes, we certainly will, she thought, and sighed again.
Logan was enjoying his breakfast when Lara ran to the refresher, her hand over her mouth. He smiled, she had been sick in the early days with James, too. It'll be great news to tell Mom and Dad, he thought, and watched James move his toys with the force. He had been glad they were getting a break and since the detail was off, he was, too. He reached out for his wife as she came back, pale and shaking. "I'll make you some hot, sweet tea," he told her, gaining a nod. They would tell his parents when they returned, and he was getting excited at the thought.
Miriah and Maura sat at a picnic table, eating the fresh fruit they'd found in the cooler, enjoying the heat and quiet. "Sure is nice here, Mir. So glad we got to come along," Maura said.
"I'm loving it so far. Hope everyone is doing well on Odessen, but honestly, I'm not worried. It's been a pain free day so far for me." She picked up a chunk of muja fruit, delicately biting it in two.
"They'll all be fine. We won't be gone forever," Maura said, and Miriah nodded. Five more days, but it would have to be enough. I won't worry about it, Miriah declared to herself. They put the fruit away and Miriah took one of the hammocks, gently swaying in the breeze. Nope, I won't worry about anything, she said, and closed her eyes.