As soon as Selari and Taren got back to Renegade they rushed to stow the speeder and gear in the cargo bay, packing away the weapons efficiently in the well-organized compartments, but their movements became more erratic once they got into the ship itself. They didn't make it past the lounge before they collided into each other's arms, stripping rapidly, their mouths locked together as they left a trail of clothing and armor behind them. Once they were undressed she pushed him to the couch and he sat with a thud before she climbed onto his lap.

Grinning into his eyes she wove her fingers through his hair, tugging playfully. He winced but smiled as he leaned forward to kiss her. Still feeling impish she dodged his mouth, though she ground herself against him teasingly. When he groaned she darted her lips to his, nipping lightly then soothing them with a warm kiss. She kept playing catch-and-release with his mouth, driving them both crazy, until she realized they might not have much time before they had company. Finally melding her lips to his she straddled him and slid down onto his arousal with a sigh.

Slowly grinding on him, he was lodged so deeply she started trembling in pleasure as she rocked in his lap, his gasping groans a melody to her ears,. He let her set the pace, his fingers digging into her spine while his head fell against the back of the couch. Bending toward him she nuzzled his exposed throat while being careful about how deeply she scratched his shoulders, trying not to leave marks. Violent shivers shook her body as she rolled her hips and she felt like she was short-circuiting, her nerves jittering as if she'd touched a live wire. Her reaction seemed to feed his, he shook when she did as if their pleasure had synched up.

Finally he spasmed in rapture under her and let out a strangled shout as his eyes flew open. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, holding her to him as they shuddered together. Leaning forward, he rested his forehead on her throat while he panted and pulsed inside of her, and she let out a quiet giggle as she realized this was exactly what she'd been dreaming about this morning before Te'ig had woken her up, though reality was so much better.

"Ner Kitten," he breathed as she snuggled into him and basked in the warmth of their bodies joined, unwilling to disentangle herself. Te'ig and Braxx could show up any minute, the sensible part of her brain said, but she swatted away the thought, too busy enjoying Taren's embrace as they recovered.

"I love when you do that," she sighed as he nibbled her throat before straightening to meet her eyes.

"Do what?" he murmured, his eyes glowing with mischievous heat. "And be specific, I want detailed description." Tilting her forehead to his, she giggled as she realized where his imagination had taken her words.

"Everything we just did for starters," she chuckled. "But I meant when you revert to Mando'a. It's cute, like you're too overcome to remember Basic." She rubbed her nose to his then planted a light kiss on the same spot. "Don't know what you're saying, but it sounds sweet whatever it is."

"Not to disappoint but 'ner' just means 'my'. The closest I can come to 'kitten' is 'ik'aad bayr', 'baby cat', and that just sounds..." He shivered for effect which made her giggle again.

"'Ner Kitten' is fine," she stroked his hair back, still relaxed in his lap. "Better than 'guroayaor'." She'd heard the epitaph so often that it didn't faze her but Taren's face was filled with sympathy and he swept her into a tight hug.

"Oh Kitten, you're anything but trash. If anything 'ner mravur' is more appropriate. My treasure."

Squeezing again before he leaned back, he ran the back of his fingers down her face. His dark eyes beckoned to her, inviting her to drown in them, but she finally let common sense prevail and kissed him warmly before climbing out of his lap.

"One day you'll have to tell me where you learned to say all the right things," she teased while she scooped up her gear. As she got up she noticed his scent still lingered on her, and even though she grinned at the smell of him on her body it'd be damning evidence if her brother showed up.

"Guess I need a shower this time," she giggled then yiped as he grabbed her. Wrapping his arm around her waist he hoisted her wiggling body up to his chest, laughing.

"Well we'd better hurry. Haven't been able to get the image of you in the shower out of my head since we left your hotel room." She squawked in protest for only a moment before letting him take her to the refresher. Oh please let Te'ig and Braxx find something to keep them occupied for a long time, she thought as he carried her off.

Her man learned fast, Selari thought as she finally headed to the ship's lounge feeling like she was floating. She wasn't sure if it was from holding back for so long or just how he reacted to her, but whatever it was Taren displayed an eagerness and stamina that was amazing. They'd enjoyed a fun and sudsy shower, and then he'd suggested they get dressed and meet in the common area for some quiet time together before Te'ig and Braxx returned.

Quiet time together, just enjoying the time they had each other to themselves before they started bouncing from bounty to bounty. That was going to be the tough part, having to tone things down and not arouse the suspicion of the rest of the team. But she was determined to make this work, hiding their feelings from Te'ig would be inconvenient but doable. And Taren was worth it.

Making a quick stop to the galley, she grabbed bottles of water and some nerf jerky from the stash she'd hid from Te'ig, then walked to the lounge and settled on the couch. She wore a comfortable tank top and shorts, but had also thrown on a light robe to prevent any leers from Braxx for when the guys came back. Unsure of what Taren had in mind she pulled out her deck of pazaak cards, setting them on the table before she started perusing her holo pad.

"What are you reading?"

Caught up in her notes, she'd yelped in surprise when she heard his deep voice.

"You do move like a ghost," she admonished. "I've been writing back and forth with a Neti botanist, nothing important." He sat down next to her, chuckling as he looked at her holo-pad.

"All those years talking to plants, figures you'd find one that talks back."

"Never thought about it that way," she giggled as she considered Kaa Lhen.

The Neti were a sentient plant species and Kaa had written several articles about herbology. As soon as Selari read them she started writing to the Neti and they'd been corresponding since. "I guess if you want to know about plants, go to the source," she said as she scrolled down the page. "Kaa said I was right about talking to plants being beneficial to their growth though. But you don't want to hear about that."

"Why not? You're interested in it, tell me all about it."

You don't know what you're asking for, she thought, he'd unwittingly opened the floodgates to her favorite interest. It felt completely natural to lean back on his chest and share her holo-pad with him. She showed him several articles and pictures, thrilled when he said he recognized some of the plants from his travels.

He'd also asked about the plants she used and if she hadn't been so cozy against him she would've taken him to her grow-room. But she really enjoyed being nestled into him, snuggled against his chest with his arm around her waist, and was reluctant to move. She noticed they'd starting lapsing into stretches of silence, the contented peace of two people satisfied by being close together. After her umpteenth yawn, her holo-pad had dropped to her lap and she was starting to fall asleep.

A slight tug pulled the pad from her hands and she heard it laid on the table before she turned and rested her cheek on his chest. His deep breathing was more soothing than a lullaby and she smiled sleepily, savoring the peace until a quiet snore brought her alert. Giggles bubbled from her as she sat up, prodding his side and grinning at him.

"You do snore."

She couldn't stop giggling as a chagrined smile appeared on his face, but she lay back against him to continue their snuggling. "Told you I did," the words were a rich chuckle under her ear, "Does that make me less perfect?"

"Sure does," she teased, "But you're good enough for me." He was still chuckling as he squeezed her and they sighed together.

"Been a long day. You need to go to bed?"

"Not yet, too comfortable."

"I know, I'm enjoying it too." His arms tightened around her. "All warm and cozy. Did you know you make a great blanket?"

"Good, 'cause you make a great pillow." She couldn't seem to stop giggling with him, loving their playfulness. His fingers started stroking her back and she heard him sigh in satisfaction as if just happy to have her close.

"These last few days have been so amazing," he murmured, the seriousness in his tone surprising her into sitting up again.

"Yeah, they have," she agreed. The solemn look on his face worried her and she tried to soften the mood with a smile, "I hope there will be a lot more like them." It seemed like she'd said the right thing when his eyes lit up again and he smiled back.

"Me too," he glided his hands up and down her arms. "We're going to tell Te'ig about us soon, right?"

"Is that what you're concerned about?" She chuckled with relief, "Yes, we'll tell him soon. I promise." Planting a quick kiss on his nose she gave him a sassy smile, "Don't worry Buckethead. I'm yours, whether my brother knows about us or not."

"Glad to hear it." He gave her a quick kiss in return but his eyes were still serious. "I guess, well, after we tell him, I'd like to talk to you about something. Maybe you and me could..."

"GRRR RARFF RARFFF! RARFF RARFF RARFF!"

Fluffy's growling barks had Selari springing off of the couch and her heart flying into her throat. She snatched up the blaster she kept in a compartment under the table as Taren stood behind her. Bracing her legs she took a shooter's stance and aimed towards the corridor. His hand laid protectively on her hip, and she noticed that once again he was willing to let her take point, but ready to provide back-up if needed.

"Ona! Call your mutt!" Te'ig's bellow echoed through Renegade and she shook her head.

She put away her blaster, and smiled wryly at Taren while he sat back down. After letting out a shrill whistle she heard the clatter of hard toenails on the metal floor while Fluffy came running to his mistress's call. Bending down she patted his head, but was completely surprised when he jumped on the couch and favored Taren with a series of slurps across his face. The torrent of akk dog drool had him sputtering while she keeled over in laughter.

"Good to see that Fluffy can get along with someone," Te'ig grumbled as he and Braxx came stumbling down the hallway leaning on each other. Each was wearing a glazed smile of intoxication, and smelled as if they'd rubbed on a cantina's worth of bodies.

"He smells everyone you guys touched tonight." A thought burst in her mind and horrified her, "Wait, you didn't bring anyone to the ship, did you?" Te'ig scowled at her briefly before breaking into a grin when he saw her nerf jerky and grabbed several pieces.

"No," he sighed in exasperation. "We left all of the babes at the cantina."

"Well, almost all of them," Braxx was semi-slurring as he pursed his lips at her in a kissy-face. "Lookin' good Cutie."

Rolling her eyes she sat down, further away from Taren than she was before, and made a show of shuffling her pazaak deck. Leave it to her brother to blunder into her peaceful evening, she thought crossly.

"I'd prefer you didn't call me that," she retorted but Braxx just smiled wider as he gave in to gravity and plopped on the couch across the table from her.

"What do you prefer?" He asked while Te'ig picked up one of the bottled of water she'd set out and chugged it loudly, "Sugar, honey, princess..."

"Selari," she cut him off crossly, "Or Captain, if you need to remember whose ship you're on."

"Captain? Ooh, so commanding." He swirled one hand in the air in a 'la-di-da' gesture, then smiled at her in what she could only assume was an attempt to look charming, "C'mon Cutie, throw me a bone."

"I'll throw something at you," she muttered, and smiled as she heard a 'snerk' of stifled laughter from Taren. Looking up at her brother who was still gnawing on her jerky she shook her head again, "Si'ved ra shu en zed." Remind me why he's here.

"En ii nya'mayu," He's a friend he sighed and sat down next down next to the Zabrak

"En ii ritool," He's an asshole she grumbled, and to her surprise Braxx pinned her with a sharp look.

"Nei zhna hra dus dus," No need for name calling he shot back in perfect Catharese and she locked her eyes with his. He let his slide away and canted his head down to the side. In the expressive Cathar body language, he was acknowledging her dominance which piqued her curiosity.

"Impressive," she allowed.

"I told you I served under Bloodfang." He glanced over at Te'ig, "And me and this knucklehead pulled each other out of more scrapes than I can count."

"You see there Ona." Her brother swung a broad arm over Braxx's shoulders, "If it weren't for him you might be an only child."

Peering at Braxx she noticed a steely resolve under his amiable demeanor and was surprised that she'd missed it before. Tougher than he wants people to think, smarter too, but then it sounded like he'd had to be. Seemed like there was more to the Zabrak than she'd thought. It also seemed like he was used to looking out for the brother who meant so much to her. Deciding to blame his bad manners on overindulgence for now, she reached out her hand as a peace offering.

"So maybe I'll give you another chance. But call me Selari on my ship, or Silvermoon in the field. Anything else and I go back to calling you Ritool, fair enough?" A broad grin spread across his face as grasped her hand in his cybernetic one and leaned over it.

"Very fair, Selari," he placed a gallant kiss on her fingers, "And I will let you have the honor of deciding if and when you decide to let me address you by any other names." Oh this one thinks he's smooth, she thought as she extracted her hand.

"So you two look like you had fun," she quipped as she traded an eyeroll with Taren.

"Just like old times with Bloodfang." Te'ig grinned around his mouthful of jerky and lightly hit Braxx on the shoulders. "Taking down bounties, then living it up in the cantinas. Nothing better."

"Remember what the old hell-cat used to say," Braxx pitched in. "You know, 'Become a Bounty Hunter! See the Galaxy! Meet exciting people!'"

"And collect the price on their heads!" Te'ig joined in and the pair laughed in unison.

Selari gave the guys a weak smile. She was glad they'd blown off some steam, but after the peaceful evening she was enjoying with Taren the guys' raccous behavior was jarring.

"Should probably hit the sack," she said as she stood and stretched. "Don't make any messes you wouldn't want to clean up." Her words were met with groans of protest.

"Awww, come on Cu..., I mean Selari," Braxx implored, "We should hang out, you're one of us now."

"'One of us' huh?" Feeling more tired by the minute, she grinned at the notion that she'd been firmly indoctrinated into the team, but she could hear her bed calling her and shrugged. "Appreciate the thought, but need to hit the sack. Night guys."

"Can't even persuade you into a game. Was hoping to get a few hands in," Braxx indicated her deck but Te'ig shook his head.

"Wouldn't do it. She cheats."

"So do I," the Zabrak winked at her, but she waved and strolled off to her room. Once she got there she rearranged Fluffy's pallet, knowing it was an exercise in futility, then heard a knock on her doorframe. Turning quickly she wasn't surprised when Taren strode in and gathered her up for a firm kiss. It was brief but she felt branded by it when they pulled apart.

"They think I went to the refresher, but I needed a good-night kiss," he whispered as he squeezed her and she squeezed back.

"Glad you did," she admitted, "Hope it'll give you good dreams."

"I'm sure it will, but I'll miss my 'blanket'."

"I'll miss my 'pillow'. 'Night."

Pulling away he let their fingers stay intertwined until the very last minute before he reached her door and let go. This will be hard, she thought as she heard his footsteps head back down the corridor. Hell, if Te'ig and Braxx hadn't returned in the state they had, she might have even mentioned her and Taren tonight. Still too soon, but the right time will come. Maybe then she could get Taren to explain what he'd been talking about before their rude interruption. At least she could still see him in her dreams, she thought dozily as she let out the huge yawn and wrapped around her body pillow.