I know its been a while since I've updated, but schoolwork and my other story "She Held My Hand" have been taking up most of my time. There's not a whole lot in the way of plot progression here, I know, but I'm trying to get the relationships moving along. So, like always, tell me what you think!
Chapter 11
"Let's run through our options again." Tysin leaned back in her chair, her feet resting neatly on the short table in front of her. Curled up on the couch adjacent to her was Miranda, a pillow held firmly against her chest. Deakin sat beside her on the sofa, his elbow on the armrest and palm supporting his head, which seemed to be getting heavier and heavier by the minute. Cale, deliberately positioned in the center of the room, was the only one standing.
They had managed to rent a room in the already crowded lodging, which had surprisingly been unharmed by the catastrophe. That was certainly convenient, Miranda mused; a little too convenient.
"The satellite that signals to the orbital relay is destroyed, so there's no way that we can try to contact the Temple for assistance. It will take at least three weeks for a fix, and that's at best." Cale pursed his lips and finally conceded to take a seat. "The nearest settlement is a two-day speeder ride, granted that anyone would let us rent a speeder, and if we did that would exhaust our credits."
"I don't like either of those options," Tysin growled.
"We could ask the Hutts for help," Cale ventured. At the mention of the Hutts, Miranda's eyes – which had previously been in the process of closing – opened wide.
"Too risky." Tysin really did not want to deal with the Hutts. They were treacherous, conniving, greedy creatures that couldn't be trusted farther than they could be thrown. And anyone actually capable of throwing a Hutt would probably never need its help. Tysin had only dealt with them once before, on a mission with her master years ago, and it had not been a pleasant one. Fortunately, she and Miranda had been lucky enough to avoid them during their years together; she really hoped that now was not the time to break that record.
"That seems to be our most logical choice, at the moment," Cale continued. "They're only within a few hours' walking distance from here, I was told."
"Only?" Miranda and Deakin huffed in tandem. It almost sounded rehearsed, but the look they gave each other afterwards proved just the opposite.
Tysin sighed. "I'd hoped to avoid that option, but it seems like we have no other choice." She took a bite out of the muja fruit she had been spinning in her hand and chewed thoughtfully. "We'll set out tomorrow, then."
Deakin set out for the bedroom, Cale to the shower; as soon as they were gone, Miranda let out a sharp exhale. "Spectacular."
Tysin shot her a weary warning glance and rubbed at her temple. "We're both frustrated. I think a soft bed and some sleep would do us both good." Tysin leaned back in her chair chair and motioned Miranda towards the bedroom with her chin. "I'm not waiting until the morning for a chance to shower. Cale shouldn't be too long. Go get some sleep."
Miranda nodded and sluggishly headed towards the bedroom. She had showered earlier, and even though she felt refreshed, the warm water had made her drowsy. She heaved a sigh as she manually slid the door open, stifling a gasp as she entered the room. Deakin was occupying the bed in the far corner of the room, but he wasn't sleeping. He was seated neatly atop his bed, legs crossed, leaning lightly against the headboard.
"Deakin? You're awake?"
"Of course," Deakin replied in an eerily placid tone, not turning to look at her. "Jedi must always be on their guard."
"Jedi must also get some sleep," she shot back, delicately sitting at the foot of his bed. "Go on," she urged, nudging him in the leg. "I'll keep the first watch."
He eyed her skeptically, then blinked in surprise when he realized she was absently playing with the fabric on his pant leg. He thought about moving his hand to stop hers, but didn't. He didn't want to.
"You know," Miranda started, spreading herself out on the bed, "When you're knighted you should stick around the Temple more."
"What?"
"All that constant travel you do – it's unhealthy," she explained seriously.
Deakin's quizzical expression morphed into one of amusement. "Is that right?"
"Studies have shown."
Deakin chuckled, a low, masculine sound that reminded Miranda how much they had both matured during their years without contact. The last she had seen him at the Temple he was still a boy, unnaturally tall and skinny, slightly clumsy, just starting to show signs of facial hair. Now, looking at him, he seemed like a completely different person – at least in physical appearance. He had filled out his body, replacing his once bony frame with solid muscle. His shoulders were broad and defined from years of saber practice, and even the loose Jedi garments couldn't hide the toned muscle of his arms or the ridges on his chest. Deakin's hair was cut short and practical, and what facial hair he had was left deliberately. His features, to Miranda, still held their former gentleness, except now they were coupled with a firmness that years of experience with grim reality had awarded him. It had happened. He was a man.
"I think you just missed me."
Miranda chewed on the inside of her lip to stop herself from biting on that declaration without thinking. It surprised her again how easily they had fallen back into step in their relationship, as if they had just seen each other last week. After a moment's deliberation, she confessed, "I haven't had a decent lunch partner in years. I've stopped eating because of you."
"Because of me?" Deakin grinned wickedly and pressed a hand to his chest with dramatic innocence.
Sitting up, she punched him in the arm, then proceeded to cross her legs and glare at him, suddenly serious. "You're the best friend I've got – you don't need me to tell you that. You understand me; you respect me for who I am, flaws and all. Don't you ever let us go that long without seeing each other – now that you'll be able to help it soon, that is." She absently rubbed at her wrist, only now realizing that it had been scorched earlier during her efforts to stop the fire.
Deakin instantly noticed the gesture, and immediately reached down for his survival pack, scooping up a handful of medical supplies. "Let me," he said, holding out a bacta patch.
"It's no big deal," she replied, clutching her arm to her side.
Deakin sighed. "It's an open wound, Mira. We're on a remote planet, and you don't know what kinds of bacteria are floating around this place. You don't want it to get infected."
Reluctantly, Miranda extended her wounded arm towards him, and he grabbed it before she had a chance to change her mind. "Now," Deakin started, soaking the patch in some kind of liquid, "this might sting a little."
A yelp escaped from the blonde's lips, and Tysin rushed in to find Deakin standing over her apprentice, an open med-kit spread across the bed. The boy instantly swiveled around. "It's all right," Deakin managed to say over Miranda's yelps. "Just a minor burn."
"Minor?" Miranda hissed through clenched teeth.
Deakin ignored her and grinned at Tysin. "She'll be fine."
Tysin nodded once, sharply, and left the room before either apprentice could see the smile spreading across her face. "Don't overreact, Miranda," she yelled teasingly as the door slid shut behind her.
Miranda, face contorted in a blend of exasperation and discomfort, scowled. "Overreact?"
Deakin, still grinning, proceeded to bandage her wrist, eliciting yet another fierce hiss from his patient. "Let's not be dramatic," he sighed.
At that remark, Miranda tore her hand away and retreated all the way to the opposite side of the room. "You made it hurt worse than it did before," she complained, sliding into the bed and pulling the covers up to her chin. Using the Force to suddenly shut off the lights, she grinned wickedly as she heard Deakin stumble and what were probably the contents of his med-kit spill onto the floor.
"That's not funny," he moaned, fumbling in the darkness for the light panel. "My entire med-kit just spread itself across the room."
Miranda, nestled cozily under the pile of covers, giggled. "Who's being dramatic now?"
