Author's Note:

If I don't post this now, it'll never get posted. I don't think I'll ever be happy with the ending until I've completely picked it apart and systematically ruined it. I'm grossly out of my comfort zone posting even what I did, though I don't think it quite bridges to the M rating. It's definitely pushing the T rating to its limit, however, so let me know if you think I should bump up the rating.

Having said that, if the end of this gives you cavities, feel free to take one of the complimentary toothbrushes on the way out.

If you're one who likes to listen to music while reading, I'd highly suggest you do a Youtube search for "Push-Pull Liquid Mountains" and let it play while reading the second half of this chapter. It's one of the songs featured as the background music for ZenWriter that I've been listening to non-stop while writing.

As always, massive thanks goes to my reviewers/readers/lurkers/followers etc etc. You're the bomb, and I'm consistently amazed that you've stayed with me as long as you have. Also, shout-out to Laryn Chillbreeze for her frighteningly accurate prediction about this chapter.

And finally, a disclaimer because it's been a while since I wrote one: Much as I'd like to claim credit for SWTOR, it's generally frowned upon in our society. I own nothing. It all belongs to Lucas Arts and BioWare. I'm just playing with their toys.

Enjoy,

- BB


Questionable Cargo
Chapter Twelve: Storms, Eyes, and Stormy Eyes

Murderous. Livid. Unbelieveably, undeniably trigger-happy. Wanting to see that sneaky bastard on the floor, drowning in a pool of his own blood. These seemed to more accurately convey just what the Captain was feeling at that very moment. The only other time Corso had seen that hateful scowl twist her otherwise lovely features had been when the thief had made off with her ship the first time. Only Skavak could bring such hatred to life within her.

Well, perhaps also slavers for what they had done to her sister.

That was beside the point. They were minutes away from the ship on which they were docked coming apart while they were still on it, and this thieving scum was blocking the way to their only escape. Did he have a death wish?

"I'm only surprised you have the guts to face me in person." The Captain said, that murderous glare stubbornly clinging to her face.

"Let's say you've earned my personal attention." Skavak replied, "See, I've always believed if you can't beat 'em, join em'... and then beat 'em. So I stowed away back on Nar Shaddaa."

He sat on the stairs, lowering his weapon-Torchy!-with a relaxed shrug of his shoulders. They took the opportunity to draw their own weapons, having them at the ready for the next inevitable battle.

"Funny thing about wookiees:" Skavak continued, "They got great big lungs. Only takes a couple breaths of happy gas to knock one out."

Corso noticed the chink in her armour. The ever-so-slight twitch of her elegant brow, the tightening of her jaw, the darkening of her ice blue eyes. Oh, he'd gone and done it now. Hurting one of her friends was a line nobody crossed.

Yep. The man definitely had a death wish.

"Skavak," Corso said, pulling the thief's attention away from the Captain to focus on him, "I want my BlasTech ALT-25 back. I want my Torchy."

"You have a real single-minded devotion to your toys, kid." The slimy smuggler replied, "It's gonna get you killed." He turned back to the Captain again, "I wanna be civil about this. Sure, you've made my life miserable," At this, Corso watched as Raya's mouth pulled into a feral grin, clearly pleased with how she'd successfully managed to become a persistent thorn in his side-almost as much as he'd been a thorn in hers, "But I don't hold a grudge. Really."

"Oh, but I do." Raya's thumb flicked the catch on her blasters and he heard them begin to charge. Her eyes narrowed to slits, and it was clear that she was picturing the man's death in a thousand different and creative ways, "You should've quit while you were behind, Skavak. At least then, you'd probably escape with your life. You have a knack for doing that."

"And miss all this fun?" He responded, a smug grin twisting his features, "Not a chance. Bottom line: There's nothing you have, that I can't steal."

"Yeah? Well good luck with that from beyond the veil, or wherever it is you end up when you're done suffocating in deep space." She replied, her eyes dark and menacing, before she let her shoulders lift in a deceptively relaxed shrug, "Or, bleeding on the floor. Whatever comes first. I'm not picky."

Evidently done with the conversation, Skavak raised his blaster and fired a few wild shots at them before taking cover in between a couple of shipping containers.

They jumped in opposite directions to avoid the blaster fire. She tucked into a neat somersault, scooting up to take cover behind a nearby crate. Corso, however, was nowhere near as graceful, scrambling behind another crate and slamming his back up against it, causing an uncomfortable throb in his already injured shoulder.

An explosion sounded from somewhere within the station, behind the sealed hangar door, and Corso let out a frustrated groan. "We don't have time for this, Captain!" He shouted, "This place is fallin' apart!"

"No kidding!" Was her rather unimpressed response.

Leaning out from cover, Corso fired a few experimental shots from behind the crate, his rifle's kick-back driving an agonizing shock into his injured shoulder, but Skavak was fast. Too fast for him to match in his state. As it was, he was finding it difficult to keep his rifle in his hands.

Ducking back behind the crate, he risked a glance over at the Captain. She was having trouble getting a clear shot at the thief, popping out from cover to fire, but he was just as quick as she at hiding himself from blaster fire, and frankly, they didn't have time to sit around in a fire fight when the vessel was coming apart around them.

Think. He demanded of himself, We need this over now.

Peeking around the crate again, he noticed the other shipping container behind Skavak, who was leaning out to fire concentrated shots at Raya, eerily silent in her calm riposte. She was always calm in a fire fight, but never this quiet. She loved fighting, happily goading her enemies along and mocking them. Just the fact that she was so silent was a testament to just how furious she was, and how badly she wanted this bastard dead.

He looked back at Skavak, nestled between a pair of shipping containers, and suddenly, he had an idea.

They were just flimsy plasteel crates. Thin and hollow. Easily punctured by something with enough force. Pulling out his harpoon shot, he waited for a break in Skavak's fire before making a mad dash over to Raya, sharing her cover, "Give me one of your stickies."

"What?" She protested, flinching at a blaster shot sparking off the crate beside her, "Why?"

He handed her his weapon, "I can't use this-too heavy, and my aim is wild." He explained shortly, shrugging off the weight with a relieved sigh, "But you see that crate behind him?"

She stared at him for a moment, confused, but poked her head out for only long enough to see what he was referring to, "Yeah. What about it?"

"That's a much easier target for me to hit."

The Captain looked at him for a moment more, her confusion clearing by the second as the realization dawned in her sky blue eyes and a feral grin pulled her lips to the side. She glanced down at the harpoon shot he'd handed her before returning her eyes to him with a nod.

"What's wrong, Captain?" Skavak goaded her from his position across the docking bay, "You two having a lover's quarrel back there?"

"More like planning our victory party!" She replied, handing Corso one of her adhesive grenades and lifting the harpoon shot in her arms. Corso took the opportunity to flip the grenade's switch and lean out of cover long enough to toss it in Skavak's direction.

The thief easily dodged it with a chuckle, "You need to work on your aim, kid!"

Unbeknownst to Skavak, the grenade stuck to the crate behind him, and was getting closer to exploding by the second.

Raya, equipped with Corso's harpoon, rolled out of cover to her knees with a direct shot at the distracted Skavak, and without a moment's hesitation, pulled the trigger.

The harpoon hurtled across the docking bay, slamming mercilessly into Skavak's shoulder, the force shoving him backwards and pinning him to the crate that had become a ticking time-bomb, his-Corso's--blaster flying uselessly out of his hand.

"His aim is perfect." Raya muttered, watching as Skavak's eyes turned downward to observe the beeping explosive to his lower left, and taking in the look of abject horror that spread across his face. Corso took her arm in his good hand and yanked her back into cover, just moments before the explosion rocked the docking bay, sending metallic debris and shrapnel (and he didn't want to think about what else) flying every which way.

It took a moment for time to catch up with them, and Corso hadn't been aware that he'd pulled her against his chest in a protective embrace. When he did realize it, he was reluctant to let go, but then the reality of their situation caught up with him and he released her when she pushed herself to her feet, already back to business.

"Good thinkin', flyboy!" She said, giving him a nod before gesturing to where his beloved Torchy lay without even giving Skavak's... remains the courtesy of a second look, "Go grab your blaster and let's get the hell outta here!"

"Sure thing, Captain!" He responded, unable to hide the ecstatic smile caused by regaining his lost blaster as he ran to pick it up before joining her on the Legacy again, sliding into the copilot's seat to her right as she brushed her hands effortlessly over the controls and launched her ship out of the disintegrating vessel. She only took the time to relax once she hit the hyperdrive and the blue swirl of hyperspace surrounded them.

Finally, finally, she heaved out a sigh, leaning back in her seat as her shoulders eased from the seemingly permanent weight that the entire fiasco with Skavak had placed on them ever since first landing on Ord Mantell. She closed her eyes, and for just a moment, the crease in her brow lifted, and he saw her completely at peace.

"Whoever said that revenge wasn't sweet must never have met anyone like Skavak." He muttered.

"You got that right." She gave him a little sideways grin and a breathy laugh that made his heart skip a beat, "It was probably a Jedi."

They were quiet for a moment, until she opened her eyes and turned to face him, pushing herself to her feet, "I'm gonna go make sure Bowdaar's okay. Meet me in the medbay after and we'll do something about your shoulder."

Corso nodded, obliging her a few minutes later, once it was evident that Bowdaar was in fact, quite easy to awaken when he shot upwards with a growling shout, she'd told him, the wookiee's furry hands taking hold of her upper arms until he could reorient himself with where he was and who was standing before him. Bowdaar had released her after a moment, and she explained what happened when he assured her that he was fine.

Now, she was standing in the medbay behind a shirtless Corso, her gentle hands tying off a set of kolto-soaked bandages she'd wrapped around the blaster burn in his shoulder.

"I don't know much about medicine." She muttered, shaking her head, "This is the best I can do until we get back to Risha and the others. Then Dr. Chelah can take a look."

"It's fine." He replied, flexing his shoulder experimentally, his brow creasing with the bolt of pain that shot through him. It was markedly better now that the kolto was beginning to take effect, seeping into his muscles and numbing the pain while it mended the wound.

"You were great back there, y'know." Raya said, sitting down on the cot beside him with a slight nudge to his good arm, her head tilting slightly to the side as she regarded him, "We never would've gotten outta there on time if it hadn't been for your quick thinking."

Despite the fact that his heart swelled a little with pride, he could only stare at her in silence, unsure of what to say, "Uh, thanks, Captain."

In the short silence that followed, his mind wandered back to the last time they'd been alone like this, simply enjoying each other's company without any immediate worries to draw their attention. She'd seemed so comfortable and relaxed while she settled against his chest in the lounge before the sudden change in her composure and her subsequent flight from the room. He wondered if it had anything to do with him. If maybe he'd said or done something to upset her, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what it could be.

"Ray, I-"

"Corso, there's-"

Slightly taken aback, Raya nodded at him, "Uh... you first."

"The other day when we were in the lounge talking about when we met," he began, taking a breath before continuing, "why'd you run off?"

He watched her face turn downcast, her blue eyes focusing on her hands in her lap as her brow creased in consternation, as if searching for the right words, "That's... actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Did I do someth-" he started when she didn't elaborate, but he didn't get a chance to finish before she interrupted him.

"No!" She protested, her gaze snapping back up at him as she vehemently shook her head, "It's nothing like that. I..." She trailed off and there was another moment of silence where she looked past him at the opposite wall before returning her eyes to his own, a helpless shrug lifting her shoulders, "I was scared, Corso."

His brow furrowed, and he shook his head, confused.

"This-whatever this is-between us, it's all new to me. I know I talk like I have it all together, but the truth is, I have no idea what I'm doing. What I feel for you, whatever this relationship is, it's..." her sentence died off again as she gave him another helpless shrug, "beyond my experience."

He shook his head, "What do you mean?"

Raya sighed heavily, "I've never felt like this before, never been in a serious relationship. Part of me wants to kiss you for making me feel this way. The other wants to kill you for getting me into this mess."

He wasn't certain how he should feel about that, so remained quiet, dwelling on what she'd said as she gathered her thoughts and, after a moment, continued.

"When I realized I was... falling for you... I got scared." She explained, "I pulled away for a bit, but that didn't last long, and you inevitably pulled me back in. Then, when I realized in the lounge that I'd fallen for you, it hit me like a kick to the chest, and I just... panicked."

Is she saying what I think she's saying? Hope blossomed in his chest, and his heart hammered relentlessly against his ribcage.

"Fellin was right about one thing." She muttered, shaking her head with a brief but fond smile as she remembered her old mentor, "Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, it's impossible to avoid getting attached. Stars, it must be tough for you handle my awkward, fumbling attempts at a relationship."

That was about all he could take without exploding (Damn, she's adorable), and it took him barely a second to bridge the distance between them, his lips meeting hers in a sweet, tender kiss that he poured every bit of his love into.

Pulling away to look at her after a moment, he met her forehead with his own and just stared into the swirling ice storm that was her eyes and he realized that her face was, for once, unguarded. For the first time, he saw her bare her soul to him. He saw fear, anxiety and for the first time, he saw love.

When her lips parted in an uncharacteristically shy smile, her hand coming up to rest against his cheek, he couldn't restrain himself anymore. He pulled her into a kiss that became more insistent, more demanding and... just more as he turned his body towards her and used his good arm to pull her closer to him, her body melting into his.

His arm kept her close as their bodies lowered to the cot, but the moment her back was flat against the mattress, he felt her tense up as she pulled away far enough to regard him with her brow furrowed, "Your shoulder."

"It's fine." He said, and though he still felt the occasional stab of pain, the kolto had done its job and the wound was sufficiently numb.

She heaved out a breath, her fingers ruffling the strands of his hair as she ran her hands through it with a confused shake of her head while she took in their surroundings-his injured shoulder, the medbay, the cot-before returning her eyes to him, "Thought you wanted this to be perfect?"

"It is perfect." He replied simply.

She fell silent, looking around again in thought until she returned her eyes to his, "Yeah." She said after a moment, her mouth pulling into a grin, "Yeah, I guess it is."

He leaned down to kiss her again, but metallic footfalls out in the hall caused them to freeze, eyes wide and glued to the door.

"Master?"

They both groaned in frustration, his head falling onto her chest, hers falling back onto the pillow with a roll of her eyes as she gently pushed him off her and got to her feet.

"Almost perfect." She replied as he sat up and she stood, dragging her hand across his naked chest as she walked away, "One sec."

He watched (appreciatively) while she sauntered to the door, leaning out into the hall, and heard C2's voice confirm that the droid had found her.

"Oh, Master! There you are! I was so worried when that man came in here! Then he deactivated me, and I couldn't find you, and-"

"See-Two, is the Legacy falling apart at the seams?" She asked.

"No, Master."

"Are we under attack?"

"No, Master."

"Is there anything about what you were going to say that is important to my life right at this very moment?"

"Well, nothing that can't wait, Master."

"Good!" She replied cheerfully, "You won't mind if I do this, then?"

"Well, Master, that is my control panel, and if you push that button it will-" The droid's voice cut off and silence filled the hall.

"What?" He heard her ask, "Sorry, See-Two, I can't hear you over the sound of all this peace and quiet."

He couldn't stop his laughter as the Captain entered the medbay again, locking the door behind her and pulling the long brown jacket from her shoulders, tossing it aside as she stepped up to him, standing between his legs with a smirk.

"Now it's perfect."

Grinning, he let his hands slide down her bare arms and he brought her own hands up to surround his shoulders while she climbed up onto his lap to straddle him, careful not to jostle his injured shoulder. She bent her head and brought her lips to his cheek, his jaw, his ear, his neck, before returning once again to his mouth. Her hands drifted down his chest while his own crept shyly up her shirt, and she inhaled sharply through her nose at his touch on her bare skin, smiling against his lips.

When she took his lower lip between her teeth and nipped it just hard enough to make him hiss, just as she had done a couple of weeks earlier when she'd been practically drowning in alcohol and nearly impossible to resist, his eyes rolled back into his head and when he felt her hand creeping lower and lower to its destination, he lost all train of coherent thought.

Soon, they were lost in each other, safety and love lingering in the eye of a storm, finding just a moment of strength and comfort in one another before braving the inevitable tempest.


Author's Note

Sorry, I couldn't help it. C2 is just too much fun to torture them with.