Entry 45

Recovered Memory

To avoid any confusion Magash and I decided to inform our friends of our plans. We asked Sacha and Jax to join us at the galley dining table where we detailed the course of action we decided upon.

Jax at first smiled with a look of incredulity, but his grin quickly faded and was replaced by a perplexed expression.

"Let me see if I understand you." He gestured toward Magash and me. "You two decided to start dating and be a couple."

I thoroughly explained our plan to conduct exposure therapy with Magash and my need to practice being human, but my explanation was obviously lacking either clarity or substance, otherwise Jax would not have such difficulty grasping the concept. "On the surface it will look as if we are dating," I clarified. "But we will not be in a romantic relationship. We are approaching this in a clinical manner. What we plan is more analogous to conducting scientific trials."

"Scientific trials?" A wide grin crossed Jax's face. "Tell me, do these experiments involve osculation of the oral apertures?"

Sacha made an unladylike snort before she buried her head in her hands to stifle her laughter. Magash crossed her arms over her chest and simply glared at our friends. I gave Jax a forced smile before answering. "I suppose that might occur in the second or third phase of the experiment, but we have agreed to remain neutral and dispassionate throughout the process."

I have no idea why my comment prompted a second outburst of laughter from Sacha. "Good luck with that," she muttered under her breath.

"I do not understand your reaction to what I consider a well thought out plan of action."

Jax shook his head while chewing on his bottom lip in an effort to maintain his composure. "It's just…" He stopped for a second considering his words. "I don't think you've thought this out completely. Or maybe I just don't understand. " He leaned forward in his seat and gestured toward me. "You have agreed to practice having a romantic relationship with Magash so she might one day have a chance at a normal monogamous sexual relationship with a man instead of putting a rope around his neck and leading him to a Dathomiri grass hut to mate. Is that general concept?"

"No," Magash interrupted. "We do not use grass huts in our clan. We occupy the caverns within the Singing Mountain."

I experienced an involuntary roll of my eyes. "Thanks for clearing that up Magash."

She gave me a sideways glance. "Nightsisters live in huts. We are not that primitive." I believe she then realized she had commented on the wrong part of Jax's statement. She gave an embarrassed shrug of her shoulder and a faint smile. "But yes, we do place a symbolic rope around the neck of the selected breeding male before leading him to our living quarters."

Sacha dropped her head down to the table and crossed her arms over her head, but that did little to hide her amusement.

Jax continued. "And you wish to practice your courting technique because you decided you wish to attract a life companion."

I nodded my head. "I believe you understand. What I do not comprehend is your apparent objection to this endeavor."

Jax brought his hands up in a halting gesture. "Don't get me wrong. I'm all for this. I want Magash to stay with us and find a mate. I want you to find a companion, but I have to warn you, it is almost impossible to completely control your emotions." He gazed to Magash and then to me. "What if one of you falls in love with the other and the feelings are unrequited? This is a dangerous game you're playing."

Magash sighed deeply as she turned to face me. "I have expressed the same concerns to I-Five."

I lowered my head in thought. "There is nothing to worry about. I am a droid. I am certain I can control my HRD preprogramed emotions." I looked up to Magash and grinned. "Unless you fear becoming enamored with me."

To my delight she didn't argue the impossibility of that scenario. She returned my grin and said, "That is a chance I will have to take."

Jax threw his hands up in a mock gesture of surrender. "Hey, I hope everything works out for you two."

Sacha looked up at me and smiled. "I wish you two the best of luck also. You make a great team…and a cute couple."

I considered responding to that comment but then realized Sacha's made a very accurate and astute assessment of the situation. One cannot argue with the truth.

Entry 46

Recovered Memory

We returned to Myrkr and I discovered breaking the news to Den and Norro was far less challenging. Den grinned mischievously and requested daily updates on any scientific progress. Norro gave a puzzled expression and said, "I thought you two were already dating".

The decision was made, our friends were told of our plans…and I suddenly found myself bereft of any ideas as to how to proceed. How can a Dathomiri witch and a droid teach each other about romantic relationships? Neither of us have any experience.

Sacha suggested we watch her favorite romantic holovid with her and Jax. It was a romantic thriller calledGorgeous Vixen. Magash and I sat down next to each other on the couch while Jax and Sacha shared a recliner. The chair was not meant to seat two people but Jax seemed perfectly content to have Sacha sitting on his lap.

I have a hard time believing this holovid is Sacha's favorite. She barely glanced over to the holoprojector but instead kissed and whispered to Jax for the duration of the holo.

The Republic era holovid was about a young Jedi Knight who enlists the help of a high-class prostitute to infiltrate the Black Nebula crime syndicate. While working together they fall in love and have sexual relations at the most inopportune moments and in what I consider the most unsavory locations.

I looked over to Magash who appeared as confused with the plot as I was. She turned in her seat and looked over to Sacha who was snuggling up to Jax.

"I do not understand why, when being chased by killers, they decided to take off their clothing and have intercourse. They are now vulnerable to attack." Magash turned back to the vid and glared at the fornicating couple. "No Witch would allow a man to distract her in such a manner. She would be crouching with a knife and prepared to decapitate the men who are trying to capture her."

Sacha laughed. "That's not very romantic."

"Maybe not for you," Magash said softly. When I gave her a confused glance she clarified. "A Dathomiri warrior that has killed or driven off the enemy is rewarded with the best of the breeding stock."

I smiled with a nod. "That's good to know. Instead of a roses, I should instead provide a dozen bloodthirsty mercenaries for you to dispatch before feeding them to your ferocious Rancor."

She gave me a playful nudge with her elbow. "You are starting to understand Dathomiri women."

I chuckled and turned my attention to Jax. "I thought the Jedi were forbidden to form any romantic attachments."

Jax pulled his attention from Sacha long enough to answer. "It was forbidden, but it did happen. Usually the Jedi would be given the choice to leave his lover or leave the Jedi Order."

"Did Jedi get a formal education at the Temple?"

Jax's brow furrowed. "Of course they did."

I pointed to the holo where the young couple had just completed their mating ritual and were now redressing while frantically whispering to each other the need to hurry. "If this Jedi was given a proper education wouldn't he have realize having sexual relations with a prostitute would put him at a high risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease." I turned to him. "You did receive reproduction education, did you not?"

Jax started to look a little perturbed. "I took a biology class, but since we were expected to stay abstinent they didn't really get into the details concerning prophylactics or repress meds."

Sacha grinned while rubbing her belly. "Which explains why I got pregnant the first time we were together."

Jax made a humphing sound. "That's not true." He looked over to me. "Sacha and I were both on repress meds at the time of conception." He smiled at his lover "I think this baby was the will of the Force."

I was pulled away from our conversation when Magash made a frustrated sound. "They have twenty-seconds to disarm a bomb and now they are gazing into each other's eyes before kissing."

"Jax, do humans always act so irrational and reckless when in love?" I posed that question just as the Jedi rendered the bomb inert with a half second to spare.

Jax gave a shrug of his shoulders. "I think love brings out self sacrifice. We all have risked our lives to save each other."

I gazed at the man who I consider a brother and smirked. "Jax are you saying you love me."

He picked up the Holo remote and tossed it at my head. "Just watch the holo and learn something."

I caught the device easily and put it aside. "I have already learned much. To romance a Dathomiri witch I must put her into a situation where she can demonstrate her amazing hunting and slaying skills. When being pursued by assassins I should always take the time to indulge in carnal activities. In addition, I must wait until the last nanosecond to deactivate any explosive device because danger is an aphrodisiac to human females."

Jax gave me a thumbs-up. "I think you got it."

Sacha shook her head and rolled her eyes, letting me know that I most certainly did not 'get it'.