FYI, this chapter contains spoilers for the Tatooine portion of the smuggler storyline. I don't own any recognizable dialog.
Tatooine VII: Changes
Lightspring Cavern
"Tan..."
Tannith wanted to reply to him, but her voice stuck in her throat. All it seemed she could do was deactivate Nariel's lightsaber, holster Flashy and drop to a kneel beside Corso. Her fingers worked at the fastenings of his chestplate to get it out of the way, but she kept fumbling, and realized her hands were shaking again.
She heard the soft scrape of boots against dirt and vaguely realized Nariel was getting to her feet, but she didn't spare a glance anywhere but at the ugly, black char on Corso's chest. There, the duraplast of his armor was melted almost to slag, and she felt a lump in her throat at the thought of what she'd find when she pulled the piece away.
Corso tilted his head towards her, a perplexed expression on his face. "Tan-"
"Hush," she told him as she lifted the armored plating. "Hold still."
"But-"
"That's an order," she snapped, and undid the final latch. She took a breath and pulled the chest-piece off...
...and saw that his body-glove was scorched and torn. The skin beneath was bright red, raw and angry, but it looked like there was no more damage than a topical burn. Tannith sat back on her heels and nearly cried with the utter relief that swelled within her chest.
"I'm okay," Corso said with a cough. "Just got the wind knocked out of me." With that, he began to struggle to get himself upright, but he gave a hiss of pain and flopped back down with a groan.
Tannith was too relieved to do much more than exhale. "Hold still. I'll get some kolto and painkillers."
"I have some." The Jedi's voice was quiet, but still managed to echo in the cavern. Tannith glanced over and saw the blonde woman approaching, a medkit in her hand and a kolto patch on her leg. Her steps were smooth for someone who just got cut with a lightsaber, but that was to be expected. Nariel was a Jedi, after all.
Corso kept protesting that he was fine, that Tan shouldn't worry, but she ignored him as she flipped open her pocket-vibro and began to cut away at his body-glove in order to access the wound.
"Hold still," she told him as she eased the black fabric off of his chest and shoulders. She tried not to let her eyes linger over the muscular planes of his torso, but she was only Human. Behind her, she could hear Nariel shifting into a crouch beside Corso, whose cheeks turned bright pink even as he looked away from the Jedi.
Once the body-glove was clear, Tannith stowed her vibro and accepted the offered kolto and hypospray, setting the latter against his neck before releasing the meds with a push of the regulator at the cylinder's side. After she smoothed the kolto patch over the burn, she met his eyes. "Can you walk? It's a bit of a hike back to the speeder."
"'Course," he said as he began to get to his feet. He made it to a half-sitting position before grimacing and leaning back on his hands, looking up at her while trying to keep his chest turned away from Nariel. His face was still flushed. "Ah...just give me a minute."
Perhaps sensing Corso's embarrassment at being half-naked in front of her, Nariel rose to collect her lightsaber and retrieve whatever Zare had been trying to get from Diago. Tannith got to her feet as well and joined the Jedi a few paces away and they examined the small, red box that Zare had been so eager to kill over. When Nariel said it was a Sith holocron, Tannith felt a chill sweep through her body and she looked at the object with a renewed sense of wonder. It was so tiny, but the knowledge it contained could slaughter millions with ease.
After Nariel stowed the device she cast Tannith an appraising look. "Not many can claim they battled a Sith and lived. You're in rare company."
Tannith shrugged and gestured to the Jedi's leg. "You took some hits. Any others leave a mark?"
"My injuries will heal soon enough," Nariel replied with a bow. When she straightened, both women looked over at Corso, who was still half-lying down on the cavern floor, apparently unable to do much more. "My ship is waiting nearby," the Jedi added, looking back at Tannith. "Would you like assistance getting out of here?"
"No, that's..." Tannith reached in her jacket for her comm and scowled when she didn't find it. When she looked around, she spotted the device, lying in a few dozen pieces on the ground. It must have gotten knocked loose during the fight. She glanced at Corso again, who gave her a pained smile that she thought was meant to be reassuring.
She sighed. "I don't know if it's okay to try and move him too much right now. He can hardly sit up. Would you mind relaying the cavern's coordinates to my ship? They can send someone to pick us up with a hover-stretcher."
Nariel nodded. "I'm no Healer, but I believe his wounds are superficial. He should be better after a little rest."
"I hope so." She didn't want to think about that, too much. "There's enough supplies in here to last us a few hours, at the very least. Maybe all night, if my crew can't get out here right away."
"Take care," Nariel said. "I have a feeling it will seem very cold in here in a few hours, once the adrenaline fades from your system."
She was right. Tannith flexed her hands, feeling the buzz of energy already starting to recede; that, coupled with the cool air of the cave that had initially been a relief from the heat outside, meant that keeping their body temperatures normal would be a priority.
"We'll be careful," Tannith said.
The Jedi gave Tannith whatever was left in her medkit before making her way to the exit, promising to call Risha as soon as she could. She paused at the ramp that led out of the massive room to offer yet another bow. "Thank you, and thank your friend for me, too. We've saved countless lives today."
Tannith couldn't help a wry, weary chuckle. "Hey, it was a blast. We should do it again, sometime."
She may have been hallucinating, but she thought she saw a hint of a smile on Nariel's face. "If you were a little more serious-minded, you'd make a fine Jedi."
"No," Tannith replied, shaking her head. "I wouldn't. But thanks."
Nariel gave her another bow. "You may be surprised, Captain. Think on it." She took a few steps up the ramp, then turned again, serious once more. "May the Force protect you."
It'd been a long, long time since Tannith had heard that benediction, and she found herself automatically replying in kind. "You, too."
Except there was no fragging way she was going to bow.
Later...
With lots of determination, patience and another round of painkillers, Tannith had managed to get Corso to a little alcove that was equipped with rugs, pillows and – most importantly – a conservator filled with water, an assortment of fine liquor, and more food than she and Corso could have eaten in a week. There was even a rudimentary 'fresher off to the side; clearly, Diago Hixan had made himself quite at home out here in the middle of nowhere.
Not that Tannith was going to complain.
Once she got Corso out of the rest of his armor and comfortably lying prone on a pile of bedding, she did some snooping and found a holo-recording made by Hixan, in which he whined at length about his rivalry with fellow crime-lord, Nok Drayen. Had she been less exhausted, she would have been amused, but she was in no mood to listen to the mountain of a man carry on like a teenager, so she shut off the holo and stowed it in her jacket for later.
Nariel had been right; it was chilly in here, now. There was a thermal blanket in their emergency kit...outside on the speeder. Even though she figured he'd be fine, she was reluctant to leave Corso alone so that she could retrieve it, so she thought they'd try to make do with what was here now; she could risk a journey to the surface if things got bad enough. The portable light fixtures set at intervals throughout the cavern were nice, but they didn't create much in the way of heat, and she'd only been able to find two thin blankets in all of Hixan's supplies. Maybe he'd been constantly hot or something, she didn't know.
As she paced before the holo-viewer, Tannith rubbed at her arms and debated stealing one of Corso's blankets for herself, but decided against it. She was filled with a nervous, restless energy, one that had kept her going non-stop until now as she tried to take care of everything she could. In the back of her mind, she figured if she kept herself too busy to think, she wouldn't have to deal with what had happened in the cavern.
But even now she could recall the weight of the lightsaber in her hand, and it felt like it was a weight that she'd been missing. Tannith glanced down at her bare hands – her gloves were filthy, so she'd set them aside – and flexed her fingers. They were the same as they'd always been. Nothing had changed. She would still make a kriffing terrible Jedi.
So why did these hands feel empty without a lightsaber?
Corso had been dozing, but out of the corner of her eye she saw that his eyes were open. Her stomach clenched; surely he'd have a few thoughts on the situation. He'd seen her holding Flashy and a lightsaber. He'd seen everything that she'd tried so hard to keep hidden. He was, she thought, within his rights to be furious with her for keeping such a thing from him, especially when he'd nearly gotten killed because of it.
But there was nothing in his face but kindness. Without a word, he shifted so that there would be room beneath the blankets for both of them and moved his arm aside in a silent offering. Tannith debated for a fraction of a second before shrugging out of her leather vest, unclipping her belt and toeing off her boots before she slid beside him, into the pocket of warmth his body had created.
Immediately, his arm wrapped around her waist and he pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead, which made her shiver. Though she'd helped him remove his gear so he could lie comfortably, he still wore the lower portion of his body-glove, and she was acutely aware of his body so close to hers. His torso was still uncovered and his chest was warm and solid. She could feel the kolto patch beneath her shirt.
They laid quietly for a few minutes, allowing her body to soak up the heat, before he spoke. "Tan, about earlier-"
"Corso-"
"I couldn't resist when Darth Creepy used the Force on me," he went on. "I know 'I'm sorry' doesn't really make what I almost did any better, but I mean it." He sighed and his voice was heavy. "Tan, the last thing I ever want is to hurt you. I'm so sorry."
She tilted her head up and met his gaze, ensuring that each word would be clear. "You have nothing to be sorry about, Corso. There was no way you could have resisted Zare's influence, especially when you're still hungover." It was her turn to sigh. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have brought you."
He tensed but seemed to try to keep his words mild. "I wouldn't have wanted to stay behind."
Tannith shook her head. "Even so. I should have known better. I should have realized Zare would come and try to pull a trick like that, one you couldn't fight."
"How did you fight it?."
She pressed her cheek back into his chest, like he could provide shelter from the incoming truths. "I just...did."
It was a stupid thing to say, and she knew it wasn't nearly a reasonable explanation. Corso didn't say as much, but she knew, so she tried to elaborate. "It's not so hard, really, if you have the right know-how."
There was a pause that felt a lot longer than it probably was, then Corso exhaled. "So it's true," he said quietly. "You are a Jedi."
Tannith shut her eyes. Hearing this truth from him was almost more than she could stand. There was already much between them that had yet to be said; she was full to bursting with unspoken words of her own doing. Emotion tightened in her throat but she tried to lighten the mood with a light response.
"Only a little."
Her eyes peeked open to gauge his response. For once he didn't seem to appreciate her attempt at a joke. His mouth pulled to the side in what might have been the barest beginning of a smile, but for Corso it was akin to a scowl. Tannith took a breath and tried to salvage the moment. "I left that life, Corso. It wasn't...it wasn't for me. It was too confining. I couldn't breathe."
"You're a Jedi." His voice was so steady, without emotion. She didn't know how to decipher it, and the notion was frightening.
"I was never Knighted," she countered, shaking her head. She pressed her cheek to his bare chest, wondering how they could be so close and still feel like they were poles apart. "Okay, I'm a little Force-sensitive, but I was just an Initiate when I left the Order."
He let out a long, slow breath of warm air that tickled her nose, and nodded. "That...explains a lot, actually."
She glanced up again and felt a stab of relief when she recognized the look on his face; he was working over what she'd said. Though she knew she should give him time to process everything, she couldn't keep quiet any longer. She'd said nothing about this for too long; she couldn't stop, now.
"I would have made a terrible Jedi. Too stubborn, too emotional. And I wasn't really handy with a lightsaber. Today was a fluke."
This, as she should have expected, drew him a little more out of his thoughts. Corso glanced down at her and raised one hand – slowly – to skim the side of her face. It was feather-touch, but it was wholly reassuring, and his eyes gleamed in a way that reminded her of the young man she'd met on Ord Mantell, whose love of weapons was only exceeded by his sweet nature.
"You had a lightsaber of your own?"
Sensing he was working through his initial surprise, Tannith nestled closer to his chest, inhaling his scent. In response, Corso's arm slid around her waist again, pulling her even closer. He was so warm, so solid. "Yep," she said. "Made it myself."
"Where is it, now?"
She shrugged as best she could with his arm around her. "I kept the crystal, but had to leave the rest of it at the Enclave. It's probably in pieces by now. I guess they used the parts to make other ones."
"That's too bad. Always wanted to handle one, though I reckon I'd accidentally cut off my arm or somethin'." There was another of those weighted pauses before he spoke again, hesitantly. "You looked...amazin', holding it. At first I thought I'd been hit pretty hard, back there, enough to start seein' things."
Tannith tilted her head up to regard him, and felt a sweep of relief when she saw that he was smiling a little. "I'm sorry I never told you. It's a part of my life that I tried to forget, but it seems like it keeps catching up with me."
Corso kissed her forehead. "The past has a way of doin' that, don't it?"
She said nothing, just pressed her cheek to his chest and shut her eyes. By now, her body was warm and pleasantly languid; the blankets surrounding them had trapped enough heat from their bodies to create a lovely warm pocket of air, and much of her tension had eased so that she was able to just enjoy his presence. It was so good to be in his arms; she felt safe and loved and accepted.
Neither spoke for a few minutes until she heard his voice, the baritone echoing in the small space around them as well as in the cavity of her chest. "It changes a lot, you know."
Her breath caught. "Changes...?"
She felt him exhale, a deep sigh. It was a resigned sound. It was a sound made by someone accepting a truth they really, really didn't want to. "You being Force-sensitive, Tan. It changes a lot of things, now, and it'll change a lot of things in the future, too."
"Oh." Heat pricked at her eyes and she squeezed them shut, suddenly filled with sorrow. It was too good to be true, what they shared. He was too good, too kind, too sweet. Of course it wouldn't last. Tears gathered behind her eyes but she tried to force them back; it was silly to waste moisture in the desert. Despite this, she sniffed audibly; embarrassed, she tried to turn away from his warmth.
But he only held her closer. Corso slid his hand up to her cheek and lifted it up so that she'd look at him. "It changes a lot of things, Tan, but not how I feel about you. Okay?"
Her sorrow was replaced by joy, and she felt a smile break over her face despite the tears that had threatened to fall moments ago. "Okay."
Then she felt him take a breath, as if to speak. Beneath his skin, she could feel that his heart had started racing, and his mouth opened as he looked at her...
But the moment passed. Corso said nothing, only gave her a smile and another kiss on her forehead as his arms tightened around her, holding her securely. Of course she was curious about what he'd not said, but rather than spoil the moment with more questions, Tannith only looked up at him and winked. "Nothing with me is ever simple, is it?"
"Nope," he said with a chuckle, adding: "Wouldn't have it any other way, though."
They grinned at each other, and his expression lit her up from the inside-out, warmed her better than even the steady press of his body to hers. They were safe, they were warm. They had each other. Right now, there was only one thing that could make this moment better.
But he was still injured, and they were both filthy and tired. Not the most ideal circumstances for lovemaking. But soon.
Corso shifted his hips, perhaps to get more comfortable, and she was aware all over again of his firm, muscular torso and the ridges of his abdomen that were tantalizingly close.
Kriffing hell, his muscles have muscles. If she were to tilt her hips a certain way, she was certain she'd feel the heat of him, and the idea sent a thrill of desire through her whole body. He shifted again. Yes, there he was; Corso was evidently enjoying her proximity a great deal.
Smiling, Tannith cleared her throat. "Corso?"
"Yeah?" His voice was thick.
She pushed her hips into his and felt the hot, distinctly masculine press of his body to hers. "When we get out of here, when you're feeling better – for the love of all that's holy – I really want to have sex with you."
Corso blushed, but did not look away. "Me too." His blush deepened and he made an odd sort of coughing sound. "I mean...I want to...be with you too, not that I want to-"
"I know what you mean." Tannith offered him an impish smile right before she leaned up to nuzzle his neck, lightly kissing and nibbling the sensitive skin. "You should know that by now, though."
A sharp inhale left him, and she felt his body react to her touch in a noticeable (and quite enticing) way. When he spoke, his voice was a bit hoarse. "You're gonna torture a poor guy when he can't fight back?"
Between words, she sucked on his earlobe, gently. "It's looking that way."
"Alright," he managed. "I'll remember that. And as soon as I can stand up without hurtin', I'm gonna make sure you remember it, too."
Tannith grinned against his warm skin. "I certainly hope so."
A/N: Much of this chapter was written weeks and weeks before the previous vignettes. This image of Tan and Corso, lying in a cave in the middle of nowhere on Tatooine while they talked about her Force-sensitivity, just popped in my head, and I had to get it down. All of the other vignettes have been written in the same order they've been posted, but gosh...I wrote this one while writing the Taris arc, I believe. :P (That's unusual for me, as I tend to just write straight through.)
Anyway, thank you for reading!
Next time: "She was dismayed to realize he was still wearing pants..."
