He should have suggested the tattoo earlier. She seemed excited about that. Made sense, with her being a Mirialan and all. Corso looked up at the ceiling, having woken up twenty minutes earlier. Ryli was curled so tight against him that she'd wake if he tried to get up. She'd said she was his. He didn't want to really tell her how much that affected him, for fear of some backlash about ownership that she still struggled with. He'd never really seen love as ownership before, but he could understand how someone raised the way she had been, losing her sister that way could get to thinking of things as owning and not owning.

He could go and leave his clothes in here now too. He'd felt pretty stupid going down the hallway to get changed, especially since he ended up having to do it in a towel most of the time and Risha always had a snarky comment.

Actually, Risha always has a snarky comment, come to think of it. He blushed, thinking back on how many of Risha's comments over the past months had been about his blasters. I really need to find out when she saw me naked.

He had to figure out how to swing a short visit to Corellia also. He wanted to hang around and see if anyone showed up for Ryli's sister, but he really wanted to get the information picked up. If Juran took him, it would be a quick trip.

Ryli shifted against him, murmuring in her sleep. He kissed her head.

Her list was an interesting idea, but he was kind of nervous about it. He didn't quite see anything wrong with what they did and he'd never made love to a woman who got him so riled up before. If she wanted more though, she could have it. And she'd agreed to the food thing. He could be excited about that. Although, thinking about licking whipped cream off of her right now wasn't the smartest idea. Shifting as much as he could, he tried to control his thoughts down that line and gave up, just hoping he wouldn't wake her up with his adjusting. Yesterday had been crazy and he wanted her to sleep in as much as she needed to.

If he enlisted Juran, he could make it to Corellia and back in two days. It wasn't a far hop.

He pictured the look on her face when he came back. She murmured something and rolled over then. He was able to inch out of bed and leave quietly, his clothes in his hand, without waking her. He got dressed in the hallway, as quickly as he could.

Juran, Bowdaar, Geotre, Risha and Akaavi were having breakfast or lunch, he wasn't sure what time it was.

"Hey," Juran greeted him. "How is she?"

"Tired."

Juran, Risha and Geotre leered at him almost in unison and he shook his head, blushing. "Yesterday was a big day."

"So Risha has told me," Juran responded. "You saw him dead yourself?"

Corso swallowed, "Yeah. He's definitely dead."

Juran's grin took on a fierce feral quality, "Good."

"I actually have a favor to ask you."

Juran blinked at him and then exchanged a look with Geotre. "What kind of favor?"

"I need to run to Corellia right quick. Then come back."

"What's on Corellia?" asked Risha.

"I'm picking up a present for Ryli. Don't tell her."

"How do we explain your absence?"

Corso's mouth dropped open. "Uhhh..." was the only thing that came out.

Risha rolled her eyes, "I got it, nevermind."

Juran got to his feet. "Let's go then. We can be there by tomorrow and back here by the next day assuming your present is ready to go."

"I sure do appreciate this."

"You should wake her up to tell her you're going," said Risha.

"I was gonna!"

"Where are you going?" said a voice from the doorway. He looked up and caught sight of Ryli in the doorway, her hair loose around her shoulders.

"I was trying to let you sleep."

"I did sleep," she said. "Where are you going?"

Corso tried very hard to think of a good lie or at least a way to bend the truth.

"He's running an errand, Ry. Leave it," said Risha matter-of-factly.

Ryli shrugged, "Okay. Wish you'd told me sooner."

Corso looked between the two of them. "I just found out," he said.

Ryli reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "Okay. I'm hungry, what'd you guys make for food?"

Risha started to put together a plate for Ryli and Corso stood there a moment, amused.

Juran hugged Ryli from behind her and murmured something in her ear. She shifted to hug him, murmuring something back. Juran dropped a kiss on her head and pulled back to smile at her.

Corso came to the sudden realization that this moment, Damiar dead, was something Juran had been wishing for. Juran loved her, like a sister, but loved her nonetheless. He should suggest to the stubborn pair of them that they work the two ships as a crew.

Juran murmured something else to Ryli and she hugged him again. Juran let go and turned away, a distinct tear running down his face.

"Let's go, Corso," he said gruffly.

Corso caught Ryli for a kiss and then followed Juran and Geotre out of the ship. Juran was clearly in some kind of mood, so Corso fell back to talk to Geotre.

"How come you don't talk much?" Corso asked him.

Geotre shrugged and then laughed because he hadn't said anything, "I guess I've always been quiet. I don't feel the need to say much and Juran talks enough for both of us."

"Is it weird, with all of this?"

"Well, I was around when Juran was running with Ryli and Jenra. So I've known her for awhile. I'm really happy for her today though."

Corso looked over at him, "Happy for her?"

"She got to kill the man who ruined her life for years. The man who raped her on more than one occasion and managed to convince her it was all for her own good. The man who almost killed her and who Juran, the love of my life, has fantasized about murdering for years now. There's something to be said for killing your abuser."

Corso started to reply and took a deep breath, struck by a note in Geotre's voice. "You sound like you're speaking from experience."

Geotre smiled at him sadly, "Not all survivors are women, Corso."

Corso didn't quite know what to say to that, but they were at the ship then and Geotre went back to quiet.

He'd been raised to think of women as needing protection, but he realized that he couldn't see the world as a duality of men and women anymore. No wonder Ry can't stand the thought of being owned, when this how people treat other people.

He shook his head, but settled himself in the co-pilot's seat and helped Juran take them up and on course to Corellia. Juran pushed the ship a bit harder than Corso would have, but they made pretty good time to Corellia.

Corso holoed ahead and got Meems to tell him a rendezvous spot. Everything would be loaded quickly and they could take off sooner than he thought.

Corso headed to the crew bunks to get some sleep.