Chapter 10

Bane was packing his bag; he walked over across the room and grabbed some gadgets off the table when Todo walked into the room.

"Sir, I just wanted to make you aware that Miss nova is stealing things out of the garage and putting stuff in a duffle bag. I just thought you want to know". Bane didn't even bother looking over your shoulder to acknowledge Toto's presence and was just continuing to pack.

"Well, she better, I have a deadline to make."

"Are you telling me that she is coming with us?" Bane just grunted as a response "Sir I feel like you're getting it too attached to the human. Let me remind you that she is a Jedi, you hate the Jedi"

Bane stopped packing and turned to Todo. "I'm not getting attached" Bane spat through his teeth

"If you're not attached then she shouldn't be coming with us on this assignment I feel like since she has arrived here you have changed you haven't taken on any new contracts of late, your getting lax and are not on guard, what if she tries something."

Anger started to bubble in Bane "I am not attached; I will not say it again Todo. It just so happens I need another person for this job" Bane stated sternly and walked past Toto to grab something else off a different shelf. "With Nova being new to contracts I do not need to pay her as much when we cut the profits... Besides I thought you liked talking to her".

"I did until we found out she's a Jedi. I thought her nice and enjoyed talking to her, but my programming says I need to keep you safe, and Jedis' are not good company for you. The only reason I taught her to read is because you have asked it of me." Todo continued to ramble on.

Bane deeply chuckled and continued what she was doing his anger slowly disappearing. "Don't tell me you're jealous?"

"Me jealous? That's preposterous!"

"Seems like it to me" Bane cracked a smile and started heading to the door with his bag in his hand.

Todo turned on the thrusters on his feet and hovered in front of Bane preventing him from walking out the door.

"Todo…you better watch yourself" Bane was not joking anymore

"Mister Bane all I ask is that you test her to see if she is really on your side"

"I have already done that, multiple times actually. She had plenty of opportunities to betray me and didn't"

"There is one thing you haven't tried, the Jedi's comm. Give her the comm to speak to Jedi Skywalker and see what her true intentions are. If she does not betray you, I will not bring this up again and will allow myself to be her friend."

Bane didn't say anything to Todo, just shoved him out of the way and continued to walk his original path to the hanger. Bane paused down the hallway of his house thinking over what Todo had said. "FUCK" he turned around and walked back to his room.

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Nova was all packed with her 3 outfits similar to the ones she was currently wearing because they were all hand-me-downs from Bane. Remembering how chilly it gets in space she grabbed a spare brown leather jacket to throw over her white shirt which matched black pants and brown boots. She set her bag in the common area of the ship and started going through all the tools, trying to think of anything they may need if his ship took damage in battle.

"Do you have everything?"

"Damn it, Cad! You scared the shit outta me" Nova placed her hand on her chest as though her heart was going to leap through her chest. She was so busy inspecting the tools and playing what-if scenarios in her head that she didn't even hear the blaster door slide up or Bane enter the room. Bane stood there patiently waiting for his answer. Took a second but Nova caught on to what he was doing. "Oh sorry, yes, I have everything"

Bane just nodded, walked to the pilot seat, and started preparing for takeoff. Well, someone is in a sour mood she thought. It sounded like he was eager to go on this mission before, maybe he got more intel, and it is harder than anticipated?

Todo hovered past her and took the co-piolet seat and plugged itself into the ship's computer. So, she went ahead and took the back seat behind Bane. Nova was looking out the window at the scenery around them what she didn't notice that she was tapping her foot nervously and starting to bite her nails, but Bane did.

"We're not going to die"

"What?" Nova looked towards Bane direction now looking at the back of his head

"I can practically feel you shaking the whole damn ship, we are not going to die so calm down"

"Oh, okay, sorry"

There was a long silence in the ship after that. Nova wasn't sure if it was okay to talk to Bane seeing how his whole demeanor has changed and he seemed all business. Not in much of a talking mood. It is understandable he is wanted throughout the galaxy. It would only make sense for him to be on edge when away from his home, where ever that was since he still would not share the location with her.

Todo was first to break the silence. "it will take us two days to reach the rondeau"

"Who are we meeting up with?" Nova questioned the room

"A contact" Bane replied

"Where is your contact?"

"A planet"

Great this again. "Okay sorry I asked" Nova spoke softly and looked down at her hands again out of habit

"Stop" Bane stated annoyed and now turned around to speak to Nova

"stop what?" Nova back looked at him confused, she stopped tapping her feet already.

"Stop saying sorry!" Bane turned in his seat, so he was facing her. "You are a free person are you not? Let alone a potential Bounty Hunter, right? So, act like it. If someone doesn't like what you say or do, who the fuck cares, don't take shit so personal." Bane paused looking at her until their eyes meet then he turned back in his chair facing forward again "and keep your damn head up, Bounty Hunters are confident and if you aren't then fake confidence, because people will take lack of it as a weakness."

Okay … Bane is clearly upset but I can tell it isn't with me at least, Nova thought, otherwise he would not have given her any 'helpful advice. I'll just give him some space.

Nova nodded her head without saying another word and stood up to leave. Bane sighed trying to calm himself down from his rant and spoke up again this time taking the time to stand up from his seat.

They were both standing really close to each other due to not having too much space in the cockpit. Because of the close proximity, Nova felt nervous for some reason and looked down at her feet waiting for Bane to speak as he towered over her.

"We are going to have to work on this" Bane said quietly to her and used his thumb and index figure to gently grip her chin and raise her head up, so she was now looking at him. "That's better" making Nova's face turn bright red. Bane cracked a sly smile, but it disappeared as quickly as it came, and he released her face.

"Here" Bane reached in his pocket and handed Nova a small silver comm device which she recognized right away

"I don't understand" Nova whispered out loud

"You told me Skywalker is a …. friend" Bane made a sour face when he spoke the Jedi's name but returned to its original position. "Once we are done here and you take off, it would be a good idea to know one person in the galaxy" Bane's facial expression looked as though it was stone.

"But I thought you hate the jedi"

"He is your friend, not mine"

"Oh, umm thank you." Nova was so caught off guard she was unsure of what to say. Bane gently stepped past her to leave the cockpit but before he could fully leave, without thinking, Nova reached out and grabbed Cad's hand while blurting out the first thing that crossed her mind "You trust me?"

He kept his back to Nova while in the doorway only turning his head to the side to speak to her, before he did, he glanced at her hand in his. "Would I be making a mistake if I did?" Nova saw where he was looking and just realized what she did and quickly released his hand.

"NO! No, you wouldn't! that's not what I meant" Nova started stumbling over her words.

"Don't make it regret it" Bane whispered then stepped out of the room.

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