Chapter 47
Cheers and enjoy.
Healing sucked.
There was no two ways about it. And this was the longest Torian had ever been out for. Not only was he out for what felt like an eternity, but every passing day meant he had to watch his muscles atrophy. Watching the decay of all his hard earned efforts was more than he could take. That and every time Gault came on.
Torian wasn't a religious man, but every time the screen lit up, he prayed it wouldn't be the Devaronian.
Kriffing SHABUIR!
Screen lit up. Torian prayed.
"Hey."
His eyes opened at the sound of her voice. He covered the bad side of his face, but then didn't have a hand for the rest of him-
She chuckled. "I can't see anything below the chest, your chastity is safe."
Torian kept his hand on the bad side of his face. Raidre pointed to the left side of her face. "Now we really are two of a kind."
Torian looked back but couldn't meet her gaze. He had had the same thought initially, to have her voice it made him shy. She kept smiling at him, her intense and pale eyes making him feel more naked and uncomfortable than her anger ever could.
"Mako assures me you will heal. Glad to hear it."
He nodded and for a while she said nothing. Then she inhaled, nodded and her eyes met his. He froze, even through the screen he knew he was about to get hit.
"When you're better, we should clear the air. I know I've been an ass to you, and I need to apologize to you properly for it."
Torian's jaw felt unhinged.
Raidre continued. "And we need to address your recklessness. We need to make a deal on that point. You have probably more time than you wish so maybe think it over."
She pulled her legs so that she now sat with her legs crossed in a lotus position.
"But, for now, I guess I should just talk to you about fun stuff, I don't want you to worry, we got stuff to work out, like dents in armor, but I want you to know that the goal is for us to work better together-like we used to."
Torian didn't feel naked anymore. He nodded. Raidre smiled back.
"I kind of hate this though. Now I gotta talk about stuff. Gault was about to come again-"
Torian couldn't muffle his whine and Raidre covered her mouth as she tried not to laugh out loud. She shrugged.
"Yea, sort of what I figured, plus, you know, we can here everything. He sure loves to talk about his past adventures… in minute details."
Torian tried to be a man and not cry, but just thinking of Gault talk about himself as if he was the hero in a pirate's tale was enough to make a grown Mandalorian cry.
Raidre reached the screen and pressed her hand against it. "There, there." She laughed. "I'll keep you safe from the self-important Devaronian."
Torain mouthed his thanks and Raidre smiled and nodded back. She pulled her hand away from the screen and pointed. "Hey there, looking good."
Torian blinked, and noticed that he had dropped his hand. He was about to pull it back up when Raidre's hands shot up, open palmed, gestures of peace.
"No, come on. That's not what I meant."
Torian felt the discomfort of his heated cheeks. Raidre's smile held no pity, only kindness. She snorted. "Come on, am I going to judge?!"
Torian smiled and shook his head. The woman who not only had half a face marred by burn scars but he knew they ran down her neck and shoulders and for a portion of her back and arms. She would be the last to judge his sordid physical state.
She smiled as she noted the relaxing of muscles in Torian. Raidre sat back and whistled. "Though, I gotta say. You're gonna be such a pain in the ass when Mako finally let's you out. It must be killing you to see your body go to shit as you heal."
Torian nods were big mouvements, exaggerated.
Raidre laughed and then sighed. "Well, I'll make sure to be here, ready to spar."
Torain's eyes were wide, and for an instant his milky right eye saw a little light. He couldn't recall when they had last spared. Raidre shrugged, the smile never leaving her face, the tips of her eyes crinkled with its mirth.
"Don't get your hopes up though. Weak or not. No mercy."
Torian did his best to grin, but it was hard with all the tubes. He mouthed as best he could. Raidre, being partially deaf, read lips best of the crew, tubes or not, Torian didn't need to repeat himself.
He mouthed. "Never."