A post Star one story_ Duel Revisited_ Jenna VS Avon. part 1.

The Cat's Eye, a Marauder MK III planet hopper would never have been anybody's first choice of ship, but she was functional enough, and she was hers. By now Jenna knew the ship's capabilities, stress limits and most importantly how to make use of them down to the last millionth of a distort factor. She knew her, like the back of her own hand, and she had to, considering the recent runs she'd been making, each time her piloting skills taking her within a hairs width's difference between cutting through the blockade around Gauda Prime or becoming the next ball of ash to fall victim to the planet without a rule of law.

Jenna Stannis was at the helm, piloting between worlds with a weapon in the storage hold that could change the course of the war with the federation. It was well worth its weight in credits, given the right buyer, and she happened to know just the person. There were drawbacks of course. There always were, but the more buyers like Blake you had the longer you could get away with it. Free trading wasn't the safest living for obvious reasons, but there was no money to be had in anything if there wasn't risk involved. And she intended to make a lot of money.

The problem of course was that it was Blake. Despite how good having a contact like Blake was, and one who she knew well, he had a history with Travis that she'd rather not have revisited. His temper, his trust that she was really his ally, was sketchy enough on a good day, after everything he'd been through, everything Servalan had put him through, and she knew if she wasn't careful this could all blow up in her face. She didn't want this deal to undermine the trust she'd gradually built up between her and Travis. It wasn't worth it, not even the money was worth that. But they were going under, and without this haul there'd be no ship to crew, and no safety to be had on it, for either of them.

Seeing him stride darkly off the deck as soon as they entered Atmo and the lower ship was pressurised, his dour scarred features guarded and strained, worry for the ex-space commander immediately pulled her away from the flight controls.

"Cat, take us in alright. I need to speak to Travis before we land" she told the warpainted space rat quickly. A sensible command.

"Watch me" the other man countered with a smirk, taking the thrusters from her hands with the confident excitement of one addicted to flying.

"Keep it safe Cat. I mean it. I'm not taking any unnecessary risks today" she warned, a sharp bite in her cultured fire.

"Then what the hell are you doing selling to Blake. This is going to be a bloodbath if I don't say so myself. Well, I am saying so but it's not like anyone's going to go and listen is it" Cut in the weedy voice of Dev, the resident pickpocket. He reminded her so much of Villa sometimes. Were all Delta grade citizens like this?

"I'm trying to do what we set out to do. Besides you'd say that if this was the easiest job we'd taken!" She countered sharp annoyance in her smooth voice.

"Then you admit it's not" he said it as if he'd won a prize.

"No, it isn't. But tonight, we'll be rich. And we can forget about it, and Blake, forever." She said with dark frustrated sarcasm. She wanted him to just let her go and see what was on Travis' mind or it would be on hers all through this deal. And that was no way to conduct business.

"You tell Travis that. I think he's scared you don't want him anymore. That you'll go back to Blake." Dev piped in.

"Don't be ridiculous." Jenna scoffed. He couldn't possibly think she'd do that to him, could he? "I was never even with Blake."

"Yes, but does he know that" She sighed in frustration as the jittery man finished, knowing there was at least the possibility of intelligence in those words.

Jenna frowned, worry darkening her fiery features. Travis found it difficult to trust her, or anyone. The number of times Servalan had... had betrayed him it's no wonder. Could he have really thought that he meant that little to her. She grimaced; her teeth gritted as she hurried out after Travis the same way he had left.

Her feet clanged along the deck plates loudly but she didn't care to hide it, her pink shirt and golden blonde waves flying back as she strode further in pensive worry.

"Travis?" Jenna called out, hurrying along the corridor in practical concern "Travis where are you? I don't have time for this. Blake'll be here any minute for the rendezvous. Travis, please listen to me" She caught sight of him just where she had expected, standing facing away from her and towards the aft airlock watching out as they made their landing for the rendezvous, his posture guarded and his arms wrapped over his green boilersuit clad chest, pensive and clearly angered. His insecure frustration feeling like a strontium grenade about to blow. He always came here when something was preying on him. He wasn't one to talk about things, it made him feel weak. It was a beautiful view; it always was but she didn't care about that right now. He spoke harshly his back still turned to her, but he heard her footsteps.

"You wanted to talk to me?" His tone was goading and bitter, the increased enunciation pointing out his frustration. So, Dev was right then.

"Yes" Hers was more practical, and it confirmed her presence to him. She wanted to reach out to him, but she could feel his distrust and concealed vulnerability, frustration turning to anger, taught like that of a cornered wild animal.

"What about I wonder?" he goaded knowingly savage. Turning aggressively round to face her, crossing his arms peevishly over his chest.

"Blake" she countered, her tone more defiant than she would have wanted, looking back. She didn't like to be questioned, but she had to remind herself what had made Travis this way.

"Of course," he countered with splenetic hurt. "I don't need you Stannis. You know that, I've never needed anyone. I won't start now" That hadn't been the way she'd meant for him to take that.

"There's always a first time" Jenna replied, her voice confident and charming, but gentle. Not like she would have been with someone else.

"Yes" it was bitter, but not a disagreement. She knew it was the best she was going to get at the moment.

"I have no interest in Blake, Travis. Not beyond what he's paying us." The sincerity in her words coloured them deeply, but she wished she didn't have to say it. She did try reaching out to him this time but he pulled sharply away from her, his insecurities making him violently defensive.

His voice rose sharply though as he countered angrily "Do you think I'm A fool. I won't be fooled like that anymore"

"No. I don't think you're a fool" by contrast Jenna's voice was calm, trying to still his hurt "I think Servalan's betrayed your trust so many times you don't understand that someone can care about you. For real. But I do so you'll have to start learning, won't you."

"Stannis..."

"No listen. I won't betray you. I promise. I swear it on my mother's memory. Do you trust that?" his chin rose and he looked down at her.

"I don't, know." at least he was honest with her. It was still progress she thought wryly.

"Will you try?" she countered gently, her fiery voice holding a tender edge.

"Yes"

"Thank you." she breathed with a smile. Jenna gave a sigh of, she didn't know, relief, resolved tension. It didn't matter. She gently tugged Travis' tall dour figure away from the airlock.

"You know you have to stay on ship. I know you do. I don't want you meeting up with Blake and believe me it's not for his benefit. I just want this over and done with." She knew He wasn't going to like it, but she was worried what effect a meeting with Blake would have on his psyche now after this time. Also, she didn't want to have to explain to Blake about her recent involvement with Travis.

"I could kill him you know. Kill Blake" The declaration wasn't surprising, and she grinned
wryly back.

"You could, but we'd have no ship at the end of it. We're running dangerously low, and with another buyer lost, there'd be nothing to pay for cat's eye's running costs. We'd go under."

"You would Stannis. Remember." He corrected her "Don't play games with me." that seemed like a warning.

"I don't think of it like that." she answered gently.

"Alright alright. I won't go. But you have to come back Jenna. That's the deal, alright. Don't make a fool of me." Travis' voice rose but it was more because she had managed to talk him over, Jenna knew she had won this one anyway.

"I wasn't exactly going to leave my ship, was I?" She said coyly, then more serious "I'm not going anywhere Travis"

"Good" he enunciated slowly, purposefully, and her reply verified everything he hadn't been able to say.

"I'm glad you want me too"

Thank you kindly for truing out my fic. A review would be nice, but if not just enjoy it. That's the main thing. Next chapter will be up soon.