~*Deluge: Part Two*~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, you think you can fix it?"
"Of course I can," Danni answered. "Astrophysics may be my main area of expertise, but I'm also well-versed in engineering. Now hold that light still so I can see."
Kyp rolled his eyes even though his intended target wasn't looking. She was up to her elbows in the broken power generator while the storm raged on around them. He didn't think it was possible to be more soaked than he was right then. The rain was coming down in sheets, lightning flashing violently in the night sky more often than not. It was a deluge.
He turned his focus to watching her work. She seemed to know what she was doing, much to his surprise. Before this mission, he hadn't known Danni Quee very well. They'd had limited encounters since Jacen Solo had rescued her from Helska 4, and he hadn't been too interested in pursuing any further relationship with her. After all, she was a highly trained scientist, as she so often reminded him, and not the type of woman he was usually interested in. She was too stuffy, too soft, and too snobbish.
At least, that's what he used to think.
Now, after spending the last few weeks in her company, he had a different perspective on the young Jedi scientist. She wasn't too stuffy. He'd seen a bit of a silly side to her, and loved when he could say or do something to make her laugh. The sound of it was contagious. As for being too soft, well, he had changed his mind on that one as well. During one of their longer space flights, he had asked her to share her memories of Miko, his former apprentice with whom she had been imprisoned. She had hesitated at first, but gradually opened up revealing strength and a compassion he didn't know was possible. As for the snobbish part, the verdict was still out, but he had a sneaking suspicion that it was mostly just a ruse to guard her insecurities.
Kyp had grown fond of their verbal sparring. She was very intelligent and quick-witted, so when he was able to get the upper hand he never hesitated. Making her blush was just as enjoyable, if not more so, than making her laugh. When he noticed her staring at him earlier, the blush that showed on her face seemed to nearly cover her from head to toe. He could practically feel her attraction to him, even though she'd never admit it. No, she was much too proud for that. But she certainly was in dire need of a good kiss. And so what started out as an assignment he was dreading, was turning into much more than he would have ever imagined.
"Finished yet?" he asked, knowing it would aggravate her. She paused her fidgeting and turned to glare at him. He simply shined the light right in her eyes. "What?" he said innocently as she put her arms up in front of her face.
"Will you please just hold the light still and stay quiet?!" she pleaded sternly. "It's hard enough doing this in the dark and the pouring rain, but I don't need you blinding me with that blasted light on top of everything else!"
Kyp bit back a grin. "Settle down," he urged calmly. "No need to get yourself all worked up."
"I am not worked up!" she declared, her fists clenched at her side.
"You sure about that?"
She snorted and then spun back around to continue her work. Kyp chuckled lightly as he listened to her mumbling underneath her breath.
The minutes passed by slowly while the rain continued to pour. Danni was making little progress, but refused to give up despite Kyp's assurance that he wouldn't make fun of her. Now they were both silent, each doing their job while struggling not to think of the other.
Then he felt it. A tiny surge in the Force, almost imperceptible. then another. He glanced down at Danni who was still immersed in the generator. Apparently she didn't sense anything, so he listened again. Maybe he'd been mistaken.
His head snapped to his left then his right, and he squinted trying to see anything he could. He had sensed something. two somethings, to be precise.
"Kyp, will you please hold the light steady?" Danni insisted, peeved that she had to halt her progress yet again.
"Danni," Kyp said, his hand going instinctively to the lightsaber clipped to his belt. Whatever was out there was coming closer.
"What, Kyp?" she answered angrily. He took a step back and bumped into her.
He reached back with his non-saber hand and grabbed her arm. She barely saw the flash of his lightsaber blade before he pushed her to the ground.
"Kyp!" she yelled as her backside made contact with the muddy ground. When her eyes lifted she could only see flashes of what was happening because Kyp had abandoned the glowlamp to attend to other pressing matters. The illumination from his saber was the only light now, but she didn't need to see anything to know what he was fighting. The piercing yowl of the red- crested cougar was a sound she would know anywhere.
"Danni, get inside!" Kyp shouted as he lunged out of the path of the pouncing predator, barely avoiding its deadly claws.
She clumsily scrambled to her feet, her escape hindered by the slippery mud surrounding her.
"Go now!" Kyp ordered again, and she hastily made her way for the door. She was almost there, almost safe inside the cabin, but just as her hand reached for the door, something large and heavy slammed into her back and propelled her to the ground face first. Another familiar yowl shattered her ears and then she felt the cougar's claw slash through her shoulder.
She screamed in agony and prepared for the next cut she was sure would come. But instead all she felt was the relief of pressure as the big cat's weight left her back. She pulled herself up into a sitting postion. In a blur, she saw Kyp's violet blade slash back and forth across the animal's body, the sound of its shrieks ringing in her ears. After several more strikes, the cougar collapsed to the ground in a bleeding heap. Kyp stood over it breathing heavily, the rain pouring down his head. He powered down his weapon and then turned his attention to Danni.
"You okay?" he asked as he offered her a hand. She grabbed on and let his strength pull her to her feet. He noticed her wince and clutch her shoulder. "No, you're not okay."
"What. what about the other one?" she asked referring to the second cougar, nervously looking around for any sign of it.
"It's gone. back into the jungle, but it's got a nasty hole in its side that will keep it out of commission for awhile. Let's get you inside," he urged softly placing a hand on her back.
"The glowlamp," she muttered hanging her head, "we'll need it since I didn't fix the generator."
Kyp knew she was probably bordering on shock, so he stepped around the dead cat and retrieved the lamp for her. She took it from him and then walked closer to the downed animal. Holding the light so that it shined on the cougar, Danni studied it for several seconds without saying a word.
"Do you know what it was?" Kyp asked moving up behind her.
She nodded her head only once. " A red-crested cougar. I think," she said uncertainly. "At least it used to be. These protrusions here by the head and down here by the heels are not typical. They remind me of Vong physiology, though. Whatever they did here has affected everything. I'm sure whatever didn't adapt was wiped out."
She continued to stare at the animal for so long that Kyp finally took her arm and led her back inside. By the sound of her scream earlier, he knew she was wounded and needed immediate medical attention.
All around them, the storm raged on. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, you think you can fix it?"
"Of course I can," Danni answered. "Astrophysics may be my main area of expertise, but I'm also well-versed in engineering. Now hold that light still so I can see."
Kyp rolled his eyes even though his intended target wasn't looking. She was up to her elbows in the broken power generator while the storm raged on around them. He didn't think it was possible to be more soaked than he was right then. The rain was coming down in sheets, lightning flashing violently in the night sky more often than not. It was a deluge.
He turned his focus to watching her work. She seemed to know what she was doing, much to his surprise. Before this mission, he hadn't known Danni Quee very well. They'd had limited encounters since Jacen Solo had rescued her from Helska 4, and he hadn't been too interested in pursuing any further relationship with her. After all, she was a highly trained scientist, as she so often reminded him, and not the type of woman he was usually interested in. She was too stuffy, too soft, and too snobbish.
At least, that's what he used to think.
Now, after spending the last few weeks in her company, he had a different perspective on the young Jedi scientist. She wasn't too stuffy. He'd seen a bit of a silly side to her, and loved when he could say or do something to make her laugh. The sound of it was contagious. As for being too soft, well, he had changed his mind on that one as well. During one of their longer space flights, he had asked her to share her memories of Miko, his former apprentice with whom she had been imprisoned. She had hesitated at first, but gradually opened up revealing strength and a compassion he didn't know was possible. As for the snobbish part, the verdict was still out, but he had a sneaking suspicion that it was mostly just a ruse to guard her insecurities.
Kyp had grown fond of their verbal sparring. She was very intelligent and quick-witted, so when he was able to get the upper hand he never hesitated. Making her blush was just as enjoyable, if not more so, than making her laugh. When he noticed her staring at him earlier, the blush that showed on her face seemed to nearly cover her from head to toe. He could practically feel her attraction to him, even though she'd never admit it. No, she was much too proud for that. But she certainly was in dire need of a good kiss. And so what started out as an assignment he was dreading, was turning into much more than he would have ever imagined.
"Finished yet?" he asked, knowing it would aggravate her. She paused her fidgeting and turned to glare at him. He simply shined the light right in her eyes. "What?" he said innocently as she put her arms up in front of her face.
"Will you please just hold the light still and stay quiet?!" she pleaded sternly. "It's hard enough doing this in the dark and the pouring rain, but I don't need you blinding me with that blasted light on top of everything else!"
Kyp bit back a grin. "Settle down," he urged calmly. "No need to get yourself all worked up."
"I am not worked up!" she declared, her fists clenched at her side.
"You sure about that?"
She snorted and then spun back around to continue her work. Kyp chuckled lightly as he listened to her mumbling underneath her breath.
The minutes passed by slowly while the rain continued to pour. Danni was making little progress, but refused to give up despite Kyp's assurance that he wouldn't make fun of her. Now they were both silent, each doing their job while struggling not to think of the other.
Then he felt it. A tiny surge in the Force, almost imperceptible. then another. He glanced down at Danni who was still immersed in the generator. Apparently she didn't sense anything, so he listened again. Maybe he'd been mistaken.
His head snapped to his left then his right, and he squinted trying to see anything he could. He had sensed something. two somethings, to be precise.
"Kyp, will you please hold the light steady?" Danni insisted, peeved that she had to halt her progress yet again.
"Danni," Kyp said, his hand going instinctively to the lightsaber clipped to his belt. Whatever was out there was coming closer.
"What, Kyp?" she answered angrily. He took a step back and bumped into her.
He reached back with his non-saber hand and grabbed her arm. She barely saw the flash of his lightsaber blade before he pushed her to the ground.
"Kyp!" she yelled as her backside made contact with the muddy ground. When her eyes lifted she could only see flashes of what was happening because Kyp had abandoned the glowlamp to attend to other pressing matters. The illumination from his saber was the only light now, but she didn't need to see anything to know what he was fighting. The piercing yowl of the red- crested cougar was a sound she would know anywhere.
"Danni, get inside!" Kyp shouted as he lunged out of the path of the pouncing predator, barely avoiding its deadly claws.
She clumsily scrambled to her feet, her escape hindered by the slippery mud surrounding her.
"Go now!" Kyp ordered again, and she hastily made her way for the door. She was almost there, almost safe inside the cabin, but just as her hand reached for the door, something large and heavy slammed into her back and propelled her to the ground face first. Another familiar yowl shattered her ears and then she felt the cougar's claw slash through her shoulder.
She screamed in agony and prepared for the next cut she was sure would come. But instead all she felt was the relief of pressure as the big cat's weight left her back. She pulled herself up into a sitting postion. In a blur, she saw Kyp's violet blade slash back and forth across the animal's body, the sound of its shrieks ringing in her ears. After several more strikes, the cougar collapsed to the ground in a bleeding heap. Kyp stood over it breathing heavily, the rain pouring down his head. He powered down his weapon and then turned his attention to Danni.
"You okay?" he asked as he offered her a hand. She grabbed on and let his strength pull her to her feet. He noticed her wince and clutch her shoulder. "No, you're not okay."
"What. what about the other one?" she asked referring to the second cougar, nervously looking around for any sign of it.
"It's gone. back into the jungle, but it's got a nasty hole in its side that will keep it out of commission for awhile. Let's get you inside," he urged softly placing a hand on her back.
"The glowlamp," she muttered hanging her head, "we'll need it since I didn't fix the generator."
Kyp knew she was probably bordering on shock, so he stepped around the dead cat and retrieved the lamp for her. She took it from him and then walked closer to the downed animal. Holding the light so that it shined on the cougar, Danni studied it for several seconds without saying a word.
"Do you know what it was?" Kyp asked moving up behind her.
She nodded her head only once. " A red-crested cougar. I think," she said uncertainly. "At least it used to be. These protrusions here by the head and down here by the heels are not typical. They remind me of Vong physiology, though. Whatever they did here has affected everything. I'm sure whatever didn't adapt was wiped out."
She continued to stare at the animal for so long that Kyp finally took her arm and led her back inside. By the sound of her scream earlier, he knew she was wounded and needed immediate medical attention.
All around them, the storm raged on. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~