Chapter Four – Vaping Koochoos
Adra was sitting in much the same spot as she had been when she woke up. The only thing was that it was now twenty-two hundred and she was staring quite blankly at the wall. Reaching next to her, she glanced down, hand grabbing at the edge of the comforter she had used the night before. Adra grabbed the corner more fully and wrapped it around herself, shivering slightly though it was not exactly cold. Why were parents such infinite koochoos? For all extensive reasons, why couldn't they just get out of their children's personal lives once said children reached the age of eighteen? Whatever their reasoning, it was all in vaping stupidity that they didn't.
Looking up as Nicola walked in, she gave her a slight smile. Nicola walked over to her friend and sat down next to her, shaking her head. Adra could've guessed this was coming, should've guessed it. Nicola sat silently for a moment then sighed.
"What's wrong, Adra?" Nicola asked her, sarcasm completely gone from the usual thread of her voice. "And don't play stupid with me because I know very well that you were up nearly all of last night and the day before that you got absolutely no sleep."
For not the first time, Adra very much wished that her friend didn't know her so well. By way of response she merely tugged the comforter closer around her. Adra heard Nicola give another sigh next to her.
"Alright, Adra, you don't have to talk about it, but at least go to bed. If you don't, I'll have that fiancé of yours come and make you."
Adra grinned at the last remark; if Nicola did 'ask' Face to come make her go to bed, he would either do that or the flyboy, as he called it, in him would dictate what he made of those words. Nicola seemed to get the same idea as Adra and the two of them started to laugh almost at once.
The dim lighting got sharply brighter, causing both Jedi to shield their eyes in shadow for a moment. As she blinked past the brightness, Adra searched through the Force to find out who was there. All of a nanosecond later she found the familiar presence of Bror and Face. Her eyes used to the new light, she looked over her shoulder towards the door. Both Face and Bror had their hands on their hips, eyes narrowed at the two women.
Nicola and Adra exchanged a look that was filled with obviously-fake fear and then burst out laughing once more. Obviously this wasn't the effect the other two had been anticipating and the Force suddenly held hints of their surprise. Adra grinned, attempting to stifle her laughter. Managing somewhat, she turned back to them, trying to think of something to say.
"And what, Force tell, have we done to so offend you two?" Adra finally asked. Next to her she could see Nicola grinning once more, her laughter gone from the air, yet still resounding through the Force.
Bror looked a bit upset, but spoke calmly. "I was looking for my wife, Adra."
Adra nodded then waved her hands dramatically as if she had just noticed Nicola next to her. Before she could say another word, both were having fits of laughter again. Bror didn't look impressed. He glanced over at Face once and the two nodded to each other. Adra raised an unimpressed eyebrow, watching them as they approached. Bror went around to sit on the arm of the couch next to Nicola while Face opted to take the space at the other end of the couch. He glanced over at the smiling-too-giddily Nicola and Adra, then looked over at Bror.
"I think they've been hitting the drinks again," he shook his head as he spoke.
Adra elbowed Face in the side, her expression sobering as she did so. He huffed indignantly for a second, then raised his eyebrows at her. She returned the look, adding an 'is there a problem' expression to it.
"What!" Face looked indignantly at her, trying yet failing to look innocent. Adra just shook her head, then looked over to Bror as he spoke.
"Well, if you and my wife went to get drunk, heads will roll," Bror glared at Adra. Nicola glanced up at him, a mixture between a warning glance and an 'oh really' look on her face. Adra didn't bother with either; she just jumped straight to sarcasm.
"Glad to know that that'll be your answer to everything tonight. Why the sith are you in such a fowl mood? Someone give you a soured drink?"
Nicola shook her head midway through Adra's comment. They actually had been having a nice talk, albeit a one-sided one, before those two had come in. Adra sighed and shook her head.
"No, your Imperial highnesses, we have not been hitting the drinks. I'm not an idiot; I know better than to let my best friend get drunk while she's pregnant," Adra said at last. She was quickly rewarded with a glare from Nicola and a slightly-relieved expression from Bror.
Her friend took that moment to stand up, her husband standing with her. Her face softened into a smile once more and she nodded in a good night to both Face and Adra. As she turned, Adra caught hint of a grin forming on the edges of her lips and quickly understood.
Now, be good little pilots and don't stay up too late you two. Nicola winked at Adra before allowing herself to be escorted off by Bror. Adra very nearly commented after her, but refrained from doing so, as it would most likely lead to a question of what Nicola had said. Not that she minded. A grin began on her face again as she looked over at Face.
"What?" She almost hadn't needed to ask. Face grinned a bit mischievously and that said enough to her. He stood, bowed and then offered her a hand, acting very stately. Laughing though she was, Adra took the proffered hand and was quickly pulled to her feet. A few minutes later and she was being led out of the lounge.
***
Eyes blinking open to unaccustomed surroundings, Adra pulled her chrono- currently somewhere on the floor- to her via the Force. She looked at it groggily for a moment then read it again. 0900. She shrugged mentally and allowed it to drift back to where it had come from. Her datapad met levitation next, coming to a stop above her. Quickly she grabbed the piece of technology out of the air, fiddling with some of the buttons on it. A smile creased her lips as she read the report for the day. So long as Wraith wasn't called away on some urgent mission, they had another free day. She rolled over onto her side ever-so-slightly and placed the datapad on the floor. As she returned to her original position, she felt an arm snake its way around her waist. Her smile increasing, she turned over some more, head coming to rest on Face's shoulder.
"What's the time then?" Face asked, still rather sleepily.
"Nine hundred, and Wraiths don't have any assignments today."
Face nodded and kissed her on the forehead. "Sounds good."
***
One standard hour later found Adra sitting in a lounge chair with a cup of steaming caf in her hands. Asyr and Nicola were on her left side, discussing ships rather half-heartedly. Nicola kept looking over at Adra as if she really just wanted Asyr to go talk with Tyria or Gaeriel or just anyone who wasn't named Nicola or Adra. Privately, Adra couldn't help agree with her on some respect, but for different reasons, she guessed. Like the fact that she didn't really want to listen to Asyr's rambling.
Nicola opened her mouth to say something that would no-doubt be a bit snappy when noise on the landing field caused everyone to look up from what they were doing. Adra quickly searched through the Force to see who was landing and paled. Quickly she stood up, leaving her hardly-touched caf on the table nearest her. She was suddenly very alert to her surroundings.
Her strides carried her to the exit of the building then out and on towards the ships that were landing. Sola's X-Wing was there, along with a TIE fighter. Adra was at the side of Sola's ship as the older woman jumped down.
What the sith is going on? She asked a bit angrily through the Force.
Hey, don't get mad at me Adra. Wedge just told me to bring him to Wraith base, that's all I know. Sola replied.
Adra looked at the TIE, an expression of immense dislike stretching over her features. Why oh why couldn't the sithing General get it! He could understand the tactics of full-fledged war, but he couldn't get when people meant leave me alone? Cursing just about everything she could name, she walked back into the building, only being stopped by Nicola.
"What's up?" Her friend asked.
Adra gestured angrily at the TIE and then looked at Nicola. "What the sith do you think is up?"
Nicola nodded, understanding. Adra glared at the TIE a bit longer, then watched the person exiting it. She turned on her heel, walking through the halls of Wraith headquarters, edging past everyone that was heading towards the docking bay to see what was going on. At last making it to her room, she slammed the release as she entered then made sure it was locked. Even if that vaping General had come to Wraith base, he still wouldn't get to talk to her.