From Scratch
Chapter 8
Pain. It drew her from unconsciousness, enfolding her in its embrace and forcing her into its depths. She groaned softly, her eyes fluttering as they slowly opened, only to slam shut again as the light stabbed into her brain. Slowly, she opened her eyes again, squinting against the brightness. She was in the cabin of a ship, that much was clear, and it wasn't very big. The hum of the engines brought her to a sitting position, fighting away the pain in her head. She lifted her hand and gently probed the edges of her temple. No bump. With the way her skull was throbbing she had little doubt she'd have a nice bruise. But why was she on the ship? Her eyes narrowed as the events leading to her awakening flooded back. Jacen dancing with her, teasing her and threatening to kidnap her. His blatant attempt and their lightsaber fight. Her hand went to her hip and she found nothing. Slowly forcing her eyes to open completely, she took a good look around her.
The room was almost cell like in its cleanliness. Two closets, their doors closed were directly across from her. A stack of clean linens and several personal items were on a set of shelves to her left. She supported herself on the top bunk as she got to her feet, the dizziness she'd expected making the room spin. She stepped towards the shelf, her lips thinning as she saw the familiar items beside the sheets. Her brush, for it could be no other, was set aside with Jacen's comb. She found several more personal items of hers that could only have come from her room before turning to the closets.
Opening the first she found nothing hanging, but a shelf near the bottom held a duffle bag. She reached for it, opening it slowly. The bag dropped to the floor as a very familiar suit of lizard hide armor greeted her gaze. Where had he gotten it? How had he gotten it? She rummaged around, finding two complete sets, minus her weapons, her temper simmering beneath the surface. How dare he? How dare he not only presume to take her against her will, but rummage through her personal belongings? She replaced the suits before standing, shaking her hair back and striding to the door. She tried the panel, receiving a beep. It was locked.
"Jacen!" Tenel Ka didn't yell often, but she'd had enough of this. Enough was enough. "Jacen Solo!"
"How many Jacens do you think are on this ship?"
She faced the door as his voice came from the other side, schooling her features into an impassive mask as she shielded her thoughts. She could hear him entering the code to unlock the door. It slowly slid open and he stepped into the doorway.
Tenel Ka looked at him for a moment before her fist came in from the side, striking him solidly on the cheek. Her knuckles cracked as Jacen stumbled from the unexpected blow, holding the doorframe for a moment. Her blow had been completely unexpected. His smile never wavered as he straightened himself, working his jaw to check if it was broken before speaking. "I see you're feeling better."
"Release me."
"No." He crossed his arms over his chest, blocking the door way as he looked at her.
"You must return me to Calamari."
He shook his head. "Not happening, Tenel Ka. We're taking a trip so that you can learn to see things my way."
"I will not."
"You already do, your Highness." His grin was cocky, "You're just too stubborn to admit it. You're only delaying the inevitable by fighting this."
"Let me go, Jacen."
"Where are you going to go?" he asked her, arching an eyebrow. "Take a trip out an airlock?"
Her eyes narrowed, spitting fire and promising vengeance. "If you do not, I will be forced to hurt you."
"We've been through this already, remember? It's what got you captured in the first place." He nodded to her injury, his worry showing on his face. "How's your head?"
"Do not concern yourself."
"Too late, Tenel Ka, you -are- my concern. Let me see."
"I am fine."
"I just want to make sure I didn't hit you too hard."
"You did not."
"Then why won't you let me look?" He took a step towards her only to have her back away, her body coiling, ready to spring.
She wanted him to try, wanted him to dare manhandling her again. She was going to take great pleasure in hurting him if he did. She froze, the anger boiling through her system threatening to overwhelm her control. Anger was the darkside, regardless of the circumstance. She fought it, taking a deep breath as she allowed the outrage at being treated little better than a slave fade. Her voice was low, more threatening for its lack of volume. "You will not touch me."
"That's going to be difficult," he told her conversationally, but stopping his approach. Even -he- wasn't foolish enough to chance touching her when she had murder in her eyes. "This ship isn't very big and I'll have to sleep eventually."
She straightened, tossing her head defiantly. "When you sleep, I will take control of your ship."
He grinned. "You can try, my beautiful pirate Queen, but the commands are locked in. The ship won't go anywhere I don't tell it."
"You have thought this through."
He nodded. "I don't mean you any harm, Tenel Ka, and I know you probably hate my guts right now. I wish this could have been done differently."
"I have made my decision, Jacen. Why can you not accept it?"
His eyes were serious. "I lost you once, Tenel Ka. Do you honestly think I'd be foolish enough to let you go a second time?"
She looked at him carefully, not ready to forgive him yet. She probably wouldn't be for a long, long time. Her pride was wounded, her body injured because he'd decided to take the initiative. She should have been knocking his head off. "You are foolish to try."
He sighed. "I know you're angry with me," he ran a hand through his hair, "and I hope you can forgive me someday, but I don't expect miracles right away."
"I will never forgive you, Jacen."
His expression saddened. "Then I guess we're going to be spending an awful lot of time in silence for the next fifty years."
"You would not dare."
"Try me."
She searched his face, finding a resolve that shocked her. Jacen wasn't normally this forceful, at least, not from what she remembered. She turned away, looking for something else to focus on. Her gaze fell on her brush and she stepped over, reaching out to gently touch the plain haft. Why, she asked herself silently. Why is he doing this to me?
Jacen stepped further into the room as she moved away from the door, going directly to the second closet and pulling the door open. Tenel Ka could see him from the corner of her eye and sucked in a sharp breath when he shrugged out of the torn military jacket. She turned away, going back to the bunk and clenching a hand around the edge of the top bunk. She felt as if she should be angry with him, screaming and throwing things, angry. But that had never been her way. She was controlled by nature; except around him. Couldn't he understand that she wouldn't allow anyone that kind of control over her? Why couldn't he accept that, regardless of their mutual attachment, she refused to condemn him?
"Will it get me killed if I ask what's on your mind."
"It may."
She heard his soft sigh and knew he was mentally scolding himself for expecting too much too soon. Her heart hardened against him as she straightened her spine. He'd kidnapped her, forced her into a difficult arrangement. "Do you understand what you have done, Jacen?"
The rustle of fabric sliding against skin was the only sound in the room and the image of him sliding one tanned, muscular leg into a new set of trousers rose unbidden in her mind. She snapped it away, slamming it into a carefully shielded part of her mind, determined not to want him when he was being so... uncivilized. "I think I know, how about you enlighten me?"
"I think not." Making her decision she sat on the bunk and rolled over, turning her back to him. "I have nothing to say to you."
He began to chuckle. "You're acting like a child, Tenel Ka."
She said nothing, feeling the heat of his gaze as it traveled up the bare expanse of her back and forcefully suppressed a shiver. The man's eyes were enough to send tremors through her system, Force forbid if he ever got the courage to run a hand up her back. She fought back the image, using the reminder of his actions as a barrier. She was angry with him, right or wrong, and that wouldn't go away. Until he got down on the floor and groveled, promising to turn back, she wasn't going to speak with him.
Jacen changed his clothing while Tenel Ka had her back turned, quickly slipping out of the uncomfortable uniform and into his trousers. His feet in sturdy sandals, he closed the closet door and turned back around. The metal of the door was cool on his back as he leaned against it. He let his gaze wander, unable to help himself. He has a clear view of her smooth, trim back, her muscles flexing as she shifted. Her hair was pooled around her body like a fiery halo, contrasting sharply with the black gown. The skin tight cloth continued from her waist to just barely upper thigh where it suddenly dropped on either side of her body, giving him a clear, unobstructed view of her legs. And what legs they were. Sun bronzed and supple, they didn't betray the power in her muscles. He absently rubbed his thigh where he'd turned aside the heel of her boot. He had a nice bruise to show for that action, though it was more of an annoyance than a pain. He looked his fill, tracing the slim lines of her calves down to the tops of her boots and then allowed his gaze to wander back up, enjoying the thrill of pleasure that ran through him just from looking at her.
Ok, so she was angry with him and determined not to speak until he probably blew himself out the airlock, but he could work around that. Tenel Ka had never been a person of many words anyway. "Are you hungry, Tenel Ka?"
She didn't even twitch; and he knew 'cause he watched for it specifically. She continued to inhale evenly and easily, her body still as a rock. So much for his tentative peace offering. He sighed, shaking his head. It was too soon, she wouldn't be ready to speak with him until they got where they were going. And even then, she might decide to try her luck with the wilderness. Stepping to the shelves, he picked up the comb and twirled it in his fingers.
"Would you like your lightsaber?"
She jerked at that, but barely. He could feel the sudden surge of anticipation that shot through her and could almost see the thoughts running through her mind. Thoughts of paying him back, painfully, for her circumstances. He grinned, reaching up to pull a mirror from its slot in the wall and taking the opportunity to comb his hair. He could feel the air almost sizzling with tension and fought to ignore it. It was similar to being too close to the powercouplinks; dangerous and volatile yet contained. For the moment.
He put the mirror back into the wall and turned to find Tenel Ka still hadn't rolled back over to look at him. "This is going to be a really long trip if you're just going to lie there with your back to me for the duration."
Her shoulders shifted fractionally but she still didn't speak. Shaking his head, Jacen went over to the bunk and sat on the edge. She shifted away towards the wall, refusing to look at him. Jacen chuckled. "You're acting like a sulking two year old, Tenel Ka."
She turned then, rolling back over and kicking out at him. Caught again by surprise, Jacen was unceremoniously dumped on the floor a few feet from the bunk, his chest stinging from the impact of her boots but not really painful. He got back to his feet, returning to his sport on the edge of her bunk. Tenel Ka glared up at him. Her gray eyes, normally so controlled, promised pain. Pain in the physical sense that only she could deliver. Jacen stared back at her, a cocky smile on his lips. "If you're thinking you can win me over by beating me to a bloody pulp, you're welcome to try. I'll fight back though and I can almost guarantee one of us will end up flat on our back. And it won't be me."
He rolled with the kick as it slammed into the side of his head, making his ears ring. His eyes crossed briefly and he realized she'd grazed his temple. He slammed into the wall by the bed, shaking his head and the ringing stopped. Tenel Ka had turned her back to him again. He pushed himself to his feet, brushing off his pants as he did. "I can take a hint," he told her quietly. "If you wanted to be left alone, why didn't you just say something?"
Jacen didn't wait around for more of the silent treatment. Comfortable in the cool air of the ship, he stepped through the door and didn't lock it, heading for the small cargo bay. Maybe practicing with one of the remotes he'd brought along would help. Tenel Ka certainly wasn't going to forgive him in one day. With a shake of his head, he keyed open the cargo bay doors. And screamed.
Chapter 8
Pain. It drew her from unconsciousness, enfolding her in its embrace and forcing her into its depths. She groaned softly, her eyes fluttering as they slowly opened, only to slam shut again as the light stabbed into her brain. Slowly, she opened her eyes again, squinting against the brightness. She was in the cabin of a ship, that much was clear, and it wasn't very big. The hum of the engines brought her to a sitting position, fighting away the pain in her head. She lifted her hand and gently probed the edges of her temple. No bump. With the way her skull was throbbing she had little doubt she'd have a nice bruise. But why was she on the ship? Her eyes narrowed as the events leading to her awakening flooded back. Jacen dancing with her, teasing her and threatening to kidnap her. His blatant attempt and their lightsaber fight. Her hand went to her hip and she found nothing. Slowly forcing her eyes to open completely, she took a good look around her.
The room was almost cell like in its cleanliness. Two closets, their doors closed were directly across from her. A stack of clean linens and several personal items were on a set of shelves to her left. She supported herself on the top bunk as she got to her feet, the dizziness she'd expected making the room spin. She stepped towards the shelf, her lips thinning as she saw the familiar items beside the sheets. Her brush, for it could be no other, was set aside with Jacen's comb. She found several more personal items of hers that could only have come from her room before turning to the closets.
Opening the first she found nothing hanging, but a shelf near the bottom held a duffle bag. She reached for it, opening it slowly. The bag dropped to the floor as a very familiar suit of lizard hide armor greeted her gaze. Where had he gotten it? How had he gotten it? She rummaged around, finding two complete sets, minus her weapons, her temper simmering beneath the surface. How dare he? How dare he not only presume to take her against her will, but rummage through her personal belongings? She replaced the suits before standing, shaking her hair back and striding to the door. She tried the panel, receiving a beep. It was locked.
"Jacen!" Tenel Ka didn't yell often, but she'd had enough of this. Enough was enough. "Jacen Solo!"
"How many Jacens do you think are on this ship?"
She faced the door as his voice came from the other side, schooling her features into an impassive mask as she shielded her thoughts. She could hear him entering the code to unlock the door. It slowly slid open and he stepped into the doorway.
Tenel Ka looked at him for a moment before her fist came in from the side, striking him solidly on the cheek. Her knuckles cracked as Jacen stumbled from the unexpected blow, holding the doorframe for a moment. Her blow had been completely unexpected. His smile never wavered as he straightened himself, working his jaw to check if it was broken before speaking. "I see you're feeling better."
"Release me."
"No." He crossed his arms over his chest, blocking the door way as he looked at her.
"You must return me to Calamari."
He shook his head. "Not happening, Tenel Ka. We're taking a trip so that you can learn to see things my way."
"I will not."
"You already do, your Highness." His grin was cocky, "You're just too stubborn to admit it. You're only delaying the inevitable by fighting this."
"Let me go, Jacen."
"Where are you going to go?" he asked her, arching an eyebrow. "Take a trip out an airlock?"
Her eyes narrowed, spitting fire and promising vengeance. "If you do not, I will be forced to hurt you."
"We've been through this already, remember? It's what got you captured in the first place." He nodded to her injury, his worry showing on his face. "How's your head?"
"Do not concern yourself."
"Too late, Tenel Ka, you -are- my concern. Let me see."
"I am fine."
"I just want to make sure I didn't hit you too hard."
"You did not."
"Then why won't you let me look?" He took a step towards her only to have her back away, her body coiling, ready to spring.
She wanted him to try, wanted him to dare manhandling her again. She was going to take great pleasure in hurting him if he did. She froze, the anger boiling through her system threatening to overwhelm her control. Anger was the darkside, regardless of the circumstance. She fought it, taking a deep breath as she allowed the outrage at being treated little better than a slave fade. Her voice was low, more threatening for its lack of volume. "You will not touch me."
"That's going to be difficult," he told her conversationally, but stopping his approach. Even -he- wasn't foolish enough to chance touching her when she had murder in her eyes. "This ship isn't very big and I'll have to sleep eventually."
She straightened, tossing her head defiantly. "When you sleep, I will take control of your ship."
He grinned. "You can try, my beautiful pirate Queen, but the commands are locked in. The ship won't go anywhere I don't tell it."
"You have thought this through."
He nodded. "I don't mean you any harm, Tenel Ka, and I know you probably hate my guts right now. I wish this could have been done differently."
"I have made my decision, Jacen. Why can you not accept it?"
His eyes were serious. "I lost you once, Tenel Ka. Do you honestly think I'd be foolish enough to let you go a second time?"
She looked at him carefully, not ready to forgive him yet. She probably wouldn't be for a long, long time. Her pride was wounded, her body injured because he'd decided to take the initiative. She should have been knocking his head off. "You are foolish to try."
He sighed. "I know you're angry with me," he ran a hand through his hair, "and I hope you can forgive me someday, but I don't expect miracles right away."
"I will never forgive you, Jacen."
His expression saddened. "Then I guess we're going to be spending an awful lot of time in silence for the next fifty years."
"You would not dare."
"Try me."
She searched his face, finding a resolve that shocked her. Jacen wasn't normally this forceful, at least, not from what she remembered. She turned away, looking for something else to focus on. Her gaze fell on her brush and she stepped over, reaching out to gently touch the plain haft. Why, she asked herself silently. Why is he doing this to me?
Jacen stepped further into the room as she moved away from the door, going directly to the second closet and pulling the door open. Tenel Ka could see him from the corner of her eye and sucked in a sharp breath when he shrugged out of the torn military jacket. She turned away, going back to the bunk and clenching a hand around the edge of the top bunk. She felt as if she should be angry with him, screaming and throwing things, angry. But that had never been her way. She was controlled by nature; except around him. Couldn't he understand that she wouldn't allow anyone that kind of control over her? Why couldn't he accept that, regardless of their mutual attachment, she refused to condemn him?
"Will it get me killed if I ask what's on your mind."
"It may."
She heard his soft sigh and knew he was mentally scolding himself for expecting too much too soon. Her heart hardened against him as she straightened her spine. He'd kidnapped her, forced her into a difficult arrangement. "Do you understand what you have done, Jacen?"
The rustle of fabric sliding against skin was the only sound in the room and the image of him sliding one tanned, muscular leg into a new set of trousers rose unbidden in her mind. She snapped it away, slamming it into a carefully shielded part of her mind, determined not to want him when he was being so... uncivilized. "I think I know, how about you enlighten me?"
"I think not." Making her decision she sat on the bunk and rolled over, turning her back to him. "I have nothing to say to you."
He began to chuckle. "You're acting like a child, Tenel Ka."
She said nothing, feeling the heat of his gaze as it traveled up the bare expanse of her back and forcefully suppressed a shiver. The man's eyes were enough to send tremors through her system, Force forbid if he ever got the courage to run a hand up her back. She fought back the image, using the reminder of his actions as a barrier. She was angry with him, right or wrong, and that wouldn't go away. Until he got down on the floor and groveled, promising to turn back, she wasn't going to speak with him.
Jacen changed his clothing while Tenel Ka had her back turned, quickly slipping out of the uncomfortable uniform and into his trousers. His feet in sturdy sandals, he closed the closet door and turned back around. The metal of the door was cool on his back as he leaned against it. He let his gaze wander, unable to help himself. He has a clear view of her smooth, trim back, her muscles flexing as she shifted. Her hair was pooled around her body like a fiery halo, contrasting sharply with the black gown. The skin tight cloth continued from her waist to just barely upper thigh where it suddenly dropped on either side of her body, giving him a clear, unobstructed view of her legs. And what legs they were. Sun bronzed and supple, they didn't betray the power in her muscles. He absently rubbed his thigh where he'd turned aside the heel of her boot. He had a nice bruise to show for that action, though it was more of an annoyance than a pain. He looked his fill, tracing the slim lines of her calves down to the tops of her boots and then allowed his gaze to wander back up, enjoying the thrill of pleasure that ran through him just from looking at her.
Ok, so she was angry with him and determined not to speak until he probably blew himself out the airlock, but he could work around that. Tenel Ka had never been a person of many words anyway. "Are you hungry, Tenel Ka?"
She didn't even twitch; and he knew 'cause he watched for it specifically. She continued to inhale evenly and easily, her body still as a rock. So much for his tentative peace offering. He sighed, shaking his head. It was too soon, she wouldn't be ready to speak with him until they got where they were going. And even then, she might decide to try her luck with the wilderness. Stepping to the shelves, he picked up the comb and twirled it in his fingers.
"Would you like your lightsaber?"
She jerked at that, but barely. He could feel the sudden surge of anticipation that shot through her and could almost see the thoughts running through her mind. Thoughts of paying him back, painfully, for her circumstances. He grinned, reaching up to pull a mirror from its slot in the wall and taking the opportunity to comb his hair. He could feel the air almost sizzling with tension and fought to ignore it. It was similar to being too close to the powercouplinks; dangerous and volatile yet contained. For the moment.
He put the mirror back into the wall and turned to find Tenel Ka still hadn't rolled back over to look at him. "This is going to be a really long trip if you're just going to lie there with your back to me for the duration."
Her shoulders shifted fractionally but she still didn't speak. Shaking his head, Jacen went over to the bunk and sat on the edge. She shifted away towards the wall, refusing to look at him. Jacen chuckled. "You're acting like a sulking two year old, Tenel Ka."
She turned then, rolling back over and kicking out at him. Caught again by surprise, Jacen was unceremoniously dumped on the floor a few feet from the bunk, his chest stinging from the impact of her boots but not really painful. He got back to his feet, returning to his sport on the edge of her bunk. Tenel Ka glared up at him. Her gray eyes, normally so controlled, promised pain. Pain in the physical sense that only she could deliver. Jacen stared back at her, a cocky smile on his lips. "If you're thinking you can win me over by beating me to a bloody pulp, you're welcome to try. I'll fight back though and I can almost guarantee one of us will end up flat on our back. And it won't be me."
He rolled with the kick as it slammed into the side of his head, making his ears ring. His eyes crossed briefly and he realized she'd grazed his temple. He slammed into the wall by the bed, shaking his head and the ringing stopped. Tenel Ka had turned her back to him again. He pushed himself to his feet, brushing off his pants as he did. "I can take a hint," he told her quietly. "If you wanted to be left alone, why didn't you just say something?"
Jacen didn't wait around for more of the silent treatment. Comfortable in the cool air of the ship, he stepped through the door and didn't lock it, heading for the small cargo bay. Maybe practicing with one of the remotes he'd brought along would help. Tenel Ka certainly wasn't going to forgive him in one day. With a shake of his head, he keyed open the cargo bay doors. And screamed.