Last time: Sasha had a nightmare about Oppie, and Kitsu and Illara comforted her.

Now: Sasha and Oppie see each other for the first time in over a week.

Chapter 9- Oppie and Sasha

Sasha giggled as Viran was telling her about the firewood cutting incident that happened a couple days after Sasha and Oppie left for Nivon.

"And then when Cien came outside, I was trying to hide the fact that Kyr was stuck in a hole as he ducked for cover. She saw right through me and we spent the next twenty minutes pulling him from the hole," He told her with a laugh. "I swear that was the first time in years that I didn't have my lightsaber as she took it away as punishment."

Sasha laughed with a slight wince, but tried to hide it as she kept smiling. "Sounds like you deserved it. You two could have gotten seriously hurt doing that," she admonished with a smirk.

"Yeah well, it was still funny," Viran finished with a chuckle.

"I get the feeling Cien didn't find it very funny," Sasha guessed.

"No, no she did not," Viran replied as he flushed with embarrassment.

The curtain parted slightly as Oppie stepped into her partitioned area. "Hey guys." Oppie said, though he stayed focused on Sasha. "How are you doing?" He asked her as he stepped in.

Sasha froze in place for a second as this was the first time since she had been waking up that she saw Oppie. Her voice caught in her throat before she answered. "I'm doing alright. How are you?"

"I'm good." Oppie, his own voice catching a little from finally seeing Sasha awake. He had taken turns sitting at her bedside along with everyone else, but he hadn't had a chance to visit her yet. She had last awoken in the middle of the night, when Kitsu and Illara had been sitting with her, and he had missed her the few other times she had come awake. But seeing that she was actually alright, that she was awake and smiling and back with Viran, it was like a great leaden weight was taken off his shoulders.

Viran glanced between the two of them and smirked lightly. He knew these two hadn't seen each other since Myrkr and probably wanted to talk. Actually, scratch that, he knew for a fact that they both wanted to talk with each other. He had noticed several times during meals or conversations with the others that Oppie was still beyond worried about her condition. And the fact that the first time Sasha woke and that nightmare from last night calling for Op made them all realize that these two needed to make sure the other was okay or who knows what would happen. So he was relieved that they could now finally talk. He just needed to excuse himself first.

"Here, I'm going to go grab a bite to eat," Viran said, sensing the slight tension. "I'll be back later."

"Okay, see you later," Sasha said, smiling softly at him.

Viran kissed her forehead before moving away from the bed. He patted Oppie's shoulder as he walked out. Sasha looked up at Oppie.

"So…" Sasha tried to start. After a week of running around together and over fifteen years of friendship, she had no idea what to say to Oppie. Or at least where to start the conversation.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Oppie said, coming around the bed to the chair, "I'm sorry about everything that happened, Sasha." He said quietly.

Sasha looked down at her lap. "I'm sorry too. And I'm also glad you're okay," she said softly. "Please don't apologize. None of this… that was your fault."

"And none of it was yours, you don't need to apologize… either." Oppie said, a little sheepishly.

"But you were dragged there too. You nearly died twice because of someone coming after me," Sasha replied, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Sasha," he started quietly, "we don't know why someone put that bounty out on you. You didn't do anything wrong. I am glad that I was there to help you through that even if I did a poor job of it." He said, "there is nowhere else I would have rather been than at your side through that, if you had to face that."

That left her speechless for a moment as she gazed up at him. She felt tears brimming and looked down. "You didn't do a poor job. You saved my life numerous times." She paused and looked up at him. "Thank you for saving me and being there for me. I wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for you," she said genuinely after a moment.

He just nodded, not feeling like arguing the point. But the fact that she was still in the medical bay recovering from such terrible injuries still weighed on his conscience. "It's always been my place to be there for you. I was just doing my job as your big brother."

"I know that and I'm truly grateful to you," she said softly. "I couldn't imagine having a better brother than you."

Oppie sighed, "Thanks." He said quietly. "I won't tell Kyr you said that." He added even more quietly, in a slightly conspiratorial tone.

Sasha smirked at that. "Okay," she said. She then looked down as she went silent for a moment. "How have you been? Viran and others said that you took shifts by my side, but… I haven't seen you in a while. Did something happen after Myrkr?" She asked unsure if she was at fault or something else was as why he hadn't been around.

"Oh, no." He said a little confused. "My injuries were pretty minor, I got out a day or two after we arrived. I was taking turns with everyone else," He said, trying to reassure her. "I was usually here in the mornings, you didn't wake up when I was around." He finished.

"Ah, I see," Sasha said, understanding. "I was worried that maybe I did something or if something else had happened. But I guess I have only been up a few times, so timing hasn't really been on our side."

He nodded, "everyone let me know that you had been awake. I only just found out you woke up this morning when I went to go get breakfast before trading with Viran. Kitsu and Illara were there and let me know, I came as soon as I could."

"Well I'm glad to see you," Sasha said quietly. "I...I…" Her voice caught again. Clearing her throat, Sasha looked away again. This time to her lap. "I had this nightmare last night. You died in it. At the hands of that Mando. When I woke up I feared that you were gone for good. I was afraid I lost you. And ever since Myrkr… I just needed to know you were okay." She whispered that last part as she closed her eyes.

He reached over and took her hand. "You saved me then, and I'm still here because of you. I'm not going anywhere." He said quietly.

Sasha looked up at him. She nodded as she squeezed his hand tightly. Tears stung her eyes as a sense of relief filled her as she was happy to see him okay. She had been so worried about him since she woke up here. Now seeing him here and alright made a weight lift from her shoulders. "I'm your sister. I will always be there for you," she said as tears threatened to fall. Happy tears for once.

He smirked as he choked up a little again as well, "Thank you, I can't imagine having a better sister than you." He said quietly.

"I won't tell Cien," Sasha responded, mirroring his comment from earlier with a small smile.

He smirked slightly, "no you can tell her that." He said, "she was mean to me earlier when I first woke up, so you're definitely the better sister."

Sasha laughed lightly at that then winced as it hurt her still mending ribs and lung. She coughed for a moment. "Sorry," she let out once she stopped coughing.

"I'll try to not make you laugh anymore." He said, slightly worried though he tried to hide it.

"It's okay," Sasha said as she cleared her throat. "I'm fine." She reassured him.

He nodded, and he noticed the holodisk over on her bedside. "Were you able to talk with Lana?"

Sasha looked over at it and frowned. "No, not yet. That's just a video of her."

"Well I'm sure you'll be able to see her soon. Has Kelce come in to talk with you yet?" He asked.

"He has stopped by only once since my bacta treatment, at least when I was awake. But he said in a couple more days, I should be able to go home," Sasha said, hopefully.

"Yeah, that was my understanding." He nodded, "going home will be nice."

"I can't wait," Sasha said. "And you were right by the way." She added after a moment.

"About what?" Oppie asked, not sure what she meant.

"On Myrkr, you said that the others would come and that we would get to go home," she explained. "It's not that I didn't believe you, but I admit I was losing hope. And then when I first woke up here, none of this felt real and I thought we were still down there. But I keep waking up here with our family around. Safe. So you were right and I'm really glad that you were."

"I'm really glad I was, to." He said, "I couldn't believe it either when I saw the Shadow come in at that temple." He admitted.

"I wish I could have seen it. I don't remember much after you killed Von," Sasha said quietly, grimacing at her memory of the death. "That's why I thought something had happened to you, because you walked away and then everything went black. Then I woke up here."

"I was really worried about you." He admitted, "you went unconscious then, thank the Force Kelce was there to help." He said quietly, looking away at that memory.

"How close was I?" Sasha asked him after a moment. "No one has told me. But I get the feeling it was close. Like when we almost lost Kyr all those years ago." Her voice wavered at the thought.

"I don't know." He answered, truthfully. He had his own perspective on it. "Kelce was able to get there in time and that's all that really mattered." He said with a slightly troubled shrug.

"I guess so yeah," she said with a distant nod. "I am sorry I scared you when I blacked out."

"Well as long as you don't do it again." He admonished her.

"I promise. I won't," she promised, absently.

He nodded. "So now that you are awake, I need your opinion on something." He asked quietly.

"What is it?" Sasha asked, confused.

"What do you think can swim faster? A Gungan or a Mon Calamari?" He asked seriously. "Viran and Kyr are both saying Gungans, I was hoping for some back up. Cien didn't know what a Gungan was."

Sasha thought for a moment before responding. "While Gungans are more agile, Mon Calamari are definitely faster. They live on an entire water planet. They get more practice than the Gungans who have the option of land or the lakes of Naboo," she answered.

"Thank you." Oppie said in exasperated thankfulness. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

That made Sasha giggle, already feeling better.

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