"Sun's going down. Starting to look like rescue isn't coming," Chessa said as she stared into the horizon.
"It would seem that way, yes," Uster said.
Chessa frowned at him "You're not worried at all?"
Uster shrugged "No point in getting worked up over it. Not terribly productive."
"You know, at this point, I'm starting to wonder if you have emotions."
Uster bristled at that, and Chessa regretted saying it.
"I'm…sorry, that was out of line."
"You're not the first person to say something like that. And it's not like I never heard that before my accident." Uster did not look at her as he spoke.
That was all he said, and Chessa did not want to press him further. They went back into one of their usual semi-comfortable silences.
The sun finally set, and with it, the temperature dropped. Chessa supressed a shiver and rubbed her arms. She glanced at Uster, who seemed completely fine.
"Aren't you cold at least?"
"The suit has temperature regulation. I'm quite fine."
"Of course you are," Chessa grumbled. "Stupid cold."
There was a long pause, and when Uster broke it, he sounded very reluctant to do so "There is a solution…"
"No." Chessa said firmly.
"It's that, or risk hypothermia."
Chessa growled and rubber her arms harder. After a moment, she sighed and shifted closer to Uster. Huddling for warmth with an Imperial was not at all how she imagined she'd be ending her day when she guided her ship from the Thunder Child's hangar bay. So much for a simple hit and run op, Chessa thought.
"Don't get any ideas, you're…wait, how old are you?"
"Twenty-nine."
"Eleven years my senior." She paused, thinking "Hey, remember when I said this whole thing was like a holofilm?"
"Yes?"
"Starting to look more and more like it as things go on."
"It would seem that way, yes." He sighed and threw his head back.
After that, more silence. Eventually, they drifted into sleep.
When Uster woke up, Chessa was still sound asleep. She was leaning on his shoulder, and, to his dismay, was drooling all over it. He sighed. This definitely wasn't how he had thought things would turn out yesterday, when he had guided his TIE out of the Goliath's hangar bay.
Things are never as simple as we want them to be, he thought, resisting the urge to shove Chessa off his shoulder and wipe away the saliva. Uster took out his Plo Koon tradechip and idly danced it between his fingers. He wondered if he should tell her about his…organisation. Why not? He had already hinted it to her, and he hadn't been particularly subtle. It was tempting, she was a good kid, and a very good pilot, they could use people like her.
Eventually, he shook his head. No, she would never go for it, she was too loyal to the Rebellion, she would never jump ship. Uster sighed, Shame, he thought, and then he bucked his shoulder and sent Chessa sprawling to the ground.
"What the kriff?!"
Uster smirked as he wiped the spittle off of his shoulder.