The first thing Torian noticed when he returned to the ship was how quiet it was. No chatter from Mako about bounty targets or her latest Holonet find, no called-out greeting from Kybrina. Just silence.

"Anyone here? Kybrina? Mako?" he called out as he set his pack in the galley.

"They'll be back," Gault stood in the doorway to the galley, arms folded. "When Ky told Mako you asked her on a date, Mako insisted they head into the city to get ready. Women. I tell you. They're so predictable."

Torian blushed as he unloaded his pack. He paused briefly, inhaling deeply of the mixture of spices that he had procured. They were hard to find -some he had had to call in favors to get his hands on- but they were all here. He would make this the best meal he possibly could, if only to impress her. He worked quickly, cutting the meat and vegetables as he had been shown. He then carefully added the spices, noting all it would take was a pinch too much or too little of any one spice and the flavor of the entire dish could be ruined.

Gault, who had left the galley while Torian was unpacking, had reappeared. "That smells really good," he said, inhaling deeply. "You're a natural cook, kid."

"Have to be, when you're out in the field," Torian replied. "Try to save you some, but no promises."

"Fair enough." Gault said with a shrug. "You know, Mako said something to Ky earlier that made a lot of sense. We may not be nobility here on this ship, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be without some standards. While you were prepping things in here, I went and pulled out some clothes of mine that I could spare. Why don't you let me keep an eye on the dish while you clean up and change into them?"

"Not sure that's a good idea," Torian said.

"Why not? If nothing else, it might please Ky to see you clean up for her like that."

Torian thought about it for a moment. While being out of armor would make him more vulnerable to an attack, it was hard to resist the thought of pleasing Kybrina with different clothes. Even if they were borrowed. "Okay, make sure the tiingilar doesn't overcook. Won't be long."

He left Gault in the galley and headed for the crew quarters. There, he spotted the aforementioned garments. There were simple enough, a plain ivory-colored shirt and coordinating dark gray pants, but the fine silkiness of the materials under his touch belied their true quality. Mandalorians owned few garments besides their armor, and none of as fine a quality as these. Picking up the garments, he headed into the fresher, deciding a shower after a long day scouting wasn't a bad idea.

As the water hit his skin, his thoughts turned to Kybrina. He smiled, closing his eyes as he thought about those intense blue eyes -like the clearest afternoon sky on Dxun- and that pale skin. He didn't mind the trio of scars that ran down the left side of her face; if anything, they were scars from battle that should be worn proudly. He admired the straightforward manner in which she handled things, without being flustered or getting needlessly angry. She was just as composed and focused as some of the best Mandalorian generals he knew. The more he thought about it, the more he realized everything about her made her an honorable and worthy companion. He just hoped she thought the same about him.

When he felt he had been in the shower long enough, he shut off the water and stepped out, grabbing a large towel that lay nearby. Drying himself off, he looked around the small room for a comb; not finding one, he ran his fingers through his damp hair until it looked as he wanted it to. He then slipped on the garments Gault lent him, unable to suppress a small shiver as the soft fabric brushed his skin. His hunch had been correct, the fabric and quality of these clothes were exquisite. He studied his reflection in the mirror as he fastened all the small buttons that closed the cuffs and collar, smiling at what he saw. He would never think himself strikingly handsome, but he thought he looked pleasing enough. Once finished, he returned to the crew quarters, where he pulled a pair of boots out of his footlocker. He remembered when Kybrina had picked them out, just after they were paid for taking down Jicoln on Taris. This would be the first time since that he was wearing them. He sat on his bed and pulled them on, marveling at how perfectly they fit. It was as though they had been made for him.

Leaving the crew quarters, he thought to check on dinner in the galley. He looked through the doorway to see Gault slowly stirring the pot's contents.

"How's it looking?" he asked.

"About as good as you right now," Gault replied. "I doubt she'll be able to keep her eyes off you, let alone her hands." He laughed as he watched Torian blush and turn away, it was always so much fun making either of those two embarrassed. "Jokes aside, it smells like dinner is ready. Now, you just have to wait for Mako to get back with Ky, and your little dinner date will be all set. I'll even make sure Mako and I make ourselves scarce so you two can have some alone time."

Torian looked back over his shoulder at the Devaronian. "Appreciate that," he replied with a nod.