When Solasta woke the next morning the house seemed unusually quiet. Rolling over and looking at the chrono it was almost nine-thirty and she had overslept, which meant Tasa's parents were at work and his brothers would be at school.

She got out of bed and put on fresh clothes, before venturing out of Tasa's room to see who was still home. "Tasa?" she called out as she headed downstairs to the smell the brewed caffa and saw there was a note waiting for her on the kitchen table. Picking it up and unfolding it, the pictures that Atan and Cudu had drawn of her and Tasa at the bottom of the sheet caught her eye first and she laughed. In Tasa's handwriting it simply said, "Took my brothers to school and will pick up supplies for storing your Dad's speeder properly. Be back soon. Love You."

She poured herself a caffa and went about packing her swim suit, towel, and shorts from the day before. Holding up Tasa's tank top and admiring her artistic handiwork, she balled it up and threw it in the waste can while laughing at her brazen show the day before. When she was finished packing she sat on the porch and waited almost an hour for Tasa to return.

When he did pull up, Solasta walked out to the speeder and put her bag in the back before helping Tasa strap down her Waveboard. "Did you sleep ok?" Tasa asked as they drove. "I barely remember my head hitting the pillow, but you shouldn't have let me sleep late, I have so much to do today." she said. Reaching over and taking Solasta's hand he gave a little squeeze, and said, "You need to trust that I have your back and things are under control."

As they approached Solasta's house, Tasa said, "I'll drop you off so you can pack the speeder, and I'll swing past my parents shop to get the new supports I've been fabricating for it to rest on. Once we're both done we can meet at storage units."

When Tasa dropped her off she went inside and swept through the house one last time to be sure nothing was missed, and it only took one trip to move the boxes to the storage compartment of the speeder. Hopping in she powered up and started down the lane to the main road, feeling a little saddened that her father's speeder would have to be stored away, yet again, while its owner was away with the Forces.

Tasa had arrived first and was waiting for her when she finally pulled into the lot. They got to work immediately with getting the Desler centered in the storage unit and parked on its new supports. For the next few hours Solasta assisted Tasa with disconnecting the power cells and draining the fluids that would not withstand long periods of sitting idle.

Working through the day neither of them ate anything and only had water packs to keep them going, so when they finished and realized it was almost time for dinner they both were starving. "Let's stop and get something to eat - my treat," said Solasta, and Tasa wasn't going to argue with her. Riding through town to find something to eat Solasta watched the other speeders and buildings pass by, and breaking the silence asked, "Would you parents let stay at my house tonight?" Surprised by this question Tasa didn't how to answer her, so after a moment of thought he replied, "I don't think they would say no, why?"

"I don't want to be alone on my last night in the house," and turning to look at Tasa, "but don't get any ideas just because I'm buying you dinner." This drew deep laugh from Tasa before he said, "you're safe, and it would take a dinner and dessert before I'd get my suspicions up."

Finding a cantina that didn't look too busy so they pulled onto the lot and parked. Before they went in to order something to eat Tasa grabbed his holo and called his parents to let them know they shouldn't expect him home. Solasta hopped out and sat on the hood of the speeder to wait for him to finish his call.

From where she sat, she could see four young, quite intoxicated, males stagger out of the cantina. They stopped to show off their new 'Republic Army' tattoos to a few young ladies sitting on the patio, and from what Solasta could overhear, they were out celebrating having just enlisted earlier that week and were shipping out the next morning as well. Tasa had finished his call and was now standing beside her watching the males as well, "You should get one of those nice tattoos." This made her laugh, and sliding off the speeder she said, "Who would see it under my fur?" Putting his arm around her they walked to the doors of the cantina, Tasa replied, "Well when you get back looking for it could be half the fun."

Tasa's father disconnected and looked at his wife, visibly irritated at the conversation he just had with his son. Although his wife had overheard the entire exchange between them, and knew what was bothering her husband, she asked him, "What's wrong?" anyway.

"Those two should not be alone in that house overnight," he said, and frowned. Tasa's mother said, "You know how committed they are to a Soul-Binding first, so have a little faith in them," and drew her palm along his cheek.

Their faith was not misplaced. Solasta and Tasa had a healthy relationship that tested them on many occasions when they would bring each other to edge of giving into their desires, but the shared commitment they had for the Soul-Binding Ritual and Cathar practice of taking a mate for life always remained clear. So many times the strength of their love was also a source of frustration.

Arriving at Solasta's house well after night fell, Solasta led Tasa by the hand to her room. Tasa was struck with just how sad the little house looked with all the rooms emptied, and her room was equally bare except for the mattress and sheets on the floor. In the dark they both undressed to just their shirts and undershorts before climbing under the covers.

Lying on their sides facing each other they kissed and explored each other until they knew they had to stop. Rolling over so her back was pressed to his chest, Tasa wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, and even though they were the only ones in the house they whispered to each their plans for the Soul-Binding that would take place in little more than three months.

Drifting off to sleep Tasa woke again when he felt Solasta shake and thought he heard her laughing. "What's so funny?" Tasa whispered, but he realized that Solasta's shuddering and short gasps for breath were sobs not laughter.

Rolling back over to face Tasa, he took her cheeks in his palms and using his thumbs wiped away her tears, and asked, "Why are you crying?"

Solasta looked into Tasa's eyes before resting her forehead against his chest and said, "My whole life I have never felt like I fit in... at school I was too tall, or too plain, and at home, I... I'm horrible for saying this because no matter what my parents loved me, and the Gods know I loved them, but what a sight we must have been when people looked at us... a Zabrak, Human, and a Cathar. Gods it's like the start of some joke..."

Tasa kissed the top of her head and said, "You're not horrible, it must have been very hard, and sounds lonely to be honest."

"Do you remember the first time I came over to your house and your Mom asked if I had any siblings?" Solasta asked. Tasa thought for a moment before answering, "Yeah, I think so. Why?"

"I wasn't alone when my parents found me. I have a brother and two sisters somewhere in the galaxy. Tasa, we were discarded in an alley on Nar Shadda... dumped like garbage," at which Solasta began to gasp for air as she felt her chest beginning to tighten again. "Until we met I always felt like an outsider, and now that you're mine and the way your family has accepted me..."

They laid there in each other's arms until Solasta drifted off to a peaceful sleep in his arms.