"Withheld"
By: Yelara Neerou - Shipyard Foreman
Jae Dyn Brael- Jedi Knight

Location: Jae Dyn and Yelara's Apartment - Drogen Shipyards
Date: Selene 2, 3 ABY

***

"No!!" Yelara screamed as her vivid nightmare came to its bloody climax. She thrashed and kicked in the bed as the vision engulfed her unconscious mind, her hair becoming matted from the sweat forming on her forehead. She clawed at her throat as she envisioned herself sitting in a dark room and, in slow motion, Toran slicing her throat with a huge grin on his face. Yelara was gagging and struggling to breathe as she lay in bed, the dream seemingly reality to her. She tried to scream, but her voice was caught in her throat now as she continued to thrash about.

The scream pulled Jae Dyn out of the perfect sleep that had engulfed her. She could not have remembered a more restful night in the last five years. Her eyes opened, taking in the room around her, as she rolled to face Yelara in the bed next to her. She shook her friend gently. "It's a dream," she said, her mouth next to Yelara's ear. "It's only a dream. You're safe. You're with me." Her arms easily slid around Yel's body, and she held her close. "Everything is okay, love."

Yelara woke up with a jolt and a shrill gasp. Startled, and thinking she was still in the dream, Yelara pushed away from Jae Dyn and flew out of bed. "Get away from me!" she shrieked as she flew towards the wall and leaned against it, clinging to it out of fear. She looked back at Jae Dyn, her eyes still filled with horror, but her tense body began to relax and her eyes grew wide as she realized who she was looking at. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she slid to the floor. "I'm losing my mind."

Yelara closed her eyes tightly and brought her knees close to her body. "I dreamed of him...of Toran and..." Yelara trailed off as she lowered her head onto her knees. "The man, the one I caused the death of. He was there and...and I was stabbing him over and over..." Yelara burst into tears that shook her body violently with every tortured cry she let out. "I killed him and now I deserve to die just the same!"

Jae Dyn sat up in the bed and watched Yelara. "You don't deserve to die," she said softly. "And, you didn't kill the man. You didn't choose to kill him. His killer did. And, that person is the one who deserves to die. It wasn't you." She watched for another moment before continuing. "And, I don't think I could stand losing you."

Yelara looked up at Jae Dyn, trying to hold back her tears. "Neither can I, that's why, in the end, I asked Toran to kill me." Yelara swallowed hard and got off the ground, then approached the bed and looked down at Jae Dyn. "I didn't think you were coming back and I felt so alone...and afraid. I didn't know if I would be able to handle Dargus all on my own so..." Yelara looked down and shook her head. "I wanted to end it all and I knew I wouldn't have the guts to do it myself, so I begged Toran to do it." Yelara chuckled to herself and looked back at Jae Dyn. "I guess Toran showing up in the corridor that night was a lucky break for me. It saved myself the trouble of actually having to gather up enough nerve to slice my own throat."

"If he had killed you," Jae Dyn said, "I would have died too. I sensed you were in danger, and came as fast as I could. I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner."

Yelara sat down on the bed and caressed Jae Dyn's cheek with her hand. "You can't be everywhere I am all the time, Jae Dyn. You cannot feel guilty, ever if anything happens to me." Yelara drew closer to Jae Dyn and wrapped her arms around her. "I'm sorry if I scared you," she whispered in her ear. "Don't ever be afraid for me again. I'm not your responsibility."

She looked into Jae Dyn's eyes, and pushed a strand of brown hair from her face. "I can take care of myself." Yelara frowned slightly as she spoke those words, with less conviction than the first time she had spoken them to Jae Dyn. Somehow, she didn't feel too confident about that anymore, especially after what happened. "Besides, you have yourself to look after. Your life is put in jeopardy every time you take out that lightsaber. If the Emperor ever got word..." Yelara held onto Jae Dyn tighter. "I won't have you lose your life just to protect me."

Jae Dyn shrugged and looked away. "If it kept you safe," Jae Dyn said, her voice wavering with emotion, "I would do so willingly." She turned back and met Yelara's eyes. "I love you, and if I didn't do everything within my power to keep you safe and in my arms I couldn't live with myself. Right now, you are the most important part of my life. I've never felt this way about anyone before." She smiled and dropped her gaze from Yelara's. "Besides, I'm a Jedi Knight; I can protect both of us. Please let me help you, protect you. Please?"

Yelara held Jae Dyn's hand tightly and shook her head. "Because I love you and you me, is precisely why I cannot allow you to protect me. Your emotions would just get in the way and you would lose focus." Yelara held Jae Dyn's gaze and placed her other hand on her cheek. "You could die and I would only feel responsible... Please Jae Dyn, don't ask this of me," Yelara said quietly, pleading with Jae Dyn.

Jae Dyn looked away. She couldn't hold Yelara's gaze, not with that. Why did she feel so empty inside? Why did it feel like she was being asked to give up? She sighed. "Then Dargus has won."

Yelara gritted her teeth and drew away from Jae Dyn violently. "No!" She got off the bed and paced around the room. "No, Jae Dyn!" Yelara cried out in frustration and stared at Jae Dyn, her eyes filled with rage. "Don't you dare use that on me! Dargus will not win, not after all the pain he has inflicted on so many. Look at me dammit!" Yelara hollered at Jae Dyn as she stood at the foot of the bed. "I know you love me, and I love you, but I don't understand why you feel you need to protect me. Dargus and I have...an understanding. If I keep up my end of the bargain, he says he won't mistreat me again. Isn't that enough for you?"

Jae Dyn looked up at Yelara again. The pain was evident in her eyes, but she didn't look away this time. "It should be," she said, her voice calm and even. If it hadn't been for her control with the Force, she knew she would have been in very bad shape. "But, when it comes to Dargus, it's not. The man who was killed, I do not think saying that Dargus gave the order to end his life would be incorrect. He tried to blackmail the future High Princess of Tae'Karada into giving him control of the planet not to mention raping her for her defiance. He humiliated, then brutalized Gin Toran, and the man took his vengeance out on you. The man tried to get to me through a creature that nullifies the Force. Without the Force, I'm just a person. Dargus Kandran is not a man to be trusted. You will find your deal changed if he needs it to. I need to protect you because you can't love me if you're dead. I need to protect you because Dargus will try to break you, and--" She was losing the control. As her thoughts touched on Saellis and her time with Coren Darr. Cracks formed across her resolve. The memories washed over her in a rush and she saw their time flash through her mind's eye. "And, I don't know if I could go through that again. Not with someone I love this time."

Yelara closed her eyes, the rage disappearing from her face as she let out a sigh. "I'm sorry Jae Dyn...I don't want to put you through anymore pain." Yelara opened her eyes and slowly walked over to the bed. She slipped in, under the covers and wrapped her arms around Jae Dyn while she rested her head upon Jae Dyn's bare chest. "And yes, I know Dargus is a treacherous leech who will suck me dry of all that I am, and toss me away when he's done with me..." Yelara caressed Jae Dyn's stomach gently with her fingers and finally gave in. "Alright. Protect me if you must...but if for one second I believe your life is in danger, I will call the whole thing off." Yelara looked up into Jae Dyn's eyes and stared at her sternly. "Is that understood?"

Jae Dyn nodded, the hint of a smile forming at the edges of her mouth. "I understand," she said. "If it ever reached a point where my life was in danger, I will have gotten us away well before then. I know I'm not invincible, but I am very tough. It takes a lot to kill a Jedi. But, I want you to be safe and happy. And, I hope I can do that."

"You already have, Jae Dyn; just being here with you now has made me feel safer than I've ever felt in my life." Yelara lay there, listening to Jae Dyn's heart beat and feeling her chest bob up and down rhythmically. "Being with you last night has made me the happiest I've been in a while. Thank you," she whispered.

What had been only a shadow of a smile quickly became a full-formed one. She kissed Yelara tenderly. "You are very welcome," she said. "And, thank you for letting me be in love with you. Thank you for being you." They kissed again. Jae Dyn brushed her hand along Yelara's face. "I want to tell you something I haven't told anyone since I became a Jedi. I don't know, it's probably strange or something, but I want you to know. My name, the name I was given at birth, is Kallia."

Yelara looked at Jae Dyn and gave a surprised laugh. "Jae Dyn isn't your real name? Well...what would you prefer I called you?"

Jae Dyn grinned. "Whatever you want to call me," she said. "Whatever you feel most comfortable calling me, or whatever you'd rather call me. For you, I'll answer to anything."

Yelara laughed again and pretended to look pensive, tapping her mouth with her index finger. "Hmmm... I think Kallia is a beautiful name. Perfect for a beautiful woman such as you." Yelara kissed Jae Dyn on the lips and smiled. "I love you, Kallia."

Jae Dyn smiled. "Thank you. I love you so much. I like it the way you say my name. I'm not really used to it yet, but somehow it feels right. It's been a long time since anyone called me Kallia. I'm happy you are the one." Kallia smiled.

"I am too." Yelara looked seriously at Kallia and took a deep breath. "I've never loved anyone before, Kallia. You're the first. I want to be with you always, but I don't know if it will be possible." Yelara narrowed her eyes at Kallia. "Can it be?"

Kallia smiled. She brushed her fingers through Yelara's hair. "I think it is possible if we want it to be. It won't be easy, but we can do it. I love you enough to go through anything with you. If we want to be together, we can be."

Yelara smiled gleefully and got to her knees. "Than we shall be. Come here!" she said playfully as she wrapped her arms around Kallia's waist. She pulled her up close to her, before they both collapsed onto the bed, with Yelara lying on top of Kallia. "I don't have to go into work today if you don't want me to."

Kallia returned Yelara's smile and followed it with a long kiss. "I would like that," she said. "I would like to stay here all day and night with you. I want to make love with you until we're both too exhausted to move, and then we can just lie together in each others' arms. If you really don't have to go into work today, I'd love that. It'd give us a chance to catch up on the time we were apart."

Yelara groaned and rolled off Kallia. "I can't, even though I would love that. I didn't go in yesterday and I promised someone I'd help him repair his ship. I don't want to let him down. I'm sorry," she said, pouting her lip playfully.

Kallia nodded. "Then, can we do a nice romantic dinner together tonight?"

Yelara ran her fingers gently over Kallia's breast and nodded as she smiled. "Are you asking me out on a date?" Yelara kissed Kallia's breast, then moved her lips up her chest and began sucking on her neck. "I'd love to...if you can help me pick out something to wear."

"I think I can manage that," Kallia said, trying not to moan with all the feelings Yelara was sending through her body. Finally, she couldn't stand it any longer. "D-do you want to wear a dress? Tae'Karadan dresses are very revealing, and I don't know if you can find anything else around this place. Oh, that's nice." She nearly lost her train of thought as Yelara hit a very sensitive spot on her throat. "I-I picked up a few Tae'Karadan dresses on the planet. I don't think you'd want to wear one out in public, would you?"

Yelara continued kissing Kallia's neck, feeling her heart beating faster as Kallia began to get aroused. "I haven't seen them before. Are they as bad as the ones Dargus bought for me?" Yelara began massaging Kallia's breasts with her hands and climbed on top of her, still kissing her neck and chest.

Kallia nodded. "P-probably," she stammered. "They show everything except down here." She smiled as she slid a hand down Yelara's body and started using her fingers to pleasure between her friend's legs. "You can see everything, but not there. I think you'd look amazing in one, but it'd be like walking around mostly naked."

Yelara trembled as she felt Kallia's hands move down between her legs. She bit her lip and moaned quietly as she grabbed the sheets tightly with her hands. "Well, for you, I'd wear one," she said, the words barely escaping her lips. "For you, I'd do anything."

"When you're done with work," Kallia said before her own moaning cut her off. "When you're done, we can find you a dress you like. And, then we'll have a romantic night together." She couldn't say any more. Between what Yelara was doing to her, and what she was doing to Yelara, the capacity to form complete sentences was gone. All that mattered was their mutual pleasure.

"If we ever get out of bed," Yelara said, her chest heaving as she felt Kallia's fingers pleasure her like she'd never felt before. She knew instantly that being with Kallia was immediately different from being with Dargus. He did pleasure her, that was for certain, but with Kallia it felt tender and spiritual. She could feel their souls becoming one and it made the moment that much more fulfilling. Yelara moaned gently and continued to caress Kallia's breasts. "You pay for dinner..." she tried to say in between moans, "and tonight, I'll do all the work."

Kallia gave a nod of assent. She knew Yelara was getting very close. She closed her eyes and they kissed as her fingers edged Yelara toward the brink. She could feel the climax building within her friend. She pulled their bodies together, delirious with the feelings they were generating, and gave Yelara a push to send her into bliss.

Yelara tossed her head back, closing her eyes tightly. She moaned loudly as her body began to tremble. She let out a long, shaky breath as she her senses screamed with delight at Kallia's touch. She shuddered, still crying out with pleasure as tears began to fall from her eyes. She collapsed onto Kallia's body with her body heaving as she tried to regain her breath. "I love you so much, Kallia. I want to lay here with you forever."

Kallia closed her eyes tight to stop the tears from escaping. She tried to kiss every centimeter of Yelara's face as she hugged her tight. "I love you so much my heart's gonna burst. We'll be together always, no matter what happens. We'll always have each other."

Yelara was crying from the extreme pleasure, but also from fear. She wanted to forever be by Kallia's side, but a part of her knew that might not be possible. She wanted to cherish the moments they did have together so that if one day it were all to end suddenly, at least she would have something to remember her by. "I hope that's true, Kallia. I want it to be true." Yelara closed her eyes as she ran her hands along Kallia's body, memorizing every curve and the feel of Kallia's skin against her fingers.

"So do I," Kallia whispered. "I'll do everything I can to make sure nothing ever takes us apart. As long as you're with me, I know I'll do everything to stay alive. We'll make it true, Yelara. Every time we say how much we love each other, or" -- she ran a hand over Yelara's breasts then down to her belly button --"or we express our love, we make it that much more true. We'll make it true. Nothing will force us apart. And, if someone manages to separate us, then I have pity for the mess we'll leave behind getting back to each other. We have to be together because I have never felt more alive than when I'm with you."

Yelara laughed and snuggled closer to Kallia. "Like the mess we left in that bar that night?" Yelara tossed her head back and laughed aloud, remembering vividly now her dancing on the table top after her fifth mug of Corellian Ale. "And if that is any indication of the havoc we'll wreak, no one better stand in our way."

Kallia joined in the laughter. "Even with both of us drunk, we'd take them."

Yelara rolled onto her back as her body heaved with laughter. She then let out a groan as she sat up, wishing she could stay in bed with Kallia, but knowing she had duties to attend to. "I have to get to work now. Sorry, love," she said as she leaned over and kissed Kallia on the lips. She slid off the bed and looked around her. "I just remembered I don't have anything to wear!"

Kallia glanced over the side of the bed and frowned. "Well, either you'll have to stay here with me all day, or you'll have to wear my clothes again." She grinned at the memory of Yelara wearing her clothes the last time, nearly bursting out the top.

"Um, although I would love to stay in bed with you all day, I can't, nor can I fit into your clothes! However, there doesn't seem to be any choice." Yelara smiled, then scrunched up her nose. "You know, I think I should take a shower before work though. Do you mind?"

Kallia slid off the bed and grinned at Yelara. "I imagine a shower would be great," she said. "If you want, I can go get your clothes for you while you're in the shower. I still need to get the rest of my things from my ship too."

Yelara tried to hide her panic when Kallia offered to get her clothes. She had given her room to Kace, and if Kallia walked in on him, she might get the wrong idea. Yelara tried to mask her shock by smiling and grabbing Kallia's hand. "Uh uh uh. I think we could both do with a shower, don't you? Besides, I'm sure we can find something in your wardrobe that won't cut off my circulation," Yelara said slyly as she began pulling Kallia towards the bathroom.

Kallia grinned, then let Yelara lead her. "Okay," she said, "we'll see what we can find. I think I might have an oversized shirt somewhere. Though, if you wear that, I won't see as much of your beautiful body as if you were wearing one of my vests. Though, it may stop me from spontaneously ravaging you. And, you being able to breathe is a good thing. I think you'd even make my robes look good." Kallia started the shower running once they were in the bathroom. She ran a hand over Yelara's hip, over the tattoo usually hidden from sight. "It's beautiful."

"It's a family crest. It hurt like hell going on, but I'm proud to wear it. Although, I couldn't have chosen a more inconspicuous place to put it." Yelara smiled and placed her hand over Kallia's. "It helps me to remember who I am and what I've lost. Every time I look at it, it gives me the determination to keep going and never forget my goal: to avenge my parents. I won't rest until I've done that," Yelara said, her expression becoming grim, but she quickly lightened the mood and smiled again. "You should consider yourself lucky. Only a very privileged few get to see it."

Kallia looked up into Yelara's eyes. "I am very lucky," she said softly. "It might not be my place to ask, but can I help you? Avenge your parents, I mean. Can I help you with that? I want to be there with you, to share the moment with you. I want to help."

Yelara ran her hand along Kallia's cheek. "You are already helping me. Just being by your side gives me strength. But I know of no other way you can help besides that. I'm already avenging them...in my own way." Yelara trusted Kallia, but was still reluctant about telling her of her ties with the Alliance. She didn't want to put her life in danger by giving her knowledge that could one day get her into trouble with the Empire. "How 'bout that shower?" Yelara said as she stepped into the shower stall, pulling Kallia along.

Kallia smiled. "Okay," she said. "I was just thinking... I mean, if you needed someone to deflect the blasters as the stormtroopers were shooting at you, or push them out of the way, or however." The hot water felt wonderful, and being so close to Yelara made it more so. She looked at her friend and felt her cheeks flushing. "Have I mentioned how beautiful you are when you're all wet and soapy?"

Yelara smiled bashfully and began lathering soap on Kallia. "You're beautiful all the time...soapy or not. And what makes you think I'll be having run-in's with stormtroopers? You don't see many of those around here."

Kallia grinned. "Well," she said, "you never know. There's supposed to be a Star Destroyer in this sector. I haven't seen any of its presence yet, but who knows. I just want to help you however I can." She took the soap from Yelara's hands and started working it across her friend's body. "How long have you had your tattoos?"

Yelara was distracted by Kallia's remarks. It was as if she knew Yelara was hiding her ties to the rebels, but was merely dropping hints here and there without actually spelling it out for her. "I got the one on my hip when I was 15 and the one on my arm about 5 years ago. Kallia do you know something you're not telling me? I mean, why would I have to worry about a Star Destroyer?"

Kallia shook her head. "I'm just saying, if you wanted to go against the Empire, for revenge, you'd have to deal with the stormtroopers at some point. I don't know if the Star Destroyer would even be a problem. I'm just...I don't know. I'm just trying to be helpful. Is there something wrong?"

Yelara sighed and looked down as she stood under the running water. "I want to tell you, I do, Kallia, but I don't want to put you in danger. The more you know, the more risk I put your life in. That's why I was hesitant about letting you protect me. How can you keep me out of danger if I hide the truth from you?"

"All I can do is my best," Kallia said. "I am no stranger to peril. I fought a Dark Jedi less than a week ago, and I survived. I have been running for most of my life, staying one step ahead of those trying to kill me. If you feel you can tell me, I will deal with whatever danger comes. If not, I will understand and still do my best to keep you from getting hurt."

Yelara wanted more than anything to tell Kallia, but fear loomed over her, fear that Kallia would get caught in the middle and get hurt. She opened her mouth, almost gathering the nerve to tell her the truth but stopped and sighed. "Thank you for understanding, Kallia. I better go," was all Yelara managed to say as she washed the remaining soap off her body and stepped out of the shower.

She hated leaving Kallia out of a part of her life, but she believed it was for Kallia's protection, as well as her own. The more people there were who knew of her ties to the rebels, the more dangerous it was for her and for others around her. She already had Dargus killing off anyone who went near her and she didn't need the Empire on her back as well.

Kallia could only watch as Yelara left the shower. She stood under the water for a long minute, just staring at the empty spot left by Yelara. She couldn't hold back the tears any longer. With her forehead pressed against the cold tiles of the shower, she let the tears fall.

Yelara dried off and left the bathroom. She rummaged through some of Kallia's clothes and managed to find a shirt that was made of a stretchier material than leather. She dressed quickly, her hair still dripping, and sat on the bed to put on her boots. There was an awkward silence as Kallia was still showering and Yelara was dressing. She had withheld information twice from Kallia that day. She never told her about Kace, and she refused to tell her about her alliance with the rebels. Yelara was beginning to feel horrible about shutting out Kallia, but she didn't see any other choice. "I have to go, Kallia, but we're still on for dinner, right?" she called out awkwardly.

"Of course," Kallia called back, quickly wiping away the tears. "I'll be here when you get done with work. We'll get dressed, then have fun."

"Yeah, looking forward to it," Yelara answered, a little unenthusiastically. She suddenly wasn't feeling so excited anymore. It could have been the fact that she was able to share her body, her soul with Kallia, but she couldn't bring herself to share of couple of measly secrets with her. If she truly loved Kallia, she would have done so without hesitation, but she knew she loved Kallia...or did she. Confusion and uncertainty was setting in again in Yelara's mind. She began to wonder if what she felt as love was really just relief for Kallia saving her life last night. She tried to push that thought out of her mind, deeming it too foolish to be true. She had to have loved Kallia, for her heart was telling her so.

Yelara stood up off the bed and headed for the doorway. "Have a good day, Kallia," Yelara hollered back before the door slid open and she quietly slipped out.

"You too," Kallia called as she rushed out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped tightly around her body. Then she realized she was the only one in the room. She flopped back onto the bed and whispered, "I love you, Yelara."

She stared at the ceiling for several minutes debating whether she should cry again or scream. In the end, screaming won out.

---

"Tension"
By: Yelara Neerou - Shipyards Mechanic
Kace Mordin - Traveller

Location: Drogen Shipyards
Date: Selene 2, 3 ABY

***

Kace Mordin yelped and snatched his hand back from the arcing conduit. That was the third time he'd come to close to the exposed wiring, and the third time the thing had given him a jolt. With a silent curse, he picked up the spanner that had dropped to the deckplates and started stripping out the blackened casing of the environmental systems again. An overload had burnt out most of the secondary systems, but they had still faired better than the primary systems. As he thought back to the trip that led him to where he was, Kace had to wonder how the ship had even managed to get him as far as she did. He really needed to get the repairs done.

Thinking of repairs caused his thoughts to drift to Yelara and a smile formed at the edges of his mouth. He'd found a friend in her, he was certain. Quite a feat for him. Even though he thought of her as a friend, and guessed she felt the same toward him, she pushed herself away, but he could understand her reasoning. Especially since the man she was currently involved with had a temper like a gephik snake, and the resources of the Empire itself. He felt bad for the pilot who had stepped in front of Dargus Kandran's jealous rage.

There was no evidence to directly link Kandran to the man's death, but the clues all pointed in that direction. He wondered if Kandran would deny an accusation if one was made. The vibroblade was his style. He employed Wookies for most of his muscle work, and the pilot's arms were still attached to his body. Dargus had bloodied his own hands with this one, and that meant it was personal. And, since Yelara Neerou had been seen associating with the pilot, that the pilot was now dead indicated a jealous boyfriend.

And, the jealous boyfriend was probably who Yelara was trying to protect him from too. Kace shook his head, and let out a wry laugh. He wasn't used to needing protection from anyone, and seriously doubted Dargus Kandran would ever pose a threat to his safety. He reached in to pull the coolant packs and the wiring brushed across the back of his hand, bringing a shower of sparks and a startled yelp. Kace cursed the ship and rubbed the burned skin, letting the Force seep in to heal the damage.

A sound behind him caught Kace's attention. He turned, a hand moving to his lightsaber. Yelara was standing there watching him. He quickly dropped his hand away from the weapon and smiled. "Hello," he said.

Yelara forced a smile as she walked towards Kace, noticing the repairs were not going well. "Having trouble?" she asked as she reached Kace, standing close to him and examining the charred area he had been repairing. "Looks well-done to me." Yelara began touching the wiring, but jumped back as a spark of electricity flew at her, stinging her hand. She bumped into Kace and turned around, immediately staring into his deep, blue eyes. They always did seem to draw her in like a magnet. "Well, at least there are still some signs of life," she said quietly, mesmerized by Kace's gaze.

"Yeah," he said. "She keeps biting every time I put my hand near. It's good to see you." He used her hand as an excuse to break eye contact. Too much longer and she would have swallowed him whole. He took her hand in his and examined where the wires had touched her. "Looks like it didn't get you bad. You want something to put on that, or you think you'll be okay?" He looked up and his eyes found hers again.

Yelara felt herself getting pulled in by Kace's kindness again, knowing it could only lead to them falling into each other's arms, which would mark Kace for death. She drew her hand away quickly and rubbed the burn with her other hand as she looked away from Kace. "The hand's fine. I've had worse wounds over the last couple days and I survived those; this is nothing." Yelara stepped away from Kace, still keeping her eyes on the ship, knowing if she looked into his eyes, they were both doomed. "Kace, I have a small matter to discuss with you. That's actually why I came here," she said, her voice a little shaky. "Would you mind following me to my office?"

He could sense that something was wrong, but there was no serious danger. There were no outward threats around, but the feeling of dread lingered. "Sure," he said.

Yelara walked down the ramp, rather, limped slightly as she walked. Her ankle was still sore and her arm was stiff from where Gin had dug into it with his dagger. She looked back to see if Kace was following, then stood in the doorway of her office, waiting for him to go in first so she could seal the door behind them both. "Have a seat," she said in a serious voice as she walked over to her own chair and sat down slowly, not making eye contact with Kace. She sighed as she leaned back in her chair, thinking up a way to say what she had to say.

Kace took the seat and looked around. Something was definitely wrong. He turned back to Yelara and gave her his attention. He hoped things didn't go too badly; the look on Yelara's face indicated they might. Despite the almost unconscious need to do so, he kept the smile from his face. It didn't seem like it would be appropriate with the tension filling the air.

"You've been a very busy man since I've been gone," she said in almost a sing-song voice. Yelara leaned in closer with her elbows resting on the desk and her hands clasped together. "Well, I've been a bit busy myself, actually. It's quite a tough job hiring new workers," she said, glancing up at Kace. "I mean, losing seven workers in one day can be a deterrent to keeping the flight deck functioning optimally." Yelara leaned back into her chair again, her eyes still on Kace. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, don't you?" she said.

Kace nodded. "I do," he said. "And, I apologize for that. Perhaps I shouldn't have killed them all, but in my condition at the time I saw few other choices. I was working on repairs for the ship, and needed to pick up some new parts. I was doing that when one of them, your workers, approached me. He was rather upset about me cheating him out of some extra credits when you came over."

Yelara raised her hand to silence Kace. "You don't have to explain," she said gently as she tossed Kace a datapad. "Take a look. It's all there, the whole incident caught by our surveillance device in the storage locker."

He glanced at the datapad, but didn't watch the playback. "I remember it pretty well," he said. "Well, up until the part where I passed out."

Yelara pushed her chair back, standing up and walking towards Kace. She pulled the datapad from his hand and sat on the desk, facing him. "They stabbed you pretty badly. Are you alright?" Her voice was gentle and the concern in it was bleeding through, even though she tried to hide it.

He looked up and met her eyes. "Still sore, but I'm alive," he said. "I wasn't strong enough when I tried to heal myself, so there'll be a scar. I can live with scars though. I really am sorry I killed them. I didn't want to. I tried to talk my way out of it. They wanted a piece of me though. If it'll help, I can put in some time on the flight deck for you."

Yelara smiled and shook her head. She leaned forward as she placed her hand atop Kace's. "There'll be no need. In fact, this footage no longer exists. No one has had access to it but me, and once I destroy it, no one will know you killed them." Yelara furrowed her brows, concern flashing over her face. "Dargus will have your head if he ever finds out you killed his workers. He gets very protective of his property and he doesn't take kindly to others spilling blood all over his precious hull plating."

Kace smiled. "I think I can hold my own against Dargus if it comes to that," he said. "I didn't think a mechanic would get through to me. It won't happen again, I assure you. And, around a man like Dargus, I know to never let my guard down. Though, I will try very hard to not spill my blood on his hull plating again." He put his other hand over hers. He wrapped his fingers around it and wondered if one hand holding another, even as awkwardly as he was holding her hand, was supposed to feel that nice. "Thank you, for what you're doing for me. And, seriously, if you need extra help, I'd be happy to. It would give me a chance to see you more often, my only friend in the universe."

Yelara smiled curiously at Kace. She knew he was very private and had been on his own for some time, but she had a hard time believing he was that alone. "Well, give it some time and I'm sure you'll find someone better suited to be your friend." Yelara pulled her hand away, knowing that the situation could escalate at any moment. "I'm sure you could handle Dargus, if it were a one-on-one fight, but Dargus doesn't work like that. He likes to have others fight his battles for him." Yelara laughed bitterly and began walking back to her chair.

He nodded. "Most men of his ilk don't fight their own battles," he said. "I will step lightly around here." Kace folded his hands together and put them in his lap. She was pushing him away again. Perhaps he was trying too hard. Or, perhaps she was uncomfortable around him. He sighed. "I'll try not to cause any more problems for you on your flight deck. Seems like I've made more of a stir than one man should make."

Yelara sat down again, looking at the ceiling and feeling dejected. "You've done nothing wrong, Kace. Forget about those jerks; they were trouble anyway." Yelara took a deep breath and tried to clear away the far too many thoughts going through her mind. They only ever created too much confusion. She liked Kace, more than she should, but she was with Kal...Jae Dyn now, and even that wasn't going well already. She didn't want to hurt Kace, but he was only offering friendship for now, so why was she pushing him away?

"Look, Kace. I promised to help you with your ship, but I've been avoiding it until now because...well, everytime I'm around you, everything becomes electric." She brought her head down and stared into his piercing blue eyes. "If it were any other time, I would have already taken you to my bed," she said plainly, blushing a bit, "but it can't happen, not now. If friendship is all you're truly offering, I can accept that. But promise me something." Yelara leaned in closer, her voice almost pleading. "Promise me you'll push me away if I start to get too close, if I even brush against you, leave the room or ask me to leave. It may sound strange, but that is how attracted I am to you. Even the slightest touch and I could lose myself and be all over you." Yelara's heart began fluttering as she pictured her arms around Kace, their lips pressed hard together. "Do you understand?" she asked, hoping she had not offended him.

Kace wasn't sure if his mouth was hanging open or not. "Yeah," he said, "I understand." He realized that he'd made no sound. He cleared his throat and then repeated himself. "I thought I was the only one feeling that way." He quickly stopped him from continuing down that line of thought. He nodded. "I promise you I'll do everything I can to push you away. I promise to do the best I can. I promise."

Yelara almost laughed at Kace's ramblings, but held it back. "Good. Then we can start on your ship whenever you're ready." Yelara stood up, stretching out her arms and legs. "I'm pretty glad we had this little talk. Now that we've drawn a line in the sand, I feel more comfortable around you."

That's one of us, Kace thought as he stood. "Yeah," he said. "If you're ready now, we can get started in on the Corellia again. It'll be good to be working on something to focus my mind."

Yelara stood as far away from Kace as she could for fear that she would tackle him if she got any closer. "Well, good. After you," she said, taking slow deep breaths, trying to keep herself from blushing.

As they walked out to his ship, Kace glanced over at Yelara and almost laughed at the distance between them. "Good idea," he said. "Thank you for helping me with my ship. I don't know what I would do if you weren't around. I mean, the rest of these guys out here would soak me for everything I've got and kill me. When I was lying in my ship, almost passed out, I could only think about--" Don't go there, he cautioned himself. "--uh, could only think about how much it hurt. I don't think I'd ever been hurt like that before. Not exactly a new experience to share with people, but it was a new experience."

Yelara winced slightly as she remembered the pain she felt when Gin was driving his dagger into her. She new exactly what Kace was talking about. "Well, I'm glad you're alright. I would have felt guilty if, yet again, someone died because of something I did." Her thoughts flew instantly to Parven, the pilot who had died because of her. She couldn't help thinking how she would have to get used to that sort of thing happening as long as she was with Dargus, but she could never truly become comfortable with people signing their death warrants by just being seen talking with her.

His first impulse was to reach out to Yelara, but he stopped before his arm moved a centimeter. "You will never have to feel guilty over me. I don't plan on letting my guard down like that again. Dargus and his men will have a difficult time with me if they choose me as an adversary. Though, I would prefer not to think of that at the moment. I don't plan on dying any time soon."

Yelara laughed as she stepped up onto the ramp. "Good! I don't plan on losing you any time soon either." She stepped into the ship, and stopped, feeling almost overwhelmed by the amount of work they still had to do on the Corellia. "Well...we can fix her. I think."

Kace laughed and nodded. "I hope so," he said. "She's a good ship. She's seen me through a lot. I have faith in our ability to put her back together. Well, your ability."

"Thanks for your vote of confidence," Yelara answered with a bashful smile. She always had trouble taking compliments, especially from Kace. Every time he said something kind to her, she felt even more drawn to him; just the thing she was trying to avoid. "Well, let's get to work," she added quickly as she walked towards the compartment, where the charred wires that had shocked her earlier lay.

A grin spread across Kace's face as they moved to begin the repairs again. He could feel Yelara right next to him, her presence nearly overpowering. He took a step to the side, giving them a little more distance. After another glance, he increased the space between them by another step. "Just in case," he said with a smile.

---

"Magnetism, Part 1"
By: Yelara Neerou - Shipyard Foreman
Jae Dyn Brael- Jedi Knight

Location: Jae Dyn and Yelara's Apartment - Drogen Shipyards
Date: Selene 2, 3 ABY

***

Yelara headed out of the flight deck and towards Kallia's quarters where she just wanted to plop down on the bed and sleep. Repairs on Kace's ship were going rather slowly and the more work they did, the more they realized just how damaged the ship really was. Yelara yawned as she turned the corner and walked up to Kallia's door. Kal must have had the door modified to recognize Yelara's signatures as well, for the moment she stepped in front of it, it slid open.

Yelara walked in, calling out Kallia's name. She got no response so she threw down her jacket and walked into the bedroom. She smiled softly as she saw Kallia lying asleep on the bed, still wearing a towel around her. She tip-toed towards the bed, and leaned over to kiss Kallia on the lips. "Rise and shine, sleeping beauty," she whispered into her ear.

Kallia's eyes popped open immediately at the sudden voice in her head, and she found herself looking up into a pair of beautiful violet eyes. "Yelara," she whispered, a smile forming, "I didn't hear you come in." She remembered their fight from the morning and quickly searched her friend's face for signs of anger. "How was your day?"

Yelara stepped back a bit, to allow Kallia to sit up, then walked over to a chair in the room to pull off her boots. "Exhausting. Did you just have another shower or did you stay in that towel all day?" Yelara asked as she kicked off her boot.

"All day," she said. "I think it's a fashion trend that may catch on through the Outer Rim." She sat up, and retucked the edge of the towel back in so it didn't fall off. "I didn't feel like doing much today, so I just laid here all day and thought about things."

Yelara tossed off her other boot, giving Kallia an inquisitive expression. "Well, I think Dargus might like the idea." She got up from the chair, then walked into the bathroom and turned on the water as she washed the grease from her hands. "So, tell me, what were you thinking about that was so intriguing it would keep you from getting dressed?" Yelara hollered back over the sound of the water.

Kallia wandered toward the door of the bathroom and watched Yelara. "Us," she said. "And, Dargus, and the Rebellion, and the Empire, and Tal Dan, and my family, and building lightsabers, and you, and you, and you. I guess a little of everything. When you left this morning, I was scared. I didn't know if I'd pushed you too hard, or if I'd lost you completely, or anything. I didn't know what I would do if I'd pushed you away."

Yelara looked up at Kallia in the mirror and turned off the water. She sighed, shaking off her hands, then turned to face Kallia. "Kal, you didn't push me at all. You had a right to ask questions about me." Yelara walked closer to Kal, wiping her hands on the bottom of the towel Kallia was still wearing. "I'm sorry if I made you feel badly, but I've always had trouble trusting people...even people I love dearly." Yelara placed her hand on Kallia's cheek, and caressed it gently. "I know I can be stubborn and obstinate at times, but you can't take that personally. It's just the way I am. You understand, don't you?"

Kallia nodded. "I do understand," she said. "It's just that-- It's just that I'm not used to relationships and I'm probably wanting too much. I should just be happy that I have you."

Yelara looked down, not able to look any longer at the fear and pain in Kallia's eyes, feelings she had brought out of her. She hated being the cause of Kallia's suffering; it put a knot in her stomach, the responsibility weighing too heavily upon her. "No, you should only feel happy when that's truly what is in your heart." She turned away from Kallia and leaned over the sink, looking down into it and shaking her head. "If I'm causing you too much pain, Kal, then...then maybe you should just let me go. I only want you to be happy," she said, her voice strained as she forced the words out.

Kallia stepped closer and put a gentle hand on Yelara's shoulder. "And, I'm only happy knowing that I have you," she said. "Despite the fight we had this morning, despite the fact that we're not completely open and trusting with each other, despite everything that isn't perfect about us, I look at you and I know that I love you so much that everything else pales. You are more wonderful than anyone I could have ever imagined myself with, and I couldn't ask for anyone I would rather love more than I love you. When I look at you, touch you, feel you near me, I'm so happy that I feel guilty that with the rebellion against the empire and all the pain and suffering in our time that I can feel that happy. What is truly in my heart is that my love for you overwhelms everything else."

Yelara began to tremble and struggled to keep her knees from giving out beneath her. No one had ever said anything as beautiful to her before, and she couldn't help feeling somewhat unworthy of Kallia's devotion. "I want to make you happy, Kallia, I do. This it the first relationship I've been in, so I'm still trying to work out the kinks." She turned around, taking the hand Kallia had placed on her shoulder and kissing it. "I only hope that I don't end up screwing things up and hurting you. I would hate myself if that happened." Yelara brought her hands to Kal's waist and brought her close, staring down into her eyes. "If I ever hurt you, Kal, you have my permission to deck me one, alright?" she said gently and with a smile.

Kal smiled and kissed Yelara on the lips. "If you hurt me," she said softly, "I will make love to you. If I hurt you, I will do my best to make it up to you, however you want me to. I will do my best to be patient as we go through experiencing our first relationship together. And, I will love you completely with all my heart."

Yelara smiled mischievously and pulled Kal in closer. "Well, that arrangement works just fine for me." She kissed Kal long and tenderly while she slowly pulled off her towel. "We have to get ready for dinner," she mentioned nonchalantly, but continued to kiss Kal, her lips and then down to her neck.

Kallia heard herself moaning as she leaned her head to the side to give Yelara more neck to kiss. "We do," she whispered between moans. "Did you want to go out or stay in? And, should we wear our regular clothes, or a couple of salacious Tae'Karadan dresses?" She let her hands move of their own accord, instantly going to caress Yelara's breasts and stomach.

Yelara kissed Kallia's shoulder, letting her hands travel along Kal's bare back. "Well, do we dare be seen together in public?" she asked, breathlessly. "Dargus could be watching. Do we want to take that risk?" She pushed Kallia gently against the wall of the bathroom as she moved her kisses down to Kal's chest, and let her hands dance along her buttocks.

"Dargus's always watching," Kallia said, her fingers finding one of Yelara's very sensitive spots. "Except in here. Our deal was no monitoring equipment in here. I'm willing to take the risk if you are, but I understand if you don't. I don't care where we are as long as I'm with you."

As Kallia's seemingly experienced touch reached some of Yelara's most erogenous zones, she let a whimpering moan escape. She gripped Kal tighter so that her legs wouldn't melt away from beneath her, and kissed Kal deeply on the mouth. She pulled away momentarily to respond to Kallia, saying quickly, "I would be proud to be seen walking by your side. I want to go out...if I can tear myself away from you."

Before answering, Kallia kissed Yelara again. "Let's...finish...this," she managed, "then we...can...see...oh my...about going...out."

"Agreed!" Yelara responded as she pinned Kal's arms against the wall. She kissed Kal's neck, then ran her fingers softly down her arms. "So, do you want to stay here...or finish this on the bed?" Yelara asked coyly.

Kal kissed Yelara. "If we don't get to the bed very soon, here," she said with a wicked grin.

Yelara brought her hands down to Kal's waist, then smoothed them over her thighs before she scooped Kal up into her arms as if she were weightless. She kissed Kal's lips tenderly as she moved them both towards the bed, but they never made it there. Yelara dropped to her knees with a laugh as she and Kal tumbled to the ground. "Well, seems we still didn't make it to the bed." Yelara pulled her shirt off over her head, tossing it aside as she let Kal undo her leather pants. "I think if this keeps up, I see us both being exhausted a lot in the future."

As she slid the tight leather over Yelara's hips, Kal moved her kisses to her friend's chest. "I like getting exhausted this way with you," she whispered. "I could do this forever. I want to do this forever." She pulled Yelara's pants all the way off, then slid up her body to kiss her more fully. "Of all the three people I've ever made love with, you are the best. Everything with you is amazing. Can we just stay in bed together, loving each other, for the rest of our lives?" Kallia kissed Yelara again, a deep passionate kiss that left them both gasping for breath when it broke.

"Three, huh?" Yelara teased, gasping for air. She cradled Kallia's face in her hands and brought it so Kal's eyes were facing her own. "You're amazing, Kallia." she declared before she leaned in and kissed Kal on each of her eyelids. She grabbed Kallia by the waist and slowly lay her onto her back. She moved her hands down Kallia's stomach, then caressed her thighs as she pulled them gently apart with her hands. She kissed Kallia's chest, sucking on each of her breasts as she moved her way down to her stomach, then to Kal's inner thighs, letting her kisses linger there for a while. She moved her hands up and down Kal's thighs as she placed her head between Kal's legs and began using her mouth to stimulate her.

Kallia's back arched up off the ground as Yelara sent a rush of warmth through her entire body. She alternated between gasps and moans as Yelara worked between her thighs. She couldn't keep herself still, and Yelara had to put extra weight on her thighs to keep her in one place. She cried out Yelara's name and a few things she wasn't sure of. The beginning of an orgasm hit, sending tingling waves all through Kallia's body. Again, her back arched off the ground, and her cries reverberated off the walls of the bedroom. "Oh wow," she gasped when the waves of pleasure finally subsided. "Oh my...wow. Have I told you how much I really really love you?"

Yelara looked up at Kal and smiled tenderly. She pulled herself up between Kal's legs and lay on top of her, caressing her hair. "Yes, you've told me, but every time you say it, my heart still leaps as if it were the first time."

Kallia smiled. "Thank you," she said. "Do you want me to reciprocate?" She gave Yelara a mischievous smile and pulled herself up to kiss her tenderly. "Or should we get ready for our big night?"

"Hmm..." Yelara looked up, playfully pretending to weigh the options in her head before she laughed and kissed Kal on the cheek. "Well, we can always continue afterwards. I'm a bit hungry actually," she whispered into Kal's ear before she began to nibble on it.

"I could tell," Kallia said with a laugh. "So, should we shower, then get into our flimsy gowns that show absolutely everything, or just go as we are?"

"Well," Yelara said as she slipped away from Kal and got to her feet, "I think I'll shower...alone or else we'll be here until next week!" She held out her hand to help Kallia off the ground. "You actually own some Tae'Karadan gowns?" Yelara asked, a grin spreading across her face.

Kallia grinned. "I do," she said. "But, not because I want to. The high prince wants me to spy on Dargus and find out what sort of evidence I can get against him for blackmailing the future high princess of Tae'Karada. Can you think of a better way to disarm Dargus than showing up in a dress that leaves nothing to the imagination?" She walked with Yelara to the bathroom and sat to the side as her girlfriend--she smiled, the thought that she had a girlfriend both thrilling and an amusing since she'd always thought she'd only ever be with men--readied her shower. She couldn't believe how comfortable she felt lounging around in front of Yelara without a stitch on. "We don't have to wear them if you don't want to though."

Yelara blushed a bit at even the thought of leaving the room with those skimpy outfits on. She didn't mind wearing them for Kallia, but she didn't know if she was confident enough to wander the shipyards wearing them. "Well, maybe we can save them for a little after dinner entertainment, if you know what I mean," Yelara said with a sly grin. She stepped into the shower, leaving the door open as she bathed. "This job the high prince has you doing...is it dangerous?" Yelara asked, trying to mask the concern in her voice, not wanting Kallia to rethink her decision just to quell any fears Yelara had about the situation.

Kallia shook her head. "I don't think so," she said. "And, I'm planning on playing things very careful. I don't plan on putting myself at risk for this. I was thinking if I could seduce him, I might be able to get whatever information I need. I'm hoping that it won't take too long though."

Yelara scrubbed harder at the thought of Kallia in bed with Dargus. She was beginning to feel possessive of her and was also beginning to understand Dargus' jealousy over his women mingling with other men and his reaction to her calling out Parven's name in bed that fateful night. She wanted to cry out and tell Kallia to call the whole scheme off, force her to forget it, but she didn't want to do that or she would become more like Dargus than she could bear. "I hope it won't take too long either," Yelara said quietly as she turned off the shower and stepped out, dripping from head to toe. "Wasn't the high prince wed recently? I mean, hasn't Dargus' hold on Kalaira weakened significantly?" she asked as she grabbed a towel and began patting herself dry.

"I think his hold was actually broken," Kallia said, "but the high prince wanted proof that Dargus was blackmailing Kalaira. So, that's what I'll be trying to find." The thought of what she was planning on doing left Kallia feeling unclean. Using sex to get information seemed so wrong. But, it was the only way to Dargus. "I'm glad we won't be wearing the gowns tonight, at least to dinner. I mean, I can't think of anything sexier than you in leather."

Yelara smiled at Kallia's remark and wrapped the towel around her body. "Are you sure you don't want me to wear a dress? Just for you?" Yelara walked over to Kal and sat down in her lap, wrapping her arms around her. "I mean, I'd be happy to oblige any suggestions you have. I've never actually been on a date before."

"I only have three dresses," she said, "and all of them are Tae'Karadan. Everything else is either leather or whatever fabric my shirt that you wore today is, and then my Jedi robes. Unless you want to go out for dinner pretty much naked in one of those dresses, it will have to be you and me in some very sexy leather."

"I don't mind that at all. Much better than those non-formfitting Jedi robes you have. I just hope we'll still fit in those leather pants after we're done eating. I'm starving!" Yelara said, giggling as she played with Kallia's long, silky hair. "Shall we go change, or did you want to shower?"

Kallia laughed. "Well, I'm feeling like I should probably shower after our little wonderful and pleasurable adventure on the floor," she said. "So, I will shower quickly and if you want you can either get dressed or stay here and watch me. I'll leave that to you."

Yelara got off of Kal's lap so that she could shower, debating whether she should stay and risk tackling Kal in the shower, or play it safe and change. "I don't want to be a voyeur, but I could stay and fix my hair and, as a little treat, I'll even put on some make up for you. You know you're someone special when I go to that much trouble to impress you." Yelara winked at Kallia as she walked over to the mirror and began playing with her hair.

Kallia made a cooing noise and disappeared into the shower. As she scrubbed herself clean, she glanced out of the open shower where Yelara hovered before the mirror. "How come it's okay for me to be a voyeur and watch you bathe, but not the other way around?" she teased. "I'd gladly watch you shower any time, though joining in would nice, but unproductive. Well, at least for cleaning ourselves."

"Oh, don't worry, pet. It's nothing personal, it's just that we did plan to have dinner tonight, didn't we?" she asked, shooting Kal a sly grin. "Besides, I can't put on my lipstick if I'm gawking at you, which I am so tempted to do right now, believe me." Yelara chuckled as she continued painting a shade of purple lipstick onto her lush lips.

"Ooh, lipstick for me?" Kallia laughed from inside the shower as she finished rinsing off. "And, when we are out having dinner, I will do my best to not be all over you. But, when we get back here, all bets are off."

Yelara laughed, smearing her lipstick across her face and crying out in playful frustration. "Would you stop!" she said, tearing off her towel and throwing it at Kallia. She was still laughing as she tried to wipe off the lipstick on her cheek. "You almost done?" Yelara asked as she finished cleaning off her cheek and added some final touches to the rest of her face.

"Almost." Kallia tossed the now-wet towel Yelara had thrown at her onto the floor and shut off the shower. She grabbed a clean towel and started drying herself off. She stepped up behind her friend at the mirror and forced herself not to press her body against Yelara's. "You look beautiful," she said, softly. The hint of a contented smile played at the corners of her mouth. "I'm almost afraid to kiss you for fear of smudging your makeup."

"Well, you can have that honour later," Yelara said seductively as she grabbed at Kallia's arms from behind and pulled her closer. "Shall we dress before this gets too out of hand?" Yelara began caressing Kal's arms, anticipating when they could get back from dinner and spend the night together...again.

"A very good idea," Kallia said, fighting off the urge to kiss every inch of Yelara's body. She did lean forward and kiss the tattoo on her friend's arm. "I'll get the other one later when we have more time for it." She looked at the tattoo for a moment, then up at Yelara again. "I want one."

"Really?" Yelara asked, rather surprised that Kallia of all people would want a tattoo. "I'm sure it can be arranged. Maybe we can get one together. But, I'm sure you'd lose your nerve when the time came..." Yelara joked, purposefully trailing off to rile up Kallia.

"Oh really," Kallia said, her eyes going wide and a huge smile spreading across her face. "We'll see about that then. We're getting tattoos together then. I'm not going to chicken out. Anywhere you want to see a tattoo on my body, just name it. I'll get it, you'll see."

Yelara turned around, scanning Kallia's body and deciding on the best place for a tattoo. "Hmm, how about....there," she said softly, as she let her hand travel down Kal's leg and pressed her finger gently into Kal's inner thigh. "What do you think?"

Kallia covered Yelara's hand with her own and smiled. "If that's where you'd like to see one," she said, glancing up and immediately finding the violet eyes of her lover, sending her heart pounding again, "I'll get one there."

Yelara pulled her hand away quickly, knowing that they would never be leaving the apartment if this kept up. She took a deep breath as she slid away from Kallia, blushing and smiling as she grabbed a clean towel to wrap around herself.. "We should really change."

---

"Magnetism, Part 2"
By: Yelara Neerou - Shipyard Foreman
Jae Dyn Brael - Jedi Knight

Location: Jae Dyn and Yelara's Apartment - Drogen Shipyards
Date: Selene 2, 3 ABY

***

"Yes," Kallia said, taking deep breaths to calm herself. "Next week, or sometime, we should go down to the planet and play tourist. I want to take time away from all this, and just be with you." She started out into the other room and started searching through her clothes.

"Do you think I'd be able to leave the shipyards? I mean, I'd have to have Dargus' permission, of course," she said bitterly, rolling her eyes. "It's not as if he minds so much if I leave to come and visit him, but if I were to ever suggest doing so and it didn't involve him, it would completely be out of the question."

Kallia nodded, suddenly feeling as if she'd been punched in the gut. "Oh," she said, and continued looking for something to wear.

Yelara sighed and closed her eyes, hearing the dejection in Kal's voice. "What have I done this time, Kal?" Yelara walked over to Kallia, pushing her way between Kallia and the drawer full of clothing. "Kallia, tell me what's wrong. I don't want the evening to end badly...again."

"Dargus," Kallia said with a sigh. "It just seems like everything has to be cleared through Dargus. We'll never be able to do anything if Dargus has to approve it. He won't approve of us together; he doesn't even know we know each other, let alone we're sleeping together. I don't want to have to plan our life together by what Dargus will or won't approve of."

Yelara looked away, wanting to assure Kallia that it wouldn't be like that forever, but she wasn't so certain if that were true. "We don't need his approval. I mean, we don't have it now and we're still together, aren't we?" Yelara looked back at Kallia, giving her a reassuring smile. "We're going to take that trip to the planet's surface and Dargus is not going to know a thing about it. How does that sound to you? Hmm?" Yelara began tugging playfully at Kallia's hair and smiled gently. "Don't be so down. We have a wonderful evening ahead of us."

Kallia forced a smile, and it quickly turned into a genuine one. "Okay," she said, "it sounds very good. Now, we need to get dressed, or we're going naked."

Yelara smiled and moved away from the drawer to let Kallia finish searching for the proper attire...or improper, depending on the mood. "I fear if we went naked, we'd be kicked out of yet another fine establishment on this floating prison. Anything you choose for me is fine." Yelara plopped down onto the bed, leaning back onto her hands and crossing her legs. "Nothing too revealing, I hope," she said sarcastically as she began swinging her leg back and forth.

Kallia looked back, trying to determine if that was a request or not. She pulled out a pair of leather pants that would leave a lot of thigh exposed. She grinned. Next, she pulled out a leather halter and a pair of panties that almost didn't exist. She held them up against her body and looked at Yelara. "Okay choices?"

Yelara examined Kallia up and down, nodding her head to express her approval, fearing if she spoke, her voice would not hold up. She cleared her throat, let a smile spread across her face then asked, "So, what shall I be wearing?"

Kallia set the clothes she'd selected aside and beckoned Yelara closer. "Well, probably one of my normal tops is not going to do it, at least not if you don't want to breathe till we get back here and I ravage you. I've got a jacket that's bigger, and you could squeeze into a pair of my leather pants."

"I really oughta bring my own clothes over one day," Yelara said, shaking her head as she laughed and approached Kallia. "Anything you choose for me is fine. I trust your tastes implicitly." Yelara liked the sound of the ravaging part alot, but if she mentioned anything they would never get to dinner; she could see Kallia staring at her suggestively and she stared right back, yearning for her. She hoped that once they were out in public, they wouldn't end up going at it on the dinner table.

Kallia grinned. "I like you in my clothes," she said, concentrating on keeping her hands on the clothes and not on Yelara. She pulled out a pair of leather pants similar to the ones she was wearing, a tank top that would be very snug, and another pair of panties. She handed them to Yelara, stopping before she leaned in for a kiss. She didn't know what it was, but she couldn't think of anything other than being with Yelara. It was a very nice thought.

"I think I'll slip into these quickly," Yelara suggested as she pulled away quickly from Kallia. Yelara smiled as she grabbed the clothes and walked across to the other side of the room to dress. She pulled off her towel and put on the panties first, which barely covered her unmentionables, but at least it was something. "You're not watching me, I hope," Yelara called back, turning her head slightly to see if she could catch a glimpse of Kallia.

Kallia was already dressed when Yelara glanced back, and she was watching with a slight smile. "Of course, I'm watching you," she said, "but I'll stop if you want me to. It's not wrong of me to love looking at you as much as I do, or wanting to spend every moment as close as I can with you, is it? There's nothing wrong with that, I hope, because that's what I want."

Yelara placed the shirt over her head, and let it fall down over her bare upper body. She had to pull it down the rest of the way as it became tight around her, indicative of all Kallia's clothing. "I want that too, Kal. It's just taking me long to realize that," she answered quietly. She squeezed into the leather pants Kal had chosen, and noticed her thighs were barely covered. She turned around, dressed now, and walked slowly over to Kallia. "Let's not think about what we can and can't have, not tonight. Let's just enjoy the evening, and enjoy being with each other. Nothing else matters, does it?" Yelara ran her fingers through Kallia's still damp hair and looked into her penetrating eyes as they began pulling her in.

"You're the only thing that matters," Kallia whispered. "You and me. Do I look okay? Or should I wear some makeup too?"

"You look great," Yelara answered sweetly. She leaned in and kissed Kal on the lips, leaving some lipstick behind. "There. Now we're both wearing makeup. Let's go." Yelara grabbed Kal's hand, squeezing it gently as she led her towards the door. "Let's see how many heads we can turn," Yelara said, laughing aloud.

"All of them," Kallia replied as they slipped out the door and into the hallway, holding hands. "Which restaurant should we go to? Hey, there's that place on the third deck, they serve a little of everything, have private booths, and we haven't been banned yet."

"Hmm, private booths?" Yelara repeated as she nuzzled up to Kallia and kissed her neck. "We could have some fun in those."

Kallia laughed and glanced at Yelara from the corner of her eye. Her grin went nearly from ear to ear as she nodded. "I imagine we could," she said, "but we need to make sure we get something to eat."

"We won't need reservations, will we? I've never really been to a fancy restaurant before, so I'm not sure how these things work," Yelara asked as she adjusted her shirt.

Kallia smiled. "Well, if looking at the way we're both dressed doesn't get us in," she said, "I have another trick we can try. And, we don't even have to tell him about our associations with Dargus."

Yelara leaned in closer to Kallia, nuzzling into her hair. "I'm intrigued now. What did you have in mind?"

Kallia playfully waved a hand in front of Yelara's face. "Jedi mind trick," she purred, then gave her friend a kiss as they continued walking.

Yelara laughed loudly as her and Kallia approached the restaurant, immediately getting a wide-eyed, shocked look by the maitre'd. Yelara shot a glance back at him, holding her head high as she and Kal walked up to him, their hands still intertwined. "He looks like a real tightass. We really oughta loosen him up," Yelara whispered into Kal's ear.

Kallia suppressed a mischievous grin and nodded. She gave him a smile and approached closer. "Hi," she said, "I'm Kallia, and I'd like a private booth for dinner." She looked over at Yelara and gave her a love-filled smile, then she turned back to the maitre'd. "For two, please."

The man sized Yelara and Kal up and down, rolling his eyes and turning his nose up at them. "I'm sorry...ladies," he began, his voice thick with sarcasm, "but we have no tables whatsoever at the moment. If you would like to wait, I'm certain we should have something in an hour or so." He gave a curt smile before turning back to his reservation book and pretended to do something of great importance.

Yelara scoffed at the man and turned to Kallia. "Now I really wanna have some fun. Just to shock him."

The mischievous smile was there when Kallia turned to Yelara. "Yeah," she said. "What did you have in mind?"

Yelara winked at Kallia and began speaking loudly and expressively. "Alright, we'll just wait right out here," she said, making sure everyone in and outside of the restaurant could hear. "Did you hear that honey? A whole hour, standing out here. I'm sure we can pass the time quickly," she said, shooting a smile at the maitre'd before she grabbed Kal by the waist. She pulled her close, then threw her into a dip as she kissed her deeply and loudly on the mouth.

Kallia quickly wrapped her arms around Yelara and returned the kiss with passion. Her head was swimming, but she managed to focus enough to play her part in their little act. She slid her hand around to where she could grope Yelara's breasts where those watching could see. She added a few loud well-placed moans into the mix and knew she had people blushing inside.

Yelara began breathing deeply for effect, her chest heaving as she picked Kal back up and wrapped a leg around her waist. Yelara moved herself and Kal towards the maitre'd's stand, bumping into it and almost knocking it down as Yelara moved her kisses to Kal's neck.

The maitre'd stood watching with his mouth agape as Kal and Yelara made out right in front of the restaurant for all to see. He began to sweat, then proceeded to ramble like a blubbering idiot as he tried to stop them. "P-P-Please! Stop," he said frantically. "Oh would you look at that! I forgot that we had a cancellation this evening. Ladies, if you will please follow me..." the maitre'd said, breathlessly.

Both women grinned at each other at his words. They kissed each other one last time, then stood behind the maitre'd, ready to be shown to their table. The trip wound through all the other tables and finally came to a series of booths in the back of the restaurant. Only three were occupied. Kal and Yelara slid into the booth that would be theirs for the night with grateful smiles on their faces.

"Thank you for your understanding and patience," Kallia said, holding back laughter.

"Yes, thank you. And please bring us the wine list first." Yelara puckered up her lips at the maitre'd and blew him a kiss, causing him to scramble away as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. Yelara tossed her head back and broke out into laughter. "We have to do that again!"

Kallia laughed right along with Yelara. "Yes," she said. "I thought his head was going to pop right off. Much better than a Jedi mind trick." She grinned at Yelara.

"Well, we can try it your way next time. Get him to bellow like a wookiee as he dangles from the chandeliers." Yelara placed her hand over Kal's and squeezed it. "I haven't laughed like that in so long, Kal. You always make me smile."

"I like seeing you smile," Kallia said. "And, I like seeing you having fun. Your entire body lights up when you laugh, did you know that? Though, I think you're a bad influence on me. Before meeting you, I probably would have balked at teasing that man, or kissing you like that out there. I like who I am when I'm with you."

"I like how you make me feel. I can hold my head high and feel free...free from Dargus, from the struggle outside in the galaxy..." Yelara lowered her head solemnly as she remembered the fight the rebels were going through while they were sitting there laughing at that maitre'd. "Doesn't seem like it'll ever end. What happens if we don't win? If the rebels fail?"

Kallia thought about it for a moment. "I feel we will win," she said. "The Rebellion is gathering strength. The Empire can't hold on forever. Historically, a tyrannical regime like the Empire doesn't last. The Rebellion will win." The strength of her words and the confidence with which she spoke them seemed awkward to Kallia, but she knew she believed what she'd said with every fiber of her being. The Rebellion would win eventually.

Yelara lifted her head and looked into Kallia's eyes, her words inspiring hope into Yelara's very being. "I hope we make those bastards pay. They deserve everything they've got coming to them," Yelara said with vigour, squeezing Kal's hand tighter as a fire sparked in her eyes.

Kallia smiled, but her eyes were distant and unfocused and the smile held a hint of menace. "They will pay," she said quietly. Her thoughts turned to all the Jedi cut down by Vader and the Emperor. They would pay for what they had done. The menace that had been there for a fleeting moment vanished. In its place briefly was a sadness that quickly vanished behind a warm smile as Kallia looked into Yelara's eyes again.

Yelara cleared her throat, trying to break the silence that had begun to loom over the both of them. "Oh, I might not be home..." Yelara stopped herself and chuckled. "Home...haven't had one of those for a while." She shook her head and continued. "I'm going to be out tomorrow evening."

Kallia frowned. "What's going on tomorrow," she asked, not really sure if she wanted to know.

Yelara knew instantly she had tread into dangerous territory, regretting immediately that she had mentioned anything. "Um, I might have to pull a double..." Yelara trailed off, knowing she couldn't stare at Kallia and lie to her. She looked up again and sighed. "I'm paying Dargus a visit," she said quietly.

Kallia shook her head, a part of her hoping the movement would change what she'd just heard. Yelara couldn't go to Dargus. He'd hurt her again. She couldn't deal with that. She knew she couldn't see Yelara hurt again. What Toran did to her was bad enough, but she knew what Dargus would do was far far worse. "I should go with you," she offered. "Just in case."

Yelara slipped her hand away slowly from Kal's and began tugging at her own short hair. "Uh, no, that...that's ok, Kal. You don't have to do that," Yelara said uncomfortably. "Dargus and I are just going to have a little talk. That's all."

"Nothing with Dargus is ever small," Kallia countered. "We agreed that I would protect you. Dargus is a very dangerous man, and he could hurt you very bad. I don't want to see that. I don't want him to hurt you. Please, Yelara, don't go alone."

"Kal, why do you always have to make a big deal out of this?" Yelara said, her voice becoming edgy. She leaned back into the couch of the booth and sighed loudly. "If you come with me, he'll think we're ganging up on him. That'll just make him angrier, especially when he starts piecing things together and realizes we're lovers. Be smart, Kal," Yelara added harshly.

Kallia frowned, and wondered at the way Yelara was talking to her. Her friend hadn't gotten truly upset with her before then, and Kal could tell she really didn't like it when Yelara was upset. "We agreed that I could protect you as long as it didn't endanger my life," she said, keeping her voice down. "Dargus Kandran is the biggest danger in your life right now. Please don't push me out of this Yelara. I don't want to see Dargus hurt you. I don't want to know what seeing you hurt will do to me. Don't do this. Don't go see him, not without me there."

"Kal, he won't hurt me. He...he's changed towards me. Besides, I'm only going there to talk with him. I promise I won't let him anywhere near me, ok?" Yelara didn't want to push Kal away, but the two of them showing up together would send Dargus over the edge. She was more afraid, in fact, that she would end up having to choose between them, and right now she was so confused, that she was afraid she would make the wrong decision. "Kallia, I promise. If he hurts me this time - which he won't! - I promise you can come with me next time, alright?"

Kallia couldn't look at Yelara; she looked down at the table with one hand covering her face. She shook her head, as if to fight off the thoughts attacking her inside. She wasn't sure if it was Dargus hurting Yelara that really bothered her. She realized she was afraid she was going to lose Yelara to Dargus, that she would choose him. She had already chosen him once. And, now she was going to him again. She could feel the sting of tears burning her eyes. She pulled the hand away and tried to look at Yelara. "If you're just going to have a talk, why might you not be home?"

Yelara looked away, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists. She knew Kallia had trapped her and she hated that feeling. "Look, let's just drop this now. I need to talk to Dargus and you know if I go to him, the outcome is going to be inevitable: I'm going to have to spend the night with him." She looked at Kallia, glaring at her. "You know that as well as I do, so why did you even ask the question? Are you intentionally trying to trap me? Is that it?!"

"No," Kallia snapped back. "Why would I try to trap you? I'm just trying to figure out why you are so hot to go to a man you gets a thrill out of beating you up and then having his way with you. I hope you don't expect that from me, beca--" She couldn't go any farther. She couldn't continue that thought. She blinked away the tears. "I need to get out of here." Kallia pushed herself toward the edge of the booth. She had no idea where she'd go, but she had to get away before she did something really stupid.

"Kallia!" Yelara called out as she slid out of the booth and ran after her. "Don't walk out on me, Kal!" Yelara reached her and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back. "You think I get a kick out of being beaten by Dargus then having him screw me all night?! You know, you're really sick! I can't believe you!" Yelara yelled, the rage seeping from her every pore.

The patrons in the restaurant noticed the commotion and immediately ceased their conversations to listen in. The maitre'd was completely horrified as Yelara and Kal began arguing in the middle of a roomful of his best customers. He was certain they'd have his job for this one.

Kallia spun around as Yelara caught her arm. She rounded on her friend--though at this point, she was wondering if that was the case anymore; it sounded like Yelara really hated her now. Tears poured from her eyes, but the eyes weren't Kallia's normal brown. The entire eye was black and the air around her seemed to hum with life. "What else am I supposed to think," she said, her voice much deeper than normal, much more menacing. "You won't let me help you. You seem to want to go to him. I don't know."

Yelara saw Kal's face go dark and her skin suddenly turn cold. She drew her hand away quickly, feeling her own blood turning cold. Yelara took a step back, almost fearing Kallia at this point, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to run and hide or yell at her again. She didn't think Kallia would hurt her, so she pursued the matter. "Your help can only hurt us both Kal," she answered, her voice becoming shaky. She could see the rage in Kallia's eyes, the same rage she saw in Dargus' when she had angered him. "You're just like him, aren't you?" she said, her voice sticking in her throat. "You and Dargus are one in the same and you don't even realize it! You're tugging me in one direction and he's pulling in the other, but you both want the same thing, and at this rate neither of you will get it!" Yelara released Kallia's arm, pushing her away as she did. "I don't want your help, Kal. In fact, I don't want anything to do with you!"

By the time Kallia hit the floor where Yelara had pushed her, the darkness was gone. She looked up at Yelara with fearful eyes, and then staggered to her feet. She was unsteady as she moved, but she headed toward the exit. Tears streamed from her eyes, and nothing she tried would stop them. All her focus was gone and she could barely even feel the Force around her. She started running toward the flight deck, heaving sobs wracking her body as she moved.

Yelara stood alone, at the centre of the restaurant with all eyes on her. She was breathing heavily now, her body trembling with the amount of emotion flooding through her at that moment. She wanted to run to Kallia and hold her and tell her she was sorry for everything she had said and done, but her pride made her stay put. She suddenly became aware of everyone around her, still staring. She took a deep breath, yelling at the top of her lungs, "What the hell are you all looking at!? Go eat your overpriced meals and mind your own business!" Yelara pushed over a chair she was standing next to, causing it to slide across the ground before she pushed past the maitre'd and hurried out of the restaurant. She hadn't cried or even thought about crying; she wasn't sure what she was feeling at that moment.

All she knew was that she had definitely hurt Kal that night and wasn't certain if she could ever make up for it.

Kallia got to her fighter, her body shaking and weak. She started up the ladder that would put her in the cockpit. She stumbled on the third rung and crashed back to the deck, slamming her chin against the ladder on the way. The sharp taste of blood filled her mouth as she rolled into a sitting position. She touched a finger to her chin and realized she'd banged it up real good and split her lip. The world around her was a distorted blur as she tried to see through the tears obscuring her vision. She knew getting in the ship would get her killed. She couldn't go back to the apartment, and she couldn't fly. She'd have to find another place to think. She pushed herself slowly to her feet, her body feeling like she was on a high-gravity world. She trudged off, hoping to find a safe place to stay.

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