Unexpected Alliances [Kilia/Xero]

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Kilia

Explorer
Aug 6, 2017
16
43
13
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Gender
Female
Previously...
http://ambientvibe.com/swodyssey/index.php?threads/back-alley-deals.254/

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Collaboration: Kilia / Xero


"We need to stop and refuel."

Kilia was leaning forward in her chair and trying to wrap up a conversation with Rowin over the comm link. The overgrown rabbit had been the twitchiest she'd ever seen him, since leaving Lysatra. She knew full well, too...Xero Ta'vana. The presence of the nearly legendary killer had gotten under Rowin's fur like nothing before ever had. Kilia couldn't really blame him...jumping through black holes into an unknown system at the farthest edges of the galaxy hadn't done her own nerves any favors.

Still, she was getting a little tired of having to constantly fight Rowin about even the smallest things in the last week and a half. The Lepi had decided that the best way of expressing his displeasure, was to be as obstinate as possible about anything and everything. Kilia was having to rely on Jedi relaxation techniques she hadn't called up to the forefront of her mind in years, to keep from snapping at her best friend and blowing their mutual frustration into supernova proportions.

There was a limit, however, to what a Jedi-who-wasn't-a-Jedi could control…

"An' where the kriff do you propose to do that?" Rowin's accent was thicker than normal...which always happened in direct correlation to the rising of his temper.

Kilia pinched the bridge of her nose as she realized that her next words, no matter how diplomatically chosen, would just toss fuel onto the Lepi's simmering resentment.

"I don't know, Rowin," she said as slowly and as deliberately as she could - it was all she could manage, to keep her voice low and calm. "But, I'll go find out from the being who can."

Rowin made a noise that was somewhere between a growl and a hiss; it was followed immediately by the click of the comm, as he abruptly shut down the connection on his end. Kila groaned theatrically as she flopped back against her chair. Now, she had to go figure out where on the ship the enigmatic Tavana had hidden himself. She sighed, her chest rising and falling heavily with the long inhalation and forceful exhalation of breath.

She gripped the front of her armrests, as if she were about to pull herself to her feet. But, then she paused and reached up with her right hand to rub at her temples for just a moment or two. She was starting to feel a headache build up behind her eyes.

"Why me?" she mumbled to starlines streaking past the window in front of her. "Why am I even alive?"

"That seems to be an irrelevant question given the circumstances. No one can ever know the reason why. Though you might take heart in whatever faith you believe in. Some sentients find that helpful…" came the voice before her now.

Xero was standing right in the door jamb of the cockpit, having silently slipped in at an unknown moment. Though Rowin still had his helmet on, it seemed like Xero had positioned himself in just such a way that allowed the back of the chair the Lepi was sitting in, block the angle of his entry from the 360 degree camera view. It was almost as if Ta'vana knew exactly where to be to avoid detection. Apparently his paranoia knew no bounds.

For the most part, Xero had been the perfect passenger over the past few days. He kept to himself and was very quiet unless directly addressed. Given the circumstances of their introduction, it was little surprise that most of the normal crew wanted to stay away from him. If Xero was honest with himself, he'd definitely had worse first impressions.

"There's a station a few hours from here I normally stop at for a supply run before breaking the veil anyway. We should make it without any issue."

To her eternal embarrassment, Kilia nearly jumped out of her chair at the sound of Xero's voice. She also accompanied the startled movement with a very loud and distinctive squeak that couldn't possibly be played off as clearing her throat, or some such thing. She dug her heels into the deck and used her leg muscles to swivel her chair around, so she could meet her passenger's face. For a moment, they stared at each other, but then a low, threatening growl next to her spurred her into action.

"Ooookay, then!" Kila practically launched herself forward toward Xero.

Before Rowin could act on his non-verbal threat - much less rise from his own chair - Kilia had reached Xero's side. Without any preamble or polite request, she grabbed the man by his bicep and steered him around to face the passageway that lead away from the cockpit. She couldn't help raising an eyebrow, though, as her fingers lightly squeezed Xero's arm.

Kriff! She thought to herself as the two of them stepped over the cockpit's threshold. There's clearly good reasons for why this man could break me in half with his pinky finger.

That was immediately followed by the wry realization that:

And clearly, he's allowing me to push him around right now.

The cockpit door hissed shut behind them and Kilia whirled to face Xero, her hand still on his arm.

"What the hell are you doing snooping around?" she did her best to step up into his face, but her height was against her - she still had to look up to meet Xero's weird eyes and for some reason, that irked her. "That Lepi has it out for you, you know. I'd be really careful about just walking into a space unannounced while you're a guest onboard this ship."

Kilia paused a moment, then pursed her lips as she reluctantly admitted -

"I'd really appreciate it if you didn't 'misinterpret' Rowin's intentions and put a blaster bolt through his skull. Or...decapitate him with a flying hat of death. Or...something…"

She eyed Xero warily, with a mixture of misgiving and bemusment. She had to admit...the flying hat had been...unique. It wasn't often she saw anything new under the galaxy's suns. That one had certainly made the cut...no pun intended.

"So...where is this outpost and what can we expect?"

The smuggler still had her left hand on his arm, which she had clearly forgotten about, as she didn't move away from him while reaching behind her back and fishing out a datapad with her right hand. Without preamble, Kilia shoved it against Xero's chest.

"Put in the coordinates. I can send them to Rowin in there," she jerked her head toward the cockpit door. "And that way, I don't have to play referee between the two of you."
 
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