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_ "It is only through interaction, through decision and choice, through confrontation, physical or mental, that the Force can grow within you." _

~ Kreia

By the time the two had returned to the Rushin' Roulette, the storm had started back up and redoubled its efforts to soak anything unfortunate enough to be caught under it. Kajex noticed with some dismay that despite his earlier words of comfort and Syrra's brief show of grateful affection, the weather only seemed to be making her more miserable. He had to keep glancing over his shoulder just to ensure that she was still there.

It didn't annoy him, but at the same time he couldn't understand why he was so troubled by her mood. Perhaps it was more alarming to him than anything. A full week of her presence and he'd seen little more from her than a decaying sense of bitchiness, but after witnessing her talk to Markus he couldn't see her the same way anymore. She had demonstrated a touching mixture of compassion and understanding at the strip club (of all places, he mused wryly), and now he couldn't help but regard her with a respect deeper than he had anticipated. They trailed up the ramp once it was open and he turned to speak to her, to say something encouraging, only to stop short at the look on her face.

He'd never looked too closely at her face before, but now her sapphire-blue eyes seemed to pierce him with grief from behind her wet, blonde bangs. Behind them he could almost see the wave of emotion that was threatening to burst out. She shivered in place, despite the fact that it was far warmer in the _Roulette_than it was outside. He found himself at a loss for words, unable to say anything; but only a moment later, he had an idea of what to do. Without a word, he grabbed the upper sleeve of her jacket and pulled her along behind him. She didn't draw back or say a word as he led her into the galley.

"Alright Syrra, take a seat. I'm gonna fix something up for you and do something that might help." She said nothing, but complied, tossing off her jacket to an open seat and sitting at one end of the table while he punched up a code on the food processor. "Which do you like best; mint, cinnamon or vanilla?"

She shrugged listlessly. "Mint."

The wolf allowed himself a small smile as he punched up a couple of extra selections. "Mine too, actually. This usually helps, though I think you need more than just a little pick-me-up." Making sure he had a couple of clean thermal mugs secured beneath the spout, he shrugged his captain's longcoat off, set it on top of the one he'd loaned to Syrra and sat off to her right.

"Okay... I'm gonna ask you to do something that you're probably not going to want to do- talk to me. How are you feeling?"

Syrra didn't answer, staring into the table looking completely defeated.

Kajex let the silence hold a bit before continuing, making sure she had no intention of speaking. "I'm going to chance a guess that what happened back there is a bit more... complex, than just how you nearly reacted." He paused. "Right?"

She looked up, hesitating to speak. "...I can't do this."

"Our job?"

She nodded. "I feel like I've screwed up in just about every way possible ever since we started." She looked at him. "It's like... you of all people... you've got it together, you have a plan that ends up working. Ever since I got here I've been on edge and lashing out and generally just been acting as un-Jedi like in terms of dealing with people or my own emotions. And then it comes to a head with me nearly losing control and almost turning my lightsaber on a civilian."

He listened intently, encouraging her. "Go on." She seemed to stumble for words for a moment before starting again- he said nothing as she began.

"I... since I was young, I've always had this... grand vision, of Jedi being keepers of the peace while being defenders of the galaxy and all it's people. I can't say I honestly know what they were like in real life before the Purge, but my mother used to tell me how they were looked on with respect and admiration, how they commanded the Force and spoke with authority, bringing justice everywhere they went. She used to tell me there was more than one way to do that, tried to teach me the Trianii political system and how to further the peace of our people, how to interweave our religion into our policies and give them weight. But I felt the only way I could be of any service was to show I could be strong enough to defend my own home."

Kajex nodded. "So you joined the Trianii Rangers."

"Yes... and almost nothing changed."

"Why not?" the wolf asked, cocking his head in confusion.

"My mother's interference, to put it short. She had reservations against my decision, yet ultimately could do nothing to prevent me from enlisting. But because she still holds a lot of sway on Ekibo, she saw to it that my assignments were as far from danger as possible, mostly working with local law enforcement. Even though I had nine years of juvenile Ranger training, my mother made sure I never saw any real action." She paused. "In the four years I had served, I maybe only had three real brawls to speak of, none of them life-threatening or particularly significant- well beneath the skill of a trained Trianii Ranger. Oh I trained, yes. I trained starting from my fifth cycle onward, until I enlisted a year late, and I trained even after that point, every chance I was able to- but I often trained alone. It's hard to find sparring partners when you're born into a family like mine."

"Influential?"

"And rich." She sighed. "And elitist, to be quite honest. Not to mention overly spiritual. Trianii faith is far from fundamentalist, and has changed much in just the last hundred years as it has the last thousand. I have eight siblings, and five of them are either prefects for our temples or members of _yu'nar_on other worlds- one of my older sisters heads our mother's bodyguards. Yet of the nine of us, I know of only one who is agnostic when it comes to our faith- whereas I'm about as atheistic as it comes for my kind, as much respect as I might have for our culture and history."

"Nothing wrong with that," the wolf said.

"To most cultures that don't face execution for apostasy, no- not that this is a punishment for my people's faith. But it's also not looked upon favorably in the slightest, to the point that those who feel as I do keep it to themselves for fear of ostracization. And while I'm certain my own mother doesn't know for sure, sometimes I wonder if her meddling means she suspects, that she does it to inject her values onto me. Or perhaps she discovered it after all, and forced me to boring, impractical assignments to compel me to return to her ways."

Kajex understood. "You lack any practical experience in dealing with people on a regular basis because you chose to turn away from a station that would have required you to, yet have even less practical experience as a Ranger in a high-stress environment because your mother ensured you wouldn't face it."

Syrra nodded. "I thought joining the Jedi Praxeum would help me develop more skill, confidence and credibility, while simultaneously being a place my mother _couldn't_influence. And I _am_skilled, in lightsaber combat and in moderate Force ability, but... I've yet to actually demonstrate that in any mission I've accompanied my Master on."

"Do you feel you've learned anything from it?"

"Now...? I don't know." She scoffed sadly. "Certainly haven't done a great job managing my emotions. Look at me... I'm a fucking mess right now."

Kajex said nothing for a moment, his attention drawn back to the food processor as it finished depositing its contents into each mug he had fitted under it. He kept his eyes on Syrra as he retrieved the steaming drinks, setting one before her, a rich scent wafting through the air. He took a careful sip, regarding her silently, before leaning forward.

"How old do you think I am, Syrra?"

She looked up, gazing at him. "... Late twenties, early thirties at most?"

Kajex smiled. "Try nearly fifty."

She stared at him. "... That can't be right. Not unless you have a longer lifespan than most alien species. You look... well, not young, but not as old as fifty."

He shook his head, now grinning behind his mug- it was time to make things interesting for her. "I doubt you'd know for sure. I haven't met a single person, traveled to a single planet or found a single medical repository that can tell me what_I actually am- only that my lifespan is longer than a Trianii's or a Shistavanen's. And I'm told that despite my wolfish characteristics I am definitely _not_a Shistavanen, my genetics are something almost completely different- not to mention, I'm far more handsome than they are," he added with a chuckle. "To be fair, I've technically only 'lived' about thirty-two years- but I've been... '_alive' since before the Clone Wars."

He held up a paw as she started to speak. "Before you ask, it's a long story- a personal one I don't know all the details to and which involves a significant amount of tragedy that I'd frankly not delve into- and which I'd appreciate you not share with anyone else." He sighed. "Not because I don't like you, mind you. I... actually kinda do like you. You're alright. But I've never found it easy to trust people."

"Why not?"

"Circumstances of my life, coupled with the kind of cynicism that only comes from trying to do the right thing, only to turn around and notice someone else is committing another atrocity- a couple of near death experiences, and the loss of a few good friends." He waved it off. "That's not the point I'm trying to get at, Syrra. We're talking about you, here."

Syrra sighed. "What _about_me? I can't compare, not to you. My uncle was right to hire you."

Kajex smiled, gesturing to her mug. "Drink."

"... What is it?" she asked first, raising the mug and looking at the mixture of a creamy, rich brown liquid.

"It's a drink from the Inner Core called hot chocolate, with a mint creamer." He paused. "The kind of day you're having is the kind of day I'm familiar with. I've been at this job for almost fifteen years- I've had a lot of days like that too. And every one of those kinds of days became bearable due to the contents of that mug. Drink."

She hesitated a moment, wondering how a simple drink would help- a delicious warmth seeped through her muzzle as she sipped, the feline recognizing the dairy taste, but not the rich sweetness it accompanied. She drew the mug back, looking to him. "You either have good taste, or I have similar tastes- that's the second drink today you've given me that I've enjoyed."

Kajex grinned. "It's a simple taste. But sometimes that's all I really want out of life." He leaned back, considering his words before speaking.

"You're right. You _can't_compare to me, because you're not meant to. You're a Force-sensitive, capable of things that most folks throughout the universe can't even conceive of. You started on a completely different path from mine, one far more difficult in its own way because you didn't have the convenience of older, closer mentors to help you the way that I did. I was fifteen when I started doing this- and I wasn't alone. I had help before I was forced to be solo, and I had a hard life before then. Nobody kept me from fulfilling my potential- I had to fulfill my potential quickly just to stay alive."

"You never had the ease that comes with challenge, gained the strength that comes from conquering risk. You were limited to what you've experienced- which sadly sounds like very little. And I empathize with that. Hopefully, no longer being cloistered from the rest of the universe means you'll actually be able to experience it, now. What happened at the Menagerie... after hearing you tell me this, I can understand why you reacted the way you did."

Syrra sipped her drink- she seemed to look a little better. "Elaborate, please. I'd like to know."

"You weren't ready for an actual fight. You don't have a tuning knob controlling how you react, measuring a situation quickly to see how much or how little force you need to defuse the situation, or subdue a hostile- it's either 'on' or 'off' at this point. And you've never really experienced the fear that comes from a life or death situation that you have any control over, where the threat is another being with another life." He frowned, sympathetically. "It's not an easy thing to experience for the first time, for most sentient races- it's more difficult to be ready to take a life, and far more difficult to know when it's necessary, without that experience. Wasn't easy for me, either."

Syrra set her mug down. "I still nearly lost control."

"But you didn't."

"Only because you helped."

The captain smiled again. "And what would have kept you from throwing me off using the Force and doing it anyway? You're a decent person, Syrra, and you're certainly not beyond hope. It'll come with time and effort. You just have to bear in mind that not every conflict will require you to run in and bust some balls. It takes a little effort to learn when that's necessary, but it's far from impossible to learn. Hell, you did well today just doing your Jedi thing and actually coming to a peaceful solution just by talking- if I'm not mistaken, that's the kind of thing Jedi are supposed to do."

She said nothing in response, and Kajex felt a touch concerned. Then she managed a soft smile. "Thanks, Kajex." She took in a deep breath. "I was... wrong about you, I really was." She paused. "One of my fellow students, Garrett, told me a bit of discussion can lead to understanding people better. He was right. I learned a lot about Markus- and you."

"Don't sweat it. I was wrong about you too, very wrong. And this friend of yours seems spot on; I think I understand you better, as well." He set his mug down as well. "If it helps, I'll keep my eyes on you more often if either of us think we'll be butting heads with others. I can't tell you how to use the Force, but if we ever need to cut loose and bash some heads, I'll give you a heads up, and if you need me to help you reign your temper in, I'll help you there too."

Syrra nodded, then drained the last of her mug, licking the corners of her muzzle. "You were right... that _did_help." She stood. "Thanks, Kajex- I really mean it."

"Like I said- anytime."

"So... should we head down to the hangars and--"

"Whoa, hold on now," he said, getting to his feet. "Far as I'm concerned, you need a while to put this day into perspective. I helped by talking- I think it's up to you to come to terms with it." He checked the time. "It's not even afternoon yet. I need to get my slicing equipment ready as it is; firmware and software updates, run a couple of diagnostics, etc.. You should relax for now. We can investigate the hangars tomorrow evening- my equipment will be ready by then."

Syrra shook her head. "I need to do something constructive, though."

"The rest of the ship minus the cockpit is open for you. Just remember what I said before- don't slice the hull open, please."

Syrra's departure gave the wolf time to reflect on how things seemed to be panning out. All-in-all, he decided, a moderate amount of progress on both their parts. He hoped sincerely she would come to terms with herself soon, not just to be effective while they worked, but because he was increasingly beginning to like it when she smiled.

He turned to his personal console. "Any messages?"

"13 UNREAD MESSAGES."

"... How many are from Liam?" he asked hopefully.

"13 UNREAD MESSAGES."

Kajex let out a sigh- couldn't say that the man wasn't persistent. "Delete all of them. Open daily generated slicing exercise."

"MESSAGES DELETED. SECURITY ACCESS PROGRAM OPENED. INSERT BYPASS DEVICE."

"... Shit." Kajex looked around to be sure his profanity was merited, but the cockpit was in many ways the barest part of the ship, so it didn't take long to see that he hadn't brought his own datapad with him- he'd likely left it in his room, again. "Fine, close program." He sighed, watching the test system flicker off. Retrieving his datapad would mean passing the lounge, and despite whatever improvements between himself and Syrra he was sure she would prefer not being bothered for the moment. No weights were up front either, so that was a bust. Running laps around the circular hallways might irritate her, as well. Kajex let out an annoyed whine as he realized he was stuck up front, leaning back in his chair, folding his arms and looking grumpy to nobody in particular, staring out of the cockpit into the gradually-darkening docking bay.

It had been years since Kajex had grown bored of his own on-board archives- training to stave off boredom had been done just as much out of desperation as it had been done out of pragmatism. Money was too tight to purchase anything new frequently, either to keep his interest up or spruce up the place, the latter of which Kajex had accepted long ago was something his ship sorely needed. The odd friend on his vessel was always a welcome visit, but despite how well things seemed to be getting between them he wasn't sure Syrra would call him a 'friend' yet- which for some reason bothered him. Maybe after a couple more weeks it'd reach that point, but Kajex considered it a mildly long shot, particularly since the job might well be over by then.

After a few minutes, he heard the snap-hiss of Syrra's lightsaber activating in the lounge, followed by the slow, steady humming of the energy blade cutting through the air- she seemed to have opted to do drills to get her mind off things, maybe practice restraint. A part of him was curious to see her at work, though he doubted it was anything particularly advanced if she was a Padawan. Yet with nothing else to do except maybe sleep, he got to his feet, stretched out and sauntered down the hall.

His heavy-booted footfalls seemed to have alerted her when he entered the lounge, the Trianii freezing in mid-swing. Kajex held up his paw. "Don't mind me, just forgot my datapad in my quarters, I'll be out of your way." She nodded, resuming her drills as if he weren't there. The captain started to move into the right hall, before turning back and watching.

She moved smoothly with her lightsaber in paw, cutting through the air in slow, circular arcs as she moved down the length of the lounge, her feet sliding more than falling on the deck with each step. She reached the opposite end of the lounge, whipping around and slashing at neck level, twisting the weapon around and beginning a series of advancing overhead strikes, ending the assault with a two-handed lunge. A second's pause and she drew back the blade, leaping back nearly the entire length of the lounge, near where Kajex watched intently, though she seemed to not notice him.

Her next attack surprised him, her long, thick tail snaking near her right wrist as she drew her arm back- almost imperceptibly, her tail coiled tightly around the handle and swung around her, the lightsaber held just as securely as if it were in here paw as she smoothly transitioned into a hand-to-hand combat stance. She lunged again, striking at midsection level with a kick, then a roundhouse at neck level. She followed up with a backhand, continuing her moment and spinning, slashing out with her tail-bound lightsaber, dropping low to sweep at leg-level, leaping from the crouch into an overhead kick before returning to her combat stance.

Kajex couldn't help himself. "Damn."

Syrra whirled around, lightsaber falling out of her tail's surprise-slackened grip, the blade deactivating before it cut into the floor. "How long have you been there?" she questioned him tensely.

Kajex smiled sheepishly- busted. "I actually didn't leave once I saw you going. That was impressive. I've seen some decent swordplay before, but I think this is the first time I've seen Shii Cho, Echani martial arts and tail swordfighting in one training demonstration. It looks improvised- but professional."

Syrra cocked her head to once side, surprised. "You know lightsaber forms?"

Kajex nodded. "You can call them lightsaber forms- doesn't mean non-Jedi don't practice them with traditional bladed weapons. Besides that, I have a few recordings of lightsaber demonstrations from before the Clone Wars, so I've seen _Shii Cho_in action. Pretty simple stuff, but sometimes a return to the basics is what you need."

Syrra picked up her weapon, frowning. "I didn't see those recordings on your server."

"That'd be because they're on holodisk, I keep them off the ship's server." He hesitated. "Tell you what- provided you don't tell anyone... I'll let you study them, if you'd like."

"... You'd be okay with that?" she asked apprehensively.

"Yeah- I think you could put them to better use than I could, honestly." He fixed a stern gaze at her. "But you need to swear not to tell anyone about them. The Imperial Remnant still goes out of their way to purge Jedi recordings and kill or imprison people who carry them. They've been known to wander into the Wild Space Region from time to time, and I've had my own run-ins with them on-planet."

"Then why do you have them in the first place?"

"Because I have a soft spot for choreography, that's why. Those demonstrations might be practical for fighting, but they're also fairly artistic in nature, which I can appreciate. Hell, I even have a few Trianii ritual dances on my ship server- I always admired those dances. They're... entrancing." He paused. "That and I figure that evidence that the Jedi existed should exist _somewhere_in the universe. Those recordings might be the only ones of their kind left."

Syrra cocked her head with a questioning look.

"I mean... call me strange for it, but... knowledge like that shouldn't be forgotten, you know? So, I'll let you borrow them- if you can promise not to reveal them to anybody else."

"I... don't know if I could. The Jedi Praxeum could find use for them."

"You can tell them they exist, that's fine- just... let me decide if I want to share it with them, either."

Syrra hesitated, then nodded. "Nobody will hear it from me, not even the Praxeum- not until you tell me otherwise. I promise."

Syrra's heartbeat was racing with every second that passed while the recording progressed, not unlike when she'd nosed around through Kajex's onboard stash of pornography and tended to herself- but her excitement and anxiousness were aroused now by the demonstrations she was watching. She had spent all of the previous night and most of the day studying the holotapes, only stopping when Kajex offered food, at which point she'd spend an hour talking with him. She paid close attention as she examined the footage, watching the Togruta battlemaster demonstrate the 4th form,Ataru- a kinetic, yet focused and acrobatic style of lightsaber combat that appealed to her greatly. It was a style she felt she could replicate with a few months of study.

What she hadn't expected were the guidelines and breakdown of the style as a whole, which interested Syrra- these were more than mere demonstration recordings, but actual instructional recordings, even bearing the old Jedi Order emblem at the corner of the screen. True, the recording did hold at least an hour's worth of lightsaber cadences on just _Ataru_alone, but each demonstration was summarily analyzed and elaborated on, resulting in what appeared to be dozens of hours of education. Syrra thought perhaps Kajex just had not seen the footage for what it was, though how he managed to get his paws on it was another matter.

The footage ended and she laid back on her bunk. The captain had surprised her with his kindness and perspective. She admitted that she had based her initial impressions on him from Master Moarn's warnings about mercenaries- perhaps he spoke from experience, but now Syrra was forced to admit that it had been unfair of her to conclude Kajex had picked his occupation based on greed, when it was clear he was light on credits and fairly generous even to her.

Something stirred in her- arousal, though not like it had been before. She sat up, sighing contentedly and readjusting herself, feeling nothing in the way of frustration or hesitation as she had in the past. After the first night's sleep on the Roulette, Syrra had decided to tend to herself every night in order to relieve tension- she was surprised how effective it had been, how much easier she could sleep and think after it was done, and in any case it was less bothersome than putting up with that arousal for a few hours.

Female Trianii arousal could get exceptionally bothersome for a few of her kind, particularly those gauged to be more fertile than average, though Syrra felt it had recently become far easier for her, now that she was becoming less and less conservative about it. Years of having her mother demand her to hold herself to a higher standard had prevented her from frequent personal experimentation. But now things had changed, most notably the fact that her mother was no longer present nor was she in a group or setting where her personal privacy was compromised- even in the Praxeum, there were few places to find true solitude, and this ship served as the first instance where she had privacy.

Yet a larger change, she realized, involved Kajex. She couldn't deny any longer that he was physically attractive, even if he wasn't Trianii (though she would never admit it to him, even if he had admitted he found her attractive). Even despite his strange, canine qualities, Syrra could not help now and again fantasizing about him. But something was different, now. As she kicked off her boots and pants, undid her upper robes and set them aside, she felt that attractiveness mixed with admiration and fondness, such that she found herself smiling thinking about him. Perhaps he was rubbing off on her, helping her to open up and relax.

A burning blush filled her cheeks as she wondered briefly if perhaps he had been 'rubbing off' to her.

She shook her head, though she still smiled. Despite whatever she felt for the captain (which she figured was nothing more significant that mild attraction), she doubted the feeling was mutual. "I... actually kinda _ do _like you. You're alright." Those words echoed in her memory, causing her to pause for a moment before dismissing it. It'd be best not to read deeply into it- but she did consider it a positive comment.

The entire last week had ended with a wet paw between her legs, but she was less-inclined to rifle through the captain's collection of erotica. Her continued practice of masturbation had conjured up fantasies that only a week ago she would not have dared dream; fantasies of the Cathar and his human 'lover'; of attractive Trianii males she had fancied long ago; but central to these fantasies was Kajex, whom she had been intrigued by since her first session onboard the Roulette- though since then, she had decided it was slightly crossing the line using the Force to watch him pleasure himself, and so had not done it since.

Yet it was with him in mind that she began to run her paws down her body, stretching out on the bunk as she cupped each breast firmly, exhaling in satisfaction. She could hear Kajex grunting in the lounge down the hall, the captain having told her he'd be working out before he turned in for the night. The knowledge did nothing to soothe her arousal, only heighten it as she imagined his body in the bare once again, imagining his large, soft paws instead of hers as they groped her, then slid down her belly, tracing a finger around and against each of her 4 lesser nipples, letting out a soft coo and a shiver. It was his fingers in her mind, not hers, that slipped against, pinched and teased them- it was erogenous zone number one to her, the place that mixed her up so badly when she stroked them with sexual intent and made her stomach flutter.

It was effective enough that by the time she turned her attention to her cleft several minutes later she was already moist to a minor degree, a thin film of slickness trailing out from between her netherlips against. She spent a moment caressing her pubic fluff gently, causing a slight, pleasurable tickle before she traced a finger around her clit, heightening the tension in her loins even more. Taking care not to vocalize her pleasure she followed it up with a thumb and second finger, carefully applying gentle pressure against each side of the nub and gritting her teeth, tensing as her body flushed rapidly from the thrill of teasing erogenous zone number two.

By her fourth night of sexual self-exploration she had learned to tease herself, to outlast her own body's desires until she was ready- but now focusing on Kajex's form seemed to accelerate her arousal, the feline shivering as her fingers danced against the thinly-furred lips of her cleft. Another dive into her fantasy and they were _his_fingers, the wolf pressing against those lips and spreading them apart while he leaned in to nip at her neck gently.

The fantasy alone was erotic enough that the sensation may as well have been real, causing she squeaked softly in reaction, her paw leaving the stimulation of her teat to stifle the noise. She allowed only a few moments to catch her breath before returning to her self-pleasure, her thick tail twitching as she drove a pair of fingers into her body slowly. Another moment to catch her breath, and she started.

It was a slow, alternate pistoning of each of her digits, drawing one out while the other speared deeper into her nethers, dull claws scraping deliciously against the roof of her tunnel, her fingerpads soothing the rougher treatment. She drew on recent experience, reaching deep in her crevasse to caress areas that sent shocks through her body, tail twitching violently after each grazing thrust. Another pause. Another start. The effect hazed her senses, a dull purr shaking through her- the paw that stifled her vocalization had long since returned to her teats, trembling fingers caressing each nub on her abs, only slightly noticeable beneath her fur.

She hissed sharply, breaking through the haze to focus on her fantasy. Everything foreign about his member seemed to have been committed to memory, all ten inches of it- from the tapered tip, to the thickness at the base, to his throbbing knot. Every detail she recounted in her head seemed to make her inner walls clench around her digits, trembling around the intruders tightly for a few moments. Visions of her paw touching on that length, squeezing the wolf's member firmly and coaxing precum from its tip, all while he sank his fingers into her cleft repeatedly, mixed in with the sensations she underwent. She opened her eyes, her fantasy so vivid that she was not staring at the ceiling of the crew quarters, but him, looking down into her eyes and smiling gently, compassionately-lovingly, she imagined.

With a quiet gasp, the fantasy shattered the same instant as she rolled her hips up uselessly into her own paw. In desperation she flexed her wrist, trying to delve deeper into her body, yet her fingers had reached their maximum length. She flex her paw back up, letting out a small mewl as her palm pressed just above her clit and drew down against it. She tried once more, using her thumb instead as she swirled her fingers down the well, spiraling through her sensitive snatch, every second of stimulation bringing her to her climax. Now Kajex was on top of her, within her, driving his exotic prick into her repeatedly, breathing incomprehensible words into her ears- and the urge to mewl nearly overwhelmed her.

She stifled it, barely, by bringing her tail quickly to her muzzle and inserting the tip before it could escape her lips. Another squeak escaped her as nipping the extreme end of her tail made her writhe, the Trianii forgetting in her lustful haze about erogenous zone number three. She set to work on it, pressing her lips gently around the tip, shuddering and trying endure her blissful self-torture. One paw continued its rotation around her ample breasts and hardened nipples, beads of sweat forming on each of them as her pleasure mounted; the second one redoubling its efforts in her snatch, finally having located her g-spot only a slight way in and alternating between grinding the pads of her fingers against it and caressing it delicately, thumb still dancing in circles around her clitoris; and her third zone continuing to be assaulted by her kissing, licking and gentle nips.

It was then a final image took for in her fantasy, that of the wolf's cock buried in her cleft, of being held close to him, of his muzzle pressed against hers as he expressed deep intimacy with her. Her face burned with the very idea, but nowhere near as much as her heart did. Every part of her seemed to scream as the vision showed her returning the kiss deeply, hips turned up as she received his final thrust.

A part of her told her it was too soon, too quick- but it was not a part of her that was in control, and soon enough she hissed again, feet pressed hard against the bunk as she jerked her hips up, letting out a choked moan as an incredible orgasm rocked through her body, jerking hard with each wave of intense bliss that ran through her as easily as blood. Her head swam in a sea of lust as her body unwound, muscles relaxing, now subjected to the soothing ministrations of a body-wide purr.

It was some time before she could conjure enough willingness to move. She rolled to her side, breathing slowing back to a normal, relaxed pace. She took a deep breath, letting out half as she sat back up, feeling far better than she had been earlier- it was as refreshing as meditation, but more effective at reducing her tension, she felt. The only thing bothering her, she reflected, were the fantasies she was using. She felt a slight bit of unease with the idea of using Kajex's appearance, chalking it up to the fact that he was the only male she'd encountered beyond her own kind that she both found attractive and to whom she had any growing respect for.

She knew it was wrong- but felt no guilt for it.

Another deep breath, and she frowned- the scent was on her. She glanced up at the wall-mounted chronometer, noting that it was close to evening- time enough for her to catch a rinse in the 'fresher. She jumped down from the bunk, hurrying to slip her robes back on. A thought occurred to her and she froze, pressing her ear near the hatch, listening for Kajex still in the lounge- there was nothing but silence. Certain that the path between her and the refresher would be clear, she slipped a simple shirt on, grabbed a towel from one of the lockers and stepped down the corridor, yearning for a quick shower to remove the scent.

She was halfway there when Kajex stepped out from the aft of the ship, almost walking into her with his eyes on his datapad- at the last moment he shifted back, looking up. "Shi-- sorry Syrra, I didn't expect you to be back here- just running a diagnostic on the engines before we head out to... everything okay?"

Syrra's eyes widened, words failing her. Her muzzle moved, trying to form any word that could be used as a lie. His eyes fell on the towel. "Ah, using the 'fresher, right. We still got about 30 minutes before we can head out." He frowned in concern. "What's the matter, you look..."

...Oh no.

Now her body seemed to fail her, legs frozen in place as her mind screamed at her to move as fast as possible past him. The change in his posture as he paused, breathed in. The confused look on his face, then the dawning comprehension in his golden eyes, the surprised stare at her- he said nothing... but he knew.

He can detect my scent. Her muzzle moved again- nothing but a horrified squeak came out.

With sheer force of will, she leaned forward and shouldered past Kajex hard, the wolf dropping his datapad with a yelp as she sprinted down the curved corridor into the refresher, slamming the hatch behind her.

Kajex waited patiently in the lounge with his gear off to the side in an engineering bag- he had made no attempt to knock on the 'fresher hatch, knowing the last thing Syrra would want him to do was check in on her. He desperately hoped she wouldn't try to hang herself in the refresher out of embarrassment, feeling both pity and concern for his partner. He didn't really need her help for tonight; but he wanted it all the same, if only to get her spirits back up by making more progress on the case.

Still, it was difficult to blame her for wanting to avoid him, though he hoped that this incident wouldn't linger overmuch or cause a rift after all the progress they made in dealing with each other. The last thing he wanted to do at the moment was write a progress report to Aarn to tell him his niece had lost her nerve and was reticent on continuing the mission while Kajex was around. He kept his ear out for the running water in the ship, ears perking up as the rush of fluid through the piping stopped. A few minutes later, he heard her footfalls on the deck, slowly approaching the lounge. They stopped and he saw her peek timidly into the room, eyes spotting him before she jerked back out of sight, an audible groan echoing in the room.

Kajex sighed. "C'mon out, Syrra."

She let out a quiet curse before complying, eyes averted as she strode up to him- her fur was still slightly damp but she bore no scent that he could perceive. Before he could speak, she cut him off. "Kajex... did you...?"

He hesitated, but after a moment nodded. There was no pointing lying to her about it- she knew that he knew. "Yeah, I did." She tried to speak again, but he cut her off this time. "Look, if you don't feel like you can pretend that this didn't happen, which I'm_perfectly_ willing to do... would you believe me if I said I don't think any less of you for it?"

Syrra stared at him. "Why not?"

Kajex smiled. "Because you're talking to me, that's why. I'm not going to judge you for what you may, or may not, have done earlier, even if you're a Jedi- not when I'm more than likely much worse about it."

She said nothing, a red flush growing on her cheeks.

The captain cleared his throat and looked around, getting back on track. "We should head out. Few folks will be out there at this hour, the darkness will give us some cover to work. We can talk about this later- or not at all, if you'd like." He hefted the bag over his shoulder and punched the ramp controls.

She nodded, looking grateful that he was willing to move away from the awkward moment.

The starport was not completely silent or lifeless, smaller ships still flitting in and out of the hangers and docking bays, pilots and crewmembers sauntering down some of the terminals, while hired security guards and mercenaries stood guard at some of the terminal doors, glaring at passersby or chatting with their bosses. For the most part, nobody noticed as a Trianii Jedi in a bomber jacket and her wolfish partner strode towards the less-inhabited parts of the starport. A few scavenging vermin squeaked and scurried away as they approached one of the hangars.

Syrra punched in the code her uncle had given her at the door controls, the hatch hissing open quietly as Kajex looked around, eyes darting side to side before following the feline in. She glanced back at him before she scanned the hangar bay- it was empty in most respects, holding no ships, though there were a considerable number of cargo containers laying about, stacked two or three high. She ducked behind them, peering out from behind the corner before facing . "What are you hoping to find by slicing?" she asked as he approached a terminal, pulling out his datapad and a handful of cables and tools. He didn't answer immediately, attaching a small device to the underside of the console.

"Count to ten when I lift this up." He paused, making sure as she was watching when he stuck a flat lever out and jammed it in the corner of the terminal, grunting as he forced the terminal faceplate up and exposed its now-vulnerable circuitry- she counted immediately.

"One... two... three... four... five... si--"

"Got it, we're in." He held up his datapad. "Had to put a disruptor on the frame to stagger the alarm and keep it from connecting to the starport's main computer til I deactivated it." He grinned. "Technically, what I'm doing is illegal- but as it's for the greater good, I'm not particularly repentant."

She prodded again. "What are you looking for?"

He paused for a moment, looking around before hooking his pad into the terminal. "A call-sign. Most slicers are too ballsy and eager for some sort of fame that they almost always attach an identifier to their coding, or leave it as a kind of makeshift 'calling-card', so that other slicers will recognize it- or to just piss off the local authorities. Most who do that have it set to auto so that it leaves the call-sign behind every time they break into a system, no matter how minor."

"If it's a call-sign, then it won't be a name we can use, will it?" she noted shrewdly.

"Probably not, though you'd be surprised how many idiot wanna-be code-kiddies actually use their real name. I'm not counting on it this time, but these terminals are meant to log cargo and crew manifests, departure times, ETAs and other crucial details- if they took a peek in here, chances are good they left a call-sign and I'll find it. It'll be another lead, hopefully to a name we can track. For now, we just ha--"

"Kajex." Her tone was hushed, tense- Kajex stiffened. "... Someone is here. I can sense them." She hissed defensively, her eyes darted around the hangar. Neither of them spoke.

It happened in a blur- Syrra leapt into Kajex, grabbing him around the neck and forcing him onto the ground just as a blaster-bolt rang out, flashing overhead and scoring a direct hit on the datapad, the device exploding in a shower of sparks and shrapnel. Another shot rang out just as Syrra pulled the neck of his jacket back, the two of them rolling into cover behind the cargo containers. They kept their heads down as a rain of energy poured on their position, exploding against the containers but failing to pierce through.

"CEASE FIRE!" a voice roared.

The flurry stopped- there was a ringing silence as feline and canine exchanged grim expressions. Kajex swore. "_Fuck!"_he muttered under his breath.

"What's wrong?" Syrra asked, certain she was not going to like the answer.

"I forgot to bring my rifle," he answered with a grim look.

The voice rang out again.

"You fucking fur-fucks have _ten seconds_to show yourselves with your hands up, before we toss a detonator and blow your furry asses to Alderaan!"

They were in it now.