Anything But Routine

[Q. Samus Dage]

They'd put into Jovan Station for a few days of rest and resupply. Or well, whatever could be finagled from the station's quartermaster at least.

The graceful hulk of Khera'Va'ss'io had burst forth into realspace with a silent thunder of expelled energy, dropping out of hyperspace like some sort of bird of prey falling from the sky to take into its' talons some small, unfortunate scurrying creature. Jovan had hung like a many-armed sentinel before them, and as the expected pleasantries were exchanged and relevant information passed on, they'd been given clearance to 'park', as it were. Khera had sidled up to the appointed spire, and his docking clamps met those of the stations with ease before locking the two together.

On the bridge, Dage gave Rahgus a firm pat to the shoulder.

"Saints and ministers be praised, you actually make it seem like you know how to pilot this old wreck."

The Farghul looked up to the blonde, lips curling back over a row of sharp teeth in a toothy 'grin'. "I do, don't I Commander."

Dage gave a final pat, turned, and looked back to where Captain s'Ilancy sat. She was engrossed in a datapad, with KHER standing over her like some mother hen, one arm reaching down to point at something or another that seemed so fascinating to them both. The two conversed in low tones, speaking in that cursed mother tongue of theirs. Dage cleared his throat.

"Permission to debark, Captain?"

She didn't even look up at him. KHER did, and the Commander found himself wondering - for the hundredth time since meeting the droid - how those inky black eye receptors could convey such impatience. One of the great mysteries of life, he supposed. s'Il finally lifted a hand, waving to the air in silent approval before she and KHER once more resumed their conversation.

Needing no other urging, Dage made his way from the bridge.



Other crewmembers had already begun to file their way through the airlock and out into the spire, and Dage let himself go with the admittedly orderly flow. Stepping onto the decking, the blonde stuffed his hands into the pockets of his uniform trousers as he got a good look at his surroundings. At six foot three inches, he had a certain height advantage that allowed him a bit more of a view than others when it came to crowds. Most seemed to be filings through a checkpoint, and not one to buck any trends, the Commander went along for the ride.

[Q. Samus Dage]

"I see the old lady has decided to stay aboard?"

Dage turned at the voice that spoke to him, looking down at Lieutenant Varin as they both worked their way past the procedural checkpoints and on into the station proper.

"Stick in the mud, that one."

Varin gave a nod in understanding, though there was a wry grin that cut his features. "No doubt in cahoots with that damn droid."

Dage shrugged.

"I'm sure she'll wander off at some point. We've all been cooped up for long enough, so I'd not be too entirely surprised to see her out and about in a bit."

They stepped onto a lift that was soon enough whisking them away from the spire and on toward the central areas of Jovan.

Dage knew that yes, at some point, the Captain would leave the ship, but he also knew that she was loathe to venture from the confines of the familiar despite the reasons. Didn't mean that he and the rest of the crew had to stay aboard though, and most needed no bidding to begin their allotted time away from their duties. It wasn't a long time that they were given, but it was long enough.

The lift slowed, then stopped completely before the doors opened, and stepping out onto the main thoroughfare of the merchant's district, the lanky blonde stepped off, followed by Varin. Clapping a hand to the other man's shoulder, he gave a wide smile.

"I'm off for some food that isn't prepackaged. Don't get into too much trouble, yeah?"

A shake of his head was the Lieutenant's only answer. "I'm not the nuna hawk, remember?"

Dage rolled his eyes at that, knowing exactly what was being implied.

"Yeah well, you get used to it. Another month and it'll all be normal behavior."

"There's nothing normal about what happened on Manaan, Commander."

"You'd be surprised Jeremy." Dage's eyes tracked across the bright signage of a myriad of food vendors, and he stepped away. "You'd be surprised."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

Don't play with your food wasn't a Cizeri expression. When a good amount of what you ate was still alive, there was a certain amount of play that happened as part of the ritual. T'yeellaa flipped the thimiarr over as it attempted yet again to flee it's demise. The large rodent was tiring out, having been gouged a few times by rough handling from clawed hands. Yet despite the torture, the K'ohta'rrou's mind certainly wasn't on the task. She focused on the conversation at hand between Preita'rrou Nautuurri and Preita'rrou Siindaarroa concerning the Nuffin freighter that had been impounded the previous day.

"We don't have anjythjing to hold them forr, rrou'a." Nautuurri shrugged. The shaven-headed Naala'in officer licked away blood on her lips as she tapped the now-empty counter in front of her as a sign for the server to supply her with another live morsel.

"No contrraband?" T'yeellaa glanced at the two lieutenants, and they both shook their heads. Preita'rrou Siindaarroa flicked her hapless thimiar between her two waiting hands, sinking claws into it's back as it squealed.

"Not a trrace of rrjyll. Nothjing. Ourr jinforrmant musst be wrrong."

T'yeellaa's thimiar attempted another break, and the K'ohta'rrou speared one of it's paws fast to the counter.

"Thejy'rre not wrrong, Preita'rrou. Majybe thejy made thejirr deljiverrjy, orr majybe thejy dumped the pajyload at the ssjign of trrouble. Ejitherr wajy, jI jintend to fjind them out. Worrk wjith Chjief Essk'avarr. He'ss crreatjive. jI'm ssurre he'll fjind a rreasson to keep ourr Nuffjin frrjiendss jin ourr cusstodjy forr a ljittle whjile longerr untjil we get to the bottom of thjiss."

Movement caught T'yeellaa's eyes as she raised her hapless rodent up to her mouth. She paused, granting the exhausted thimiar reprieve as she returned it to the counter.

"Commanderr Dage?"

She'd made it a point to acquaint herself with the executive staff of all Alliance warships passing through Jovan, and her morning browsing of dossiers kept the human's image fresh in her mind. Rising from her stool at the feeding kiosk, T'yeellaa thumped her prey along the countertop, putting it back into play for the two Preita'rrous to fight over.

"jI'm K'ohta'rrou Meorrrei. Welcome to Jovan Sstatjion."

[Q. Samus Dage]

The sound of his name being spoken arrested his forward movement, and Samus Dage turned to look at the one who'd called to him. A blonde Cizerack woman, proper and stiff-backed. He vaguely recognized her from the small amount of reading up he'd done on Jovan's staff. He knew well enough that Kes had been shuffled into the unenviable position of heading the Ithorian spider that was Jovan Station, but what he could immediately recall of the other command staff was minimal at best.

Meorrrei. K'ohta'rrou.

And then he smiled, shoulders hitching back just a bit as he looked down at her, and one hand coming out of his pocket, the blonde offered a handshake.

"K'ohta'rrou," the word rolled off his tongue rather easily. He'd been enough places in this galaxy to pick up on the inflections of Cizeri.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

Commander Dage was a learned forrda, or at least knew his way well enough around the mother tongue to pass muster. T'yeellaa's ears raised a small measure as she humored him with the human custom of grasping hands.

"jIss therre anjythjing jI can do to accommodate jyourr warrsshjip whjile jyou rremajin jin porrt?"

In reviewing Dage's file, K'ohta'rrou Meorrrei had also read up on their previous mission. What was supposed to be a simple transfer of power on Manaan had been anything but. Imperial intransigence had lead to a limited skirmish and an explosion incidentally occurred at the same time at the planet's kolto refineries, setting back medical production by months.

[Q. Samus Dage]

"Just here for a little bit of downtime, K'ohta'rrou."

Still he smiled, but his eyes soon enough went from her to the glut of signs above each eatery that dotted the clustered landscape. For now he rather pointedly ignored her offer at helping to make Khera's servicing more of a smooth affair. He was here for himself, after all. If the Captain wanted him to attend to the matters of restocking (which she usually did not, thankfully), then he would do so. Now? Now he was here on a mission to satisfy his increasingly ravenous stomach.

"And a bit of lunch that isn't a ration pack."

Finally his gaze returned to her, and Dage gave her a cheeky wink. "Something not alive."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"Of courrsse."

She'd spent enough time around forrda to not balk at their fussy dietary requirements. T'yeellaa laced her fingers together in front of her as her tail swayed lazily.

"Commanderr Akjiena prreferrss the Rrodjian esstabljisshment jif that jiss alsso jyourr tasste."

It certainly wasn't by her own experience, and the K'ohta'rrou couldn't wax specific on the matter.

"Captajin ss'jIlancjy doess not jojin jyou?"

Not that there was any reason she should, but the familiar humanoid was nowhere to be seen in the exodus of the warship's command staff.

[Q. Samus Dage]

"That old battleaxe likes her privacy."

It was spoken without any real thought, and Dage furrowed his brow as he finally turned once more to look down at K'ohta'rrou Meorrrei.

"And if Kes likes the Rodian place, I think I'll avoid that."

There was a certain amount of caution that laced his words; not distate, just... a hint of past experiences.

"You got something Corellian around here? Or better yet, maybe a Myomarian joint?"

Just the thought of roasted, fresh-sliced shaak haunch on flatbread with mint leaves was enough to make him more than a little bit hopeful.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"The old..."

The questioning look on Meorrrei's face quickly dispelled. It wasn't worth tripping over forrda idioms to get to the bottom of the matter, which was simply that she wouldn't be coming aboard. No matter. Their crossing paths on Muunilinst had been incidental at most. At Dage's pointed avoidance of Commander Akiena's preferred eatery, a curious look was returned to Dage, with mildly skewed ears. What was that about? A rivalry, or something more? Commander Akiena had made no real mention of Commander Dage by name, speaking more to the point of his endeavors with Captain s'Ilancy instead.

"Correlljian, jyess."

Gesturing further down the concourse, a sign in basic that read Diktat's Roost glowed amids the dozens of similar signs nearby.

[Q. Samus Dage]

He followed her gesture with his eyes, and Dage felt his smile widen. With an enthusiastic slap to her shoulder, the rangy human gave another forceful slap and a reassuring squeeze to her shoulder.

"Ah! Good!"

He stopped short of giving her ear a good-natured tweak, and instead lifted a single finger to his forehead in a somewhat mock salute coupled with a partial bow, all in the same motion of stepping forward and turning on his heel to afford her a face-to-face thanks.

"You're a life-saver, Ma'am."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

T'yeellaa's tail jerked as if hit by a live wire at the sudden invasion of personal space. Otherwise, she remained stock still at Dage's outburst. He had a flavor of clownish swagger that seemed not to dissimilar to Commander Akiena. Perhaps it was the disquieting similarity that caused Dage to insist on distance?

"jIf therre'ss anjythjing elsse jyou need, let me know."

With a polite smile and a nod of her head, the K'ohta'rrou moved to turn away and resume her predatory habits.

[Q. Samus Dage]

A wink, and the blonde turned to look at the flashing Aurebesh that she'd pointed toward.

"A little company is always appreciated I s'ppose," it was spoken with not a healthy amount of invitation, and Dage spread his arms in a sort of inviting motion before once more returning his hands to his pockets.

"I don't get out often."

Which was a strange sort of lie, as Samus Dage had been to more eateries probably than any one man had a right to. He bent forward slightly, giving her a crooked smile.

"Can't think of anyone better than Kes' K'ohta'rrou to spend lunch with."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

Well, that was unusual.

T'yeellaa paused in her retreat, looking back with amused skepticism. She recognized the construct of the sales pitch he was using. What was unusual was that she was typically the one who used it. Living among forrda was an experiment in opposites. Almost worth the risk of diving into alien cuisine and the threat of gastric distress.

"jI don't sshjy awajy frrom adventurress, Commanderr. Lead on."

[Q. Samus Dage]

Immensely satisfied with himself, Dage lifted a hand up in deference, his crooked grin still present.

"Eh, it's just lunch. I've had my fill of 'adventure' for the time being."

His eyes turned back to the Diktat's Roost, and as she fell into step beside him, the tall blonde ran through in his mind what sort of food might be on the menu. Perhaps a plate of Coronet-style pulled shaak and stewed danna greens, or even smoked shaak ribs? Of course, a thick rare cut of Tyrena-bred nerf with broiled spider shrimp was a meal that he would be more than happy to partake in. Honestly though, the options were endless, and only limited by what the kitchens had stocked. So long as it wasn't some form of packaged ration bars and protein supplements he was not about to be picky.

Approaching the establishment's open arching doorway, Dage sidestepped slightly to allow her entry.

"Ladies first, Ma'am."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

Again taken by surprise and nearly laughing, K'ohta'rrou Meorrrei's ears raised high.

"jI would ssajy Arr'oa fai. jIn the event of a tjie, jyou'rre mjy guesst herre."

With a modest flourish, T'yeellaa swept a hand towards the door.

"Afterr jyou, Arr Dage."

[Q. Samus Dage]

He laughed at that, a good-natured laugh that came easily and was full of a strange sort of sly delight. His hand came out then, and Dage swiftly laid a wide open palm across her shoulder blades. Applying a firm bit of gentle pressure, he pushed her in in front of him.

"Even guests can show a bit of manners, K'ohta'rrou," he grinned, shoving her inside and following right behind her. "Call me old fashioned, but ladies always have the distinction of first entry."

He punctuated his words with a last pat to her shoulder, and turned his attentions to the hostess while holding up two fingers.

"Two please."

A practiced smile met his request, and the doe-eyed human woman plucked up two menus from her podium.

"Follow me."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

There was no sense in getting caught up in an infinite loop of manners and protocol, and T'yeellaa deferred to Dage's wishes, passively resisting with a tail swipe at the human's midsection as she was prodded along.

"Sso human femaless alwajyss enterr fjirrsst? jI can thjink of morre than a few tjimess that mjight be djiffjicult."

Glancing back to Dage with a hint of salacious gleam, T'yeellaa followed the server to a prepared booth. As she did, she couldn't help but think of a similar encounter she'd shared with Commander Akiena not long ago, only this time the sajoi was in her bowl. It was time for her to acclimate to the wild side a bit. And having company that wasn't her superior officer was helping. It removed a lot of complications.

[Q. Samus Dage]

For a brief moment he looked at her with a blank expression, but it wasn't long before his smile was back, and chuckling, Dage lowered himself to sit on one side of the empty table as the hostess set their menus down in front of them. She still smiled, and backed away with little else to say except that she would inform their server to bring them two waters.

"And two pints of Denendre Valley farm ale, if you've got it."

"We do. I'll have them brought out," came the sweet reply as the woman ducked back, whisking away to track down their server.

Supremely satisfied with himself, Dage opened up the menu, giving it a quick scan.

"So then."

It was all mouthwatering to look at, and after another moment he set it back down, looking across the table to T'yeellaa.

"Jovan Station. Seems a bit of an out of the way posting. I know why Kes is here, but what's your story?"

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

He ordered drinks for them both, and T'yeellaa didn't object to the assumption. Better he do it than let her try and run through her limited knowledge of beer which began and ended on Syragor. With the drinks effectively taken care of, the K'ohta'rrou browsed through the menu set before her, but it wasn't long before she set it aside. Half of the pictures she couldn't make heads or tails out of. The descriptions showed meat in most, but it was teased and fussed with to the point where it might as well be abstract art.

The company was more interesting than the menu at any rate. T'yeellaa laced her fingers atop the menu.

"Mjy sstorrjy."

Well, not the best icebreaker. She took a deep breath, considering how much or little needed saying.

"Beforre Jovan, jI captajined a galleon on the ljine forr the Prrjide Navjy - the Haifa'Iro'Iro. The Admjirraltjy wanted ssomeone wjith a prroven and prresstjigjouss rrecorrd to sserrve jin an executjive capacjitjy on thjiss sstatjion."

She pursed her lips slightly, suddenly hopeful the beer wasn't long in arriving. No mention of power plays or her mother.

"jIt wass explajined to me the jimporrtance of thjiss posstjing, and afterr ssome tjime to conssjiderr jit, jI accepted."

[Q. Samus Dage]

Their server appeared with a tray that held two waters and two ales, and he went about setting their drinks on the table. Tucking the tray under one arm, he pulled a small pad and stylus from the front pocket of his apron.

"You two know what you want?"

He'd really only had to glance down the length of the menu to know,and Dage was quick to give a nod. But he was still a gentleman of a sort, and just as he had insisted she go first inside, so too did he now look across the table at her. There was a strange tick to her features, and recognizing it well enough, he turned back to the server.

"We'll need a few more minutes," he chuckled.

A nod, and the server was gone once more.

"It was 'explained' to you. Sounds like there wasn't really any choice to be made on your end, at least."

He knew how such things went; it wasn't exactly all that different at times in the Alliance. He gave a sympathetic smile. "You have my condolences."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

The Cizerack officer gratefully accepted her ale, and taking a moment to sip at the strange libation (much more unusual than the local offerings she was accustomed to), she licked a trace of persistent foam off her upper lip and fell into an even expression at Dage's prognosis of her career path.

"jYou make jit ssound ljike a funerral, Arr Dage. jI have morre than the ejyess of the Admjirraltjy on me herre, but all of ourr Alljiance. Ssometjimess the path to ssuccesss jiss not the path we envjissjion. Arren't jyou ambjitjiouss?"

[Q. Samus Dage]

"I've had my fill of ambition for the time being," came the somewhat level answer, suddenly devoid of the humor that had laced his tone before, "... not to mention the men that have more than they ought to."

Taking up his ale, he brought the glass to his lips for a long pull. It was wonderful, and he could taste each layer of flavor that came and went over the top of his tongue. He swallowed, held his breath for a brief second, then let it out in exhaled troubles as his glass was returned to the table. It was refreshing, and gave him a momentary taste of normality.

It wasn't a moment later though, that he smiled, returning to his good spirits.

"But, Jovan doesn't seem all that bad; I can certainly think of worse places to be stationed."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"A fjingerr on the pulsse of the Hjydjian Wajy, not to mentjion at the nexus between the Alljiance and the Empjirre. Harrdljy a forrlorrn ssectorr of the galaxjy to ssajy the leasst."

T'yeellaa leaned back in her seat slightly, eyeing the unusually strong lacing the ale left on the rim of her glass.

"Sso, no ambjitjion forr jyou then? jYou'rre the executjive offjicerr of Loklorrjien ss'jIlancjy, who neverr fjindss herrsself farr frrom actjion. Then jyou fjind the tjip of the sspearr to be a comforrtable place to rressjide?"

Nevermind Manaan, T'yeellaa knew there were even greater stakes Dage's ship had dealt in. They'd helped to put down a dangerous insurgency amid the formative Alliance's ranks above the Jedi sanctuary world.

[Q. Samus Dage]

"It's a place I've been for a very long time."

Leaning back in the booth seat, Dage fixed her with a knowing look.

"Just because I've no intentions to move on right now doesn't mean I won't in the future. I've got a fair amount of miles put down from where I started out, and I've lost a lot of good friends along the way. I'm not about to settle, gods know I'm not that old yet," he gave her a wink, "... but I'm old enough to know when to stay put for the time being."

A small laugh, and his eyes closed as he shook his head, taking another level off of his drink.

"And Captain s'Ilancy just has bad luck I s'ppose. She certainly doesn't go out looking for fights to pick. We all did enough instigating in the old days to get sick of it."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"Sso jI keep hearrjing. It'ss eassjy to hearr of thrrjilljing explojitss frrom the Alljiance."

The K'ohta'rrou clinked claw tips against her glass, drumming them slightly before she lifted the beer to drink once more.

"We prrovjicjialss arre plajyjing catch-up. Hopefulljy the lack of open confljict doess not borre jyou."

[Q. Samus Dage]

"On the contrary, it's a delightful bit of a refreshing break from the norm."

Again he smiled, but it wasn't long before he took her attentions to a much more pressing issue.

"If you haven't figured out what you want, I'd suggest you do it soon. I'd also suggest the Bindreg Hills style grass snake skewers. Nothing like 'em."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"jI...deferr to the authorrjitjy."

T'yeellaa gestured at the menu flippantly. It was clear she wasn't about to make up from down of any of it.

"Parrt of mjy tassk herre jiss to sserrve as Commanderr Akjiena'ss ljiasson, sso thjiss jiss an opporrtunjitjy to ssee how the otherr ssjide ljivess."

That being said, T'yeellaa recalled from her mother's missives her little misadventure on Ando, and she flicked an ear.

"jI trrusst jyou not to pojisson me, Dage. jYou have a grreat rressponssjibjiljitjy."

[Q. Samus Dage]

"Call me Samus."

He grinned, but it was easy to see that the trust she'd placed in him was taken seriously, and after another moment of looking through the menu, he gave a nod.

"Grass snake skewers it is, then."

And as if he'd heard, their server returned to stand over them, his notepad in hand. "You guys figure everything out then?"

Dage nodded while collecting the menus.

"I'll have the smoked shaak plate, and the lady here will have the skewers."

The man nodded. "Good choices," came the normal conversational fair as he took the menus, gave a quick smile, and was gone once more.

Left alone again - more or less - Dage made himself comfortable in his seat.

"And how is the good Commander Akiena taking everything here? Behaving himself, I hope?"

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

And just like that, first name basis. The K'ohta'rrou's ears perked as she finished another sip. Samus. Awfully close to Sanis to the unaccustomed ear.

"T'yeellaa."

He asked about Commander Akiena, and T'yeellaa mildly rolled her eyes.

"jYou sseem to be qujite famjiljiarr wjith the Commanderr, sso jI'll asssume hjiss sstrrange maverrjick bent jiss norrmal behavjiorr. Let'ss jusst ssajy jit'ss been exhausstjing plajyjing catch-up to hjim."

[Q. Samus Dage]

At that, Dage let out a laugh.

"Maverick? Well, that's the first time I've ever heard anyone call him that."

Reaching for his glass, he took another drink.

"Me an' Kori used to always just call him 'Squirt'." There was a faraway look in his eyes as he spoke, and he seemed to stare over T'yeellaa's shoulder to some invisible spot on the far wall.

"He's a good guy though; you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone better." His eyes returned to her then. "But, he plays a mean game of Sabacc. Never could beat 'im."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"Ssqujirrt?"

Raising an eyebrow, T'yeellaa wondered if explanation would be forthcoming. A highly unusual name to say the least.

"The gambljing jI can attesst to, at leasst. Not sso much at ssabbacc fjirrsst hand, jI do not gamble. But he cerrtajinljy djid sso when the Empjirre prrobed ourr defenssess not long afterr we arrjived herre."

Recalling the event led to a series of quick tail jerks, and T'yeellaa shook her head.

"jI asssume thjiss jiss a trrajit manjy of the old guarrd jin the Alljiance ssharre."

[Q. Samus Dage]

There was no real need to answer that, and Dage only settled for giving her a knowing look from over the rim of his glass. There was more small talk, mostly inconsequential tidbits about this that and the other, and another small bit of time passed before their server arrived carrying two plates. One, with a pile of shredded shaak on a bed of grated tubers and boiled greens, was set in front of Dage. The other, containing five skewers with healthy-sized chunks of seared grass snake drizzled with a garlic and butter sauce and fried karo, was placed before T'yeellaa.

A word of thanks, and the two were left to their meals.

Like a man possessed, Dage took up his fork, at least mindful enough to drop his napkin into his lap before tucking in with ravenous abandon. He chewed the first forkful of shaak, eyes closing as he swallowed.

"Now this is food."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"Compljicated forrda."

T'yeellaa spent an unusual amount of time inspecting the dish in front of her. She knew what a snake was, but what was arrayed before her looked like nothing she'd seen before. A cursory sniff of the dish did little to assure her, and the K'ohta'rrou flicked her blue eyes back up at Dage hesitantly before inspecting the instruments of dissection arrayed to her right. Studying Dage's form, T'yeellaa also spread out the serviette across her lap before clumsily handling the fork in front of her.

By the time she'd committed to the task, it seemed Dage was nearly a quarter of the way through his assorted slop. She watched the method used, and applied it to her own dish. The first sliver of snake on the skewer did not easily relent to prodding. It seemed somewhat stuck. Considering that she might cause a breach in etiquette in simply removing the meat parcels with her teeth, T'yeellaa raised the skewer up in an attempt to dislodge a bite with the tines of the fork which slid around the middle of the skewer. She pressed against it, but again it did not relent. Pressing her pink tongue through her lips in concentration, she tried a little more pressure...

...which freed the bite of snake, sending it flying through the air. Horrified, T'yeellaa promptly put down both fork and skewer alike, and quickly drank from her beer and pretended not to notice.

[Q. Samus Dage]

He'd caught sight of her attempts to free one of the bits of snake from the skewer, and watching quietly as he continued to eat, Dage couldn't help the sly grin that began to form on his lips as she continued to be stymied by the stubborn bit of meat. It all culminated in a rather expected display of flying food, and at her immediate reaction to simply set down the fork and skewer and bury herself in her drink.

He laughed, rocking back a little bit in his seat before leaning forward to reach across the table, and with his off hand grasped a skewer.

"Let me help you," the grin remained.

A little bit of careful negotiating, and he'd managed to slide each chunk down onto her plate.Now empty, the skewer was placed on the outer edge of her plate.

"Course," pulling back away, he returned to his own food, "You could always just use your teeth; it's usually easier that way as it is."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

She rolled her eyes, knowing he'd let her make an ass out of herself. Setting aside the fork for good, the K'ohta'rrou resumed her meal, this time with the proper use of hands and teeth. A morsel of snake disappeared past her lips, and T'yeellaa chewed carefully, not exactly sure what to make of the Corellian delicacy. It tasted better than it smelled, though now she distinctly worried about the state of her breath after finishing the plate.

"Harrdljy tasstess ljike ssnake at all." T'yeellaa muttered dismissively, even as another bite angled up to her mouth.

[Q. Samus Dage]

He didn't really say anything to that, instead favoring her with another grin as he continued to wolf down his own meal. Even if it wasn't fancy, it still reminded him of easier times, and Dage welcomed it with gusto. Taking up his drink, he finished it in one last, long pull.

"To be fair, when was the last time you had a snake that was cooked?"

Another bite, and he took up a forkful of his smoked shaak, depositing the small pile onto her plate.

"There, try that... " a moment of thought, and he followed it with a small dollop of red sauce on the side.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"jIt'ss a dajy of fjirrsstss, Ssamuss."

T'yeellaa held up another piece of snake for appraisal as her eyes drifted past it to her human companion. She dispatched it more casually this time, prepared for the unusual.

"Perrhapss next tjime jI can acquajint jyou wjith the ssubtletjiess of enjojyjing jit when jit'ss sstjill movjing. Perrhapss even tiia'haa'ko jif jyou'rre morre adventurrouss than Commanderr Akjiena."

The K'ohta'rrou eyed the offered portion Dage eased onto her plate with renewed suspicion, which melted away into bravado. For this, she again took up the alien utensil, carefully prodding the shaak through the sauce. It looked like semi-clotted blood, and smelled nothing of the sort. The smell was strong and acrid, and the Cizerack could feel her eyes starting to water at it. Her resolve wavered.

"Thjiss ssmellss djirrtjy."

No, not dirt. Ash. Like it had been rolling in something burned. Even through whatever pungency of the sauce, the meat reeked of soot. T'yeellaa's face reflected her resistant disgust.

[Q. Samus Dage]

"It's the smoke," he assured her. "No dirt, just a good long time spent in a closed bin with probably some Corellian riverbirch tree chips."

He watched her, his own features intensely curious at the sight of her bravado and subsequent distaste at the scents she was picking up.

He scooped up another bit onto his fork, slid it through the sauce, and lifted it up to his mouth.

"You'll like it," he reassured before putting his own forkful into his mouth.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

As repellant as it smelled, T'yeellaa wasn't about to be undone by the bizarre forrda, and she guided the forkful to her mouth. The texture of whatever she was eating fell apart, requiring almost no chewing. There was an assault of too many flavors to quantify, and as she negotiated it, T'yeellaa's eyes watered in earnest. Her ears flicked as she closed her eyes, trying to get the mouthful down before her instinct to spit it out overtook her. The K'ohta'rrou dropped her fork to her plate with a clatter, and with a mighty effort, she at last swallowed, reaching immediately for the beer which she drained promptly to rid herself of the taste.

The beer was quaffed down quickly, and T'yeellaa wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, then wiped that on the serviette. She wouldn't even tidy up with her tongue, lest she renew the trauma.

"That wass...horrrjible!"

[Q. Samus Dage]

With a somewhat wounded yet mirthful expression, Dage raised his brow in a show of surprise.

"Horrible?"

He looked down to his own plat then, making a show of studying its' contents, and spearing a small bit of the shaak, brought it to his mouth in some sort of second examination, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing.

"No, no I'm pretty sure this is good stuff."

A crafty grin, and he gave her another wink before taking a sip of his drink.

"But that's ok, can't win 'em, all." A gesture with his utensil to her own meal. "Least you like the snake, yeah?"

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

Like was such a strong word. T'yeellaa considered Samus' query with another bite of snake. It would, at least, help to purge her of the acrid sensation of the smoked shaak.

"jI ljike the ale."

The K'ohta'rrou indicated with her now-empty glass.

"The ssnake jiss...good enough."

And even if the meal was a novelty at best, so what? Her enjoyment of it was secondary. It wasn't her shore leave, after all.

"Sso then, what elsse do jyou have jin sstorre forr jyourrsself wjith jyourr frree tjime? Therre'ss morre rrecrreatjion herre than jusst a hot meal."

[Q. Samus Dage]

A very universal hand gesture was given to their server as the man passed by, and with a nod he took hold of T'yeellaa's empty glass, taking it away. It wasn't long before another was returned, this time refilled.

Dage shrugged at his companion's last question though, and set into another bite of shaak, chewing happily before swallowing.

"Eh, who knows. There's only so long a man can be cooped up on a ship before he goes a little bit stir-crazy. More'n likely I'll take a stroll through more of the merchant sector. See if I can find an appropriate little bit of... something... for the eternal grump that is Captain s'Ilancy."

He finished off the rest of his drink, which was - just as T'yeellaa's had been - taken away and replaced with more ale.

"As for myself, who knows. I'm not exactly a needy type."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

T'yeellaa didn't even bother restraining the smile at the topping off of her drink, and she sipped at it eagerly when returned.

"A gjift for Captajin ss'jIlancjy?"

Raising an eyebrow, she set her drink aside.

"Whjy? Arre jyou matess?"

[Q. Samus Dage]

At that, Dage gave an inward chuckle, shaking his head as his eyes closed.

"Hardly. It's more of a 'big brother' sort of thing. I've known the old gal for long enough, and we've got enough history, but she's a beast apart."

Leaning back in his cushioned seat, the blonde let his eyes move upward to stare at some unseen spot far away.

"Seen enough together. We're comrades, but that's it."

Finally his gaze returned to the woman sitting across from him, and his features took on a less than jovial tone, laugh-lines transforming into more severe creases.

"I'd do anything for her, but I'm not about to hijack her already bonkers state of mind. The old girl is twisted about enough, as it is."

A look to his refilled drink, and his expression darkened further. His lunch seemed forgotten as he held his fork in a suddenly loose hand.

"We both are."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

Well, she wasn't expecting that. As Samus nearly waxed melodramatic, T'yeellaa swirled her ale slightly in her glass before taking another drink.

"Ssoundss ljike ssomethjing deeperr than jyou'll rreconcjile bjy fjindjing a tchotchke."

The K'ohta'rrou's tail flipped upward as she propped her chin in a hand.

"Sso then jyou'll sshop forr jyourr frrjiend, and then?"

[Q. Samus Dage]

Another thoughtful look, but this time the weight was gone from his features as he returned to a much more easy frame of mind. There was no real sense in dwelling on the past; best to push on and keep walking forward. At her query on what would come next after a round in the merchant's sector, Dage gave a helpless shrug, a crooked smile turning up one corner of his mouth.

"I really don't know," he sipped from his glass, "... any suggestions?"

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

She had more than a few, and as T'yeellaa appraised the handsome human sitting across from her, a confident grin crossed her features.

"jI have the command deck untjil 19:00 tonjight. jI'd ljike to ssee what jyou look ljike outssjide of a unjiforrm at 20:00. Drrjinkss, a tourr, and morre."

[Q. Samus Dage]

A single eyebrow rose at that.

"'And more', eh?"

Though, the thought of an evening spent more or less away from duty was enticing enough. He gave a nod, and lifted his glass up in a half-salute.

"Ai'shaafai."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"jI thjink we both desserrve morre, Ssamuss. jYou'll apprrecjiate morre."

How cosmopolitan. Samus' command of the Cizeri toast only served to broaden T'yeellaa's smile, revealing two pointed canines.

"Cheerrss."

Clinking her glass against his with a purr, T'yeellaa resumed the task of diminishing her ale. Already her mind was moving to the evening ahead with her newfound companion.

[Q. Samus Dage]

19:45 Hours


His meandering journey through the merchant's quarter had proved interesting enough, and he'd managed to find a few odds and ends to take back to the Khera. A few things for Teagan and Markos both, a small wrapped parcel for s'Il, and even a bottle of wine. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was better than showing up to K'ohta'rrou Meorrrei's quarters empty-handed.

And so, fifteen minutes before 20:00, Dage stopped at the door to her quarters. A hand went up to straighten the color of his loose-fitting, black button-up. The blue denim trousers he wore had certainly seen better days, but they were also his favorite, and he was hardpressed to wear anything else. Not to mention they were his most comfortable pair of pants. Scuffed boots that had seen more than a few years of use completed his current ensemble. Nothing fancy by any stretch, but it was passable enough.

One hand held the bottle of wine firmly by its' neck, and the other lifted up to give a few quick raps to the door. He could've used the chime, but eh. Knocking was more of a personal touch, and it was a habit that he'd had for too long to drop now.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"Enterr."

She was running to the last minute. As she'd confessed to Commander Akiena, matters of fashion were hardly her strong suit. Denim was easy, but unlike the usual comfort-loose she preferred, these were tight and restrictive. Her top was cream, form-fitting, low-necked, and sleeveless. Something was missing. Jewelry. Frantic, T'yeellaa rushed to her neglected jewerlry case on the bureau. A necklace, done. Bracelet that...matched, sort of. Good. Earrings. She fumbled with them, tracing along her long ears to find the oft-neglected holes in which lightly-jeweled studs were applied. Quickly rising in front of the mirror, she adjusted her cleavage, pursed her lips before forgetting she had neglected to apply any lipstick, and grabbed her meager cosmetics bag before retreating into the refresher behind a closed door.

"jI won't be long!" She called out as an afterthought, realizing she'd already told him to enter and was now officially late to her own party.

[Q. Samus Dage]

The door had opened easily at her call to enter, and Dage stepped through the threshold.

Her quarters were easy on the eyes; not overbearing, but with enough touches of home that gave one the sense that an actual person lived here. A strange, minimalist painting rested on an easel off to the side of the living area, and Dage let his eye linger on the spartan lines for a short while. At her insistence that she would not be much longer, the blonde pulled his gaze away and toward the hallway that her voice had come from.

"Take your time," his tone held a bit of mirth; he knew that tone well enough, "... though you ain't gotta go makin' yourself look all fancy on my account."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

No, if you were a Cizerack then I wouldn't have to bother going through the effort.

Lip color applied, and a rolling smack to even it out. T'yeellaa frowned at a strand of hair out of place, and lacking a better idea for it, guided it behind an ear. One last unsure look. Did she look like she was trying? Hopefully not, but the artist was her own worst critic. She knew exactly the extra effort she was making, and the thought of that made her feel.

"Rrjidjiculouss."

"What was that?" His voice came in from the other room. Flustered, the K'ohta'rrou flicked an ear.

"Nothjing, jusst wasshjing mjy handss."

Washing my hands? T'yeellaa winced, and let it finally shrug off her shoulders before putting her game face on. Males should never be this complicated. Finally as ready as she'd ever be, T'yeellaa opened the door to see her waiting guest. And he'd brought wine. That was a promising sign for the night. Putting her best foot forward, the Cizerack approached her human guest, relieving him of his parcel, which she shrewdly held hostage in the chiller. It would ensure that their last stop would be where they started.

"jI'll put thjiss on to chjill forr a njightcap."

Returning quickly once the deed was done, she took stock of Dage's own casual arrangement.

"jI ljike the look, Ssamuss. Glad jI could get jyou out of unjiforrm."

[Q. Samus Dage]

"It's about the best I've got," he admitted, "... that isn't overly formal."

He looked down at her, letting his eyes wander from her feet to the tips of her ears. One hand reached up and out to lightly tap at one of the studs in her ear.

"Hells woman, looks like you're out to catch more than a simple evening out."

And before she could speak, Dage leaned in and down in a motion that brought him more onto her less-than-tall level.

"Good thing the fish you're hoping to hook isn't so bent on self-preservation."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

Before she had time to worry about overplaying her hand, he leaned in close. They shared that intimate space with the same intent expression. T'yeellaa smiled, as she ran a hand from the front of his shirt up to his collar. He wasn't under any illusions here, and he knew exactly what game they were playing. The only issue was figuring out how the teams were arrayed.

"jI thjink therre arre no fjissh herre, and onljy anglerrss."

Suddenly her mother's regular goaty diet of forrda dalliances made a bit of sense. The ambition was attractive. The K'ohta'rrou's painted lips parted as her hand moved from Dage's shoulder to the back of his neck, drawing him in.

[Q. Samus Dage]

It was a dance that he knew well, but also one that he was determined to play his way. Especially so with a Cizerack woman. He would normally be more than happy to be led about, but in this instance, Dage was eager to take the reigns in this initial movement. Her slender fingers at the back of his neck were firm, and the blonde obeyed her beckon with no other encouragement. And yet, he held back, holding back from pressing his lips to hers in a strange sort of teasing manner. Instead, he wrapped an arm down around her narrow waist, the other hand going up to cup one side of her jawline.

He pulled her close then, fingers curling into the small of her back. Without thinking he'd pushed her up against the closest wall, his nose picking up the scent of her perfume and letting it take over his otherwise easy-going demeanor and bringing up a strange sort of base need.

Still his lips hovered just beyond her reach, and a knowing grin played across them.

"What say we forego the station tour... ?"

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

If there was a worry about two hunters and no prey in the room, it was quashed with the certain realization that they both knew exactly what they wanted. T'yeellaa's lips remained hungry and passion yet unquenched, a mere inch from Dage's own and the words he carried on warm breath. He could feel her reciprocation in the trilling purr running through her middle as the K'ohta'rrou's tail maneuvered around Dage possessively.

"Forrego the tourr?"

Her off hand drew down the small of his back, finding easy purchase on Samus' backside. Claws unsheathed, but only to announce their cajoling presence.

"We'rre jusst sstarrtjing herre. Do jyou ljike the rroom? jI have two otherrss."

[Q. Samus Dage]

His grin remained, even despite the application of her claws, and with an effortless heave, Dage pulled her up into a firm hold, lifting her clear off the ground. Her legs went around his waist to further cement herself in his arms. In the same motion he pulled away from the wall, his off hand moving from her face down to a thigh.

"I said the station, not your quarters."

He pressed his lips against hers in an initial kiss before pulling back, eyes wandering over the view that her low cut top afforded. Pressed up against his own chest, the blonde felt his heart beat quicken at the thought of the cream-colored garment and his own shirt cast to the floor; among other articles of clothing. The thought only made him lean in once more for another kiss, and he gave her lower lip a gentle bite.

"But," he held onto her hungrily, starting down the short hallway that led to her room. "... I think I can find our first stop well enough."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

Of course, her quarters were on the station, which was the conspiratorial bent she had in mind. But she let him correct her, it mattered little. T'yeellaa wanted this, and wanted it on her terms and at her pace. The distribution of agency she found herself inhabiting was a mixture of madness and exhilaration. Dage had swept her off her feet, and she was strangely content on being a leaf in the storm for the moment. He kissed with forceful intent, the act in time with T'yeellaa's own claws tracing white lines on the back of his neck.

"Sso confjident, Ssamuss. Ssjince jyou know the wajy, let'ss sskjip the detourrss."

[Q. Samus Dage]

He had every intention of skipping the detours, and stepping through the doorway to her room, Dage moved across the room to stand beside the bed. Another moment later and he slid onto the soft mattress on one knee while in the same motion seemingly shucking her from his body, letting her land on her back before he himself fell forward, hands pressing into the comforter above each of her shoulders as he perched over her. His eyes wandered for another moment before returning to her baby blues.

"I'm not a detours kinda guy anyway," he grinned.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

T'yeellaa's tail swatted the mattress with impatience as she worked at the buttons on his shirt deftly, at last freeing the garment with a flip of each wrist to cast it over his shoulders. With a rumble in her chest, she pulled on the shirt with each hand, bringing Samus close to feel the heat of him against her.

"Do humanss alwajyss talk sso much jin bed?"

The K'ohta'rrou's rough tongue raked up Dage's chin before she found his mouth and kept it occupied. It allowed her enough time to dispatch the Commander's belt, which she slung from the loops of his trousers and flung unceremoniously across the room.

[Q. Samus Dage]

0522 Hours

Rousing himself so early in the morning was no difficult task, as he had become accustomed to the normal morning routine early on. Rousing himself from the comfort of another body nestled beside him though, was a different matter entirely. With a light groan, the blonde slowly eased himself up, carefully extricating himself from the limbs that were wrapped around him. He swung his legs over the side of the bed before looking down to the crisscrossed lines that ran over his chest, lifting a hand up to run fingers across each puffed up scratch. No doubt his back was decorated in much the same way if the tell-tale muted sting he was feeling was any indication. He rolled his neck, feeling vertebrae pop, and his shoulders followed suite. The previous night had been... well, it'd been a hell of a night. T'yeellaa Meorrrei had been nearly insatiable, but to his credit he'd given just as good as he'd gotten. Didn't mean he wasn't feeling it now, though.

His bedmate rolled over to lay on her stomach, bare rump exposed. Twisting his torso to look back at her, Dage gave her rearend an appraising look - obviously more than satisfied with the sight - then gave each cheek a playful smack.

"Time to wake up, Kitten."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

Her tail flicked immediately upon the strike on her buttocks, but T'yeellaa was hardly in the waking mood. She didn't even need to look at the chrono to know that Samus was up and bright-eyed at such an utterly un-Cizerack hour. Blue eyes cracked open only slightly, unfocused and with barely enough consciousness underneath to recognize as she muttered groggily...

"Che'inda suundaana'ia na taunaa..."

...and grumpily rolled over with her back to the human.

[Q. Samus Dage]

An eyebrow went up at the reaction, and staring for a small bit longer, he finally gave a mental shrug. He turned back, ponderously rising to his feet to begin the search for his clothing. Wrangling his pants, then shirt, then socks, and finally his boots proved to be a wandering affair as each one was scattered about in a different place on the thinly-carpeted floor of her room. Lastly came his belt, and dumping the lot on the foot of her bed, the blonde went about reclothing himself. It was a tender thing, as he found himself grimacing at the protestations of sore muscles and stinging flesh.

"Stay in bed then," he rumbled good-naturedly despite the slight grimace to his features. He left his trousers unbuttoned as he reached for his shirt and gingerly shrugging it on over his shoulders. "... but my ship leaves port in two hours."

He reached down, giving the tuft at the end of her tail a playful flick before beginning the task of buttoning up his shirt.

"It's been fun."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

He was leaving.

Somehow, the gist of his words seeped in through the drowsy treacle of her mind, and T'yeellaa sat up, ears askew and hair a mess.

"Sso ssoon, gai'tou?"

T'yeellaa's words were husky with drowsiness and punctuated by a teeth-baring yawn.

"jI thought jI would have jyou longerr than that."

The K'ohta'rrou petulantly stole Dage's belt from the assembled mass of clothing on the bed, holding it for ransom as her tail looped in teasing flips.

"A crrujisserr of that ssjize needss tjime to prroperrljy rressuppljy, afterr all."

[Q. Samus Dage]

A knowing smile as Dage ambled his way to her side of the bed, and lowering himself to sit, he made a show of trying to reclaim his belt. It was a half-measure though, and he pulled up as she slid it from his grabbing hand.

"Kitten, after last night, I doubt I'll be any good to you at all right now."

A partial fib. Sore as he was, the thought of another round was enough to bring a devilish grin to his lips, and Dage half-leaned over her, one hand wrapping easily around a slender wrist and pinning it down as his other reached across her midriff in an attempt to retake his stolen belt.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

T'yeellaa deftly slung the belt around with her free hand, avoiding Dage's playful grab and allowing the loose end to drape around the back of his neck. She grasped the free end to control both, keeping Samus ensnared with the playful makeshift leash.

"jI wass hopjing jyourr ssmooth tongue had ssomethjing elsse to ssajy thjiss morrnjing bessjidess goodbjyess."

She pulled him in for a kiss, an easy invite to an encore of the same performance she'd been treated to five times the night before. He reciprocated, but it was clear in the manner of the kiss that she wasn't persuasive enough to cause him to be derelict in his duties. Meorrrei bit on Dage's lower lip, mindful not to tenderize him further as she pulled away teasingly, at last relinquishing her hold.

"jI ssupposse thjiss wass gojing to be compljicated no matterr what."

[Q. Samus Dage]

"Complicated?"

For a moment he remained over her, his eyes locked with hers.

It was a genuine surprise to hear her speak such a word, and as he stood up to make putting on his belt an easier task, Dage gave her a curious look.

"How do you figure?"

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"jI don't bed manjy forrda, Ssamuss."

T'yeellaa sat on the edge of the bed, propped up slightly by one hand as her tail raised and lowered languidly against the bare mattress.

"Prressent companjy jincluded, the ssample ssjize jiss one. jI thought jit wass jusst forr noveltjy, but jyou'rre no gai'chee. jYou'rre jinterresstjing, and sso few matess rrealljy arre."

It was completely selfish to admit it, but why not be selfish?

[Q. Samus Dage]

His belt buckled, Dage pulled his boots over while lowering himself to sit beside her. He was more than a little bit taken aback, and the motion of sitting at least allowed him a bit of time to think over a response.

"'Interesting'," he rolled the word around on his tongue and in his mind. It wasn't anything to be offended over; and quite the contrary there was a small bit of pride in the fact that to her admission he was her first dalliance into different flavor.

"Well. It's better than other things I've been called," he tied of one boot, then went to the other.

It wasn't exactly what she would want to hear right now, he has suspicions of that well enough. He finally leaned back up, twisting a little bit to give her his full attention.

"And what would you like me to do."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"jI have no jidea. jIt'ss not ljike jI'm asskjing jyou to wearr mjy kaa'rri, norr would jI. jI harrdljy have tjime jin mjy carreerr to thjink about that, and jI doubt jyou do ejitherr."

Not to mention the fact that he was human. Oh that wasn't nearly enough to stop her mother, but T'yeellaa had some kind of standards in her mind somewhere. Whenever she did decide to have a family - if ever - she couldn't imagine a human wearing her necklace.

"We sshouldn't let each otherr sslow uss down."

[Q. Samus Dage]

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close, then gave a grin as he leaned back a slight bit to pull her further into his lap.

"Then how about I make sure that you're the first to know the next time we come back through?"

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

He was as uncomplicated as she'd hoped for, and T'yeellaa's relief passed onto her smile. Her tail looped over and into his lap.

"jI'd ljike that, Ssamuss. Mjy gai'tou wjill alwajyss have a place to sstajy."

No strings attached, and as free as they were to be lovers and equals all at once. Such a strange arrangement. It seemed fitting in a place such as this.

[Q. Samus Dage]

"Well that's good to know," came the smiling answer, and shifting her back to the bed with an unceremonious motion, Dage lumbered up to his feet once more. He turned to face her, giving her a wink as he bent down to deliver a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Try to stay out of too much trouble, Kitten."