Wherever the hyper lanes take me... (Nikole)

[Nikole Nystrom]

Nikole waved dramatically between them, completely baffled that this was happening, and that she was agreeing to this.

Because it's her, she told herself.

If anyone else suggested this ludicrous deal, the Morellian would have politely declined and muttered that the individual had to be high on spice.

"200 creds a day to Jakku. If you still want passage on the ship, we'll renegotiate at that time." She quirked a brow, waiting.

The deal was a fair one to Aurelia and for the Nystroms. Katja would tease her during the trip that she gave the girl she fancied a discount.

[Aurelia Wayne]

Aurelia tilted her head, a smile playing at her lips. She thought it was an absurdly cheap fare, and she wondered at what Nikole was up to, making it so affordable. Her smile widened.

"Deal. I don't think I've seen Jakku... yet. So, we'll see what there is to see there."

Of course, she knew it was a lot like Tatooine with a lot of sand, and not much else. But, Auri admitted she was having fun with Nikole and was curious to see how she'd react to her words.

[Nikole Nystrom]

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the word deal. Her sabacc face was impeccable this time and didn't give away her excitement. Instead she looked stunned that Aurelia had never heard of Jakku.

"It's like Tatooine. Except worse, if you can imagine. All desert, scavengers, racing too. It's a planet to go to where you want to be off the grid." She eyed Aurelia shrewdly. "Probably a good destination for you."

Perhaps this woman just wanted to disappear instead of just travel and Jakku was just the place to do it. Communications were shoddy there and everyone was passing through that visited as a way point or for drops.

[Aurelia Wayne]

"Doesn't sound like much of a place for sunning myself... even if it is, basically, a giant beach," Auri mused, smile still hovering on her lips.

Of course, this journey had nothing to do with sunning herself anyway. She was still playfully word sparring with Nikole, seeing what elicited reactions and what did not, given the powerful reactions they seemed to have to each other. It made Aurelia... very curious.

"As I travel very light, I'm ready to go whenever your business here is through," she remarked.

[Nikole Nystrom]

"Beaches have water. There's no resort there, Ms. Wayne. In fact -" Eyes narrowed as a the fog of memory was lifted and snapped her fingers. "Wayne Industries! You ... you're the you of the company."

Brown eyes blinked with confusion. "Who left ... Oh."

She blushed. "Well ... I won't pry."

The tabloids had months of material to work with when Aurelia Wayne disappeared from one of the biggest multi-trillion companies in the galaxy. Within that same galaxy, the woman had shifted Nikole's gravitational balance off kilter and the reasons haunted her.

She refocused her eyes, looking professional, but her heart still quickened. "We'll be leaving in the hour. You can stay on board or do whatever you like. Long as you're back before the ramp closes."

[Aurelia Wayne]

The way Nikole stammered over her recognition of who she was - or who she had been, at least - left Aurelia unsure if she should respond to it or not. It had been over a year since she'd abruptly stepped down from her position as the CEO of WayneTech, forcing her father to reclaim the role while she vanished from public and professional life.

Tucking a loose lock of dark brown hair behind her ear, she decided to take Nikole's generous "Well... I won't pry" as an out to leave the past right where it was. For now, anyway.

"Alright. I'll go ahead and stow my bag aboard, if you don't mind, and decide next to white crate I want to sit myself for the ride."

She said it with complete seriousness, even though she was certain that Nikole and Katja were going to give her a berth for the journey to Jakku.

[Nikole Nystrom]

Nikole plucked courage from somewhere inside her and began to approach Aurelia, nerves threatening to take over again being in such proximity. "I'm not sure what pilots you've worked with in the past, but you get a bunk on my ship."

She was quite proud that her voice steady and managed to keep her arm from shaking as she held out a hand. "I can take your bag if you like and show you where you'll be staying."

[Aurelia Wayne]

Aurelia's expression turned playful again, but - to her surprise - Nikole took her seriously about parking herself next to a crate in the cargo hold! Dark blue eyes went wide and she clamped her lips tightly shut to hold back a laugh that threatened to bubble out as the beautiful brunette told her she'd get a bunk.

Wait. Did she say "my bunk on the ship"? Or "a bunk on my ship"?

She wasn't certain, so caught up in trying to repress her amusement at being taken seriously.

She must have said "a bunk on my ship." Right? Right?!

So lost in playing catch up, Aurelia completely missed that Nikole said she could take her bag, and instead, Auri offered her hand. And as palms met again, she swore the whole station lurched and she stumbled, squeezing Nikole's hand tightly. Auri gasped, reaching out to stabilize herself with her free hand on Nikole's shoulder.

[Nikole Nystrom]

Nikole wasn't entirely sure what was going on with Aurelia but the other woman's eyes darted around with clear thought. Brief confusion flashed on her features, wondering if she had said something that was unclear. With the few seconds of review as she reached out her hand, Nikole concluded she was perfectly clear until their hands met - then her vision fell into a tailspin. Around and around she went like a fighter pilot out of control. She barely registered a hand tightly squeezing her shoulder as hers became a vice grip around Aurelia's.

She was dumbfounded at what was happening and grunted with effort in remaining upright.

[Aurelia Wayne]

Auri gasped, clenching Nikole's hand and bicep as she struggled to remain upright. Her head was spinning and heart raced with speed and emotion. With an effort, she pulled away and staggered, knees dropping to the spaceport's hard deck. She didn't notice the sting to her joints.

Dropping her palms to the deck too, Aurelia struggled to get her breath and control her pounding heartbeat. The sensation was still there, but not as violently, making the rattled Corellian wonder what was happening to the power system or the atmosphere on this orbital station! Something had to be awry mechanically, making her feel this way. Aurelia still didn't fully grasp that it was the intriguing, beautiful pilot.

"What..." she rasped, "...the frak?"

[Nikole Nystrom]

Nikole was unable to keep a tight grip on the Corellian, stumbling backwards but managed to lean against the nearby lift. It wasn't graceful at all and she was sure some ribs were bruised.

Heart pounding and breath ragged, Nikole was trying in vain to figure out why this was happening, and why this deep sense of emptiness was tugging at her insides. She never felt such loss. "I ... I don't know ..."

Her words came out in a hiss while rubbing her side.

[Katja Nystrom]

Katja was standing on the boarding ramp looking at the messed up sight. She blew out an unimpressed whistle because from her perspective, it appeared that her sister and the pretty Corellian got into a fist fight. "Okay, if I knew you two weren't gonna play nice, I never would've left."

She quirked a brow in question. "What the fuck happened?

[Aurelia Wayne]

Aurelia ripped her dazed and confused gaze away from Nikole, to eye her sister.

"We... weren't." She paused, frowning. "Weren't fighting, that is."

The Corellian took a deep breath and released it slowly, willing her senses to come back under her control. She swallowed hard then and focused Katja.

"Did you feel it?" she asked.

This was the space station, right? Not just... us?!

[Katja Nystrom]

With an exasperated sigh, Katja rolled her eyes. "I didn't feel a damn thing except annoyed when I thought you two were fighting."

Green eyes passed between Aurelia and Nikole. "So ... any takers on telling me what the fuck's going on?"

[Nikole Nystrom]

Nikole gingerly rose to her full height, rubbing at her side with a grimace. She was seriously reconsidering the deal made with Aurelia, but then that pit of longing overrode that want. It was like her heart was making the decisions now and it was terribly confusing.

"Just ... grab your things and get onboard," she ordered while making her way to the boarding ramp. All nervous tendencies were obliterated by what happened and the Morellian was focused on getting out of here before another incident happened.

[Aurelia Wayne]

Auri frowned at Nikole's retreating form, feeling confused by all of this.

If this is limited to the two of us, then it must be the Force, she reasoned. Her frown deepened. 'This' was not what I was looking for, undertaking this journey...

But, she understood enough of the Force's will to realize that trying to hastily back out of this brokered deal in order to secure a different flight would be folly. She had been drawn to Nikole Nystrom for a reason, and Aurelia knew she needed to see this through to determine what that purpose was.

To get me where I'm going. She's a pilot, she thought. Gorgeous or not, I'm traveling for a reason...

Aurelia ignored the curious thought that wormed its way into her mind.

What if she is the reason?

[Katja Nystrom]

Katja threw up her hands and rolled her eyes after Nikole and Aurelia stormed passed her. "Oh sure, Kat! Here's what happened!"

She mimicked Nikole's voice and then dropped to hers. "Gee thanks, sis! I'm so in the know now!"

She continued muttering to herself up the ramp and started locking the ship down.

[Nikole Nystrom]

Nikole already surmised she would avoid the beautiful Corellian during the trip. She was a woman of her word and had made an honest deal with Aurelia to bring her along, but if they kept having this ... whatever they were, she honestly couldn't comprehend what was going on between them ... she didn't want that force to upset the ship during flight. That was a worrisome thought, especially in hyperspace. If was just focused on the two of them and did nothing untoward the area around them, fine, but Nikole didn't want to take any chances.

She marched to the cockpit, sat down, and began preflight checks, satisfied that Katja already began locking the ship down.

[Aurelia Wayne]

Nikole went to the cockpit. Aurelia had the distinct feeling that she was unwelcome there, and so made her way to the common area instead.

Maybe I should just go to the cargo hold like I'd joked, she mused. Might be safer...

The Corellian sighed and dropped her bag on a seat. She stretched out her arms and shoulders, cricking her head and neck from side to side. Then, Auri took a moment to really take in the accoutrements of the ship's interior. She couldn't help it; ships were in her blood!

It struck her that this was very much a "working home" for the Nystrom sisters, as compared with her family's own similar-sized vessel; Blood Sabre had been for family travel specifically when she and Keir were young. Aurelia allowed herself a wistful sigh then repacked the past and put it to the back of her mind.

No doubt, Katja would appear any moment and boss her into a seat, a cabin, or the cargo hold... but until that happened, Auri decided to gingerly poke around and explore the freighter.

[Katja Nystrom]

"A'right..." Katja stormed into the common area and eyed the new passenger. "What really happened out there?"

She hovered over the table, staring down Aurelia with hands flat against the smooth surface. "My sister doesn't lose her cool like that. So ..." She narrowed her gaze. "What didja do?"