Dreamweaver

At last she had some room to think! The already lone-wolf minded woman had settled into a further state of isolation as she got comfortable in the hut the wookiees had so kindly lent to her. She curled up on the bed, tired from the day’s wanderings as she attempted to find the subject of her hunt. It wasn’t easy to find a practitioner of the dark side on Kashyyyk, not with the shadowlands below so full of the darkness. The various brushes with death she’d had moving through the lower tiers of the forest had reminded her, yet again, of her time on Haruun Kal…and that got her thinking about a certain blue eyed and brown haired man.

The last she’d gotten anything from him, it had been anger…pain…hate. It had barely been something she could recognize as Ryn Sundar. Now, as she lay there on that large bed, Talau wondered how she might be able to get hold of him. She’d tried the com-code she had for him, but it never patched through…she’d tried the com-code for the Sundered Star, but no one ever answered…now she was at a loss of what to do. The force, while strong with her in telepathy, wasn’t strong with him in the same aspect and so a connection that way was hardly feasible. That left her with one option, really, but she had no clue if she were strong enough to make it work.

Silmorne.

A higher state of awareness that her people were able to utilize to speak to one another over extreme distances. It had nothing to do with the force that she knew of, and took next to no energy when dealing with another of the Rilan race because both parties could enter it on their own. While it was supposedly possible to pull another into Silmorne of a different race, it was said to require great amounts of energy to do so because the Rilan had to not only initiate their own entry into Silmorne, but also (somehow) had to establish a connection (and keep it open) for the person they wished to speak to. Talau had, in fact, managed to enter Silmorne before, but the young knight still didn’t entirely understand how it worked…only that it took a good amount of meditative concentration. She just wasn’t sure she would be able to do what she wanted…to actually bring Ryn into that beautiful place with her.

Desperate times, however…

Sitting herself up, the brunette settled her back comfortably against the wall of the hut and closed her eyes. It wasn’t difficult to sink into the warm flow of the force, the comforting ebb and tide of the energies that bound all things together. The further she relaxed into it, the further she sank, and the darker her ‘vision’ got…much like leaving the sun-lit waves at the top of the ocean and sinking into the cool unknown below. Slowly, the fluid motion of the force began to solidify around her until she was sitting upon something once more. The sensation of something solid had one hand reaching out to feel cool grass beneath her fingers and a small smile formed upon her features. Touch was followed by smell as the scent of clean air, flowers, and greenery reached her with every inhale. Vividly hued eyes opened to the blurred forms around her as they too slowly solidified, shifting from wide brushstrokes of color on the dark blue painter’s canvas to the shifting forms of grass and tiny golden flowers...sparkling white stars set like gems in the velvet of the sky…twisting brown branches clothed in green satin leafs and adorned with silvery flowers, shining like the stars above, that gave off a gentle perfume. The tall and stately tree that rested quietly beside her, whispered softly with barely felt air currents, speaking of all her people had gone through…all the knowledge it held within it…how it appeared for all who ever entered this place.

Standing, Talau gazed for a moment out over the rolling hills and the clear stream that flowed through them toward the wall of silvery white tree trunks off in the distance and wondered if every Rilan saw the same thing when they entered Silmorne…she thought not, but she couldn’t be sure. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and (for lack of a better idea) concentrated all of her will and being on Ryn. At first it seemed there wouldn’t be any change, but then she felt it…the taxing drain on her. An emotional and mental drain on her that was so strong she felt it physically…something she’d only ever remembered feeling during her trials, and her time on Haruun Kal. Slowly she felt something else forming near her, solidifying, and she smiled at the familiarity of it.

Hello Ryn…my love.

Eyes opened slowly, expecting to see him there before her but….he wasn’t. Puzzled, she turned her head to look over her shoulder. Sure enough, there was someone there. Turning fully, she looked up and smiled a bit in relief. It was him…it really had worked. Placing a hand on his upper arm, she waited for him to turn and face her…the one she cared about most in this galaxy.

As Talau meditated in Silmorne, Ryn slept in his soft, comfortable, and somewhat plush bed. It made the process of actually bringing him into the higher plane of existence far easier, and left him thinking that it was all a vivid, albeit cruel, dream. The fringes of his unconscious mind began to feel like they were slowly being submerged in a deep pool, the distance between it and the surface growing by each passing second. But the drowning feeling did not surface... instead it felt almost warm, comforting, and inviting.

Though, perhaps that was his own depressed mind wanting an end, feeling comfort and warmth at the end of its life rather than fear and pain. In truth, it was only partially the case... for the place his consciousness was drifting into was a benevolent place, one that was common among the Rilan. It was Silmorne. Not that he knew this, again, as far as he was concerned it was a vivid dream.

The first thing that the man felt was a gentle breeze against his skin, and the soft weight of another body against his back. It caressed the few bits of exposed skin on the back of his neck and cheek, much like one would its lover. The breeze soon carried the gentle scent of lavender and lotus petals hanging in a pool to his nose, an odd thing considering he was used to barely being able to smell the strongest scent that lingered in a place. He shrugged, it was a dream after all.

Ryn soon saw a field circling around them, the only thing obstructing the stretching plains was a single, great tree that stood majestically beside him. The field itself was covered in myriads of flowers, each one holding a hue as unique as a sentient being. The utter beauty of the sky, and the whole scene in general, was lost to the depressed mind of the man... who believed that the single most beautiful object in the universe - Talau - flashed out of the universe in a blaze of glory and fire. Everything else in the galaxy was ugly in comparison to her, even the image of her wandering out of the burning house... skin melting off of her face... held a certain sad, terrible beauty to it. Much like a dead rose that was engulfed in flames.

The gentle breeze that gently wrapped itself around his clothes, rustling that brown duster jacket of his, soon whispered a soft whine in his ears. It rocked the leaves of that great and majestic tree enough for them to brush together, causing a sound that soothed the man's soul. But then there was something else... a voice... it greeted him and called him its love in the same breath. Stark white eyes blinked at the notion. Was it... Talau? No... she was dead.

And then his mind caught up with the times, so to speak, and a groan rumbled at his vocal chords. Why did his own mind deign it necessary to torture him so? Why did he dream of her every time his eyes closed for sleep? Why did he see her smiling face transposed over a ship exploding every time his eyes closed? Why did he not just end his pitiful existence right then to spare him the pain? Why was any of this happening? He sniffled once as he felt a soft hand on his upper arm, but he refused to look over at the wraith. It was fleeting.

"Begone. I've no want or need for another dream," his voice was full of authority, much like a police officer to a citizen. That authoritative voice began to chip and break as he spoke his next sentence, however. "As much as I'd... like... to indulge in this dream, I refuse. I will not play your game."

And so he simply stood there, refusing to turn his head over to meet the brunette illusion that placed his hand oh so lovingly on his arm. That gazed at him with a look of pure joy and love, or most likely did, until it heard his words. Perhaps it was his mind, sad that he refused to be a willing participant in its own games.

Through the turmoil of emotions that surrounded the man she now faced, despite the words he spoke, all Talau could do was laugh. The clear sound echoed off the trunk of the tree and lifted into the air around them, rising and falling like the sound of the stream as it danced over the stones that lined its bottom as it wound its way through the hills. Slowly the sound faded away again and she squeezed his arm gently.

I will NOT ‘be gone’ Ryndark Sundar, and no amount of cajoling will get me to do so. I did not bring you here just to have you order me around. You would think that after so long you might be glad to see me, or…perhaps…offer some explanation as to why you haven’t been seen at the temple since before I returned? You, Latus and Remiel have me practically ripping my hair out worrying over you all. Now stop being so foolish and turn around please. I would very much like to look at more than your back.

Ah, Talau…it seemed she never lost that opinionated and passionate way of telling others exactly what she was thinking when she felt the need to. Her robes fluttered lightly about her thin frame as she stood there, the comfortable breeze cooling the area and causing the leaves and flowers above them to whisper quietly.

I’ve missed you, Ryn…please, look at me and know that I’m more than just a dream.

Laughing. That was the only response that was cultured from the spectre that invaded his dreams. The creature that lurked in the darkest parts of his mind, seeking to leech off of the happiness that him being with his dead love would create. For that was what this... thing... had to be. This did not feel like a normal dream, but perhaps it was not. It was the only logical explanation, as it wasn't exactly a far fetched answer to the question. A telepathic creature had taken hold of his mind, and was now creating an alternate reality for him to enjoy himself in. He would have none of it.

"... And I've missed Talau, spirit. Creature. Whatever you are. You know this," he still refused to turn his gaze over to the thing, "and I refuse." With that said, he tore his arm loose from its light grasp and walked away calmly, his back straight. Despite the stoic facade, his heart was hurting on the inside... moreso than usual. It was beyond "hard" for him to talk that way to anything that looked like Talau, and it hurt him beyond words that something would exploit her visage for personal gain. The man gulped as he walked towards the edge of the clearing, hoping to find a way out. It didn't take long for him to slink around the trees, venturing deeper into the forest... but as fast as he could blink he was walking out of it once again.

His jaw clenched.

His nostrils flared.

And he tried again.

and again.

and again.

and again.

... and again.

Each time the same outcome drew itself out, he was venturing deeper into the forest... and just as he blinked he found himself walking out again. Ryn was many things... stubborn was certainly one of them. With an angry, frustrated huff he turned around on a dime and walked to the other side of the clearing, to the edge of the forest. Again, he failed. In a bout of anger, and frustration, he clenched his fist into a tight ball and slammed it into the trunk of a particularly massive tree.

A sharp lance of pain shot up the length of his arm just as the knuckles of his fist contacted the hard bark of the tree. But he ignored it. He was good at that: ignoring pain. Ryn either took no notice of the small splotch of crimson that his fist left on the tree, or he did not care. Instead he simply walked back over to the visage of his love, fists clenched and muscles tense, and spoke a pair of simple words, "release me."

More than a tint of grey crept into those multi-hued eyes as she sighed heavily, his words earning a shake of her head, the beads tinkling together lightly with the motion…and she followed him. All the way to the edge of the forest she followed him.

I’m no spirit, nor creature, I am who and what I say I am…and you won’t leave this place you know…it ends at the forest.

Another sigh escaped her as she watched him enter anyway, earning a roll of her eyes.

…Always such a stubborn man…

As expected, he reemerged from the wall of silvery trees and she raised an eyebrow as he turned to enter the forest once more, obviously incensed by the occurrence. Time and again he tried to escape the forest. Arms folded, stance shifted so her weight was on one leg, eyes narrowed slightly, one corner of her mouth lifted and she followed as he walked toward the other side of the clearing.

I told you that you can’t leave this place un….never mind…

She stopped her sentence and her motion at the base of the large tree and sat down patiently. All of his movement was taxing on her energy….why couldn’t he just stay still for a while and give her a moment to breathe? Taking a few, short, panting breaths, Talau waited silently for Ryn to return. It didn’t take long for him to do so. Looking up at his closed eyes, she sighed heavily, and stood with a quiet groan as she struggled against the weight of her own body, the muscles rebelling.

Ryn…if I release you, I’m not sure I have the energy to bring you back to Silmorne…and I certainly won’t tonight. I ha…

She paused, her attention wavering as she sensed something dark pass below her hut, prickling at her senses dangerously for a few moments. Tensing her muscles, she attempted to stretch her senses out to check the danger was not the dark jedi she was supposed to be searching for. She couldn’t tell…not without breaking the concentration she needed to hold Ryn there.

I have little clue how I did this to begin with, and I’m not certain I’ll have the strength to do so again…not to mention that I have other matters to attend to here on Kashyyyk. I don’t know if I’ll have another moment to try. Please…surely you must realize that this isn’t just some dream!

Another, half panted, sigh escaped her and she leaned against the tree for support, feeling oddly stronger as her back touched the smooth bark, despite the cloth and leather that stood between her skin and it. Grey and purple eyes lowered to gaze at the grass beneath her.

I shall release you, though, if you truly wish it…Ryn…I don’t wish to torment you with my presence.

He truly didn’t believe that she told the truth, didn’t believe that this was Silmorne, that she was alive…he didn’t wish to be with her or near her…all she could do was reconcile herself with the knowledge. Closing her eyes, she held out one hand to allow a flower she felt falling to settle in her palm, her eyes opening only barely enough to gaze down at it’s silvery silken petals.

<<My love is eternal, my shield>>…farewell then. I’ll not bother you further.

Ryn gave a long sigh at her words, finally... this torment would end. Finally his mind, or whatever other mind that had him enraptured, would free him from this terrible image. But... it wasn't terrible. It was his paradise. Tal was standing right before him, they were in a small meadow in the deep forest, and they were completely alone. He could think of no better place to spend... eternity, or however long forever may last.

Yet he was willing to throw it all away. He angled his chin down at her a little more before tilting it to the side, it was peculiar how this creature knew how Tal would react. How her eyes changed colors so... and what those colors meant. Brown eyebrows knit together as he gazed at the visage through his very eyelids. It wasn't a vision, it wasn't a trick, and it certainly wasn't a dream... it was her. It had to be. He remembered her speaking of a place where her people could commune with each other, and that place's description bore a stunning resemblance to the very meadow that he and Talau currently resided. "Talau... wait. I... I'm sorry," he slowly approached her, for fear that she may vanish before his eyes if his movements were too quick. "I've missed you so. How did you survive? Ho-...," he sighed. She didn't want to play twenty questions.

He moved the rest of the way, snaking an arm around her lower back and another around her neck. That thumb gentley brushed the top of her neck, at the hairline, "I don't think that there has been a second that I haven't been thinking about you." He wanted to cry, he really did, but instead he simply leaned his forehead against hers... whimpering like a hurt puppy.

Finally. He had her in his embrace... and he nearly lost her again, only this time due to his idiocy.

Eyelids like lead closed heavily as she let out a deep breath. She felt so tired, and she almost wished to just fall asleep here…to sink to the ground and just sleep for a while in this peaceful place. Ryn’s voice broke her thoughts, and she shook her head, forcing her eyes open once more to look at him...but…why wouldn’t he open his eyes to look at her? His question hardly caught her off guard, for whatever reason he chose to believe her now, and she wouldn’t question it.

I barely managed to get to an escape pod. I crashed on Haruun Kal and an akk dog helped me to get to a city, protecting me while I recovered….that’s the short version anyway.

The arm at her back, the hand at the nape of her neck…it had her mind forcing her body to react, to make her muscles move and draw her closer to him. Leaning heavily against him, she wrapped her arms around him, ignoring the lead that weighed them down.

…Ryn…I’ve been so worried. I tried to contact you, but no one at the temple knows what happened to you, and your old com codes didn’t work, and I couldn’t get through to anyone on the Star…then I felt such anger…I thought something terrible had happened to you.

She paused a moment and looked up at him.

Please, Ryn…look at me.

Ryn couldn't help but nestle his forehead even further against hers at her words. She revealed to him that the whispers that crawled within his skull on Zeltros were not an illusion... created by his lonely and depressed mind. But they were rather the product of a worried lover that had simply been trying to reach the man she held most dear in her life. "I-... I'm sorry about that. I was on Zeltros, fighting a Dark Jedi that took my ward." His head pulled away from hers slowly, and his hand still brushed the soft skin on the back of her neck affectionately at his statement.

It wasn't false. Sam was his ward, even if she refused to see or allow it. There was just something about her that made the overprotective man want to go into big daddy mode at something that threatened her. Or hurt her. It wasn't love that produced this feeling, oh no, only Talau had room in his heart for that emotion. Luckily, the man caught himself before he started thinking further on why he did what he did... as he realized that his time with Talau was fleeting.

Ryn's head shook once at her request to look at her, "I already am, my lotus flower. I don't need actual sight to see. And you don't want to see what is behind these lids over my eyes... not even I do." A long sigh followed his barring of her request, he didn't enjoy saying no to her... especially when it came to requests that were so simple. But then... he wasn't exactly proud of the stark white sheets that had been veiled over the arctic jewels in his eyes. The man didn't want his love to see them like this... they were pathet-... Kashyyyk? Her passing mention of the planet finally registered in his mind.

She was at Kashyyyk, even as he held her in his arms at the place of her people? His heart soared at the very thought of it being possible... let alone it being true. A wide, beaming smile replaced the longing look that had been written about his face like an artist drew it on a sheet of paper. "You're on Kashyyyk? Right now," his voice exclaimed a kind of happiness that was now rarely seen in him, "I am only a few hours away!"

Yet, something stopped him from moving his arms to that area just below her chin and pushing his lips into hers. Memory? No, not the false one between her and Aeron... he had decided that it had to be false long ago. It was a far more recent one. The memory of his profile popping up on the holonet under the "most wanted" category. His "crimes"? Aiding a raid on the agri-corps facility on bakura that happened not a few days after his last trek down the steps of the Temple was taken.

He was the only one out of the entire party that executed the raid to be named, surely it was obvious that they had been lied to! Another, long, sad sigh forced its way out of his lips... the pain of what he was about to say caused that happy smile to melt away into nothing and his brow to knit together like he was stabbing himself in the gut. It may as well have been so, after all, "perhaps... it would be better if we didn't meet. It would put you in danger... I'm a wanted man."

A few moments after his lips formed those words his teeth bit into the lower of the pair lightly in a vein attempt to stop it from flapping about. "You don't believe it, do you? That I helped those people?" Desperation was nearly heard in his voice, almost as if he needed someone to see past the lies that everyone was so content with taking at face value.

He would die on the inside if she said yes.

((”mi tinechor” = my shield “tinechor” is a total copy of JRR Tolkien’s elvish language…kthxbai.))

A slight nod was given to his words, the explanation of the anger she’d felt from him. One hand still carefully held the silken flower in her palm as the other pressed against his back lightly. Ryn was correct, however, in thinking that his time with her there was fleeting as a wave of dizziness washed over her. Those eyelids fluttered closed once more, eyes flickering backward into her skull, and the typically sturdy woman seemed far more fragile as she wavered in his arms, sinking slightly for a moment before stubbornly pushing herself upward once more. With a few light pants of breath, she opened those eyes once more and chuckled softly at him.

Ryn, I don’t care what’s behind those lids of yours, just open them…please…and yes, I’m on Kashyyyk. You’re coming here? Wh…you know, I don’t care why…tell me where to meet you and I’ll be there.

His next words had her blinking at him stupidly for a moment before laughing in his face. Talau managed to calm enough so that she could hear his next two questions…only to start laughing once again.

Winds help me, Ryn. I’m a shadow…I hunt the dark side for a living! How much more danger can I possibly be in? You are the least of my worries my love, Mi tinechor….the very least of them. Also…how could you possibly believe that I would think you could be part of something like that? I, who knows you better than anyone except your former master and the force, could never hold you responsible for something like the Bakura raid. How could you ever believe such of me?

She shook her head slightly and took a deep breath, feeling another wave of dizziness threaten her.

Ryn…I’m not strong enough to hold you here much longer. I’m sorry. I wish that this could last, but…I’m afraid it can’t. I’m just…so tired. --If I could sit, perhaps it would last a little longer…I don't want to let go of him yet.--

Those thoughts that escaped her hadn’t been meant for him to hear, but the drain on her was beginning to show as cracks in her mental armor now, instead of simply weakness of her physical form. That she could blame on her time at Haruun Kal, at least to him she could, but this new weakness she didn’t even realize was happening.

If the brunette man wasn't so distraught at himself for even suggesting that they not meet up he would have noticed that it was exactly like Talau to laugh at him for saying something so foolish. Even if she didn't realize the... entirety... of the situation. Combating the dark side had its perils, yes, but no where near the perils that being chased by over half the galaxy and some produced. He only shook his head lightly, she would be safer as a shadow than by his side.

But he wanted to be with her, to actually touch that creamy soft skin of hers in reality... not just in some vivid dream that the two shared. Again, he shook his head at her question... of course he didn't think that she believed the lies about him. "No... no," he almost purred, "I don't believe it of you." The man nearly continued before he caught the final comment from her... and those unintended thoughts.

Ever so slowly did he ease down to a sitting position, the trunk of his torso leaning up against a tree. Ryn manipulated her own form so that she was sitting in his lap, and her torso resting against his muscular arm. Still closed eyes looked down at the woman lovingly, with a sad smile on his face. "Wrrorak station... I don't know the dock. My mark is a mad claw... not far from there," his tone resembled that of a melody, one lovingly written and played by a man delved deep in love. Most Aphithiri had trouble masking strong emotions in their voice, and it tended to turn their voice into a beautiful one.

"If you want to see my eyes... your desire is my command," slowly, painfully, shamefully, his eyes slid open to reveal those stark white pools set in his head. That milky creme over his eyes was a veil, its opaque nature chasing away any hope of seeing those brilliant crystals that once glimmered in his eyes. A shamed smile creased his lips as his free hand moved up to her chin, the thumb brushing against her cheek affectionately. "Is it so different," he asked, referring to the difference between his eyes now open eyes and the closed one.

Good…I’m glad you don’t.

She allowed him to lower her, shift her position so that she might rest on his lap. Leaning heavily against his chest, Talau sighed tiredly…the sound almost one of contentment as she reveled in the nearness of him, the warmth he radiated physically and through the force. It was a comfort and granted some small amount of strength now that she wasn’t fighting her own body to stay standing. A light nod was given to the name of the station and the mark he was after, filing the information away for later use. She would find the place soon enough…it wasn’t as if she were going anywhere swiftly.

As he opened his eyes, she gazed up at him. The white film covering those once sparkling blue orbs was, indeed, a startling revelation for the young woman. Not because she found it repulsive, nor that the sight frightened her…but rather, it saddened her greatly. The shame that he radiated lapped against her in waves, soaking into her every fiber as she wrapped her arms around him more securely, one hand stroking the side of his face gently.

I prefer to see your eyes, Ryn…love. I’m…sad…that I can’t see the color they once had, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of. What…what happened though?


Just barely seven months since she'd seen him last, and he'd been injured. She'd not been told what had happened, and she'd not been around or coherent enough to sense anything.

A heavy sigh escaped the man's lips as he felt his lover's gaze was upwards to his eyes. Those stark white pools weren't just a simple film of material over his sparkling arctic blue eyes... oh no... they were his eyes. That was, perhaps, the most depressing part of it. Yet another sigh escaped his lips at her second comment... about how it made her sad... and then how he gained his scars.

He cautiously moved down to kiss her forehead, half expecting the woman to leap away like he was some kind of monster. But then... he knew that she wouldn't. Hoped, anyways. To have learned of her survival only to have the woman be repulsed by those ugly scars on his eyes.

"Stupidity happened, Talau," he sighed. It was no doubt that she'd want more of an answer than that, "I was... on Korriban... with Masters Took and Beleren, helping them find something in the Sith Tombs there. Four Dark Jedi dropped down in the valley, one of them was a man that I'd fought before. Grawn. Called me out. I... thought you were dead... korriban's darkness got a hold of me... and I charged him." A gulp bobbed his throat up and down briefly as soon as he realized the full stupidity of his actions. "The fight cost him his arm... and my eyes."

The man continued to brush at her cheek ever so affectionately, though his brow was now furrowed in what was obviously shame or pain. In truth... it was a dangerous mixture of both.

As he leaned in to kiss her forehead, she tilted her head upward to catch his lips with hers. As he pulled away and spoke, she sighed at the news. Grawn…she knew the name…remembered it from his first mission as a knight and the stories he told to her about it. Closing her eyes she attempted to listen to him, but she felt herself slipping back toward the conscious plane and her own physical body. As he finished she sighed deeply and forced tired eyes open. She was too comfortable in his arms…and she didn’t want to wake to being alone once more.

Ryn…I’m sorry. I wish I could have done more, could have contacted you…anyone…to let someone know I was alive so you wouldn’t have gone through that.

Another heavy, panting, sigh and she nuzzled her face against his chest lightly. It was about all she could do.

And I’m sorry I don’t have the strength to allow this to last longer…I’m tired and losing my hold on you. I…I have to let go.

Ryn allowed a smile to break out across his face as she angled her chin back, turning that forehead kiss into a lip to lip kiss. The hand that supported her back slid up just enough so that its thumb could brush the nape of her neck affectionately. Her apologies caused the man's brow to furrow, and his arms to hold her just a little closer. "Shhhh... shhh, there was nothing you could have done, my lotus flower." His voice was warm, soothing, and comforting... almost a purr, "you survived. That's what counts. You did all you could."

That big heart of his sank in his chest at her final comment. It was true, he had felt himself slipping. Almost as if he was hanging off of the edge of a cliff... and Talau's grip on his hand was the only thing keeping him from falling. That grip was slipping. "My pet... its alright... we will meet each other soon. A few days... just a few days." His face grew even softer at the woman in his grasp, and the man moved his face perilously close to hers.

Ryn was fading. He knew it. Soon enough, his lips met with those plush guardians that flanked her mouth. Passion. The man threw all of the passion locked away in his heart into the kiss, going so far as to allow those stark white pools in his head to slide closed... simply so he could enjoy the moment. Unfortunately, however, the kiss could not be completed. The view of her head was quickly substituted for the drag view of the bulkhead. Rajah and Rasann were splayed out at his feet...

He sighed heavily, his heart heavy. Just a dream.