Finding the Aegis (Crass)

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

The Drive Yards were giant, enormous even compared to the hulking ships that the blue hued woman had seen. Crimson eyes scanned the area cautiously, raven hair reflecting the harsh florescent lighting of the metallic docks as it cascaded down her back unrestrained by any hairpiece. Having come directly from a mark on Kuat itself, the Chiss hadn't even bothered to change from her field wear. Jedi boots moved silently across the colorless grey metal, the chameleon cloak tossed back over her shoulders so that it hung completely behind her, swaying with the gentle motion of her stride. Dark brown pants and deep green shirt were held tight to her lithe form by flexible leather armor at laced around her upper torso like a bodice and around her forearms. She had removed the coverings from her thighs and stored them in the pack that was now slung across her back, her rifle had been disassembled and stored there as well, and the new AER droid was perched lightly on her shoulder.

As much as she'd disliked being tethered to a company, the perk of being given one of the elite recon droids had certainly sealed the deal for the woman. Sender seemed content enough as well, but then again...he WAS a droid. Checking the datapad once more, Rahja paused in the doorway to one of the many docking bays as she tried to make heads and tails of the vaguely detailed map. Huffing a sigh, she shook her head slightly.

Ugh....Sender, can you make heads or tails of this blasted thing? This place is so huge I can barely make sense of it even tapping into others minds.

The fact that she was having such a difficult time annoyed the sniper to no end. She was typically so good with maps and directions that she wouldn't have had a problem, but this map...THIS map (if one could call it that)...had her perplexed. The droid leaned forward, glancing down at the map on the datapad before bringing up the same thing in its processors to analyze it more appropriately. After a few moments of looking around at the various signs and matching them with the few labels on the 'map', the droid let out a mechanical little laugh.

I'm afraid that I can't either Rah. They have far to few listed docking areas on the map they gave you, and I'm being denied access to anything from the KDT itself. However, I do believe that the signs that I have noted us passing appear to be in the wrong section of this ring.

Great...a wild bantha chase...just what I need after all that slinking around. Hmph...maybe there's someone around here I can ask...or maybe pry the information out of.

This last part, of course, was said in half jest, but it seemed lost on the little droid who proceeded to make about as human a 'tutting' noise as it could make.

Now now Miss Kel...you know you shouldn't go sifting about in others minds like that.

Oh it was a joke, bird, relax.

She stated with a roll of her eyes and folding of her arms. Huffing a sigh, Rahja turned to face the docking bay where an orderly line of fighters were being dutifully repaired by various pilots and mechanics. Sizing up her choices as they milled about the various fighters, Rah brought those tendrils of the force that had been prickling at the back of her mind, keeping her vaguely aware of her surroundings, back to the fore of her brain as she chose her target: a zeltron man who appeared to have been working on one of the fighters. Well, he was as good a choice as any, so she figured she would take her chances.

Walking over at an easy pace, she glanced along the line of fighters, and around the docking bay in general, to get a feel for the place. Her arms were seemingly relaxed along her sides, the various pouches along her cargo belt hitting her hips lightly as she walked. Anyone who bothered to look carefully enough at the woman and her garb would have easily been confused as to whether the chiss were a jedi or part of the military. Her clothing, demeanor, and confident stride radiated jedi affiliation, but her gear denoted a distinctly different idea.

Are you certain you want to speak to a zeltron, Rahja? You know how they tend to be rather...frisky...

Sender, enough.

Yes ma'am.

The now disgruntled chiss huffed at the droid's tiffy reply just as she came within hearing range of the zeltron. Taking the last few steps that brought her to the front of the fighter, she came to a halt, cloak swaying about her feet slightly as part of it came down over her unoccupied shoulder, her belt settling jauntily at an angle on her hips simply because it couldn't be tightened any farther...the buckle glinting the jedi symbol brightly for a moment.

Mind if I take a moment of your time?

The question was obviously meant for the zeltron since he was now the only one there, the others who MIGHT have been in a range that could denote them as the recipient having left not but moments before she arrived thanks to a subtle wave of the force she'd sent out to all but him.

[Dire Wolf]

It was truly amazing: The Galactic Republic spent hundreds of trillions of credits on its fleet, yet they adamantly refused to get some decent chow in their mess halls. While the food was more then a resounding success as far as nutrition goes, it tasted absolutely horrific... Crassus often wondered if it was even legal to serve for a profit. But unfortunately, if he wanted to eat, then he would have to eat the trash that the Republic cooks called “food”. While the guy was no-doubt hungry, he was not nearly hungry enough to shove that food down his throat, instead, he took to talking with his friends. One of the humans looked over at him and showed off his shiny new ring.

“So, Crass.... how old are you, 30? When are you gonna find a better half?”

Crass looked down at his food and sighed, he didn't quite expect this to come up. As a matter of fact he did have a lover... once... and he would inform his friend of this, if the guy knew the situation he would never have thought to ask the Zeltron that question. He looked back up at the wiry man and gave a long sigh.

“I'm 29, and that chance passed me by, Siv... Don't ask.”

He said, his charming smirk belied the true emotion that festered beneath: Despair. With a huff he dropped the mental barriers that kept his keen empathetic link with just about everyone around him shut, at first the rush of emotion was somewhat euphoric, but after a few moments he managed to filter out every feeling but one: happiness. It didn't take long for this emotion to force itself into his consciousness, dispelling the sorrow from him. He looked down at his chow and picked up what looked to be bread and eyed it for a second before speaking in his usual happy-go-lucky tone.

“By the Force... what is this stuff?”

A wave of snickering and chuckling washed over the crowd. Vel, the Kiffar that sat next to him, quickly responded. His voice reeked of sarcasm.

“Basi Bread.... its good for ya boy, eat it.”

Crass over at the Vel, then down at his tray. He laughed a little... Vel hadn't eaten his bread yet. Vel quickly got up to put his tray away. His retort solicited a wave of laughter throughout the chow hall.

“Heh... Whats this? Hay! You never ate yours!”

Crassus mournfully looked up at the clock... he really did have to get back to work. He got up, leaving his chow for any brave soul who wanted to test their cast-iron stomach on the “sustenance”. The Zeltron bid the men a final adieu before heading out towards his strike fighter, pushing the men a wave of happiness and glee via his race's emotional projection ability.

The red tinted man walked through the doors confidently; back straight as a board, shoulders broad, and his chest puffed out slightly. Crass walked over to a fighter that was painted with a few decals; It had the somewhat clichéd mouth and eyes painted on the nose, making the craft look like a monster on the prowl. Just below the cockpit on the right side he had over 50 jolly Rodgers decals painted in about 7 neat rows, each symbol represented a ship that he shot down over his “illustrious” career as a pilot. Finally, he had “The Royal Pain” in big white letters written across the left wing, it was quite a comical name if one new his history. Few did.

He unzipped his flight suit and tightened the waist so that the olive drab suit wouldn't fall to the ground while the top half of his suit hung past his waist lazily. He had little more then a tank top underneath the suit, which both helped him stay cool and show off the rippling definition of his muscles to the members of the opposite sex. That wasn't to say that he had a powerful drive towards said women, he just had long since outgrew that phase of his life. With a slight sigh he began to work on his fighter, he truly was not like most officers, who regulated work to subordinates, Crass insisted on keeping his own ship in working order, that way he knew for a fact that everything was in tip-top shape.

He was in one of the ordinance bays checking the missile racks when he felt a slight tinge of; hurt, anger, sadness, and remorse. Those emotions were buried deep... more then deep enough to be hidden from the average Zeltron, but Crass had always been far more acute to emotions then his brethren. At first
he wasn't sure what the source of these emotions where, but then he heard a feminine voice ask for a moment of his time. “Yup, thats the culprit,” he thought. While the man wasn't particularly busy, he did this in his down time, Crass was almost tempted to say “Uhh... working here,” but in all honesty he could probably finish up a few hours ahead of schedule. Unless something catastrophic happened with his fighter that is.

“I don't mind, just gimme me a few seconds to finish this up and I will be right with ya.”

It didn't take him long to finish up the check, he found nothing wrong with the mechanisms, the missiles would release perfectly on his next sortie. He knew that for a fact. With a slight sigh the man ducked out from under the fighter and looked up at the woman, she was most certainly different looking then most of the species he has seen, but beautiful none-the-less. He now regretted making her wait, and had a certain remorse for the accidental tone. With a charming smirk he whiped his hands off on his flight suit and extended it to shake her hand.

“Lieutenant Commander Crassus Vossk, at your service.”

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Rahja simply nodded at the man's words as she took the time to gaze at the fighter more closely. The...decor...of it was certainly...interesting. Raising one dark brow, Rah eyed the painted on face and withheld a derisive snort at the hackneyed symbolism. Turning her eyes to the markings along the side of it, she tilted her head to the side slightly as she did the math in her head. 50 or so had been downed by the owner of this craft then, hmm? It said something for the prowess of the pilot. The name on the wing caught her attention next...this time she DID let out a slight huff of amusement, or perhaps it was more sarcasm than humor. That name ALSO said something about the pilot. At last the deep red man stood and her crimson eyes returned to him as he wiped his hands on his flight suit before extending it to her and introducing himself. Ah...so HE'S the pilot then...hmph...well at least I seem to have found someone who knows something around here, she mused rather sarcastically to herself before grasping his hand and shaking it firmly before allowing her hand to drop once more.

Command Sergeant Rahja Kel.

She stated simply. There was no salute, no note of his rank...she didn't care....it came and went and only his name stuck with her mind. Sender started to say something and she swiftly shot him a look that told the little avian droid to be silent. He let out a light huff and 'accidentally' bumped her with one of his wings in the side of the head.

As I was saying, I'm Rahja Kel, and THIS annoying thing on my shoulder is my partner, Sender.

She paused for a moment, allowing her crimson eyes to take in his form, and she was once again glad for the fact that her eyes had no irises to speak of, just the glowing shade of crimson that all her people had. It made it so much easier at times when others couldn't exactly follow your line of sight...this was one of those times seeing as he was rather handsome. He was certainly no Shelk, but...as far as men went he wasn't bad to look at...even for holovid star standards he would have been handsome.

I was actually hoping you might know where the ship Aegis would be docked.

She stated, flipping her cloak back over her shoulder after a moment.

This...."map"...of the KDY they sent me is less than useful.

Rahja scoffed slightly at the word 'map'. Saying that this unfilled PoS they called a map was less than useful was an understatement...a BIG understatement. She'd seen cave drawings that were more detailed...they didn't even have their dry docks listed on it! I hope he knows where this bloody ship is...I swear this is turning into the worst assignment ever. she mused silently. Sender huffed at her and finally spoke up, despite Rah's warning look.

What Miss Kel MEANS to say is: Would you kindly help us find the Aegis? We're to report there for our new assignment and it's rather difficult to find the ship when the map seems incomplete.

Rahja gave the droid a half glare from the corner of her eyes and brushed him off her shoulder, forcing him to start his repulsors to keep aloft before he returned stubbornly to her shoulder.

[Dire Wolf]

Crass smirked at Rahja when she didn't salute him, most would have thrown up at least a half hearted salute... but it was a pleasant change. He took little notice of the little mechanical bird that perched atop the blue woman's shoulder, he was about to ask what its name was when the thing bumped her head with its wing. He tilted his head a little bit “Strange little droid,” was the first thing that flashed across his mind. He smirked a little bit when she introduced him to her droid.

“Well hullo there, Sender. I see that you enjoy hitting your master?”

He let his eyes sink to her chest for a second or two before bouncing them back up to her crimson eyes, she was a different kind of beautiful... not dainty... just different. She was dressed almost like a Jedi, yet looked far too militaristic and was to sarcastic to be one. Not many people enjoyed dressing in the attire of the fabled Jedi Order... their robes lacked a certain culture. “Eh... A flight suit lacks a certain culture too, Crass.” he thought, nodding at her question.

“The Aegis? Heh... I might just know where that is... you're in the wrong section, though.”

The man chuckled a little bit at the coincidence, he was the commander of the VFA 433^rd Strike fighter squadron, which happened to be stationed on the very ship that Rah was looking for. He smirked a bit before slipping his arms into his flight suit, which he left partially zipped up. He turned so that she could see the patches on his shoulder, one happened to be the patch for the ship and squadron he was stationed with. It read;

GRS AEGIS
Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat
VFA – 433

The red man looked back at the woman, staring right into her florescent red eyes. He let an alluring smirk purse his lips as his mind instantly went to the gutter... after a few seconds he quickly suppressed those thoughts. Crass thought that he had outgrown “those” thoughts after he crashed. He quickly looked away from her and spoke, attempting to hid his previous thoughts with a sarcastic facade.

“Gotta love the Army, best logistics in the 'verse.”

He grinned before heading for the door, he might as well make conversation with the woman on the way there. Crassus only afforded the woman a glance before heading through the door. He sighed during the temporary break in line of sight... was he really as mature as he thought? He decided to let his mental barriers turn to filters as he took in any of the positive emotion that might be lingering around. Oddly enough... he couldn't feel anything from the woman. But there was more then enough happiness around, he soaked it all in like a plant would absorb the a star's rays. After he got his fix he raised his barriers again and spoke to her, now in a strangely chipper tone. He decided to use his emojection to push this mood towards the woman, judging by what he felt earlier he guessed that she would need it.

“So.... I am guessing that you are a Jedi or something? I knew the Aegis was JOINTOPS' pet project... but I never guessed that the Jedi Order would care to be involved.”

He incorrectly surmised.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Sender and Rah glanced at each other for a moment at Crass' first comment.

We're partners, actually, Lieutenant Commander Vossk.

Yes, Sender's right. He's been programed to be a partner for me, not a subordinate or mindless droid who needs a master. It would be harmful to me in the field if he were....though I DON'T appreciate being batted around the head by his wing either.

She replied, the last part said with a cold tone of warning as she turned her head just enough to give a sidewards glare at the droid who had regained his previous position on her right shoulder. Rahja caught the subtle glance at her breasts from the man before he returned his eyes to hers. It made her bristle slightly and she didn't bother to hide it from the emotionally in-tune man...it wasn't anger, though, simply annoyance. Typically she WOULD have become angry at his actions, but the fact that the look was only a glance and nothing more, she really couldn't be angry at him....at least he wasn't staring like many did. At his comment on the Aegis, she allowed the slight curve of a smile to grace her lips, though to him it likely would look more like a smirk than an actual smile.

Yes, I surmised as much since there doesn't seem to be a ship large enough to hold several fighters here....but then again, maybe I'm just blind.

She stated sarcastically, with a light roll of her eyes. As he slipped into the arms of his flight suit she caught the patches there even before he turned and she groaned inwardly. Well...that's what she got for not probing his mind a bit for information...now she looked like a right arse. No doubt Sender would have a field day with this.

Ah! The Aegis. Well now, see Rahja...don't you feel a bit foolish for being so snippy with a fellow member of your...

I'm warning you bird...

Now feeling rather miffed, she buried her emotions deeper within her to keep from subjecting the man to them. He didn't to know how embarrassed she was because of all of this...and the stupid droid's chiding to boot. As he turned and met her eyes again, she was bombarded by a wave of typical....male....thoughts and she suppressed the urge to roll her eyes again. God she disliked zeltrons...at least this one was a bit more calm than the others. That was a blessing...at least for him. It meant she might not have the distinct urge to kill him....operative word: might. As he spoke again, and turned to walk away, she followed beside him, cloak swaying behind her gently once again. As they passed through the door, Rahja felt a wave of emotion break against the barriers of her mind, a bit of the happy emotion lapping over the tops of those walls and spilling into her mind slightly. Huffing, she shielded her mind completely to keep the waters of his emotional projection from spilling across her mind again. That was the last thing she needed...to become foggy headed with whatever emotion he might try to lay across her and keep her from making a swift, good, decision if something were to happen. With the dome of her mental barriers shielding her from the unwanted emo-jection, she snorted at his question and comment.

Hardly. The Order wouldn't send a jedi with the military unless it were in time of war and Coruscant itself were under attack. I'm no Jedi; I'm simply a sniper, and medic if needed.

She replied, her red eyes betraying some of the anger and hurt that had bubbled up inside of her once again at his assumption. Rahja swiftly stifled the emotions, however, as she continued walking down the metallic corridors. Sender shifted uncomfortably on her shoulder. He knew how much she disliked talking about the jedi order. It wasn't so much the fact that she had a dislike for the order, or even that she disliked the idea of it...quite the opposite...she had loved the Order, and love the ideals it held...but it had hurt her and so it was a wound easily opened. It's my own fault, though, I suppose. I wear the insignia on the belt I received from them, and I wear their standard boots. I haven't even deviated much from their clothing...it's no wonder he thought I was a jedi. she mused to herself.

Forgive my tone. You couldn't have known I wasn't by the way I'm dressed.

Sender clicked his mouth shut at her words. He'd been about to apologize for her when she had done it herself. It stunned the little droid into silence. Apologizing wasn't something Rahja did often.

[Dire Wolf]

Crass nodded, so they were partners... that explained a lot. The phrase “not a subordinate or mindless droid” seemed to stick with him, the reason for this escaped the crimson skinned man. He thought through it for a few seconds until his mind had an “ah-ha” moment of sorts. He shook his head.

“I'm sorry, Sender, you are sentient, then? I kind of assumed...”

The man trailed off, hoping that the droid would catch his drift. After his little “glance” down to her breasts he could feel her bristle up, it was to be expected, but Crass couldn't help it. That was not to say that he blamed his gender or race for his actions, but the act of glancing down at her chest was so primal that it took a considerable will to suppress it, will that Crass did not have. He was about to apologize for his actions when he caught her comment and smirk.

The droid's chiding cause him to smile a little bit, but fortunately for Crass he did a good job hiding it: He pretended to be looking out of the window down at Kuat. Then he noticed that he could not feel any emotions from the woman, especially after his rather racy... thoughts... and his attempted emojection, which happened to have little effect on her by the way. Crass' eyes slowly slowly sank to his feet and his back began to slump while she told him that she was as-a-matter-of-fact, not a Jedi. Then he caught a mental whisper of anger and hurt... his shoulders drooped and he let out a sigh. He should just stop talking and show this woman to the Aegis. He hardly noticed that she asked him to forgive her for the tone.

“I'm sorry, Rahja... I let my primal instincts get the better of me... as usual.”

Part of that statement was a lie, he hadn't acted like this in ages. “Wow man, in 5 minutes you managed to; Insult, cause emotional suffering, and completely alienate this woman from you. Good Job.” He thought, unknowingly sending the message out a wave of the Force. He didn't normally think like this, but Crass always had the tendency to take a slight err and turn it into an overwhelming failure or unforgivable wrong. He looked at the woman and forced a small smile to awkwardly contort the features of his face, which of course belied his thoughts.

“I should really be the one apologizing, Rahja. I have acted like a lecherous arse ever since this conversation started.”

He sighed and looked for any possible indication of where they were. It was far to easy to get turned around in Kuat Drive Yards' corridors, they all looked more or less the same.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

The little droid tilted his head to the side slightly at Crass' question. Sentient? Well...he wouldn't have exactly deemed himself sentient, but that was about as close to the truth of things as possible.

If by sentient you mean that I am free thinking, then yes. I have been programmed to think freely, question authority, have a moral system, and emulate some forms of basic emotions.

Rahja sighed at the droid's reply and chuckled slightly despite herself. For everything she'd done to modify him, Sender still was a droid and so analyzed things as a droid would.

What he's meaning to say is that: yes, he's about as close to a sentient being as a droid can be so that if I screw up, he can tell me so in no uncertain terms....though REALLY he's supposed to keep such things from happening in the first place.

I programmed a moral code into him so that in the case that mine...fails...his won't and so things can be kept from getting....out of hand.

Rahja had little doubt that her meaning would get across: I'm typically level headed, but I'm far from the tame, obedient, little lamb the Republic thinks I should be. She left her statement at that, however, and continued walking beside the zeltron, finding that...perhaps he wasn't SO bad after all. Now that her proverbial feathers had smoothed out slightly, she was feeling a bit more at ease around him. At least he wasn't pawing at her like most of the zeltron men tended to. As he apologized for his thoughts and actions, namely the emo-jection she guessed, Rah found herself feeling rather bad for having snapped at him. It seemed he had only barely heard her apology, and, as she watched his form slump she felt a twist of guilt in her gut. Pausing she grabbed hold of his shoulder to stop him and turn him to face her. No sooner had she done that than she let go of him, her hand dropping once more to her side.

Crass, don't worry about it. I'm actually used to far worse from men...I just tend to...let some things get to me. So...

She paused for a moment, feeling very awkward. Rah was showing a bit of the softer, more vulnerable, inside of herself and she felt uncomfortable and uncertain because of it. What was worse...she didn't even know WHY she was allowing him to see this softer part of her. Some of this emotion and confusion showed on her face as she looked out of the side of her eyes and unconsciously fiddled with a clip on her belt as she pondered what exactly to do to get herself out of this predicament.

Cue Sender.

Well then. Now that you two have both seemed to realize you were being foolish, perhaps we should start again? Um...minus the introductions....Rah, I know you're sarcasm, so I felt the need to state that for your benefit.

The droid always did seem to have good timing, and a strange sense of intuition...or perhaps it was just that he knew her well enough by now to know when she was feeling uncomfortable. Either way, it was a welcome reprieve that allowed the Chiss time to rebuild her emotional shells swiftly and silently.

I'm not opposed to that idea. Sound like an idea then, Vossk?

She asked, skipping the title, but not yet certain if it was a good idea to call him by his first name or not.

[Dire Wolf]

((Okay, I am changing it so that Grey + Italics = Broadcasted thoughts that Force users/sensitives can hear))

Crass tilted his head when Rahja saying that she programmed a moral code into the droid. Why had she said that? Was it really critical for him to know that this woman here held a rather... weak... moral code? He didn't have the courage to ask her... but not out of fear of what she might do, rather out of fear of hurting her again. That was most certainly the last thing he wanted: More pain in someone's life on his account. His form slumped even more as the memories of his past bubbled up within him.

Then a surprisingly strong blue hand grasped his shoulder and turned him around, “What did I do now?” He thought as his mind raced to find out what offense he committed. Then he saw her face, it didn't have that stoic apathetic look that it held before... it looked considerably softer. He let a smile crack curve his lips as she forgave him.

“Thank you, Rah... and it is well within your rights to let it get to you...”

Then, for some odd reason, it hit him. Why... how... how had she not been affected by the emo-jection? And furthermore, why can he now sense no emotion from the woman? Crass had always been keen on others' emotions, even compared to other Zeltrons. The man often went from chipper to doleful simply because of the emotions in the room.

His eyes grew a wide as it “clicked” in his mind... the Jedi attire... the emotion, or lack thereof... and her resistance to his emo-jection. Unbeknownst to Crass, this thought was sent out to all other Force sensitives within' range, “... She is a psionic.... no... How else? You're crazy, Crass, Rahja said herself that she was not a Jedi.”

He pushed these thoughts out of his mind and observed the woman... she was obviously uncomfortable, but why? He didn't know... but he most certainly cared... he hoped her current feeling wasn't on his account. He sighed in relief when Sender cut in, when he looked back at her face it was the one he was quickly growing used to: Stoic. Her next statement caught him off guard, why had she called him Vossk? Were they suddenly on a shockball team or something?

“Me neither, Top, and please, call me; Crass, Crassus, hell... call me “Red guy” if you want. I don't care. Just not Vossk.”

He tried to sound as merry as possible while still keeping a hint of seriousness in his tone. Calling someone by their last name was far too impersonal for Crass, he just hoped that she didn't take his comment the wrong way. Again, he began to look for any indication of where they were on the ring.. and after a good 5 minutes of walking he found it. They had been walking in the wrong direction. He sighed. These halls were far to easy to get turned around in.

“I hate this blasted place... what is Commander Vienneau waiting for anyways?”

He looked back Rah, Crass would have to explain himself now.

“I'm sorry, Rahja, but its so damned easy to get turned around in this place. I know where we are now, though”

He sighed. She probably thought that he was just pretending to know where it out of some strange quest for the glory of getting into her pants. That was far from the case, he honestly really wanted to help the woman.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

As he turned to face her once again, his thoughts bombarded her mind and she blinked slightly. Was she really being that much of a pain that he thought he'd done something? Brushing that thought aside, she'd forged ahead and, as she allowed her senses to ride the waves of the force emanating from the man, she caught the slight relief he seemed to be feeling at her words. This, in turn, had relieved some of the emotional stress she too had been feeling...good, at least he doesn't seem so glum now...she thought to herself. Suddenly, Rah blinked again. Wait...did I just...did he just...no...no way. Rah swiftly brushed the thought aside, it was just too far fetched to think that he might be force sensitive and NOT be a jedi...the watchers for the Order saw to it that such people we discovered swiftly. At his reply, she simply coughed slightly and nodded.

That was when Sender had spoken up and she had been relieved of the anxiety of having just opened up as much as she had. That was when his second thought had hit her. Cursing inwardly, she knew she would have to address the subject...most likely soon...but she was far from ready to divulge that part of her past with anyone so easily. As they started walking once more, she thought heavily on what to do about this situation. Few had connected her to the Order, and the ones that did normally died shortly after...unfortunately, she couldn't kill this man. Well...not that she really WANTED to kill him anyway. Rah barely payed any attention to where they were walking, only narrowly dodging people and things by using the force to feel for obstructions around her as her eyes remained pasted to the floor unseeingly as she thought. Once Crass spoke again, she pried her eyes away from the slightly scuffed metal flooring to look at him once more. Tilting her head to the side a bit, she blinked at him curiously for a moment before nodding.

Understood. Crass then. Call me Rah. It's about as simple as my name gets.

That was an understatement.

Her full name was about as complex a name as one found in the universe, so saying Rah was as simple as her name got was like saying the alphabet made up every word in the basic language...it was true, but it just didn't convey the true scope of things.

Though feel free to butcher my full name if you like...I find it amusing sometimes.

She added, deciding to give the zeltron a bit of perspective.

Eefr'ahj'akelith.

After several more minutes of walking, Rah found herself wondering if the man really DIDN'T know where he was going after all. She'd been about to ask when he stopped and looked around once more. Raising one eyebrow, Rah sighed and hefted her pack higher onto her shoulder before shifting her shoulders and back slightly so that the rifle along her back rested more comfortably. Her shirt was beginning to stick to her back slightly from the heat the rifle and it's sling were building up...the sooner she got it off the happier she would be. Looking back at Crass she was pleased to note that he seemed to find what he had been looking for. Good. Much more of this and she would have to start stripping off her armor just to remain in a decent mood. Finally he spoke again and she huffed slightly.

Good...this rifle is building up too much heat on my back, the sooner I can get it off the better for us all.

She quipped as she followed along once again.

[Dire Wolf]

Crass blinked at Rah when she rattled off her full name, he didn't bother to try his luck with the pronunciation, he would most certainly butcher it. He glanced over at her as she was staring blankly at the floor... presumably lost in thought. He considered tapping her on the shoulder and asking what she had on her mind... but he didn't know her like that. Heh... did he even want to? He wasn't sure at this point, she seemed awful uptight... but that glimpse of softness that he saw earlier... does that mean that her apathy is just a facade? In all honesty he wasn't sure, although he hoped that was indeed the case for her sake.

“Alright, Rah, and I don't think that I will try my hand at saying your full name... it would probably end with me being red...er... in the face.”

He let out a sly grin as he said “red..er”, hoping to rouse even the smallest of smiles in the woman. He suspected that she needed it. Most people would have at the very least chuckled at his earlier joke at what she could call him.

He eyed the woman over for a second as she readjusted the weight of her rifle, that thing probably weighed a ton and a half with all of the equipment in the case with it. The man in red considered offering to take her burden for her, it was only right... considering that he had been a complete arse. But then, she may take that as a clumsy come-on... which would be counter-productive. Wait. Counter-productive? What? What ever happened to: “I just want to help”? He sighed. The man did just want to help her, but for what motive? He honestly wasn't sure himself. He thought that it was just to help out a fellow member of his crew. Now, however, he wasn't so sure... was he really that shallow?

He shook his head a little, throwing off those thoughts like a dog throws water off of his back. Crass sighed, he would do the chivalrous thing and offer to carry her rifle on the trip to the Aegis. However, he would be lying to himself if he said that he did not care. Call it base emotion, slight infatuation, or maybe even the fact that he didn't want to put her in a bad mood. It was a mystery even to him. As they walked back to the Aegis, he looked over at her.

“Sorry about dragging you half-way around the ring...”

He sighed... he could see half of his friends now cooing and saying things like: “D'aww... how cute.” He pushed them out of his thoughts. She may just think that walking the wrong way was a ploy, this was far from the case... wait... why did he care again? He was just going to show her to the ship and be off to finish the checks on his Venom.

“...Would you rather have me carry the rifle?”

He glanced up at one of the markers, they were nearly there. After but a few minutes, once they passed their starting position of course, they reached Dock 308A5... which was the dock that housed the Aegis. He stopped and motioned his hand towards the sliding door.

“There's the Aegis, sorry for the walk... Its so fracking easy to get turned around on this place.”

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

As Crass made his cheeky reply Rahja snickered despite herself. Shaking her head slightly, the blue woman simply walked along silently a slight smirk on her face. After a moment he looked at her again and she felt a wash of confusion slip over her mental shields through the force. Sighing slightly, she was about to say something when he spoke again, offering to carry her rifle. She blinked at him quietly for a moment and shook her head.

No thank you. It would be a hassle to take off. Besides, I don't feel comfortable letting someone else carry it.

She replied with a slight nod of her head. As they came up to a door and he motioned to it, she noted the dock number and sighed as the door slid open with a hiss of air and gears. His comment went unheeded for a moment before she finally gave a light shrug of her shoulders. As she walked through the doors Rah had to stop and stare at the ship that lay docked there. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen. Making sure to shut her mouth, which had slackened to the point where it hung open slightly, Rah shook her head a bit and turned to look at Crass.

THIS is the Aegis? I've...never seen anything even CLOSE to this. Maybe...MAYBE a Nabooian ship.

She stated, looking back at the sleek ship that lay before them, a look of surprise and something akin to awe in her eyes and voice. Starting toward the ship once more, she felt more out of place than she had in a long time. Rah was used to moving from planet to planet, staying for short stints on each, but she'd never called a ship 'home' before. She hadn't called ANYWHERE home since Shelk's ship and, before that, the temple. As they came closer to the ship Rah's steps slowed slightly as she tried not to allow the hulking mass of it get to her, but it felt...oppressive...to her for some reason, and she shifted uncomfortably as she paused at the base of the landing ramp.

Rahja? Are you well?

Sender...I really wish you hadn't asked that...she thought to herself.

Yes, Sender, I'm fine.

She replied, her tone cool and even, though rippling just beneath the surface of that cool exterior her muscles tensed and released with a form of anxiety. She had always been a free spirit, roaming at will and doing as she pleased, but this was the end of that life now. She would have to obey a commanding officer...more than one...do as she was told, go where she was told to go when she was told to go there, eat what she was told to eat when she was told it was time, sleep when she was told to sleep....her life was no longer her own. As a solitary sniper for the military she had had those luxuries. Lifting her chin slightly, Rah stepped up the landing ramp and into the white ship.

The interior had the crisp newness of any other ship, and the sterility of the place made her ill at ease. There was nothing to FEEL here either as it seemed that much of the crew was gone. It left the ship feeling dead, and it set the chiss woman even more on edge. Even though she tried to hide her unease, to keep a tight hold on her emotions, no doubt Crass would be able to feel that unease and anxiety rippling just beneath the surface. Looking around, Rah wondered just where the crew cabins were. Furrowing her brows, she felt at a loss of where to even begin looking. Heaving a sigh, Rahja's head lowered slightly as she realized just how difficult it was going to be getting used to life on this ship. Sender, noticing this slight motion, flicked his wings slightly and shifted on her shoulder.

I...think I understand now Rahja. I'm sorry I can't be of more use to you, but...

I know Sender...it's alright. You're at just as much of a disadvantage as I am so don't apologize.

She stated quietly as she slumped slightly against the bulkhead.

[Dire Wolf]

Crass nodded when she decline his offer. It was understandable, she was a sniper... that rifle was probably her life. As long as Rah wasn't put off by his shoddy attempt at being chivalrous, he chuckled a little at the thought. It was almost ironic. The pilots of olde used to guide their defeated adversaries back to their base... chivalry... honor... his line of work needed more people like that.

At first, Crass was just going to show her to the ship and walk back to the hanger deck, but in all honesty he had some extra work to do... mostly trying to get the manifest for his squadron... which command refused to give him despite his rather lofty security clearance. He was the squadron commander, and their reasons for barring him access to the list escaped him. He shook his head. “Down boy, you will find out who is in your squadron soon. They probably just did not want to risk a leak by sending a list via the net... yeah...” Crass shook his head again. The Republic Military Transmission code was one of the most secure in the universe. Rah's comment on the Aegis thrust him back into what he was doing.

“Yup, this is her Rah.”

He paused for a second, looking into those ruby red eyes of hers, they had a look of awe... almost wonder. The red man smiled let a small smile play across his face, this was his new home, and Crass enjoyed people complementing it. He sighed, not many people were accustomed to living on a ship... if it weren't for his rather... questionable... history before the navy and his almost constant ship-hopping he may not be a big fan of living in a vacuum either. It wasn't exactly a natural reaction to things. He noticed that she slowed her steps when she got to the landing ramp, he noticed that she shifted around at the base of it. His mouth was just forming the words when that little droid cut in. He promptly closed his mouth and walked past her, eyes glued to his feet.

Then a feeling of anxiety washed over him, at first he couldn't explain it. It didn't take long for him to figure out who the source of this emotion came from, Crass closed his eyes and sighed. She was not alright. He promptly turned around and looked at her, he would leave out his reasons for repeating the droid's question.... this may not have been the best time to say, “oh... heh, yeah, I kind of felt your emotions... whats wrong?” more then a few people were put off by that. Even if he couldn't help what he sensed. He couldn't help but furrow his brow a little... the man was obviously concerned.

“Are you sure, Rah?”

The interior of the ship was surprisingly sterile, he didn't really like it. The ship just looked... off, it look too new. He sighed, again. “Just you wait, Crass... a few weeks... no... a few days of use and these halls won't look so prim and proper.” He rolled his eyes at his thoughts. He was about to continue on his thoughts on just how disturbingly clean this ship was when he noticed some more of those rather negative emotions emanating from Rah. He leaned against the bulkhead and thought it all through.

He grew a little distraught after he couldn't figure out what was wrong... he wanted to say something to help her... but he just didn't want to risk looking like a fool or hurting her feelings in his ignorance. Then he saw her sigh and lower her head a little bit. “I wish I could help her.... why can't I figure out whats wrong?” He rubbed his face, still nothing.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Nodding at his statement about the ship, Rah had simply continued onward. As he passed her, however, and nearly parroted Sender, she looked up at him and sighed, shrugging mildly, her face a mask of determination as she headed up the ramp. As she had sighed and leaned against the bulkhead feeling lost and...for all intensive purposes...defeated, another thought from Crass seeped into her mind. She stood up from the bulkhead once again and took a few more steps into the hull of the ship, feeling like a caged animal. How could he NOT know what was wrong? Didn't he feel trapped here also? Wouldn't he rather be out under the sky, with the feel of the wind, or rain, or snow, or sun? Didn't he prefer the vast cityscapes of Nar Shaddaa, or Coruscant...perhaps the open fields of Alderaan, or the giant forests of Kashyyyk?

I feel out of place here...that's what's wrong Crass. There's not really anything you can do to help me...I just...

She paused, not sure why she was allowing herself to open up this much to him. Perhaps it was because he truly did seem to want to help her. Rah sighed again and ran a hand over the wall of the ship lightly, her thoughts turning to Shelk and that blasted freighter he'd owned that had been her home. She hadn't even felt comfortable on IT.

...I just feel...trapped. Would YOU prefer to be out on some planet rather than here? There's no room here, and no life. It's like being in an unfeeling box, a cage of metal and wires. I don't know...maybe I'm just too used to being able to see for more than a few feet or a few yards in more than one direction....ugh, I don't know.

She said, growing frustrated at her attempt to explain her unease to him. Sender remained silent on her shoulder, allowing the woman to speak her mind. It was the most he'd seen her open up to another being beside himself. It was good for her, he thought, but no sooner had she begun to open up than he could almost see her shutting down again. Rahja was indeed, shutting down again, trying to protect those vulnerable emotions of hers, but she knew it was too late. Crass had already seen more of her than she'd intended, but, for some reason, she didn't completely mind. I'll need someone to talk to on here to keep myself sane...that's the only reason why, she assured herself, and so her mind was made up. Might as well try to at least be friendly with him...besides, he's not half bad looking...the second part of this thought came unbidden and she found herself annoyed once again, though she swiftly shook it off.

As for the manifests....the military is slow. You'll get them soon enough I'm sure.

She stated, searching for a change of subject from her previous display of emotion. The feelings were still there, bubbling near the surface of her, but she did her best to ignore them and reign them in while she acted as if nothing were wrong. Her next thoughts were ones of finding a bunk...she NEEDED to get this gear OFF. Now.

[Dire Wolf]

Her words surprised him to say the least. He just stood there, looking at her with a blank expression on his face, his jaw slagged a little, and he simply blinked at her. She just read his mind. He blinked again. But she said that she wasn't a Jedi... and she didn't act like one of those “Dark Jedi” that he had been hearing about. This perplexed him... at first this perplexed him, mostly since he didn't believe that she was lying. He was generally good at telling when a person was lying or not... but sometimes people slip past his eye.

“You... read... my thoughts? How...”

His mouth tried to say more, but his voice refused. He closed his eyes and took a moment to gather his thoughts as best he could. She felt trapped, that was more than understandable, he had felt the same way on his first deployment on a ship. He nodded and tried to say something, but his mind was still reeling from what she said. The man, again, took a few seconds to recover.

“I... I understand where you are coming from, I felt the same way on my first ship station too, Rah. To be honest...”

The red man closed his eyes and imagined himself behind the stick of his fighter flying above the forests of Kuat. The beauty... the freedom... it nearly brought a tear to his eye. He opened his eyes and looked at Rah. While yes, he did feel a little claustrophobic on the ship, it was a far cry from what she must be feeling right now. It was hard for him to imagine how hard it would be for her... to be a sniper... to be her own woman... out in the wilderness or alone in a cityscape. It was then that he truly began to feel just how she felt... or so he guessed. Not only caged physically, but mentally as well.

“... I still feel caged, my only out is the rare occasion that I am allowed to fly...”

He shrugged and looked down at his feet before looking up at Rah, he barely ever discussed his personal feelings like this, let alone with a woman that he barely knew.

“... and that barely covers it, mostly because I am usually fighting for my life when they do let me.”

The guy smiled a little bit and broke his gaze with Rah, he had never really said that to anyone before. He sighed, “How ironic; a guy who has been an ace more then ten times over still feels like a caged bird in a ship.” He looked back over at Rah when she spoke again, she seemed to be acting a little erratic, one moment opening up herself to him and in the very next sentence... the next breath... she was closing up again. Wait. She read that thought too? How long had she been reading his mind? In no way did he sound confrontational or angry about it... more worried about what he unknowingly exposed her to.

“... How long have you been... reading my mind?”

Crass' eyes grew wide as he realized how she probably read his earlier, albeit involuntary, thoughts on the process of “baby making.” Exposing her to such an unwanted, indecent, and honestly wretched thought made him feel like the biggest bantha's arse this side of Coruscant.

“Oh by the Force... I'm so sorry for my those thoughts I had about you back in the hanger...”

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

At his first stammered words, Rah lowered her head a bit and let out a dark little chuckle, her black hair falling to either side of her face as she did so. Well, she would have to explain now, wouldn't she? Sighing, she shifted the weight on her back once more and pulled out her datapad sifting through the layout of the ship to find the bunks and which one would be hers.

Yes, I did.

She replied. Taking the lead, she made her way down the various halls to a small door, which she opened and stepped inside, leaving it open for Crass to follow through. Once there, she listened to him speak as she set the heavy pack down on the bed and rolled her shoulder out. So he DID have an idea of what she was feeling then? This thought made her smile slightly as she watched him close his eyes for a moment, obviously thinking of something pleasant as the waves of the force washed those relaxing feelings toward her. After a moment those thoughts seemed to shift as the feelings radiating from around him turned more to what she was feeling. Ah, so NOW he was really beginning to understand more fully. She nodded as he spoke again, the motion showing her understanding. Sniping and spying was the same way, it was her freedom and that freedom put her life in danger as well. Yes, she could relate to what he said.

I don't find that ironic, Crass. It's natural to a degree. The Military affords very little freedom, and what little we do get is dangerous. Besides, ace or no, you're still a living being...we're meant to be out in the open, able to move freely where we want, when we want...living on a ship negates that feeling...and I doubt very much that you would feel the same way if you had flight control for this hulk. Shelk used to....never mind. Either way...I might wonder about your sanity if you didn't feel slightly caged while living here.

She stated as she unclipped her cloak and pulled it off, laying it on the bed beside where Sender had taken up residence since he had moved from her shoulder a short time ago. The long rifle and it's sling lay across her back securely, the leather of the holster itself fading into the clear plastic of the strap that crossed over her shoulder, keeping the fact that she had the sling on at all as unnoticeable as possible. Pulling off the familiar weight of the rifle and sling, and setting it on the bed as well, she let out a sigh of relief as the air finally started to circulate around her back once more. His next words caught the woman off guard, and she stopped in her motion of picking up that cloak. Turning to face him once again, she raised an eyebrow and tried to pin point what he was talking about.

The fact that he had thought about her sexually earlier had almost completely left her mind. It happened so often when dealing with men that those kinds of things tended to slip from her memory rather easily and swiftly. Finally connecting the two, she snickered lightly and waved a hand at him as she picked up the cloak again and fastened it around her neck once more, draping the material around her once more, her form seeming to become skewed and difficult to keep track of until she tossed the material over her shoulders once more. Glancing back at Sender to see why he had been so silent, she noted the fact that the lights in his optical receptors had dimmed...ah, that would explain it, he was in power save. Obviously HE felt comfortable enough to 'sleep'. Sighing, she shook her head slightly before looking back at Crass.

Don't worry about it Crass. I'm used to men seeing little more than a body when they talk to me. It tends to work to my advantage most of the time. The fact that you felt the need to apologize is enough.

As for how long I've been "reading your mind"...I haven't been. I don't like prying into others minds, I don't have enough training to feel comfortable doing so.

She sighed again and tapped Sender on the head, the little droid powering up once more and looking up at her curiously.

Sender, keep an eye on my things. I'll be back eventually. If something happens, com me immediately.

Of course Rah, but DO try to be back in a timely manner, my charge only holds for so long you know.

Yes, yes, I know bird.

She said with a wave of her hand as she led Crass from the room and shut the door behind her. She would have to set the code for the lock soon, but for now Sender would suffice.

I suppose I should explain a few things to you, but...maybe not here. You had things you needed to do, right?

[Dire Wolf]

Crassus was about to say something like, “... go on,” when Rah began to walk, and he followed. During the walk he was particularly quiet, he tried his best to leave his mind silent, but it was hard. He was walking next to a telepath, and a hot one at that. The muscles on the right side of his nose clenched as he pulled his head in that direction, almost looking like a angry hound as he cut that line of thought off. Fast. Her next statement caught him off guard, he didn't quite expect her to read that one as well. He shrugged. Rah had been reading every other thought that came out of his head, why not that one?

“Heh, yeah... but you'd think that I would be comfortable on a ship.... I...”

Crass cut himself off. He didn't want to even think about that period of his life... and she probably did not want to know it either. His eyes hit the floor as the guilt that he had been suppressing for so long bubbled up within him. The man shook his head, trying his best to throw the thoughts out... but to no avail. He knew what would rid himself of these emotions, but unfortunately that would require him to completely open up his mental barriers, and Rah would probably catch hints of his memories... and most likely be put off to no end.

He sighed as he let his mental barriers drop, the rush of emotion was pure ecstasy, his eyes involuntarily rolled into the back of his head for a few moments before he regained himself enough to filter out all of the emotions but one: happiness. He followed her into the room with a slight bounce to his step that was absent before he opened himself to the residual emotions of the area and leaned against to the bulkhead. When she accepted his apology he sighed in relief.

He blinked. She hadn't been reading his mind? He chuckled a little bit, now she had to be toying with him. How else could she know what his thoughts where?

“Heh, right. You might have to explain that one, Rah.”

Crass promptly left her room as she motioned for him to leave, he was surprised that she didn't lock the door, it would be far to easy for someone to break in and steal something. Even if that little bird was there. The Zeltron looked around, most of the crew hadn't arrived yet, he was honestly surprised that Rah was here so early. He nodded at Rah as she spoke, he did have something he had to get done. But it wasn't actually official.

“What? I'm not really on duty, but I do have something that I need to do really quick...”

The man motioned for her to follow, he began to head towards the aft section of the ship, towards the center of the ship, the offices. He sighed as he stopped in front of a random door and punched in a key code, followed by a thumb-print, and finally another password before the door opened. He promptly walked in, being sure to hold it open so that she could enter without it closing on her.

“My office, grand... I know... but its all I got. Go ahead and find a seat if you want.”

Crass said with a sigh and a sarcastic wave of his arm. He walked around the rather modest desk to a holo-computer. After a few seconds of typing on a holographic key-board a look of irritation flashed across his face. He closed his eyes and leaned back into the chair, breathing a little bit more deeply in an attempt to calm himself down.

“Apparently, I don't have the clearance to see the manifest for my own fighter squadron.”

Crass sighed as he brought his hands to the back of his head and leaned his head back.

“So, if you don't mind, could you tell me how you are... erm... reading my thoughts?”

He chuckled a little bit, he never actually figured he would be saying that sentence in his life time.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Rahja blinked slightly as Crass cut himself off, and shrugged mildly. Her mind was so closed off from the world around her by now that she didn't even catch a hint of why he might have, nor did she particularly care either. Her only connection with the force was one of sense...simple emotions, ripples, presences...she kept herself firmly shielded from the thoughts and memories of others save for the constant "static" noise of the thoughts of non-sensitives, the constant buzzing of life that she had become so accustom to that her mind only recognized it as the soft sound of the 'breath of the universe'...and just like her own breathing, she didn't even heed the sound any longer. As he stated that he wasn't on duty, she simply shrugged her shoulders once again. Well, considering how she'd met him it was an easy enough mistake to make...he'd been working on his fighter, had broadcast about his manifest....what else was she to think?

Following along beside him to the belly of the ship, she took mental notes of what was where as best she could so that she wouldn't feel so lost later...when it mattered. As he agreed that she would need to explain further, the stoic woman nodded, but said nothing. She would explain, but not until they were in a bit more solitary area, and she got the distinct feeling that he was headed to either his quarters or an office of some kind. He was, after all, a higher ranking officer than herself...it only made sense that he would have an office. Sure enough her guess had been correct. He unlocked a door and held it open so that she too could enter before motioning sarcastically to the still blank canvas of the room. Passing through the door, she found herself a seat in a simple chair across the desk from him, flipping her cloak over the arm of the chair and out of her way. Tucking her hair behind her ear, Rah listened and watched silently through devilish red eyes as he fumed for a moment over something, then stated exactly what it was that he was upset about. Huffing lightly, the woman smirked a bit and shook her head.

Well, I'm afraid I can't help you then. You outrank me despite my station in the Special Ops. If I'm correct you're in the Navy counter part, correct?

She asked, tilting her head to the side, a bit of black hair coming untucked from behind her ear so that it hung lightly beside her face. As he leaned backward and asked once more about how she had been able to "read his thoughts," Rahja sighed slightly and her eyes fell to a spot on the floor to the right of her, her face never moving from it's mask of calm save for a slight knitting of her eyebrows.

Hmm...it's a long story, but I'll give you the short version.

She replied, turning her eyes back to Crass...not that he was likely to notice the difference anyway, it was typically to subtle for anyone to notice save for those who were REALLY looking, someone who was used to dealing with Chiss, or another Chiss.

You weren't far off when you called me a jedi. I came close to becoming one.

...So close it hurt...

I grew up in the temple from the age of five, however, I never received a master and so I was sent to work for the MedCorps located in the temple. I still received some training there, but only in healing. I left at the age of 21. So you see, my training is incomplete, but I can still speak mind to mind.

She paused, allowing this new information to sink in before continuing on.

Because you seem to be a force sensitive, you have the ability to do the same, but you do so unconsciously. Like most younglings would when they're first beginning to learn to control their thoughts and shield their minds, you were "broadcasting" your thoughts to me without meaning to. That is how I was able to hear some of your thoughts.

She paused again, allowing THIS information to sink in as well before she drove the idea home. Guessing that he wouldn't fully believe that she hadn't been in his mind reading his thoughts, she allowed herself to reach toward him through the force, targeting his mind and attaching a tendril of her own thoughts to his. It wouldn't hurt him, but more than likely it would get his attention.

Do you understand now, Crass?

She asked, not unkindly, but seriously none the less. As soon as her words reached him, she detached herself from his mind and allowed herself the smallest of smiles.

[Dire Wolf]

((=_= Wake up @ 4am, Work @ 6am, 4 hours of sleep. Cannot sleep. =_=))

Crass tilted his head at her comment about not being able to help him. Of course she couldn't. Rank and department meant little as far as security clearance goes... the woman probably had a higher clearance then Crassus himself did, she was a sniper after all.

“I wouldn't ask you to even if you could, Rah. I will know who is in my squadron soon enough... and to be honest the information isn't worth your life.”

If she could help him, as he said, he would never accept it: passing off classified information to one who is not cleared to read it is a capitol offense after all. He just wouldn't be able to live with himself if she was trying to help him and ended up biting the bullet for it. It was then that he realized; he never answered her question.

“... and yes, I am part of NavSpecWar... I was just put in though... I was a flight instructor before that.”

He shrugged and took in a deep breath. It was one of the few times that he was actually relaxed in the company of another person, especially a woman and especially one as beautiful as Rah. Her reply caused a subconscious raise of Crass' eyebrow , so she had been trained in the Force... by the Jedi no less. His mouth moved to say something when he felt the slightest tinge of pain, it was barely noticeable... even for him. The man now wish that he never pried... did he pry? Probably not, no. She was reading his thoughts after all.

Wait a second... CRASS was a FORCE SENSITIVE? This news caused the furrow of his brow as his mind raced to try and figure out just what the hell she really meant by that. After a few seconds his mind drew a blank, it could not come up with another sane explanation... but then a strange thing happened. The hair on the back of his neck forearms began to prickle as a thought that was not his own flashed across his consciousness. Now, the proverbial processor in his mind raced even faster, it felt as if he was thinking at a million miles a minute... this went on for what felt like decades, but was really ten seconds or so. Until he forced it to slow down so that he could say a coherent sentence, unfortunately all the only word that could escape his lips were:

“Wha?”

Crassus asked as a confused look flashed across his face as his mind tried to make sense of the words in her second statement. The first about her growing up at the temple was more than understood, but he didn't want to delve much into that area of her life... it would probably be like her wanting to pick apart his teenage years. Again, he forced his mind to simplify its actions so that maybe he could speak.

“I... am a Force sensitive?”

He asked dumbly, hopefully she realized that it was a rhetorical question. Images of himself with a lightsaber began to fill his head... did being a Force sensitive mean that he could be a Jedi? It probably took training, well... it obviously did due to the fact that Rah mentioned something about her training being incomplete. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down, sometimes getting some fresh air in the air-bags did wonders.

“... Yes... I... I understand... I think. Its kinda a lot to bite off all at once, but yeah... I get it....”

He stopped for a second, something hit him. What if she could teach him how to NOT broadcast his every thought to nearby Force sensitives? That would be just grand.

“... Now... and I hate to ask you this... but... do you think that you could... maybe... teach me how to keep my thoughts to myself?”

He sighed, that sounded crazy. Hell, this whole thing sounded crazy.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Rah watched his reactions carefully. None of them were unexpected, quite the opposite in fact, his reactions were almost exactly what she had expected. She had even expected that last question. Sighing, however, the chiss woman shook her head. No, she couldn't teach him...it wasn't her duty, she wasn't trained enough, qualified enough, to teach anyone anything as far as the force was concerned. But...was teaching him to shield his mind really so difficult that she couldn't, or shouldn't, teach him? No. No, no, no. She cut those doubtful thoughts off as swiftly as they came.

No, Crass. I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm not a teacher, and I don't know enough of the force to feel comfortable teaching anyone anything.

Despite her voice's firm tone, inside she was still struggling with her resolve. Rahja knew that it would be best if he were trained by someone who could use the force more easily and readily than herself, but at the same time she also knew that it would be best for Crass to learn this ability swiftly...and if anyone knew how to shield their mind around here it would be her. This wasn't to say she had mastered the technique, she couldn't have without a master, but for someone with such little training, she had one of the most protected minds you could get. She'd had to develop this particular skill in her line of work, past and present.

[Dire Wolf]

Crass didn't need his keen empathetic link to see that she was uncertain about what he just proposed. The reason for this escaped him... it would most likely save them both from; embarrassment, pain, and remorse. The first two for obvious reasons, and the third... well that was mostly for the Zeltron man whose mind tended to wander, especially so when it came to Rah, for reasons that escaped him. It wasn't just that he liked the way she looked... it was something beyond that... he couldn't even think of another reason. He shrugged off the thought.

The man's face dropped to his feat when she barred his request. Why? What reasons did she have to NOT teach him how to shield his mind? It wasn't like he was asking her to teach him the art of battle meditation or anything. He wasn't particularly happy about pressing her on the issue, but his request was a need. Not a want.

“You may not be a teacher, but you do not need to be one to teach some one something. I would never ask this kind of thing of you... of anybody... unless I needed it... and I have a feeling that knowing how to... protect my mind? Could be useful later on... especially if I have to deal with one of the nastier members of your former community.”

He spoke from the heart and put his heart behind every syllable he uttered. Crass would probably give up if she refused to teach a second time... no matter how much he wanted to shield her, and others, from his thoughts. Thoughts were meant to be private, and it tends to be much harder to suppress them than it is to not talk at all.