Never Been a Fence Sitter

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Dreams…

Typically they were peaceful, if not unremembered, but this was different. Vex may have been used to prophetic dreams, but Aunna wasn’t…not entirely. Such things as prophetic dreams were fairly unusual for the woman, especially so in the years following her severance from the force. With that in mind, having such dreams now that she was reconnected to it…well, it certainly made for interesting dreams…or it would have, if the dream hadn’t been so horribly unpleasant.

Hold on to me love
You know I can't stay long
All I wanted to say was I love you and I’m not afraid
Can you hear me?
Can you feel me in your arms?

Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light it ends here tonight

I’ll miss the winter
A world of fragile things
Look for me in the white forest
Hiding in a hollow tree (come find me)
I know you hear me
I can taste it in your tears

Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light it ends here tonight

Closing your eyes to disappear
You pray your dreams will leave you here
But still you wake and know the truth
No one's there

Say goodnight
Don't be afraid
Calling me calling me as you fade to black

Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light it ends here tonight

Even with as jumbled and unclear as the dream itself may have appeared to herself and Vex (should he have had any clue as to what she dreamt about), Aunna knew precisely what the dream was about. The very music that she was beginning to get so used to, the music that was able to shield her mind, made the nature of the dream painfully clear to her. Even as her eyes opened and she sat up, blinking at the darkness around her, Aunna remembered the distinct feel of his weight and warmth in her arms. Running her hands along her upper arms in hopes that she might free herself of the uncomfortable sensation, Aunna took a moment to try and gather herself together…to decide what exactly she was going to do. She certainly didn’t want to even attempt going back to sleep.

Finally deciding on her course of action, blue eyes glanced over at the chronometer. It was early, but not so horribly early that she would have to worry about disturbing Vex…at least, she hoped not. The man slept so little anyway, it was a miracle (it seemed) that she’d ever seen him sleep at all. That thought both amused and troubled the woman further. Shaking the thought off, Aunna winced slightly at the cold metal of the floor as she got up and padded silently to his room, the dark material of those thin pants she'd worn to dance in whispering around her as she moved. She only unfolded her arms from across her chest long enough to tap lightly on his door with one knuckle before folding them back to their previous position, the loose material of the shirt she wore bundling up slightly in places as she did so.

--Vex, I’m sorry to bother you but…may I come in, please?--

Standing there, right outside his door, Aunna wondered just what she hoped to accomplish by going to see him. Did she really need to see that he was alright to know that it was simply a dream and not reality? No…not so much (not these days anyway)…she could feel him in there, the swirling mixture of chilled and silken darkness and warm comforting light that he was…a nexus of energies that radiated out from him and washed through the very air around her. Even so, that just didn’t seem like enough for her…she needed to see him to truly feel that it was simply a very vivid dream. With a muffled yawn, she rested her head back against the doorframe, one hand idly rubbing the opposite arm as she gazed blankly up at the ceiling.

[Vex]

Truth be told, he hadn't been listening in on her dreams. He'd been closing himself off to her dreams during her sleep. It was an offer of privacy for her...a nod to her earlier words about th propriety of his actions. Certainly, he didn't care about anyone else's feelings or privacy, but he did hers. Even now, at this moment, he couldn't quite understand exactly why he cared. It didn't change the fact that he did.

He did, however, feel when that dreaming state changed. There was always a peculiarity to the way she slept, the way she dreamed. It had to do with her connection to the Force, the strange way with which she went and connected t it. It was unlike anything he knew. It wasn't something he'd ever experienced, even within the walls of the Temple. No one he'd ever known or had heard of touched the Force the way she did. It posed challenges...but it also proved to be strangely enlightening. Such as now...the strange, haunting hints of melody that he felt trailing from her trickled away, an indecipherable song ending slowly, the silence his indication that she was awake. He reached out with his own senses...feeling the silken chords of her presence trailing closer to him. She was moving toward his room.

Allowing his walls to drop, he felt her voice, heard it in his head after the knock on his door. He unfolded himself from his meditation position and pushed himself to his feet, padding to the door. He could feel her disquiet as he neared it, keying the lock and allowing it to slide open. Dark eyes took her in as she looked up at the ceiling, resting against that door frame.

Tilting his head, he gestured with it, giving her permission t step inside as he took one step to the side. Once she had, he closed the door once more.

"What's on your mind, Aunna?"

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

If she hadn’t felt him moving closer to the door, Aunna might have started as it slid open. Lowering her gaze and turning her face to look at him, she stood up from against the wall and walked past him, pulling out the chair and folding herself into it as she sat down, one leg curled before her and the other knee up so she could rest her head against it. What was on her mind? That…was a difficult question to answer.

A lot of things, as usual, but…I suppose I just needed to pester you for a bit.

A shrug was added to her words as she attempted to lighten up her own mood, a slight smirk curling up one corner of her mouth.

To be honest, I didn’t really have something specific to talk about when I came…I just…did.

Blue eyes narrowed at the floor as she struggled for words. Just how was she supposed to tell him that she’d simply come here needing to see him because of something as childish as a dream? Certainly it was a vivid dream, but…

Vex…I…heh…well, let’s just say it was a childish whim that brought me here.

No doubt that’s what he’d see it as after all…a childish whim. Another shrug and she tried to ignore the rising blush at her admitted ‘childishness.’ Aunna sighed a bit and looked up at him, watching his movements for only a few moments before lowering her eyes again.

Sometimes…I wish I hadn’t unlocked this power again. I’d forgotten how bad some of these dreams could be…

[Vex]

It didn't take a mind reader to figure out what she was thinking about. He still had not forgotten the vision he had been given. The vision of his death. He also remembered that she'd been pressed by the Force, made to react, to respond to it and take a path that, somehow, managed to save his life, change his path, bring him to this point on this winding road. In retrospect...it was the moment he lost control of the path and could no longer see the way.

It was a disconcerting realization.

With her troubled state, there were breaks in that song...like a record skipping...through those gaps...her worries seeped out. She'd been dreaming about him...specifically, his death. Amusing, in a sense, given his own thoughts this very eve.

"You were afraid that I was dead...and you needed to see that it was not true. You are a very...unusual woman."

He paced closer, drifting behind her. His hand traced lightly along the back of her chair, fingertips barely brushing against her back as he moved toward his bed.

"Ignorance is not bliss. Turning a blind eye does nothing except keep you vulnerable. If you do not see, you cannot prevent. It is no guarantee...but it is better than nothing. At least...you can be prepared."

Sitting down on the edge, he would look back at her. "Sometimes...things end up far different than what you expect...than what you see."

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Aunna sighed slightly as he spoke, shaking her head a bit.

Yes…that’s the truth of it, I suppose. I don’t particularly see how that makes me unusual, though. If you want to think of it in no other way, then see it this way: I’ve invested a great amount in your life, Vex, and I wanted to be certain that you were still quite alive.

That, of course, wasn’t entirely the truth. Of course she’d invested in his life…she’d saved it and willingly branded herself a traitor for her actions…but that also hadn’t been without a deeper reason. She cared about him, and it was obvious…it wasn’t as if she were exactly hiding it. Perhaps that what he found so unusual? The feel of his fingertips against her back further reassured her that he was, in fact, quite alright. It put her a bit more at ease and she sighed slightly as he spoke once more. “Ignorance is not bliss,” hadn’t she told HIM that after he’d layered his memories into her mind? Yes…yes she had. A momentary closing of her eyes hid the roll of them as she huffed her mild amusement at the thought and dismissed it again.

I know, Vex….that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy this knowledge, however. A chance to prevent it or not…a chance to be prepared or not…it doesn’t make knowing any more pleasant. I just hope that what little I did see, feel, and understand of that dream…vision…whatever it was…is only one possibility among many, and not a certain outcome…

Her voice trailed off as she became silent for a moment, crystal blue eyes slightly dulled by the hour and her own thoughts as she gazed unseeingly at the edge of the bed beside him. Arms wrapped about her knee as she curled up a bit further and finally lifted her head off her knee to look him in the eye once more, taking in his features quietly. A quiet sigh and the slight glitter of her eyes as the moved slightly along his face were the only signs that she her mind was active behind those blue orbs and swept back features.

Well, I suppose there’s no point dwelling on it, is there?

A reserved smile formed on her face, something similar to the one she’d worn the day she’d saved his life on Nar Shaddaa, the day she’d faced the togruta’s interrogation in the prison, the morning he’d saved her from the firing line…and several other times before she’d ever met him. She’d resigned herself to many things with that one smile. They all boiled down to one thing, however: she needed to make the most of her time…now more than ever. If there was going to be any chance of her changing, or preventing, anything like her dream from actually happening, she needed to be as capable…as competent…in saber and force abilities as possible to protect herself so Vex could focus on other things should the need arise.

[Vex]

"However the Force chooses to see my end, Aunna, I doubt you have to worry about it coming while I sleep. Peacibly passing is not in my future. Of that I am certain. Your actions on Nar Shaddaa delayed my demise, but it makes no certainty that the Force will not have it come about in the future. I was meant to die that day. I did not believe there was another possibility. I had accepted such. You changed that, however. You are correct, however, in that there is no reason to dwell upon it."

There. He spoke about the vision that he had prior to that final battle on Nar Shaddaa. Not in so many words, but the inference was there for her to pick up. She was intelligent enough to do so. It didn't bother him. He had resigned himself then, as she had now...and he still did not regret that decision. It wasn't even a consideration or a choice. If it came down to it, his life was forfeit if it meant sparing hers. He wouldn't change that and he wouldn't allow her to change it either.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

I wasn’t worried death would find you in YOUR sleep Vex…it was MY sleep that worried me…and I didn’t NEED to see you to know you were alive, I just…wanted to see that you were.

Aunna had, in fact, put two and two together easily enough with the rest of his words, and a heavy sigh escaped her. Yes, she’d thought so…he’d said things before that had made her wonder if he’d had some sort of vision on Nar Shaddaa, but this just proved it. Uncurling herself, she stood up and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck lightly as she hugged him for a moment before pulling away and brushing a bit of stray hair from his face.

I’m glad I did change it…

A chuckle bubbled up in her and she shook her head.

…most of the time anyway.

[Vex]

He stiffened slightly at her embrace, having not expected it. The whole idea of showing physical affection to another was still something that he wasn't used to. Little things like the brush of his fingers earlier...or even a whim action like the invitation she'd received to join him in his quarters before they'd landed here...that was more comfortable for him. Even then, those things were not common coming from the man. He relaxed a bit, but by that time she had alread released and said the rest of her piece.

"I am not certain whether the correct response should be to be pleased at that revelation, or disappointed that you have severely masochistic tendencies."

A dark brow quirked at her as he let those dark eyes slowly look her over from the toes of her feet to the crown of her auburn hair. That aura about him flared a bit more, the dark writhing more wickedly while the red spiked out more. Reaching up, he drew off that mask and tucked it into place at his side before speaking again.

"So, little one...you've ascertained that your sleep has not brought about my demise...so now what? Will you be returningto your oom, or will you be staying around to keep watch now?"

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

She’d noticed him stiffen, and that had been why she’d moved away. Aunna wasn’t the type of person to keep others in an uncomfortable position if she could help it. A mild chuckle escaped her at his comment and she shook her head at him, an amused expression on her face.

A little of both, perhaps?

The suggestion was made as he looked her over, arms coming to cross over her chest. A momentary furrow of her brow was given at the ice cold of her fingers against her upper arms as she eyed him almost warily. An almost embarrassed look formed at his first question and she chuckled again. No, her sleep had certainly not ‘brought about his demise,’ and to be honest, she wasn’t sure how to answer his second question. For a long moment she was silent, studying him, the play of color about him as she caught glimpses of it with her waking eyes…something she still wasn’t accustom to. Those swept back, nearly elegant, features hardened for a moment as she weighed her options, before they softened again, almost sadly.

I’m…not certain staying would be a good idea. Much as I may wish to…

Oh yes, she certainly wished to stay with him, but…there were concerns. Should anything…happen…between them, there were protection concerns. True, she had far less of a chance of getting pregnant than most women, it didn’t stop the possibility. A soft sigh escaped her and she shook her head to clear it once more.

If I stayed with you tonight…I can’t help but be attracted to you and…

God help her, how did one brooch the topic of getting protection to someone who knew next to nothing on the subject of love or love making, much less the consequences it could have. Surely the jedi taught their children about procreation…with that in mind she sighed again.

It’s a lucky thing for all involved that I’m not as able to become pregnant as most women, Vex. If I were to stay with you tonight, after a dream like that…well, who knows. I just think that if anything is going to happen between us…a little protection is necessary. If nothing is going to happen, then we don’t need to worry about it.

There. It was out…and oh how she was feeling thoroughly embarrassed about it. One hand rubbed her upper arm again as she stubbornly kept herself from slinking away and leaving him with those last words. The fact was, she wanted to hear his reply…to know what he might think would or wouldn’t happen between them. It might answer a question or two she’d had lately.

[Vex]

At her words, he looked at her for a long, long moment. That expression then curled up, as though he was being amused by a young, silly girl. He chuckled and shook his head, leaning back on the bed before he spoke to her again. "Aunna...you are one of the most wanted women in the Republic. A branded traitor consorting with a Dark Jedi. You have a bounty on your head large enough to tempt anyone. You can't even go to the faction you are accused of being allied with, because they know the truth. The Jedi are hunting you and you have a reputation with the Dark Jedi due to your association with me and the battle with Ramseye Novak. You have most of the galaxy hunting you, but the only concern on your mind is that? Your priorities, Aunna, are in serious need of reconsideration. Now come here."

That dark smirk curled up a bit more as he added. "You assume much anyway, believing that I would allow anything to happen if I did not wish it."

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Oh no…she had her priorities correct. Aunna understood all of what he said quite well and long before he’d ever said it to her…the topic was just one of “we don’t need another something to worry about.” She watched him lean back against the bed fondly, blue eyes a mixture of amusement and mild annoyance.

And what if I refuse to “come here”?

Her voice was light, teasing, even as she took another step toward where he lay, sitting lightly on the edge of the bed. She blinked at him quietly at his last comment, sighing a bit. That could mean far too much, and she didn’t even want to contemplate it at the moment…so she didn’t. Again she reached out to him, her consciousness brushing against his lightly, allowing her growing defenses to drop slightly and allow him in.

Though…I think you’re right…I should keep watch here tonight….just to be sure you don’t suddenly keel over for no apparent reason.

Yes, she was an odd woman…in more ways than one. The blues and golds of her own aura swirled and glistened like the sun on water as she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his lightly.

[Vex]

"I do not have to be able to read minds to know that you won't refuse." He seemed to have that near-inflappable confidence, as though he was talking about the void of space being black. As she neared him, he felt that aura about her reach out, washing against the shores of his own presence like a gentle wave. His aura responded in kind, entwining with her own while his hand reached out. As she leaned in and kissed him, his fingers curled into the hair at her nape and drawing her closer as his mouth returned the press of her lips.

The other hand looped about her waist and pulled her against him as he slipped back onto the bed and pulled her onto it, curling her underneath him as he rested on his elbows over her. Then he worked to make certain that the last thing she was thinking about was refusing him anything.

---

Hours later, with the hint of sunrise unseen right over the horizon, he rested on his side, one arm propping him up while the other rested on her abdomen while he watched her sleep. Dark eyes looked over her form as though somehow he would finally understand this strange and often infuriating woman that had begun to entwine herself about his existence.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

((Song: “Reality to Reality” © Nicole A.))

Frustrating man that he could be, with that frustrating reply and that unwavering confidence….Aunna admitted to herself that he was certainly right. It earned him a little huff of air, a shake of her head and a chuckle, but no more than that as he reached back for her and drew her in. She certainly wasn’t going to be refusing him anything tonight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The warmth and comfort of sleep had claimed her at last, drawing her into itself and away from the warmth and comfort that was the presence of Vex. Dark and cold and forbidding as the man could be, he hadn’t been those things to her from the time he’d pulled her to him, to the time she’d drifted out of consciousness and into the depths of dreaming. Truth to tell, there wasn’t much dreaming to be had…nothing remarkable, or particularly memorable anyway…for much of the night, it was simply darkness. Darkness transformed, however, into vivid memory, moving and flowing brushstrokes painted across her mind’s eye of the night before and all it had entailed. Her mind reprocessed their conversation earlier, the striking image he’d been in the glade, the calming and insightful walk through that darkened forest, all the way through their time together most recently. It wrapped its way around her mind, forming once more into that melody and those lyrics that she’d heard earlier.

The universe whispers of power
A new world unfolds before my eyes
From reality to reality
Take my life and turn it upside down

Round and round the circles go
Wrapping me up in threads of destiny
From reality to reality
Visions of the future and past coincide

Looping back around
Tie me up in fate
Hold me now, before it’s too late
Let me turn your world around
Upside down

Teach me, mold me
Help me, hold me
From reality to reality
This strange new life is harsh

Through storm and fire we walk
Two paths converging in the woods
From reality to reality
We meet on the road less taken

Looping back around
Tie me up in fate
Allow me to melt away your hate
Let me turn your life around
Upside down

Looping back around
Tie me up in fate
My neck in the hangman’s noose
Turns our lives around
And upside down
Moving from reality to reality

Slowly she stirred beside him, those senses prickling to life one by one. Breathing deepened and quickened as her mind moved swiftly to place the cause of the warmth beside her, the weight against her stomach, the cool and steady bursts of air and the filtered sound of the machine he wore as he breathed. It all settled into place easily enough in her mind as her eyelids fluttered momentarily while she debated actually opening them. A contented sounding little sigh of air and a small smile later, those sapphire eyes opened at last to see him gazing at her.

She shifted slightly under that hand of his and repositioned herself to better look at him. Stretched between the wall and his form, it wasn’t difficult to do…just a slight move of a shoulder and Aunna had a perfect view of those black eyes and that unruly mane of black hair that fell about his face and down his shoulders. One hand moved beneath the sheets and came to rest atop his lightly. Oh, she was feeling daring today wasn’t she? That stray teasing thought to herself brought a bright smile to her face and a slight chuckle up into her throat.

It would seem I’m not a very good watchman these days, wouldn’t it?

Another teasing jab at herself and their conversation several hours ago. Yes, she’d set herself up for a sarcastic remark from him and she knew it, but…well, right now she didn’t particularly care.

…So…like what you see? Or are you just trying to figure me out? If it’s the latter…good luck on that one.

A light wink was given in addition to that last comment, her amusement bubbling up as she spoke.

[Vex]

He watched her as she stirred and slowly came back to the land of the living. He'd felt her become conscious...the way it rippled in her aura, changing it and making it become more vibrant and alive to his senses. As she slowly opened up those eyes and gave that sleepy smile, he could only shake his head. He heard the sleep still deep in her voice, giving her tones a husky, come-hither tone.

"Indeed, you have been shirking that duty like you have your training regimen." He was, in all honesty, jesting. She had been nothing but dutiful. Not that she would have had a choice...not with him as her master, but she'd proven herself incredibly diligent and dutiful in her training. It pleased him...almost as much as it would please him saying otherwise, knowing that it was likely to cause a reaction.

At her second question, he tilted his head back and to the side a bit as he considered the question for a minute. "It seems to me that the first half of your question is an uncharacteristically blatant attempt to fish for some sort of verbal compliment. As for the second...it is close, but I half expect that I will have a better chance discerning the nature of the Force than I do the nature of you."

She'd shifted to look at him easier...he felt her hand on his. It was...an almost unexpected comfort as he felt her holding it. His eyes glanced down to where it would be, beneath the covers.

"Though, it seems I am rather masochistic...as I seem bound for impossible tasks."

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

((modified!!))

Another chuckle, almost bubbling into a laugh, was given to his teasing of her. It was still sometimes difficult to tell with Vex, but slowly Aunna was beginning to be able to tell the difference with him. The glint in his eyes, the way she could almost feel the amusement radiating from him…they were small things, easy to miss or misinterpret, but they were there…just like now. There was a hint of something else, though….she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was, but it was certainly a positive emotion. He was pleased by something...but whether it was his own teasing or not, she couldn’t quite tell.

Yes, well…you know…I have to slack off some times don’t I? Wouldn’t be very good at playing the part of student if I didn’t.

Another laugh and she shook her head at his reply, masking her embarrassment.

Maybe it is…maybe it isn’t….maybe I was just playing. You might not know it, but I do have a habit of playing around and teasing. You just give me so few opportunities to do so…though…if you’d like to give me a compliment, I won’t turn it down.

He was wrong, actually, it wasn't an attempt to fish a compliment from him. How could she expect one? Aunna couldn't truthfully say that she was good looking. Certainly she'd been called pretty a few times when she was younger, but in the world of nobility compliments were given to simply keep things copacetic and stroke the egos of other nobles who might benefit you. In the military, compliments for her certainly hadn't been on her looks, but rather her abilities with a staff or spear...even a sword...and those were limited to a "good job" or a "surprisingly good work". Even in dating compliments were rare, after all...a scarred woman wasn't exactly the epitome of beauty, and she had her fair share of scars.

No, she'd been playing with him...making fun of herself to see what reaction she might get from him. Besides, she knew rather well that Vex wasn't the type to give compliments...not outright. Backhanded compliments, perhaps, but something so forthright from him would have been a shocker. It was true though, what she'd said, if he gave her a compliment, she certainly wouldn't turn it down. Truth to tell, Aunna might not know how to react to such a thing should it happen...not from him.

Though I have to say...if you'd answered "yes" to that question I'd have had to figure how to get you glasses since you obviously would have developed a sight problem.

The smile that had slowly been creeping across her face broke into a full blown grin as she continued her play, self depreciating as it was. Aunna found herself in an exceedingly good humor today, feeling almost hyper. Poor man likely wouldn’t know what to do with her if she actually allowed that hyper energy to show completely, so she reigned it in as best she could.

…I do agree though. You would likely have an easier time with that or counting the stars in the sky than understanding me. You’re clever…but not that clever.

A teasing jab at him and she snickered slightly. Another daring move by Aunna and she gripped his hand gently, thumb stroking along his skin lightly.

[Vex]

His amusement dampened considerably, like a wash of ice water flowing over him, at her words. It was felt suddenly, inexplicably, through the Force...through the touch of his aura against her own. While she might have been perfectly comfortable with speaking about herself in a depreciating manner, he was not. To him, it was an attack against her, just as real as anything physical that was brought against her...and just as unacceptable for him.

"There is nothing wrong with my vision, Aunna. You are a very attractive woman...strong and lean...powerful...yet still feminine. I would not have you thinking my choice of having you around. You need to understand that, whatever others might have thought in your past...they are wrong. The cause of my...connection... to you is not in any way altered due to fact that you have survived...thrived...in a very dangerous life. It is not lessened because you bear reminders of that life. You would do well to remember that."

He pulled away, moving from the bed and padding away on his bare feet. Moving to his robes, he began to pull them on. "Gather your things. We've got some remedial training to complete...to emphasize this point."

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Whatever reaction she’d expected of him…whatever retort or teasing jab back she’d thought was coming….didn’t.

It was quite the opposite.

Unexpectedly (to her anyway), his mood shifted…hardening and darkening once more and leaving her baffled as to just what she’d said or done to earn it. His first sentence had her pulling her head back in surprise. He only baffled her more the longer he spoke and, by the end, the woman was so astounded that she could only blink at him silently, her cheeks stained a bright pink. A slight nod was given to his final statement and she attempted to gather her mind together enough to formulate some form of reply when he got up. Sitting up herself, Aunna could only watch for a moment as he began to pull on his robes once again. Thankfully his words helped shake her free of her stupefied state and slam her back into the present…at least in part.

Vex, I…y-yes…yes of course.

Getting up at last, she pulled on a few bits of her clothing, gathered the rest and headed back to her own room to get changed. It only took a few moments, his reply to her teasing still ringing in her ears as she tried to puzzle out just what had happened to make him react so vehemently to her teasing. Certainly she saw herself that way but…what she’d said was all in good fun…wasn’t it? Clipping the belt around her waist, she checked that she had everything. It seemed so, yes.

With that in order, she swiftly brushed out her hair and left her quarters to meet him. She’d not needed instruction on where to find him. Most of the time it was outside, especially for training purposes, and the auburn was beginning to find it more and more simple to pinpoint where the man was through the force. How she knew, she wasn’t still entirely certain, but it was becoming clearer to her each day how he felt and the distance between them…she just…hadn’t really noticed before. Trotting down the ramp lightly, she came up before him quietly expectant and curious.