she had little direct knowledge of.
"That I was called away, and that I'd see you tomorrow,"
she said sadly. "I didn't know I was going to be called away
until we were dressing." She paused, "How did you know
where to find me?"
"They sent another woman out who said you were busy. She
tried to entice me to pay for dances, but I wasn't interested,"
he stated plainly, and her shoulders relaxed slightly. Clearing his
throat he continued, "Last night I... I had a vision. My
training with achieving balance warned me of what was to happen to
you, Ardanna." He frowned at first, but then smiled, looking
happy and emotional, "I was guided to you, to save you. To be
with you."
"Guided?" she tilted her head to the side, her eyes
flicked over his to try to study for meaning in that. "I wish
you didn't have to see me like that."
"I am only sorry you had to be in that position, Ardanna,"
he paused, "The Balance guided me to you. Helped me save you. Do
you know what that means?"
Most of what she had gleaned from their conversations had been
broad strokes; emotionless soldiers with power, no attachments. It
wasn't a terribly pretty picture, and she had often spent time
wondering how such a group could craft someone with such kindness and
compassion.
"It means what we're doing is right. My teachers were all
wrong. All wrong about the nature of the galaxy and The Balance.
Emotion does matter, it is right." His eyes moved over her
pretty blue face, studied her as he swelled with love for that woman.
With a clearing of his throat, he slowly rose away, "There's a
washroom to clean up back here," he said, pointing.
"Is it bad?" she asked, fear evident in her voice.
He smiled reassuringly, shaking his head. "A shallow cut...
he was only getting started as you said." He extended his hands
to her, "It shouldn't even scar, I don't think. But I thought
you might like to clean up the blood and such more thoroughly. I
was... in a rush."
"I'll do that."
Helping her to her feet, he moved out of her way and pressed a
button, causing the bathroom's door to slide open, revealing the
small space within, tightly compacted but with all she might need.
Kieren knelt down and began to sort through one of the containers.
Fiato were austere people and rarely had much in the way of
possessions, especially when travelling, but what little he did have
he wanted to use to help her.
She took a few moments, soaking a cloth and lightly draining away
the rough lines of drying blood, cleaning herself off to a more
manageable state before redressing and returning outwards. She took a
breath in before speaking softly, "Kieren, if you spent all your
cash in the club... I can pay you back, once... once all this is over
with."
His brows furrowed as he pulled something out of the box and rose
up, "Pay me back? Don't be absurd. I paid for time with you, and
I got it. And it was worth every credit."
"It's just," she looked down, sadly. "Well,"
she paused, "You're... on the run. We... the whole Union might
be looking for us. And.. everything costs cash. Everything," she
looked at him, "I... don't want you to have to go broke because
of helping me."
Laying his bundle down on one of the cot-like travel beds, he
turned towards her, a smile upon his face, "I'm already broke,
Ardanna, really." He laughed softly at that, quickly explaining,
"I'm a Fiato . We don't really... accumulate wealth as such.
Well... we can, and some do, but most of us are known for our very
simple living. When we need money," he shrugged his shoulders
beneath his heavy robes lightly, "we get it."
"But... how?" she asked, her voice low, filled with
confusion, "I don't understand," she continued. "You
spent nights with me. I know how much you paid. How is it possible
for you to get that much, that quickly?"
"Well," he paused, realizing he wasn't quite fully
accurate there. Wetting his lips, he looked aside, "That was
different, Ardanna," he said softly. "The Order sent me on
a mission, and I... well,
"That I was called away, and that I'd see you tomorrow,"
she said sadly. "I didn't know I was going to be called away
until we were dressing." She paused, "How did you know
where to find me?"
"They sent another woman out who said you were busy. She
tried to entice me to pay for dances, but I wasn't interested,"
he stated plainly, and her shoulders relaxed slightly. Clearing his
throat he continued, "Last night I... I had a vision. My
training with achieving balance warned me of what was to happen to
you, Ardanna." He frowned at first, but then smiled, looking
happy and emotional, "I was guided to you, to save you. To be
with you."
"Guided?" she tilted her head to the side, her eyes
flicked over his to try to study for meaning in that. "I wish
you didn't have to see me like that."
"I am only sorry you had to be in that position, Ardanna,"
he paused, "The Balance guided me to you. Helped me save you. Do
you know what that means?"
Most of what she had gleaned from their conversations had been
broad strokes; emotionless soldiers with power, no attachments. It
wasn't a terribly pretty picture, and she had often spent time
wondering how such a group could craft someone with such kindness and
compassion.
"It means what we're doing is right. My teachers were all
wrong. All wrong about the nature of the galaxy and The Balance.
Emotion does matter, it is right." His eyes moved over her
pretty blue face, studied her as he swelled with love for that woman.
With a clearing of his throat, he slowly rose away, "There's a
washroom to clean up back here," he said, pointing.
"Is it bad?" she asked, fear evident in her voice.
He smiled reassuringly, shaking his head. "A shallow cut...
he was only getting started as you said." He extended his hands
to her, "It shouldn't even scar, I don't think. But I thought
you might like to clean up the blood and such more thoroughly. I
was... in a rush."
"I'll do that."
Helping her to her feet, he moved out of her way and pressed a
button, causing the bathroom's door to slide open, revealing the
small space within, tightly compacted but with all she might need.
Kieren knelt down and began to sort through one of the containers.
Fiato were austere people and rarely had much in the way of
possessions, especially when travelling, but what little he did have
he wanted to use to help her.
She took a few moments, soaking a cloth and lightly draining away
the rough lines of drying blood, cleaning herself off to a more
manageable state before redressing and returning outwards. She took a
breath in before speaking softly, "Kieren, if you spent all your
cash in the club... I can pay you back, once... once all this is over
with."
His brows furrowed as he pulled something out of the box and rose
up, "Pay me back? Don't be absurd. I paid for time with you, and
I got it. And it was worth every credit."
"It's just," she looked down, sadly. "Well,"
she paused, "You're... on the run. We... the whole Union might
be looking for us. And.. everything costs cash. Everything," she
looked at him, "I... don't want you to have to go broke because
of helping me."
Laying his bundle down on one of the cot-like travel beds, he
turned towards her, a smile upon his face, "I'm already broke,
Ardanna, really." He laughed softly at that, quickly explaining,
"I'm a Fiato . We don't really... accumulate wealth as such.
Well... we can, and some do, but most of us are known for our very
simple living. When we need money," he shrugged his shoulders
beneath his heavy robes lightly, "we get it."
"But... how?" she asked, her voice low, filled with
confusion, "I don't understand," she continued. "You
spent nights with me. I know how much you paid. How is it possible
for you to get that much, that quickly?"
"Well," he paused, realizing he wasn't quite fully
accurate there. Wetting his lips, he looked aside, "That was
different, Ardanna," he said softly. "The Order sent me on
a mission, and I... well,
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