ledger_not_clean | Locked to solo

Natasha looked around the bar, noticing how many people were watching her. It made her nervous because she knew the First Order was looking for her, determined to find her before she could possibly find the Resistance. She'd gone directly to Maz's, knowing as well that the woman was her best chance at getting away. She hadn't gotten away unscathed though. She'd been shot and she was pretty badly injured, but she did her best to hide it in the way she carried herself.

Instead of asking too many questions Maz had just pointed to a man that she explained would help get Natasha off planet and far away, all she had to do was ask. So she started over, fighting the urge to limp. She knew she looked pretty battered up, but she could pretend it was nothing as she sat down beside the man, shifting the hood covering her head a bit which flashed her red hair, one of the biggest things she was trying to hide. "Are you looking for work?"

She looked around before looking at him again. "I need off planet and as far away as possible. I need to get away from anyone who could report back to the First Order and Maz said you're my best bet."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

ledger_not_clean

She nodded. "Though, it might be good to see her...sorry. Forget I said that. It isn't my business." She said softly before laughing and shaking her head.

"If its you I have to be stuck with, I can handle that." She said before pushing herself up slowly and leaning closer, gently kissing his cheek.

From:

solo_junior

He'd been about to answer that first with something barbed, but he bit his tongue to keep it in, especially at her apology, she'd already been through hell and back and didn't need him making it worse.

Which was why he was surprised by the kiss, brow creasing just a little as he turned to study her face, "You don't have to, I mean, I'm not expecting you to, that's..." His brow creased just a little further at the double false-start, shaking his head a little as he finally collected himself enough to say: "That isn't something you have to offer. I'll still take you as far as I can."

From:

ledger_not_clean

"Ben...I know. I know you don't expect anything and that isn't why. I didn't do that out of...some sense of obligation. Believe me, I wouldn't do it if I thought you expected it. I'd throw myself out the airlock before I let someone think they had a right to me ever again." She said, laying her hand on his arm.

"And just because...it is implied doesn't mean I expect you to just take it." She smiled warmly before moving back to the bed, laying down again though turning her head to watch him.

From:

solo_junior

And she definitely meant that, which made him smile, just a little, reaching out an almost-hesitant hand to pet over her hair gently, tucking it behind her ear and leaning in to press a kiss to her temple before he said: "Get some rest. We've still got a couple hours until our first stop, and I know passing out because of painkillers isn't the same thing as actual sleep."

That was definitely the voice of experience, though in his case it was generally less passing out from painkillers as it was just throwing himself into the deepest, shortest healing trance he could afford.

From:

ledger_not_clean

She tilted her head into that light press, smiling before tipping her head back so she could kiss his cheek. She smiled up at him, stretching just a bit before settling, letting the tiredness work its way over her before she yawned and closed her eyes.

From:

solo_junior

He was tempted to give a little push with the Force to make sure she stayed asleep, but suspected that she wouldn't appreciate the assist, so he didn't do so.

Instead he returned to the cockpit to keep an eye on things, make sure that there were no proximity alerts, nothing that would require them to drop out of hyperspace before the intended time.

From:

ledger_not_clean

She slept well for a few hours, surprised at the fact when she woke up. She shifted, turning to look towards where he was, listening to the sounds of the ship around them and thinking about what had passed.

She smiled a bit to herself, carefully sitting up and stretching slowly.

From:

solo_junior

Ben was still in the cockpit, relaxed in the pilot's seat, half-turned so that he could keep an eye on the controls and on her, as well as being able to read the datapad in his lap, though there was a good chance that the datapad was mostly for show.

He did turn around more fully when he heard her moving, giving a small smile, "Feeling better?"

From:

ledger_not_clean

She nodded, stretching again before slowly getting up and making her way up to the front next to him. "Much. I needed that rest, thank you." She said sincerely, smiling warmly at him before sitting down. "How far are we?"

From:

solo_junior

"Almost there, actually. About another twenty minutes or so in hyperspace unless we get a proximity alarm before then, and about the same in realspace once we pop out again."

He swung his chair back around so that he could get a look at the readouts, everything right where it should be, no surprises.

From:

ledger_not_clean

She nodded, leaning against his chair and looking over the instruments before moving to sit in a chair beside his. "Sounds good to me." She said with a smile.

From:

solo_junior

"Well good, because that's what you're getting, regardless." He replied, though there was humor there, it wasn't a jab at all.

He looked her over a moment, just briefly before asking: "Feeling better?" She seemed to be moving more easily at least, and he was going to take that as a good sign, regardless of the fact that he would be one to keep moving even with an injury.

From:

ledger_not_clean

"Much better. Still tender, but definitely better and I have you to thank for it." She said, resting her hand on his arm for just a moment.

"I'm sure I'll be tender for a few days, but I'll be alright eventually."

From:

solo_junior

He nodded, "Yeah, probably going to ache for a while, just the way it goes." He gave a little shrug, "I know field medic-ing, but I'm no miracle worker."

There was that twitch of a smile again, "And hey, it worked, you're blood is actually staying inside you where it belongs now, so that's a plus."

From:

ledger_not_clean

"All thanks to you. I probably would have ended up bleeding out if I'd been left to patch myself up. Especially since I didn't actually have any first aid stuff on me." She said, shrugging a shoulder.

From:

solo_junior

"Pretty sure it was mostly thanks to Maz." He replied, though there was a faint smile there, "But I'll take it." He shook his head, "Self-surgery is never as easy as it sounds like it should be."

From:

ledger_not_clean

"Like I said, I would have made a mess. It would have been more like me actually trying to stitch myself up? And I'm not so great at it." She snorted, shaking her head.

From:

solo_junior

He just nodded, though the smile was still in place, only barely bitten back, "Yeah, that was kind of my point."

It had been enough of a mess with him doing it, and he could actually see what he was doing.

From:

ledger_not_clean

She shrugged, tilting her head as she looked at him. "You know, when we get where we're going, you should get some rest. And let me find a way to repay you for everything."

From:

solo_junior

"That's what making planetfall is for, rest, regroup, send messages that need to be sent so we know where to go next."

He had a general idea of where the Resistance had been keeping themselves, but knew that he was going to need specifics, if he could get them, or at the very least, get in contact with Han so that they could meet somewhere and have Han take her the rest of the way.

From:

ledger_not_clean

She nodded, smiling before getting settled again, watching him and then just looking out the viewing port. "It'll be nice just getting away from them. I know I don't...exactly deserve to be trusted after everything I've done, but I can't let them continue."

From:

solo_junior

He shook his head a little, "It's alright, I... I get that." He shrugged then, "Not going to lie, not everyone's going to believe you, but the General will, and that's what matters."

He knew his mother would believe her even if it was Han that brought her in and not Ben himself, she was a good judge of people, or at least whether or not they were lying about something, and the redhead's story rang true to Ben on multiple levels, he knew it would be the same for his mother.

From:

ledger_not_clean

"I just wish you were coming with me. I feel...safe with you. Which is strange. I haven't felt safe with someone in a very long time." She explained before leaning back in her seat, letting her head rest back against it.

From:

solo_junior

"I'd love to be able to take you all the way there, but me and the Resistance... it's complicated." It wasn't even the Resistance as a whole, it really was just his mother and the fact that he wasn't yet ready to reconcile with her.

He knew he should, of course, she wasn't getting any younger, but he couldn't do so yet.

From:

ledger_not_clean

She tilted her head to look at him, studying his face before nodding. "I won't push, but I hope this isn't the last time I see you. Its a rare thing for me to feel safe with someone other than myself. I doubt even the Resistance will make me feel truly safe, but I have to give them this information. I could save a lot of innocent lives." She said softly, turning her head back.