OOM: Somewhere in Chiss Space

[jedipilot]

Taking Aeryn with her on the cargo run was the best way to get her away from Jag, Jaina had decided as they had boarded the ramp. Spending the last two weeks in a house with the two of them was slowly starting to drive her spaced. Especially those twitchy shoulder and teeth-grinding habits he had recently seemed to develop

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[just_a_soldier]

Her friend was sitting near the cargo thinking, contemplating might be more accurate. No doubt they were nasty thoughts about Jaina's prize ship. It wasn't quite the frown she had been wearing the last couple of solar days, but it wasn't a smile either.

[jedipilot]

Nasty thoughts about Jaina's prize ship should remain unsaid. Unless Aeryn was hoping for a Jedi smackdown on this trip.

At some point during her search, Jaina does wander in to the cargo bay, leaning her head against a couple of stray boxes sitting near a wall.

"I was looking for you."

[just_a_soldier]

Hands folded neatly in front of her, Aeryn glanced up, focusing on the here and now with surprising speed. She had never been big on daydreaming.

"Sorry. I was thinking." Low and quiet, from the way her jaw clenched it was obvious she wasn't sure if she should say what she'd been thinking about or not.

[jedipilot]

Cautiously, Jaina takes a few steps closer to her friend, one eyebrow quirked in curiousity.

Aeryn had been acting strange these past few weeks. Sometimes snappish, like back at Milliways, and - more lately - thoughtful. More polite.

Jaina quietly takes a seat next to the other woman, staring straight out ahead instead of at Aeryn. "What about?"

[just_a_soldier]

"My life. Myself. Things I didn't want to consider." Things I was trained not to think about.

She leaned her chin on her clenched fist, using the crates for balance.

"I haven't been the easiest person to get along with, these weekens. I know that."

There was a kind of apology there, even if she didn't say it.

"I'm no better than Zekk really." Sulking like a child.

[jedipilot]

"Try telling that to Jagged," Jaina mutters, rolling her eyes at the apology.

Between Aeryn and her husband, it's been hard to find any happy faces lately. Just grim and well...whatever the kriff it was that Aeryn's been feeling.

"No better how?"

[just_a_soldier]

Jagged didn't exactly make things any easier.

"Petty jealousy. Stupidity." She smoothed the top of the box, wiping away dust that wasn't there.

"It doesn't matter anymore. It's over now. Now we have the fun of a cargo run to deal with."

[jedipilot]

"Would you rather be stuck at home right now?" Jaina counters sharply, glaring at her.

Unlike Aeryn, she's not as willing to drop the discussion so easily. Call it curiousity. Or just plane stubborn brattiness.

"Who are you jealous of?"

[just_a_soldier]

"With Jag? No. How long is he planning to hold this grudge for?"

She shrugged, rolling her shoulders.

"You changed. I wanted to, things happened,I didn't. If things had been different..."

She lifted her head to look at Jaina. Yes, she had changed a lot.

"I didn't want to get left behind again."

[jedipilot]

Jaina blinks, looking momentarily confused. "Left behind?"

[just_a_soldier]

"Everyone moves on. If you don't move with them, you get left behind."

She stated quickly. It was a fact of life. She had moved away from Moya, left her only family behind...she could hardly blame someone else for doing the same.

[jedipilot]

"You're not going to get left behind," Jaina replies with a snort and a head shake.

[just_a_soldier]

"I know that now." Aeryn responded, sweeping an assessing look over Jaina.

"Now tell me what the frell is so important about this cargo anyway?"

[jedipilot]

Jaina returns the assessing look with a stare. And then shrugs, sort of agreeing to change the subject.

"Nothing really. Just another delivery run for Nurundo's company."

[just_a_soldier]

"Sounds like grot's work to me. Weren't we supposed have fun?"

A hint of derision creeped into her voice, evidence of her Prowler background and disdain for being stuck on transport duty.

[jedipilot]

"And that would be why first stop is at a cantina on Glee Anselm. It's not a bad planet; been there once before in fact."

To meet up with Jag, on their first secret rendovouz during the Killik conflict. It's sort of amazing how far ago that all seems now.