Asari Commando Alaya (@asaricommando)
Posted Tuesday 5th February 2013 from Twitlonger
(In reply to SpacePirateVel)
@SpacePirateVel Alaya sensed that Vel was awake and slowly opened her eyes again to look. Despite how peaceful she looked now there was always an energy there that she liked.
She leaned in slightly and lightly kissed Vel’s cheek, nuzzling a little after doing so and giving a brief squeeze.
Space Pirate Vel (@SpacePirateVel)
Posted Tuesday 5th February 2013 from Twitlonger
(In reply to asaricommando)
@asaricommando
Vel’s lips curled into a smile at Alaya’s affectionate kiss. Tossing her arm around her lover’s waist, her leg rubbed against hers softly, and she used the lull in Alaya’s nuzzling to nestle into the crook of her neck.
Asari Commando Alaya (@asaricommando)
Posted Tuesday 5th February 2013 from Twitlonger
@SpacePirateVel Alaya opened her eyes. She was lying in bed, Vel next to her breathing slowly. They’d somehow made their way there after the “shower” but how she couldn’t quite remember. Sitting up carefully she stretched her back a little.
The asari looked down at her partner and smiled, eyes tracing over the flawless blue skin. The mission had been difficult for her personally, but the sense of release from it was delicious. And having Vel there to support her had been reassuring.
For a moment she wondered again if it had been wise to remove the clip and merely give the woman a fright. She knew that if their roles had been reversed the weapon would have been loaded. But surely that was the point? She WASN’T like them and never would be, that was important.
What else was important was to keep up appearances with the fleet. It was usually a little onerous but it may prove to be more entertaining with Tilea around. Whatever Vel thought, and however it might have gone if things had been different, she was just an old friend now; but she was fun and they’d not seen each other in a long time.
Alaya glanced at the uniform hanging up, reluctant to get up. “Just a little while longer,” she mumbled to herself and lay down again, wrapping herself around Vel.
Space Pirate Vel (@SpacePirateVel)
Posted Tuesday 5th February 2013 from Twitlonger
(In reply to asaricommando)
@asaricommando
The first stir had woken Vel, but she laid quietly next to Alaya, not willing to disrupt the closeness that bound them, continuing to indulge in the warmth of her bondmate.
Their shower led to something else, and the meld after a combat high was incredible. Especially since Alaya always got her worked up with the way she demolished her enemies, she was glad for the extra sound-proofing layer the crew installed in their walls not long ago.
She rolled slightly into Alaya at the memory, trying to calm herself against her bondmate’s soft skin. She’d seen Alaya’s mind during the height of their melded consciousness, and felt the relief given by the capture of the Cerberus cell. The abduction incident had been weighing on Alaya’s mind since Illium, and Vel was glad that they could finally bring the cell to justice.
/Citadel justice, anyway,/ she thought dryly, recalling again the final confrontation between Alaya and the female leader of the cell. She had whispered by her bondmate’s ear, pleading her to spare the woman’s life, much to her own surprise. She had seen how the killing of a defenseless volus suspect troubled Alaya, and she didn’t want her love to go through the torment again, not when the blood would be on Alaya’s hands.
If it was up to her though, she would’ve pulled the trigger and raised a glass to it.
She shrugged mentally, cracking an eye open to see Alaya wrapped around herself and smiled, snuggling closer.
Space Pirate Vel (@SpacePirateVel)
Posted Saturday 28th July 2012 from Twitlonger
(In reply to asaricommando)
She could still feel the the lingering sensations flooding in her mind when she opened her eyes to the sight of her bondmate and the familiar heat of her body.
Ever since they took out the wanted volus, she had been worried. Alaya seemed troubled by her way of doing things. And she could not help but curse at herself for doing what she did without even a second thought beforehand. And then there was the way Alaya talked afterwards… She had almost convinced herself that Alaya would be happier being back with the fleet, even just for a little while.
But as she thought back to the connection that they shared, she remembered the only thing she saw in their hearts: each other.
Space Pirate Vel (@SpacePirateVel)
Posted Sunday 24th June 2012 from Twitlonger
She scolded herself internally for straying into silly thoughts and returned her attention to the issue. Her only encounters with asari commandos before were dealing with ex-commandos looking for merc work, and when Alaya approached the Normandy… her instincts told her to treat this commando with caution. She chuckled in her mind, remembering the wariness they showed each other when they first met.
Again she peeled her train of thoughts from sentimental recollections back to the current discussion… but she couldn’t help but indulge herself every time in the warmth of reminiscence. She shook her head mentally before considering her words.
She searched Alaya’s eyes for a second as she took a sip of wine. “I wasn’t aware there was such special training program… Was coming to the Normandy also part of the set up?”
@asaricommando She jolted, her eyes turned pitch black as soon as Alaya’s hand touched her forehead, and she saw a wave of emotions coming in from her.
The wave was turbulent and uncertain, tumbling and tossing over Alaya’s glowing love. Her heart felt a grip as the emotions permeated in her own mind and filled her with fear, guilt, and confusion.
She felt herself reaching out through their connection and gently touched Alaya’s tender mind. Her own thoughts a whirlpool of concern and desire to reassure her bondmate, or herself—the meld had blurred the mental distinction between them. “Doesn’t matter what happens...” She projected the words as softly as possible. “I’d always want you there with me.”
Space Pirate Vel (@SpacePirateVel)
Posted Monday 4th June 2012 from Twitlonger
This includes @SpacePirateVel and @asaricommando’s TLs. It should be pretty obvious who wrote which TL.
Space Pirate Vel (@SpacePirateVel)
Posted Wednesday 16th May 2012 from Twitlonger
Vel slowly stirred awake at the relentless buzzing of her omnitool.
Her eyes flied wide open and all desire to sleep instantly vanished. She stared at the holo for a few more seconds, mind already racing with implications. She quietly removed herself from the bed, careful not to wake Alaya, threw an strange looking lab coat over herself, and tiptoed to the door. The corridors were empty, and she dashed out and quickly ducked into the life support room.
The OT was still buzzing and blinking amber incessantly. She cross her arms, leaned against the wall, and accepted the call.
“Hey Vel. How you been?” A turian voice asked.
“What do you want?”
“Me? I just want to talk to you, Vel, long time no see. You didn’t even stop by last time you were on Omega.”
She clenched her jaw, stopping a disgusted sigh from coming out while he went on.
“But it’s not about what I want, it about what Aria wants.” He said, voice turning ominous. “Where is her cargo?”
She felt a strangulating grip on her throat for an instant and took a deep breath to still herself. The cargo! A voice boomed in her head. She was running a whole ship load of red sand for Aria when Normandy intercepted and attacked her. Her ship was destroyed, all cargo lost, and she barely got out alive. Shepard thought better of letting her drift in an escape pod and instead placed her under arrest on Normandy, when she had every right as a captain to execute a captured pirate. Since then... a lot had happened, she glanced around at the Normandy bulkheads, reminiscing, and her eyes lingered on her room where Alaya slept. The destruction of her ship seemed like a lifetime ago now, but it had had its tendrils wrapped around her all this time, and now it was dragging her back.
Her mind was blank, she just knew she had to say something. Her mouth was dry when it opened again. “The cargo will get there, Grizz. Be patient.”
“I hope Aria is as gullible as me, Vel, I do, for your sake,” he said with a tone of morbid amusement and ended the call.
She buried her face in her hands and slowly slumped to the floor, feeling the life she head living in slowly evaporating and drifting away like a mirage. Her hand clenched instinctively as if holding onto a shotgun grip, and she had to force herself to let go. Fighting against Omega was foolish, she thought chuckling humorlessly at herself. She would have to come up with a new batch of red sand.
She sat on the floor in the life support room and slowly flipped through all her contacts on the OT.
The room was dark and still, and was only illuminated by the amber glow of a holo. Vel sat on the bed, scrolling on her OT through contacts that she might squeeze out a favor from. Over a century of running in the Terminus was sure to have built up some karma? She tried to convince herself.
The OT buzzed with an incoming call, and she jumped. The holo read “CLANK”, it was her partner, so to speak. This could easily be really good or really bad, she thought as she accepted the call.
“Vel, please tell me these rumors of you losing Aria’s cargo are a bunch of vorcha manure,” a batarian rumbled from the other end of the call.
She ran a hand over her headcrest and let out a quiet defeated sigh.
“...By your goddess, asari, you know this is going to look really bad on me?” He grated.
“Ugh, wow, thanks for the concern, Clank... A little help please? Another shipment?”
“ANOTHER shipment??” he repeated incredulously and cracked a sharp laugh. “I’m already in for losing the LAST shipment!”
She waited patiently. He usually didn’t stop talking when he should have.
A loud frustrated sigh was heard on the other end, followed by “...Look, we have a good thing going here, you and I.”
And... there. She thought, mentally applauding herself.
“So I’m going to help you out this one time for our sake,” he said in a conceding tone. “You are hopeless in the Terminus, no one is gonna help you, but that’s different in the Traverse. Word is a small time human colony is trying to get into the red sand business, without Omega. Aria is pissed.”
She slowly sat up on her bed, eyes narrowing at possibilities. “Go on...?”
“So if you jacked their ship, no one is gonna cry. You get your sand, I get my credibility back. Win-win.”
Her eyes glistened at the suggestion. “And where is this colony?”
Her OT beeped a few times as it received the coordinates of the human colony.
“Thanks, Clank.”
He grumbled some you’re welcomes and good lucks and ended the call.
She lied down on the bed flipping through the data slowly, studying them and plotting plans, and slowly drifted to sleep.
Vel brooded over the huge holo in the CIC, eyes darting between an image of Horizon and a schematic of the target ship both being displayed on the holo. Human runners mostly flew a class of old merchantman common on human frontiers. It was simple, tough, and extremely customizable. And judging from her past experiences in the Traverse, this ship had most likely been fitted with at least a military-grade drive core to evade authorities... or other pirates, and possibly obsolete defense turrets that human colonies had an abundance of.
A mirthless smirk hung on her lips, as she considered the Normandy and her Kodiak’s stealth capabilities. This was going to be too easy, she thought. The Council should be extremely thankful that Terminus pirates had so far been unable to acquire the stealth technology from humans. Once they were aboard the merchantman though... she shrugged, they would have to adjust step-by-step.
Normandy would stealthily orbit Horizon until the mark lifted off from the planet, she noted while manipulating markers on the holo. They didn’t have the capacity to carry all the red sand, so they would have to capture the merchantman intact and fly it back to Omega. Alaya and her would breach the primary airlock and go for the bridge, once the captain is taken out, the crew should be more submissive.
She had raided countless ships of all species in the Terminus and the Traverse in the past, and it had never gotten boring. But now as she silently drew out the plans on the holo, there was no excitement, no hunger for the plunder, and no anticipation of battle. She just wanted to get this one last thing over with...
For Alaya. She thought, and pressed a button to commit the plans to Normandy’s AI core.
@asaricommando Vel slowly opened her eyes. “We are here.”
A second passed, and a subtle rumbling reverberated through Normandy as the ship exited FTL at Iera Relay. The stealth systems engaged immediately and the ship began heading in-system towards Horizon as planned.
Vel rolled over and pressed her head on Alaya’s shoulder, holding onto her tightly as if to still herself. “Go time.”
She slid off the bed and slipped into her bodysuit, attached her holstered Predator, and began strapping on armor plates.
@SpacePirateVel Alaya started slightly as Vel woke up. She hadn't meant to fall asleep but had been unable to keep from drifting off next to Vel's warmth.
She gave a small smile at the embrace and opened her eyes at the comment. 'So soon?' she thought to herself.
Once again she wondered if it would have been better to call in some favours, use her authority and try to arrange for it to be done for her love without them having to get their hands dirty. But it seemed important to Vel that she do it herself.
Alaya stretched in the bed as Vel got up before reluctantly getting up herself. She plucked her bodysuit from where it was on the floor and pulled it on before selecting a lightweight combat suit from her footlockers, then securing her Carnifex into the holster. After a moment's hesitation she picked up the Disciple as well and strapped it across her back. It wouldn't do to be caught without firepower in close quarters.
@asaricommando Vel attached the last piece of armor plate, flung her Scimitar across her back, and loaded up on clips and grenades. She stole a few glances of Alaya, admiring the way she looked in the commando suit and her precise and focused movements as she geared up. Fighting to keep a childish giggle from getting out, her mind went to her raids on other vessels, mentally preparing herself for the eventual fight. Finally, staring down she manipulated her OT and tested all her omni-blades as they flicked in and out of her arm.
“We will take the shuttle once the mark is spotted, breach through the primary airlock and fight our way to the bridge,” she said as they walked out the room. “Human pirates are not the most ferocious. It might be a little disappointing.”
Once they were in the elevator going down to the shuttle bay, she leaned against the wall in front of Alaya and took in the full view.
“Thanks... Alaya,” she said quietly, leaned in and kissed her on the lips, projecting her feeling of gratitude and how good she looked in that commando suit.
(Do we actually keep all that ammo and grenades in our room?)
@SpacePirateVel Alaya blushed but couldn't help smiling at Vel's thoughts. She reached over timidly and took her hand before looking into Vel's eyes.
"Anything for you...and I owe you anyway for what you did for me," she replied, equally quietly. Alaya reached up and gently stroked Vel's cheek, the leather of the glove slightly rough on her skin.
"...I owe you this and more. Even if I didn't I wouldn't let you do this alone."
(I assumed I had stuff in my footlocker. Probably doesn't matter too much anyways. "Artistic licence.")
@asaricommando She closed her eyes and placed a hand over Alaya’s hand, feeling the leather and her soft and gentle touch underneath. She liked when Alaya talked like that, and her words again brought out a shy smile. Even though it was maybe a bit self-centered, she would never tire of hearing it. She looked up and gave Alaya another kiss, letting her know just how much she needed her right then, and ever.
“Just being with me... is enough,” she whispered.
The elevator opened, and every crew member in the shuttle bay snapped to attention, averting their eyes from the two asari embracing in the elevator and staring down intently at whatever they were doing, until one slowly turned and cleared his throat with an uneasy cough.
“We are... in orbit, uh, ma’am,” he said meekly, eyes shifting, unsure where to keep them on, “the target ship is already spaceborne. The shuttle is prepped and ready... ma’am.”
Then he stiffly spun and marched back to his console.
@SpacePirateVel Alaya stood there for a few moments just holding Vel. Then she giggled nervously before speaking quietly. "Well I don't know who you've been telling about me but I think the whole crew knows now."
She glanced around the cargo bay and laughed quietly. "You'd have thought none of them had seen an asari before." Then a sigh. "We'd better get going...get this over with."
Alaya started to break away, then hesitated and licked Vel's cheek teasingly before turning away and looking briefly over her shoulder with a cheeky grin. "Coming, Ma'am?" And with a swagger in her steps she headed for the shuttle.
@asaricommando Vel skipped out of the elevator and caught up to Alaya, while attempting to maintain decorum and shooting ferocious glares along the way to suppress stares.
“I didn’t tell anyone... It just got out somehow,” she whispered with a grin while climbing into the Kodiak. “We aren’t exactly... discreet.”
The shuttle glided out of the shuttle bay in stealth and crept towards the merchantman. The ship was twice as large as Normandy and was a typical human design with angular contours and a turian-influenced sweeping silhouette.
The shuttle extended its docking tube as it nudged closer, and once the tube had sealed, Vel jumped up and waved her omnitool over the airlock.
A few sparks later the door slid open. “Told you humans were easy,” she said with a contemptuous grin and slipped in through the airlock.
The corridors were deserted. They stalked through the ship as she glanced around suspiciously with her shouldered Scimitar. There were no crewmen on their way to the bridge, the floor was heavily chipped and dented, and bullet burn marks dotted the wall. It didn’t take long before she abruptly stopped and whipped back at Alaya with alarmed eyes.
“It’s a trap!” she called out, and turned back right before the door in front of her slid open and revealed a heavily armed krogan.
She lowered her stance immediately, and her omni-blade snapped out as she upper-cut the blade into the krogan’s skull. He fell, and another took his spot. She reversed her blade and brought it back down at the second krogan, but not before a third one appeared behind him and unleashed a Claymore blast at her, sending her stumbling back as her barrier rippled and shattered. The second krogan grinned and followed up with a fist to her face, and her vision dimmed for a second as she fell back on the floor.
Her biotic aura began whipping about her violently and she clenched her fists, glaring up at the krogan with a murderous fire.
“You are coming with us, little bird,” the krogan sneered, tapping the business end of his Claymore on her forehead as more appeared from the same door and from the corridor behind them.
@SpacePirateVel As the first Krogan stepped out of the door Alaya melted away into a shadow. She glanced back to look for a way for them to retreat.
She hesitated for a moment as she saw more coming their way. Trapped. Her arms flared with biotics and she fired a vicious blast back, slamming two of them into a wall and stunning them briefly. With a practiced movement she pulled out her Carnifex and shot a third dead whilst freezing another with stasis.
There was an explosion and a cry behind her and she looked back to see Vel collapse after being punched. Alaya yelled out herself and levelled the Carnifex at Vel's attackers but hesitated when one of them shoved his shotgun in her face.
She froze cold, a chill running up her back. Her barriers were intact and she could fight but there was no way she could see to prevent them just killing her love if she did. Anguish written onto her face she lowered the gun and called over. "Vel!"
@asaricommando She closed her eyes for a moment in pain as Alaya called out from the other end of the corridor. This was too easy, she seethed at herself, and she should have seen it coming. She bore her teeth and looked up again furiously at the krogan.
“I know you are seeing this, Clank!” she growled, “you are pretty blunt when it comes to betrayals!”
A click was heard from the krogan’s helmet and Clank’s batarian voice rumbled through its external speaker.
“Why be delicate?” he mused mockingly through the comm. “The finesse would be lost on you anyway.”
She glanced around at the ambushers, none of them bore any recognizable insignia. “And you spared nothing for the greeting party too. All these ragtag mercs, I’m offended, Clank.”
“Because that’s what you are worth, traitor.” he replied with a tinge of genuine disgust, and she picked it up all too clearly. Being betrayed for creds was one thing, but there was something more behind this.
The krogan moved to pick her up before he got a glimpse of the other armed and armored asari at the far end and paused. “Who’s that?” he asked his companion stupidly.
A smirk flashed across her lips as she lowered her voice and replied, “she’s Eclipse. You didn’t think I would come here without help, did you?”
The bluff worked. Alaya looked deadly enough, and it was a bad idea for a no-name merc band to step on Sederis’ toe. The krogan hesitated and stared at Alaya for just a second longer, possibly running her face against his data for confirmation. In that instant she coiled on the floor, and thrusted two steel-toed combat boots into his crotch and pulled her Scimitar into her hands. The krogan reeled, froze and collapsed to the floor wordlessly. His companion swung his Claymore around and fired. Her barrier had already recharged, it shattered again, and she cried out in pain. She angled the Scimitar up against the floor, and managed the strength to squeeze the trigger and unloaded the clip on the krogan.
“Alaya!” she looked over and called as she struggled up and readied her omni-blade. “Same plan! We have to take the bridge!”
@SpacePirateVel Alaya reacted instinctively as she saw Vel lash out, spinning into a crouch and bringing up her Carnifex again. Two shots spat out and took down one of the mercs and a flick of the hand lifted another and slammed him into the floor, he didn't get back up. She heard Vel shout out to her as she spun fluidly to one side as one of the two remaining charged at her and lashed out with her omnitool as he went past, ripping into his throat. Shotgun blasts ripped into her barriers knocking her backwards but they held, just. Alaya turned to face the last attacker with a cold sneer.
"You do NOT threaten her whilst I'm around." She unloaded the rest of her Carnifex at the remaining merc who hit the floor hard.
Replacing the thermal clip on her Carnifex and her face completely emotionless she holstered the weapon and turned to where Vel was finishing off her attackers. Alaya made her way over.
"Vel, are you ok?" Without waiting for an answer she grabbed Vel and kissed her hungrily before breaking away. "I was worried...there'll be more of them coming now." Her serious mask broke with a slight smile. "And really, Eclipse?"
@asaricommando Blue aura surged from Vel’s arms and swirled around her omni-blade as she drove it into the abdomen of the last krogan, slicing through his rib cage with her upward momentum and finally pulling out at the base of his neck. The blade snapped back again as the krogan fell forward in a torrent of gore.
She stared at the carnage, panting and recuperating her biotics when Alaya pulled her into a tight embrace. Still feeling the rush of adrenaline she resisted instinctively, but relaxed as Alaya’s lips locked onto hers. The Scimitar fell as she rested her hands on her chest, pushing slightly as she broke away hesitantly.
“I’m okay... I probably shouldn’t take another close-up Claymore blast though,” she said with an answering smile, still in her arms. “And ‘Eclipse’ was probably one of the few things that would make these guys think twice. You... could pass for one.”
She picked up the Scimitar and steered her mind back to the situation they were in. The original human crew was probably airlocked. Still, luring her in with an actually loaded red sand runner ship must have been costly. Evidently she didn’t just piss off her partner.
They moved down the corridor, stopping before the door to the bridge. She pressed against the wall and unclipped a stun grenade from her belt.
“I’ll let you have the first shot this time,” she said, pressing the door control and gave Alaya a wink. The door slid open and she tossed the grenade into the bridge.
@SpacePirateVel Alaya gave a short laugh at Vel's comment. "You think I could pass for a merc? I'll take that as a compliment from you." She winked but immediately her face set back into a mask of seriousness, her eyes cold and emotionless.
Following Vel quietly she unholstered her Disciple and briefly checked over it. Perfect, of course. Checking in every direction she trusted Vel knew where she was going and when the other asari pressed up by a door she took the other side, weapon held ready.
Alaya calmly nodded at Vel's words and took a moment to strengthen her barriers. She waited half a heartbeat before starting to turn to make her way into the room, timing it perfectly so the grenade went off just as she was about to step in.
She scanned the room briefly and her eyes simply saw targets. Many of them were temporarily incapacitated...she saw one who wasn't and was raising a weapon and her fingers twitched on the trigger, then he wasn't there anymore. Another off to her left raising a sidearm and this time she briefly took her hand off the shotgun and fired a vicious biotic blast at it. Another shape charged at her from her right and she spun around into a crouch, a blade appearing from the omnitool on her left arm as she extended it and it dug into the attacker's stomach.
Alaya continued, her decades of training all being put to use in the whirling dance of death she was weaving.
@asaricommando The stun grenade went off a split second after it left Vel’s hand and filled the whole bridge with a loud bang and blinding flash. With a trained precision Alaya swung into the room in a blur, followed by incoherent krogan shouts, a quick succession of Disciple blasts, and wet splattering sounds.
Vel followed in a half second later, scanning the other side of the room. The mercs had grabbed their weapons and begun firing wildly at the door, but the badly aimed shots did nothing but drawing opaque ripples on her barrier, and she squeezed the trigger hard to bring her Scimitar into rapid fire. Sparks, debris, and blood splatters erupted as the Scimitar unleashed on the bridge and mowed down anyone shooting at her. Her omni-blade snapped out again as the clip overheated, and she took another step towards the last merc and drove the blade into one of his hearts. He staggered, and finally fell to his knees after a boot behind his knee and a Scimitar butt on his head.
“Call Clank,” she leaned in behind the merc and said, Scimitar pushed down against his neck, and holding up a hand at Alaya. “Now.”
A click was heard again from the merc’s helmet and Clank was heard breathing angrily over the comm.
“Was this worth it?” Vel asked mockingly.
“To get you here and personally see you skinned?” Clank spoke between his teeth, “definitely. You sealed your fate the day you joined the Normandy.”
Vel opened her mouth soundlessly. She had not anticipated this reply.
“Playing dumb?” he pressed, now with a tone of perverse triumph. “Word travels fast in the Terminus. You think you can just turn your back on who you are? You are a tool to be used. And there are people here who get REALLY pissed off when they lose their tools, especially tools who know things, to the Alliance.”
Biotic aura began to flare about her as she became consumed with anger, and her Scimitar rattled from her trembling hands. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. But honestly, she was sick of being bound by whoever thought they “owned” her service, and she couldn’t care less about what any of them thought any more.
“I’m coming for you, and I’m going to kill you, Clank,” she leaned in very close to the comm pickup and growled in a low and dangerous voice. “Count on it.”
Her Scimitar roared and splattered the krogan’s brain on the floor.
@SpacePirateVel Alaya only stopped when things had gone very quiet on the bridge. It was an absolute charnal house when her and Vel had finished; Krogan or not the mercenaries had been poor fighters. She had a few minor cuts and wounds and that was it.
She checked a couple of the bodies to be sure and then looked over to Vel, her body coming down from the combat high but her mind still locked into the cold discipline she had been taught years before and her nerves still wound tightly. Vel had captured one alive and held up her hand.
Alaya holstered her shotgun and listened to the exchange with interest. She watched as the anger flared in Vel and biotics crackled down her arms and heard the quiet fury in her voice right before the shotgun roared.
At that her mental discipline slackened a little and her expression softened very slightly. She made her way over to Vel and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Vel...I think we're done here. Are you ok?"
@asaricommando Still calming down from the conversation, her head was low, and her Scimitar dangled in her hand. She jumped a little when Alaya placed her hand on her shoulder, but her soft touch broken through the cloud of anger, and she felt herself leaning in on Alaya, burying her face in her shoulder. She didn’t want Alaya to hear all that, even though she knew she probably wouldn’t care.
Finally she nodded quietly, and slowly put her arms around her shoulders.
@SpacePirateVel Alaya carefully put a reassuring arm around Vel's waist and delicately pulled her close, as if afraid to break her. She left the other hand free to grasp her pistol if necessary, still mindful of any dangers. She wasn't convinced by Vel's nod but didn't want to push her too hard.
"It's ok, really," she whispered to Vel. "You can talk to me if you want, anything at all. If you don't want to that's ok as well. I'm here if and when you need me to be."
Alaya looked around the bridge and sighed. "Either way we should probably finish up here and get back." She leaned in and kissed Vel on the cheek. "We did it."
@asaricommando She reached up and placed her hand on Alaya’s cheek as she kissed her and softly nuzzled on her neck.
“I’m fine,” she said after a while, looking up with a weak smile. Her voice was soft and exhausted. “You heard anyway.”
She closed her eyes again and touched her forehead on Alaya’s, and a wave of emotions began emanating from her. She felt the desire to be with Alaya, and she felt elated for being free from bounds. She also felt slightly... troubled, by what she heard over the comm.
“But I know you’d be there, Alaya” she projected these words with a feeling of reassurance, and moved to kiss her softly on the lips.
@SpacePirateVel Alaya smiled at the feelings projected through the shallow meld and replied with her own reassurance before gently meeting Vel's lips with her own.
She lingered over the kiss and broke away very reluctantly before stepping back. "So what do we do now? We should probably get this crate moving."
