Rowen Cairn Part 01

Idris had not expected the streets to be so busy so late in the rotational cycle. Last time he'd been on Adrondonas, the street had been virtually empty at the same hour. He didn't have any trouble, despite the crowd, making his way back to the port. He was anxious to return. He did not favor crowds, and the unknown they potentially held. As well, the rendezvous had a time-limited window involved with it, but he was confident Atalanta would be more than capable to make the deadline. He hardly took any notice of the individuals of the crowd or anything that they were dressed in. His dark green and black pants didn't stand out in anyway, nor did the cloak he wore. As long as Drexel Rynn and his thugs didn't spot him, he was certain to be safe. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw the marker. He remembered the sign was only a kilometer away from the port entrance. He patted his side, feeling safer as he reassured himself again that his weapon was still in his shoulder holster. He looked over the busy sky lanes and watched as the Adrondonas' second sun descended beyond the horizon of the busy metropolis of Kandis Spaceport.
Rowen Cairn, who was also traveling within the spaceport, didn't think she'd get into trouble this soon after settling in Adrondonas. And yet here she was, plowing through the crowds of people, pushing them aside, trying to get away from the three large men behind her. Three very unhappy, angry men who wanted to grab her, beat her, and possibly a few other things that were much too unpleasant for her to think about. Well, what was she expected to do when a customer cupped her butt in a crowded restaurant? Just sit back and let him have at? She had promptly stepped back, said something mean to him, and then set his right sleeve on fire. That hadn't gone over well with several people around her. Then the screaming started, the panicking, the accusations, and now the chase. She had to get off this planet and soon. So she was headed where she knew she could get a ride - the docks. As unique as she was, Rowen Cairn didn't look any different than most people. Long brown hair, currently loose around her face, and simple clothing - black pants, and a grey button up shirt, soft slip on shoes on her feet. Panting, a sharp pain acting up on her right side, she picked up speed as well as she could. She could hear the men behind her, yelling for her to stop and let them catch her, but for some reason, she didn't feel compelled to acquiesce.
She'd hoped to find an open ship, sneak on as she had done on so many ships before, and be gone, just like that. Unfortunately, that was not in the cards today. These men were much faster than she planned, and the crowd was thinning as she neared the ships. She decided to abandon her plan of finding a ship and stowing aboard, and settle for simply finding something to help her. Seeing a man walking idly along, she made her selection and ran up to him quickly.
"I need your help," she said, but not in a begging or pleading manner, more in a confident tone that left her prey with little choice. Turning the man to face her, she hesitated as she recognized the face, recognized his eyes. How long had it been since she'd seen this face? Eyes widened, and she quickly turned to see if she caught sight of the men chasing her. "Well? Are you going to help me," she demanded, grabbing his arm, and pulling it gently.
Idris was caught off guard, and even jumped a little when she snuck up on him. His hood fell away, revealing those green eyes and chiseled face. His hair was still the short brown mess it'd been before, but that expression of panic had been unmatched up to this point. And he still wasn't very tall, short of two meters. He went to say her name, but in the moment, his brain came back with a blank. Despite this, His mouth kept moving as he tried to say or even remember her name. After a moment, seeing the look of urgency in her eyes, he realized that he didn't have very much of a choice. It was still at least five hundred meters to the port, and maybe a minute after that to his ship. It took him a moment, but once realization kicked in, he took her hand and ran. His energy surpassed her own, as he'd only been walking, and as his pace accelerated into a run. "This way!"
When he pulled his ignition pistol out of his cloak, the crowd seemed more compelled to obey. "Move! Out of the way!" More and more bystanders fled out of his path as he almost dragged her tired form to the dock entrance. He saw a small niche and pulled her into it. It was small enough not to be noticed, but large enough to accommodate both of them as he pulled her lithe form up against his body and held her tight. Her back pressed against his chest as he prevented her from moving into view. He peered out from the hiding place to see that the men would actually catch up with them long before they made it to the ship. Thankful he had found this spot, he took care to make sure he saw the men disappear back into the crowd before she and him continued on down the street.
"Idris..." She touched his arm, turning him gently. She barely remembered his name, but at least she remembered it. "Thank you, for helping me...again." She opened her mouth to add something, and then stopped. She was suddenly realizing that she still had to get on a ship. Staying here was not an option for her.
He felt terrible when she said his name, his mind still failing to supply him with one for her. His speech seemed unnerved as he went to speak, clearing his throat some way through and regaining the ability to speak more clearly. "I-It-I-of-of *ahem* no...problem, of course. Why wouldn't I help you?"
"Why wouldn't you help me? Maybe because last time you did, I vanished on you without so much as a 'see ya.'" Rowen continued walking alongside him, running her fingers through her loose hair.
He shook his head and then asked, "Well...are you alright? What happened?" He indicated her pursuers, who were now a great distance ahead of them.
Well, she wasn't going to tell him that she had lit some guy on fire, and now she was a criminal. "...Let's just say, they don't care for me much, and if I stick around here, I'm dead. So maybe you could...give me a lift? I promise to be a better guest this time." She grinned at him, hoping he bought into it. Granted, she wouldn't blame him if he turned on her. She had vanished on him years ago, never thanked him, and now was popping up again asking for more help.
He nodding slowly, not believing her about her attackers, but not pressing the issue. "We'll see." He continued walking with her, back in the direction of his ship. He'd momentarily forgotten his time constraints, in light of their fleeing, but as things began to calm down, he remembered it again in the back of his mind. His pace was evenly sped, but as they continued walking, a subtle acceleration went into his stride as he tried desperately to stay and talk with her and get back to his ship, both endeavors currently quite contradictory of each other. He wanted to stay, yes, but...he simultaneously needed to go.
"Look, it's fine if you-" she sighed, cutting herself off. "I'm Rowen, in case you'd forgotten. I was that idiot who decided to secretly hide on your ship to bum a ride, and you were the nice guy who helped me out. And now..." She immediately noticed his acceleration of speed, but she kept up with him. "...I'd love it if you could help me out a little more."
The fact that he didn't stop dead in his tracks, laugh in her face, and push her aside was a good sign he was going to agree to her coming along. Still, she kept smiling at him, just to be safe, walking quickly at his side. "I am headed anywhere that isn't here. I'm going where you're going, and at the first stop, I'll get off, and you don't have to worry about me anymore." Her head turned for a moment, eyes searching around just in case those guys were coming for her again. Focusing back on Idris, she bit down on her lower lip, studying him for a second. "Please?"
This was as close to begging as Rowen would get. Her smile grew a little, and she realized suddenly that if he didn't say yes to her, she was going to be more disappointed than she should have been. Very rarely did Rowen ever see a familiar face, and even though they hadn't known each other well, he was part of her past, and now part of her present. That didn't happen very often. People came into Rowen's life and then they went out, and never came back.
Idris nodded a little, as she spoke, but his countenance noticeably changed. Not in a way he realized, but in a way that was quite obvious to her. He wasn't sure how eager he was to have her come aboard for all of one stop and then disappear out of his life just as suddenly, though pleasantly unexpectedly, as she had re entered. "You can come along, if you like."
"I promise I'll be a good guest. I'll even do some chores for you on the ship, alright? But we have to hurry and leave now. We don't have time to just stand around."
"Time? TIME!" He groaned audibly, realizing he'd completely forgotten about the time. In the spirit of impetuousness, he said nothing, just grabbed her hand, and started running again. He'd completely neglected his deadline. He didn't like to be pressed for time or feel rushed, but the longer he was with her in the corridors of the spaceport, the less time he'd have to make the jump. He lead her along, down the passage they'd found themselves in, and made a quick turn down a different path. The first door on his left, he pushed open, and was nearly dragging her like a rag doll to the foot of his ship.
Despite being dragged, and feeling a twinge of annoyance at being dragged, Rowen went along just glad she was actually being taken. Idris called out a name, a name she might have recognized, but with so much time having passed, it was possible it would be as unfamiliar as any other name Idris might speak. "Ophelia! Start the engines and warm up the ship! And OPEN THE DOOR!"
The landing ramp slowly descended from the roof of the ship. He dragged her aboard, and she would already be able to hear the various engines and generators gearing on and switching to life. The lights in the ring corridor were dim for a moment, and then sprung to life, bathing them both in an ambient, but gentle, lighting. Once the ramp was back up again, he turned to look at her. "Ok, if you're going to come along, we're going to have to have a few grounds rules.
She nodded slowly. "Okay..."
"Alright, for now, I need to get off this rock. So, I want you to either sit in the copilot's seat, or buckle up in the galley." He pointed, indicating their locations. "Once we've left the system, and I've made the jump, we'll figure out where who is going to sleep where and find you something to change into. I don't usually have passengers on my ship, but, no offense, if you're going to be with me for three days, you get to use the refresher at least twice between now and then. That's...not negotiable."
"Rules, rules, rules, got it, check, understood. Copilot's seat it is."
He started walking, down the corridor and around to the corridor that came off the ring and into the cockpit. He sat down and strapped in, reaching up overhead and flipped a few switches, looking up at the night sky and the air traffic lanes. He looked over at the copilot's chair, and waited a moment, giving her some time to buckle in, but then lifted off, regardless of how secured she'd managed to get beforehand. He heard the roar of the sublight engines as his little cruiser analog took to the sky and broke free of orbit. "Ophelia, bring up the navicomputer, and get me Baramasta jump coordinates."
He waited until the antispace window generator had a green light, and then throttled forward. The vast window seemed to peel open for that small fraction of a second and then they were sucked in, the viridian and azure hues of antispace engulfing them. He looked down over the panel, and then at his wrist, checking to be sure his chronometer matched the ship. He sighed, and then remembered her, turning to look towards the copilot chair.
Sighing softly as soon as all seemed calm. "That...was...fun. So, Baramasta?" She turned in the co-pilot's chair to face him, arching an eyebrow slightly. "You can dump me there. I won't be offended." Arms crossed and she turned again, facing the front of the ship.
He shrugged, but not with his arms, his eye brows shifting up in a "sure, whatever" expression.
It was then that the miniature projection came to life on the control console, standing near the center. "Captain Chariton? Why...do we have a passenger...again?"
When the little projection came up, she jumped slightly, frowning down at who she could only guess was Ophelia.
The figure was about as tall as Idris' forearm. Her long brown hair fell over her shoulders and her blue eyes seemed perplexed, not angry. She was more curious than anything. The light green, uniform-style shirt and pants covered her in a very conservative style. Her black shoes matched the attire very well. And while her appearance was that of an adult, as was her even-toned voice, her personality and countenance seemed child-like more so than the mature adult she appeared designed to emulate.
"We have a passenger because..." He stopped midsentence, looking over at Rowen a moment, his eyes taking in her appearance, before he turned back to her. "Because she had nowhere else to go, obviously."
The image looked over at her, and then slowly tilted her head to the side. "You look very familiar. Has Captain Chariton had you aboard once before, Miss?"
Gathering her wits, she straightened up, unbuckling herself from the chair. "Yes, Id-Captain Chariton has taken me in before. Both times unwillingly, for the most part. He's a kind man."
Idris stood, satisfied that Ophelia's attention was directed away from him, and walked into the space that connected the cockpit to the ring corridor of his ship. He turned right and walked around to the galley. He was starving, a sensation he'd only became aware of as he'd spoken to Ophelia.
Feeling a little strange talking to the computer, she looked over at Idris, and noticed he was leaving and quickly began to follow. "It was nice to see you again, Ophelia." She called over her shoulder, before she followed Idris into the galley. "I think we should discuss sleeping arrangements. I know this isn't a very big ship, so if you just hand me a sleeping bag, blanket, anything - I'll be fine. It most likely won't be the most uncomfortable place I've slept in before." It was true. Since Rowen had become such a wanderer, she'd become no stranger to uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, but she did what she had to do to get by.
The machine in front of Idris dinged and he reached into the opening, taking a bowl from it. Steam flowed off the top as he moved over to sit at the booth-style seat that surrounded about half of the galley, a table extending around in front of it. He set it down on the surface and looked over at her. The food was a little too warm to consume just yet. He looked over and saw Ophelia sit on the edge of the table, looking over at him.
"Or I can just sleep outside..." she muttered, feeling a little ignored.
He was still contemplating how he would manage everything. He didn't feel right about making her sleep on the floor, or any other place on the ship that might be equally uncomfortable.
"Captain, what is our next mission? We haven't been to Baramasta in almost twenty-seven cycles."
Idris sighed. "Let me eat first and then we'll figure it out." He looked over at Rowen. "Are you hungry?"
Eyes went to that bowl he pulled from the dispenser. She hadn't realized she was hungry until that moment, but guilt followed her hunger. She had already sort of forced her way onto the ship. She didn't exactly feel great about eating all his food either. Sitting down at the table, she jumped when she noticed Ophelia. She was going to have to get used to that little projection popping up here and there without any warning. "Am I what," she finally said. She hadn't realized she was being addressed. Looking down at his bowl, then back up at him, she feigned a little shrug, and looked away. "Only a little. I'm sure I can hold off until morning."
He arched an eye brow at her. He left his bowl on the table and went over to the dispenser. He looked at it a long moment, then looked over at her, as if her appearance somehow was going to assist him in deciding what to prepare for her. He programmed the device and waited a few moments. He took the bowl from the machine and set it in front of her, along with a spoon. He plopped the second spoon into his own bowl and started sipping at it.
"Thank you." She responded, genuinely, as he set the bowl down in front of her. Trying not to think of the last time she had an actual warm meal, she brought the bowl towards her, stirring it with her spoon. Blowing gently to try and cool the liquid, she kept herself quiet until she had sipped. "Thank you, for taking me in again. It's not often someone will take you in twice. Especially after the first time they just sort of...vanish." She raised her eyebrows and shrugged, scooping up more soup.
Making a face more at herself than him, she leaned back in her seat, eyes moving back up to him. "What is in Baramasta?" She noted that it seemed like the captain now had two curious females aboard. Lucky him.
"There is a lot in Baramasta. That's all either of you need to know until we get there."
Idris' soup smelled obviously different from her own. He'd served her psyrian fowl soup. The broth of his meal, however, looked a lot darker, some kind of red meat she'd probably never smelled before. He ate his soup at a very slow pace, almost out of character, considering how hasty he was with everything else. He breathed in the scent a long moment. "Don't worry, you're not inconveniencing me. We're onboard, and I've no problem taking you along. Put it out of your mind." He grinned at her and winked before going back to his soup.
Glad to see his smile, it immediately reassured her somehow. Returning his smile with one of her own, she took another bite of soup, her mood almost instantaneously improving. "This time, Idris...I will say goodbye, and give you a proper thank you, before I leave. Last time...I was younger, and scared, but...not anymore." Nodding a little bit, she fell silent, not wanting to pester him anymore while they ate. As her soup cooled, it was easier to eat it, and soon she was almost at the bottom of her bowl.
He continued to eat his food, and despite his slow pace, he managed to finish it before she finished hers. He got up and went over to the dispenser. He dropped the bowl into the discard bin and realized he had forgotten to empty it while he was on the surface, but he was confident it would not be an issue. "Why, if you do not mind me asking, were the nice men chasing you?"
Rowen shook her head, finishing off the soup, standing up to place it in the bin just as Idris had done. "Well first of all - they weren't nice men. One of them grabbed me when I was trying to clear off their table. Grabbed me...not so politely. When I..." Lit him on fire? No. There was no way she was telling Idris about her powers. If she did, the next thing she knew was she'd be thrown off the ship, or tied up as a captive and turned in once they reached their destination. "...put him in his place - he got mad. So he and his buddy chased me. End of story." Not really, but she figured Idris would take it. Clearing her throat gently she sat back down across from Idris, running her fingers gently though her long brown hair.
He laughed a little. "Ah, I see. Yeah, I can't say I like it when strange, ugly men try to grab me either."
"Happen often?" She laughed at that, although she wasn't entirely sure if it had or not. Still she chuckled, and leaned against the table, placing her chin onto of her folded hands.
He grinned at her without answering. "It's ok, I doubt they'll even remember you, and I have a feeling you'll not be compelled to return to their planet anytime soon anyway." He had to admit though, having seen the size of the guys chasing her, that he couldn't deny how curious he was to know the details of how she'd gone about "putting them in their place." It was a question he decided to wait until a much later time to ask her. "Well, I am going to check the ship and make sure everything is in order. Usually, I have a moment to do a preflight checklist...but for some reason, I just didn't get around to it this time. So I guess a post-flight checklist is in order."
When he announced he'd be checking the ship, she immediately stood up, wondering if she could help. Considering she didn't know the first thing about ships, she decided maybe it was better she didn't offer up any help. "No time for preflight checklists. Gosh, I wonder whose fault that was." Shooting him a little grin she headed back towards the cockpit. "I'll just stay in the cock pit till your done - keep out of your way and everything."
He smiled and winked at her as he walked away. He'd left his cloak on the seat and she could now see what his cloak had been hiding. A large pistol was still in his holster, and his shirt was stained with green, purple, and red smudges. His pants didn't seem to have anything on them, and it seemed like Idris wasn't even aware of how filthy his shirt was. When he got to the cockpit, he stowed his pistol under the control console, the designated place for it on long flights like this. He started looking over all the indicators, and grabbed a large datapad from the left wall, reviewing each box and checking it mentally to make sure that everything was ok. He hoped that Rowen was good luck and that Atalanta would not feel compelled to break down.
Heading into the cockpit she plopped back down into the copilot's seat and remained quiet as he went about his business. She could be a good guest when she wanted to and stay quiet, and out of his way.
As he was reviewing the checklist, he wrinkled his forehead, looking from the paper up to indicator on the console and back again. He tilted his head and looked up out of the corner of his eye. "Ophelia?"
"Yes, Captain?" The image appeared on the console again. "What is it?"
He turned to looked at her. "According to your sensors, what is the temperature of the aft cargo hold?"
The image's gaze looked over at Idris and then seemed to go very far away for a moment. Then she blinked and looked at him. "It would appear there is an unusual amount of heat coming from the hold. I recommend you investigate it."
He sighed. "Well, at least the SHIP checks out...now I just have to make sure that nothing else came aboard that wasn't scheduled to. He reached under the console and retrieved his pistol. He walked out of the cockpit and down the hall.
Hearing that something strange was going on, Rowen immediately sat up, intrigued. Well she could only TRY and stay out of the way. Whether her curiosity got the best of her or not was another story. She let the two talk, but when there was talk of investigating, and Idris was leaving the cockpit, she was out of her chair immediately. "Idris?"
"Captain. I recommend you-" The miniature image lifted her hand, as if to signal him, but then her gaze looked impatient and she disappeared.
"Yes, yes, the Tiderian armor suit..." He mumbled to himself somewhere down the hall. He went over to his living quarters, opening the door. He didn't really want to take any chances. If it was something dangerous, it was better to be safe than dead. He started rifling through the closet as he looked for the compartment behind the false wall.
She followed him into his living quarters, not even realizing what room they were in till her eyes fell on the bed. Oops. Shoving her hands into her pants pockets she leaned against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. "Um...do you need any help?"
He looked over at her from his closet before looking around his room, subtly indicating more that she wouldn't want to be in his room more so than she wasn't allowed. "Well, I would let you...but I only have one...uh..." He looked at the floor, scratching the back of his head. He'd always considered his suit to be a secret, but it seemed like less and less he was able to keep secrets from her. "It wouldn't be safe for you, Rowen, and I'd feel terrible if anything happened to you."
"I can take care of myself, Idris, but..." No sense in starting up some stupid argument right now. "...if you want I'll just go back to the cockpit, sit down, and just chat with Ophelia." Part of her wanted to light HIM on fire and then say "HAH, see? I can take perfect care of myself!" But of course, she resisted that temptation and stayed quiet.
He managed to wrestle something out of his closet. It looked more like a remote. He looked behind her and pointed the device. A hidden compartment opened up behind her and he walked over to it. The various pieces of his armor were hung in a room that was covered in transparinite. He walked back into the space, which was large enough for about ten people to comfortably hide. He started to take off his shirt and looked over towards where she was standing to see if she was looking over at him.
She jumped away as he opened up that hidden compartment. Watching him, she felt her breath catch in her throat as his shirt went up an over his head. And she was definitely not moving her eyes away from his bare chest. When he looked over at her, she immediately looked down at the floor, shaking her head a little bit. "Fine. I'll go to the um...the...cockpit. And...just be careful." Arms crossed in front of her as she shifted from one foot to the other.
He smiled and rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "I'm not really that bad, Rowen, it's just...an off day for me." He stuck his tongue out at her, indicating his ragged appearance. He was very lean, but it appeared that he would be able to hold his own in a fight. One thing that might have drawn her attention was a long scar that went down across his chest from his left collar bone all the way down to his waistline. It didn't look like the cut had been very deep, just a thin line across his chest. Once his shirt was off, he waited, seeing if she had decided to stay and get a free show or if she was going to do as she had indicated and return to the cockpit. While he didn't like the idea of her and Ophelia "catching up," so to speak, he could hardly think of anything else to do.
"No, I didn't say you were bad. I...I mean, you're not bad at all. I like..." Shut up Rowen! A light blush rising to her cheeks she turned away from him and pointed at the door. "I'm going. Be careful." And out the door she went, taking a deep breath. It was just a shirtless man, she thought to herself, kicking herself a few times. No need to get so flustered. She was flustered because she had liked what she'd seen. Rolling her eyes at herself, she hurried into the cockpit and sat down in the copilot's chair. "Hi, Ophelia." she said aloud, looking around for that little projection she expected to come up. She was hoping that flustered look had been wiped off her face, and she no longer worried about anyone questioning her about it.
The projection illuminated into life on the same place on the console that it always did. "Hello, Mistress Rowen. What can I-" She stopped midsentence and titled her head. "Mistress Rowen, are you alright? You look a little flushed and your pulse seems a little elevated." She gazed on, watching her with her normal curiosity.
Back in his room, Idris unbuckled his leggings and let them fall to the floor. He still wore a pair of black shorts that covered up his thighs and the important, more valuable parts of his body. He reached over and grabbed the bottom half of the armor and started to pull them on before putting on the top. He listened as the pieces clicked together, letting him know they were secure. He grabbed the boots and put them on and then took the helmet and placed it over his head. He reached both hands into either glove and waited for his heads-up display to light up. His movement was not impeded as he walked away from the room and down the hall. He felt the door to the hold and his heads-up reading indicating that is was a little warm. He entered in the access code and let the antechamber door open in front of him. He pulled it closed behind him as he stepped in and locked it.
Rowen put on a little smile and quickly nodded. "Of course, Ophelia, I'm fine. I'm just here to...relax and chat with you while I wait for Idris. As you know, he went to check on that heat." Taking a deep breath, she let it out gently, hoping that Ophelia noticed she was calming down and wouldn't press on the subject any further. It'd be strange to explain to a computer why she was so flustered to begin with.
The image nodded. "Yes, of course. I'm sure it's nothing, Mistress. These things happen occasionally, but I think it's been a very long time since a pyre fiend managed to stow away in the cargo hold. And the MMK II tactical suit is more than sufficient for exterminating things like that, or whatever it is that is in there."
"Pyre fiend? What exactly is that, Ophelia?"
The ship bucked then, suddenly and almost on cue, and an alarm in the cockpit started to go off. "There's been a significant power surge in the navigational systems. We're dropping out of antispace, Mistress. I recommend you restrain yourself." Suddenly, the green and purple hues faded away as gaping nothing of real space opened up in front of them. The force of the reversion was enough to knock Rowen forward, but the crash webbing engaged just fast enough to restrain her from splitting open her head on the console. A mysterious, loud clank was heard down from the corridor.
The ship jerked, making every muscle in Rowen's body to tense up. "Dropping?" That didn't sound good. Panic bubbled up in her throat as she was thrown forward in her seat. She watched her nose come perilously close to the console before the restraints leapt out to prevent her injury. "I'm going to go check on that." Whether Ophelia liked it or not. Rowen moved to undo the restraints and was standing up again, one hand on the wall next to her - just in case the ship jerked again. Frowning, moving carefully but at a brisk pace, Rowen made her way down the hall towards the strange clanking noise. The cargo hold's antechamber door had broken loose, and red and yellow hues were casting from it into the corridor. There was an intense heat coming away from the hold. She could also hear an abundant amount of swearing coming for the hold as well.
Idris struggled to extinguish the flames in the compartment while simultaneously firing at the creature. He was trying to kill it, but it seemed like the beast was completely impervious to the energy of his weapon.
Eyes widened, and she felt not only her muscles tense, but she felt her whole body just freeze. Well it wasn't a normal thing to see what she could only assume was a pyre fiend. Maybe for Idris it was, but unfortunately, he didn't look like he was doing so well. Even though it should have, the heat coming from the hold didn't bother her, and she stepped closer to it. "Do you have another extinguisher?" She yelled at Idris, looking around to see if she could answer the question herself.
He felt his heart jump up into his throat and then fall into his stomach. "Rowen! Get...out of here!" He watched as the animal's attention shifted to Rowen, and he leapt onto it, trying to tackle it. His suit's armor could take the heat, but even with the weather controls inside the suit, plus the entire compartment moving up to temperatures around the boiling mark, he was worried that it might overload the internal systems. The beast snarled and its long tail whipped around, slicing through the air and struck Idris like a bat, knocking him into the wall. "Ugh, xfing Drondos! I'm going to blast their shop to the ground!" The beast made a move to go after Rowen again, and Idris leapt for the beast, but fell short, merely catching hold of the creature's tail as it went to escape into the antechamber. "Get out of here! And close that door!"
She wasn't going anywhere. Rowen stood her ground, dug her heels in, and looked around for an extinguisher. At least, until she heard the beast coming at her for a second time. Unfortunately, Idris was unable to hinder the beast as he had a moment ago. Frowning, she turned to face it, debating what to do; defend herself the best way she knew how, or run? Shaking her head, she watched at Idris continued to struggle and made her choice. Turning, she shut the door, but she was still inside. Moving towards the creature as fast as possible, she brought a foot up to kick it right in the face. Its heat and the flames in the room didn't bother her one bit. She knew she was giving herself away right now, but Idris was in trouble, and if she didn't help, he could very well die.
As the beast started to run, Idris was suddenly on his feet. Another audible clanking noise was heard from the boots as they fastened themselves magnetically to the floor. Idris managed to maintain a grip on the tail, stopping the beast just before it leapt at her. The kick did little more than anger the beast. Idris tried to pull the creature back to him, by the tail, but the beast lunged and tried to pull Idris forward, but he didn't move, his footing remaining sturdy as the beast used him as an anchor, swinging around by the tail and colliding with him. Idris buckled, falling on his back, and a moment later, his feet left the ground. "Get the...in..." his words were few and far between with the struggling of the creature as it tried vicious to tear into the suit, barely managing to scrape the metal as the teeth gnawed at the head plate. "On the wall, get the gelidy gun!"
Taking a deep breath, she turned around as Idris began to attempt to order her. Gun? Gun! Whirling around, she lunged for it, grabbing it off the wall quickly. Now she just had to figure out how to use it. Fingers fumbled with a few buttons, until she heard it come to life. Aiming, or at least she hoped she was aiming, she pulled the trigger, taking a step back as the gun's force shoved her back a little.
Idris watched as she finally fired the weapon, the large blast of white energy emitting from the gun. The energy seemed to seep into the beast's flesh, or metal, or whatever it was made of, and slow it down. Despite being somewhat incapacitated, the beast was still trying to kill him. The temperature in the room seemed to drop about a hundred degrees in only a matter of moments. The crackling noise, like ice melting...or unmelting, in this case, seemed to fill the room as white crystals leached from the creature and into the floor, completely restraining the creature.
The black, red, yellow, and orange colors seemed to fade into white and blue as the creature seemed enervated and slowly stopped moving at all. Despite everything, it still appeared to be breathing. Idris groaned as he tried to move, but unfortunately, he'd been mounted to the floor by the spreading ice. He stopped struggling, and sighed. He looked over at her, and while his entire face was hidden from her, his words seemed sincere. "Thank you, Rowen." He sighed again and lied still. He was trying to decide how to defrost the ice around his armor without waking up the creature.
Breathing heavily now, she sighed with relief when she realized the beast was incapacitated, and Idris was safe. Gently she set the gun down to the side, walking over to the two on the ground. "No problem. I'm just glad you're alright." She was speaking sincerely as well, but it showed in her face, and especially in her eyes. Realizing he was very much stuck, frozen to the ground, she knelt beside him, studying the predicament he was in. Eyes went up to his face then back down. At least if he freaked out, he wouldn't kill her, considering he owed her his life. Her hands reached out, a few inches above his armor. Little orange and red flames seemed to conjure from her palms and slowly the ice on his armor began to melt away. It only took a few minutes for her to completely defrost his armor, while leaving the beast in his frozen state. Quietly, Rowen stood up, looking down at her hands and watched as the flames flickered away. Backing away from Idris, she looked down at him, and smiled sheepishly. "I think you can get up now."
He groaned as he wriggled out from underneath the creature. He moved over to the gun, without a word, and flipped a few switches on the device. He then pointed the device at the beast again and sprayed a thick layer of something over the creature. The white film spread over the beast and began to solidify. After a moment, the creature was covered in a transparent block. He then turned to her, and shivered. She could see that his boots were leaving footprints. It was then that she'd noticed she could see her breath when she spoke and the room was getting colder. "Hurry, get out of here!" He ran out of the hold into the antechamber and then proceeded into the ring corridor.
While extreme heat did not bother her, she noticed how cold it was getting and needed no additional coaxing to rush out of the compartment after him.
He waited for her to get to his side and then, with a great deal of maneuvering, pushed the door closed. He sighed and leaned against the door. "I hate pyre fiends...especially the big ones." He lamented. Then he tilted his head, pulling his helmet off as he looked at her, pointing a finger. He thinned his eyes at her. "You've got some explaining to do, young lady." He looked very confrontational for a moment, but then he winced and walked away from her. "As soon as I get out of this suit..."
Well there weren't any curses, no charging at her with a weapon. Always a good sign. And then he just winced and walked away. "Um...alright. I'll just...wait here?"
As he walked into his room, he then went into the armor hold. "Ophelia." He didn't yell, he barely said her name loud enough for someone in his room to hear.
"Yes, Captain?"
"It would have been nice if you'd notified me of our new passengers unique disposition to controlling THE ELEMENTS!" He'd started calm, but then found himself unable to contain his emotions.
"You never asked if she was. I wasn't aware that you'd wanted me to disclose everything about your mystery passengers."
Idris rolled his eyes as he stripped down to his shorts again. He hung the pieces in their designated racks and then walked into his room, the small image fading out of the hold and appearing on his dresser, following after him. "Well, from now on, if we get any more visitors, in private, notify me of any anomalies or any uniquenesses our company might possess, ok?" He started to get dressed again, this time in clean clothes. He needed to use the refresher, but he felt the matter at hand was more urgent. He walked back to where he'd left her, but discovered she'd wandered into the galley. This time, Idris was wearing a clean, white tunic and tan leggings that were cut just below his knees. He was barefoot also. He stormed into the galley and looked around for her. When he saw her, he tilted his head. He seemed a little worked up. "You're a Gifted?"
Rowen lifted her head as he entered, and as he began to speak to her, she winced as if he had slapped her. "Gifted? That's not what they call me, Idris."
He didn't mean to say the word like he was swearing, just with emphasis. His tone didn't tell any emotions he had about the conclusion other than surprise. "I just really wish you would have told me." He paused, and then looked at her, disappointed, but more with himself than with her. "Is...is that the real reason why those guys were chasing you?"
She wanted to shrink away from him, to vanish entirely, but all she could do was sit there and let him ramble on and on, letting him have his say. "Told you? And what? Risked my safety? My own life? Yeah that's why the guys were chasing me, that's why I've had to be on the run since I was a kid, because the minute someone finds out what I am, they call me ugly names, and try to KILL me. Do you understand that?"
He frowned and sighed, running his hands through his hair rather raggedly. He sat down in a chair across from her and reached out and took her hands. When he grabbed her hands, she yanked away immediately, standing up, taking several steps away from the table. "Rowen, I'm not like other mercenaries. I'm not going to jettison you into space or sell you to a trader. I realize that I hadn't really earned your trust, but if you're going to stay here for two days, I'd appreciate it-" He stopped, chewing on his lip a moment and then started speaking again. "I'd be grateful, " he corrected, "if you told me anything else out of the ordinary that you feel otherwise apprehensive about telling me, alright?" His shoulders slumped and he stared at her with a look of disappointment, as if her secrecy had left him feeling rejected or rebuffed. "You don't...have to if you don't want to, but I promise...you don't have to worry about me, ok?"
"Mercenary? Right, because trusting a mercenary is a great idea for me. Do you know how many times I've been chased, shot at, tied up, or beaten?" Realizing her voice was getting a little too high, and she was panicking a little too much, she took a breath, placing a palm to her heart. "I'm sorry, Idris...I just..." The hand covering her heart moved up to her eyes and she took a breath. "There's nothing else. Basically, what you saw, alright? Thank you for not killing me, I appreciate it. Don't worry, I'll be gone in two days." That look of disappointment was killing her, and she looked away, feeling tears well up in her eyes, and she couldn't fully understand why. "I'm sorry you got stuck with the likes of me."
He sighed and rolled his eyes, and looked up at her. "Well, I can sugar coat it all I want, but in the end, yes, I am a mercenary. A hand for hire, a man in it for the money, because money holds this ship together and puts matter into my dispenser." He frowned as he watched her. Did she really think so little of him, or was it humans, in general, that she had a hard time with? "What good would it do me, to end your life? You just saved mine. What kind of grateful would that be if I turned around and shot you afterward." He sighed and shut his eyes, feeling his heart aching from the sight of her panicked expression. "I have no intention of doing any harm to you, or calling you any foul names. I would just like it if you were honest with me, ok? And I am not stuck with you. I assure you, it is a pleasure to have you around."
Not in a long time had Rowen received this sort of kindness from anyone. The last one was the woman, Maggie, who had taken her in when she was a child. But that was so long ago, and long before her abilities had surfaced. Her eyes lowered to the hand stretched out for her, and she took a step forward. He was accepting her - for what she was, for what she could do. That had never happened. Eyes went down to that hand again, but she didn't want to take it. Her heart swelled up and a gratitude, like none she had ever felt, burst inside of her. Moving around the table, she walked right up to him and threw her arms around him, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Idris. You don't understand what you've done for me. Thank you so much." Holding him she suddenly realized how nice it felt to be holding someone. And then she recognized how odd it might be for her to hold him for so long. "Sorry." She whispered quickly and let him go, taking a step back. "I got a tad carried away. Sorry."
He felt his body get chills as she wrapped her arms around him, and then felt the goose bumps on his skin as she kissed him. He had to fight the urge to turn and kiss her, and his will won out as she let go and stepped away. He smiled at her, trying to look calm even though his heart was ready to leap out of his chest. "I...sure...it's...*ahem* of course, Rowen. It's me. You're...welcome."
She'd be one big, fat liar if she said she didn't get those same chills from holding him. She hadn't been trying to initiate anything but holding him had felt so nice, so comfortable.
He smiled, and as she backed away far enough, he stood smiled at her. He then pulled himself away from her gaze and presence and forced himself over to the dispenser. He hit a few buttons on the machine and pulled away a glass of hot tea which he drank eagerly and without any regard to its temperature. He kicked it back down his throat in one motion, like he was taking a shot. He discarded the cup into the bin and looked over at her. "So...uh...I guess..." He tried to speak, but his mouth appeared to be malfunctioning. "Sleeping arrangements... You...um...I guess...you can..." He scanned the galley as if the answer, or even the rest of his sentence, was hidden in writing on some object in the room.
Snapping herself out of it she watched him as he drank down the hot tea, wincing as he threw back the hot liquid. Smiling faintly, she cleared her throat a little bit, trying to hide the blush that had appeared along her cheeks. How could she have forgotten? The giant monster in the room. Shoving her hands into her pockets, she looked around also, and then quickly focused back on him. "I'll sleep in here. Or the cockpit. Ophelia can keep me company. Just hand me a blanket and pillow and I'm set. Really, you've already done enough for me, I'm not depriving you of your bed or anything." Nodding as if she had settled the matter, she looked up and around. "Ophelia and I can have a girl's night, isn't that right, Ophelia?" Laughing a little bit, she focused on Idris and shrugged. "Please don't worry about me. You deserve a good night's rest in your own bed." She stepped up to approach him and reached out to gingerly touch his shoulder. Realizing she got those same chills and lowered her hand quickly.
He jolted visibly when she touched him. He stole one long gaze over her many appealing features and shook his head. "No...it's...ok. You can have the bed tonight. I...'m...not even tired." He smiled weakly, almost in a way that approached convincing her. "I...we'll...take turns, ok? I'll sleep in the cockpit tonight and...you...can have the bed. But only on the condition that I get the refresher first, of course."
"Idris..." She began to fight him, and then stopped, realizing the two of them were just going to argue back and forth about the stupid bed unless one of them conceded. "Fine, we'll take turns. I'll take the bed tonight, and tomorrow you'll take it. And...you get the refresher first. That's only fair...Captain." Smiling warmly at him, she studied his face quietly for a second, and then shook her head. "You look tired, by the way. And you know...if the cockpit ever gets uncomfortable. You...can just come into the bed." Realizing how that sounded she felt her cheeks definitely blush now. "And wake me up, of course. And I'll gladly move to the cockpit. Not that we have to share the bed because...I'm sure you'd hate that. Um...yeah. Right."
Oh right, of course, how awful it would be to have to share a bed with someone like her. He could feel the dread building in him already...or was that repressed excitement? "R-right, I mean...if...if I...can't sleep...then..." He swallowed. "I...need to use the refresher." He walked out of the galley and went to his room. He took deep breaths and stood there a moment before he started undressing. In his fit, he hadn't realized that the door was still open. He got down to his shorts again and walked into the chamber. The entrance to the refresher was almost exactly aligned with the entrance to his bedroom, but still offset just enough that you couldn't see directly into it from the corridor. He started running the water as he looked around.