No Place Like Home

[Daria Nytherciria]

Navigating the Whaladon was not difficult. It was not the first freighter of it's kind that Daria had been aboard, though in spite of her familiarity with the design, she found it difficult to feel at ease within the bunk she had been provided. There were beds for twenty on board, though the Alliance had provided gurneys and folding beds to be used wherever there was space. Each bunk room had six beds and was just large enough to accommodate a small trunk of personal possessions for those who slept there.

Daria lay on one of the three top bunks, the ceiling a matter of feet away from her face. She could feel the heat the ship generated, radiating from the durasteel walls all around her. Beneath her, the mattress was rigid. Everything seemed to shake faintly. There was no one else in the room, but someone was coming; Daria knew who it was before the door clanged open.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria Tarkin had been in meetings for the last two hours, securing safe zones and drop points for the scattered Jedi in the galaxy to converge and be brought safely to the Wheel. The Rebellion had to be mindful that the locations did not conflict with current military engagements and overlap current Rebellion safe houses for the survival of both groups, which was not an easy feat. Too much traffic on one planet would alert the Empire to either of their presence. As one of the high ranking Jedi aboard the Wheel's fleet, much of her time was spent alongside Generals of the Rebellion, if not teaching the newest Jedi arrivals.

After two hours of staring at holographic maps of troop movements and current Jedi safe houses, Navaria was glad to retire to her bunk and rest. As she reached the doorway, she was pleasantly surprised at the sole presence that lay within.

The doors opened with a clang and she stepped inside, her brown eyes already staring up at the top bunk where Daria was laying.

"I see you have ended your training session early," she commented while removing the heavy brown robe from her frame. "Is everything all right?"

[Daria Nytherciria]

Turning as best she could in the confined space, Daria looked towards Navaria as she lay on her side. The bunks were too warm for robes, so the redhead wore a gray vest and light, linen trousers. A faint blush coloured her cheeks. “I feel ill, again," she sighed. “I can't seem to shake this motion sickness.”

Pursing her lips as she frowned, the Knight brushed a stray strand of hair from her face and with that gesture seemed to dismiss the matter of her sickness. It was just one of those things that she was fated to live with, no matter how much time she spent aboard starships.

“How did the meeting go?”

[Navaria Tarkin]

Before she could even squeak out a syllable, Daria brushed away Navaria's concern seemingly with a hand to a misplaced strand of hair. Her open mouth clamped shut and her thoughts turned towards the meeting.

"We were able to secure a route near Agamar that finally didn't conflict with the Rebellion fleet a sector over." She sighed and cracked her neck to release some of the tension built from leaning over various computers and consoles. "Admittedly, I'm glad to be away from the bickering Generals for the next few days."

[Daria Nytherciria]

Neither of them enjoyed the talks they were obliged to conduct with the Rebel Alliance – Daria, in particular, remained unconvinced of their suitability as allies – but, in the same breath, they both agreed they were necessary. Propping her head up with one hand, Daria's mind drifted for a moment as she considered the implications of what had been said - what effect this new revelation would have on their journey - before she blinked and returned her focus to the present.

“Are the days' discussions over now, then?”

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Yes!" She said and stepped onto the bottom mattress, grabbing the side of the bunk frame so that Navaria could be face to face with Daria. "Thank the Force. The day is mine and mine alone."

The Jedi smiled. "Or not. We haven't had much time to speak to one another since ..."

Navaria stopped and shrugged her face despondently. "... When was the last time we had time to actually talk?"

Theirs lives were ever moving that time had hardly been on their side since the night Navaria had the vision of her twin sister's assassination. Since departing vortex along with Daria and Adia, the too few moments they were able to share had always been interrupted or wrought with uncertainty that their relationship had grown distant.

[Daria Nytherciria]

“We spend all day talking, that's the problem.” Daria sighed, her head thudding softly against her bunk's pillow as her hand slipped from beneath it. “Supply routes, appropriate shipping lanes, check points, manifestos, security access code cycles...” She huffed another breath as she rolled onto her back, pressing one hand against the roof in front of her, getting her bearings. “How are we supposed to achieve anything surrounded by all of this... bureaucracy.”

[Navaria Tarkin]

That wasn't the sort of talking that Navaria had in mind, but Daria did raise a good point. With so much going on around them, it was easy to loose sight of their intended goal. Reviving the Jedi.

It was necessary to work alongside the Rebellion and hammer out military details in order for that dream to blossom. They were just planting the seeds of the future. With the added responsibility, it was easy to loose sight of the Force and what it intended for the Jedi living within The Wheel.

"Come here," she finally said with just enough authority to catch Daria's attention. The Miraluka 'saw' Navaria's presence reaching out to her physically with an outstretched hand.

"Come on," she coaxed again, her boots hitting the durasteel ground with a thud.

[Daria Nytherciria]

Turning onto her side once more, Daria didn't answer at first, but when Navaria spoke again she found herself smirking and so swung herself down from the top bunk. Her bare feet landed softly, so that she stood just in front of her fellow Jedi, whose hand remained outstretched. Her bare arms hung awkwardly at her sides, one hand rubbing at the elbow of the opposite arm. She glanced down, away from the light that surrounded Navaria - but when nothing was said, she lifted her gaze questioningly

[Navaria Tarkin]

Sometimes Daria's awkwardness was a sign of confusion and distancing herself from Navaria. Today, she was just generally unsure what her fellow Jedi intended.

Reaching out to take the Miraluka's free hand, she led them down to the lower bunk to sit. Fingers slipped between one another as Navaria never broke her gaze away from Daria, who was still seemingly confused as to what was going on.

It was simply a matter of Navaria wishing to be closer Daria, which was rather difficult on the top bunk. Trying to have a conversation when the ceiling was inches away would make any conversation cumbersome.

The Jedi Master's free hand slipped underneath Daria's chin to softly hold a cheek, and then she slowly brought their foreheads together like she had done on Atzerri. Yet, this time there were no words that came. Only a warmth that readily flowed between them that accentuated their shared feelings. Love, devotion and deep respect emanated from Navaria and encompassed Daria as if the Jedi Master's own hands were holding her.

[Daria Nytherciria]

Some of the unease in the pit of Daria's stomach began to fade from the moment that Navaria took her head, though a new, not unfamiliar fluttering of anxiety soon crept in to replace it. Just a touch was enough for something to pass between them, two currents of energy meeting and instantly becoming connected with one another. It was difficult to remember a time since their arrival on the Wheel when they had been alone and not exhausted either by hours spent training or fatigued by living in the constant state of alertness that filled every part of the convoy, as if at any moment an Imperial fleet might burst out of hyperspace. Just the thought of it all made her shoulders sag, her cheek pressing against Navaria's palm.

“...I'm so tired.”

[Navaria Tarkin]

Daria felt the warm skin against her temple replaced by soft lips. She could feel Navaria taking in a deep breath, which turned into a tired sigh. "I as well."

Everything that they were accomplishing today would be instrumental to allow the Jedi to survive. Navaria felt this to be true. It was the only consistent feeling she sensed from the Force. How this dream would come into fruition, that remained hidden.

"Here." She gently nudged Daria to lay down on her back, but Navaria wasn't quite sure if her companion would allow it.

Navaria wasn't so bold as to try anything too intimate that Daria couldn't handle. Her relationship with the Miraluka was still fragile. Besides, that wasn't what the Jedi Master had in mind.

Trust me... she soon added through their connection.

[Daria Nytherciria]

A nudge was all the encouragement she needed. Daria lay down once again, this time with Navaria sitting over her. The lower bunks afforded their occupants a little more space, which was a welcome change from the norm for Daria. Her hand remained in Navaria's as she looked up at the Jedi Master, too weary to do anything else.

I trust you.

[Navaria Tarkin]

With that unspoken encouragement, Navaria reached out to take Daria's other hand and carefully brought her companion's tired hands over the rough blanket so that they would rest just above red hair. The Jedi Master was firmly pressed against the Miraluka's back and slowly pulled away, hands sliding over knotted shoulders and tense back muscles.

Starting at Daria's lower back, Navaria purposefully placed fingerpads against stress laden muscles, working specific points with strong fingers. Each area was given special attention for several seconds, before moving upwards casually. The technique was simple but complex in replication for the idea was to target certain pressure points on the human body to relax the muscles, instead of causing pain.

Master Drin had often used the technique on a young 'Lianna', who was often spraining something or another during her lessons. She was far too reckless as a youth.

Though her mind drifted, her concentration upon Daria had not. Eyes centered on the subtle nuances of the Miraluka's breathing, slight noises of appreciation that escaped her mouth weren't dismissed, and she felt how the muscles behaved under her fingertips. Hands adjusted positions several times for maximum benefit and ever so slowly, tired muscles finally relented under the Jedi Master's meticulous attentions.

[Daria Nytherciria]

A massage was a rare luxury for Daria, who had only experienced anything like it a handful of times before in her life. In spite of this, she found her mind did not drift back to the past but instead was anchored in the present. The ship still shook around her, and her head still swam with the disorientation of space sickness – but at least for a minute or two, it felt like her anxiety over the safety of the Wheel could fade and be forgotten. Her eyes closing, Daria exhaled and with that breath the tension began to ebb out of her body.

[Navaria Tarkin]

That reaction brought Navaria back to the present, which elicited a smile at her handiwork. It was precisely the reaction she wanted.

She continued the ministrations along each shoulder blade tenderly, but switched to her knuckles for Daria's shoulders. The added tension there was probably the cause of training. Instead of a few seconds, knuckles and fingers seemingly worked there way down to the bone, warming the exhausted muscles so they could easily be sculpted back to normal.

[Daria Nytherciria]

As Daria relaxed, she felt the Force spreading warmth through her, bypassing the barriers her tension had created. Turning her head, so that if she had opened her eyes she would see Navaria at the very edge of her vision, she murmured against the bunk's pillow.

“...we can talk now, if you like.”

[Navaria Tarkin]

The Jedi Master chuckled, but did not stop her hands, which had finally slipped underneath Daria's hair. She mustn't forget the neck after all, and it was pleasant touching her skin under softened hair.

"I will admit I had no specific agenda in which we could speak of. I just wanted to be near you..." she said quietly.

[Daria Nytherciria]

In the silence that followed there was, somewhere, an unspoken: oh. Not of disappointment or discomfort, but perhaps a hint of surprise. Circumstances being what they were, there hadn't been much time to think about personal issues, certainly not wants and desires which were over-shadowed by the greater necessities of the Jedi and the Wheel.

The brush of fingertips against the back of her neck was hypnotic and, for a long time, it held back any reply.

“..It's nice to have a relatively peaceful moment alone, at last,” she said, after a minutes' relaxed pause.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Daria felt a rush of warm air caress her cheek as Navaria huffed out a rather amused breath through her nostrils. As the Jedi Master's fingers traveled up the Miraluka's back, she slowly was pressing closer to her companions body.

"I certainly hope you hadn't jinxed us with that statement," she chided. "You're likely to invoke some sort of crisis that will force me to stop."