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Aphelion and the Fork In The Road
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| Lafayette_Ransom | Date: Tuesday, 28 Jul 2015, 11:18 PM | Message # 1 |
 Officer
Group: Users
Messages: 27
Status: Offline
| ((Continued from Aphelion and the Friends Not Forgotten.))
It took him awhile, in fact nearly an hour, to get the stink and remnants of Neese off of his body. It was plenty of time to think about the situation. He felt bad as Mara was totally unaware of the true extent of what he had been doing over the past few months. She knew he wanted to help the Rebels, and had been assisting them. She knew he even fought with them in a few battles. He did not have a chance however to tell her everything. Not yet. Now was the time, but he had no idea how to start that conversation. The events of the day made it even more difficult.
Once he was dried off, he went ahead on put on his pants, not bothering with a shirt or putting his boots back on, and came out of the refresher. He found that everyone was gone, except for Mara. He couldn’t get a good read off of her on her mood, and assumed it was most likely a bad one. Aaron Rawls had that effect on women.
Nonetheless, he walked into the living room and attempted to play ignorant. His inexplicable behavior earlier was gone. He perhaps took Rawls’ return a little too well, although his good feelings were perhaps caused by the death of Neese and Rawls unexpected brutality in handling him. He was back to ‘normal’ now, not that anything about Ransom was normal.
“What do you think, turtle dove?”
Lafayette "Leroy" Ransom
Bounty Hunter, Mercenary
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| Mara_Antares | Date: Wednesday, 29 Jul 2015, 8:11 AM | Message # 2 |
 Officer
Group: Users
Messages: 39
Status: Offline
| When Leroy finally emerged from the refresher, Mara was curled up on her side of the couch, in her pajamas, and reading a magazine. A fashion magazine, to be exact, not that she really followed the fashion so much...she just loved the shoes. "I think that you smell much better. Rodian is not a good scent, especially once exploded." She gave him a smile and laid the magazine down.
"And it was nice to see Davon. He looks good." Though he really didn't. He looked exhausted, and stressed. She imagined that when one had bounties on their head, and needed to get off world, that would happen. Still, she had been happy to see him, no matter how brief it was.
"But that isn't what you're asking about, is it?" She sighed, flexing her still aching hand. "Rawls wants us to come to his ship tomorrow and 'hear him out'. He asked me to talk to you about it. I really have no need to see him again."
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| Lafayette_Ransom | Date: Thursday, 30 Jul 2015, 8:03 PM | Message # 3 |
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Officer
Group: Users
Messages: 27
Status: Offline
| He sighed. It was perhaps better to cut to the chase, but sometimes if Mara was softened up to something, there was a usually abrupt and emotional response; especially in regards to shocking or sudden information. Punching Rawls in the face, as comical and proud a moment it was, was a good example of this. He knew if he told her the reality of their situation by just blurting it out, it could get him into trouble, and lead to a particularly dramatic fight. While he was a brute, and many considered him a lummox, he was in fact an intelligent individual. He did learn things, it was usually his stubbornness which often hindered him.
"I realize this may be shocking to hear from me, especially after all these years considering hunting him down for the bounty...," he said, bracing himself for the reaction to what he would say next.
"But what if we went ahead and heard him out?"
Lafayette "Leroy" Ransom
Bounty Hunter, Mercenary
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| Mara_Antares | Date: Thursday, 30 Jul 2015, 10:05 PM | Message # 4 |
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Officer
Group: Users
Messages: 39
Status: Offline
| Mara flipped the magazine closed and then stood from her seat on the sofa, and stretched her legs. "You go right on ahead, Leroy." She said before she moved around him and picked up the laundry basket full of pink hued clothes. "But I am not going to set one foot on that ship. Neither of us owe him anything, and we shouldn't go running just because he shows up with a sob story saying that he needs help." She didn't come off as angry, but calm.
"But if you go, I can't promise that I will be here when you get back."
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| Lafayette_Ransom | Date: Thursday, 30 Jul 2015, 10:53 PM | Message # 5 |
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Officer
Group: Users
Messages: 27
Status: Offline
| He didn't want to be blunt about this. Her demeanor however was pushing him to be exactly that. He sighed and rubbed his forehead as he closed his eyes for a moment, looking away from her. She felt as strongly as he did on the matter, but the reality of the situation was forcing him to be far more open-minded and forgiving; out of necessity than anything else.
"Mara, we can't stay on Nar Shaddaa. We have to leave. Very soon," he said once he had turned to look at her again, and instantly regretting the sudden nature in which he told her this.
"The things I've done here. I've pissed off some people. The Hutts, to be precise. The whole Cartel is putting a bounty out on me, and that means you're in danger."
He paced the room a bit. Since everything was coming out right now, he might as well continue.
"My mercenary work, it's been against the Hutts, usually for one against the other. You knew this, I told you about it when I started it. I expected to eventually get on the bad side of a Hutt, not the Hutts. But there's something you don't know. Aside from my personal grudge against the Hutts, there's another reason I was doing this."
He was scared that she was going to be gone after this. This was his marriage possibly ending in this very moment. But she needed to know.
"You know I've done work with the Rebels. What you don't know is that work was actually part of one of their Special Operations units as well as helping form and train their Special Forces. Or that I'm an officer in their Special Forces. Or that I'm an asset for Alliance Intelligence with the mission of destabilizing the Hutt Cartel so that the criminal underworld and smugglers of the galaxy will be freed up to assist the Alliance in its war against the Empire. And I haven't told you any of this so that I could protect you," which he said in one breath.
If she didn't leave him on the spot, he would honestly be shocked. He honestly did think the less she knew about his rebellious activities the better, especially were the worst to happen. What he had seen of the Empire as the rebellion grew had slowly proved to him that the truth was in fact the opposite. He had wanted to tell her for months, but had no idea how to start the conversation. Now, it was a matter of survival that she knew the truth.
Lafayette "Leroy" Ransom
Bounty Hunter, Mercenary
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| Mara_Antares | Date: Thursday, 30 Jul 2015, 11:09 PM | Message # 6 |
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Officer
Group: Users
Messages: 39
Status: Offline
| She honestly felt sick to her stomach as she listened to him. Their apartment was so small that she had gone into the bedroom and sat the laundry basket onto the bed, but had still been within line of sight and could hear him easily. Mara said nothing as she listened, but a million things flew through her mind as he told his tale. Of course, she believed every word he told her. Until that moment, Mara never felt that he had lied to her about anything. While this wasn't an outright lie, he hadn't told her something. Whether it was truly to protect her or not, it still hurt.
The woman still said nothing for several moments, which was probably worrying Leroy to no end. She was proud of herself for never crying or breaking down in front of him , save for the first night that he made his presence known in her life, but she was really struggling with it now. Finally though, she spoke, quietly and only two words, that would probably break him.
"I'm pregnant."
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| Lafayette_Ransom | Date: Friday, 31 Jul 2015, 0:13 AM | Message # 7 |
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Officer
Group: Users
Messages: 27
Status: Offline
| In one moment, with two words, his entire universe had collapsed. While Rawls and Vanden may have had trouble understanding reality after discovering that they were married, the universe had ceased to exist to him outside of the two of them. The words seemed to echo through his mind relentlessly. A fear he had never experience coursed through his body and he felt like he was both numb and violently shaking at the same time; he wasn't shaking in reality, but his legs felt very weak.
"What?," was all he could manage to say.
Followed by, "Are you serious?"
It was a stupid question, likely to illicit anger from her. Of course she was serious. He had just received the shock of his life, and would hopefully be given some leeway here. Slowly, things came back into focus. He became aware again of the ongoing universe around him, but she was his sole focus. She always had been since they had began their relationship, but it was more so now. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her, and it was for more than sexual or romantic reasons.
"How far along are you?," he asked, realizing that he had not miraculously fallen to the floor in shock.
Rawls and Vanden may very well divorce reality once they heard this bit of news.
Lafayette "Leroy" Ransom
Bounty Hunter, Mercenary
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| Mara_Antares | Date: Friday, 31 Jul 2015, 8:09 AM | Message # 8 |
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Officer
Group: Users
Messages: 39
Status: Offline
| While he couldn't stop looking at her, she couldn't even look at him. Whether it was out of fear, embarrassment, or something else entirely was yet to be seen. Of course he had asked if she was serious, of course he had! So now was the time when she had to decide if she was going to tell him that yes, she was serious, or lie to him and tell him she was just joking. What a cruel joke it would have been, had it been truth. Then again, they had never discussed this, and Mara knew that she never wanted it, but sometimes things just happened.
She he wondered what she could possibly do in each situation. There was always the possibility of going back to Corellia, though she had no family left there, it would be safer than here on Nar Shadda. Or she could call her sister, Mira. They weren't exactly close, but her sister would surely help her figure it out.
After what hat seemed like an eternity, she finally spoke. "Yeah, I'm serious, Leroy." Mara said, before she sat down on the edge of the bed, next to the basket. "I just found out yesterday, and I as going to tell you at dinner, but...you were late and then you were kind of shocked at the cooking that I totally faked, because we both know I can't cook, Leroy. You know that." She had admitted, though he probably had figured that out on his own. "And I dunno....a few weeks maybe, maybe a month? It's not like there is a timer or anything."
"It doesn't matter how far along it is, anyway." She said with a heavy sigh. "I am going to have to go back to Corellia, or call Mira...she will help me figure this out. And then you won't have to worry about it, and you can go gallivanting across the galaxy with Rawls and Vanden...just....be careful."
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| Lafayette_Ransom | Date: Saturday, 01 Aug 2015, 11:33 PM | Message # 9 |
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Officer
Group: Users
Messages: 27
Status: Offline
| "Uh uh," he said to her suggestion of going somewhere without him, the words coming out far faster and more aggressive than he meant to.
"You're not going anywhere without me," he said to her, still as forceful but softer in tone.
"I have a bounty on my head from the Cartel. That means you're a target as much as I am. Wherever I go, you're going so that I can protect you. And our child..."
Saying 'our child' hit him in the guy like a kick from a guarlara. She was in danger because of him, and now their child was being carried by her. He wanted to protect her. He wanted her to come with him, but she was being so damned stubborn right now. He wanted to just hold her and let her know it was going to be okay. That's exactly what he did.
He walked up to her now and simply embraced her. He hugged her and held her closely, one hand stroking her hair.
"It's going to be okay. We will be okay," he whispered in her ear repeatedly.
Lafayette "Leroy" Ransom
Bounty Hunter, Mercenary
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| Mara_Antares | Date: Monday, 03 Aug 2015, 8:25 AM | Message # 10 |
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Officer
Group: Users
Messages: 39
Status: Offline
| She was always stubborn, and Leroy knew that, and it would likely never change. Surprisingly, she didn't fight being held, or whispered to, or just comforted. Mara hadn't realized that it was actually exactly what she needed, until that moment. She was trying so hard not to cry, but despite her best efforts, a couple of tears slipped out, which she quickly wiped away.
After several lingering minutes, she pulled back. "Is Rawls really the only option?" She'd hated what he had done, and even though she didn't know the entire story, she still didn't feel sorry for him, or trust him. Not like Davon and Leroy seemed to all of a sudden. "What about your ship, or a transport or...." Mara really wasn't sure and she wasn't exactly thinking entirely clearly.
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| Lafayette_Ransom | Date: Friday, 07 Aug 2015, 4:05 AM | Message # 11 |
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Officer
Group: Users
Messages: 27
Status: Offline
| "He is," he said simply.
"Look, he fracked us good. But in our situation, we aren't going to survive on our own. Not forever. Rawls helps give us security, and we have steady work again. Work that doesn't involve me constantly being a hired-gun."
In truth, his past work for Rawls was essentially just being his personal hired gun, but it was a distinction he wasn't going to make right now, and one he hoped she didn't either. He had a feeling though, that Rawls was desperate... and changed. There was something different about him. The way he took out Neese stood out to him now that he had time to think about what had happened. There was a hardness to Rawls that had never been there before. If he knew of Rawls experiences over the past several months, it would make sense; but for now he was in the dark.
"My ship flies, but there's strength in numbers. Hooking back up with Rawls lets us have that. And should anything happen to me, then I know that you...," he then placed his hand on her stomach, "and ours, will be taken care of."
It was an idealistic and likely far too hopeful future. The reality would likely be far different if he did indeed die. Nonetheless, it was all he had right now.
Lafayette "Leroy" Ransom
Bounty Hunter, Mercenary
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| Mara_Antares | Date: Friday, 07 Aug 2015, 12:05 PM | Message # 12 |
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Officer
Group: Users
Messages: 39
Status: Offline
| Immediately, Mara got defensive. "Nothing is going to happen to you, Leroy. Nothing." She said sharply. Even though she is not have a particular skill set like he did, she was adamant....and she was getting worked up, tears welling in her eyes and everything. "I will kill every hutt in the galaxy if something happens to you." Mara took a deep breath and tried to calm down.
After a few moments, she finally spoke again. "So we will go with Rawls. I can go and pack...." She said, reluctantly pulling herself away from him.
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