The Crash

Talon sits at the table watching the beautiful woman across from him. His eyes travel over her porcelain smooth skin, unmarred by lines, even though she is nearly as old as Talon himself. He considers for a second, reaching out and caressing her long, black hair, but decides against marring the perfection of the various ringlets which she obviously spent a long time preparing.

He sighs and turns away, not entirely certain how to proceed. This indecision, uncertainty, is foreign to him. He picks up the glass of water in front of him and leans back in his chair, continuing his visual inspection of his companion.

His throat is raw, so he takes a sip of the water, grimacing at the metallic taste. He looks at the food laid out before him, and then back up at Shada.

“I love you, you know.”

She doesn’t answer. She doesn’t even move. He sighs, and looks down at the food again.

“I have for years. I think it started the night at the Solo’s apartment in the Manaari Mountains, when you just appeared behind me and Lando.” Talon barks out a short laugh. “I’m not sure who was more surprised, me for having you show up behind me, or the Princess for you having taken out her Noghri.”

Talon chuckles to himself for a moment more, and then gently strokes his goatee. Shada’s face is still impassive, her iron-hard glare unmoving. Talon lets his eyes dart from her eyes to her hair to her chin and then to her lips.

He sighs again as she still does not move, is still impassive.

“I dreamed many nights of telling this to you, of how you would react, what you would say or do, but-”

Talon lets his voice taper off, as he stares at the far bulkhead. If he did not know better he would have sworn he had heard a ship. Standing, he turns back towards Shada. “I’ll be back in a moment my dear.”

Then he walks out of the room, stepping through the giant rent in the side of the Wild Karrde. He blinks in the bright sun that shines through the verdant jungle, and he looks skyward. A wistful smile crosses his face as he sees a modified YT-1300 flash overhead, looking at the markings, he realizes that it’s not Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon, but Dani Kieran’s Century Hawk.

“Looks like we’ll be getting out of her soon, eh Chief?”

Talon looks behind him and sees Dankin and H’sishi stepping out of the hole in the side of the Wild Karrde. He nods his head. “Yes, it looks that way.”

Then he turns back, and walks into the darkened hole in the flagship of his fleet, ignoring Dankin’s and H’sishi’s stares. He hesitates, looking towards his office and the turns, returning to the ship’s mess. The ship’s mess, the room where Shada is waiting for him. Taking his spot at the table, he pushes his plate away. “Well it looks like we’re getting rescued.”

She is still impassive, unmoving.

He steps closer to her, trying to will her to move. He reaches out and gently caresses her cheek. A frown crosses his face at the coolness of her skin.

“Cap’t?” Talon looks up at Chin. “Sorry to intrude Cap’t, but Dani has touched down, an I think she’s itchin’ to get off this world.”

“Thank you Chin, get everything ready, we’re going to have to scuttle the ship.”

“Aye, Cap’t.”

Talon watches as Aves turns from the room, heading deeper into the ship. After a second he turns back towards Shada.

“I loved you for so long, why couldn’t I have told you earlier?” He puts his head in his hands as she still does not reply. “Why did I wait so long? Why did I wait until it was too late?”

Talon allows a single sob to wrack his body as he stands over Shada.

[Chieftain?]

Talon drops his hands, and looks to H’sishi.

[It is time to leave Chieftain.]

He sighs once again, and glances to Shada and then back at her. “I know H’sishi. Just give me a moment more.”

[I obey.]

Talon watches her leave and then turns back to Shada, a lone tear escaping his eye. He gives her a chaste kiss, saddened by the cold flesh, so different than his dreams. Gently, almost reverently he uses his fingers to close her eyes, stopping that iron-hard glare, hiding her beautifully expressive blue eyes. Then he straightens and walks into the hall, where Chin and H’sishi await. He turns his red-rimmed eyes onto his subordinates, his friends. “Bring her body; she deserves to be buried properly on Emberlene.”

[I obey.]

Then he walks down the hall, and leaves the ship, and his love behind.