OOC:

Personal story for me, Mira and Tinker to work out a new subplot and to give Mira something to do whilst she waits :P. In terms of timeline, it's set in the near future after the comp out of nessecity, so bare with us if things get confusing. This may also reference incidents that haven't actually been writtten in yet elsewhere, but they will as soon as we get a chance.

This will probably be kept between the three of us, so apologies for that, however we'll let you know if things change. Any questions, simply drop one of us a PM.

Badajoz Space Station
Eastern Territories
Four days after the events at Ord Vaxal

It’s too early for this...

Ibram was standing in the main fighter hangar in Badajoz’s military wing. It had been barely 12 hours since the squadron had returned from their (classified) mission or Ord Vaxal, and already Ibram had to deal with the mundane tasks of squadron administration. He was just thankful that Lt. Grey hadn’t found him yet, although the scuttlebutt was that she wasn’t even in the sector at the moment. Hopefullt that gave him and his squadron a few days reprieve before she set about finding another mission for them to do.

Just a well too, he thought. The squadron took the events in Epsilon hard, and it was only the mission to Vaxal that kept them together... by keeping them focused on anything other then what they had done.

He still thinking over things when he was suddenly and inexplicably brought out of his revere by a poke to the chest.

“Hey, you listening?” said a dry, sultry voice from beside him.

“I’m always listening,” he said without turning round.

“Then what did I just say?” Said the voice.

Ibram couldn’t keep up the act any longer and simply turned to face a mildly annoyed looking Cadie Reece.

“Well I never said I always listen to you,” he grinned. She whacked him in the chest again.

“I was just saying, the techies said they can have most of the repairs done within the next few days. I also spoke to the station liaison; the bitch really isn’t here, so we get a few days rest before she asks us to start eating babies or whatever.”

Ibram sighed; he really liked having Tinker around sometimes.

“Cadie, ‘the bitch’ has a name, and a rank, and no moral quibble what so ever about shoving you out an airlock.”

Cadie snorted, “Like she can hear me now.”

Ibram just smiled, not wanting to point out that she probably could. Cadie had taken the news of what Viper’s real job was in the Eastern Territories very badly. So had Ibram, which is probably what caused the two to grow as close as they had over the past month.

And then there was that kiss...

He shook his head. He didn’t know what that was... whilst he liked Cadie, he still wasn’t quite ready to open up to anyone else just yet. Not after Mira...

Mira...

Cadie whacked him again and brought him back to reality. He ought to have a word with her about that... he didn’t much care for reality these days.

“Stop fantasising and just sign, the techs need authorisation for some of the repairs,” she handed him the datapad. He looked her in the eyes and saw she was smirking, but that soon faded under his gaze and the mild scowl she always wore returned as she looked away. Seemed like she didn’t know what to do about the kiss either.

As he was signing, a small freighter made its way into the hangar and landed not too far from where the squadron’s fighters were being looked over by the mechanics. Ibram glanced up at it as he handed the datapad back to Cadie. Whilst it wasn’t completely uncommon for corellians or corellian designs to be in the VE area of space, it was still one of those things that caught people’s attention, albeit briefly.

“Huh, an YT-2400,” Cadie said from besides him, obviously looking at the same thing he was. “You usually don’t see anyone other than smugglers or mercs use them, wonder what it’s doing here.”

“There’s probably some long-winded and highly illogical explanation,” Ibram said, turning away as a short brown-haired woman stepped off the landing ramp. He motioned for Cadie to follow him as they started walking back to the hanger’s entrance. Something was nagging at him as he and Cadie chatted, and it was only we she playfully slapped him for an inappropriate joke that he realised what it was.

Short... brown hair...

He stopped in his tracks as a sweet, husky voice spoke out from behind them.

“So, I’m gone for a two months and already you’ve found yourself someone else to keep your bed warm?”

Cadie, being Cadie, naturally spun right round to tackle what she perceived was an insult to both her’s and Ibram’s honour... which it was. In fact Ibram could even tell from that first sentence that the speaker had said it intentionally to get this sort of reaction. It was what she was like, after all.

“I’m sorry, can we help you space trash?” Cadie said with a surprising amount of venom considering what the time was.

“I’m not here to talk to the concubine sweetie, I want to talk to him,” said the voice.

It was at this point that Ibram finally turned round. She was still as beautiful as he remembered, and as short. Her hair was curly, like she preferred it because it usually meant less effort on her part, although it looked worn and slightly greyish somehow. Her face even looked old and tired, like she’d spent years, and not months away. Yes, she was still as beautiful as he remembered, but none of this showed in Ibram’s face because all he could think about was that damn note she had left an what it meant...

“Hello, Mira,” he said eventually.

Beside him, Cadie’s eyes widened slightly as she recognised the name.

“Mira?" She said, "You mean-“

“Yup,” Ibram replied, with little emotion.

Mira was just standing there, hand on hip with her weight on one foot, smiling that smile of hers as her gaze shifted between Ibram, to Cadie, and then back to Ibram.

“Nice to know you still remember my name, or does he call it out when you two get frisky in bed? That must be embarrassing for you dear, my condolences on not being able to perform like a real woman.”

Ibram could sense Cadie’s anger and Mira’s amusement as the two eyed each other up. Cadie’s fists were even clenched, which was never a good sign. Ibram sighed.

It's definitely too early for this...

It had been a long two months, Mira could feel it right down to her very bones.  But her senses were on high alert as she easily guided the freighter into the loading dock of the Viper Squad.  She would be officially donating the hunk of junk to the Navy, mostly to smooth over why she was gone.  Granted, she had been in contact with some of the higher, higher ups in her absence to insure that her leave was in place as well as her place in Viper.  Other then that she was the only one that knew exactly what she had been doing for the last two months. 

The Pirate Sara was one of the top wanted Pirate in the system.  Purposively, she was hard to catch as well as brilliant when it came to escaping, so much that they just had the make of the ship and that was all they had on her.  Mira saw it as another story.

She had gotten a message from her father to come home.  She was greeted by her brother, father and mother.  Seemed that her brother had gambled his way into high debt and some pirates were threatening to kill him.  They guessed that because Mira got a paycheck from the Navy that she had the money, which she hadn't, in fact she was sure that not even the highest officers had that kind of money.  So instead Mra had sold her skills to the Pirates, bought a ship, and began smuggling.  A lesser pirate it would have taken at least a year, but Mira was determined to return to her life in the Navy.

It had been the worst two months of her life, she had barely slept, constantly flying into no fly zones, being attacked, murder attempts, and not to mention being horribly homesick for the Navy.  She had aged at least ten years and to her horror actually began to sprout grey hairs.  She supposed she could always dye her hair later, but she was only twenty, too young to look like this.

As she landed the ship she let out a long and tired sigh.  Vipers, how were they going to take her just leaving?  Granted, her note to them wasn't very long, 'See you later,' and even worst the message to Ibram, 'Gotta go what I gotta do.'  How could she have just written out something like that and left?  It had been too risky to try to send out a message to him or try to contact him.  But still she was an idiot, even if she knew she was going to do something illegal, she shouldn't have just left Ibram like that. 

Mira turned off her console to the ship and then headed down the loading dock.  Instantly her eyes locked on a familiar head of hair.  Really?  Out of everything Ibram was in the hangar?  No one was expecting her back yet, but he was here?  Was fate just messing with her?  Then Mira saw another woman talking to him, she watched their body react to one another.  A sensation in Mira's stomach that was similar to a kick settled in.  She was an idiot, a big idiot, Ibram was an extremely good looking guy, how could she not expect him to find someone new?  It still didn't stop her from wanting to run to him, throw her arms around him and just stay there until she wasn't tired anymore.

Which was something she would have done a long time ago, without regard to how Ibram felt.  But in that two months she was gone Mira had to quickly gain the ability of guessing how people were feeling, Pirates were fickle like that.  Instead she walked over to the two love birds.  Even as she tried to be calm and cool, she felt a snarky reaction to Ibram being with this woman.  She had loved him, so much, and now, now?  She wasn't sure of him.  An ache settled in her chest, Ibram, Ibram, I've missed you, please hold me like you use to, make me feel young and carefree again?

Mira, and what was the girl's name, eh, Mira was horrible at remembering names away bantered back and forth for a little, until Mira felt a tug at her mind, she was exhausted she didn't want to fight with this bitch, get in a competition, she just wanted to talk to Ibram.  Either way, Mira didn't reply to the last comment from te woman, there was no point.  What point?  Ibram had probably made up his mind anyway.  The girl was beautiful, with that red hair, green eyes, not to mention taller then Mira. 

“So anyways, enough of this, you bore me. I came here to talk to you Ibram. You can run along now," Mira said trying to shoo the woman away.

“I'm fine here. Its a lovely morning in the hanger," the woman...Cadie that was her name replied with a posture that defiantly said she wasn't moving.  Great just great couldn't the woman just let her talk to Ibram alone.  Mira felt like decking the woman and also just sitting down and crying.  This was too stressful just to talk to someone.  She felt relieved when Ibram pulled Cadie away and after a brief, low toned conversation she left.

Mira let out a sigh, thank the gods, she hadn't wanted to get into a fist fight.  Her lips tightened as she watched Ibram walk back to her.  She had missed him more then she realized, she studied every line on is face, the gait of his walk, the seriousness in his eyes.  She loved that seriousness, she had always loved teasing and coaxing out a gentler look in his eyes.  That look her would look at her with, that look that as he turned to watch Cadie leave was in his eyes.

Mira crossed her arms across her chest holding herself, feeling like her chest would explode.  She wanted to hate Cadie, strike out at her, tell her never to go near Ibra again, something she would ahve done before she left.  That would only make Ibram angry though and only make Mira a bully.  She still had to work with these people.  Still when she had to look up at Ibram as she stood in front of him her cheeks still fluhed before she looked away.

Mira shakily cleared her throat, before saluting quickly, hiding her hands behind her back to try to control her shaking.  "Petty Officer First Class Mira O'Riley, reporting back on active duty.  I've already sent my leave paperwork to high command and its been approved," she spoke looking back up at Ibram and looking down again.  That seriousness in his eyes, it was so intense, but those blue eyes.  For a second Mira's chin quivered but she got a hold of herself, "I've already gotten all my paperwork in order, barracks reassignment as well as fighter assignment," she added before sighing and looking back up at Ibram, "She's really pretty," she finally spoke blowing a strand of grey hair out of her eyes.  She then shifted from one foot to another, it was an old habit she had, as if to prepare herself for what she wanted to say.

"I know youre mad at me at just getting up and leave, leaving you a crappy note, not communicating with you and just high command when I should have went through you first.  No only that being a sucky girlfriend, lover, and team mate," Mira spoke her voice cracking at a few points but she quickly controlled herself, "I'm sorry, no one should be treated how I treated you.  I don't blame you for finding someone else, she's so pretty and tall, and you don't look at her with seriousness in your eyes, like you're doing to me right now.  So, I hope, we can still be friends," Mira finished holding out her hand to shake with Ibram.  In reality she just wanted to throw herself into his arms, kissing him as hard as she could, his fingers digging into her hips, her hands entangling in his hair.  She wanted them to make up for lost time.  But time, time, everyone needed time to heal.  Even she did, she was shaken, her nerves shattered as well as her body.  She needed rest, time to find herself again and not having to be a cutthroat pirate.  Time, she knew she needed that with Ibram too, but she wasn't too sure she would get it.  "Please don't hate me," she managed to choke out.

Cadie gave an evil glare at Mira's back as she left the hanger and continued towards the living quarters area of the ship. Glancing back at where Ibram had been standing she could also see him walking away towards the command center.

He did say something about a de-briefing today, I think.

Mira seemed to want to fight over Ibram, as far as Cadie could tell the woman left and forfeited her chances. Cadie shook her head, remembering again that she had squandered the last two weeks she could have used to get over her issues and actually tell Ibram how she felt. But wait, how did she feel?

Gah, I'm going to drive myself insane.

Cadie brought her hand up to rub her throbbing temple. She could hear a voice talking to her, just barely over the sound of her own thoughts. It continued but the words, 'Petty Officer' snapped her back to reality.

She looked up at the mechanic she had been talking to before Mira sent her on this mental vacation.

“Right, sorry.” She grabbed the datapad he was dangling in her direction and read over the repair schedule. “Yeah, this is fine. Make sure those shields are double checked, and use those new coils I told you about they are much more efficient.”

“Yes, ma'am.” He gave a crisp salute and took the datapad back, then turned and started giving out commands to the rest of the techs.

Running a hand through her red hair, Cadie looked around the hanger. She had been here much longer than she had expected this morning. Cadie chewed her lower lip and remembered where Cadie and Ibram were going after visiting the hanger this morning. Rubbing the back of her neck she figured what the hell, and decided to head to the cafeteria for some caf.

Cadie sat at the table alone, rubbing her fingers back and forth on the hot cup of caf. She spent many mornings like this, trying to deal with her hangovers usually. But the past month talking to Ibram had reduced the number of mornings like that significantly. Cadie sighed, and set the cup down rubbing her forehead again. She really did not know what the hell to do when it came to that man.

With every fiber in her she did not want Mira to 'win', as she had put it. But Cadie knew that if she was really going to get into this fight she needed to be clear in her own head how she felt. She knew she liked Ibram, for many reasons. 

He was easy to talk to, and didn't judge or criticize Cadie for how she had done things. And the way she handled things was not always the best way. Cadie had been very close to her parents, she spent every moment with them until the day they went missing. They practically lived on the ship they used for their trading jobs. Living in that close proximity for so many years you either wanted to kill each other or loved each other. Cadie still remembered the day she realized they were not just late, that they were not coming back. That was the last day she cried and the first day she got plastered.

Ibram and Tinker had been through a lot of things together, and shared a dislike for Lt. Grey. That almost made Cadie laugh as she took another sip of caf. It did seem like since joining Viper's it had been one major gut-wrenching problem after another. But it as nice to have Ibram there with her.

Cadie decided to finished her caf, then may be go to the gym for a while. By the time that was done, Ibram should have been done with his de-brief and they could talk. Now she had about an hour to figure out what in the hell they would talk about.

Cadie rolled her neck as she walked towards the gym. After finishing her caf, Tink had taken a stroll back to her quarters and changed into a black tank top and shorts for the gym. She didn't want to stay long, just a quick run on the treadmill maybe. She wasn't often found in the gym, but it was a great way to work off extra energy from time to time. She had an abundance of that just from her random thoughts right now.

Turning the corner Cadie entered the gym and saw Mira sitting in the window smoking a cigarette. Cadie smirked, most people would be angered by a woman smoking in the gym. Cadie just wanted to bum a cigarette or go back to her bunk and get her cigars and join her. It was strange she could almost see the two of them getting along if there wasn't this competition between them for Ibram.

Nodding back at Mira, Cadie stepped onto the treadmill and set it to a moderate pace. She tried to think about what she was going to stay to Ibram once he got out of his meeting. She needed to tell him that she did have  feelings. Her feelings mostly centered around being scared shitless, but that only proved she did have feelings. There, now she wanted to bang her head into something hard again. Cadie almost got off the treadmill and ran full tilt back to the bar.

No, we are trying not to do that Cadie. You promised Ibram. Stop being an idiot.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Cadie looked over to Mira. The woman was still lost in thought staring out the window. Cadie dialed up the speed and kept running. She had been at this for over twenty minutes, and it had been a while since she had been in the gym. There was the oddest smell in the room. It was overwhelmingly unpleasant, like mold and sweat. The best smelling thing in the room was Mira's cigarette, Cadie really needed to get the cleaning droids checked out.

Mira flicked the remainder of her cigarette out the window and walked over to where Cadie was running, crossing her arms as she approached. Cadie brought the treadmill to a stop and walked to the front. She made sure to use her towel to dry off a bit before getting too close to the other woman.

“You know we haven't properly met.” Mira spoke evenly, with little expression. “Hi, I'm Mira.”

Cadie smirked, that was just about the last thing she was expecting after their previous encounter. “Heh, Mira.” Cadie nodded. “I'm Cadie, nice to meet you.”

The two went on to talk civilly about the usual pleasantries. They covered where they were from, why they were in the navy, and a rather interesting debate about which fighter would win a one on one dog fight. It was nice to talk to someone who seemed to think the same way Tinker did, that was a first since joining the navy. Both seemed to avoid anything too personal, which was fine with Cadie.

Glancing at the chrono, Cadie jumped. It was time for Ibram to be done with his meeting. “Time for me to go, I need to shower.”

Cadie turned towards the gym shower, but paused when she heard Mira's voice behind her. “Is your bunk far? Cause you really don't want to go in there.”

Raising an eyebrow, Cadie turned around to look at the woman. “That bad, huh? Okay I'll make sure, repair the cleaning droids, makes it to the list today. Thanks.”

Cadie made a nervous wave and headed towards her bunk to get that shower.