Now and Then (Ali)

[Professor Mors]

Sa'ato was utterly speechless as Aliclair deftly reoriented herself to float at his back, and proceeded to pour out the innermost contents of her heart. His mind and thoughts, meanwhile, were very much abuzz and caught in their own tide of emotion. In truth, he had acted impulsively, both in interrupting Radrom's advances and by proposing this aquatic exercise. Of course there was some nuance beneath the surface- but it was the Neti who had clearly been blind to his own emotions. He smirked, remembering the old adage: the master indeed learns just as much from the student.

Exhaling a small stream of bubbles, the Neti placed a hand on one of the feline's own, and turned his head slightly to glance back at her, "There is nothing to forgive. It is my own weakness- my fixation, my ego, that has brought us here. You are not to blame, least of all for the allure of a few trinkets. There is still much of this galaxy for you to see and experience". The professor paused once more, and contemplated what came next. That they should share a moment like this, embark on a new journey in such a mundane place as a shallow pool- the Neti would have laughed if not for the profundity of the situation.

The risk- the danger was endless, unceasing. But then again, was this not what it meant to be Sith? The Force had brought this unlikely pair together, and together it promised to shatter their chains. The Neti had laboured to unshackle the Felidae from a fearful and uncertain future, and now, it seemed she had taken the first step to free Sa'ato from his past. "I will handle Radrom", the retired lecturer continued at last, "I will not suffer you to know his poisonous hands again". Another, lingering pause. Then, the professor made his decision, "If this is wrong- if you are to fall into sin, you will not do so alone-".

As soon as the thought had left the Neti's mind and entered Aliclair's own, the professor spun about in a watery whorl, catching the feline hybrid's upper back and lower torso in his arms. In an instant, their lips met, and two remained locked in embrace for what felt like an age- the academic's natural production of oxygen and oaken anatomy easily allowing him to breath for the pair unimpeded. What had been intended as a failsafe should his companion falter had become something more: a statement, a declaration. Now, only time would tell what would become of the Dark Side duo.

For the immediate present however, Sa'ato's mission remained. When he finally did elect to decouple from Aliclair, he regarded her with an additional hand on her cheek, before telepathically explaining, "Leave Radrom to me- I believe I can resolve this without bloodshed or further impropriety–". With that, the Neti kicked off the bottom of the pool, and quickly emerged from the water's surface. "If you're done blowing bubbles, I'm about to plate", a still-irritated Radrom called from out the dining room window". "Perfect timing", Sa'ato called back in the friendliest tone of the day, "Can I fetch something from the cellar? What is your pleasure, red or white?".

The Chiss, taken off-guard by this sudden civility, blinked thrice, before flashing his usual sour smile, "White is paramount for this dish- the cooler is just around back". Sa'ato smirked and bowed courteously, before turning to shoot another smile in the Felidae's direction and heading off to retrieve the dinner spirits…

[Aliclair Austjor]

As time passed for the feminine, she wasn't sure if it was the dark side's influence or her predatory instinct but all the wrong things just felt right in this moment. With the Jedi, there could be no attachment, no love. But with the Sith, amongst the dark, she could truly be free. With him. She'd never felt this way about anyone before and she knew currently- she would not feel this way about anyone else. All the feminine wanted to do was be by his side, do missions, shed blood. All of the pain, suffering she went through under the claws of the Sith had finally lifted and repaid in full. "Sa'ato-" she began but her thought was cut short by a delicate but meaningful collision of their lips, in which she accepted immediately, closing her eyes and even wrapping her legs around his waist. Aliclair wanted this moment to last forever; for them to be tangled within each other for a lifetime. But reality hit when the Neti had to resupply her with the means to live and he had to dislodge from her. Ali did savor his touch for the moment it was there, understanding there was still a mission at hand.

After he surfaced and climbed out the pool, she surfaced enough just for her ears and eyes to be visible, watching the Neti the entire way before climbing out the waters herself, pushing her hair backwards than reaching back to wringe out her tail. If dinner was ready, than it was time for her to get rid of this smell of chlorine. Though, it wouldn't wash away this feeling she'd gained would diminish now or ever.

[Professor Mors]

As Aliclair moved to freshen up, Sa'ato retrieved the white vintage in question. Upon reaching the cooler, the Neti transformed his digits into a series of sharp files, and furtively plied at the wine cork. At the same time, the professor retrieved a pouch from his trousers with his free hand, and produced three small acorns, which he steadily crushed into a powder. Once Sa'ato had wedged enough of a gap into the cork, he deposited the acorn viscera, now but a fine powder, into the bottle, and continued on his way as if nothing had come to pass. "Would you like me to decant this?", the Neti inquired after his Chiss host, retrieving his baggy tunic top in the process.

"Don't be silly", Radrom chided back, "There are glasses in the cabinet behind you- try not to spill". "I will make my best effort not to", the Neti humbly answered, using all his willpower to force a smile. Loudly and openly decorking the bottle, Sa'ato poured three glasses with his back turned to the Chiss. Glancing over his shoulder just to be extra safe, the Neti waited to confirm Radrom was fully absorbed with handling the fish, before the professor waved a hand over two of the glasses, calling on the Force to purge them of any and all toxins. This of course meant that Dark Side duo's drinks would be devoid of any alcoholic after-affects, but they were hardly there to indulge.

Sa'ato scanned the dining table, and registered that Radrom would be sitting at the head, with Aliclair and her arboreal associate seated on either side. Just to be safe, the Neti held onto both his, and the intended glass for the Chiss until all parties had been seated. "Apologies for my 'joke' from earlier", the professor offered, along with the goblet, in a seemingly-genuine air, "It was in poor taste– please, let us toast to your hospitality- to the old times, and the new". Once again, Radrom was disarmed by this sudden turn in Sa'ato's generally hostile exterior, and his facade seemed to crack softly as he retorted, "Ah, well, no real harm–".

The academic watched quietly as the Chiss reproduced their most charming smile, and toasted in turn, "To new memories–". Radrom turned slightly to the Felidae, and inclined his head, "And new friends". At last, Sa'ato exhaled with relief as the youngest of his old guard drank heartily from their glass, and then bade his guests to partake of the seafood spread that lay before them. The Neti 'ate' of the food as much as he dared for appearances, but kept a stealthy eye trained on his azure host. As soon as Radrom had drained a glass, Sa'ato was on his feet with the bottle.

"You know, old friend, I think I was hasty in dismissing your offer", the Neti opened casually, looming with the decanter like a proper waiter, "I think Aliclair could learn much from your work, if you're still willing to share a small dose of your time". What restraint, if any, Radrom held out for avoiding more spirits, was dashed by a sudden surge of excitement, "You're serious?". As the Chiss leaned forward, Sa'ato deftly dropped down to top him off, before nodding with another labored smile, "Oh yes- after all, it was you, not I, who helped Nael rebalance the entirety of Zymorg's infinite sequence, and-".

"And applied it to the Victory-Class hyperdrive matrix", Radrom finished, half-swelled with pride and… surprise, "I don't think you ever acknowledged my contribution back then". "Even an 'old timer' can recognize when they've misstepped", Sa'ato said quietly, without a shred of dishonesty in his voice, before shaking his head and resuming the subterfuge, "Why don't we start there- regale my student with the quandary, and your theorem". Emboldened, and perhaps even slightly anxious having been on the spot, the Chiss drank more deeply of his brew and started into an impromptu lecture.

Ten minutes passed, and Radrom's glass was empty once more. Another ten, and he soon had to fight to go on longer than a minute without yawning. Then, all at once, at the half hour mark, he blinked, sneezed, and lifted an academic finger for pardon, or protest, before his cerulean eyelids finally drooped shut, and he sank back into his chair, completely asleep and utterly oblivious to the world. "Ithorian whisperbulbs", Sa'ato explained, motioning for Aliclair to depart the table and follow after the Neti, "Usually a common sleep medicine when diluted, but a powerful sedative in its purest form".

Striding with purpose down the hall, the Neti stopped in front of the only door that hadn't been swung wide in the tour, the one that led to Radrom's personal office. Some slight intimidation with the Force was enough to short out the lock, and as the durasteel sheet slid into the wall, Sa'ato stormed through the interior like a small gale. "Ah!", the Neti called out in triumph, snatching an aged and worn holobook from the Chiss' workdesk, "That miserable cur- using this for a paperweight! I take back everything I said at dinner!". Stomping back over to the dining room table, the professor placed the compendium across from the now-comatose Chiss, and turned back to Aliclair.

Smiling with a softness, and perhaps a bit cheek, yet unseen, the Neti manipulated his biology to reach out and draw the Felidae to his side, wrapping her in another tight embrace and bestowing another lingering kiss. "You know, in the end, I think I gave him enough whisperbulb to knock him out for, oh, four or five days", Sa'ato commented with more than a little glee when the pair eventually came up for air, "I know we have a lot to talk about- a lot to think about, but before all that, and before we return to the reach, Radrom did say to make ourselves at home. Surely we should… keep watch over this fine property, at least until the end of the week"...