Nar Shaddaa

After finishing up her business for the afternoon, Shaisha had sent a message to Cole that her schedule was free. Her temporary house-guests had been locked out for the time-being, seeing as Cole had wanted a private meeting.

As she waited, she slowly peeled off the glove she had worn on her left hand since Cole had first fixed it. It had healed well... remarkably so, even. As she clenched and unclenched it several times, she noted that she was feeling no pain. As if she had expelled any sense of pain from her being.

Cole had never looked so worse for wear as when he appeared at Shaisha's door that afternoon. His clothes and hair were full of dust from the rescue efforts and, while he had managed to find a place and steal a few hours sleep after the explosions, it hadn't been restful.

Meeting the doctor at the door, she was certainly taken aback by how haggard he looked. "Geez, Cole, don't tell me you've been up all night?"

She, on the other hand, looked well-rested and fit. The hue of her red skin seeming more vibrant and alive somehow, and the intensity of her eyes even stronger.

Wan and sheepish, Cole ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck, "no, not exactly. I don't suppose I could borrow your refresher?" He'd washed his face but he was unshaven, thick, dirty blonde scruff on his jaw; and although he always had a somewhat rumpled look about him, today he had, in fact, slept in his clothes.

"Uh, sure. Right... forgot for a moment there that there's probably no refresher available at the Republic compound." She nodded slightly as it made a bit more sense now. "Right this way."

Her left hand seemed to have regained its strength as she placed it on his arm to show him the way.

Cole absently left the door of the refresher open as he stripped, folding his uniform precisely and placing it in an airtight bag, sealing it with the same tool he used on biowaste disposal bags. The man was skinny, but that didn't mean he was weak. His knotted muscles and corded tendons had a rough-hewn, unfinished look about them. Naked and unshaven, there were ample signs that the shy and retiring doctor had testosterone to spare.

He showered. Moving over to the sink, he shaved, packing his kit once more. Cole placed both hands on the vanity and looked at his reflection for a moment. Shaven, he didn't look anywhere near as haggard as he had before, but he was still tired all the same. He hung his head a sighed, mentally gathering himself.

After showing him to the refresher, which was plenty luxurious compared to what was found at the Republic Compound, she did linger for a while outside the open door to get a better look at the good doctor.

Being a human, he wasn't really her type, but there was always some curiosity that needed satisfaction when someone just left the door open like that. The ridged brows rose slightly with an appriciative expression as she got a good look at him, and she headed downstairs to give him a moment of privacy.

Caff was put on, as was music. Since the door was open, the notes of a piano could first be heard, followed by the dulcet tones of a soprano's voice.

What Cole probably would not know was that he was getting a live performance, which Shaisha very rarely did.

The music drew him out of his reverie, dressing and wandering towards the sound.

He watched silently from the door, unabashed awe on his face as the sweet voice moved him to tears. He barely breathed, not wanting to disturb the beautiful pureblood in her performance.

She stood with her back to him, looking out the panorama windows that showed the view of Nar Shaddaa's upper levels, her hands folded before her as if it was almost some form of meditation.

Her voice hit the final high notes of the aria, and she turned to look at Cole, her chest heaving slightly. "Feel better?" she asked, giving him a small but sincere smile.

"Yes, thank you," but he couldn't help but notice how revitalised she was, even without his diagnostic equipment. His gut wrenched, good feeling's gone, as he leapt to a mostly unfounded conclusion. Reluctantly, he took out his spectacles and mediscanner, almost fearing what he'd find, but determined to remain professional all the same.

"Let's get this business out of the way."

"Hm? Oh, right... you wanted to do one last checkup?" She was a little lost in her own mind, as she tried to decipher Cole's own feelings but without intruding upon his mind.

She owed him that much, after all.

"You've found a place to stay until the compound is back up, right?" she asked as she found a spot on the couch to sit, allowing the good doctor plenty of room to work with.

"I do, deviless; it may surprise you, but these follow-ups actually don't have any motive attached other than an interest in your wellbeing." Cole's humour naturally tended to be deadpan, but there was something sour in his tone today that twisted what was meant to be good natured into something vaguely sarcastic.

As he took his scans, managing a more conversational tone, "so, you and Jo'ren? I wouldn't have guessed," but that explains what he said yesterday.

She chuckled warmly. "And here I thought you had grown fond of our little meetings: me a mangled mess and you having free reign to put your hands on my body." Despite the disaster that had happened last night, she didn't seem terribly bothered by it. Then again, she was like a cat that tended to land on her feet quickly.

Her recovery also had been impressive, as if her muscles had strengthened from the ordeal.

"Me and Jo'ren? You wouldn't have guessed that two Sith purebloods might share an attraction?" Shaisha raised an eyebrow. "If you're jealous, there's hardly a need. Neither of us have laid claim to the other... we're both young, and enjoy eachother's company, but we're not a couple or anything."

Cole chuckled darkly, "I probably should have considered the genetics in the matter. But, to be jealous, one actually has to have something to lose. No, deviless," he leaned in close to whisper, "this is purely envy."

He straightened with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. Sucking his teeth for a moment, "what did you mean yesterday? About kidnapping me as your own private medic?"

"Envy?" surprised, her chuckled mirrored his, and she hardly concealed the curiosity of the question in her mind. Envious of me, or Jo'ren, I wonder?

"Hm... mostly teasing you. I wouldn't take you against your will, as I've come to respect you that much, Cole. But... well, to be honest, you seemed miserable with your lot in life when I first met you." She stretched her arms infront of her. "I enjoy your company, and I would enjoy having you accompanying me in my travels... you've... not only been a great help physically speaking, but I've learned a lot from you."

In the small hours of the morning, trying to sleep on the hard, narrow surface of an examination table, choking on concrete dust and fevered from all that had happened, he had managed to dream. The graphic images flashing once more through his head, entangled bodies and perfect carmine limbs contrasted against his own pale skin... Cole cleared his throat, cheeks heating.

Running a hand through his curls, "do I smell fresh caff?"

"Ah, yes... you looked like you needed it," she got up from her seat on the couch, and on purpose of course, let her body brush close to his as she moved past him. She wasn't using the Force to read his mind, but she was perceptive to pick up on some small clues. Of course she acknowledge the possibility that she was misunderstanding, but that wasn't really something that would bother her.

Moving to the kitchen, she easily found two mugs for the caff. "Everything looking good on your diagnostics?" Shaisha asked as she began to pour.

Cole's breathing shivered slightly as she brushed by, the heat not just in his cheeks now. The images in his mind sharpened; he wouldn't have been surprised if she'd turned to him and said she could see clear into his head, even without using the Force.

"Everything looks great," he confirmed. Desperate to distract himself from his thoughts, "I mention it, what you said, because Jo'ren, well," he was starting to sound flustered, "he said something similar to me yesterday. I thought perhaps the two of you-" he cursed internally "-might have been trying some sort of ploy. Y'know? Attacking from both sides."

He had spoken with humour, but if his intent had been to draw his thoughts away from the complex entwinement of twelve limbs - was that right? I feel like I lost count - he had certainly failed.

A full mug of caff was slid before Cole on the counter, next to packets of sugar, honey and creamer.

"Ah," she was thinking back to yesterday's game, "you mean when he said 'you should all sign up with the Sith Empire'?" Shaisha shook her head, chuckling mirthfully to herself. "Can't say it's anything we've coordinated on. Guess great minds think alike, no? Or did he say something else I'm not aware of?"

Her alluring smile was nearly concealed behind her own raised mug. "Though we have... attacked from both sides before, so to speak." While in truth there was no double-entendre in that statement, she didn't mind delivering it as if it was one.

Cole added creamer, then took out his flask and added a generous helping of whiskey. It was late in the afternoon, and even if it wasn't, it was always five o'clock on Nar Shaddaa.

"Jo'ren was hit too," he said, in reference to their ill-fated attack on Shade. "It was giving him some trouble, so he came to see me yesterday." Cole absently rubbed his side where the big Sith had been wounded, and thinking about the pureblood, shirtless and stretched out on the exam table was not helping his unravelling state of mind at all. "He said: I can find you a place in the Empire."

Cole almost missed Shaisha's predatory smile, but her words certainly found their target, and the doctor flushed, swallowing hard as his hot cheeks began to turn red. He hastily lifted his mug took a long draught.

She took a long and contemplative mouthful of caff.

"I'm glad you fixed him up. He's a good friend, and well... I'd be pissed as hell if those bitches had hurt him or Kris as much as they hurt me." Shaisha wrapped her hands around the mug, leaning over slightly as she rested her elbows on the counter.

"But he's right, you know. Good man like you, hell, I'm not surprised Jo'ren said that. In the Empire, working with a Sith directly is a high honor for those who aren't Sith. Both of us are apprentices to some of the most powerful Sith on the Dark Council, both held in high esteem by our masters; offering you a place is the easy part."

The trimmed nails tapped lightly against the surface of the mug. "Question is, is it something you would want? You've seen a glimpse of the dangerous lives we lead."

Damn, she's good at that, he mused, all fire and temptation, and dropping the subject like it never existed. I swear, she does it just to watch me squirm.

"It's not all rainbows and kittens for the Republic," Cole prickled slightly. "I've stitched together soldiers in worse shape, and they've lived to tell the tale," just ask Captain Alderann to show you his pretty scar.

Taking another drink, "it's a lot more complicated than that, deviless. There's a lot of things the Empire does I don't agree to. End of the day, I still need to make my peace with that. And anyway," he sighs, pushing a hand through his curls, "you have friends, your brother. I don't quite see myself fitting into that picture."

"It's not rainbows and kittens anywhere in the galaxy... except for when we go looking for them, I guess," Shaisha laughed softly as she thought back to that little bounty hunt. Cutest bounty hunt on Nar Shaddaa, probably.

As he brought up the subject of her friends and family, it was a little surprising. "Hm, why?" she smiled, leaning forward some more as she dropped her voice to a husky whisper. "Because he's not a red-skinned, gorgeous Sith like Jo'ren?"

Reddening once more, Cole stuttered, "no, I, I didn't," he finally manages to spit out: "I thought he was spoken for?" and immediately curses his choice of words. "Not that he isn't cute," he offers weakly, wondering if he was digging himself in deeper, and second-guessing himself over the distractingly alluring Sith's meaning.

There was a sense of victory in her smile, like that time after she had bitten off a chunk of flesh from an opposing player and scared off the rest of the team for that match.

"Well, I don't know if cute is the word I'd use for Jo'ren, but as far as I know, he's not spoken for," she replied with an almost innocent tone. "Have I been such a bad influence on you that you've become enamoured with the allure of my kind, Cole?"