He stepped down from the shuttle, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun. Yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.
She kept him still and held his beating heart with one gaze, feeding off of him. She was a succubus, beauti...
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The starship Marauder , once a stalwart vessel that had weathered countless missions, now hobbled through hyperspace on its last legs.
Patchwork repairs and jury-rigged systems were evident throughout the vessel. Panels were hastily secured with bolts and braces, and exposed wires snaked along the corridors, a testament to Tech and Echo's resourcefulness in keeping the ship operational.
In the confined cockpit of the Marauder , Talia found herself lying on the ground, contorted beneath the control console on the starboard side. The dim, flickering lights illuminated her determined expression as she worked to repair a tangle of wires and circuits.
"You done with the primary control circuit yet?" Echo called, entering from the hallway after he'd completed the full systems check.
"Not quite," she muttered. "It still seems to be fluctuating. Pass me that spanner, will you?"
Echo crouched down, passing her the tool before offering a small flashlight to provide better visibility. His cybernetic arm glinted in the low light as he carefully directed the beam to where she worked.
They had fallen into a routine, working seamlessly together as they had done so many a time in the past, each aware of the other's movements and intentions.
Talia's slim hands were able to reach up into the tight angles of the control console as she used the hinge on the socket driver to loosen and tighten bolts.
"You know, Tech, for a squad that's seen as unconventional, you sure spend a lot of time doing conventional maintenance," she mocked casually.
Tech, seated in the pilot's chair, smirked. "Efficiency, Talia. It's all about maintaining peak operational status, even for the unconventional."
They could hear her smile as Talia let out a half-suppressed laugh beneath the console.
Echo rolled his eyes at them. "Sometimes, I wonder if we'll ever have a mission that doesn't involve fixing something."
"Hazards of the job," was all Tech said.
"Besides, I'd take a malfunctioning hyperdrive over a Separatist battalion any day," a voice both deep and gravelly joined from the threshold of the open doorway.
Talia leaned out from beneath the control console to see Hunter standing in the cockpit. He held a metal boxed container filled with rations.
"Here," he said, distributing the ration bars to each of them. "Take a break, refuel. We've got a long journey ahead." His voice was gruff but carried a sense of concern for their well-being.
Tech, encrossed in his work, briefly glanced up and gave a nod of appreciation. Echo, nodded his own thanks and accepted the ration bar while handing another to Talia.
