Inevitable {Tech}

Chapter Twenty Nine: Kiax City

Omega observed the wrinkles of time on the woman's face and hands, the same hands that brushed the snow from Omega's hair and placed one blossom behind her ear.

"Thank you," Omega peeped and ran a gentle finger over one of the rosy petals.

The woman then patted Wrecker's shoulder, signaling him to stand up, but as he hoisted himself back onto his feet the woman tucked the second flower behind his own ear.

Wrecker blushed profusely and nodded towards the woman, babbling a quick thanks before standing up straight again.

The woman only bowed silently in response, happy to treat those visiting her planet with love and peace. As Wrecker and Omega left the stand, the rest of the group gratefully nodded to the older woman and gave thanks for showing them such kindness.

Cass then noticed a glint of something shiny out of the corner of her eye, and stuttered in her tracks. Tech's hand yanked against hers, and he looked back to follow her gaze. She wandered towards a stand with Tech right beside her, and met a Mirialan mother and daughter polishing jewelry at the stand.

Cass looked down at the red velvety table cover laced with sprinkles of snow, then perked a corner of her lips as she more closely inspected the necklace that caught her attention. She delicately ran her finger over the golden plating of the round pendant, and Tech watched intently to try and find the correlation between the two.

"That one would look very beautiful on you," the green-skinned teenager dreamily encouraged and leaned over the table to rest on her elbows.

Tech mentally agreed and looked at nothing except Cass' face. Her lips were perked and her eyes were shining, glazed over just as though she were recalling fond memories. Tech's own smile grew inadvertently and he sighed dreamily.

"How much is it?" Cass inquired and sanguinely glanced up at the familial pair behind the cart.

"Ninety-five credits," the mother answered and held up the pendant to display it in the light. "It's pure mythra."

Cass deflated at the words she didn't wish to hear. She knew she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up so fast—for she wasn't surprised at the price...it was pure mythra after all—but she couldn't help herself.

She nodded and her eyes dropped, fully aware that the group had a measly amount of barely half of that. She thanked the pair politely and leaned away, then pressed her free hand against Tech's forearm to draw him back towards the group.

Tech bit the inside of his bottom lip, a faint grimace replaced the grin he once wore. She deserved every good thing the galaxy had to offer and it pained his heart not to fulfill that.

"Why were you so taken with that medallion?" Tech asked and focused intently on the micro expressions he was so desperate to master.

"I had one just like it," Cass explained and leaned into his body as she silently searched for consolation. "Except mine had the Kuat sun engraved instead."

"Had? Where is this necklace now?" he asked curiously, noticing the empty skin around her collarbones where said necklace would have laid.

"In the hands of some Neimoidian I'm sure," Cass exhaled and reactively drew her hand over her chest, still unfamiliar with the feeling of it's absence. "Perhaps at the bottom of some ocean or...melted down for credits, I dunno."

"Oh," Tech pursed his lips in realization. "I'm sorry they took it from you."

Tech reassuringly squeezed her hand and she lazily grinned into his touch just as he had hoped.