🐺 ~PROJECT SAC-1~ ⚔️

Chapter 42 - New Developments 👀

During a sparring session where he was in his element, thus more confident, the student discovered that using Mando'a during a taunt could be a tactic to throw the expert off her guard, which he claimed significantly evened the playing field.

"Serves you right," He'd also said once in further boldness.

Fighting that stupid grin she told him to shut up with a 'light' shove.

He'd collided with a stack of crates behind him, but casually leaning against it Hunter folded his arms and pushed back harder by saying: "You did this to me all throughout the last few months without even trying -"

*unapologetic shrug and muted smirk*

"- only fair if I get some compensation for my troubles."

That smirk too. Again, used to seeing it in a battle environment, or directed at his brothers, not at herself. Another weakness.

Clasping her hands behind her back, in that moment blushing Talla made up for all her unintentional wrongdoings against Hunter by standing on her tiptoes and giving him a shy peck on his tattooed cheek.

Hunter's smirk softened to a smile, because that was the only time since Saleucami either had felt brave enough to express that sort of affection again.

Both really liked it. Both didn't know until that moment under the stars that they really craved and wanted that emotional and physical, warm and toasty yet ELECTRIFYING closeness with someone. But with such foreign territory both felt, surprise surprise, still uneasy and unsure about it. 'What was expected? What were the boundaries?'

They needed to discuss this, obviously.

'But maybe not right now.' Both simultaneously thought, hesitant arms wrapping around each other, and faces instinctively drawing closer like they were caught in a tractor beam-

Too bad Tech decided to interrupt the tender moment, barging into the cargo hold with some fascinating information he just read about Mandalorians, one of the civilizations they derived inspiration from in creating their own unique culture as clones tended to do. The brainiac just HAD to share all this with his fellow exceptionally minded sibling who was currently refreshing her memory on these badass warriors, so to speak.

Boy, he had no idea.

Hence, the mild glares went way over his head, much like the information over Talla who was forcibly smiling, unsuspiciously leaned up against the other far end of the crate aisle.

It was a good thing the security cam system in the Marauder was down for maintenance. The little modified antenna Tech had affixed their ship with, so the feed could long-distance broadcast to his datapad, was apparently welded with the shoddy craftsmanship of a five-year-old and must've snapped off after entering hyperspace.

In reality, before take-off Talla had snuck away just long enough to snap the antenna off herself, plus a few primary system parts they didn't have spares of, knowing the security cams could compromise her and Hunter's inevitable sneaking around... Tech believing he might need a new prescription on his goggles was an unfortunate side-effect of her trickery, but one she could live with.

And it wasn't just Tech accidentally interrupting, someone else popped up every once in a while to 'look for something' - Crosshair - and it always happened during the most inconvenient of times, just as the couple braved getting cozy again.

It was just daybreak on Coruscant when the Marauder was FINALLY docked at the military base AGAIN. You know, they might as well have a reserved docking port with their logo emblazoned on the landing pad.