A few weeks passed, full of various adventures and punctuated with rest and refuels. Vel slowly settled back into the routine, although she was slow to let her guard down, and understandably so. She was invited to various projects and repairs around the ship but not expected to contribute in any way just yet. There was a gentle ease into the new dynamic, and she noted Hunter's particular sensitivity toward her. Vel had made her intentions clear in their "real talk", as Wrecker had coined it, that she was willing to rejoin with the condition that she was not to be "piled off on the next farmer they saw." Hunter had accepted this with a grin and a "fair enough", and they were off to the races.
Vel tended to stay on the ship for the most part, venturing out only for necessities or for simple local explorations on hospitable and friendly stops. She did enjoy trying various foods and attempting to learn some phrases of various languages but primarily contented herself with her work around the ship.
The team landed on a densely wooded planet. It was a beautiful, lush place teeming with life. Having time before "the show would begin", as Wrecker put it, Tech decided to explore the flora and fauna, and Vel opted to tag along. It had been a relatively quiet week, and everyone was in good spirits.
Tech was completely engrossed in his visor and scanner at the same time, a stark contrast to Vel's uncharacteristically free enjoyment of the scene around them. She had worked hard to keep up a stoic exterior, to avoid being hurt again. But something about this kind of nature setting brought out her favorite side of herself, and she emanated peace and delight as they ventured into the forest.
Momentarily peering through the lines on his visor, Tech watched her explore and discover for a moment, fascinated by this soft, curious side of hers. She caught his glance and instead of any sort of challenge, she held up a stem, revealing a tiny white flower atop a giant round leaf.
"Would you look at this!" she called, twirling it between her fingers with childish intrigue.
"I am observing," he replied, regarding both her and the plant with interest.
She explored the textures of the trees, taking deep breaths of the crisp, fresh air, and bent down to inspect the tiniest patch of plants, amazed by the variety and intricacy in one small area. Tech continued looking at everything through his visor, with species information and characteristics filing past his eyes. He tapped into the datapad, categorizing and noting each item before filing it away.
Vel rose from her plant inspection, suddenly enamored with a large tree trunk with impossibly smooth bark. Large pieces had fallen off in chunks, revealing a watercolor texture of browns. It was dappled with random knots and bumps, and the grain of the bark swirled around each one as if it were a galaxy all on its own. There were specks of red and long streaks of dark brown, all in a perfect work of art. It was too much to keep it to herself.
"Tech! Look!" she said, beckoning him over from a curled fern he was scanning. "This tree is incredible."
His response was immediate: he tapped on the datapad and looked at the information feeding through his visor. "Indeed! It has a growth cycle of over—"
"No, Tech," Vel said, with insistence, "Really look." She placed a gentle hand on the datapad, on top of his own, and gave him a meaningful glance before she reached up and, hesitating to check for any complaint, lifted his visor to reveal those large, inquisitive eyes. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight, the intensity of her reaction surprising her.
He blinked for a moment, brow furrowing in comprehension. "Ah," he brightened up suddenly, "I am neglecting the full experience of all of the senses by favoring only the visual."
"If that's how you need to put it," Vel responded, trying to return her focus to the situation at hand. "But try it. This place is incredible. I haven't felt like this since I was a kid. It's absolutely filled with intricacies and details that you could spend forever discovering. So full of vibrant life and delights of all kinds... So much you'd miss with just a cursory glance."
Tech observed her, head tilted once again, finding those words to be fitting for more than just the nature around them. These strange thoughts were foreign to him, but he observed them with curiosity, fitting them into the larger puzzle of his experience. They were even accompanied by certain sensations that he associated with particular emotions, and he was torn between taking a moment to cognitively investigate the feelings or simply continuing to experience them.
Vel reached a hand up to the tree trunk once again, marveling at its simultaneous texture and smoothness. She leaned in, mesmerized by the intricate filigree of fibers, while Tech stood beside her, unmoving but watching with interest.
It was too wonderful to keep to herself, and she felt compelled by some unseen force. "Can you take off your glove?" she asked, reaching for his hand. She wasn't sure what had gotten into her today, but the joy of the setting and the company was carrying her along on a cloud. And the fact that he allowed his hand to rest in hers was sending tingles through her like a wildfire.
"Is it necessary?" he inquired.
"Yes," she replied firmly, "It will be a decidedly beneficial endeavor." The shadow of a smile curved Tech's lips at her choice of words, and he looked down at his hand, considering the way her simple touch made him feel. Vel wanted to take his glove off for him, but for some reason it felt too bold, too intimate, so she sat there for a moment, frozen in indecision.
He took his hand back, tugging the fingertips of his gloves until the small armor plate and black fabric around it were pulled all the way off, and he tucked his glove in a pouch. Another pause held him back as he studied the tree, either trying to identify the optimal hand placement or convincing himself that this was indeed better than memorizing its characteristics.
"Can I touch your hand?" Vel whispered, trying to make it seem as natural as possible. But her insides were churning as he turned his brown eyes on her, reaching for the tree but hovering his hand above it, giving her a slow nod.
Vel placed his bare hand on the tree with hers on top of it, electricity surging through her limbs at the sensation. She splayed her fingers out, between his, and gently cupped his hand to move it up the tree a bit, roving from silky white patches to stubbly brown areas dotted with red flecks. But she wasn't focused on the tree at all, rather completely intoxicated by his warm hand, strong yet soft... the texture of his knuckles, the shape of his long fingers...
The consistency of the tree's surface was quite enjoyable, Tech mused to himself. There was a delightful variety within just a small area, and he wondered if the tree could possibly be a hybrid between a few local species. He was distracted, however, by a sudden awareness of the intimacy of the situation. He wasn't usually one to allow or enjoy physical touch. But the typical stomach-churning sense that usually flared up in response was notably absent. He explored further, both the wood and the feeling, and moved of his own accord a bit, tracing the knots along the side with her palm still resting on the back of his hand.
The tranquility was unmatched, and time seemed to slow down. Tech leaned in to look closer at the markings and growth patterns, eyes roving from one knot to the next. Vel felt his inner calm rising to match her own, standing still next to him, and took a moment to savor it all -- the touch of their hands, the crisp air, and the gentle breeze.
The peace was broken when she felt a twinge inside of her, something old and familiar yet still foreign somehow. Alarmed, she pulled her hand away, taking a step back and casting a glance around the small clearing. Tech noted her sudden shift and moved back as well, swiftly swapping his datapad for a blaster and watching her in silent question.
"That was weird," Vel tried to explain, "It felt like a presence, but not a full one... but that doesn't really make sense..." She fell silent as the sensation grew again, almost like a small shadow passing over her, but there was no indication of threat or impending danger. Her eyes flickered to and fro, searching for the source of this mystery.
Tech caught her eye and nodded deftly toward a branch to their right. She followed his gaze to discover a small bird, no bigger than a Loth-Cat, perched above them. It observed them calmly, with more composure than any creature she had seen before. She felt inexplicably connected to it, which kindled her curiosity.
"I believe that is a convor," Tech said, tucking his blaster back into its holster and lowering his visor. "They are also called Trandoshan birds, native to the moon called Wasskah, but they are found in various planets throughout the galaxy. Apparently, they are known to have notably strong connections to the Force."
Vel's eyes remained on the convor, and it regarded her evenly. She felt disproportionately encouraged by the fact that she had even sensed it in the first place. Her Force skills had been so abysmal that she had continually resolved to give up any hope of it entirely, yet somehow she kept coming back to try.
She closed her eyes, turning her focus inward, and reached down to that place deep within, a place of stillness and calm. It was so much easier to access here than all the busy places they had been, and she relished its presence. From there, she stretched her awareness outward, connecting with the living Force all around them.
It was like seeing a dim outline of the world through closed eyes, as she felt Tech's presence beside her, the trees and plants, the insects and flowers. She felt the convor as well, a radiant little beam of light on the branch above. Its energy touched her own, and she sucked in a soft breath, marveling at the experience.
Tech watched curiously, mystified at this strange ancient magic. He lifted his visor to better ascertain the situation and found himself unable to take his eyes from Vel's face. "Unremarkable", she had said, so many times, about virtually everything about herself. Yet in this moment, there could not have been a less accurate description.
His gaze roved from her closed eyes, more serene than he had ever seen, up to her textured brown hair following it to where it was tied loosely at the nape of her neck. He noted her mouth, the corners of which were twitching upward in a gentle smile. The primly pointed twin peaks of her upper lip sat in stark contrast to the full curvature of her bottom lip, slightly parted in her intentional outward focus.
This last observation created a churning sort of sensation in his midsection, and Tech placed a hand on his stomach. He couldn't bring himself to look away, though his mind continued to race with queries. He felt a warmth begin to accompany the tingles, and he swallowed more noisily than intended.
Vel opened, her eyes, retreating from the blissful awareness of all things around them, and found herself looking into Tech's face, painted with an inscrutable expression. She smiled fully, feeling a compulsion to reach out and touch his cheek, but she had explored quite enough for one day, and felt awash with glowing contentment.
"Well," Tech said, licking his lips and adjusting his goggles before turning to head back toward the ship. "This has been most informative."