"Let's get home. As fast as possible."
Happily oblivious to the almost tangible blackness settling into the cockpit, Emily brushed past Sylvana on her way back to the main hold. Sylvana, however, was anything but. Earlier on their journey things had been looser. A comment like the one she had made would usually warrant a smile, if not a small laugh... but there was nothing. The attempt at lightening the mood that seemed to permeate the ship like a black cloud fell flatter than a burned pancake.
For a few moments she stood there, watching Nat plugged in and working the controls internally, and Sci... mostly Sci. She'd always been good at reading people's expressions, the way they held themselves - now she knew it was a result of her inherent Lorrdian muscle-reading heritage, but that was no matter. The way he sat there, tense as though wound to the breaking place, yet calm... terribly calm as though whatever it was that was putting him on edge simply didn't matter anymore. The way he unconsciously worked his jaw briefly as he reached for his book. The studied way he sat back in the pilot chair, falsely portraying ease that was belied by the taughtness of his young body. The weariness in his voice as he gave Nat her instruction.
He was most certainly not in a good mood. Without a word, afraid that anything she might say would touch off the loaded spring that was her young superior (even if it was an apology for her earlier behaviour), she turned and escaped the thick air of the cockpit to search for her brother. She knew she couldn't avoid Sci forever, but there were a few things she wanted to be clear on with her brother before she attempted to speak with her commanding officer.
She found him lying on his bunk, his hands crossed behind his head as he stared at nothing. The bunk made a small creaking sound as she sat on the edge of it, and waited for him to acknowledge her.
"Hey, sis."
She gave him a small smile. "Penny for your thoughts?"
He just looked at her, then sighed, "I think you know them already."
"Yeah," she sighed and leaned back against the bunk-chain.
The two sat in silence for a few minutes when Arrek pushed himself to a seated position. ~It is hard to take in,~ he signed to her. ~All at once, you know?~
~Yes,~ she responded in kind. ~We probably can talk more in detail on our way home, but I wanted to ask you what you think about a thought I had.~
Arrek looked at her blankly a moment as he untangled her meaning. ~Sure, what is it?~
~I've been thinking about the regained memory, or revelation, of...~ she paused and sighed.
~The fact we are only half human?~ he finished her thought.
She nodded. ~I'm not worried about what the others will think about it, they're used to that sort of thing.~ She bit her lip, ~I am worried about how the other Terran's will take it though, the half that is not human, that is.~
~Should we keep it a secret?~
~I think we should try.~
~Who here knows?~
~The Major, I think that's all, and he is obviously good at keeping secrets. Nobody even knows his name.~
"You get to ask him," Arrek decided aloud.
"Why me?"
"You're the oldest," he smirked and put his hands behind his head as he moved to lay back down. He stopped halfway then sat up again.
"Forget something?" Sylvana asked.
"Yeah," he reached over the side of the bunk and pulled up a bag. "Some guy brought this by for you," he said as he handed the bag over.
"Who?"
Arrek shrugged.
With a puzzled look, Sylvana looked into the bag. There were seven data-discs, of the sort to fit in a datapad, and a note on a piece of flimsy. She pulled it out then opened it, chuckling as she read it.
"What's it say?" her brother asked, trying to look over her shoulder.
She laughed as she read it to him. "Doctor Lovely, it's about time you learn how to use some real medical equipment - these should help. From, Phaanan." Still chuckling, she placed the note back in the bag before tossing it up onto her bunk.
"Who?"
"One of the boys from Alison's spaceport," Sylvana said, sobering at the use of her dead friend's name. "Just imagine, a clone loose on Coruscant."
Arrek laughed at that, then fell back into his bunk. He stopped suddenly. "Go talk to the Major, Sis... before something happens?"
She nodded, "Yeah."
Slowly she made her way through the ship toward the cockpit. Past Emily, who was listening to something through a headset connected to her datapad, past Bethany who was thoroughly engrossed in some sort of programme on the terminal. Slowly, she approached the final doorway.
Sylvana didn't quite know why she was so nervous. Perhaps it had to do with the subject matter she had in mind to speak of. Perhaps it was because she was embarrassed at her behaviour outside the Skywalker apartment. Perhaps it was fear that he would not honour her and her brother's request for secrecy. Whatever it was, it twisted her stomach into a nicely tight approximation of the Gordian knot, and it was just too bad there wasn't an Alexander there to cut it loose for her.
She'd wait until they'd hit hyperspace... give some time to realign her nerves. Wordlessly, she moved to sit in a chair apart from the others, and closed her eyes as she forced herself into a relaxation technique while she pondered this newest of predicaments. It would take time to shake the unlocked memories into an order which would not overwhelm her. How long it would take, though, she did not know.
Eventually, she felt the acceleration of entrance to Hyperspace. With a final sigh, she stood, and making her way, she soon reached her destination and stood hesitantly in the portal.
She watched as he looked ponderingly at a communication terminal. It looked as though he'd just finished speaking with someone, and that conversation had been all but pleasant. She then tapped lightly on the wall, part of her hoping he wouldn't hear her, that she would be able to put things off a bit longer.
No such luck. Not looking away from the terminal, he spoke. "What is it?"
His voice was tired, weary as she had imagined it would be. She hesitated a moment, then spoke, "Two things, actually, Sir," she said quietly.
"Hn," he acknowledged, still not turning to look at her.
Steeling herself again, her hands found each other and twisted together as she spoke. "I... I wanted to apologise for my actions earlier. There was no reason for me to fly off the handle like I did just outside the Skywalker apartment," she spoke quietly, "and even less reason for me to lock in on you. I really am very sorry, and I would like to ask your forgiveness. Of course you don't have to, and I understand if you-"
"You're forgiven," he said emotionlessly, still not looking at her.
She smiled, sighing in obvious relief, "Thank you so much, Sir. Uhm..." she scratched at the back of her head as she gathered her courage for her next speaking.
"The other thing?" he said evenly.
She rubbed her hand at the back of her neck as she spoke. "The other matter, Sir, is rather sensitive..." her voice trailed off as she glanced at the droid.
"Nat can keep her voicebox shut," he told her.
"Yes, Sir..." she paused. Then, she took a deep breath, "Arrek and I were hoping that you would be willing in allowing us to keep the demihuman thing a secret, rather that nobody knows we're half, uhm... Elenari or Elves or whatever, until we've been able to get comfourtable with it ourselves? Please?"
"Done," he said simply, tonelessly. Still no reaction to her presence, almost as though nothing had happened.
"Thank you, Sci... Sir," she added hastily as she turned to go. Briefly she looked back over her shoulder, but he hadn't moved and she decided then that it would be best to make herself scarce for the rest of their voyage home.
If not for a long time afterward as well.