Broken Codes

Companionship

Batuu: 18 BBY
"Mythos"
Nakoa Sen

Nakoa ran his fingers through his hair, utterly confused and heartbroken. He couldn't wrap his mind around what had just happened. The image of Les on the mud splattered ground flashed before his eyes again. The look she had given him...it hurt worse than any pain he'd felt before.

His gaze flickered towards her lightsaber, which was laying on the floor of his room. He'd found it shortly after they made the jump to hyperspace. Nakoa had hidden it, fearing that Oni might throw it out if she saw it. Oni was in the cockpit. Nakoa couldn't bring himself to face her yet.

"Why did I pick up the blasted thing?" He groaned. He scrubbed at his face, blinking his burning eyes. "She lied to me the whole time. What else did she lie about? Was she just...using me to protect herself?"

His thoughts drifted back to the events of the evening before. Everything that had happened...everything that had almost happened...Nakoa shook his head. "Was that just a lie too?"

It hadn't felt that way. Not when she had kissed him. Not when she had told him to be certain of what he wanted before they went any further. Not when she'd laid her head on his chest and traced the carvings on his necklace. Nakoa squeezed his eyes shut, the memory surfacing before he could stop it.

"Are you going to keep that?" Les asked. She ran her fingers over the jagged edges of the wood.

Nakoa lifted it and flipped it over, reading the words on the back. "I don't know. On one hand, I don't need it anymore. On the other, it still has sentimental value."

Les pushed his hand down and kissed him softly. Her lekku slid over her shoulder. He ran his hand along her cheek, then let it drift onto her lekku. Les swatted his hand away after a moment. "That tickles." She dropped her head onto his chest again. "If you want to keep the necklace, you can always scrape off the old words and put something new there."

"Maybe I will."

Nakoa blinked and read the carved words again. Ni vow skira. He grabbed his vibroblade and angrily chipped the words off the necklace. He yanked it off his neck, the cord snapping in the process. He threw it towards Lesia's lightsaber, then grabbed his helmet and left his room.

"I told you we shouldn't have trusted her," Oni said as he entered the cockpit.

"I don't want to hear it."

"Well you need to." Nakoa glanced at Oni. He clenched his jaw and let her speak. "I know you liked her. I'm sorry it turned out this way. I'm not sorry for getting rid of her. If I hadn't, you would've listened to her and you might've even let her stay."

Nakoa shook his head. "I should've listened to her. I should've let her explain herself. Instead, we just abandoned her."

"She brought it on herself."

"No, it was my fault. I found the blasted thing."

"So you would rather have let her continue to lie to us than know the truth?" Oni snapped. "How blind can you be? She was using us. She was using you!"

"That doesn't matter!" Nakoa drew in several shaking breaths. "Ni cuy' o'r kar'taylir darasuum ti kaysh."

Oni slammed her fist against the control panel and stood. "You think I couldn't see that? You always chose her over me, ever since we met her. I had just started to resign myself to that fact."

"It was never her or you," Nakoa said, lowering his voice. "I've told you several times and I'll tell you again. You are my friend and nothing more." His jaw trembled as he pointed at her. "And you will never have a chance to be anything more than that now."