Bid Against the Thunder || ONC 2020

Chapter 12 - Not meant to Be

 Surrounding her navel with kisses,Tabraile traced a path from Anayera's belly to her chest, across the thin fabric of the black crop top she wore, to her neck. He hovered over her lips, kissing her, and dropped a berry from his mouth into her.

Anayera laughed and bit down on the sweet fruit. "These Zsajhira berries are delicious!"

"Another of Socorro's best kept secrets." He rolled over onto the ground beside her and ran his fingertips over her arms.

"The best kept secret on this planet just came home," she said, propping herself up on her elbow. "And it is, by far, the sweetest."

Tabraile chuckled. "Let's give this a shot." He handed her the lightsaber.

Twisting apart the shaft and disconnecting the assembly, she emptied the dark fragments onto the ground, where they were lost in the black sand. She inserted the dusky carrigtye and reassembled the hilt. Remorsefully, she turned to him. "Thank you, Tabraile."

"For what?" he snorted. "Haven't seen if it works yet."

"It won't matter. I've had such an adventure with you."

"Day in the life of a Socorran pirate." Tabraile laughed and laid back in the sand. "Get used to it. There's more to come."

Anayera ignited the lightsaber. The weapon hissed to life with a white shaft that was tinged with a faint blue. It filled the surrounding air with a resonant vibration, which shifted and wavered as she swung the blade against the desert air,

"I call that a successful lift-off," Tabraile said, "but I think we need a proper test." He strapped on the Caelli-Merced blaster and tied down the holster. "You ready for this?" He trotted a few steps away from her.

Disengaging the lightsaber, Anayera assumed a defense stance in the sand. "Give it your best, flyboy. I'd understand if you were too tired."

"Oh, it's going to be like that, is it?" Feigning heartbreak, Tabraile clutched at his chest and thumbed the restraint from the holster. He squared his shoulders. When the wind shifted, the Socorran drew the heavy blaster and fired three times.

Anayera reignited the lightsaber and struck down the first bolt. Deflected by the blade, it ricocheted wildly into the skies above them. Pirouetting on her right foot, she went down to a knee and diverted a second bolt into the sand. Hard pressed to deflect the third, she met it just above the hilt of the saber. The bolt split in half and exploded in her face. She ducked to the desert floor to avoid the shower of sparks.

Tabraile sprinted to her. "Are you hurt?"

"Never better!" She stood up and dusted the sand from her rijani.

The other half of the stray ricochet hit a rocky escarpment a dozen meters away. Disturbing the wildlife lair, the blast frightened the winged creatures within, who took to the air in a panic.

"Look, Socorran Tailrings, and there's a black one leading the clutch." Tabraile pointed to the diminutive desert dragons. Led by the black leader, a gold one and two smaller browns darted across the sky toward the horizon.

"Are the black ones rare?"

"Very. Seeing a black Tailring in the wild is a sign of good luck. Quick, make a wish." He held her hand. "Are you wishing?"

She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. "Is it against the rules to ask what you wished for?"

Tabraile smiled down at her. "Things didn't end well between my brother and me. I regret that. Paquor mea is what the Bronwen say. I'm a broken thing. Never to be fixed. No matter how hard I try." He cradled her head against his chest and kissed her forehead. "I wished for peace. What did you wish for?"