Almost

Chapter Twelve

Tam stayed like that for a while.

It didn't take long for Kaz to drift off though, and she had to keep nudging him awake.

"Stop." He groaned for the millionth time in a row.

"Then stop nodding off."

A moan came from where they had thrown Jace Rucklin, and Tam forced herself into a sitting position.

"Where-" Rucklin looked around, dazed. "Where am I?"

"Aboard the Serenity in orbit." Kaz said, still sprawled out on the floor.

As if just realizing where he was, Jace panicked, desperately fiddling with his cuffs.

"That's not gonna work." Kaz yawned.

Tam leaned forward on her knees, folding her legs into a crisscross applesauce. "Sorry Rucklin."

Kaz snorted somewhere to her right.

Jace scrunched his nose and gritted his teeth together. "I knew putting that signal out would attract Resistance, but did it have to be you Loth rats?"

Kaz was sitting up now. "You wanted to get Resistance attention?"

The former tie pilot rolled his eyes. "I knew there was a risk, and taking stupid risks always seems to work for you losey bantha brains."

He then rolled over and began to sulk in the bunk.

Tam needed to think. Something about this wasn't adding up. Had the First Order come for Rucklin and this was all a trap? Was Rucklin just stupid or a good actor? She needed to talk to Kaz or someone that would know her thoughts like he did.

As she got lost in her thoughts, Neeku had wandered out of the cockpit and was observing the two on the ground.

He tilted his head. "Kazuda? Why are you on the floor?"

He gave a grunt in response.

Neeku frowned and sat down next to the pair of pilots. "I feel like this doesn't make much sense to me."

"What do you mean Neeku?"

Kaz had opened his eyes.

"Well, why hasn't anyone come for Jace Rucklin?"

Tam chewed on her lower lip. Looks like this whole thing wasn't her imagination.

"They're not concerned about each other."

"Huh?" Tam looked at Kaz.

"Well," he pushed himself up on his elbows, "it's something Griff said. That 'their kind' isn't really concerned about one another. The strongest survive."

Tam thought back to one tie- fighter training she always remembered. When she had saved Rucklins life, and she was ridiculed for it.

"It's still suspicious." Tam sighed.

"That's why we're gonna make about ten jumps before we get back to you- know- where." Nena stood in the doorway, entering the scene.

Kaz groaned on the floor, and Tam wanted to join him.

**************************************************

Tam wanted to collapse in her bed, no matter how hard and crusty it was. But still, after about seven jumps through hyperspace, a full debriefing of the chaos that had occurred on Castilon, dropping 5L and the parts for CB off at the garage (getting a strange look from Yeager), and satisfyingly locking up Jace Rucklin, Doza asked to talk to Kaz.