🐺 ~PROJECT SAC-1~ ⚔️

Chapter 44 - Gray Shades 🌫️

A/N:

I would just like to say that I did my best with what was available, but I am not a fluent Twi'leki speaker and had to fudge around with the words - do not use me as a reference 😂

Also, 'ner burc'ya' is Mando'a for 'my friend'

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In between battles Crosshair generally kept to this schedule of enjoying a nice cup of caf around 0630, a little before everyone else woke up. That half hour helped him transition from wanting to murder anyone and anything that so much as looked at him, to tolerating socialization until bedtime.

But this morning, Crosshair was presented the opportunity to act on a semi-murderous urge to jump start the long and agonizing day. And as an added bonus, after patiently waiting for such a time as he could get even with high and mighty Agent Talla after she ruined his mattress all those months ago by flinging a crate of water onto him, well, that moment had arrived too. A two for one deal that was the best gift ever bestowed upon him thus far in life.

Yawning awake, Crosshair slid the silky eye mask off his eyes, the Coruscant morning rays peeking through the curtains making him blink several times to adjust. Lazily turning his head towards his dark room, it actually came as no surprise that his sharp eyes picked out an unmistakable lump laying on his armchair and ottoman pushed together. Partially hidden underneath a throw blanket, previously High as hell and Mightily drunk Agent Talla was right where she'd been deposited last night by her knight in shining plastoid armor, the Sniper of Clone Force 99 himself. 'A true vision of beauty to wake up to in the morning,' He mentally scoffed. 'Frankly, a Hutt would've been a more pleasant sight than this." Talla looked like what the mangy tooka dragged in from the Coruscant Underworld, and she reeked of stale alcohol and smoke. Yet Crosshair adopted a pout of faux compassion. 'I think she needs a little shower.'

He tossed off the covers and got up, stretched his hands high above his head with a happy sigh when his spine cracked in all the right places. There was a cup of water on his nightstand that was grabbed. He flung the icy cold contents onto the smelly blanket lump.

Talla jolted awake with a loud snort, coughed her fair share, which didn't mix well with that hangover dizziness, she ended up toppling off the ottoman with an 'OOF!' Through the haze of brain fog and room spinning she caught sight of someone making a beeline for his bunk curtains. Crosshair leaned across and yanked up the chain pulley. Flashed with blinding light, Talla colorfully cursed and rolled her body in the opposite direction, coiling into a tight ball, but Crosshair wasn't going to let her off so easily, he never did. He plodded back over and gave her a rough nudge with his foot, yet got no verbal response except a pained grunt, her shoulder wound aggravated. "Explain yourself."

Alas, Talla had to accept her uncomfortable fate. She slowly unfolded to be able to sit herself up with as minimal discomfort as possible, but that didn't stop Crosshair from roughly grabbing her arm and hoisting her back up into the chair. He loftily folded his arms and showed remarkable patience when it took an embarrassing amount of time for Talla's squinted, irritated eyes to scan the chair she was hunched in, the starship she somehow ended up safely back on, and put all the jumbled, fuzzy pieces together. 'Convor and I talked.' That much she remembered first, grimacing at the nauseating memory. She massaged her forehead that felt like it was being rammed against a wall spiked with vibros. 'I ran away. I smoked to take the edge off, I calmed down, I partied.' With a weary exhale, Talla swiped back her messy bangs and could barely glance up at Crosshair's triggering presence casting a shadow over her... 'This is what teens who got caught sneaking out by their parents must feel like.' She hunched forward with elbows resting on her knees, and found her sock clad feet much easier to focus on. "How -" Hand put to her chest, she harshly cleared her throat, but it was so dry, "How'd I get back here?" Better, but definitely hoarse, and her lungs were sore. Got flashbacks to the cortosis poisoning incident.