Shadows of Bankor

It had been a rough day. It was time to see her friend - it had been far too long. She was one of the few the Mandalorian felt like she could be fully open with. Sacha knocked at the door of the dorm Juri was staying in for now.

Bare feet padded on durasteel. The Witch was dressed comfortably, simple linen gauchos and a black tank top. Her hair down completely. Part of her had considered not answering, but that wouldn't do.

She smiled softly when she did, looking up to the T Visor of the armored woman.

"Hi Sacha. Come in, please."

"Thank you... I know it's late. I hope I didn't interrupt your sleep," she replied quietly as she stepped inside. "How are you?"

"No. You weren't interrupting. I only got back just a little bit ago." She took the Mandalorian by the hand, leading her to her bunk. Juri sat, feet hanging off the edge, letting Sacha find her way next to her if she wanted.

"I'm... it's been a long day. What about you?"

She sat down next to her. At the comment about it being a long day, she wrapped an arm around Juri's shoulder. She squeezed gently. "Same here. If you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen, and it won't leave this room. If you don't, I'll just cuddle you and try to cheer you up."

She relaxed, remaining silent for a moment. "I made a choice today." She quietly spoke up, enjoying the warmth of the warrioress. Juri didn't smile, but leaned into the Mandalorian. "And it hurt. And I know it hurt him, too. Something I never wanted to do, but..." she pursed her lips.

"Things changed, we changed. To the point that... we had to walk away. I don't know if we could walk the same path, anymore." There weren't any tears. Those had been cried out earlier.

Sacha took off her glove and began running a hand through Juri's hair as she nodded. "That's difficult. Parting is never easy, but doing so because of differences can hurt worse."

"I would ask what happened, but I'm not sure how much of my business you feel it is."

"I don't know. It happened so gradually that I didn't... we didn't see it until it happened." She leaned into the combing, her shoulders rolling back. "I knew Daunt had others, and all I asked was to not have it flaunted before me. I knew you were, and I was more than okay with that, to have you with us." She quietly continued, letting a hand rest on the other woman's armored thigh.

"But that other woman. Lyla. When she approached him while we were working on the base, and it was just so... raw and blatant. I couldn't blame her, it was obvious she didn't know. I had to take a step back. And then these past few weeks..." Juri sighed, closing her eyes.

"We spoke this morning. He said some things of what he might have to do. I told him that one option would shut me away from him forever. The other, I would at least always be there for him, even if it wasn't as it was." Another exhale, then a moment.

"But I couldn't be what we were anymore. It was clear we grew distant, and we are moving on two separate paths. And how I wish we weren't. I love him still, and I always will. I... I didn't want our paths to diverge."

"Oh, Juri..." Sacha said softly. She disconnected her chest plate, setting it aside so she could pull her into a deeper hug without hard angles in the way between them. Juri had encountered the hard angles of others too many times today as it was. She continued running her fingers through her hair. "That's hard. I can only imagine."

She turned into the embrace, her own hands coming around the Mandalorian's own torso. She squeezed in tight, nuzzling deeply into her shoulder, the crook of her neck. Her fingers clenched into the woman's back, feeling her through the bodyglove. She breathed in deeply.

"I don't want you to imagine. If you can, avoid this. It's... not what I would wish on anyone."

She held Juri, nuzzling against her gently. "Is it possible to avoid parting like that without avoid love entirely?" She asked softly. Slim fingers moved up to the other woman's scalp, massaging gently, using nails very lightly.

"No. It's... a risk." The words muffled into the Mandalorian's shoulder, not pulling away. Her grip seemed to tighten, keeping the other woman pressed against her. "But trying to avoid love isn't a life worth living, either." She sighed, a slightly pleasant sound in response to the nails moving against her scalp.

The hand that wasn't massaging her scalp held her securely, grip unshakeable and steady, firm without being tight or possessive. "Good. I mean, it's too late for some people."

"I mean, I know this one girl, you should see her. She's amazing. She's too too self-effacing when she's complimented sometimes, but she's deeply compassionate and wise. She's amazingly skilled at what she does, too. People are so much more complicated than machines, but she can fix them up as easily as I can mod a blaster. She helped me get my bearings when I was facing something unknown that my people don't trust, too. She's got the prettiest dark hair and violet eyes, and I love how short she is, it's adorable. Have you met her?" She added the last with the gentlest of playful tones.

There was a warm flush across her cheeks. But the woman didn't draw away from where she nuzzled. Juri actually snorted a laugh, burying her face in deeper into Sacha's shoulder to hide the laugh.

"You're being too nice, Sacha." And there was the barest hint of her lips against the other woman's neck beneath her helmet. "I'm just a witch who is lucky to be able to have someone like you in my life."

She laughed gently. "Wow, you got her response to compliments perfect. You must know her."

Sacha removed her hands from Juri briefly. She wrapped a soft, opaque cloth around the other woman's eyes, and then lifted her helmet away, setting it aside. She ran her fingers through her hair briefly once more before leaning down and kissing her fully. "I'm a Mandalorian. We're not nice. Certainly not too nice."

"You're Sacha..." she whispered as the kiss broke, breathing in deeply, lips trembling slightly as she spoke, catching her breath in the darkness of the blindfold. "All I know of you is nice." She didn't move to undo the blindfold, deeply respecting the tradition. Her tongue ran over her lips ever so briefly.

"But you are a foundation of beskar. Even in the dark, I know you are always there."

She pressed her forehead to Juri's as she caught her breath. "I'm truthful," she replied. "I wouldn't tell you anything that I didn't see as true about you. I only wish I could be as nice as you deserve." Her hands stroked gently over both cheeks and down Juri's neck.

She leaned forward and their lips met again, for longer this time, taking her time before pulling back. "Probably... we won't be able to be together all the time... probably not often. But I'll do my best to make sure you can rely on that foundation when you need it."

The Witch's hand moved, feeling over the other woman, trailing down her shoulder, following the lines of her arm, the musculature and tenderness there. Eventually coming to her hand, she laced her fingers with Sacha's.

"I would take anytime you offer. You have your responsibilities, your people. But. Whenever you go looking for me, you will find me." She smiled, before pushing forward, this time being the one to steal a kiss, furious and yearning.

"As often as my responsibilities allow," she assured. Any further words were drowned out my Juri's kiss. Sacha happily returned it, arms slipping around her waist and holding her close, returning the kiss with equal passion. When they parted, she leaned forward to kiss the shell of her ear and murmur in a low voice. "What are your plans after this, so I know where to seek you?"

"Trust in the Force. I have to travel often. To seek out Lore, and students. The Nightsisters may be gone, but I think a tradition will rise from it. Lessons learned. A new coven. And not strictly of women." She spoke against the woman's cheek, hands moving to her back, splayed wide along her spine.

"Where my works are will be apparent."

"I understand," she replied with a nod, enjoying the warmth of their cheeks held together. "That's my favorite reason to get better with the Force so far."

She wanted to press on, to feel the woman beneath her, but there was trepidation. Instead, she followed thriugg with another kiss, gently biting Sacha's lower lip. She brought her down on the bed, laying against each other.

"I... I want you to know I want to... press on. But... I'm a mess. It wouldn't be fair to you."

"You're not a mess," she replied. "You're amazing. However," she said, rising only briefly to step out of the bodyglove and down to a simple tank top and shorts before snuggling back in. "You've had a very long, emotionally intense day. Stacking sex on that probably wouldn't improve things. What do you think?"

She kissed Juri lightly and shifted them into a comfortable arrangement. "I'm thinking some cuddling while you sleep might be okay, though?" She voiced it as a question, wanting to look out for her feelings at this stage.

"I would like that, Sacha." She brought the other womans arm around her torso. Keeping her fingers interlaced with the Mandalorian. "I want you in my bed tonight. Please, I insist you stay. I wouldn't want you to get cold." Her lips curled to a smile.

"You're always welcome here."

"How could I get could with you here?" She asked, gently playful. The much taller woman wrapped her arms around Juri, finding a comfortable position before giving in to a yawn. "You're always welcome with me, as well, when that eventually happens."