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The Call of Manda (Atroxa & Rivine)

What good would holding a grudge against Adden do her? She had not only kept him from killing her, she now had a very valuable weapon against her enemies. Did she trust him? No. But Valeria saw no reason to be aggressive towards him, or even overly professional. He wasn't one of her men, after all. She had to be stern and cold all day, so when presented with the chance to relax a little, she took it. And he had insisted on being her ally, so she wasn't going to treat him like a subordinate.

Valeria nodded when he spoke of the usefulness of delegation, “The sector as well as the fleet are both entirely too large for me to run on my own. Having people who are more specialized handling things and just answering to me makes things much much easier.” It meant she spent most of her time checking reports more than anything else, but that was easier than trying to do everything herself. She was careful about who she picked to run things. She wanted them independent enough to not have to ask her what to do every time they had to make a decision, but smart enough to know when something might need to be brought to her attention.

She looked up though when the alarm went off, shrugging a little at his offer, “Why not?” She hadn't eaten dinner yet, she had planned to do so after she was done here, might as well eat now. If this gi dumpling soup was any good that is. Valeria watched him leave, indeed noticing how tight the fabric of his clothes were, raising a brow slightly, more than a little distracted. When he was out of sight though she blinked a little and went back to watching the news.
 
He listened as she described how she had handled the command and government of her fleet and government. Adenn nodded slowly and said softly, "That sounds like an entirely sensible way to run things. I am glad to hear that you are not an obsessive micromanager," he told her softly, smiling. In his mind it certainly boded well for her command and government if she was not trying to put her fingers in everyone's proverbial pie.

Soon enough he was dishing up two bowls of the soup and he topped both bowls with the flurr-cle onion and manak leaves. The hot soup more or less cooked the leaves and the onion and the steam that came off of the soup was glorious. Smiling he grabbed two spoons and picked up both bowls, moving out back into the mess hall. Soon enough he was setting a bowl down on the table behind he and said softly, "Apologies, but I had to use the quekka fish that you had in there. I have not seen one of those in a long while, but it made a rather wonderful stock for the dumplings to go into."

He sat down beside her and turned around, ignoring the news that was on. Adenn shook his head slowly and said softly, "I really need to get used to being back on a schedule that doesn't have me on third watch. I could not get to sleep until zero six thirty or later," he told her. The Mandalorian took hold of his spoon and dipped it into the broth, then brought it to his lips. He took a quick sip and then let out a happy groan. "Damn, I did this pretty damned well," he said softly to her, then glanced over, wondering what she'd think of the fish dumpling soup.
 
Valeria looked back when the bounty hunter reappeared carrying two bowls of soup, raising her brows, well it smelled good, and it looked good, she supposed she'd be finding out if it actually tasted any good. She turned around in her seat to face the table, glancing at him when he apologized for using some of her quekka fish. She made a dismissive motion with her hand and shrugged, “It's fine. Not like it's getting used right now anyway, just make a note of what you do use so it can be replaced.” She told him, picking up her spoon and swirling it about in the broth and dumplings a little, mixing the leaves and onion in and trying to get it to cool a little.

She smirked a little when Adden told her what time he'd finally fallen asleep, “You were falling asleep not too long after I was just waking up.” She woke most morning between 0500 and 0600, and was usually out and starting her day around 0630, days where she let herself sleep in were rare. She generally had to be sick, or it was a holiday. She often let all but the most crucial departments have holidays off. She didn't get them off, but having most of her officers and delegates off meant she did have more free time than usual and she usually took advantage of it by sleeping in.

Valeria glanced at her own soup when Adden tried it and seemed pleased, she followed suit spooning some broth and a dumpling as well as a bit of onion onto her spoon and eating it. Her tongue moved in her mouth as she took a moment to figure out the different tastes going on with the soup, then she nodded her head a little. “Not bad,” She agreed, finding she liked it, before getting another spoon full, eating quietly for a moment. She didn't always feel like talking, she spent most of her day doing just that, so moments of silence were to be enjoyed for her.
 
He nodded a bit when she said that he could use what he wanted to, but to keep a note of what he used. "I can do that," Adenn said to her softly, then asked, "Shall I send it to you? Or perhaps to the crewmen you have that keep the ship prepped?" He was certain that she had a small contingent of people that knew about the small assault cruiser, after all, it was not like she could crew it by herself. Undoubtedly she had technicians, troopers, pilots, officers and a myriad of other people to see to it that she got out of the Eigengrau if she ever needed too.

When she informed hm that he had fallen asleep when she had woken up, he chuckled a bit. "Well when was the last time you had to be on third watch? I bet you're used to getting a solid six to eight hours every night," he said with a slightly teasing tone. Undoubtedly the admiral held herself to higher standards then she even expected of her soldiers, so he would not be surprised if she tried to get the maximum amount of work done that she could every single day. But then again maybe she was a little bit easier on herself now? After all she had earned her rank. Really he was not too sure yet, considering he barely knew her.

His mind was pulled off his contemplation as she tried the soup and said that it was not bad. Adenn smiled a bit and glanced at her, speaking softly, "I am glad that you do not think it is horrible." He ate a bit more then, remaining silent as he finished off his bowl of soup fairly quickly. Adenn sighed a bit, looking at the bowl for awhile and then said, "It would have been a lot better with yos'er sauce. I have some on my ship, so when I grab it I'll have to make this so you can try it with a bit of that."
 
“Either one,” she shrugged. She did have a picked crew ever on stand by if she needed them to man this ship to escape the Eigengrau, she honestly hoped she never had to, but it was foolish to merely hope for the best, you always had to prepare for the worst as well. All of the men were informed of the bare minimum, only the technicians who maintained the ship really knew about it. The rest were merely told that if they received their orders, to report to this part of the ship, from there they'd be brought on board, and they'd leave.

Valeria looked at the bounty hunter out of the corner of her eye at his comment about her sleeping habits, “I try.” Was all she really said in response. She did try to get as much sleep as possible, but sleep did not always come easily to her. For the most part, she was not the type to worry unnecessarily about things. Either she could do something about it right then or she couldn't, but still, she had a lot on her plate, and more things that could go wrong than the average person could even think of. If it ever got to be too much of a problem she would simply take something to sleep, but she disliked doing that as it often made her groggier than usual in the morning. She did hold herself to a very high standard though, she always had.

She ate beside him quietly, though she still had a little bit left when he finished. She ate the last bit while he spoke of improving it with Yos'er sauce, nodding a bit. “That sounds fine,” she told him, finishing the last of her own soup and leaving her spoon in the bowl. Valeria glanced at the holoscreen but then looked at Adden, “Would you like to hear the first goal I have to offer you?” She asked him, deciding they had been pleasant and personal enough and that it was time to be a little more professional instead.
 
Adenn smiled a bit, then said softly, "Well I will need a way to contact either you or them. As it stands my only way of contacting you is to walk up to your door and knock. Although I doubt that your current guards would be all to appreciative of that." He was of course exaggerating more then a bit, because he could always contact one of her subordinates and try and get a hold of her though channels, but he doubted very much that she would want anyone interfering with the business that was between them. At least he hoped that she did not.

He glanced over at her a bit as she ate. She seemed content with the soup, but had not made any further comment on it. Perhaps it was not as pleasing to her palette as it was to his? After all it was a dish that he had only known Mandalorians to make. Certainly her exposure to their food would likely be limited. Perhaps he would have to cook for her more often. In his experience sharing meals together usually brought people together more. They certainly would need to be on the same page about things and he figured that would be a decent way to encourage communication, since people were usually more relaxed when they were eating.

Soon enough they had both finished and she asked if he'd like to hear about a mission she had in mind. Adenn shrugged a bit, then smiled, "Sure. But let me go get the pot first if this is going to take some time." He rose then and departed without waiting for her to say that he could. The Mandalorian moved into the kitchen and retrieved the pot and the ladle, tossing the rest of the leaves and onion into the soup before he brought it out. He set the pot on the table, which was made of plasteel of some kind and it would be able to handle any residual heat.

When he sat back down he sat across from her and reached over to fetch his bowl. He then grabbed her bowl and dished out more for her before he did so for himself. "So, what is this mission that you have in mind?" he asked her.
 
“Since it's not something that is a very dire situation, I'll give you the information to my personal line. You can leave any messages there for me, about whatever it is you think I should know,” She told him. She'd rather not have any of her assistants (as she had several) interrupting her with a message that her private ship's pantries were running low on quekka fish.

Valeria watched him leave, her brow quirking a bit, he needed the whole pot of soup? That seemed a tad much but she shrugged and went back to watching the news while she waited, looking at him as he ladled more soup into his own bowl, and then hers. She pursed her lips a little, not having wanted any more. The soup was good, but she wasn't hungry anymore, not wanting to be rude though, she ate a little before she started her explanation.

“As I'm sure you're aware, I have New Republicans on either side of me. So far they've been content with small raids and skirmishes, I have enough in the way of man power and guns to keep them from really wanting to risk a full out war,” She sipped at the broth a little more, “I have recently received information that a New Republic task force will be arriving at Clak'dor VII. This could become a real thorn in my side.” Valeria frowned slightly. Unlike many of her peers who were former officers and higher ups within the Empire, she did not dismiss the New Republic. She knew they weren't mere rebel scum anymore, they were now a government, and soon to be the new super power in the galaxy. She would avoid making herself enough of a threat to warrant more serious attention as long as she could, but she couldn't just ignore this move.

“I only need you to go Mezhra Station, and delay the task force's refueling so that I can carry out a raid I'd had planned for some time now without having to deal with them. If I can get that done, I'll be taking out the New Republic base on Virmeude,” she finished by drinking some broth. She gave him a moment to process before asking, “What do you say?” It wasn't an overly challenging mission, but dangerous none the less. She thought it would be a good test of his skills, for her at least, she was sure he knew his own abilities well enough.
 
"Sounds like a plan," Adenn said and smiled a bit. It boded well, at least in his mind, that she was willing to give him a direct line to contact her. Although it could have been that she just did not want anyone else to deal with him. But he elected to look on it as a positive rather then a negative, figuring that would be the best approach for their alliance.

The Mandalorian tucked into his next bowl of soup, even as she started to lay out the details of the mission. He nodded at appropriate times but remained silent otherwise the occasional slurp of broth. The overview of what she wanted done was fairly brief and could be boiled down easily; she wanted the refueling stopped. She had not specified how he did it, the only limit on it being that it needed to be done so that she could take out a New Republic base.

Adenn considered for a moment when she asked him if he'd take the job. But rather then answering her, he instead asked her some questions of his own, "First; when is the task force supposed to arrive? Second; when are you planning on raiding their base? Third; is the station purely military or are there also civilians? And lastly; do I get a day or three free so I can at least get laid before I possibly go off and get myself killed?" The last question was asked completely deadpan, then he smirked and winked at her, unable to help but toy with her a little bit.
 
It was mostly out of convenience, partially because she didn't want anyone else dealing with him, but mostly out of convenience. Valeria's life was difficult enough as it was without having to jump through hoops to find something out from him. She only hoped he showed her some respect and actually kept her informed of things worth knowing. In a way though she was glad he'd chosen her ship as his quarters, it was out of the way, off the records, but she had access to it as well.

She listened to his questions though, head tilted slightly to the side, but raised her brows and smirked at his last question. “The refueling will be in a week, I'll be ready in six days but will need another day or two to carry out the raid, so you have a relatively small window unfortunately,” She answered the first two, “And the station is primarily civilian. It does have a small military presence on board, but not much.” Valeria gave a small laugh under her breath as she reached the last question, “You may leave when you like, as long as you make the window, as for getting laid in the case that you don't make it back, that is entirely up to the women on this ship.” She thought about volunteering, but it was a fleeting, trivial thought, not a serious one.

So instead she stood, “Thank you for the soup,” she said, inclining her head slightly, “I should probably be going though. I have a few things to finish before I can retire for the night.” Valeria turned and walked out of the mess hall, “Good luck with getting laid,” she called over her shoulder, giving a small wave before she disappeared out into the dark hallway.
 
Her reaction to his questions, especially his last one, caused Adenn to grin a bit. He rather like getting her to smirk, smile, laugh, chuckle or otherwise enjoy herself in his company. It certainly went to show that she was not some heartless autocratic automaton. As she answered his questions he nodded a little, reaching out and grabbing his datapad and quickly entering in the information as notes. He wanted to be sure that he got things right after all, especially with such a short window. But when she came to his last question, he looked up at her, smiling a bit, "Well I would ask for volunteers..." he started, then let out a sigh, "But with this time frame I will have to get going to make sure that both myself and my partner had an enjoyable time."

But soon enough she was standing an thanking him. He nodded and replied, "Anytime." He watched her as she strode away, not expecting her well wishes. Adenn laughed and called after her, "Thanks. Just be sure you take that base out!" The Mandalorian looked at the door that she had just left through for a little bit, then glanced back to his soup. He stirred around a few demplings and then sighed. He poured the soup that he had not eaten back into the plot and then picked the pot up, taking it back to the mess hall and putting it into a flash freeze container. He had work to do now... best get too it.



Nine days later Adenn jumped his ship into the Spuma system. It did not take all to long for a picket corvette to hail him. "Unidentified ship, transmit clearance code or be destroyed," the corvette transmitted to him. Well, there was one lovely little thing that he and the High Admiral had both overlooked. "I do not have a clearance c..." the Mandalorian started, but he was quickly cut off by the corvette. "Send the clearance code or prepare to be brought in! If you resist..." Adenn cleared his throat then, cutting off the man that was speaking, "This is Adenn Farr. I am expected aboard the Eisengrau. I suggest that you run that name through your system." There was no response for over five minutes, but Adenn did not move his ship. Finally the corvette piped up again, "You are clear to proceed to the Eisengrau."

Smirking a bit to himself the Mandalorian firewalled his ship's engines, racing past the corvette. He sped on towards the Eisengrau and was not contacted by anyone else until he neared the larger ship. Then the voice that contacted him was far more pleasant and directed him to land in the small hanger bay at the rear of the command tower. Adenn replied, piloting his ship to the hanger that he had been cleared for. Soon enough he was setting the ship down.

With a sigh he stood, checking the systems over. The old Rogue-class starfighter had been extensively modified after he came to own it, so it was rather unique. He made sure to shut off the automated proximity blaster cannon that would shoot at anything that did not have an indicator beacon keyed to the ship. Time would tell if that decision was a good one or not. He then retracted the cockpit screen and hopped out of the ship. He was in full gear, even wearing the dark cloak that was technically illegal for him to posses.

His boots had barely touched the deck when one of the doors that lead into the rest of the ship opened. Through it came a rather spiffy looking young female lieutenant came walking through. She was wearing a black dress uniform, indicative of being a member of the Stormtrooper Corps. Adenn arched an eyebrow, not that she could see it, as she approached and stopped about a meter from him. "The High Admiral requests your presence," the woman said to him brusquely. Adenn nodded a bit and said, "Lead the way." The lieutenant turned sharply then and walked towards the door without another word. He paused for a moment, then followed after her.

Soon the two boarded a lift tube and headed down to one of the lower levels... one that the assault cruiser was on. He did not say anything or react, but he smiled as the lieutenant lead the way, heading right towards the smaller ship. Soon enough they were going through a security door that allowed them access. The lieutenant paused there, then looked at him, "She is waiting for you in her quarters." He inclined his head to her and watched the lieutenant walk off before he closed the door and made sure it sealed. That done he strolled through the ship, heading for the upper deck. The Mandalorian stopped in front of a door then and pressed a button on the pad to the right side of it, speaking, "Room service," he said in a joking tone.
 
It had been nice to stretch her metaphorical muscles a bit in the raid on the Virmeude base. She had sent a small but elite ground team to carry out a precision strike against one of their buildings with the goal of attaining some very valuable information pertaining to the New Republic's plans for that particular sector. Once they were out though, the orbital bombardment had begun, and that darker, crueler side of Valeria had found some twisted pleasure in watching the explosions rock and ravage the surface of the planet. Nothing would survive thanks to the occasional bunker buster they dropped as well. Only when she'd been satisfied by the sight of the charred and burning surface had they left. And to her relief, the New Republic's task force hadn't arrived to make things difficult, it seemed that her new ally had completed his mission.

She'd held back putting him through the cleared list of outside personnel allowed anywhere near her ships, just in case he hadn't, but with the success of her raid she went ahead and added his name, and left instructions to have Adden brought to her as soon as he arrived. She'd taken his advise to move her quarters under advisement, as she had said she would, and after discussing it a bit with her actual advisers, they had agreed it a prudent move. They still had everything set up as if her room was the one she had been staying in, but she was no longer there, instead having claimed her private quarters on the vessel. They were actually even more luxurious than the ones before, considering that the private vessel wasn't military made and there for made more with cost and space efficiency in mind.

She'd just gotten out of the shower, still feeling a little exhausted from the raid. It had been a very stressful few days leading up to it, and that stress had been slow to dissipate. The raid had been successful, but there were still a lot of things that could go wrong after wards. So far, nothing had, and she was starting to relax. Wrapped up in a slightly fluffy red robe and drying her black hair with a towel, Valeria was sitting on a couch off to one side in her room, it had a holo screen in front of it, but currently some sort music was playing in the background instead. Her skin was still pink from the heat of the water and the scrubbing it had received, but her skin often turned pink rather easily and stayed that way for a fair bit thanks to her Zeltron heritage. The only other outward sign of it though were her eyes, which were a slightly odd color for a human, being a dark blue-purple. The purple though was only obvious more in sunlight, the artificial lights of the indoors didn't show it.

She looked up at the soft ping from her door, announcing some one's arrival, and then heard the voice come through her comm. Smirking, Valeria stood and draped her towel over the back of her couch before going to the door, opening it to give Adden an amused, if some one exasperated, look before waving him in and closing the door behind him. Returning to the couch and resuming the treatment of her hair with her towel, she looked at him. “I take it your mission was a success, seeing that mine was as well.”
 
Adenn was a bit surprised when she answered the door in... well... a red fluffy robe. It just seemed almost a bit more feminine then he thought she was, softer, though in a good way. He could not help but smile a little bit behind his helmet as she motioned him inside. The Mandalorian followed after her and teasingly said, "Now I am wondering what type of service I got called here to do." Considering how she had reacted to his initial jest he assumed that she would react favorably to this one also.

But, sooner then he would have liked, things turned to business. The Mandalorian reached up to his helmet, unlocking and then removing it. He'd grown quite a bit of dark auburn scruff on his face since she had seen him last time and looked the part of a mercenary far more then he had before. "You have not seen the news on the HoloNet?" he asked her, rhetorically, since it was rather obvious that she had not seen the outcome of his mission.

He strode over to the holoscreen in front of her couch, flicking it on and having it change to project. A moment later a three dimensional image of Clak'dor VII was hovering in the air before her. Orbiting it were two space stations, the larger one about two hundred kilometers across and about half that wide. Not many details could be made out about the station itself, but two smaller images of Mon Calamari style cruisers approached the station. The news commentator was going on at this point about how six hours after the cruisers docked, there was an explosion by one of the refueling lines, which was mirrored on the projection. Soon enough there were more explosions and both of the New Republic cruisers and most of the smaller ships with the task force attached to the station could be seen exploding as more explosions rippled through the station itself. But that was nowhere near the end of it. The large station began to move, slowly at first, then quicker, orbiting the planet one last full time, trailing damaged and fleeing vessels in it's wake. But soon enough the station's orbit degraded completely and it plummeted towards the planet. The impact was shown on the hologram, with a huge plume of debris flying out into space. The newscaster then went on to describe how the death toll on the planet had risen past four hundred million, nearly a tenth of the planet's population, and was expected to rise even more.

Adenn stood there for awhile, letting all of this play out, then glanced at her, "You tell me," he said to her softly.
 
Valeria was a creature that enjoyed comfort. She'd grown up in luxury, but once she'd gotten old enough to no longer be considered a child in her father's eyes, so around twelve, comfort had become a rare luxury for her. So in private, she was quick to shed her uniform like it was a shell of duty and responsibility and try to relax. Robes were her garment of choice when she was lone or in limited company, the fluffy ones were good for after a shower as they helped to absorb the excess water from her skin. And while she was certainly also a creature of duty, she had chuckled a little under her breath at his teasing question. Humor was rather lacking in her life really, she had little time for such things, and none of her subordinates really had the nerve to crack jokes with the Admiral. “Perhaps I should have asked you to make me a late night snack? Or do you only know how to cook soup?” She had quirked a brow at him from the couch while he removed his helmet.

Her brows raised through when he asked if she had seen the news on the HoloNet, not answering since she caught that it was a rhetorical question. She paused in drying her hair to watch once he had turned the holoscreen on and the news report on Clak'dor VII played. Slowly a smile spread across her lips and when it was finally done she looked at him, grinning a little, “Well you certainly didn't fail to deliver.” She told him, though thinking that he was perhaps a bit of a show off, not a bad thing in this case at all. “Well done,” she nodded, chuckling softly again. “I think a drink is in order to celebrate our success,” She told him, “I have a few bottles of very good wine tucked away in the kitchen, what do you say?”

“Of course, feel free to return to your quarters to change or whatever else you need to do,” She clarified, “Or, if you're tired, you can pass. Though I'd rather not drink alone.” Valeria rose her brows, waiting for his answer before she bothered to go change herself, not wanting to go walking around in her robe.
 
A chuckle came from Adenn as the admiral suggested that she could have had him make a snack. The Mandalorian smiled a bit and retorted quickly, "I can make other things. Of course I might not have to, depending on what you have an appetite for," he teased her back, wondering if she would pick up on the innuendo. He did not know why he felt the impulse to joke and tease with her in such ways. Perhaps it was always because he saw her alone and usually she was not smiling when she was not in his company. Being a high admiral had to be a lonely life.

Adenn watched her as she watched the hologram, noting how she paused in drying her hair to play closer attention. The smile that spread across her lips, which grew to a grin, was a little but surprising, but he could not help but feel a slight surge of satisfaction at that reaction. When she said that he had not failed to deliver he inclined his head to her, smiling himself. A moment after she had said it was well done, he spoke up, "Oh, but there is more to it." The Mandalorian had a mischievous glint in his eye as he went on, "I am quite sure I pulled the job of clean and free. Any security logs with me on them are very likely to have been destroyed. This allows you a rather unique opportunity," he paused for a moment, then said, "Why not send them aid? Surely receiving help from such an unexpected source would be an even bigger shock. Not only that, but imagine the light it would cast you in on more of the non-human worlds? Undoubtedly that would be an advantage that many of the other warlords would not have."

When she suggested that they share a drink, he could not help but smile and incline his head to her, "I gladly accept the invitation," he said to her softly. When she suggested that he leave and change, he chuckled a bit and looked at his armor, "You do not approve of what I am wearing?" he joked a bit. His eyes took in the sight of her as she rose and turned away, evidently going to change. "There is no need for that," he said to her softly, "Relax. I can go and get out of my armor and bring the wine back here if that would suit you," he suggested.
 
Valeria wondered if all Mandalorians were as prone to flirting and teasing in private as Adden, or if it was just him, or maybe it was her, or both. After all, she didn't have much in the way of control over the pheromones she could release, she'd learned over the years what triggered them, but even then she wasn't always aware of them. She couldn't lie and say that she wasn't attracted to the bounty hunter, but it usually took a little more than just being around a handsome man to trigger that kind of reaction from her body. Still though, she smirked a little at his innuendo, a sly sort of expression on her face, "Perhaps, do you come with a menu?" Being a High Admiral was indeed a lonely life, she kept a professional distance between herself and everyone around her, flirting was rare now that she had no peers that were her own rank or above, or even civilians who were worth her notice. She could have sex whenever she liked, she knew that, and did, but it was easy because if the person became a problem, she could simply have them transferred. Adden though, well, she didn't really have that option. She was still unsure of him, and so she tread carefully.

She listened attentively though when Adden proposed a rather unusual idea, making her raise a brow. Give them aid? Her lips pursed slightly, but even though it was perhaps an odd notion, she could see the opportunity in it, and the potential advantage. Valeria made a soft, thoughtful noise as she considered the implications and logistics for a moment and then nodded slightly, “I'll talk it over with my advisers and see what we can do, it's a good idea. Thank you.” She told him honestly, inclining her head a little.

Valeria raised her brows a little when he joked about her not approving of what he was wearing, “Not at all, I find Mandalorian armor rather dashing actually, I just have no idea how comfortable it is to sit around and drink in.” The slight smile on her face though made it clear she knew he'd been joking, still though, she felt like a small explanation couldn't hurt. She paused though when he told her there was no need for her to change, that he could go change instead and bring the wine back to her room. She considered it for a moment before nodding, “If you don't mind, that sounds nice.”
 
Adenn could not help but notice the look that had come over her features in response to his flirt, that alone certainly made it worthwhile. But when she replied with a flirt of her own, he could not help the grin that formed on his lips. The Mandalorian chuckled a little bit, then replied, "Actually I do. You may order a la carte or their are some rather pleasant combination plates that I think you might enjoy." He could not help but find her responding in such a way rather encouraging. Maybe she was loosening up to him a bit even? Adenn was a bit surprised that he found himself hoping that that was indeed the case.

But soon the conversation turned to the idea that he had suggested to her. He inclined his head to her when she said that she would discuss it with her advisers and even thanked him. "You are welcome," he began before going on, "It is not something that I would normally suggest. But I had been doing some reading on the Great Galactic War. The Sith used a similair tactic several times and had rather good success. I normally do not hold to their tactics, but in this case I could not help but think that it could be used to good affect. And considering the proximity of that system to your sector, I imagine only good could come of having them think better of you."

He could not help but smile when she commented about how his armor looked dashing. "Thank you," he said to her softly before he went on, "And it really is quite comfortable, or at least I think so. Then again I have been wearing armor like this since I was fourteen years old. It is more or less a second skin for me at this point."

Soon enough she spoke again, saying that his idea sounded nice. Adenn inclined his head and smiled, "Good. Is there any wine in particular that you would care to have?" he asked her.
 
Valeria retrieved her towel and began drying her hair again, pausing when Adden asked her if there was a particular wine she wanted. She pursed her lips in thought for a moment, then held back a smirk, “The Zeltron spiced wine I think.” Maybe that was a bad idea, but well, he seemed interested in her, and she was certainly interested in him, though she knew that she shouldn't be. He had tried to kill her only a little over a week ago, after all, but then, what better way to pull him a little more under her sway? Women had been using sex to their advantage since well... ever, was it her fault that it was an effective strategy when used appropriately?

She watched him leave, drying her hair for a few more moments before she turned the holoscreen off and turned her music back on. It was soft, but rhythmic music, a mixture of instrumental and electronic, more relaxing than anything else, and went to change out of her fuzzy robe since it was now a little damp from acting as a giant towel. She blow dried her hair the rest of the way, leaving it down, and put on a dry robe, this one not nearly so fuzzy considering it was silk, and a deep, rich blue in color. The fabric was certainly more revealing than the fuzzy cotton of her previous one, clinging to her to form to the shapes of her body rather than just hanging loosely.

Returning to her couch she sat down, taking her glasses from the table beside it and sliding them onto her face so she could read a data pad she had regarding the information she'd had her team retrieve from the base before they'd destroyed it. She turned it off and set it aside though when she heard door ping, getting up and opening to door rather than just having it open itself, in case Adden needed some help. “Find everything okay?” she asked once it slid open, “Need me to get anything?”
 
Adenn nodded when she said what wine she would like, smiling a bit, "I've never had it," he admitted to her, then said, "But if you enjoy it then I am sure it is good." The mercenary certainly did find the high admiral attractive. Physically she was a prime specimen of the feminine form, at least in his mind; sleek but not overly thin, having curves, tall, toned. He did not understand how a man could not find that attractive. But more and more he was also finding her personality well suited to his. She seemed to appreciate his humor and, so far, they had worked well together, after the initial setback of him trying to kill her and all. Why he had not gone through with that he still was not entirely sure, but he was also glad that he had not at the same time. He'd have to try and balance those at some later point.

He left her room and headed for his own, which was on the same level as hers. Adenn still had not brought any of his personal affects into the room and, as he entered, it look just as barren as when he had left. The bed he had slept in was even still unmade. What was he eve going to change into? Since he did not want to go back to his ship he decided to check the lockers and actually found a set of standard workout clothing that was worn by Imperials of every rank and branch it seemed. The loose fighting black pants could be turned into shorts and the light grey shirt was tight fitting and designed to wick away sweat. They would do for now. He quickly tripped out of his armor, placing it and his weapons, undersuit, shit and shorts on the other bed. That done he donned the workout clothing, finding the pants and shirt both fit well, but then again they were meant to fit all sizes.

Soon enough he moved out and made his way to the kitchens. It took a little searching, but he found the wine she wanted, three bottles of it. He grabbed all three along with two glasses, then made his way back to her door. Since his hands were full he used his elbow to ring her door. Soon enough she opened it and he could not help that his eyes widened a bit at the sight of her. She'd changed into another robe... this one causing her to look far more appealing then the other. He could not help but smirk a bit as he replied to her, I found everything fine..." He made his way inside then, setting the wine bottles on the table in front of her couch. He quickly opened one and poured some into both of the glasses. Smiling he moved back over to her, offering her one, "I am sincerely hoping that this arrangement will be long lasting and very beneficial to us both," he said softly.
 
Valeria's brows rose about as high as they could when she saw him carrying not one but all three bottles of wine, “My, you don't have a drinking problem do you?” She teased a little, though was honestly now wondering if maybe he did. Three bottles of wine for two people was a fair bit. She followed him to the coffee table though, standing aside as he opened one of the bottles, crossing her arms under her bust, keeping them crossed for the most part as she took the glass he offered her, giving him a small smile and inclining her head, “As do I.” The wine was a deep red-violet color, and it's odor was sharp and not exactly pleasant, but it had a good taste besides that, a low sort of simmering sweet heat. “Don't let the smell throw you off,” she assured him, “It tastes rather good.” She sipped at it herself, the taste familiar and pleasant to her, moving to sit on the couch, one leg tucked under her.

“So, tell me a little about yourself Adden,” she requested, sipping her wine again and glancing up at him. She had managed to dig up a little information about him, but not much, and she'd rather just hear it from him anyway.
 
Adenn chuckled a little bit at her jest, then shook his head. "Actually, I rarely if ever indulge," he admitted to her, then added, "I just was unsure how long you intended on our celebration lasting." After all, they had just both been involved in some rather intensive action, granted of different kinds. His had been more stealth oriented where her's had been more about kicking in someones front door. Needless to say, they both deserved a little time to relax, at least in his mind.

He had paused when he turned to offer her the glass, unable not to notice how her arms were crossed. It certainly drew attention to her... well... But thankfully she spoke in reply to him, causing him to look into her eyes. He smiled and nodded, then took a sip of the wine a moment after she told him that the smell should not worry him. He made an appreciative sound in his throat, then said, "I typically am not one for wines. But I must say that this is rather good."

His eyes followed her as she moved to the couch and he considered for a moment before he joined her, sitting cautiously as if expecting he would fall through or something. When he did not he moved to rest an arm along the back of the couch and stretched out his toned legs. Adenn arched an eyebrow when she asked about him, then shrugged and took a sip of the wine. "Not much to know really," he said softly, then glanced at her, smiling a bit as he countered, "Why do you ask?" The wine in the meantime was causing a rather warm and pleasant feeling, rather unlike any drink he had had before, so Adenn took another sip.
 
Valeria let out a soft sigh, “I rarely have the opportunity to indulge either. I have to be up so early most mornings that drinking the night before is generally a bad idea.” She left the other reason unsaid, she didn't enjoy drinking alone, and that was really her only option most of the time. So it was nice to have some one to actually drink with for once. “But tomorrow I will actually have the opportunity to sleep in a little, the aftermath of the raid is calming down and we'll be returning to the Eriadu system. Until I get back though, the majority of the fleet is still operating in auxiliary mode, so I won't be in such high demand,” she seemed pleased with this, since she would agree with him that they both deserved some time to relax.

She gave Adenn a small smile when he said that he liked the wine, “I'm glad,” She sipped at her own, enjoying it as well. Then she watched him settle onto the couch, amused by his apprehension. Did Mandalorians not have couches? He looked as if he suspected it was going to eat him. Valeria chuckled softly under her breath and into her wine, but then arched a brow at his rather meager answer to her question.

“I'm curious,” She shrugged, “Or would you rather me start? I didn't peg you as the shy type.” Valeria teased, eyes glittering a little with a mischievous sort of amusement. The wine settled in her stomach in a pleasant little pool of heat. It effected everyone differently, some people were highly susceptible to the aphrodisiac spices and fruits of Zeltron, others were not, and like the hormones that she produced, a person's mood had a great determining factor on how much or how little a person was effected, or how slowly or quickly.
 
He listened to her as she explained how she normally did not get to indulge, but then went on to say that she could be cause she would be able to sleep in the next day. That caused him to smile and he could not help but say, "Well then you do not have any excuse now," he said, pausing for a moment as he felt a little of the heat from the wine swell, which caused him to add, "So now you have to indulge. In wine or... other things... that you might find pleasing." Adenn watched her, intent on seeing her reaction to his statement, a small smile playing upon his lips.

As she told him that she had inquired about his back ground out of curiosity, he nodded a bit... then snorted as she declared that he was the shy type. His eyes fixed on hers, noticing the mischievous amusement in hers. He just held her gaze for awhile, taking another, long sip of wine. He then lowered the glass and began to speak, "I was raised on one of the moons of Shukut, Ivora. It was a rather bleak place, barely going above freezing even in the warm season. So I imagine you can see why I would have wanted to leave." Of course that was not even close to being everything, but he held the rest back. Adenn smiled and said softly, "Although, with the right company to help stay warm, I imagine I might have had more reason to stay."
 
Valeria smirked a little and sipped her wine when he told her had no excuse now then not to indulge herself in some good wine, but her brow arched when he added the option of other... things, that she might find pleasing. She laughed softly, grinning a little, the white of her teeth flashing just slightly, “Adenn Farr, are you flirting with me?” She asked him, grinning into her wine before she took another sip, clearing her throat a little. Well, the wine was certainly having an effect. She couldn't say it wasn't working on her a little as well, feeling a pleasant heat spreading through her body from her core, soothing and energizing at the same time.

She waited patiently as Adenn seemed to decide whether to answer her or not, though he'd seemed to disagree with her statement that he was shy. So she listened when he finally told her where he'd grown up, nodding slightly, and smirking as he added that he might have been more inclined to stay if he had had the right company. “So then no girl waiting for you back home?” Valeria inquired, though it was mostly a rhetorical question, since he'd said as much. She sipped at her wine some more before giving her own answer, “I grew up on Denon, in the Iseno sector. It's second in population only to Coruscant. It is completely covered in urban sprawl, if I were inclined towards business I might have stayed, but I joined the academy instead.” She shrugged her shoulders, the action accompanied by the whisper of silk, and she drained the last of her glass, leaning over to the table to pour herself some more, her long black hair spilling over her shoulders as she did and the fabric pulled tight along her back as she moved, the shift of muscle obvious through the silk.
 
The look on her face as she processed what he had said caused him to smile widely. He response made him chuckle and Adenn could not help but respond quickly, "Is it not obvious?" he asked her. He was feeling warmed by the wine, but he told himself that that was not what was causing this reaction. Why would it? It was just a normal wine after all. Besides, he had found her appealing even before he had had the wine.

When she asked him if there was a girl back home he shrugged a bit. "No," he answered her, despite the question being rhetorical, then went on, "Besides, there were only a few thousand people that lived there at most. Not many girls to even pick from." When told him about where she had grown up he arched an eyebrow and then chuckled. "Well, I cannot imagine a place any more different then my home," he told her softly. He took another sip, then said, "I have been to Nar Shadda, which is also covered in city. I cannot say that I liked it very much."

Adenn fell silent however when she leaned over and poured herself another glass of wine. He could not help but notice the muscle on his back and how it shifted underneath her robe. He finished off his own wine, then asked her, "Might I ask... how often do you work out Valeria?" He could not help but wonder because it seemed that she was often so busy, how could she even cram it into her day?
 
“Oh no, it's certainly obvious,” Valeria laughed a little, straightening with a refilled glass of wine in her hand, leaning back against the couch, cross her legs at the knee, the calf of her raised leg slipping out from between the gap in folds of her robe, shapely and toned. At his question about her working out though she blinked a little, thinking it a very odd change in topic. “Ah, well if you mean lifting weights, about once a week, but I work in some exercises every morning when I get up and then at night before bed,” She shrugged a little, “I don't really have time to work out all the time so I have to work with what time I do have.”

She shipped her wine, feeling that pleasant heat radiating out into her limbs, brushing gently against her mind. Valeria let out a content sort of sigh, leaning her head back against the back of the couch, a small smile on her lips, “This is nice, I haven't had the chance to just relax in some time.” She got to steal an hour or two a day to have to herself, usually she spent it reading one of the many books she owned, or she would go to the piano she had tucked away in a small room adjacent to her office and play it some, finding music in general soothing.
 
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