Beyond - Legends Battered, Bruised, Concussed, Frozen, but Still Breathing.(J/TK, Early NJO AU) Up 1/28

The painful cold of the air drew painfully into Tenel Ka's lungs. Opening her eyes all she beheld was glaring white. White clouds backlight by painfully white sunlight, white flurries snow blown by howling wind and the white cloud from her breath, emitting from her mouth and battered by the wind.

I need shelter. She decided, her rational mind functioning for now. If she didn't get out of the cold it would slow down and die a slow inevitable death.
I wasn't alone. Tenel Ka remembered in a flash of waking realization. She hauled herself to her feet, ignoring the pains from bruises and contusions.
How did I get here? She thought straining both mind and eyes as she tried to locate her companion, and remember what she was doing only moments before. It was almost purely instinctual when she blasted a hole through the snow with the Force, determining that the snow was sufficiently deep to build a shelter.

Where is my companion and who is he. He? Yes he. Of course it is I feel Jacen . . . Tenel Ka thought, to her dissatisfaction much slower and less coherently than normal.
My head is killing me. Concussion? She thought.
Forget that where is Jacen? He feels injured, and . . . unconscious? Tenel Ka shook her head violently, immediately regretting it. She fought of the dizziness and moved as quickly as she could manage through the deep snow. For the first time she deeply regretted not utilizing the brown jumpsuits the other students wore. Her exposed thigh and calves felt like a thousand needles stabbing her all at once. She fortunately did not have to travel far before she found him. For the briefest moment she thought him dead, laying there at an unnatural angle for a living being to lay without pain. gently she checked his limbs and neck, finding no broken bones she checked his ribs. Jacen woke with a gasp of pain and a painfully tortured yelp. He then lapsed again into unconsciousness. Tenel Ka cursed out loud.

His mind doesn't feel murky like mine. She thought regretting that she could not rely on a mind not concussed. Concussion or not, her mind still function.
He will die if I don't get us to shelter. She thought as she quickly scanned the area. The burnt and still burning escape pod caught her eye.
That explains how I got here. she thought looking at the pod the snow near the entrance, where Jacen lay.

I must have pulled him through the hatch, and then collapsed. How long was I unconscious? she thought. She noticed that the Cargo Hatch seemed undamaged. She wrent the hatch open with the Force, and managed with her single arm to get the Survival crate out onto the snow. She looked at Jacen.

This might be difficult. She thought. Stepping to Jacen she grabbed the nech of his jumpsuit and turned away, and painfully pulled him onto her shoulder, ignoring the painful protest from her elbow and shoulder. Using Telekinesis was difficult distracted by the weight of Jacen, the cold and slowed down by the concussion. Be she found the need, the desperate necessity to focus enough that she was able to pull both Jacen,physically, and the crate mentally into her Cave. She used the Force to make a double back so they would have a space without the wind blowing in from outside. gently dropping Jacen she opened the crate.

The Survival crate was meant for all enviroments, it contained numerous items for all enviroments. A self erecting Tent caught her eye and quickly reading its dimensions and its deployment instruction, she used the Force yet again to dig deeper into the snow, this time she found the hillside underneath the snow.
She placed the packed tent and pulled the release tag that made it self erect.
At least the survival gear works. She mused and then grabbed Jacen, quickly placing hi in the tent, noting that the Tent had pushed the snow in all directions and was supporting the weight of the snow above and around it.
She then put the crate in the tent and began rummaging through the crate when she realized something very troubling. Jacen had stopped shivering. Alarm showed on her face and in her thoughts. Finding at last a sleeping bag she threw it onto the floor of the Tent before sealing the tent.

I'm soaked. she realized. I'm soaked and my clothing does not retain water. But Jacen's clothes do!
Tenel Ka's mind worked quickly as it could in it current state. She opened his jumpsuit
"I'm sorry Jacen, but I don't have an alternative." She said to him in a shaky croak as she quickly stripped him of his cloths. She hesitated only for a moment before removing his undergarment, making a serious effort not to look.
She then realized that she still needed to get him into the bag. She opened it fully and forgot to not look as she muscled him on top of the splayed bag, and zipped it shut around him. He was still not shivering.

It was then that the cold started seriously affecting her. She realized that she had stopped shivering too. Eye widening in terror she all but tore the Rancor hide armor off herself, slowed only by the clumsiness of finger so numb she could not feel them. Naked she shimmed herself into the bag meant for a single adult.
At this point rational thought had abandoned her and she sought the warm of Jacens body. Hugging it with a fierceness only extreme cold could induce.

At least he is warm. Tenel Ka thought, for the moment content with the relative warmth of the sleeping bag and the warm body next to her. She was so content that she nearly fell asleep. She jolted fully awake when Jacen started shivering, and then realized that she was shivering too. With that wakefulness she quickly took stock.

"I have a concussion." she said aloud to remind herself. This time she spoke with strength behind her words. The concussion did not seem severe, but she shouldn't sleep. Not without a doctor she had no way of knowing how bad it was. With sinking dread she realized that Jacen might also be concussed. She tried to wake him.

"Jacen. Jacen wake up. Please wake up!" she implored shaking him. The shaking jarred his ribs and his body tensed, but her remained unconscious.
Stop! She mentally chided herself. More gently she probed his ribs, finding the breaks at the base of his ribs near the spine on his right side, she rolled him onto his left side and sidled herself back to his front. His breathing immediately grew deeper and stronger. Pulling his arm over her Tenel Ka settled in, determining herself to not fall asleep, knowing that if she did, given her concussion, she might not wake up again.

 

Interesting peice of writing here. Is this going to be a long fan fiction?

 

Hi! Wow, Tenel Ka is very resourceful despite all that she's got those serious injuries/concussion Sounds a lot like Hoth.

 

They need a tauntaun to slice open to keep warm. But that probably wouldn't be as romantic as naked in a sleeping bag and sharing warmth. Nice start.

 

Your characterization of TK's concussion is pretty close to reality. I had one from a car accident and it is disorienting as hell when you finally become aware of your surroundings. "Where is my companion and who is he?... He?... Yes, he." Yep, I had totally random thoughts like that as I 'rejoined' reality.

Somehow I knew that her outfit was going to be the death of her someday. ***pauses to imagine a naked Tenel Ka getting into sleeping bag***

Anyway, nice use of survival skills, especially the 'don't fall asleep' bit. Two people, both with concussions (one a very serious one), and hypothermic to boot, are in for a rough recovery. Particularly as they might not remember where they are: concussions blank out quite a bit of your day.

 

BSlykeSWFan: Don't know yet just playing with the scenerio a bit.
Jade_eyes: Ill get around to the reason they are in a snowy landscape later.
Jedi_Lover: The Tauntaun works for just a short period of time, having butchered my deer kills myself in the winter in a northern state, I can tell you that a corpse freezes very quickly in sub-zero temperatures.
SiouxFan: I've had my own share of concussions (tall man and low hanging Ship steel beams) and I've had the "who the **** am I?" moment.

 

Normally, staying conscious was not a problem. With the cold, the concussion and the natural tiredness of having been conscious for over a standard day, simply being awake was excruciating. The silence save for the metronomic breathing of Jacen did not help.
After 33 standard hours Jacen finally moved. In his sleep his arm tried to scratch his nose, but that arm was pinned under Tenel Ka. His movement brought Tenel Ka fully alert from the lazy daydreaming.

“Jacen?” she said, and squirmed around so she could shake his shoulders.
“Jacen!”

“Huh?” Jacen managed groggily as he struggled to wake. He started to sit up but the unexpected sensation of his side being on fire stopped.
“AHH!” He half yelled in pain. The pain made him lurch into a sitting posture, his ragged breaths filled the chilled air. Still on her side Tenel Ka gasped, as his bared back revealed something she hadn’t seen before. Burns.

How could I have missed this!?! Tenel Ka thought in horrified shame. Tenel Ka you fool! She mentally berated herself. Slowly Jacen’s breathing returned to a slow calm deep breathing. Albeit one with obvious pain.

“Broken ribs and burns?” Jacen asked.

“Yes, but I knew only of your ribs before I put you in this place…” Tenel Ka said, ashamed.
You had to be squeamish! He’s injured and you were too . . . Timid to check him properly for the sake of his modesty! Some Dathomiri you are! Tenel Ka’s thoughts continued to berate.

“Do we have medical supplies?” Jacen asked. Tenel Ka nodded and gestured to the crate. Jacen on one level mentally registered her answer, but higher function had been abruptly shut off. He stared. Tenel Ka realized what was his short circuit and placed her arm across her breasts.

“Jacen.” She said. Jacen snapped alert, embarrassed and annoyed with himself. He got up, only realizing he was just as naked as she was when he reached the crate. He looked inside. He grabbed at what looked like a medical kit and, because his blood had gotten stirred up and needed something to cover himself, what looked like clothing for a tropical region.

“I think your parents or one of their servants set this thing up.” he said. Tenel Ka, grateful for any conversation that steered away from more personal questions of different nature, nodded.

“Father himself packed it.” She affirmed. Jacen carefully got himself back into the sleeping bag, more from avoiding pain than anything else, and tore open the vacuum sealed bag containing clothing.

“Here.” he said, Tenel Ka taking it and only after a movement of numb fingered fumbling put on the skin tight thermal suit. Jacen, very painfully, and eventually with help from Tenel Ka, managed to get the bottom half on, leaving the upper torso off, and the arms knotted around his waist. He then handed her the medical kit.

“I think I’m going to need help with my burns.” he said.

“Not to mention your ribs.” Tenel Ka said. Jacen shook his head.

“No, a healing trance will take care of that, I need the burns taken care of first though, besides they’re only cracked.” He said. Tenel Ka frowned and very deliberately looked thought the medical kit, fortunately finding bacta salve and settled herself behind Jacen to apply it. In theory, salves generally made injuries feel better almost immediately. In this case it was excruciating.
“Tenel Ka how does your head feel?” he asked. Tenel Ka paused.

“Is it that obvious?” She asked. Jacen half turned to look at her, regretting it immediately, from the pain from his ribs.

“ Tenel Ka, the right side of your face is swollen and bloody.” Jacen said.
She reached up and firmly pressed along her face. It was definitely swollen, from temple to mid jaw, but no bones felt broken.

“I think I have a concussion.” she said. Jacen nodded.

“You feel that way in the Force.” he said.

“Jacen, what were we doing, I can’t remember.” She said. Jacen’s eye clouded.
　
　
“. . . So that is what I need from you two.” Master Skywalker said.

“It will be no trouble.” Tenel Ka said. Luke frowned.

“I disagree Tenel Ka. The Jensaari don’t live in the more habited, or mapped areas. They are very nomadic, especially after what Leona Tavira and her Invids did to them.”
“Why is it so important that we contact them?” Jacen asked.
“They don’t want to be associated with us, or anyone else for the matter.” Jacen asked. Luke sighed.

“Every year I renew my invitation to join us. And so far they have refused. That is their right, but it’s also my right to contact them every year, also I prefer to know where they are. It would be very easy and unfortunate for one of your peers to get into a fight with one of them.”

“Why do we maintain relations with them then?” Jacen pressed. Luke sighed.

“We are upholding our end of a promise I and Corran Horn made oh, about thirteen . . . No fifteen years ago.” he said. Tenel Ka nodded.

“I understand. Our word is bonded to this issue, we require to further assurances.” she said and started to drag Jacen.

“Hang on.” Jacen said.
“What happened that has you acting like these are conditions of an armed truce?” Jacen demanded. Tenel Ka gave him a dirty look. Luke sighed.

“Corran made up a recording for our archives, load them onto your data pad, and take Tionne’s own observations of them, they took a liking to her.” He said and dismissed them with a gesture.



“You should not have pressed Master Skywalker.” Tenel Ka said.

“I disagree.” Jacen said.

“Antagonizing your uncle over-”

“I was not.” Jacen said calmly. “The Jensaari are a potential threat with their cortoisis laden armor, and the fact that they a Sith influenced.” he said. Tenel Ka paused in her stride.

“Is this true?” she asked. Jacen nodded.

“I’ve looked them over before in the Archives. They not Sith, and they definitely are not Jedi.” he said. Tenel Ka frowned-
　


“Ahh!” Jacen gasped, as he was brought abruptly to reality. Tenel Ka’s hand had found one of the more deep burns.

“I’m sorry.” Tenel Ka said in a frail self loathing voice. Jacen shook his head and managed a pained chuckled.

“At least it hurts. And they’re only a few small blisters. You put the fire out before I was too badly burned. “

“I don’t know, but I agree that is the conclusion I arrived at.” Tenel Ka said.

“What is the last thing you remember before you woke up?” he asked.

“Morning Run before we had to meet with Master Skywalker.” She said. Jacen frowned.

“What happened at the end of the run?” he asked. Tenel Ka blinked and thought. Then she smiled.

“You aunt teased you, insinuating that you and I were in the jungle for other purposes.” She said. Jacen nodded.

“That was . . . How long was I . . .huh.” Jacen said, realizing that Tenel Ka had no way of telling how long she was conscious and alone while he was knocked out. He reached over to his burned and, now ice laden clothes.

“You made the right call about our clothes. I think they’d shatter if you struck them against something.” Jacen said. He fished out his chrono.

“That was 17 days ago.” Jacen said. He glanced at Tenel Ka. Tenel Ka was nearly to the point of panic. Jacen held back a frown and gently put his hand on her shoulder.

“Its okay, Tenel Ka, what I think we need to do, is put you in a healing trance, and when you come out of yours, we need to put me into one.” he said. Tenel Ka protested.

“Jacen-”

“No, you have a brain injury. What good is taking care of my manageable injuries when you die of brain swelling?” he said. Tenel Ka deflated a little. She nodded.

“You’re right.” she said

“Once your done, I can start my own healing trance.” Jacen said. She nodded again and then shivered, cold despite the thermal suit.

“Have you eaten since we crashed?” he asked.

“I don’t think so.” Tenel Ka said. Jacen restrained a frown. Tenel Ka was likely more injured than either could tell.

“Lets get you into that healing trance. We‘ll worry about food later.” He said. Tenel Ka nodded and then frowned.

“Does your thermal suit itch?” she asked. Jacen blinked. He shrugged.

“No.” He said. Tenel Ka shrugged and snaked a hand under the suit and scratched, and then paused and peeked under the material. She then abruptly tore the suit off of her.

“What’s going on?” He asked as Tenel Ka dived out of the tent and into the loose snow in her man made cave.

“What happened?” he asked as she rolled frantically in the snow.

“Skin reaction.” she said, scrubbing herself with Snow. There was enough light reflecting of snow and ice from the entrance of the cave, and from the survival lambs in the Tent for Jacen to see the red welts and discoloration that had started to form on her skin.

“Crap.” he said and quickly removed his suit, and finding the same problem. Fortunately it was only on his lower limbs.
“This is going to be cold.” Jacen said, ruing that he had external genetalia, before he followed in Tenel Ka’s example.



“ You can put me in the Trance now.” Tenel Ka said to Jacen. After dousing themselves in the ice cold snow, they needed to warm up before he could safely put her in the Trance. Jacen, sitting with his back against the survival crate, and Tenel Ka Huddle in between his legs and leaning back against him, and wrapped tightly in the sleeping bag, nodded.

“Alright.” he said and pulled his arm out of the bag and placed them on her head, calmly seeking the offered link in the Force from Tenel Ka. As gently as he could, all mental invasions, even invited, were violent in some form to the recipient mind. He pushed her into a healing trance. Jacen felt some pride in the fact that she had this much trust in him.


They had both received training regarding Healing Trances. Unfortunately Tenel Ka was spectacularly bad at healing trances. Much less efficient with a concussion.
Jacen shivered and hugged Tenel Ka tightly. Unfortunately a person in a healing trance would start to drift toward the ambient temperature. While she was in no danger at all of hypothermia, since both he and the sleeping bag were enough to keep her warm. It did mean Jacen had to maintain body temperature. And she was noticeably cool to the touch.
Jacen managed a small smile.
At least I’m too cold for more unfortunate reactions. He thought.
So cold I’m not even tempted to . . . Wow that is wrong. He thought. Now he felt ashamed.
We're so close to freezing to death and all you can think about is her body. Great job bro. he chided himself.
Just go to sleep moron and kept your hands to yourself. You already saw more than you thought you ever would. Jacen told himself and fell asleep.

 

Nice update. I wonder if somebody tampered with the thermal suits.

 

It doesn't have to, I had ordered new Coveralls(Navy, not the civillian kind) and hadn't washed them, long story short, my skin looked like raw hamburger, I've heard from older people it was from the stuff they use on fabric when they are cutting and sowing them together.

 

That's true. I wash everything before I put it on the first time. I have sensitive skin also. Knowing the military your uniform was probably made in China. Just kidding, that was a big scandal with the Army black berets about ten years ago. I think they decided to buy American from here on out.

 

Great update and explanation of what they're supposed to be doing. But they've been MIA for 17 days! I like how Jacen can't help his involuntary reactions And Mara would say that about what they were doing really Speaking from experience is our lucky irresistible Mara. And this just goes to prove Luke can't help his involuntary reaction either

 

Whoa, that is some concussion if Tenel Ka has lost that much memory; she's lucky to be alive.

Keep your hands to yourself.--Right, no problem. Jacen has a naked hottie sitting on his lap, a hottie he has had a crush on for four years. Yep, his hands are going to wander on their own accord!

 

Jedi_Lover: If the tag is accurate it is 'made' in America.
Jade_eyes: The memory was at the start of the voyage, and was meant to show why my obvious plot point to get them naked in a sleeping bag has any plausible back story. But seriously, the backstory was supposed to indicate that they were going on a journey that Luke had no way of knowing how long it would take. leaving the question of rescue muddy, or even bleak.
SiouxFan: Her memory is not necessarily tied to her concussion. It is possible to have amnesia from psychological trauma. Plunging through an atmosphere in a possibly damaged escape pod could do that.
As for being too cold for - reactions- its likely. After all when cold enough to shiver, blood flow restricts itself to the core organ. The reproductive organs of a human male is not included(any male that ever experienced shrinkage knows this), but on the other hand, the female reproductive tract is protected, primarily to protect an unborn fetus, paradoxically this makes, Tenel Ka more likely to get amorous than Jacen in their near hypothermic state. That being said, getting warm is a much higher priority than sex.

 

Okay, we need an update. You get them both naked and trying to keep each other warm by sharing body heat...and then no update for weeks? Get writing! The suspense is killing me.

 

VL: actually, I would argue that this applies to all three of your stories you've got going! Navy, schnavy, you could have given us a teaser at least!

 

Yeah, I know...what a lousy excuse, "I'm in the military and fighting a war."

Ehhh....well, that is a pretty good excuse, I guess. Never mind me, I'm still upset that Navy beat Army in football...for the tenth year in a row!

 

"There's no fighting in here, this is the war room!"
At least Army still had a shot at the CINC trophy. AF got beat by both Army AND Navy, then got routed in their bowl game. C'est la vie. Oddly, I'm not much of a college football fan, my Alma Mater (see avatar) is only competitive in hockey! When I was there, we could go to football games for FREE and still hardly anyone showed up. Tough to be in a football mood when it's -5 and the wind is whipping down from Manitoba at 30mph.

 

Jedi_Lover: I know its a bad excuse, but I just don't have that much time to devote to writing. I haven't ben at sea, and certainly not fighting a war. But there is considerably more work to be done on a Naval vessel than most people realize.
SiouxFan: Well I'm a Gopher myself, but I won't rub in this years, apparant success. I'm not an officer so I could care less about the Academy. Hope the next chapter is spicy enough for you.

I'm working on writing more, but I don't have enough time, and last month had so many movies and I had leave for the holidays. So, sorry.
I'm probably pushing it a little on the TOS, my oldest fics and songfics got snaked by it but hopefully I won't stray over the line.
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At some point Jacen fell asleep, slumped against the cold crate, barely shielded from it by the thick sleeping mattress. He blinked for a moment, needing time to remember why he was in such a cold place with only the sleeping bag and Tenel Ka’s cold body. He grew more alert and put his hand on her arm, while cool, it was not the ice cold of a corpse, and more over she shivered.
“Hey! Are you awake?” he asked, shaking her lightly. Tenel Ka groaned, more from being conscious and cold than any pain or annoyance.

“I am.” She said.

“How are you feeling?” He asked. She turned her head to look at him.

“Like I struck my head on the overhead.” she said. Jacen brightened.

“So you remember!” he asked, ignoring Tenel Ka burrowing low against his shoulder to hide her face beneath the edge of the sleeping bag.

“Yes I remember, and I also remember the Eleven days we spent wandering the Corporate Sector trying to find those Force Forsaken fools. And I also remember you tackling me and absorbing most the impacts during the first crash.” She said, staring up at him in an expression he could not read. Jacen looked at her.

“It was the least I could do, the whole thing was my fault after all.”

They emerged from hyperspace, almost immediately blinded. Jacen swore and punched the light shade for the Dragon’s cockpit.

“I put us way to close!” he said tightly glancing at the Star and the numerous planetoids orbiting in a very shallow orbit. He used the high velocity from exiting Hyperspace so close to a star, to sling shot around the star. It was a very dim star, its habitable zone was merely 60 million kilometers, though there was a planet, large enough to human sustainable gravity, the eighth planet. It wasn't very dense though, huge for a terestrial planet, but barely more than standard gravity.

“I believe this star is uncharted.” Tenel Ka said. “We are three light years short of the system you we aiming for.” she said flipping through the star chart.

“New star huh? Shall we call it Tenel Ka’s star?” he asked, joking not taking his eyes away from the uncharted star system. She glanced at him.

“I believe most Stars are name for or by the person who discovered them.” She said. Jacen chuckled.

“Corellians don’t name stars after themselves, or men for that matter.” he said. Tenel Ka didn't bother asking what Alderanians or the Tattoo would have named it. Alderaan was gone, and their remnent population so dispirated they had thirty seperate groups claiming legal legitimacy. The Tattoo were so sparsely populated they were still trying to establish self sustanence.

“Also I think Tenel Ka’s Star is a better name than Jacen’s Folly.” He said. He glanced at her in time to seed the wooden expression she had when Jacen amused her enough to force her to maintain a calm expression.

“I have enough problems with- astroid belt!” she said urgently at the end. Jacen frowned.

“You have problems with asteroid belts?” he asked in confusion.

“NO. ASTROID BELT!!” Tenel Ka screamed and grabbed for the copilot’s controls. Jacen turned in horror to see small asteroids approaching at high speed.

“KRIFF!” He shouted and fought the controls.

Tenel Ka tried to pull up, while Jacen tried to dive and roll starboard. It moved them toward the edge of the belt, where larger and more densely packed asteroids drifted.

“STOP FIGHTING ME DAMNIT!” Jacen shouted. Tenel Ka heard him and took her hands of the controls. Jacen chopped the power and directed the power from thrusters to the shields.

“Tenel Ka.” He said trying to calm himself. She glanced at him.

“Use the chin lasers, shoot some of the smaller rocks, I won’t see them until too late.” He said, turning on the floodlights to give Tenel as much a chance as possible. For nearly ten minutes Jacen dived and swooped through the belt, trying to find a way out. Tenel Ka attempted to shoot threatening asteroids, but her Hapan genetics were making her especially vulnerable at this moment, her fathers eyes evolve in perpetual twillight of Hapes, failed her. Twice only the Force warned her, barely, of incoming rocks. The second time she vaporized the rock mere meters before it hit them.

“That’s almost no use Jacen, I’m Hapan, we do not see well in low light.” she said.

“We’re almost to the edge again. Hang on we’re going to hit some of the rocks.” He said, pushing as much power as he dared from propulsion to shields. Then another small rock zoomed out of no where. Tenel Ka fired at it, but missed. Jacen swerved, missing the small rock. Tenel Ka’s laser instead struck a boulder slightly larger than the Rock Dragon the boulder briefly turned red-white and then detonated.

“I said shoot the small ones!” Jacen shouted just before the cloud of debris hit the Rock Dragon. The impact lasted only a few microseconds. The alarms flared and flashed, during the impact Tenel Ka slammed her head against the console. Jacen aimed for the edge of the field and punched maximum thrust, before wrenching his crash webbing open and tackled Tenel Ka before the engines reached full thrust. They bounced painfully against all six surfaces of the cockpit.

Just before they exited the field the engines died, inertia carried them out, fortunately missing any other rocks.

Jacen gasped, not remembering holding his breathe. He winched, his chest hurt, he was taller and had actively cushioned Tenel Ka, and he now felt like Lowbacca had punched him in the side of his chest.

“Tenel Ka are you alright.” He said looking at her. She looked back, cut on her forehead and blood running down, dripping from her brow. She swipped at the blood.

“I’m fine for now . . .” she said, closing her eyes as she fought against the foggyness. Jacen looked at her eyes carefuly. Satisfied she would remain conscious in the mean time he got up and sat back in the pilot’s chair.

“Jacen, are we out of the asteroid field?” she asked.

“Yeah, but the ship is a dead stick.” he said. Tenel Ka paled.

“And worse we’re starting to leak air.” he said, trying to activate something on the control panel when it sparked. Jacen let out of shout of pain as an electric current pulsed through him and exiting through the chair.

“Jacen!” Tenel Ka shrieked in alarm and jumped to her feet and the kicked the control console hard. The electrical current ceased. Tenel Ka scrambled, pulling Jacen out of the pilot’s chair and laid him on the deck of the cabin. She placed her fingers on his neck, immediately realived to feel air passing through his throat and a pulse, if weakened and panicked.

“Jacen?” she said urgently. He groaned.

“The Hypercom bouy.” he groaned. Tenel Ka followed his pointing hand to a control on the co-pilot’s side.

“But-.”

“I’m fine, my heart was only out of synch for a moment, I used to force to put in back in rythem.” Jacen said in a pained grunt.

“The 8th planet can sustain life, but it is very cold, we cant live there long. We’ll need help and soon.” he said. Tenel Ka nodded and then jumped back into the copilots chair and tried to activate Hypercom bouy.

“Jacen. Its gone.” she said. Jacen didn’t answer. Tenel Ka rushed back to Jacen and found him unconscious but alive. Tenel Ka stared at him for a moment, and then around her. Her eyes fell on the escape pod hatch. . .

“It wasn’t your fault alone. You only piloted because I refused to learn to pilot my own ship proficiently.” She said.

“Well we have a day or two to argue whose fault it was while that bouy gets us help." Jacen said with a chuckle.” He said. Tenel Ka had stilled.

“Jacen, it was damaged during the crash.” she said, feeling Jacen’s cheer falter and then fade out.

“Then we have a very serious problem.” Jacen said.

“Focus on immediate problems.” Tenel Ka said. Jacen frowned.

“You need to heal your ribs before too long.” she said. He frowned again.

“I think we need to eat first, I hate to say this but you are smaller than me, I kept you warm and I’m cold and exhausted now. It’s going to be as bad or worse for you.” he said. Tenel Ka sighed.

“I believe you are right.” she said, getting up, exposing her naked back. She turned. Jacen could see everything.

“Ah . . .” Jacen started to say.

“I know I am naked Jacen and right now I don’t give a damned if you can see all of me.” she said, leaning over him to dig into the survival crate, pulling out emergency rations. She closed the crate and then sat in his lap, this time sitting facing him. Jacen tried desperately not to squirm, and to think of something else. Something that was not the fully mature female in his lap and close up for heat.

“Tenel Ka, don’t . . .”

“We’ll be warmer this way.” she said, tearing open the outer package of the rations. Grabbing a water container she had taken from the crate, she pour what she judged was the amount of water the instructions told her to use.

“Don’t you think . . .”

“I’m female, you are male, if your body reacts I forgive you.” Tenel Ka said tersely and then pulled the edge of the sleeping bag over their shoulders as the water reacted with the crystals on the outer bag. Jacen sat rock still, thanking that it was cold enough that he hadn’t a reaction, well not much of one, for now. They both enjoyed the heat generated from the chemical reaction between the water and the crystals.

“Oh, that feels so good.” he said. Tenel Ka nodded, ignoring that the bag was actually painfully hot to hold. The food was even better. With their meal finished Tenel Ka threw the empty bag into a corner of the tent when it had become colder than their combined body heat.

“Heal your ribs.” She said, slipping behind him. Jacen gave her a glance and then nodded. He took a deep breathe and then concentrated. It took him much longer to put himself into the trance. Last time he was not painfully aware of Tenel Ka’s breasts against his back.

　

The Healing trance was a disturbing thing for Tenel Ka to observe. Jacen breathed so slowly he felt little more than some sort of life like doll, slumped against her. Except dolls are not warm, and dolls do not emit pheromones. Neither of them had washed or used soap for . . . 4 day? As result the natural oils and scents of human beings were awash inside the sleeping bag. Tenel Ka had been inhaling and subconsciously processing Jacen’s pheromones and scent. It was making her terribly horny. She had already thought that Jacen had smelled good, and that was when he was at least washed daily and his body kept clean of the oils humans emit. Now smelling him undiluted by soap . . . It was hard to keep her hands off of him.

To pass the time, and to keep her hands from wandering from where she held him, she tried to recall the days leading up to the crash.

To her recolection, still flawed, they had followed three dead leads before they found the Jensuari, only to be insulted, ignored and shunned before she and Jacen admitted defeat and left the Jensuari alone as they wanted. Tenel Ka scoffed quietly at their mission it had been pointless, even she could have found them, perhaps a week or two later, but she would have found them. She pushed the thought aside. They needed to prepare for a long existence here. For all they knew they could end up stranded here for the rest of their lives. The had to find out what was near them, what, if anything was under the snow. And more importantly that absolutely had to find a food source or a space they could grow the various plant seeds in the survival crates.

Tenel Ka frowned. Each of the pods the Rock Dragon carried had five such survival crates and an equipment crate. She had taken the only one exposed to air, the others, rated to vacuum and fire were still there, buried under the snow.

　

He awoke the following night.

“Tenel Ka?” He asked hoarsely, his mouth cold and dry.

“Here.” she said, handing him a the container of water. Jacen drank greedily. He stopped and then guiltily remembered that they had to make the supplies last.

“We can melt snow later.” Tenel Ka reminded him, he nodded and drank more.

“How long is this crate supposed to last us?” Jacen asked, tense from behind held tightly by Tenel Ka from behind. She was shivering.

“They are meant to feed and hydrate four people for two weeks. There are four more and an equipment crate still in the pod.” she said, shiver betraying her voice. Jacen only now realized how cold he was.

“Jeez its cold!” he gasped and clutched his knees. Tenel Ka shivered more fiercely from the sudden addition of air. She grabbed him again and pulled him back against her.

“Was there any other clothes?” Jacen asked ignoring the warmth of Tenel Ka’s breath against his shoulders.

“There are more thermo suits, all still in packaging. And some coats. . . There is your clothes you crashed in.” she said. Jacen nodded and then stood, at this point not caring anymore about covering himself beyond what the cold compelled him to do. Working quickly he grabbed his clothes, partially dry, partially frozen, and then went after one of the coats in the crate. He glanced at Tenel Ka.

“I’m sorry but I need you to stand.” he said. Tenel Ka frowned, but complied. Jacen took the sleeping bag and examined it quickly, he was getting quite cold. He laid it on the floor of the tent and then slipped his jumpsuit and Tenel Ka’s leathers under it. He held up the sealed end and opened the second zipper a few inches.

“Get it head first.” he said. Tenel Ka’s expression had a look of realization and then nodded. Jacen pointedly focused on tying the ends of the wide sleeves of the coats together. Grabbing Tenel Ka’s feet he put them in the sleeves, and then quickly repeated his work on a second coat from the crate and then joined Tenel Ka in the bag.

“Now all we need to do is wait for the clothes to dry out.” Jacen said. Tenel Ka stared at him, their faces lit only by the sliver of light the opening in the bag allowed.

“We may need to face the fact, that rescue might not find us.” Tenel Ka said. Jacen stared back somberly.

“We’ll get to that when it happens.” he said. Tenel Ka nodded and drew close for warmth.

“I’m sorry Jacen but you are warm.” she said as way of an apology. Jacen smirked, feeling, but being able to see her half lay on him and entwine her knee between his.

“Jacen.” Tenel Ka said softly.

“Yeah?”

“I’m wide awake.” she told him. Jacen snorted.

“I’m not exactly lethargic myself.” he said. They lay in silence.

“We could have sex.” Tenel Ka said.

“What?” Jacen demanded in surprise. Tenel Ka shifted herself atop Jacen.

“Jacen, we have been avoiding discussing our feelings for another for years.” Tenel Ka said and rested her chin on his.

“This isn’t the best place .. .”

“Jacen, I have fallen in love with you and desire you as the only man I wish to procreate with. And more, we could end up dying here. I am not going to die without claiming you.” Tenel Ka said fiercely. Jacen realized that she was being absolutely serious.

“I won’t lie and say I don’t feel the same way about you, but what about-” Tenel Ka silenced him with her lips. Jacen felt his reservations die, and focused only on her lips.

“I will regret nothing that results, and embrace any consequences.” Tenel Ka said. Jacen thought for mere seconds.

“Fine.” He said and flipped her onto her back.

　

　

Tenel Ka quietly listened to the sound of her lover’s breath. She focused on the sound, emmiting from his lips from a centimeter from her ear. She sighed.

Their first attempt at love making had been a total disaster, which only good natured self depreciation and concerted effort on Jacen’s part in the following attempts, allowed him to save the experience. The experience had certainly proved to Tenel Ka that one, she had been a fool to not sneak Jacen into the jungle at some point in the last two years, and that she did not know much about men, both physiologically and psychologically.

She had not been aware, when she demanded coitus from Jacen, that it was almost the worst possible conditions for a male to preform. First off, he had just come out of a Healing Trance, which tending to leave some senses and body functions in a state of sleep well after the Healeee had woken. Second, and also related to the first, it was cold, sufficiently so that initially to Jacen’s severe embarassment, he was unable to even make an attempt on her.

She had also not considered that they both nearly dried out. This had proven tiring and exuasting, and in her case even painful

Jacen had been just as clumsy and misdirected as she was. He obviously had no idea what to do with her softer curves, and his touch had been awkward and clumsy. The obvious result was that both of them had unintentionally embarrassed, and inflicted some measure of pain on each other.

The final embarrassment was that neither of them could finish their attempt. Fortunately nothing was wrong with them that drinking water and allowing themselves to warm up could fix

Once hydrated and no longer shivering, they had no problems. Jacen had then proven to be more competent and confident a Lover than Tenel Ka’s various fantasies had ever dared hope for before.

“If we ever talk to anyone else about it, the first attempt didn’t happen.” Jacen had said before falling asleep.

Tenel Ka stayed awake longer, taking time to check on their clothing. Her leathers were still frozen, though they seemed to be softening. Jacen’s clothes were nearly dry, though his undergarments seemed to remain frozen. She then searched the survival crate again. This time she noticed the optical scanner and the blaster rifle. She looked at the rifle carefully. She had never held a blaster before. That was a weapon for soldiers, she had no idea how they worked. She decided it wasn’t safe for her to inspect it. Hopefully Jacen would have a better idea given his upbringing. She then dived back into the sleeping bag, where Jacen’s body heat had made it wonderfully warm.

　

The following morning found their clothing dry, though not particularly warm. Tenel Ka laughed cheerfully at Jacen’s light cursing and effeminent shrieks from the cold.

Jacen found the winter survival gear uncomfortably hot while in their cave.

“I’ll look around, first at the escape pod, then I’ll try to find the Dragon.”

“If it survived reentry, it should be nearby. The pod is designed to land near it’s crash becon.” Tenel Ka said, sitting up, with her head sticking out of their sleeping bag.

“The Crash becon might not have deployed.”

“Its different from the distress pod. It does not have hyper com capability, but anyone who enters this system will detect its signal.” Tenel Ka pointed out.

“A star system undiscovered in 25 thousand years of space exploration.” Jacen said doubtfully.

“Do not forget that the JedI and the old republic wiped the master maps in the core worlds at the fall of the Old republic. It is possible this was one such star.” Tenel Ka pointed out.

“This star is just dim enough and far enough for inhabited systerms not to notice it.” Jacen nodded. Some hope was better than no hope.

“Worse comes to worse I’ll try to call my sister through the Force.” he said, closing the snaps on the coat. Tenel Ka beckoned him down to her. As he leaned down, she grabbed his head and planted a firm wet kiss.

“Be sure to come back Jacen. I’ll be waiting to welcome you back in every way a woman can.” She said firmly. Jacen smiled warmly and then walked to the entrance of the cave, fitting the cold weather mask with built in goggles.

Were the goggles not filtered, Jacen would have been snow blinded in the bright sun and the impossible whiteness of the snow. Even with the goggles it was very difficult to pick out terrain features.

The expanse he encountered was similar to what he had encountered on Tattoine as a child, when Luke had taken him and his siblings to the desert world. It was like the dune sea, except these were snow drifts. This worried him immensely. Jacen climbed to the top of the hill their shelter was dug into. He then blasted down, releived to find that the snow at the top of the hill was the same depth as the snow on the side their shelter was buried.

From his vantage poin the pulled out the scanner and slowly scanned in a slow circle.

With his scan complete, Jacen took out the attached data pad and hunkered down in a quickly made snow pit, and worked his way throught the functions.

His face was starting to feel the bite of the cold, being much less protected than his body, by the time he finally figured out how to make the scan exclude snow and water. He then looked for high density metals. This made the escape pod show up immediately.

Jacen climbed down the hill through his previous path and found the pod obscured under the snow. He quickly excavated it and then thoroughly searched it. He found the survival crates undamaged. He dragged one, then the others into their cave.

“Jacen!” Tenel Ka said in surprise.

“I’m not done yet, just bringing in these crates.” he told her and deposited the first, then took the second into the tent.

“I’ll be back before sundown.” He told her before he left the second time.

Out side again he took out the data pad and looked for the Rock Dragon. With dismay he found that it had crashed forty odd kilometers away. He couldn’t possibly make that distance in the six or seven hours of daylight.

With a sigh he used the other functions of the scanner and looked for more permanent and better shelters than their hastily made one. To his surprise he found a heat plume amongst the bitterly cold landscape, only three kilometers away. He checked his chrono.

He would have three hours to make it there before he had to turn back, or risk being in the dark on a world where the daily high had been 20 degrees below freezing. The night was roughly 20 standard hours long. And he might be stuck out there during the night, which would likely be fatal. Jacen gathered what courage and daring he could and then set out.

　

It took Jacen two hours to make it, and it had exhausted him. Several hills had turned out to be massive drifts that were quite unstable. He soon learned to differentiate between unstable snows and wind hardened snow pack. He had been nearly buried twice and fallen into a hidden crevasse before he learned this, without the Force he would have died in these events.

When he reached the heat plume, he was surprised to find . . . Nothing.

Just more of the drift swept plain. He pulled out the data pad and looked carefully. He quickly realized that the heat plume was in a cave, a rock cave. After further study he found the entrance to the cave. It was under several meters of snow.

Jacen finally found the entrance to the cave. It had required a lot of Force use. Digging a stable tunnel eight meters down through snow and what appeared to be glacial ice was very tiring. But it was worth it when he broke through and was hit by a wonderful wave of heat. It was pitch black in the cave entrance so he ignited his light saber to light the way and entered the cave.

The cave was humid, prompting Jacen to open his coat and then cast it off. The cave led down sever meters before it opened into a cavern. The cavern was vast enough that his light saber did not illuminate its entirety. Jacen frown and then activated and dropped a long burning flare at the tunnel before venturing into the cave.

The light from his light saber glittered in the cave. Crystals, Jacen eventually determined. He felt no danger so he concluded that the volcanic nature of this cave was not a threat. He soon found the real prize.

He almost fell into it. Jacen leaned down and place his ungloved hand next to the water. Carefully he dipped his hand in. It was a hot spring, and the water was almost imperceptibly warmer than his hand. Jacen smiled and turned around. He had seen enough.

　

The trip back was much easier, no snow had fallen and he had the waist deep track to follow. It still took him an hour and a half, long enough for the sun to dip low against the horizon.

Tenel Ka had been waiting and greeted him the moment he entered the Tent.

“What have you found?” she asked with a smile, having sense his elated state with the Force.

“An underground hot spring. Body temperature.” He said. Tenel Ka smiled broadly at the news.

“And the Rock Dragon?” she asked. Jacen’s smile faltered.

“Forty kilometers away. It took me two hours to travel just three. It would take several days to reach it.” Tenel Ka nodded grimly and unsnapped the coat.

“Come we need to get this off of you and dry it of your sweet and the snow on the outside.” She said, quickly stripping Jacen of his survival gear and of his clothes, She all but shoved him into the sleeping bag. She scrambled in after him.

Jacen grunted when she wrapped her arm around him.

“I’m sorry, but you are so warm.” She whispered.
“Tomorrow well find something for me and we’ll move into this hot spring of yours.” Tenel Ka said.

“Sounds good to me.” Jacen said, tired and exuasted before falling asleep.

 

Yay for the survival crates & the hot spring. And of course snugging in the sleeping bag I just know Jacen enjoyed that part

 

lol! Poor Jacen...injured, cold and then he's propositioned by a sexy woman. Oh well, he'll survive. Nice update.

 

"If we ever talk to anyone else about it, the first attempt never happened." Ah, the side of young love we all forget about! I liked that TK made the first move--if she'd waited for Jacen, they'd be in their late twenties before he got up enough courage.

For some reason, I can't get Shackleton's misadventure out of my head while reading this!

 

Jade_Eyes: Impending death by exposure or starvation? Yes sex is a good distraction.
Jedi_Lover: Very true
SiouxFan: Thats true, I'm sure some people don't screw it up or nearly so, but most men fail miserably those first few times.
Shackleton is a good comparison.

 

When are we going to give us an update? I look forward to seeing what happens next.