Beyond - Legends The God of Second Chances (DDC 2015) 12/23/15 (OCs, Solos) Complete (Cover posted 4/24/17)

Title: The God of Second Chances: The Journal of Breha Amidala Solo
Author: Divapilot
Characters: OCs, Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, Jaina Solo, others
Time frame: NJO/Post-Vong
Summary: The course of true love never did run smooth.
Genre: adventure; romance


Notes: Written for the Dear Diary 2015 (DD15) Challenge. Original characters written for the story http://boards.theforce.net/threads/true-blue-ocs-h-l-l-m-kiana-ti-kyp-etc-for-mods-dare-challenge-final-authors-replies.50023681/]True Blue.[/url] As always, my OCs, the Maker’s action figures, Mickey’s sandbox.

Spoiler: links to related fics

All']http://boards.theforce.net/threads/all-i-have-to-give-au-ocs-oc-revolution-winter-challenge-response.50026484/] All I Have to Give[/url] - takes place between ch 9 and 10 of this story.

http://boards.theforce.net/threads/true-blue-ocs-h-l-l-m-kiana-ti-kyp-etc-for-mods-dare-challenge-final-authors-replies.50023681/]True Blue[/url] - takes place three years before the start of this story.

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Spoiler: cover compliments of Ewok Poet

The God of Second Chances: The Journal of Breha Amidala Solo

***

Spoiler: Author’s Notes

First of all, many thanks to Nyota’s Heart for inspiring this saga by posting a dare challenge last year that resulted in “True Blue.” The characters I created for “True Blue” have been fleshed out in this sequel of sorts.
There are significant AU differences in this work from the established Expanded Universe. The first, of course, is the addition of a fourth Solo child, Breha Amidala Solo. She is my creation and does not exist in the EU. I have also condensed some of the timing most notably by moving up Jag and Jaina’s marriage and Jag’s ascension to the imperial throne. Additionally, I have completely disregarded the Killik wars, which I found needless and just icky because bugs. In my AU Jacen never becomes sithy, instead he has severe PTSD as a result of the mission to Myrkr, which resulted in Anakin Solo’s death. This makes more sense to me; Jacen was always a tender soul in the Jedi Academy series and how he could become a monster never seemed to make sense.
If you are so inclined, I have detailed the Barolian religion that Blue follows in the fanon post http://boards.theforce.net/threads/...iscussion-world-building.50024318/page-7]here[/url]. (scroll down)

Spoiler: OC character list

Breha Amidala Solo (Bree): youngest of the four children of Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo. Unlike her siblings, she is not Force sensitive. She tends to be overprotective but devoted to those she loves, especially when it concerns her boyfriend Blue.

Blue (Ryoki Akahai): a medic who serves on the refugee transport ship Alisander. He has a history of drug addiction and incarceration, which he struggles to put behind him. As a result he is deeply ethical. He loves Bree very much.

Thom: Blue's best friend on the Alisander. Thom means well but doesn't always understand how close Blue is to his addiction.

Captain Bel Sia: Captain of the Alisander. She recognized Blue's potential and brought him aboard as her ship's medic, an act for which he is deeply grateful.

Derek: First mate of the Alisander. He has quietly supported his friend Blue, especially in protecting him from potential legal trouble and by keeping the ship's alcohol stores tightly secured to prevent any temptations.

Zara: a Zeltron refugee saved from exploitation by Bree and Blue. She returns their kindness with loyalty and friendship.

[1]

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After establishing my work over the last three years at the refugee camp on Tanis, I’ve been asked to document the travels of a set of refugees from the beginning of their journey to their next destination. I’m excited because I have arranged that the Alisander will be the ship that will transport us. It worked out well; the ship is slated to arrive anyway and Captain Sia is willing to take on another refugee transport. Of course, the real reason I can’t wait to see the Alisander arrive at dock is that I can finally get a chance to work beside Blue, the ship’s medic. He is an intelligent, talented healer, and he is a kind and passionate man. I know this because I’ve known him for more than three years, and he is the one I gave my heart to.

It’s been two months since I’ve seen him. It feels like two years. Every time he leaves, all the color drains out of my life. Then when he comes back, it’s like Fete Week for his entire stay. Having him here with me again is like feeling the sun on my face after a storm. Everything is brighter and warmer when he’s with me.

I get that there are some people who criticize us. They think that because I’m a member of one of the most important families in the galaxy -- a granddaughter of not just one but two queens, the last Viceroy of Alderaan, and of the Hero With No Fear, and a daughter of the last Princess of Alderaan and the hero of the Rebellion -- then I should have chosen someone more influential or at least more palatable to the public. Certainly not someone whose legal name is Parolee 735204, a convicted drug dealer who served three years in prison for negligent homicide in the death of his friend. They say I can do better. I should do better. I have a duty to do better.

I don’t care what they think. They don’t know Blue the way I do. We have pushed through so much together. He was beside me in my loneliest days, holding me and wiping away my tears. I defended him when he believed he had been forsaken by everyone. He knows my darkest times and I know his.

Anyone who presumes to tell me that “I can do better” does not understand. He will always be my Blue and I will always be his Bree.

 

First! I haven't read it yet, but I watched the thread and I'm really glad I beat Nyota's Heart to the first comment once in my life!

 

LOL Chyntuck !! What a terrific first post. I love the tone. Bree is so confident in her choice being the right one and so loving and content with her career and romantic paths. She is correct that she and Blue know each other better and have shared more of themselves with one another than with anyone else... that is a great and solid foundation for the present and future.

 

This is a lovely throwback to the opening scene of True Blue, when Bree was this young girl who didn't really know what she was doing and why she's doing it. Now she's grown and she's a mature young woman with a purpose in life. I'm looking forward to reading about her adventures and her personal development!

Will this go all the way to the epilogue of True Blue? *drools*

 

Aww, I want to give Breha a hug! There must be so much pressure on her.

True Blue is on my to-read list, but even without knowing the background this has intrigued me.

 

I am looking forward to seeing her do the work she wants to do and further her relationship with Blue --- it will be nice to join up with the Epilogue.

 

Thank you, Nyota! Bree has it together. She has a job she loves, a wonderful guy, a great family to support her. What could possibly go wrong?

Thank you! You’re right, Bree is more mature. She isn’t the 19 year old she was. But then, being 22 doesn’t mean you know everything, either.

Thank you! I’m flattered that you like this, and I hope you continue to enjoy. Part of Bree’s journey in True Blue is about dealing with the pressures that she faces.

Thank you! She and Blue have come a long way, and we know where they wind up in the Epilogue to True Blue. But no road is ever smooth, and we only learn through mistakes.



A/N: I've decided to post the first 2-3 parts about a week apart, to get the story aligned with real time. After that, posts should be about 2 weeks apart.So, here is the second entry.

 

[2]

Technically, I work for the Displaced Persons Authority. I interview the refugees, then enter the information into a database, and the DPA uses that information to cross-reference with other survivors who might be their missing loved ones. It’s helpful to know that I am reuniting families. My friend Alta organizes the interviews for me, which is such a help. We’ve been friends since the same day I met Blue. Alta lives nearby, and her daughter Tara attends the local school. It’s been hard for them since they learned about Alta’s husband’s death. But they have each other, and they have built a life for themselves. Before the war, Alta worked at a communications outpost, overseeing the operations of the subspace transmissions node. Her natural ability to organize things makes her a perfect person to help keep the ever-changing populations in the refugee settlement in some kind of order.

I will miss Alta while I do my assignment on the Alisander. She’s been such a good friend to me. But I know that she’ll be fine. Tara has learned to read now, and she often comes over to my little apartment after school and does her homework. I’ll watch her until Alta gets off her shift. Alta will have to modify her schedule in my absence. I don’t know; maybe I’ll write some little stories for Tara and send them to her so she won’t forget me while I’m gone.

But for now, since Blue has a week of shore leave before we ship out together, my bosses at the DPA office have been duly notified that they will be seeing very little of me. Blue and I have been inseparable since he got off the shuttle. As soon as we saw each other, I threw my arms around him and he kissed me. He immediately started shivering – he hates the cold – so it’s a good thing I had brought him his gloves and a scarf. His jacket isn’t nearly warm enough, though. I’m going to have to see about getting him a heavier coat. Poor Blue – his tropical blood will freeze until he gets used to it. I’m afraid there are no palm trees on Tanis. Even the warmest parts of this planet are barely temperate. That’s why the government refugee camp is on Tanis: no one else wants it, so the refugees get dumped here.

We ate that first night at a little tapcafe (more of a bar that serves the occasional meal, but whatever). At one point during dinner, he reached over, took my hand and put it on his chest, and told me that I would always have his heart. It was such a sweet, romantic gesture. Then he had to go and ruin it by telling me that I could have the rest of his internal organs and pretty much the whole package if I would only agree to marry him. Really? Really??? He knows how I feel about that. The answer is still no. I would have been in a very cross mood if he hadn’t made it up to me later that night.

We haven’t left the apartment in three days. Yes, a lot of that time has been spent in bed. But we have much to catch up on, too. Blue tells me about his cases and about how the ship’s crew is doing. He delivered a baby on the last trip. His face lit up with wonder as he described what it was like to bring this new life into the galaxy, to be the first being to hold this little infant. I tell him about my work as a documentarian, and about my family: my sister’s ongoing relationship with Jagged Fel, my brother’s struggles to regain his footing as a Jedi, my mother’s training, and my dad’s adventures. He tells me the little details about his background – the city by the ocean where he grew up, spending days at the beach with his friends, the lives of his parents and his sister. He says that when he talks to me, it’s like a bridge that connects back to the people he loves but can’t contact. It’s sad in a way. Eight years – almost nine -- have gone by since he saw them. For Blue, his family is frozen the way he last saw them. Talking to me about them rekindles the memories that keep them alive in his heart.

It’s morning now, that quiet gray time when the winter sun edges into the sky. I’m sitting on the chair next to the bed, sipping my stimcaf and finally catching up on my journaling. He’s still asleep. His hair is a wild cascade against the white pillow, and I can see the trace of stubble on his cheek. I want to touch him, not for any purpose other than to reassure myself that he’s real, he’s here, he’s mine. But instead I’ll leave him to the secret language of his dreams and I’ll content myself with memorizing this moment, to be folded away in my heart.

 

Alta & Tara: Awww, sorry to hear about the husband/father. But yay for them becoming like family with Bree. Alta's work and Bree's also sound interesting and very useful to the refugees.

Tanis versus Blue's homeworld - yikes, quite a contrast, rather like coming from the Bahamas to Canada

The reunion with Blue: LOL on the internal organs part of that mushy begun statement about having his heart

Loved how they shared more of their current and past histories They seem to enjoy and appreciate each moment together, which is always a fabulous thing and understandable in the context of their experiences and losses.

Speaking of, Blue knows all too well what it is like to be disconnected involuntarily from loved ones and Bree knows how it feels to lose someone you feel is like an extension of yourself I cannot imagine a situation where they would easily walk away from one another or not work 10 times harder than most to keep themselves communicating and candid as a couple. (Can you tell I'm intrigued by the notion of 'second chances' in the title?)

 

Lovely chapter and depiction of Bree and Blue's relationship

 

This is very sweet -- I look forward to seeing more of their relationship development.

 

See, the reason I need to post my review before Nyota's Heart is the fact that she always says everything I have to say, and then some more. So I'll just reiterate that the bit about Blue's internal organs was clearly the way to go to spoil the mush of the moment, whether Bree wants to marry him or not

 

a/n: my apologies! In my stupor I forgot to post thank you's. I will comment on your thoughtful responses when I post the next set of replies.


[3]

Last night we went out to a party with some of my work friends. Alta dropped in for a little while, then she had to get back home to Tara, but Blue appreciated seeing her again. We went to that same little tapcafe where we ate the first night he got in. It was loud and crowded. (They had urbanrise music playing, which is a nice switch from the outer rim music that you usually hear in these kinds of decidedly-not-upscale establishments. The music has a pretty strong electronic element to it and you can feel the bass before you actually hear it.)

I was drinking a little bit, just to unwind. Blue doesn’t drink. He is a recovering addict with alcoholic tendencies so he keeps away from alcohol and drugs. But he doesn’t mind if I indulge in an ale or two every now and then. Everyone was having such a good time, and we were dancing, and I was getting pretty darn relaxed, so sometimes our dancing became a bit more like making out, but no one seemed to mind (or notice).

That’s the one nice thing about Tanis: these people are my friends, and I don’t have to hide anything from them. Blue and I can be ourselves. Any other place, I would have to be on my guard. Someone is always waiting to ambush me, whether it’s a political attack or a sludge news reporter tracking me. I don’t know which is worse. Alta showed me a recent sludge news article about me that said that I was romantically involved with the son of some Grand Moff of the Imperial Remnant. Even had a doctored holo to go with it. “The Littlest Solo Comes to Her Senses” the headline screamed. By the Maker, it even suggested the date I planned to marry this person I have never heard of. As for Blue, they know my man served time for an offense related to drug use, they know he is from Baroli, and they know he is on parole. That much has slipped out over the last three years. Honestly, they make him seem like a Black Sun assassin. I try my best not to let them know more. At least on Tanis we can sit together, hold hands or even kiss each other in public, and slow dance in a bar without worrying that it will be smeared all over the gossip holos in the morning.

Anyway, sometime late into the night we said our goodbyes and began to walk home. (Well, Blue walked; I kind of meandered.) It had started to snow, and I remember running around trying to catch snowflakes on my tongue. Blue had never heard of doing that and he thought it was hilarious. Eventually we got back to the apartment and I’m pretty sure Blue put me into bed. (I mean, who else would have?)

I slept late, and when I finally woke up, I came out of the bedroom to find Blue sitting at my kitchen table, reading again, a blanket draped over his shoulders to keep out the draft. He wore his tan work pants and a black sweater, and his long cobalt hair was twisted into a messy loose knot. His stocking feet rested on the other chair as he casually swiped through the pages of the datapad. I’ve never seen reading look so sexy.

“Hey,” I called, stretching.

“Hey yourself,” he answered. He didn’t look up as he swiped another page. “How are you feeling this morning? Need an analgesic?”

“No, I’m fine. I slept away any hangover. I’m a Solo, remember?” I went over to the table, coming behind him and putting my arms around him. “What are you reading, anyway?”

He reached up and put his hand on mine. “Some novel. It’s okay.”

“You’re always reading, Blue. Why are you always reading?”

He was quiet for a moment, then he finally looked up. “It helps with the cravings. Being around so many people who were drinking last night set them off again. Reading distracts my mind from the edginess. I fill my mind up with some entertainment, and then the scratching at the door from whatever I’m craving gets quieter.” Not the answer I expected, but then my Blue never lies to me.

“Are you having a rough day?” I asked.

He held out his hand and I could see a tremble. “It’s not so bad, but just to be safe I cancelled all my cardiac surgeries today.”

I smiled at his joke, then nuzzled his neck. “I could give you a distraction. Would you like that?”

“No.”

I froze. Wait – what? Did I just hear him right? “Did you just tell me no?”

“I just told you no.”

Now I was confused. What did I do wrong? “You don’t want me?” Blue took his feet off the other chair and I sat down across from him. “Did I say something to upset you?” I asked.

He leaned across the table and took my hands in his. “I want you, my Bree. But not for that reason. You are the focus of my life, not a distraction. I won’t use you to bring the cravings under control. I will never use you. I refuse to do that to you.” He caressed my hands. “When we make love, it’s a gift. You trust me so much that you give everything you have to me, and I do the same for you. It’s special. I will never give that gift to another woman as long as I live. I refuse to dishonor that gift by using you to distract me from my addiction.”

Blue looked me in the eyes. I let out a long breath. “I guess I’ll go take a shower, then,” I said. A cold one.

When I went back into the room, he had his feet back on the chair and was reading again. “I have a gift for you if you’re interested later,” he said, not looking up. “I’ll let you unwrap it.”

I don’t think that I could ever have gotten a sexier, more loving rejection.

 

Blue's candor and how he views the sanctity of what they share as a gift and not a distraction. Oh, he's just a pure and utter darling. Bree landed a trove of pure gold!

 

Ny already commented on the melty-melt moment, so I'll comment on the fun:

"The Littlest Solo Comes to Her Senses"

"I’m pretty sure Blue put me into bed. (I mean, who else would have?)"

"I slept away any hangover. I’m a Solo, remember?"

 

Perfect! And what a great character moment between them, with Blue very firmly, rationally and sweetly explaining that he won't use her as a distraction. I really liked him reading away the cravings, as well.

 

Oooh!! I am loving this, lady. You just have a way with OCs. I love how Blue said he'd never use Bree as a distraction. But poor littlest Solo, having to take a cold shower. hee. I love it, and am so sorry that I am behind!!!

 

Entry 2 replies:

Honestly, I didn’t want to get rid of the characters of Alta and Tara so I gave them an excuse to stay. Alta is truly a friend to Bree. As for the difference between Tanis and southern Baroli, I was thinking more like Miami to Anchorage. I picture Blue’s home as being the vibrant pace of Miami with the vibe of Honolulu.

They weave their pasts together to remind themselves of where they’ve come from. Blue’s loss is one of uncertainty – he doesn’t know his family’s status. And Bree is by no means over her brother Anakin’s death. As for the “second chances” in the title, the next post may explain a little more.
Thank you for your reply. I appreciate the time and effort you took.

Thank you for taking the time to reply. They really do love each other.

Thank you! They are a cute couple, but their relationship will be put to the test.. Thank you for your reply.

Blue showed hints of his sense of humor in “True Blue,” but now that he isn’t on guard all the time, he’s turned into a bit of a wise guy. Bree doesn’t mind because she gives it right back. Thank you again for your reply!

Entry 3 replies:

Blue is lighthearted most of the time, but when he’s serious, he means it. Thank you for your reply and your support.

Bree has put up with a lot of harassment, so she tends to look at it with a lot of eye-rolling. Thanks for the reply!

Thank you for the reply. I appreciate it! Blue is, after all, older than Bree and has had time to decide what he wants in his life. He knows that what he has with Bree is special. As for the cravings, he deals with them all the time so he has developed coping strategies. He picks his distractions carefully.

Aw, thanks, lady! Yeah, little Solo had to wait for her gift. But it was worth it.

 

[4]

As I’m going to be working on the Alisander, I had to get an identicard and passcard. Last time I was on board, Blue had copied a passcard for me but it was completely unauthorized and he had to sneak it to me. Now my identicard is legitimate, and I have all the rights and privileges of any other crew member. It has my holo portrait, my name, my date of birth on it and everything. Blue said we could have the same last name if I just married him. We could be Mr. and Mrs. 735204. I rolled my eyes. No. I am not marrying you, Blue.

I have a favorite holo of us. I can’t even remember where we were when we took it, but we are both laughing and so happy in the holo. I brought it with us so we can put it in our quarters. We took it during the first year we were together. In the holo, we are sitting together, his arm draped casually over my shoulder. I guess I was teasing him about something but I can’t remember now what. My brown hair is a little longer now, more shoulder length. Same rounded face – I curse my mother for my lack of cheekbones – same dark brown eyes, but my skin tone, fair to begin with, is even lighter now from the colder climate and not being outside as much. But Blue pretty much looks the same: light tan skin, straight blue hair that ends mid-back, indigo eyes, high cheekbones.

I asked him once about his facial tattoos. He said that most Barolians have them, although there are some cultures that don’t follow the practice. The vertical lines are typical coming-of-age markings, what he calls his “prize for surviving puberty.” The other lines are up to the wearer. Some people never add to the vertical lines. Blue added shorter vertical lines and subtle dots. He says that the designs always have some basis in mathematics. (Barolians are obsessed with mathematics. I say good for them. I suppose someone has to be.)

His particular markings are religious in origin. He explained how Barolian religion works one morning, as we were eating breakfast. He drew an imaginary square with his index finger on the table. “There are four elemental deities,” said Blue, pointing at the imaginary sides of the square. “There is the God of Power, and opposite him is the Goddess of War. Adjacent to that is the God of Compassion and there’s the Goddess of Safety. These correspond to the four basic operations: Power is multiplication, War is division, Safety is addition and Compassion is subtraction.”

“Why is Compassion subtraction?” I asked.

“Because compassion requires you to give of yourself. To sacrifice.” He poked me teasingly in the arm with his spoon for emphasis. “So – those are the Four Elementals. Now, as soon as we Barolians figured out that there are multiple dimensions –as evidenced by the fact that we can calculate to an infinite number of powers, we just had to populate those dimensions with minor deities.”

I looked up at him from my plate. “This is going to be very complicated, isn’t it.”

Blue snorted. “Okay, you want to explain to me how the Force works again?”

“Please, continue.”

“Thank you. Well, when I was in prison, I had a lot of time to think about things. And one of the things I thought about was how Miko’s family allowed me to perform an atonement instead of having to serve all thirteen years of my sentence in prison. That was like a second chance at life for me. So I started to think about the god Ianos. He exists in the past and in the future. He sees them both at the same time. I knew that he was a transformative god, a trickster who gives and takes at his own whim, but still – it appealed to me, so I took Ianos as my patron. Ianos can take something or someone and turn it into its complete opposite. He’s represented by the mathematical concept of absolute value. You put in a number, and whether or not it’s negative or positive, it retains its distance from zero. A negative transforms into a positive. I wanted to do that with my own life, so about a year before I met you, I added the symbol of Ianos to my tattoos, to show that I put my faith in Ianos, the doorway god. The god of second chances.”

And that is where the design for his facial tattoos comes from.

I have a tattoo too. Only Blue knows what (and where) it is.

 

Got a good LOL over the comment about Barolians and math. Was fascinated by Blue's explanation about religious ideas/beliefs for Barolians and why he has taken "the god of second chances" as his patron. I was touched by the holo-portrait Bree is keeping of the two of them. It is always good to have a tangible reminder.

 

"You want to explain to me how the Force works again?"

I also liked very much the description of the Barolian religion, and I found the idea that compassion is subtraction very touching. You have a way of making me emotional, you know that?

And now of course I have to ask: when will we find out about Bree's tattoo?

 

Thank you! I figured that second chances would mean a lot to someone who messed up his life pretty badly. Everyone needs a second chance. And as for those pictures – it’s the candid ones that capture a laugh or a quick smile that seem to mean the most.

Thank you for replying! The Force is a bit odd at time, so a logical faith based on math seemed like a good counterpoint to such a mystical one. And as for Bree’s tattoo, she’s not telling.

 

[5]

Blue and I will be on the Alisander for two months together, which is strange for me to think about. We haven’t actually lived together for more than a couple weeks at a time since we’ve met. I know that sounds weird, but it’s true. I don’t think there will be a problem, but my father’s warning from the first time he met Blue keeps pulling at me – Dad told us that we would have challenges and that we can’t rely on love to solve everything. But if love can’t solve things, then what can, right? I am sure that we will be fine.

Over the next few days onboard ship, Blue introduced me to the crew of the Alisander. I had already met the captain, Bel Sia. Blue thinks the galaxy of her. She took him in when he was homeless and gave him a job. The second mate, Derek, is a good man. He is also very loyal to Captain Sia (no one calls her “Bel.” It’s either Sia, or Captain, or Ma’am). The chief mechanic, Thom, is also Blue’s best friend on board, and then there’s Saphra, our engineer/slicer. There are others -- Lorran, the navigator and communications specialist; Pim, who works in engineering, too -- and a few others. Most of the crew is human, with the exception of Lorran, who’s a Twi’lek, and the Lorrdian cargo master, Nerris. (Technically, Lorrdians are often referred to as near-humans. Blue hates this categorization. Sometimes people call Barolians “near-humans." Blue says why make humans the argent standard as to what makes a culture meaningful? He says if anything we should call humans “near Barolians” since at least Barolians had the sense to evolve out of that useless appendix that we humans still carry in our abdomens.)

So anyway, on one of our first nights, Thom stopped in and told us there was a sabbac game in the mess hall. Blue was ready to play. I just hoped they’d let me in – after all, they know I’m Han Solo’s daughter. But they welcomed us, broke out the cards, and began to deal.

The game was fun. I had won a couple of hands, but most of the game was going to Thom.

I looked at my cards and tried not to show my disappointment. I had dealt poodoo again. Thom examined his cards, then he discarded two. He picked up two new cards from the deck, then he shook his head, laughed, and poured himself another glass of whiskey. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Blue stare at the bottle. Then he caught me watching him and smiled reassuringly.

Pim looked at her hand, then glanced at me. “Have you had a chance to get settled into your new quarters, Bree?” she asked.

I made a show of looking over my cards while I thought of a delicate way to say this. Then Blue put his cards down. “I’m out.” He reached over and put his hand on my arm. “And she’s staying with me.”

“It’s more convenient,” I said quickly. “Blue’s quarters are the closest to the cargo area where the refugees are, and that’s where my work centers, so it makes sense to stay there.”

Blue looked at me dubiously. “Really, Bree?”

I sighed. “And I would only wind up in his bed every time anyway, so I might as well just start there.” Blue smiled, then he took my hand into his own.

Everyone laughed, then Captain Sia put down one card and drew another from the deck. Triumphantly, she laid her hand on the table. “Idiot’s array. I win.” Everyone groaned and tossed the cards back on the table.

When I first met Blue, he had no real friends on the ship. One of the crew members had made it his goal to get Blue off the Alisander, just so he could make more money. I think it was more than that; I think Wells was a cruel man who saw that Blue was vulnerable and took sick pleasure in making Blue’s life hell. Blue couldn’t even eat in the mess hall with the other crew members because he was afraid that Wells would slip something into Blue’s food. With his addiction issues, one relapse could send him reeling, and Blue just couldn’t take the chance.

How he has changed. He was so cautious, so nervous, so isolated. He’s grown so much more comfortable with everyone, so much more relaxed.

I look at him now, laughing with his friends. He has come so far, my Blue.

 

Very interesting to learn about the Barolian religion and Blue's tattoos. And very nice scene with the crew!

 

i love that Blue has a sense of friendship and camaraderie. But what I really like is the first hurdle that Bree passed without knowing. The "Will I be upfront and let the record show that we're a couple". I think Blue was on tinterhooks for what she would say when Pim asked where she stayed. Would Bree stick to the pragmatic no-nonsense explanation or what? And Bree struck just the right note in her reply and explanation.