Mhi Solus Tome? (Somewhere in the galaxy)

[Raven Cadera]

Raven's arm still felt a little stiff, something Dredgen had told her she'd feel for a while still but that it was a reminder she was still alive and still had her arm. Only a few inches more and it would've been lost. At least it was getting slowly better day by day.

Checking the coordinates and her compass, Raven continued on ahead on this strange new world, the thermal cloak wrapped around over her armor so that the beskar'gam wasn't immediately identifiable to anyone she'd come across.

As she routinely checked to see she was on the right course and getting closer to her destination, she felt more and more nervous. At some point, she considered leaving the search... but she found the strength to quell the thoughts of self-doubt and fear, and pressed on.

[Honor]

Raven's walk was greeted by the occasional huntsman, looking on as this woman in heavy armor passed by. It was a sight they'd seen recently but one no less strange. Uncommon still, for sure. Through the grassland into the trees. Dominant in the colors of these plants was a purple hue. Purple leaves, purple grass, and varying shades to boot as it was in the fall season. Some leaves turning close to white while others turned almost black.

Following the coordinates she was brought up to an old abandoned building. Perhaps a former research station, or a military outpost. It was old, for certain, and hadn't had proper maintenance done on it in quite some time. Inquiries made in the village suggest that an armed man, much like herself, came out here some time ago and promised he'd deal with a local infestation and accepted no payment.

Just inside the door she found the workstation. Where many of the tools and materials Praxton had brought in could be found. One particular one was his helmet, sitting on a chair beside a tent of a sort.

[Raven Cadera]

Pushing her hood back as she stepped into the station, Raven let the enhanced optics of her helmet do the hard work for her. What sort of infestation had been here, she wondered... and was it still around.

The sight of the familiar helmet gave her pause, and she looked around for its owner with a few quick glances, even if the tent seemed of course the obvious place.

What should I say? Call his name, or... just... open... no. Living in such tight quarters with other Mandalorians, you came to respect the little privacy there was and she wasn't going to just barge in.

"Brother?" she called, keeping one hand on the hilt of her sword just in case there was something or someone else there.

[Honor]

From the tent there was no answer, just the rustling of the wind from behind her.

[Raven Cadera]

She waited for the answer... it felt like waiting for someone to twist the knife. And it didn't come. Strange. Her head turned slightly as she heard the rustling of the wind, wary of potential ambushes.

Feeling she'd given fair warning if he was busy, she pushed the flap of the tent aside to get a look of what was within.

[Praxton]

Inside it was fairly spartan, comfortable to a Mandalorian.

"Looking for something?" his voice came from deeper within the building. Throwing a towel of his shoulder. Wearing some fewer pieces of his armor than usual it was clear he'd been doing some manual labor.

[Raven Cadera]

Hearing the familiar voice, she found herself briefly in the moment of fight-or-flight instinct. At least she eased her hold on the hilt of her weapon, turning herself towards the direction of the voice.

"Well... uh, yeah. You sent me these coordinates." Even if the voice was distorted through the vocoder of the helmet, it was clearly hers. Now she almost envied the way Varina just played off things cool. Or at least tried to.

[Praxton]

"I did," he confirmed. Walking over to the tent and putting the towel down over the chair that was holding his helmet.

"Before even my brother I thought you might like to appraise our new home. Soon this enclave, remote and accessible, will grant our people the ability to grow," he said.

[Raven Cadera]

She took the moment to look around them more, to get more of an idea of how this could be the new home for their group. Though it did bring back the horrible feelings of guilt that had led Praxton here in the first place, and had made him be on his own for all this time.

"It looks good..." She remarked, her voice a bit quiet. "... I'm sorry you had to go through all this trouble to find it. I really am."

Reaching up, Raven removed her helmet, but she didn't look at him just yet as she worried for what expression she'd see there.

[Praxton]

"I accepted it knowing my brother," he said, holding himself steady a moment. Second guessing the movement before he made it, not sure what to do after that.

"You have nothing to apologize for Raven. My choice, my consequence. It wasn't much trouble. Though I regret being separated from you all when you needed it most."

[Raven Cadera]

"I know..." her hands tightened the hold on her helmet. This wasn't exactly a situation she knew how to handle herself. "Still... it should've been me. I'm used to being on my own, so it would've been fine."

Her eyes wandered a bit more over the surroundings as she eventually faced him. "... So... uh..." Raven cleared her throat awkwardly. "... I thought this would've been easier in person, but now I find I don't know what to do. That message, I..." nervously she grit her teeth. She'd never had to deal with this before. Confessing once was hard enough, and finding that courage again... she'd rather face down that overgrown crustacean once more right now.

"Probably seemed... really stupid."

[Praxton]

"It wasn't stupid," he said, burying his hands into his pockets. Pulling them back out, "Your feelings, they are understandable. Though.." he paused, thought for the right words. "You are young, Raven Cadera. Before even twenty galactic standard," he sighed, shifted his weight.

"I am.. quite a bit older, from another time entirely. I am just over halfway through 30. I understand the pains of the heart, but you are a strong and determined warrior. Some may forget you are only so young when they see you as a warrior but I do not. Do not misunderstand, it is not because I think you young, or worse, a child, but I am faced with the truth of all that you can someday become that you have already risen so far."

"You will have many years, and you deserve to spend those with one who will be able to share them all with you," he said.

[Raven Cadera]

Kriff... this wasn't even just a refusal. Or being outright shot down. And it just made it all the more difficult for her. Had he just said he wasn't interested, maybe that would've been better? Or at least easier.

"It's not like most of our people expect to die of old age. In times like these to boot..." her laugh was short, enough to hide her painful confusion..

"So... you just wanted to... invite me out here before everyone else, your brother included, to tell me my feelings don't matter, just because I'm younger than you? Even if I've been through more shit in my life than most that are older than me?" Ok, even she had to admit that did not come out right. Or hid her hurt feelings.

[Praxton]

"I.." he sighed, fidgeted. "Not that your feelings don't matter," he almost spilled over the words when he finally found them. A strange sight given his usual demeanor. "I invited you out here because I believe in you. With your message I felt it was important to try to explain.. I felt I could only explain this in person. I am.. I am not a man who knows this part of life. Once, I did. That was some years ago, and we were separated. As you said, few who follow our way expect to die of old age."

"Your attraction is not flawed, but misplaced," he said, thought to say more, but held himself silent.

[Raven Cadera]

It wasn't a surprise, and perhaps it gave a clearer picture of the man he was. The man she had fallen for, and wanted to share all with. And it didn't tarnish how she saw him or felt about him.

"I'm sorry for your loss." The words were quiet, but sincere. Raven knew all too well what loss was like. It was a lesson many brothers and sisters knew.

She wanted to turn away, maybe cry, give in to fear like she often did. For once she didn't care that he saw that her eyes were blurry with tears building up as she stepped closer.

"... If you just said they were unwelcome... it would hurt, but I'd bury it, because I love you," her voice trembled through the words, "and I would do that for you. Just... just tell me, and I'll never speak it again. But, those feelings? They're not misplaced - you make it sound like you're not worthy of it, or something, and that's not true. If anything... you deserve better than an idiot like me."

[Praxton]

Praxton looked down, solemn at the passing of the thought. He would share words for the one who passed on, but later when it was appropriate. For now, he re-focused on the living.

"I cannot claim they were unwelcome," he replied, after some thought. "Nor can I allow you to speak of yourself in such a way. Either would be false. Not worthy of the Mando'a," straightening his shoulders he found himself, he stood proudly. "It is an honor, to be found worthy by you, Raven Cadera. Never doubt for a moment your own worth."

"Yet," he sighed the sigh of a man about to say a hard truth, "There are times, not despite but because of how you care, that you must look to the future. Consider what is best, and act on it. A hard lesson to learn for some more than others."

[Raven Cadera]

Having closed the distance between them now, Raven put a hand on his shoulder and looked up at him. Her blue eyes showing a gentler side of her that few others ever saw. For a moment, she was silent as she processed the words, and then seeing his pain instead of her own. Or at least she thought she did.

"I am looking at the future." Something that meant a lot for a people that considered the now and immediate future more. Not that it was obvious she actually meant him, literally.

"You're... not the past, Praxton. Or someone without a future. You tell me not to put myself down, but... I have to demand the same from you." She breathed in deeply, and found her voice steadier, softer. "... Don't push me away because you think you're unworthy, because you're not. Or because you're scared. I... I know what it's like to be scared - to not let people in, in fear you'll get hurt again. Not in the same way as you, but... I do understand."

Both statements felt like it could be terrible insults otherwise to a Mandalorian, but she felt like she recognized the pain and hurt she saw. How she too often only let people in within an arm's reach, but no further. Because it hurt too much to get attached and lose someone again.

[Praxton]

"I am not afraid I will be hurt again," he said, looking to her. "I fear for how I might limit you, Raven Cadera. You are mature, grown. A rightful warrior and woman in her own right. Yet, you are young. You have much time to develop who you are yet. What you deserve is one who would grow with you, explore this world with you."

He chuckled, softly, "My future is not yet done, and I am not the past. Yet, I am solid. Who I am has been decided by my time, by my trials. You have faced your own but you are far from done. You deserve a life alike the one I have been afforded to lead. To grow and thrive with another, to experience that joy and hardship for yourself. You would not get that following your heart with me. I am who I am. You are yet to fully discover who you will be," he said.

[Raven Cadera]

It was confusing. And hurtful. It felt it had been easier had he just dismissed her. Or told her not to feel this way. How was she supposed to go on with these feelings, and just... not draw a line in the sand.

Raven averted her gaze, uncertain in this very unfamiliar kind of battle. It wasnt that she doubted herself, or her feelings, but she simply didn't know what to do or say. "Praxton..." she said at first, but it took a while before the words continued again.

"I know who I am. You already helped me see that. To find that..." her hand left him, returning to her as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I already can't lead a life like you had. You know that. I had to grow up back then, I had no other choice if I wanted to survive, but... you've taught me that there's more than just surviving. No, more than that. Being with you, listening to you, even if you didn't see it or know it, you helped me grow." She wasn't doing the best job of putting it all into words, tempted as she was to just headbutt him into actually listening instead of trying to downplay her feelings. Explain them away.

"You could never hold me back. Know that." When she spoke those words, it was with a strong conviction. She knew her own heart. And she had already decided what she'd do... though what she'd do after that... that Raven had no plans or ideas for.

[Praxton]

"I must.. think.." he said, trying to parse the thoughts he was having. "I had thought this meeting would go down differently. Certain I am of what I know. Caring for you, Raven Cadera, I believe is true but how.. I do not know what form it takes. What I know is that you will become one of the greatest among us some day. It is certain. My joy it has been to see you grow over these last few months and yet.."

"If I were to accept your feelings without considering the difference in the years we have lived. Though you have lived a life that has matured you into a fine warrior. I would do you a disservice. So fully I know that... I have considered nothing else."