Bankor

Zane had rolled his eyes at the new regulations placed around base, some sort of way to prevent more information leaks or something? Honestly it was a pittance of a measure and probably wouldn't serve a purpose other then to piss people off. If there was a leak it was from someone in the republic after all.

Drink in hand, Z relaxed on one of his two couches. He had some potential plans for this evening, and he wanted to work out the details in his head before he set everything in motion. It might give him some answers,but it was likely a very bad idea.

A few taps on the door came and Z heard a voice that was familiar, if two years in the past. "Z, you in?"

"Of course." Zane replied, into the comm before rising to his feet and moving towards the door. He offered her a charming smile, as the door slid open. "But, only because a hot redhead wants in."

She gave him a casual grin as she saw him, stepping into the ship. "You'll have to introduce me to her," she said playfully.

"And risk you, taking her out without me?" He raised an eyebrow. "No, thank you." He offered her a playful smile, before turning to lead her towards the interior of the ship. "Could I get you anything to drink?"

"Goodness no, of course not," she assured, coming into the ship. "Please. Do you mind?" She held up the vapor cigarette she kept on her as she headed into the common area.

"Really Luth? Vapor cigarettes?" He shook his head, in mock sadness. "Go ahead." Moving towards the bar he offered her a smile.

"Whiskey, vodka, tequila?" He asked as he pulled out a glass. Her answer would tell him a bit about her intentions.

"What can I say? I don't like me and everything I own smelling like burning tobacco all the time. Besides, it drives Arali up the wall," She sat back and took a drag. "Hmm... Whiskey. Can't pass that up."

His lips curled into a playful smirk. "To be honest that vaporizer is the only reason I said yes." With a practiced movement he picked up a bottle and poured her a glass of the amber liquid.

Her drink in hand, he picked up his own and headed her way. Zane would pass her, the drink before settling into the couch beside her. "Those silly things will never be as sexy though." He mused before taking a sip from his glass. "Still glad to hear you and Arali are still together, despite the fact you didn't retire."

She laughed at that, exhaling a small thread of cinnamon and clove scented steam. "True enough. Harder to imagine it after sex," she agreed.

She accepted the drink and took a small sip, enjoying the taste with eyes closed. "Mm... Yeah... We aren't able to see each other as often as we'd like. I still don't think I'm a wise choice for her, but I'm not going to dictate what I think is good for her or not."

"Yeah, it just doesn't have that same." He lifted his hand, in a rather meaningless gesture. "Well, you know." Z finished with a smirk.

"That's what she told me, hard to get together when one if you is running around the galaxy." He wasn't trying to lecture her with that statement, just stating the facts. "I don't think she would let you even if you tried though. That plum can be a stubborn one."

She laughed. "Yeah, I definitely know." She leaned back and nodded, sighing. "Yeah, she can be. I love her for it. And she's right, of course." She gestured outward with the glass.

"I suppose the question is if you love her, or your work more." He mused thoughtfully, letting his eyes drift in her direction. "After all, you don't have any particular reasons you can't retire."

She looked over toward him for a long moment. "You should know better than anyone that I don't love my work. I just don't know what else I can do."

"Retire, raise a big heap of children." He replied with a teasing smile as he let his eyes match hers. "Heck you could even go into private security. There is a lot of call on Coruscant. It won't be easy of course, and it's a bit scary. Going back to making your own decisions."

"You can't linger doing something you hate, because fear or indecision though. Sometimes you just got to make the leap." He offered her a playful wink. "Arali will help you land on your feet."

She smiled at that. "That doesn't sound like a bad life."

She looked over again. "I went straight from slavery into the SIS, Z. Making my own decisions is a new thing for me."

"I'd imagine so, but you do need to start sometime." He offered her a warm smile as his gaze met hers. "Both of us can't be married to this kind of work. One of us needs to leave, and its definitely not going to be me."

"Yeah, I know," she admitted, taking a drag and exhaling before she looked toward him with a slightly tired smirk. "We'll be in a stand off about who gets to stop first for just a little while longer, though."

There might be something there, something she wasn't telling him, but he wasn't going to push. Instead he reached his hand towards her in a attempt to pluck the vaporizer from her hand.

So you're going to get into a stubbornness match with me then?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "That's a dangerous prospect."

She moved smirked and held it back past her. "Looks like I am. Think you can even match me in stubbornness?"

That brought a playful smirk to his features, as he set his glass on the table. "More then a match, Luth." He offered casually, as he laid his closer hand on her thigh. Zane would use it as something of a brace, as he shifted his body across hers, free hand after the vaporizer.

The move brought their faces closer together then was strictly platonic, but that was just a coincidence.

The fact that her breathing picked up slightly was absolutely a matter of the stretching to keep it out of his reach, as well. "And why do you want this so bad, hmm?" She asked, leaning back and to the side to try and keep it out of his reach, stretching and using her other elbow to support her on the seat.

"Because, sharing is caring." Zane offered after a moment amusement dancing behind his eyes. "And you keep taunting me with it." He stretched even more, his face sliding past hers, as his lips neared her ear. "Now give it here before I start cheating."

"Don't tempt me," she murmured, her face close enough to his skin for hot breath to wash over it. She brought the vapor cig down and tapped the tip against his lips. "There."

Zan accepted the vaporizer with a playful smile, sliding off from her, and back to his place on the couch. It would be a lie to say he wasn't at least a little aroused, but he pushed that down.

"Oh, I don't think I even got to trying to tempt you yet " He replied as he took a drag from the vaporizer. It was a bit of a sin against cigarettes, and the taste reminded him of tea, but it took the edge off his craving. "You're certainly running hot though." It wasn't something he really minded, and if there wasn't the matter of Arali, he might have pushed her down onto the couch already.

"Mind if I ask what they've got you into?"