Orian stood at the Chimera's sensor consoles, staring away at them with tired eyes. Everyone had been working tirelessly since arriving to get Thrawn back to the core system, back to where he could make an impact on the New Republic and finally rebuild a new Order of their own... and Orian was taking this job quite seriously.

It wasn't that he particularly supported the Empire, but he felt he owed his life to them... the Empire took care of his family when needed most. All because of Orian's specialties in the force he was able to enlist with the Empire's team of Inquisitors in exchange for the best of housing for his family, and the upmost of care provided by Imperial Health Services for his twin sister who had been born with a genetic disorder, Rhia.

All of the torment he went through in training had all become worth it for his parents, for Rhia, for the people in his life he thought mattered more in this galaxy than he did... which is why to this day when Morgan called upon him, he knew where his loyalties were to lie. He knew he would be at her service in her quest to find the Grand Admiral, and if he hadn't joined this quest... then he wouldn't have met Nebula.

Orian wasn't sure how his thoughts kept wandering to the Chiss onboard, especially as he was supposed to be monitoring the atmosphere as his own self appointed task... he sensed something was off, but he wouldn't place his finger on it.

Maybe he was just tired, but he refused to rest until confirming there was either an issue, or that everything was clear and it was false intuition.

~~~

Nebula had given herself very little time to think of Orian since landing. It was well known that she wasn't in this for Morgan, for the Empire, or for anyone else really. She had followed Thrawn out of the Chiss Ascendancy, and supported his beliefs closely... for the most part.

The way the Empire had crashed and burned the way it did seemed to be for the best in her opinion, but if Thrawn was so confident that he could lead a new Empire... she would certainly give him the chance. It had been so easy to follow when Elsbeth had called, giving her a chance to feel as though she was doing something that *mattered*... and besides, meeting Orian hadn't been the worst thing to happen. It wasn't as if she were purposely out seeking romance at a time like this, and anything going on between them... was situational, and perhaps she was overthinking it anyway, but even still...

Nebula tried to shake her thoughts of Orian as she looked over Thrawn's logistics one more time. There truly was nothing else for her to do for the time being. Thrawn and Morgan had gone off, requesting their privacy for the evening, which had left her to overanalyze already existing data. She set the datapad down, deciding that she would do one more round of the more important controls of the ship, before retiring for the evening as well...

It just so happened that Orian was in one of the very first rooms she checked. She considered leaving him be... but... "And here I thought you'd have been asleep by now." She commented, walking across the room so she could stand beside him at the controls. "Everyone else of importance has gone on to bed."

Orian turned his head just enough to face the Chiss, his shoulders giving a light shrug. "I'm not quite tired... I feel as though my work isn't done. I don't feel like I can leave until I prove there's nothing but bones surrounding this planet."

"I can't imagine that's hard to prove when the only thing surrounding the planet *are* in fact bones." Nebula said almost in a teasing manner, looking over his shoulder. "If even the Grand Admiral can know when to call it a night, then you should learn as well."

His attention turned back to the monitors... she had a point... a very good one at that. Orian sighed, stepping back from it. "Maybe you're right... I just... I don't want to disappoint. Not anyone in any of this. And I just have a bad feeling..."

"Maybe there's a reason for that. We're in a new Galaxy, on a new planet... but everyone seems to have it under control. Besides, I was hoping I'd run into you before I headed to bed myself. We've barely spoken since we arrived..."

"You... were?" Orian questioned her, turning his full attention to Nebula. "I... I don't know. I had just assumed you were now busy. You reunited with the Grand Admiral and were continuing your work under him. I didn't want to bother."

"I was busy, that doesn't mean I've forgotten about... whatever this is. I'm tired of pretending that there isn't... something, going on between us. I suppose I was hoping you'd be able to tell me what it is?" She looked up at him, genuinely seeming as though she wanted this as an answer.

Silenced filled the air for a moment, Orian's eyes unable to meet Nebula's for just a moment too long. "I've... always wondered the same thing. I mean... I didn't come here looking for anything more than continued work for the Empire that aided my family when needed most... but... I can't help but feel you—*we* have a growing connection... one I don't want to ignore any longer."

"Nobody ever said that we couldn't keep our duties, and also look into... this, this thing between both of us." Nebula didn't break eye contact with him, moving closer to close the gap between the two of them. "You have your loyalties to the Empire, I have my own to Thrawn... but what about to one another?"

Orian's face notably took on a bit of a red hue, but he didn't move away from her. "I would give you my loyalties any day, Nebula... if you just said the word they'd be yours..."

"I'd give my own for you, Orian... if I've yet to prove that to you, perhaps this will be enough to change your mind." Without any other hesitation, the chiss stood up on her tip-toes to be able to reach him due to their difference in height, gently resting one of her hands on his cheek as she kissed him.

Orian returned the kiss, a careful arm wrapping around her waist to pull her closer as he leant down to allow her to go flat on her feet. This is something he had wanted for a long time... and this was a moment he wished more than anything he could cherish with her. But as everything in their lives, this beautiful moment was cut short as an alarm started to go off on the monitor—a ship had entered the atmosphere.

Pulling away rather abruptly, Orian looked over. "We need to go find Morgan or Thrawn... we've got company."

(A/N: The coauthor and I are going on a trip for the next week, so that means maybe we'll speed a few more chapters for you all??? Who knows, but ty for reading 🥰!