"Can I stay and cuddle this time?"

Amid standing to pull on the underwear hastily discarded at the foot of his bed Fellis turned his head to look at Raina. She had seductive pout, her eyes gleamed in the dim lighting of his quarters.

"Stay ... but I'm not so much of a good ... cuddler," Fellis replied, with a nervous chuckle.

Hearing himself say the word 'cuddle' sounded foreign, strange. Unlike him altogether. Kaliyo had never needed such emotional reassurances. And one night stands gave no reason to stick around post-coitus.

"In my experience, you've been good at everything," Raina flirted.

"Not ... quite sure how to respond to that," he said walking to the ensuite refresher.

The Chiss felt shy, exposed with Raina and he wasn't quite sure why.

"I'll be right here when you get back."

He heard her exhale deeply and settle comfortably into his bed.

For weeks the eager young trainee had used his one-on-one tutelage as an opportunity for seduction. He never resisted. Why should he? His delusions of a future with Kaliyo ended with her overt display of infidelity aboard this very ship. His ship.

When Fellis exited the refresher after a rejuvenating sanisteam Raina rolled over.

"I hate to ask, but would you mind getting me an electrolyte water, please?" she asked charismatically. "I'd get it myself, but it's so warm under these covers."

"Of course." Bending down to check the miniature fridge under his desk Fellis discovered only a few bars of energy pudding inside. "I'm out, but there's some stocked in the common room."

Fellis opened his room door and an abrupt blur of movement blew past him.

"Think I left something in here, agent." Kaliyo said, briskly entering. "You don't mind if I take a look."

Raina shot up in bed and shrieked, gathering the covers up around her.

"Get out," Fellis authoritatively commanded, pointing towards the hallway.

"Well, hello, Miss Temple," Kaliyo said sardonically, standing like she owned the room. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Out!" Fellis sneered, trying not to call any more attention to the scene.

He approached Kaliyo menacingly, but the Rattataki strolled around the room unaffected. As she opened drawers and looked over his displayed belongings Fellis tried to counter her moves using controlled aggression to shield Raina and prevent her from making a mess.

Undaunted, Kaliyo sauntered towards the bed.

"Tell me, Temple, does Fellis do that thing with his tongue when he's-"

"Shut up-"

There was a sharp bang against the door frame.

"Is everything alright? I heard a scream," an out-of-breath Doctor Lokin asked. He was doubled over in the doorway, holding his heaving chest. A hint of horrified surprise flashed across his face as the scene registered. "Oh, my."

Any hope of containing the situation was now blown.

"It's under control," Fellis assured.

"I should hope so, my dear boy. For your own sake," Lokin stoically nodded. He walked out, closing the door behind him.

The troublesome alien took the interruption as a chance to escape Fellis's grasp.

"Oh, here they are." Kaliyo kneeled down, dramatically prying a pair of skimpy red panties from underneath the seating cushion of the bedside armchair. "Need these for tonight."

She bit her lip and raised an eyebrow at Raina while swinging the bright undergarments around on her index finger.

"Please, Kaliyo, just leave," Raina said, still clenching the covers around her.

"Enjoying my sloppy seconds, I see," she responded with hand on hip. "Pegged you for a much classier dame, Temple. And I hate to be wrong."

Kaliyo waved her panties in the air and walked towards the door. Fellis followed her closely.

"No matter," Kaliyo feigned a listless sigh. "You'll find out all about our agent's 'short comings' soon enough. Let's chat again soon, 'kay?"

Fellis pushed her through the doorway and stepped out behind her, shutting his door. He grabbed Kaliyo's arm and pushed her against the opposite wall.

"Try anything like that again and I'll put a bullet in your spine."

"How tacky, agent," she replied, fixing her eyes on him. She reached out, stroking his chest with her free hand. "Flirting with me with your girl on the other side of the door. You know the risk of discovery turns me on."

"Get over yourself, woman."

They both noticed Doctor Lokin momentarily peek outside of the medical bay.

"I'm just focusing on my studies," he called out from within the room. "Focusing on my studies."

Kaliyo slid her hand down. Fellis slapped it away before it reached his groin.

"We both know that girl can't quench your appetites," Kaliyo chuckled, seductively narrowing her eyes at him. "By the time you stop fooling yourself maybe I won't be around to satiate them."

"We work together. That's it. Be professional or get off this ship."

"Professional? Oh that's rich. Says the guy who fucks every woman he works with. Watcher. The Sith on Balmorra, and the other hideous one on Nar Shaddaa. That chubby businessman's cute assistant. The elderly baroness. The Jedi cultist. The Voss woman. Me ... Temple. Hell, if SCORPIO was compatible you'd probably bend-"

"Enough!" Fellis shouted, shaking his old lover's shoulders.

"Ooh, agent," she cooed. "I like it when you play rough. Let's get 'professional'. Admit you still want me."

He deflected her attempt at a kiss.

"I'll never be your cuckold," he hissed. "Get it through your thick, bald skull. It's over."

"Fine, loser."

The aggravated Chiss gave Kaliyo an intimidating glare and a final hard nudge away from his quarters. She stumbled away.

Only when the irksome woman disappeared into the crew quarters did Fellis return to his room.

"Is everything okay?" Raina asked. "I really don't want-"

Fellis hushed her, slipping back under the covers.

"But-"

He pressed his fingers against his unsettled lovers lips to silence any worries she was about to voice.

"Just shut up and hold me," he ordered, wrapping her in his arms. She reciprocated.

"Yes, sir," she said. "But where's my water?"