Ask Coruscant Payback

[Talak Rand]

Talak was struggling for every breath he took. He could see Trys pointing a gun at him as she came into the room, but he didn't have the strength to do anything about it. It wasn't the first time she had pointed a gun at him, but it might be the last. She knew what he was, and she had no reason not to pull the trigger. For the second time as she did that, he almost welcomed it. Was he so twisted in his mind? Did he truly hate himself and his life that much? Was he this conflicted? Or was it both times simply the product of his injuries.

When she moved over to help him he felt a hint of relief, but he could see the man coming after her. The cursed click of a misfire was followed a moment later by his own saber being activated. He watched as she plunged it into the man, and could barely believe it.

As soon as the stims went in, he felt a rush. It seemed to numb the injury, though the damage was still there. She hoisted him up and he watched her grab his lightsaber as they limped out to the rear of the building. His legs objected to every step, and try as he might not to lean on her, he found that she was having to carry the brunt of his weight.

When the transport came around, he would be capable of little more than flopping down. His hands went up over his side as he lay there and the speeder started to tear off toward the nearest medical center.

I... can... think of... worse ways... to go... he said between gasped breaths. In all his years and dangers, he wasn't sure he had ever come quite this close to death before. He'd been beaten, tortured, shot, cut, stabbed, and much more, but never so grievously as this. The reality of his own mortality was close at hand. It was a funny thing: he found more satisfaction in knowing that he might die freeing those slaves than fighting for the Sith Eternal. He told himself that the Sith Eternal helped the galaxy, but at death's door, he realized he wasn't sure he actually believed it.

He raised a hand and pointed at her leg. You're... bleeding... he said. He didn't really appreciate the irony of that, but Trys probably would... after some serious eyerolling.

I'm... sorry... about... drugs... he said as he started to give way to the shock. He couldn't do anything about what he was, but he could extend the apology he probably should have done earlier. His consciousness was becoming harder to maintain, and a dreamless sleep took him a moment later.

---​

The speeder would pull up to the medcenter that didn't look like it was high end like Coruscant, but the medical droids looked new and on a planet like Gamorr, trauma was a daily routine for these people.

A team of droids and Gamorreans came rushing out to meet them, and they quickly wheeled Talak away to a trauma bay. Please wait out here. We may have questions, one of the droids said. Of course, the nature of their "activity" hadn't exactly been legal, which could land them both in trouble, but that remained to be seen.

Moments later, a Kel Dor approached and shook his head disapprovingly in the droid's general direction at having let one of their patients continue to walk around injured.

You're injured as well, he said, promptly steering Trys toward a gurney. It was clear that he wasn't the type to take "no" for an answer. He took her to a trauma bay and handed her a hospital gown before recruiting several other staff members. One helped her into the robe while another promptly began to cut off her clothes.

Yet another person came over from Talak's room and approached Trys. Did you two come in together? What's your relationship? Do you know his name? We couldn't find any identification on him, she asked quickly, clearly everyone here was in business mode.

 

[Trys Aran]

His words weighed heavily on her mind as they rushed towards the trauma center. By the time they started driving towards it, Talak had already lost consciousness. Trys sat near him, staring down at him and forgetting about her own leg wound. He looked so peaceful then, and she couldn’t see the monster she so badly wanted to see. She didn’t see the man she saw in the Dathomir footage. She thought about how many corrupt Rangers there were. Would she want someone to come across one and extrapolate that to her? How many Rangers had pretended to help women like Fancy only to take advantage of them? Was she just like them?

The rest of the journey and check in process was a blur, and she was exhausted and in pain, watching Talak be wheeled away. She had sneakily swiped his saber back to prevent anyone else from finding it. Trys hoped he was in good hands, but they didn’t have much of a choice. She looked up as the Kel Dor arrived and began to tell her to change.

“What?” She said dumbly before looking down and seeing the bleeding wound, “Shit,” Trys sighed, “Look, I don’t need to change into a damn gown. Just give me a few shots and-”

The stern gaze severe enough to make her recoil. She almost began to protest until people came over to cut her clothes, “Simmer down and let me do this myself! I’m not dying over here!” Trys shouted loud enough for the entire wing to hear. She yanked her arm back from someone that was holding it, walking off and harshly pulling the curtains to allow herself some privacy as she changed. Trys ensured that the hilt remained hidden with her clothes.

Once she was in the gown and had eased onto the bed, yet another person showed up to rapidfire some questions. Trys chewed nervously on her lip, having to think quick on her feet. From just glancing at him alone and without a saber, they wouldn’t be able to identify him. At the same time, she couldn’t exactly say anything that would mean she couldn’t keep track of him.

“His name is Duke Shaw,” Trys blurted out, thinking of a combination of names of two Rangers she knew, “And uh…. He’s my husband,” She felt awkward as all hell but couldn’t risk being restricted from him, “Look, stop with the questions and patch us up. I’ll cover the payments, okay?” Trys knew this would set her back tremendously, but she would think about that later.

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak had been stripped down and in short order they had him in some medi-undies and had slipped him into a bacta tank. The miracle gel was capable of bringing people back from even serious injuries, and it was likely to be one of the only things that saved him from death.

The woman who had come over to ask the questions slipped back toward the far trauma bay again and the Kel Dor started patching up Trys's leg as well. It was clear that this wasn't his first time doing this, and he was remarkably skilled at injecting the bacta at the proper locations on her leg. She would feel a sharp pinch followed by the pain almost immediately beginning to subside.

He put a bandage over top, and stood up and took a step back. You can see your husband now, he said. He pointed to a hoverchair for her and started pushing her down the hall to where she would find Talak, submerged in bacta and sill unconscious.

He's stable, but it'll take several days for him to fully recover. He should be able to come out tomorrow, but we'll wake him up later today, he said. If they had been on a more central world this no doubt would have been associated with an entire inquiry, but out on Gamorr, violence was just another Tuesday.

The comlink next to Talak's bacta tank began to ring, and when the Kel Dor stepped out Trys would be able to see the name on it was Artee.

 

[Trys Aran]

“I can walk-” Someone gently nudged her to sit in the stupid hoverchair. Trys sighed and rested her chin on her palm, scowling the entire time she was wheeled around. Trys almost winced when the Kel Dor mentioned about her seeing her ‘husband’. She said nothing, staying silent till she spotted him in the tank.

It was a wonder that the entire tank wasn’t red with blood with how badly he had been wounded. He had many pipes on him, and it made her grimace to see. She couldn’t help but watch him for a moment, looking at the way his hair floated up and he was so far removed from everything around him. Why would he put himself in this much danger to save others? He had nothing to gain from this. This hadn’t even been his job.

The Kel Dor left to allow some privacy and Talak’s comlink began to go off. At first, she thought to ignore it and allow him privacy. However, curiosity got the best of her and she wheeled herself over to at least look at the name. When she realized it was the droid, she quickly grabbed it and answered.

“Artee,” She said, “This is Trys,” Trys sighed at the barrage of questions, “Later. Look, did Talak tell you where he was going to go? Okay, is the slicer still with you? I need you to find a way to immediately wipe all the footage from the central terminal there. Just like the other one," Trys sighed, "Yes, he's alive and he will be fine. And yes I'm fine too," She couldn't help but smile, "Did anyone ever tell you that you forget to act like a droid sometimes?"

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak had been awoken from his sedation and felt like he had been beaten to a pulp, eaten by a rancor, pooped out, and then run over by a speeder. Even fully submerged in bacta, somehow everything hurt. He was pulled out of the tank, and didn't see any sign of Trys. He didn't realize it was because they had sent her out of the room as part of their procedure for waking a patient in event of an adverse reaction.

I'm not dead and I'm not arrested yet, he thought, eyes going wide. He realized that his lightsaber was missing, which could be a problem of its own. Kriff, where is it? Did they find it? Wait, no, she had it didn't she? he thought, trying to overcome the grogginess of sedation still.

In his confusion, the staff decided it was likely best to get him a familiar face until he was fully oriented again.

Would you like to see him? He would do better to have a loved one close by, he said. Of course, this would again be awkward, but it would be very strange if she declined.

As she entered, she would realize that he definitely wasn't all there in the head yet, almost as if he'd had a bit too much to drink. It would inevitably make for an interesting talk.

You didn't leeeeave... he gasped as he saw her. The staff didn't seem to think too much of anything he said. They were quite used to patients saying all sorts of strange things after sedation.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys was already heard arguing and bickering in the distance as Talak slowly came to. In the end, she finally got out of the stupid gown and was back in her own clothes. The bandages felt uncomfortable, but she was much happier being out of that nonsense. From the sounds of it, Artee had taken care of what she had asked, and that was a huge relief.

She walked in after she hard Talak was awake, ignoring the loved ones commentary. Trys could tell right away he was out of it, and he looked as if he would blow their entire cover in a second. She turned to the hospital staff and asked them for some privacy, and they gladly obliged.

Trys walked towards Talak and looked over her shoulder nervously and then back at him, “I told them we’re married, so keep that cover story going,” She said seriously and urgently, “Artee got all the footage wiped and your saber is safe,” Trys was rapidly speaking, and she could see his eyes were glazed over. She had a sinking feeling he wasn’t really registering anything.

She sighed and looked away slightly, “...Why the hell did you go there by yourself?”

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak was definitely not fully with it, and it was a good thing that the staff had opted to give them some space at her request. He was clearly glad to see her, and had a bit of a dazed look on his head. It seemed that when you were this heavily sedated, life wasn't so bad even if you'd been shot.

Oh, we're married now? he repeated, immediately becoming distracted by that comment and not hearing most of what came after it.

My lightsaber! he said, excitedly. He was certainly glad that she did in fact have it. Here, I need it, he said, extending his hand and she would get the distinct impression that handing it to him was a very bad idea.

Luckily, he was quickly distracted from that a moment later as she asked why he'd gone back by himself. I couldn't leave until the job was done... and going by myself kept everyone out of danger. And you didn't want to see me. And I don't play well with others, he said. The latter comment was one she would have already figured out, but not something he normally would have admitted aloud.

You almost shot me, didn't you! he said, pointing a finger at her. You were thinking about it, he said as his fingers turned into a finger gun.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys looked around as he made the married comment, and she groaned internally as she rubbed her forehead. This was going to be very, very difficult. He was going to blow the entire cover, and she would have a lot more explaining to do or have to fork over a lot more credits.

She glanced down at his outstretched and blankly looked up at him again, not even dignifying him with a response to that. Trys crossed her arms over her chest, not at all liking this new predicament. If any medical staff came in to ask him questions now, he would ruin everything. She more or less had to babysit him.

Talak blurted off several reasons on why he had done what he did. She glanced down at his finger gun, truly marveling at this side of him. Trys sighed and plopped down into a chair next to his bed. She grumpily stared ahead, “What’s it matter what I thought? You’re alive, aren’t you?”

Trys turned to glare at him, “The hell does it matter if I didn’t want to see you? You always do whatever the hell you want without thinking twice. Or caring what anyone thinks,” She felt frustration beginning to build up. Even though he was drugged, it didn’t mean that she wasn’t irritated by how he handled things.

“And they gave me an earful about how they found alcohol in your blood,” Trys added on angrily, “So you were being selfish and stupid.”

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak was blissfully unaware of how angry Trys was becoming with him. Were he sober, there would have been arguments and objections to her line of thought, but in his current state he seemed more interested in the beat inside his own head than arguing about morality and his methods.

His head was turning back and forth in a slow rhythm as if he were listening to music despite having no ear pieces in and no music playing overhead.

Heeeeeey! I'm not drunk! he said suddenly, frowning and scowling with a look that would probably reminder her of when her son would pout during his terrible twos. It was a stark contrast to his normally murderous scowls.

If you hate me so much then you should have just let me die, he continued grumpily before starting to smile as if he realized something. The pointing finger came out again and now he was grinning broadly.

You like me, don't you! he said. You think I'm fun! Admit it! As annoyed as you get, we're friends, he said, his voice getting louder. If sober Talak had seen this he would have been mortified. He never would have blatantly asserted such a claim so boldly, but in his current almost-euphoric state, he had no such inhibitions.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys was at a complete loss. She knew how to deal with many difficult scenarios, and she seemed entirely out of her element to handle this. He displayed almost child-like behaviors, and nothing she said would get through to him. For a moment, she simply sat there in silence, staring at him in wonder. Trys didn’t react when he professed that she liked him and they were friends, but internally she wanted to hit him over the head.

“I don’t know about fun..” She added in an undertone, feeling helpless in this situation. Trys couldn’t very well discuss his personal philosophies or choices while he was like this, and it was pointless to argue. She sighed and leaned back in her seat, “I guess for now we are friends,” She said a bit louder, gazing up at the ceiling. Trys didn’t know where things would go from here – effectively the job was done. The Bothan’s killer was dead and Vargo’s slaving ring was shut down.

She knew it was time for her to pack up and head back to Coruscant. Trys tilted her head to look over at Talak again, and she wondered if this meant they would part ways for good or if he would be someone that she would track. The ‘Jedi’s comment from Dathomir nagged at the back of her mind. Darksider? What separated Talak from the myth of the Jedi? What separated him from the monsters she saw on the security footage?

After a long moment Trys finally spoke, “I’ll drop you off at your ship when you’re released,” She thought for a moment, “And then we both need to get the hell off this planet.”

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak wasn't worried about the fact that she didn't think he was fun because she admitted that they were friends... albeit begrudgingly.

Haaaaa, I knew it! he all but shouted excitedly. He was simply ecstatic that she had admitted to being friends even though it was unlikely that he would really remember what had happened in the next couple of days after gaining sobriety.

He started trying to get up to sit next to her or was he trying to give her a hug? It really wasn't clear, but he was so tangled up in medical tubes and wires that he ended up trying to get himself untangled instead.

My ship... he started muttering after she mentioned dropping him off ...you know, I don't actually live anywhere. I just live on my ship, and people don't usually come onto my ship... or into my home... I guess its the same isn't it? Did you like it? I'm not very good at entertaining guests, he started rambling.

Do you think I'm allowed to have caf? We should get caf. I need some caf, he said, once again trying to untangle himself from the wires to get up and find caf. As he tried to free himself, he was once again distracted by seeing the bandage on Trys's leg and his eyes went so wide in shock.

More pointing, this time at the leg.

You were hurt! he said abruptly as if he'd forgotten that he already knew that. Are you okaaay? Did you go in a bacta tank? he said, and each word got quieter until at the end of the sentence he was just whispering as if bacta tanks were somehow a secret.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys rose to her feet as he almost toppled out of bed, scowling at his antics. She couldn’t exactly be angry with him when he was so loopy. She silently grabbed his wrist to stop him from flailing, gently easing it down as she untangled all the tubes on him. It bothered her to see him like this, and she realized that was more real than her perceptions. The tubes were real, his injuries were real, her memories with him were real.

As he began to disclose personal facts, she glanced up at him, thinking about his life living on his ship. Trys wanted nothing more than to take advantage of him being in such a state and oversharing. She could find out more about what he was, could find out whether he was part of some group, could find out its location and report it all to the wider galaxy. She could get promotions for this and finally get out of the shithole apartment she lived in. Trys could turn him over to the taskforce and confiscate his saber.

The criminal side of her was salivating at all this, and externally she simply gingerly moved all the tubes out of the way. Trys sighed as he opened his mouth to disclose any other details about his life. Instinctively, she reached a finger forth and placed it on his lips, “Shh,” She said sternly, “No more talks about ships. And no, you can’t have caf. And no I didn’t go into a bacta tank.”

Trys looked down, looking at all the bandages he had on him, “What was the bacta tank like? Was it cold?” She purposely diverted the conversation away from the direction he began. She didn’t want him to divulge anything to her he wouldn’t volunteer otherwise. As much as she hated this side of her, she was left feeling without the ugly weight she would have carried otherwise.

 

[Talak Rand]

As Trys settled him back down, he seemed slightly placated by her effort. Although he didn't seem to be allowed to have any caf or get up or go anywhere, Trys was smart to distract him with a question of her own. He stopped and frowned as if thinking about what it had been like. He'd been asleep for most of it, but at the very end they had awoken him to pull him out.

No... I think they warmed it up or something. It was kind of... kind of like a hot tub, he said. Besides floating on display for everyone around him and being unable to get out or move it hadn't been so bad.

Except you can't really move... or go anywhere... you're very trapped... it's like being in a hot tub in prison, he said nodding as if he had settled on a valid description of what the experience was like. A hot tub in prison was probably a weird way to describe it.

I'm glad you're okay... I like you, and I didn't want you to get killed... he said bluntly. He seemed placated for the moment and plopped back into his bed as if he'd been placated. Then he suddenly shot bolt upright again.

Are the girls okay? he asked, remembering the Twi'lek who had helped kill the Hutt and the others as well. There was sudden panic that he hadn't seen them, not realizing that it wasn't very reasonable to expect them to be here.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys finished up untangling him, stepping back slightly. She largely ignored all his ramblings, not really caring about what a bacta tank felt like. She had only had to be in it once or twice, and they were both from on the job injuries. Trys felt the tug of a smile as he urgently confessed that he liked her and didn’t want her to die.

“I know you do,” She said quietly not audible enough for him to hear. She didn’t meet his gaze as she said it, suddenly feeling an internal stab of pain she couldn’t explain. Trys pushed it aside, glancing at him as he eased back into the bed. She was about to leave the room when he abruptly shot up again.

“Yes, they’re all fine,” Trys said in annoyance, hearing the machines pick up a spike in his vitals. She put a hand on his shoulder and eased him back into the bed, “Just get some rest, okay? You’ll get to go home soon.”

The beeping alerted the staff that suddenly came into the room. Trys stepped back from Talak and agreed that it was time leave. With one last glance, she finally sighed and left the room.

She probably missed out on the one opportunity she would ever get to understand what he was, and oddly that sat just fine with her.

---​

The next day, Fancy and a few other girls were at the hospital and Trys had made all the payments for his discharge. It was going to put a huge dent in her bank, but she would recover with time. She was still in the main lobby area trying to explain to the girls they couldn’t all pack into the room. They had brought over chocolates, flowers, balloons and a whole bunch of other gifts.

It was only a matter of moments before Talak would be led out to the lobby and allowed to leave the hospital.

 

[Talak Rand]

Once Talak got back to his normally thinking self, he was very fidgety and ready to get out of the med center. He hated being here any longer than he had to, and despite some objections from his medical providers, he was practically chomping at the bit to get out.

Despite being a bit slower, he was mostly back to normal as he made his way out toward the lobby. His eyes went wide in surprise and a hint of trepidation as he saw that there was... a welcoming committee out front waiting for him. Although on the one hand he was relatively uncomfortable with the attention, he couldn't help but smile at the realization that he was at least partially responsible for this. He had done a good thing, and they would lead free lives because of it.

I'm glad to see you're all safe, he said, awkwardly, trying to keep a respectable distance away from everyone. Although Trys hadn't left, he hadn't seen a great deal of her since he sobered up, and he couldn't help but wonder what exactly that meant. As much as he wanted to try to tear away and talk to her, he knew there were too many people around to talk to her at the moment.

However, that didn't mean that he hadn't done something to make sure they could get a few moments. Assuming she could be convinced. He had typed out a message before leaving the room that asked her to come over to his ship for a brief time, and he'd decided to pull out all the stops.

Trys's comlink would buzz a moment later and it would be none other than Artee on the line.

Mistress Trys, master Talak told me that you might be coming over to the ship and I was wondering if there was a wine you would prefer I have prepared for you when you arrive, he said excitedly. How could she turn down Artee!

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys was mentally kicking herself for ever agreeing to this. Her original plan had been to leave the planet at once, but she had hesitated. Talak had left the door slightly open for some sort of closure, and she kept going back and forth on whether to walk through it or not. When her comlink buzzed and Artee spoke, Trys couldn’t help but smile.

She had grown to have a soft spot for the droid, and she decided that at least for him and to have the chance to say goodbye, she would come by. Many girls began to find ways to get back to their families, though several stayed behind to continue fighting against the Syndicates. Fancy took up management of leading the rebellion, putting together the foundations of what would slowly grow to become a network of survivors.

Trys was thrown off when the girls hugged her close, all commending her for everything she had done and for how she and ‘Red Blade’ changed their lives forever. She peeled herself away at last, getting into the speeder which she would have to return before leaving the planet.

It didn’t take her long to arrive at Talak’s ship...or his home as he called it, and she had gotten used to the sight. Trys thought about how this would mean parting ways and whether they would cross paths again. She pushed the thoughts aside for now, walking up towards the entrance and knocking.

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak spent a few minutes talking with Fancy and the others before he had to leave. He was glad that they were safe, and he even exchanged com channels with some of them to stay in touch. He promised he'd come back to visit, though he didn't know when that would be. Somehow, he knew that he would have found memories of this planet.

He made his way back to the Nomad immediately thereafter, and Trys arrived shortly after that. He hit the button to open the door and waved for her to come inside with a smile, though it looked like there was likely a sadness that it covered. He didn't know what he had said in his intoxicated state, but he had the slightest recollection that it was more than he had intended to. With the hopes of not letting her think that he was going to try to kill her, he set his saber down across the room before taking a seat on the couch.

Oh, Mistress Trys, I'm so glad you decided to come! Artee came floating out, wine in hand. You know, I was most worried about the two of you. If anything had happened to you, I don't know what I would have done with myself! he exclaimed, and it was quite true. Outside of the two of them and the ship, Artee really had no life at all.

I'm glad you came, he said as Artee went away deeper into the ship. He looked at her to try to gauge what she was thinking. He knew that she probably wasn't particularly happy with him, but he didn't know precisely where they stood.

I guess I just wanted to talk, and maybe clear some things up, he said. It was clear that he was uncomfortable, but at least making an attempt.

I don't want us to be enemies... he finally admitted before promptly gulping some wine. Yes, more wine, that would of course be the solution...

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys could see he had been doing a lot of thinking and had been deep in his mind. It was strange to see him back to his normal self after seeing such a different side of him when he was drugged. It was the most she had actually seen him smile, and she realized that almost never happened with him normally.

When Artee came out to greet her, she grinned and took the wine, “I missed you too, buddy,” She said, thinking about how she would truly miss the droid once she left the planet. Trys took a seat opposite of Talak, sipping from her wine as he spoke. She felt strange even being here after what she had found out about him.

“What would you clear up?” She asked him quietly as she met his gaze, “I have a pretty good idea of what you are,” Trys felt uneasy saying that. Did she truly understand? She had only seen some footage and heard myths. She gazed down at the wine, “But that doesn’t line up with my idea of who you are,” She admitted after a few moments. Who he was was defined by his actions and all the good things he had done to pave the path.

“I want to believe you’re a good man, Talak,” She looked at him again, “I want to believe you don’t have this whole other side of you that’s a monster. I want to believe that you truly want to do good things,” Trys looked over at his saber hilt, “But then you just...you just do what you please. You take life as you please, you leave destruction in your wake. You have so much power that you use carelessly and…”

Trys didn’t look at him, “That makes me afraid of you.”

 

[Talak Rand]

He listened to her, but it didn't make the conversation any easier. His instincts were to get up and walk away. To shut down and push her away entirely. It probably would have been the wise thing to do, but he hadn't invited her over here to promptly shut the whole conversation down.

He was silent for a long moment as he thought about what she said. Was he really a monster? There was a side of him that even he feared, and increasingly there were things that the Sith Eternal had set its sights on that he was unsure was the Will of the Force. Perhaps more careful control of their power was exactly what they needed.

You're right, I have power... he said after a moment. And I'm trying to use that power to do some good. Would it be better for me to just... pretend I didn't have it? To never use it? Would Fancy be better off if I had? he asked her genuinely. There were things he did that he didn't love, but how selfish was it of him to hold back saving someone's life because it made him uncomfortable?

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys knew it had been pointless to mention anything. She didn’t think there would be any groundbreaking change with her coming here. However, she would respect his wishes - she could do at least that much after everything they had been through together. Trys quietly sipped her wine as he spoke and asked his questions.

In the end, she could only sadly smile, “I’m not going to tell you how to live your life,” She said after a moment, “You don’t have to explain or justify yourself to me. You owe me nothing,” Trys didn’t even know why her opinion mattered at all or why she had tried to even bring it up.

“Thank you for helping me solve the case back on Coruscant, and I’m glad we got to rescue the girls,” Trys didn’t even bother getting back on the topic of what he was and how she thought what he did was wrong. She knew it would go nowhere and he would have to realize things on his own.

Trys set the half finished glass of wine down on the table in front of her, “I guess this is where we part ways,” She forced a smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Trys looked as if she were about to say something, but she simply stood up then, “I wish you all the best, Talak. I hope you don’t end up in too much trouble.”