Ask Full Circle

[Trys Aran]

Trys drew back to look at him when he gestured for her to. She could see that glint in his eye, that little spark that she envied. It had been gone for her since she had been jaded in life, but it was still there in him. Trys couldn’t help but smile sadly at his words, and she wanted to do nothing but pull him close and melt into his arms.

“How would this work?” She asked quietly, gazing into his eyes, “You’d leave everything you know behind? And then what if it doesn’t work out...you’d resent me for life?” Trys shook her head and sighed, “You are young and still full of wonder, Talak,” She smiled sadly at him, “I envy that about you. And it’s so wasted on me. So wasted on someone that can’t give you everything you deserve.”

Trys leaned in close again, kissing along his neck and tracing them up along the side. She loved kissing him like this, and she was getting so used to the warmth of his skin, “I think I might just have to quietly want you from afar,” She murmured against him, “You know our paths lead different ways,” Trys closed her eyes and pressed closer against him, “It is but a shadow and a thought that you love….I can’t give you what you seek,” She paused there for a moment, “Regardless of how much I want to,” The last part was something she had never admitted before.

 

[Talak Rand]

He could still sense the doubt in her, but there was simply no ignoring the desire and emotion as well. Her words said one thing, but her actions and emotions said another. Even her words didn't seem fully in line with her "decision." She had actually admitted how much she wanted him.

Her lips trailed along his skin. He closed his eyes and focused on the feeling of her lips against him and the moment they had here and now. In fact, much to his surprise, her words didn't seem to have a great effect on him. The reality was that the walls were coming down slowly but surely.

His hand ran over the bare skin of her back as she kissed him, pulling her into his embrace and wasn't willing to let her go. He didn't say anything for a moment. For how impulsive as he could be, it was a part of him that was slowly changing with time. He pressed his lips against her shoulder, holding her there for a moment before pulling back to speak.

Trys, he said at first. There was so much to say. His energy wasn't wasted on her. He would't give up on them just because things might be rocky. And his own considerations of leaving the Sith extended far beyond just her.

I'm not going anywhere. You're what I want to spend my wonder on... As impulsive as you think I am, if I decide to leave it would be after the years of consideration I've already been giving it, he said before pausing.

Only you can give me what I seek because what I seek is you, he said, using the same terms she had chosen. He couldn't help but reject her statement because it simply wasn't them.

He released his grip on her slightly so that he could look into her eyes. If you want me, then make your decision for yourself. But don't make it based on what you think I need, he said quietly and gently. If she couldn't abide to be with him because of herself, then there was little he could do about that, but he had had months to consider how he felt about her, and the decision was far from impulsive. He wanted her. The good and bad, the easy and difficult.

He leaned in and kissed her again before resting his forehead against hers. You spend so much of your life serving others, but you deserve to be happy, too, he whispered. It was true. The citizens of the Free World, her son, her partners, and all her other responsibilities consumed her life. She deserved to have something for herself.

 

[Trys Aran]

She was surprised by his words. She had expected a brash response and outright defiance. She had almost expected him to storm off. However, he took his time and chose his words, and she found herself dwelling on each one. After he finished speaking, silence lingered between them. He would be able to sense it wasn’t uncomfortable silence, but it was one where she was deep in her own thoughts.

When had she started falling for him like this? Trys couldn’t even find the beginning of that thread. She had walked away from him multiple times, but when had he cracked through her shields and found a way to plant himself in her mind? Why had she impulsively kissed him that very first time? It was out of character for her to cross lines like that, and she wanted nothing more than to indulge herself in that moment. Why had she felt so drawn to him at the auction party and during their dance?

Trys knew the answer, but she didn’t want to even hazard saying it within her mind. She didn’t want to say anything at all. She was thankful for him leaning in to kiss her, and she gave into it and shifted closer. This time, she didn’t pull back from the kiss, deepening it and allowing her desire to channel through her actions.

It wasn’t long before the passion burned again, and they were already in a position to act on it. The cool blues of the ocean surrounded them, and the warm water was soothing. She pushed the concerns from her mind, giving into her desires no matter how permanent or temporary they were.

 

[Talak Rand]

---​

The next morning came too quickly. He woke up next to Trys, the rays of the sun drifting through the ocean above them. It cut through and made the water glow in all its own way. It was absolutely gorgeous, and Talak didn't want to leave this paradise.

The discussion with Trys yesterday had ended without a definitive decision, but that was fine. It wasn't something Talak was going to force her to rush through, and even he had to admit the complex situation it put him in. But he wasn't worried about it. Not any more than he had ever been.

His eyes fluttered open and he noted once again how well he had slept. It was... unprecedented for him. The burns on his arms still hurt, but less than even the day before. He rolled over in the bed, and much like the last morning, placed a gentle kiss on her shoulder.

He hated that she had to go back to work and they would need to part ways, and he almost wondered if he could convince her to steal away one more day. He doubted it and he couldn't hold it against her. As much as she seemed to enjoy spending time with him, she would no doubt want to see her son again. He knew she would stir soon, and until she did, he was content to simply watch her rest.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys stirred slowly when he kissed her shoulder. She couldn’t believe she had been on vacation. This journey began with her crash landing, and now she was waking up in expensive sheets in an underwater resort. Trys stretched and slowly rose to sit up. She glanced over at Talak and smiled at him, “Where are you going to go after this?”

She waited for his response, but abruptly her comlink began to ring. Trys figured it was work and thought of ignoring it, but she looked to see it was her son. It wasn’t often he called her instead of simply sending a message. Eyebrows furrowed in confusion, she stepped out of the bed and answered it.

“Wait wait calm down…” She could be heard saying, “You’re seeing what on the news?”

Her face went pale after a moment, and there was nothing but silence as her son frantically spoke over the phone. Trys felt nothing but despair, the comlink almost slipping from her hand, “Get yourself somewhere safe. You know the places we talked about, right? Now. I’ll be there as soon as I can - I…. I’m off world right now. I know. I’m not at work. I’ll be there.”

She clicked the comlink off and quickly rushed over to put her clothing on. Trys pointedly avoided looking at Talak, and there was a mixture of rage and dread building at once. She packed up her things and quickly scrambled to rush out of the room, “I have to get back to the Deep Core now,” She didn’t look at him as she tried to run out.

 

[Talak Rand]

He watched as she slowly stirred and sat up. He knew he was one of the few people who got to see her smile often, and he loved it. It made him feel warm when everything else made him feel cold. He frowned and scrunched up his face as she asked him where he'd go next. He hadn't given much thought to it, but he was starting to consider getting an apartment after all the sass she gave him. And that would be on only one of a few places. Coruscant was one possibility in large part because of its proximity to one Sector Ranger.

I don't know, I might head to Coruscant or... I don't know, he shrugged. His ship was aptly named the Nomad and it fit its owner perfectly. He wandered from place to place and although he had responsibilities, he had none that tied him to any one place.

Her comlink began to beep, and a dark cloud fell over Talak. He didn't know what was wrong, but he knew that feeling in the Force all too well. Before she was even off her link, he was already up and half dressed. Not in his casual clothes, but in something more serious. He had no idea what was going on, but her demeanor told him it wasn't anything to mess around with.

I'll take you, he immediately interjected. The Nomad'll be faster than any public transport, he said. Her ship had been crashed on Tund, which meant she'd have to use some sort of slow, public transit that would only leave on its particular schedule regardless of any emergency.

It was only as he finished saying this that he noted something... wrong. It wasn't just her concern about the situation, but she... wasn't looking at him. He was completely baffled and confused, and if it had been anyone else he likely wouldn't have noticed. But he'd already begun to learn to pick up on her subtle habits.

Trys, wait, what's wrong? he asked as she tried to rush toward the door. His voice was no less serious, and now that was a hint of some other concern and confusion in it. She knew him well enough to know that even if she made it to the door he wouldn't just let her walk out without giving him something.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys froze at the doorway when he jumped up to offer his ship. There was an icy chill about her demeanor, and she didn’t turn around to face him. However, she paused there for a moment, gazing away as her posture was completely stiff. Emotions riled through her mind, and she felt her jaw tighten. He would feel the rage bubbling just beneath the surface.

“You will take me?” Venom dripped from her tone. Trys finally turned around and drew out her datapad. From there, she was immediately able to find the leaked footage of the Holonet feed her son had been screaming about. Trys shoved the datapad into Talak’s hands, not able to bring herself to watch.

“You will take me?” She repeated the question. Trys was absolutely livid, and she felt agony and pain course through her veins. Even then she could hear the voice of the masked man in the video, and she could hear the background noise of some of the Rangers.

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak was beyond confused. He could feel a completely roiling anger inside of her, but he didn't know why. What was so much worse and what made him feel physically ill was that he could somehow tell that it was directed at him and he had no idea why.

She turned, ice in her eyes and venom in her voice and shoved the datapad at him. He looked down and watched the gruesome, uncensored footage of the execution, and it made him sick. He had watched many people die and many of them had been at his own hands, but this was... so unnecessary. The Sector Rangers weren't the problem. If anything they were part of the solution.

Waves of emotions washed over him, and his face turned pale. Even paler than normal. He had always hoped that he could reshape the Sith Eternal into something that was a net benefit, but this was just... pointless killing of people whose goals probably aligned with Talak's more than the Sith it seemed.

And that wasn't even to mention Trys. Of course she was furious at him. He hadn't known about this, but he doubted it would make a difference in this moment.

The video only got worse as the masked man directly threatened Trys. Justice. He had the audacity to get up there and call this justice. It made him sick and furious all at once. No, Talak wouldn't feel bad about what he would do after this.

He finally looked up, and she would be able to see a mix of emotions on his face that ranged from surprise to anger. It wouldn't likely matter, but it was there nonetheless. After a moment he finally spoke.

Trys, I swear I didn't know about this, he said quietly. It was all he could do, but he wouldn't stop her if she stormed out. If she did, then the business he had to do would become abundantly clear to him. His place wasn't in the Sith anymore. He didn't know where it was, but they were... beyond repair. He'd been lying to himself for a long time, but truthfully, every conversation he'd had with Ana only further showed him how beyond repair they were. This... it was just the final nail in the coffin.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys barely heard him, and she was still processing all this. These were her brethren. These were her people. She was standing across someone that was associated with the people that did this. She had trusted someone that associated with people that did this. She had begun to fall in … Trys stopped that train of thought, exhaling slowly.

“You didn’t know,” She repeated with a scoff, shaking her head. Trys looked up at him, “So I forget this? I go back to being in your arms? I pretend this wasn’t your people doing this to mine? All because you didn’t know?”

Trys wanted nothing more than to storm out, but a bigger part of her wanted him to answer. She had one of them standing in front of her. He had always told her the door was open for her to ask him questions. She was going to take him up on that offer now. Trys felt nothing but anger and rage course through her, and pain was admixed with that.

“Is this what you mean by how I deserve to be happy, Talak?” She pointed to the video, “Is this is what I turn a blind eye to and pretend you’re not?”

 

[Talak Rand]

He wanted to yell back. To scream at her that it wasn't his fault and vent the frustration that his own world was starting to fall apart. But he didn't.

He looked down at the man and hoped against hope that it wasn't who he thought it was in the video. If it was, then Talak was responsible for this. His grip on the datapad became like a vice as if he could somehow vent all of his rage into the device.

She blamed him for this. It made him angry in its own way, and he looked up at her initially with anger in his eyes. Don't put this on me, he hissed at first before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. It was a tic of his that she had seen numerous times when he was upset.

You can't turn a blind eye anymore, he thought to himself. When his eyes opened again the anger seemed to have subsided.

Give me two weeks and I'll get you whatever information you want about the Sith Eternal, he said. His decision was made, and it was the first time he had spoken the name of the group aloud. It was the tip of the tip of the iceberg of what he knew, and he would give it all over.

Was he a traitor for this? Turning against the people he'd fought alongside for years? Or had he been a traitor to his true beliefs for all these years and only now was being true and honest? He knew the question would haunt him for many months, but he wasn't going to turn back.

I don't want any part in this, he said. Was the Arcanist a part of this? Most people wouldn't have seen it any different, but he thought he was actually helping. He wondered if it would have to fall by the wayside as well. That was a question for a different time. One step at a time.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys felt anger roil as he told her not to put this on him. Really? She wanted to shout and scream at him, wanted to punch him and hurt him. However, none of that happened. She was quiet for a long time, barely hearing what he had to say. He had blurted out a name, and it barely registered for her. It had been the name she had been hunting for so long, and here it was and she didn’t even care.

“I don’t care about information,” Trys said, her voice breaking slightly, “I want this to stop,” She slowly raised her gaze to look at him, “I want them to stop,” Trys wanted to collapse, and she felt weak standing there, “How could you be so oblivious? How could you not know what you were a part of?”

Trys didn’t believe him. Back when she had been a crook herself, she always fully knew what she was doing and what it was. He simply couldn’t be that naive. And if not, did that make her naive? Did that make her the fool for falling for him and allowing him to get away with so much?

“You thought they were all people that brought justice to slavers like you do? You thought they were all out there to do good in the galaxy?” Trys shook her head, looking away, “Information won’t bring back those lost lives. Information won’t make that man pay for what he did.”

Trys turned to look at him, glaring, “I will do that.”

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak was at war within himself. Tormented and in an agony that could nearly match her own. He was going to betray everyone that he had allied himself with for years. They may have been a warped and twisted family, but they were his family, weren't they? Or maybe they weren't. They'd never really been, had they?

It didn't make the decision any easier.

She continued to blame him, and he found himself only getting angrier. Did she think this was easy for him!? He nearly stood up and started yelling at her, giving into his impulses, but he bit the inside of his cheek instead, standing and pacing angrily to the other side of the room. His fist flexed at his side and his breathing was tense.

Really?! Won't it?! he spat, finally giving in. He wasn't sure if he was mad at her or himself or the Sith or the Force. Probably all of them. He was just furious with the galaxy. He felt betrayed and... alone.

Because something tells me it would be invaluable to know where they're operating from. Where to find the Eternal, but no, you know what? I'm sure information in your war wouldn't help at all, he hissed, shaking his head.

Whatever. I'll either turn them over to you or the Jedi, he finally said angrily. He started thinking about the target this would put on him. These people knew a great deal about him, and the odds of his own death were high. Even higher if he tried to save any of his closer associates. He started gathering what few things he had brought. He had hunting to do, it seemed. This time, he tried not to think too hard about who the target was.

I can't believe this kriffing galaxy. Un-kriffing-believable. This just kriffing kriffs. Kriffing Sith just have to kriffin' ruin everything. Purge corruption my shebs. It's just an excuse for kriffing wanton power, he started muttering under his breath as he packed, unsure if she was even in the room anymore.

 

[Trys Aran]

They were both in their worlds, and both in entirely different headspaces. Trys stood silent as he tried to keep from having his own outburst. She had doubted him many times, and something always kept her coming back to him. However, her grief was almost overwhelming right now. Trys had a singular thought in her mind - going after this group and exterminating them. She didn’t want to wait around two weeks. She would do something now.

She watched Talak get into a frenzy with packing and muttering to himself. Trys didn’t reach out to him and stood in silence for just a few more moments. Having made up her mind, she gazed at him one last time before turning to leave. She was gone in a flash, making her way out of the resort and towards the fastest Mon Cala ship that could get her off the planet.

Her beautiful getaway had turned into a nightmare.