Ask Coruscant The Road Less Traveled

[Talak Rand]

Talak watched Trys walk in without a limp and was glad to see that she had evidently taken enough time off to manage to get healed up.

So do you, he said, eyes flicking down to her leg that was back to normal. She launched directly into their information exchange a moment later, and Talak pulled out his own datapad as well.

I poked around a bit, and didn't find anything useful about what group he might belong to. There was a group called the "Cult of Andraste" but they supposedly died out a long time ago. But I did find something else that I think we could use as bait, he said.

He reached into his belt and set a totem on the table. It had once come from the tomb of Darth Kravos, and Talak had outright abused his power as a Warden of the Dark Side to... borrow it from the archives of the Sith Eternal. He really hoped they didn't lose it or it would be his rear on the line. He was hoping she wouldn't ask where he got it or... really anything about it. That would have been so much better.

Do you know anyone that could put out word that there's a seller for this? he asked. Sith artifacts couldn't have been that common on Coruscant, but he and Ender had nearly been caught by a Jedi here trying to move on artifacts. He realized that if all else failed, he might be able to go back to that warehouse and search from someone there. Or maybe the artifact movers were still in prison can could be assets. Talak really didn't know, but he also realized that the entire idea probably didn't smell much like a "legitimate" Ranger operation.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys stared at the trinket, eyes widening at the sight, “A dahlia…” She whispered, “It looks ancient,” She looked up at Talak with wide eyes, “Where did you…” She stopped herself, shaking her head, “Actually never mind,” Trys thought for a moment about his question. This was a brilliant strategy if it could work.

“We can host a staged auction,” She explained after a moment, rubbing her chin, “We can have other Rangers there to pose as buyers, and then see who else comes into the running to bid on it. There’s a high chance the killer would attend this,” The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced this would work, “We need to stage it as a soiree and make it look as natural as possible.”

Of course, this assumed that Talak could afford to risk the artifact being advertised and bid on. Some of the attendees would be real, and they would unfortunately be let in on the whole set up after the fact. It could lead to a huge scandal if it went south, but it was the best option they had.

“It can’t be on Coruscant either,” Trys explained, “He knows we’re on his tail here, but he might be more nonchalant about it if it takes place on another planet,” She ran her fingers through her hair, shaking her head, “Gods I’m going to really need to call some favors and funding to pull this off.”

She gazed up at him, managing a half smile, “You own a tux?”

 

[Talak Rand]

It is ancient, he said. At seven thousand years old, he thought that qualified. And we need to make sure we don't lose it, he said. Could he have covered it up or diverted attention? Probably, but he'd already taken enough heat with the higher ups over the attention the Arcanist had drawn... he'd rather not have to explain this one too.

Talak watched as her mind started turning on how to use this. He was glad she knew how to set something like this up because he was much less likely to know. Her plan was already exponentially fancier than whatever he was going to come up with.

A tux? his eyebrow rose as he said it. Uh... no, he shook his head. He could only imagine how uncomfortable this was going to be, but it was part of the job, he supposed. He'd be more likely to be able to pass as the hired help than a legitimate attendee.

There's a better chance he'll just try to steal it than auction on it, he said, though it wasn't clear if he was mentioning it because it was partially true or because he was looking for an angle of this where he didn't have to wear a tux. And we'll have to make sure word gets back to Coruscant, he started before realizing once again that she was much better at this than he was.

Tux, right, he said with a sigh and resigned himself to making sure that he had the appropriate clothing. So... are you going to be my date? he asked after a moment. He was hiding the desire to smile, but it was an honest question. Who else would he take?

 

[Trys Aran]

---

Mercifully, Trys didn’t have to do all the work to pull this off. After some digging through the networks in other Ranger offices, she was able to pinpoint a gala taking place on Serenno. Though she felt uncomfortable about Serenno - the memories of almost being sold to someone there still fresh in her mind - she knew it was more likely to lure the killer out. It had a Ranger presence, but it was far from the Deep Core HQ.

The party was to auction off various different artifacts that were from the ancient world. It was catered towards the rich and was hosted by a man from a noble house. They had been ecstatic about having the dahlia presented there as well, and it was appraised to be worth a fortune.

Trys had believed Talak was merely joking about being dates, and she hadn’t exactly responded. She arrived on her own, wearing a black dress that hugged all her curves. The dress was backless, revealing her tattoos there and her arms. She even wore long earrings and a necklace, having borrowed this all from a friend that was much more well off than she was. Regardless, she truly looked like she belonged here, and nothing like her normal drab attire.

She entered the main hall, looking around spotting the various other Rangers in disguise there. There was a chance that the killer would try to steal the artifact according to Talak, and she had people posted near all entrances.

Music played softly and people began to mill about, the party kicking off with some socialization and drinking. It would be some time before the auction would take place. For now, Trys grabbed a glass of champagne and quietly sipped from it. Her eyes kept scanning over the crowd, always in work mode despite the ambiance.

“You made it!” A voice called to her, and she looked over to see the host of the gala. He was a very well off man, a noble with political ties. He wore an expensive suit and a watch worth more than Trys would earn in several years. His hair was slicked back, and he flashed her a toothy grin.

“You look stunning,” He eyed her up and down shamelessly, “Clearly we need to get you out of those cheap detective clothes more often,” He followed with a guffaw, missing Trys’s eyes narrowing. He looped his arm through hers and turned away, “Come, let me introduce you to the investors that made this possible!”

Clearly showing up alone had its down sides...

 

[Talak Rand]

Where Trys may have looked like she belonged, Talak did not. He had barely managed to get his hair into a ruly position, his tux was too tight in all the wrong places, and he was fairly certain that if he tried to do anything other than waddle around like an actual penguin that he was going to start tearing fabric. He could barely even find a place to conceal his lightsaber in this thing.

He grabbed champagne glass number one for the night, and reminded himself that getting drunk tonight wasn't the best idea. But with a building full of Sector Rangers it wasn't like he was going to be able to whip out his lightsaber and duel this guy.

He had arrived alone, unfortunately, after Trys had assumed that his statement was a joke, but given that she was one of the only people he knew here, he decided that he was going to seek her out anyway.

He saw her and quickly noted that... how to put this... she looked gorgeous. He was going to go up to her when she was intercepted by some little scut who looked like he had a droid wipe his own... okay, enough of that, he reprimanded himself, but still didn't hesitate to make a beeline over. Oh yeah, Mr. Silverspoon hasn't ever had to be strong willed a day in his life, he thought, and promptly walked right up.

You have somewhere else to be, he said with a wave of his hand. Before the man had even finished repeating the words and starting to wander off, Talak was already sticking a finger up at Trys to cut off the objection.

I don't wanna hear it, he said as the little twit wandered off to bother someone else. This is why you should have come as my date, he said with a shake of his head and a tsk noise as if he was scolding her.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys had already checked out of the conversation, and she was introduced from one person to the other. The man whisked her around, his hand moving from her arm and casually resting along her back. Trys grimaced as his fingers brushed against the skin on her back, slowly traveling down south with each movement forward. She was about to gingerly step away when Talak came from seemingly nowhere.

With a casual wave of his hand, the noble abruptly turned away and walked in a different direction. Trys could only stare after him, turning back to look at Talak. When he spoke, she returned with a stunned gaze for a second before she began to laugh. The entire sequence of events was hilarious, and she was genuinely impressed by how easily Talak was able to wave the man off.

Trys clinked her glass against his, taking in sight of him in a tux, “You clean up nice,” She said with a grin, “Though you could do with a little less scowling,” Trys took a sip from her champagne, glancing over to see others beginning to dance and enjoy themselves.

She turned her head to look at him again, quirking an eyebrow, “All right, I’m your date then,” Trys took another swig from the champagne, a smile threatening to creep on her face, “What now?”

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak thought he actually sensed relief from Trys as he forced the "noble" to leave. She didn't seem to be enjoying his company, and really, who could? Their glasses clinked and he took a drink as she complimented him on cleaning up well. He did his best to suppress the grin on his face at the comment, which was promptly followed up by telling him to scowl less... so of course, he had to be sure not to smile anymore and start scowling even more. That wouldn't last long, though.

Well you certainly look gorgeous. But I'm sure you already picked that up by all the men staring at you, he said, glancing around the room. It was no accident that the scut had wanted to show her off to everyone.

Well, if you're my date, then we could look around the room at the items we might bid on. I could fetch you drinks. And we could both pretend we were interested in any of that, he said, sure that all sounded quite boring.

Or we could dance, he said, extending a hand. Now, Talak was no dancer. In fact, he'd never danced a moment with a woman in his life that he could recall, but what he was was stubborn and skilled at doing whatever he put his mind to. As a result, he'd forced Artee to fly the entire trip to Serenno and he'd spent the trip practicing dancing incessantly for when he knew he would inevitably end up in this situation.

He took her hand in his and ran his thumb gently over the top of her hand. His heart immediately skipped a beat as he led her out to the dance floor and put his other arm around her as their bodies pressed up against one another.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys had to bite her lip to keep from smiling, “I think you noticed the men staring at me more than I did,” She blatantly called him out, her usual blunt personality shining through. As he listed off things they could be doing, she looked around at all the different investors and artifacts that were being advertised. When he mentioned ‘pretending’ to be interested, Trys had to laugh, “And what are you actually interested in then?”

When the suggestion of dancing came up, she was more than a little surprised. Trys finished off her champagne and left it on a passing by tray held by a server. She allowed him to guide her out to the dance floor, more than shocked to see him taking the lead. He didn’t strike her as the type that indulged in activities like this.

Trys didn’t object as he pulled her in, her gaze meeting his. She got a closer look into his eyes, the honeyed pools that burned with a molten fire she never took the time to notice before. It was almost intimidating in a tantalizing way, and she had to remind herself not to be too obvious. She followed as he began the dance, spinning and twirling as he raised his hand and moved with her.

He moved with almost unnatural grace, always light on his feet. Even a cursory glance at anyone else would single him out that he didn’t move like anyone else. Trys almost forgot entirely about the reason they were here, her gaze locked with his as her hands traveled along his body to hold onto him throughout all the different dance poses.

She never would have guessed this was all recently learned, and she would never have to know. Trys felt her heartbeats quicken, spinning out and then back in. One of the spins brought her in so her back pressed against his chest, his arms around her body. Trys gazed ahead and spoke quietly, almost breathlessly, “I don’t want you to read my mind right now…”

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak didn't bother denying her assertion. It was blatantly true, and he wasn't really trying to hide it. One of these days he was going to tell her that rule number 3 was a dumb rule, and he didn't follow dumb rules.

What he was far more interested in was the two of them together now. They moved with the music, their bodies up against one another, and their eyes barely separated. He didn't need to read her mind to see how intensely she was staring at him or how intensely he stared back at her. He was beyond the point of being ashamed. He didn't know when it had changed or how, but it had. Perhaps it was in the hospital... almost certainly.

He was suddenly acutely aware of everything between the two of them and absolutely nothing beyond them. The feeling of her bare skin under his hands and the feeling of her hands wrapped around him. The pounding of his heart. The way that they moved as one. It was all perfect for one moment. He had no doubts, no fears, no reservations, and no hesitations.

She spun back into him as the song came to an end and he heard her barely above a whisper. His face was over her shoulder, almost cheek to cheek as she spoke, and he let his lips brush along her cheek, lingering a moment.

I don't have to, he whispered as they passed by her ear.

He didn't want the song to end or the dancing to come to a close, and for a moment he held onto her hand longer than he needed to. His eyes were piercing and searched hers. For a moment he wanted to kiss her, here, in front of everyone. A long and passionate kiss, but he didn't. He held fast because he knew that in a room full of her colleagues she would have far too many questions to answer.

You are... stupendous, he said and released her hand slowly and with a faint smile. He held her gaze for a moment longer, intense and burning, before people began to shuffle away from the dance floor and to the auction room.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys couldn’t remember the last time she had done this, and she was surprised by the spectrum of thoughts and emotions going through her. Talak had this uncanny way of making her feel younger and disarmed, and it was almost unnerving. Every little brush of his touch against her skin was intoxicating, and the warmth of his body against hers enveloped her entirely.

When he leaned in so his lips brushed against her face, it felt as if she forgot how to breathe. How was he having such an effect on her? When did things change between them like this? Was it because he had so much passion? Was it the way she couldn’t look away from his smoldering gaze? Was he simply playing tricks on her? It felt as if he had unleashed one of his lightning attacks on her, every little neuron inside her firing and blazing at once. She felt it ripple out throughout all her extremities, her heart pounding against her chest.

His warm breath against her ear sent another jolt through her, and she didn’t even know till then that she craved to feel more of him. Trys tried to keep a straight face through it all, her gaze trained forward, and she was internally angry at herself for turning into putty in his arms.

The song ended by then, and she turned to face him again. He still held onto her, and she gazed up at those same intense eyes that somehow burned even more fiercely. She could see his gaze flash just for a moment to her lips, and she knew what he was thinking, but he stopped himself. When he spoke, she could only smile at him. One of her hands had been resting on his chest, and she slid it up just a bit so her fingers just barely brushed against the skin along his neck.

“You are….breaking rule number three,” Trys couldn’t help but smile, pulling back from him at last. She left it at that, turning away from him to walk towards the auction room. She was still reeling as if she had just walked through flames, the heat still clinging to her body. Trys chastised herself mentally for letting her guard down, but she also couldn’t find herself regretting it. She didn’t want to complicate things, especially not with someone that wasn’t exactly a model citizen.

Trys quickly pushed the thoughts aside, gazing up ahead as the first artifacts began to come out to be displayed. She pulled out her comlink, speaking into the channels to her Rangers to ensure that everyone was in position. A quick scan over the attendees didn’t point anyone out, and she turned to look at Talak, “...Anyone feel off to you?”

 

[Talak Rand]

Her feelings in the Force were crystal clear to him without even trying. Perhaps their minds had become closer working in such close proximity or perhaps it was simply a testament to the strength of the feelings, but whatever the answer, he could feel her pull toward him. It matched his own, and neither of them seemed capable of resisting. Talak didn't want to.

That hand of hers laying over his chest and touching the skin of his neck would feel that the heart in his chest was going insane. It beat fast and hard under her touch, and everything in him seemed to respond to her. She touched his soul in a way that no one else did, and he was left in awe and confusion as to how and why.

He smirked as she told him he was breaking rule number three and began to turn to the auction.

So are you, he muttered quietly as he watched her walk away. He stood for only a moment longer before following after her to the location where the artifacts were brought up. He had almost forgotten that they were here to catch a psychotic murderer. His mind had very much been elsewhere, but he pulled himself back to the moment. To the job at hand, and how best to accomplish it.

His mind snaked through the crowd, searching and querying for any sign of the man they were hunting. He didn't know who it was or where they'd find him, but he knew that if they tracked the totem they would find him.

Nothing, he shook his head. He grabbed her hand for a moment and she might think at first that it was some attempt to hold her hand, but it was far more practical. He started to pull her after him for a moment before releasing her hand. He headed out of the main hall and down the way toward a maintenance closet before turning around.

His eyes suddenly went wide and his face turned a bit red as he looked at her face.

It's not what you think, he said after a moment when he realized that leading her to a maintenance room after what had just transpired might look like he had... other intentions. Tacky intentions.

I need you to... watch over me, he said, picking the best words he could. If I concentrate intensely I might be able to find him, but it leaves me... very exposed. And it can work both ways, he said. He'd rather not be left completely out in the open and about to be killed. Be on guard and keep your radio ready, he said before realizing that she might have to actually explain any info she relayed to the other officers.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys scowled when he abruptly grabbed her hand. She looked at him in surprise, wondering what he was doing. She knew how he felt, but she also didn’t think he was the type to abruptly interrupt her on the job. Trys thought he was leading her towards the suspect, but he pulled them into a closet all of a sudden. He turned around with a red face, and he’d see her incredibly unamused face. Regardless, she decided to throw out a quip at him.

“You haven’t even bought me dinner you little shit-”

He cut her off by explaining it wasn’t what she thought. Trys had half considered socking him in the face for pulling her away from the job, but she calmed herself as he explained. When he mentioned watching over him, her face scrunched up in confusion.

“Me? Watch over you with all your wizard powers?” Trys couldn’t help but scoff. She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling irritated at being stuck in a damn closet. However, she had her comms ready to go, trusting in whatever he had to do.

Trys would simply stare at him as he did all his concentrating, always enormously suspicious whenever the Force was concerned. She kept shooting glances at the closet door, just expecting the killer to barge in. Trys pulled out the small pistol she had stashed in her clutch. It looked harmless but could pack a punch - though it was stun mode as was her way.

 

[Talak Rand]

There were a lot of other things that Talak would have rather done in a maintenance closet with Trys, but life had shoved "meditate to find a serial killer" down his throat as the only option he had. He promptly tossed a cleaning rag on the ground and plopped onto his knees and closed his eyes. It was the first time he had ever done any sort of meditation in front of her, and he pushed himself to look beyond her. As fascinating as he found her, he had an actual job to do here.

He could feel the various guests, most of whom where snobs, but didn't find anything of interest. Find him. The one with malice below the surface, he thought, focusing in. If she looked, she would see his face contorting into a frown as he focused more intensely, somehow suddenly in another place entirely.

That was when he sensed the streaks of black. Against the relatively mild hues of this gathering, it certainly stood out, and he tried to hone in on where in the building the man was.

I see a pillar... the east side... he said, trying to clear up the image more in his mind's eye. Before he could get any further, though, a spike of pure torment shot through his mind. He was no stranger to pain, but in all his life he had never experienced anything like this. He felt as if someone had driven a railroad peg through the center of his head, and he doubled over and cried out, clutching his head. Whoever this killer was, he had tricks of his own.

Go... you have to get him... agh! he moaned, continuing to clutch and claw at his scalp. He could only hope that the information he had seen was enough to distract the killer and break his concentration before Talak's own defenses gave way completely.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys quickly pulled up her comms, “East wing Rangers! Do I have anyone on it? Do you have a pillar in your visual? Do you see-” Talak would be able to hear muffled screaming coming from the other end of the comlink. Trys cursed and threw the door open and rushed out. They would have to take matters into their own hands. Trys kicked off the heels to allow her to run, going barefoot.

The killer was probably nabbing the artifact with everyone else focused on the auction. Trys shoved past anyone in her way, running towards the east wing of the building. Upon coming near the pillar, she could see one of her officers on the ground. His eyes vacantly stared up into the ceiling, the last bits of warmth leaving his body.

Trys called out to a Ranger as she passed, “Keep everyone in the auction room in there. Lock it down and don’t let anyone go!” She signalled for the rest to follow her. She knew Talak could handle himself, but the rest of them needed to work in a coordinated effort to avoid being killed.

She had a sinking feeling that they were too late, that the deed was already done. Thunder cracked outside, rain beginning to splatter and signal a raging storm arriving. Trys headed upstairs, following the second body that littered the way. The path would eventually lead towards a balcony on the second floor.

If Talak were already on the balcony, a figure would step out from behind him - one that didn’t hide its signature. The man would speak quietly, “How did you manage to get your hands on such a pretty little trinket?” His voice was smooth, and his face was hidden. He was just out of reach, almost like a shadow. The sliver of a mask lit up only when lightning struck. Talak would see the twirl of the artifact between the man’s fingers, “Why do you work against your own kind?”

 

[Talak Rand]

Whatever the other officers were doing must have been enough to distract the killer, and as terrible as he felt that someone was probably dying trying to engage the killer, he was glad that his own agony had come to an end. It took him a moment to gain his feet again and stumble out of the room. A pat against his coat ensured that his lightsaber hilt was still there, but he didn't want to use it. It probably would have looked comical that he grabbed a wooden mop handle as his weapon of choice, but it was better than a blaster and more covert than a lightsaber... particularly when augmented with the Force which he now poured into it.

While Trys organized the other Rangers and security troops, Talak didn't waste any time in charging up to the balcony. The storm had started and rain beat down from above as Talak came out onto the balcony.

He stiffened when the voice behind him spoke up. It may have been smooth sounding, but Talak could feel the darkness underlying it. It was like nails on a chalkboard, and he spun around to look the man in the eye. His gaze was piercing and golden, betraying what he was.

I'm not working against my own kind, he spat angrily. He knew he had to buy time for Trys and the Rangers to get here.

I'm here to recruit you, he said. It was a lie, he was here to kill this guy, but the creep didn't need to know that yet. And I have that "trinket" because I work with a whole lot of other people, and we've unearthed more than you could imagine, he said. That part wasn't actually a lie. He hoped that mixing enough truth and enough lies would help cloud the situation and buy enough time for Trys to arrive.

He thought about reaching out and touching her mind, but he figured that would be something that she wouldn't understand the difference between that and his other mental tricks. He just hoped that she would be here soon.

 

[Trys Aran]

“Is that so?” The man said, amusement clear in his tone, “Because you didn’t seem so friendly when you tried to attack me in the speeder back in the neighborhood,” He stashed the artifact away, drawing out his saber hilt, but not igniting it just yet, “Get out of my way and no one else needs to get hurt.”

Trys felt ridiculous running around in an evening dress like this. However, the lack of heels ensured that she was much quieter in her approach. As she began to come to the end of the staircase, she could hear some voices amidst all the rain and storms. Trys had her gun out already, and she rounded a corner and could make out side of a man with Talak standing a short distance ahead of him.

The man looked as if he were prepared to lash out and Trys jumped on that window of opportunity. She leveled and fired her gun, the bolt hitting the man square in the shoulder. The man cried out in pain and dropped, but not before whirling around to ignite his saber and send it sailing her way.

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak had at least made an attempt to get the man to let his guard down. He could go on making excuses for why he had attacked the man, but none of it was going to work.

I suppose it was too much to hope someone with your body count was an idiot... he muttered, raising his Force-reinforced mop handle in preparation to face off against a lightsaber. The look of it had to have looked completely ridiculous if anyone actually saw it.

Talak heard the bzzrap! of a stun pistol that struck the man in the shoulder and half spun him. The saber was in the air, and for a moment everything seemed to freeze. Attack or defend. As a Sith the question shouldn't have been a question: attack, always attack. Bend your enemy until they break... but Talak was a crappy Sith, it seemed.

Seeing the saber tearing through the air at Trys, he reached out with the Force and gripped it. It would stop mere inches from her face, and Talak left himself incredibly exposed as he focused on stopping its arc. The flower killer was beginning to recover from the shot and his pain turned to anger as it did for dark siders. Lightning tore through the air toward Talak and pounded into his chest, sending him sprawling back across the wet ground, the pain only amplifying from the rain water. It would only be moments before he was likely killed unless Trys managed to land another shot.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys could only gasp as she saw the blade coming at her, and she was even more shocked when it stopped midway and mere inches from her face. She could feel the heat radiating from it, and her gaze shifted over to behind it. It was as if everything were happening in slow motion. She saw Talak reaching out and doing whatever he did to hold the saber, and she also saw the killer moving and rising up from the ground to unleash an attack.

She quickly jumped out of the trajectory of the blade, watching as the lightning hit Talak and sent him back, “No!” She cried out, forgetting about the killer in that moment. It was very unlike her, and she had taken her focus off the job. It cost her, as the man leaped forward and vaulted off the balcony and into the night.

Trys didn’t bother chasing after the killer, rushing instead to Talak’s side. She found him lying on the ground, completely drenched and out in the part of the balcony that protruded into the open. Trys knelt down beside him, watching blue streaks course through his body as the remnants of the lightning slowly left him. Smoke rose from the front of his clothing, and she didn’t want to imagine what his skin underneath looked like. He had taken a square hit to his torso.

“You kriffing idiot,” She whispered quietly, tossing the gun aside and leaning in to see if he were okay. All thoughts of the killer she had been chasing for over a year and how close she had been went completely out the window.

 

[Talak Rand]

This was exponentially worse than the last time he had been hit in the yard, and if he weren't in so much pain he would have cursed himself for letting himself be caught again. But... it was worth it. That was all he could think in the back of his mind as the lightning had subsided. Trys's voice sounded distant and it felt difficult to force his eyelids open.

Not one of his muscles wanted to work as they twitched and contracted. Looking down, she would be able to see the white shirt was streaked with black burn marks, and if she recalled when he'd been shirtless, she would note how similar they seemed to the spider-web scar pattern that had covered his torso.

I'm... I'm okay... he said, though it was clear that he wasn't doing very great. It seemed difficult to catch his breath, and it took several moments for him to realize that the killer was getting away, but Trys had stopped to check on him.

Trys... go, you... have to stop him, he said. It was humorously like her insisting that he go on after she'd shattered her leg. They were both so stubborns and two of kind.

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys only half listened to him, calling for medical support at once. She was getting soaked in the rain as well, her hair matted to her face. Trys had been sitting on her knees, and she reached down and pulled him into her lap so she could arch over him slightly and prevent him from being directly under the rain. Trys quirked an eyebrow down as she recalled his words.

“You want me to go after him so he can kriff me up worse than he did to you?” She smiled faintly, trying to ignore the black streaks against his clothing. He sounded weak when he spoke, and she worried this was all beyond her measure of understanding. Trys reached a hand over, her fingers gingerly touching along his chest, tracing over the clothing where it still felt hot, “Stay with me,” She said as she glanced down at the black streaks.

Everything happened in a blur as the medical personnel arrived. They had their bacta and their supplies, and they quickly cut the front of his shirt aside. They tore it apart, and she could see it then - the streaking, black spider-web like remnants. She saw the puzzled and helpless looks on the faces of the medical personnel, staring at their bacta and their patches. They were so lost, this was so beyond what they could do.

Trys hadn’t even realized that although they had pulled him away from her, she had loosely threaded her fingers with his. Her gaze was focused on the helpless way the medics tried everything in their possession, but nothing seemed to help. If Talak were still conscious, he’d hear her screaming at them and back and forth shouting.

“How do we fix him damn it?!” Trys shouted at them, “Why can’t you treat it like a regular burn!”

“It’s something we’ve never seen-”

“I don’t give a shit! Keep trying!”