Private Coal

[Talin Treicolt]

Moments dragged on without a response, and Talin nearly made a joke followin' up on Tansu's remark about punchin' her face, notin' it was mighty punchable - but nah, that was too easy. Then, Talin's eyes narrowed as those moments kept. dragging. on. Wasn't a blank face of stupor that had silenced him. Somethin' was turnin' behind scarred features, and as Talin's gaze slid sideways to her twin's face, it held an expression she knew all too well - the thoughtfulness of a conversation the outside world wasn't privvy to.

It would have hurt less if Talsin had put his hands on her. At least that woulda made sense.

"Just be good, that's all the apology I need. The world is karked up enough as it is without us adding to it."

Bile welled in the back of her throat. Good. All she had ever tried to be, tradin' flesh and peaceful nights to touch the idea, and yet every time Talsin glanced her way, it felt all for naught. Bitter laughter bubbled from somewhere otherwise hollow.

"Good ain't always so nice and proper, neither." How much did this bond of theirs share? Talin was 'bouta find out. "Few dead Imperials on Denon can attest to that."

Either the recent memory would come surfacin' easily for Talsin to see, and Talin would know Su had well and good replaced her without thinkin' twice, or her twin could mark where she stood sellin' her out. Rejoinin' Morrow's side, Talin laid it on thick, wrappin' an arm around his waist and draggin' him in.

"Naboo's kinda outta the way of Nar Shaddaa. Maybe we oughta meet in the middle next time."

Were the couple in the know about what went on the Rim, and who owned it? Talin sure hoped so. It was goading, to toe so close to admitting their association with the Syndicate, but all good sense had flown the coop, leavin' fear and anger simmering in its wake. Some wounds wouldn't close so easy, it seemed.

"Your offer still on the table?" Talin asked Morrow under her breath.

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

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It was always too much and never enough at the same time whenever Talsin got all sappy like that. And with the words intimately shared directly to the coils of her mind, she felt her insides puddle and a blush warm her cheeks. Pinked and obvious, there was no concealing their closeness to the twin that knew exactly what mindshare looked like.

Talin picked up on it instantly. And leaked out a tease to the snippet she'd shared earlier, the one that had forced Tansu to grit through and package up. Pretend she hadn't heard the confession — It was so much worse than one Weequay —and shoved it into a box. But, that box fell apart the moment Talin chose to poke and prod.

Su's compartmentalization had always been unpracticed and tenuously held. It's not who she was, even if she'd planned to withhold what her sister had shared from Talsin. Maybe not forever, but long enough that they could all pretend to be a happy quartet and maybe go for a drink, or something that resembled normal. Long enough that she could have her sister back, see her happy, and get a peek into the elusive Morrow that had bewitched her other half body and soul.

But, evidenced by her sister, subtlety was not a quality cultivated amidst Treicolts. How could it be, in a family of five children running around on a farm? Emotions were always big and very obvious.

Tansu felt a flash of indignation.

"So, the question becomes, what do you want? How do you want things to be between you? You can set terms, it doesn't need to be unconditional. But it's about growth. What will make you both stronger?"

She'd said it then, she'd say it again. Sorry meant accountability. She'd got the sorry, but the second piece was missing.

"Talin." Her teeth grit; frustration buzzed through her knuckles and hands. "Don't test him."

Her hand flattened to Talsin's chest, protective, though he hadn't moved an inch. The other pointed sharp as a spearhead at her sister. Then both hands went to her hips, shoulders squaring.

"'An after everythin', don't test me. I was good to drop it. Leave whatcha said behind. Get on all normal-like, the four of us, but if you won't leave it then hells," her hands tossed up, "I won't either." Stubbornness rooted deep in the girls and always came out as a challenge.

Especially not when she'd seen glimpses of Morrow goading Jonath Kago and talking about Talsin in a way that mirrored the same sour edge Talin emanated now. It was him, somehow, that was at the root of her twin's change. She just couldn't prove it.

But she could damn well call it out.

Her voice broke into something rawer, "You know I think Jon outta be arrested for one murder. You should be able to piece together that more murders would mean more consequence. Especially when it was a conscious choice you shared."

Her attention turned, slow and sure, until her eyes found Morrow.

"After Lin lit up like a glow bug, I wanted to meet you tonight," she said, voice softening but still edged. "Just meet you. Maybe laugh a little, maybe understand what my sister saw."

A beat. Then she stepped closer.

"I think it's clear as day where Talsin and I stand on justice: Murder leads to trial.

I've seen where Talin's at. I just don't know why. So question is, where do you stand? You gonna be the kind of guy that makes my sister better, the one that owns his actions? Or the kind that grins about body bags on Denon and calls a shattered jaw just desserts for speakin' the word 'arrest'?"

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Talin Treicolt | Morrow | Talsin Lota
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