Private Dodge City

[Tansu Treicolt]

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Her mouth opened to argue then click shut. That gang had been chasing her for several blocks, and she'd lifted the speeder just to outrun them. 'Tansu Treicolt' wasn't attached to any of this unless the cops arrived and she remained to greet them.

Then what would happen? She didn't have enough credits to cover any of the damages. That was a practical fact. And she hadn't officially registered with the New Jedi Order either. It was just Kyric funding her and Talin's life for now, and she couldn't bare to bring this down on him. He was on such a good run, and if she became a blight just be association...

She shifted her weight from foot to foot anxiously.

Staying behind and explaining the account would have been the right thing to do. On Concord Dawn, she knew the gang would be charged for all the damages. But she wasn't sure how the law worked on Coruscant. She'd seen Damien Dooku dragged away and arrested for helping protect a senator..

Suddenly she felt squeamish. Like consequence was roiling around and sloshing in her belly. Her voice dipped to be mouselike.

"They shot my nav controls out. I couldn't avoid you."

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Talsin Lota
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[Talsin Lota]

"Yes, yes. It wasn't your fault, but do you think anyone is gonna give a shit about that?" He was talking against his own programming here, but ever since they had to flee Teta Tal had lost some of his blind faith in the police system. Here on Coruscant few if any recognized the Lota family name and even fewer gave a chit even if they did.

He was being treated like a regular person. If there was anything that made it easier to radicalize a person, it was to treat a noble boy the same or worse than the regular people on the street.

Suddenly all that lack of privilege started to feel like oppression.

It sounded a bit dismissive but he was at the very least arguing for her not losing her money. That was worth something, wasn't it?

"They are going to bleed you dry and then throw you in jail when you can't pay up more." He touched his nose gingerly and cringed at the pain flaring up immediately. They had just fixed it too. He wondered how many times they could do that before the damage would be permanent. The last thing Tal wanted was to walk around with a splotch for a nose.

"So just take this chance and stop arguing with me."

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

Tansu bent to scoop up Amos, and held him close to her while she weighed Talsin's threatening words. The cat didn't protest.

He sounded so sure. Was he just making fun of her? He'd insulted her country folk self before without a second thought. But at the same time.. he was offering to stay behind and give her the chance to make like a bandit. Even if he'd already given her a scorchingly judgemental look about it.

There didn't seem to be any immediate benefit to him making this offer to her, other than his perceived duty as a Jedi Padawan. His nose was broken, he stood a little crooked, and he was just as miserable looking as she. Everything about the way he looked made him a believable victim to an auto accident.

She didn't like him, and she hated that he might be right.

Air sucked through her teeth and she nodded.

"I'm real sorry 'bout your cayuse." Tansu murmured dejectedly, looking over the edge of the building, then back to him. She was quiet for a beat, evaluating whether or not to say thank you. "And'jer nose."

Her arm stuck out. "Here, gimme your datapad." A look over her shoulder at the fast approaching cops. "C'mon, quick, quick like a bunny."

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Talsin Lota
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[Talsin Lota]

While she was having an existential crisis between either going to jail or acknowledging that he was right, he groaned as he gently touched his nose. Yeah, it was definitely broken, and now that the initial adrenaline rush was over he was reasonably sure he had broken a few ribs as well. Concussion? Maybe. It was the only possibly reason that he had smiled at her childish laughing outburst. There was no other reason for it after all.

He sighed.

"It's okay." A bit mournful for a guy who can get a new one so easy, no? But Tal didn't elaborate as he looked over the edge again, trying to spy the wreckage, but from here that was impossible.

"Eh?" But she was insistent and he pulled it out, it was also a bit banged up, but not comparable to the wreckage. "Here, but hurry up." Giving it to her after some hesitation.

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

Tansu grabbed it without further explanation and deftly navigated the scratched up screen. For a split second, both her thumbs hovered like she was considering something, and then went back to typing. Then she finished and handed it back to Talsin.

"For after you submit your report to the marshals." She held it away from him, "Not before", and then back within his proximity to take."Just in case you narc."

Then she tipped her hat, made sure Amos was securely in her arms, and darted off to the main exit.

"Thank youuuuu!"

When he read the thread she'd created later, it would be a message she sent to herself — listed as a nameless number.

<That was too close! need my future bluffs 2 b more believable.>

An hour and a half later she'd reply to her own message, from her datapad, and invite him to find a Jedi Enclave meant for deception.

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Talsin Lota
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[Talsin Lota]

Narc? Excuse him... he came from a long line of narcs. Concerned citizens that went to the police for every and all opportunity. So why did it annoy him so to be called that now?

The conversation with the cops went smoothly. He was a rich young man who had been almost killed in a traffic accident and by the time he came to there was no one else on sight. No, of course he wasn't interested in pressing charges, he was simply happy that nobody else got hurt in this accident.

He didn't feel particularly good about lying to the cops. In fact, it went entirely against his upbringing, but... they would have been much less understanding of Tansu. He knew this instinctively. And for all her faults, she wasn't a bad apple. Just an idiot and you don't throw idiots into jail or make the rest of their life miserable because of a mistake. On the way to the hospital he brought up his datapad and read the message.

<That was too close! need my future bluffs 2 b more believable.>

It made him snort... and then he saw the text bubble pop up again... she was writing him a message. He bit his underlip, waiting... it stopped and restarted a few times until the invitation popped in. Why was his neck and face so warm suddenly?

Weird, he must have been hurt worse than he anticipated.

<Gotta make sure you don't wreck someone else's speeder, sure, I will pop in. Make sure you get yourself checked out.> he paused and then added. <Wouldn't wanna see what you'd do with brain damage>

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

The first ping made her smile. The guy was insufferable, and clearly needed help making friends. He'd been such an uptight nerf herder the first time they'd met but today....something felt turned around. Like he just might have some potential.

And her extended family was a welcoming cocoon where maybe he could get some exposure to how folks were meant to treat one another. Like not sending messages that felt grating or too-cool and aloof when invited to a personal pursuit. The way it read was as though he'd be doing her a favour rather than her doing him one.

It would be her duty to ensure that perception didn't remain long lasting.

She rolled her eyes at the second ping.

<will just follow ur lead, u seem to be doing okay on only 2 brain cells.>

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Talsin Lota
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[Talsin Lota]

He rolled his eyes... But smiled.

<Got 3 actually. But not surprised a country girl can only count til 2 >

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

"Amos look, the nerve of this guy!" Tansu was back on the streets, walking back to Kyric's apartment and tilted the screen so her cat could read what Talsin had written. "And look," she pointed at the semi colon and bracket "- as if that softens the blow. I hate that emoji."

He mrrrowed in agreement, but understood nothing written.

She started typing back, not wanting him to have the last word, and murmured about what a jerk he was.

<you know what else i can count?>

She huffed and pressed send on part two.

<on>

Part three, the grand finalé.

<u being a snooty jerk

xo - talin>

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Talsin Lota
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[Talsin Lota]

For a moment there was no response. And then there responses came in at once.

Her first two messages got a haha react and her third one got a thumbs up.

Truly the most awful of retaliation.