Full Circle

[Trextan Voidstalker]

He smiled with a look of concentration in his eyes.

"Operating theatre, their equipment?" he hoped that made some semblance of sense. He thought back to the last time they'd been together. They'd horsed around when they should have been practising. He still thought his mentor had been aware. Perhaps her views were a little different to the rest of the Order but she hadn't felt like telling him to spend time with his partner.

He wished they could have some time together again. Nothing stressful, just be somewhere because they wanted to be together. But when might tag happen now with the Alliance and Order being assailed from all sides? For all he knew it was already over.

Trextan decided that he would at least kiss her before she could leave.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Trextan Voidstalker"]

A mental push was all that it required to bring up the screen. It was the same effect that Trextan would normally do to control the various applications of his prosthetic arm. Kind of like injecting herself into the neural pathways of his arm so that she could control it.

"I don't have any of my tools here, " she began, "but maybe..." his power source was active. It made a bit more sense when he meant the operating theater. Sometimes, there were terms that didn't quite connect with the young woman. Slang terms and colloquial ones.

"Yeah, you've been disconnected to the major applications of your arm save normal use." a bit more digging and her left arm took hold of his wrist. Jade green eyes would stare back at Trextan in mild humor, "Likely so that you would not use your paddle beamer if you awoke in an unfamiliar setting." Choli could remember how she herself had reacted waking up that first time on the medical cot after she'd been found. Her last memory had been falling into that ditch back on Kaeshanna.

"I can activate them again." a pause, "Just don't tell."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

It was the moment her eyes shifted hues again that he lost all interest in his arm and instead shifted his attention back to her. He could feel her root around inside his own arm. Couldn't recognise how, but was still vaguely aware that the Force was being manipulated.

Trextan could still remember how much more exciting the arm had been to it than the floppy haired boy attached to it had been. She almost taken it off him to investigate.

The smile that crossed his lips was genuine this time. Trextan didn't smile enough. She hadn't been all that interested in his prosthetic when he had been kissing her at his uncle's cafe.

In the midst of a war it seemed an almost selfish thing to settle on those memories to hold the dark at bay. He was just a young man caught up in the times, being a Jedi had never come first for him. Even being trained by the Sith his burning personal vendetta had come first.

"Won't tell a soul."

[member="Choli Vyn"]

 

[Choli Vyn]

There it was. Trextan’s smile. It was a real one too; one that managed to fade momentarily the trepidation and the anxiety that had been there before. Her belly gave a flutter, and she found herself smiling in turn.

“I’ll keep you to that,” she replied, and blue tones joined the sea of green. His whole face brightened with that smile. He’ll be okay, choli told herself. For here and now at least. They were away from the frontlines.

Turning her attention back to his arm, Choli gave a slight frown of concentration. Ah. “I can bring back the bulk of the systems online. “ a pause and the Force ran through her mind. After a few seconds, the comm screen came online. It was working again.

“Oh.” Her lips formed a small ‘o’. Looking up at Trextan, she added this,” ... there are systems here that are locked away by an encryption. “ likely the ones kept in place by Jacen Voidstalker.

A mischievous twinkle grew in her eyes, “I can try to unlock them for you.” They didn’t have too much time. But it might serve to continue distracting Trextan. He needed that.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan watched her as she worked. It was an odd experience to see her so focused on reaching into a part of him. He saw it that way now, much more than he had when they first met and he had been struggling to deal with the loss of his arm. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation. Light and fluttery almost. Hard for him to define.

"Oh?" he said with a raised eyebrow. He wasn't the only one who could keep a serious expression. After seeing the shock and concern etched into her features it was a relief to see her smile back. A little positive feedback loop made more immediate by their slowly growing connection. One he had missed with their time apart.

"Go for it, he said quickly. What exactly was left inaccessible to him. It was his own arm after all. He had no qualms at all about making sure it was all within his control.

 

[Choli Vyn]

"Alright," Choli flashed him a wider grin at that, green flecks of amusement appearing within her eyes. "As long as you realize dinner is payment." it was half a quip as much as a declaration. It should remind the Jedi just how the Rogue pilot bartered for her time as his guide on Tatooine for a few square meals a day.

"In the meantime, how does your arm feel?" before she could follow up, the pilot in the front of the U-Wing could be heard asking for clearance for entering the Polis Massa's medical hanger.

"Just try not to shoot me with the paddle beam." she added, trying to concentrate on the encryption. If she had more time... That was it wasn't it? They had to make the most of what they could. Of random chances and lucky draws. The circumstances of them meeting might not be the best -- Choli would never wish upon Trextan the sort of torture or agony he might have dealt with the Sith. But she was hard-pressed to say she wasn't happy to see him alive in front of her.

"I think... it is some kind of repulser system." Choli wasn't familiar with the grav glove, but the repulser systems were familiar, albeit miniature ones. "It's situated on your palm --- I just need a minute." small beads of sweat began to dampen her brow in her growing concentration.

Time. Just a bit more time.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Choli Vyn"]

The ships wings swept back forwards into their U-shaped configuration. Trextan was suddenly struck by the way the galaxy must have conspired to bring them full circle and back here again. Not conspired, he thought to himself. Time on Tatooine had imprinted a belief that there was a natural order to things. One the Force had a habit of righting.

"Maybe ill just pay for it this time," he whispered in a conspiratorial tone. It seemed a very long time since he had snuck into the kitchen to steal the food reserved for officers being treated.

It was difficult, but Trextan tried to keep his mind away from the arm now. Every function had its own particular sensation to call it up and he didn't want to accidentally trigger any of them.

"I've seen my father use one," he added quietly. He had witnessed Jacen catching opponents out by striking them with a seemingly telekinetic blow that wasn't administered through the Force. Interesting.

 

[Choli Vyn]

Within a few seconds, Trextan would be able to feel as if a small switch had been activated. It was as if feeling the prickling rushing motion of the blood rushing back, new electrical pathways that his mind now had access to.

"Not sure how powerful it is, but...you should feel it there now." jade green eyes peered up through the yellow visor at him again. She could have pulled her hands away by now, but she didn't. Instead, her fingers went curling against that chrome colored prosthetic. Her thumb began to sweep lightly in a back and forth motion.

"Pay for it?" the young pilot managed to say, feeling the U-Wing begin its descent. The medic at the rear of the shuttle gave a cough. One that seemed to say, hurry it up.

"Where is the fun in that?" that might have fallen a little flat, a slight catch to the end of her voice. Taking a deep breath, her shoulders rose. Biting her lip, she tried to focus on what he had revealed about his father. "Then you get the general gist of how it works? The repulsors, I mean."

Time. Just a little bit more time.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Choli Vyn"]

He heard that cough, felt a hot flash of anger at the interruption. Trextan hadn't answered her question but it had been rolling around in his mind. Last time they had stolen a shuttle and flown off to save an Alliance colony. This time he wanted to steal a ship, steal Choli and just vanish. Fly away from the pain and the war. There had barely be any time to do good, to be a Justicar, when the war was endless.

Trextan opened and closed his hand. He could feel the systems now. They had always been there, but a block had entirely hidden them from him. He dared not even focus on them too hard. Throwing another patient across the room could kill someone.

He looked towards Choli and nodded. "Like those tractor beams you see in cargo bays." Typically floor mounted they could shift large containers around with an invisible beam. This was the same.

He opened and closed the hand. Then, without warning, those unbreakable fingers grasped the front of her jumpsuit and pulled her closer. It hurt, but he leaned up from his position and placed a single kiss on her lips. He knew full well it would embarrass her, but time was running out.

"I owe you," he confirmed with a pained smile. "Keep safe," he added in a deadly serious tone.

 

[Choli Vyn]

Heat ran up Choli’s neck in a crimson wave that darkened her already olive complexion with a rudier hue. It had been quick, a mere peck across her lips, but it brought back the memories of when Trextan had moved so fast back at the cavern and had kissed her hard. This time it didn’t hold quite the same heightened level of emotion, but it did enough to convey what he felt. The anxiety of their depleting time they had left. The uncertainty of the war. The recognition of their mortality. Anything could happen between now and the next time they’d meet again.

“Don’t walk into storms unless you are ready.” Choli countered back, the grip on his prosthetic wrist tightening to a painful curl. Pain meant you were alive. That there was a tangible line to life. Hearing her say that likely sounded a touch hypocritical, as the pilot was the sort to charge ahead once she made up her mind. But what she meant was more along the lines of that she wanted him to at least be prepared before entering a dangerous situation.

The U-wing’s cabin gave a slight rumble, they had just slipped past the activated hanger barrier that led towards the casvac medical drop off.

“I should be in this sector unless the Bantha poodoo hits the fan. Chloe Blake will contact you.” Choli assured him. He hadn’t met the blonde in person, but the pilot gave a nod.

“She’ll get you in contact with your father.” you can trust her.

In the next few seconds were the last that Trextan and Choli would be able to take advantage of. A rush of emotion went bubbling up and the young pilot returned the favor, kissing Trextan quickly with a brush of her lips. His were slightly chapped, hers were dry, but it didn’t matter.

“Ol'val, min dul'skal,” was the low, hoarse whisper, “... ahn guld domina,” Trextan wouldn’t know what it meant, but Choli had heard it so many times from Chloe and Jan that it was one of the few phrases of Olys Corellsi that she knew by heart.

Goodluck and clear skies, my friend.

They both would need it.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

[member="Choli Vyn"]

There wasn't the time to ask what those words meant. It would be a pleasant little mystery. Trextan would have happily let her whisper to him in that language and stayed until he found some rest.

At least she wouldn't be far. It raised the possibility that she could come and see him again. Not only that but she was going to have her old mentor try and find some of the answers no one else would. It was more than he could ask for. Life had been so simple in those wastes. Brutal, but simple.

Things changed. His world had been turned upside down so many times. Trextan looked down at his hand, flexing prosthetic fingers and wondering when he could test the arm. Leaving the sith had seemed the biggest and then he had lost his arm.

And then, he thought as he watched the pilot walk away, he had met Choli. He could have met a local girl who giggled and blushed at his every word. But instead he'd found Choli, who challenged him to be better at every true.

Trextan waved as he was pushed away from her craft, feeling a little glimmer of hope again.