Private Fury Road

[Tansu Treicolt]

RENDILI | SPACEPORT
Immediately following the events of The Dark Empire's Invasion of Coruscant
​

Normally, there would have been so much to talk about. Coruscant burned. Another invasion. Another evacuation. Another chapter in the long list of disasters they were somehow always a part of. She'd healed two ankles in one day—wasn't that something? First that poor little boy in the crowd, and now her own, mangled from a sith's cable noose. That should've earned a joke, or at least a wry smile. And Talsin..where had he gone at that pivotal moment when Zantra had nearly cut him down? And Zantra! Her saber technique, her cable work—ugh, she hated how cool it all had looked.

Instead, the cockpit was thick with silence and practicalities. Her disgruntled "Thanks." for the mid-air pickup. (Her ma would roll in her grave if she forgot her manners.) Some dry commentary on their fuel gauge and how low it was. A curt, "Rendili's the closest safe zone." And an alarmed "Watch out for that indiction mine!" Met with a cool, irritated:"I saw it. I've got it."

To say the tension was palpable would be an understatement: It pressed against the glass of the canopy and rattled through the hull. Tansu felt overwhelmed by a storm she couldn't see, but felt it beating at her from every direction. And in feeling it, felt her own indignation steadily grow.

She wanted so badly to do something with her emotions. To throw them out at him like live wire in the confines of the tiny ship. To rebuke his foolishness. To call out his shaakchit and make him…make him…

Make him what?

Apologize?

She didn't even know. All she wanted was for him to feel it. Her anger. Her frustration. Her fear. But survival took priority, so, remarkably, she simmered. And beside her, she could feel the slow, steady swell of his discontent grow too.

The ship hissed down to the Rendili landing pad, rough and rattling from their turbulent descent. Burnt dust kicked up in their wake, and the makeshift tarmac outside shimmered with the heat of rerouted transports and chaos-managed refugees. They were only one ship of many. Unsurprising.

The moment the ramp lowered, Tansu was out. Open air, not recycled atmosphere. Skies of blue rather than fire and smoke. Relief. But not between them.

A spaceport official approached, clipboard in hand, eyes darting between datapad and docked ships.

"Designation?" the officer asked, not looking up.

"Coruscanti evac," Tansu answered first, her voice just barely cordial.

The officer nodded slowly and gestured them down the platform toward a cluster of tents.

"Dock 4B. Medical's set up there. Fuel queues are long, I've been recommending folks get refreshed and explore Rendili a bit to stall time." He winced, realizing how casual that sounded given the context. "Well, y'know. Either way you're waitin' with nowhere to go."

"Got it. Thanks."

Tansu's boots struck the decking with stubborn, steady beats. Too quick to be casual, too stiff to be relaxed. Her arms were crossed. Then uncrossed. Behind her, Talsin followed with the same quiet, knightly composure that had first made her like him. Right now? His unbothered, stately self only made her bristle.

Around them, the spaceport buzzed with stress. No one had time to notice the two evacuees threading through the flow, keeping just enough distance from one another to say everything without saying anything.

Finally, when they were out of the bustle of the spaceport and in a moment of reprieve, Tansu couldn't take it anymore. She turned hotly on her heel, pointer finger full of accusation levelled at him.

"You think I can't hold my own unless you're there to clean it up after? Kriff that, Talsin."

____________________________________________________________
Talsin Lota
____________________________________________________________
​

 

[Talsin Lota]

Tansu Treicolt

Talsin had learned from a young age that his emotions were the enemy. They made him do stupid inconsiderate things and led him constantly a stray.

Instead he was taught to suppress them, push them down, pack them in a tiny place and the incinerate them.

The Jedi confirmed this was the right approach.

But Tan made it one of the most difficult things in the world. He followed behind her, trying to mentally sort through his words for make her understand what she had done without accusing her.

Then Tansu turned around and accused him anyway.

Tal blinked.

"Don't you dare put this on me." He said firm, hard. Posture stiffening as the Duke crept through his spine but tone softened almost immediately when he noticed people watching them with interest.

"You know you karked up, so don't redirect it on me to feel better about that performance back then. We are a team, or at least I-"

A droid approached them as they came closer to the space motel. The idea of being with a whole bay of refugees after what they had gone through had passed through both without discussion and put to the side, instead opting to silently walk towards one of the places where they could have a room for money to clean up and maybe sleep.

"Hello, can I get your bag!"

Talsin was interrupted for a moment and that took the sail out of him.

"Um, no, we don't have any begs, but thank you." To the droid and then to Tansu, back in that hushed tone.

"-how would you react if I tried to pull that on you? Isolate our enemy mid fight and close the door in your face, forcing you to batter against it with no idea what I was doing or if I was even-"

The droid was still standing there and helpfully piped up.

"The doors of Rendili Aurum Resort are never closed in your face, sir, they are wide open to you! Right now!"

Talsin felt like the conversation was getting away from him.

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

"I karked up?" She sputtered her disbelief. "Me." Hand to her chest, confounded by the incredulity of his rage-whisper. She did little to throttle her volume, especially since she was simply saying less words than he. And he couldn't even finish his thought about her so-called performance because a very helpful hospitality droid whizzed right in.

It was so chipper. And she would have laughed at how much it threw Talsin off his beat, if she weren't so tangled up in her frustration. Instead, she worked her jaw and glowered at him.

"You're coming at me and not thanking me? Are you serious right now?"

She nearly jumped when the droid persisted. Lingering attentively. Politely. Tansu took one step to the side and it wheeled in that same direction, just a centimetre.

"Great, great. We're gonna mosey on through those doors. In just a second. Or if you want to get started, can you see if two rooms are available please?"

::Of course!:: Chirped the droid, whirring off for a moment's grace.

"Yes, team, I literally," and now the side of her one hand impacted the palm of the other to punctuate her next point: "Took.one.for.the.team."

She breezed past the empathy play. She'd be furious of course if he did that to her. But in her mind, he essentially did when he'd disappeared and clocked out, ready to be impaled.

"No idea what I was doing? What's it matter? You were the problem back there. The sole target. Not cutting you off would have—"

:.Excuse me! I have an update on our vacancies!::

____________________________________________________________
Talsin Lota
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​

 

[Talsin Lota]

Tansu Treicolt

"Thank you for what? Making the assumption that I can't handle my shit and need you to intervene?"

He knew he was throwing her own words back in her face. She had accused him of not trusting her, now he was basically turning it around on her, it was his favorite tactic. The one that always infuriated Tansu, because she approached these things from a place of caring, of passion, of wanting to blow out and then make up afterwards. Tal was cold, clinical, imperious even one might say. It never made for a fun argument. It's why they usually did their best to avoid them.

There was one person who could melt through that cold though.

Talsin flushed at her remark of him being the problem.

"I was fine. It was... a moment. None of us are without our moments, so don't throw that in my face." Talsin was still embarrassed about what had happened to him. Mortified at first, but he calmed down a touch once the communication filtered through into his earpiece on the way out. He hadn't been the only one to see the people he murdered.

It seemed to have been some Sith ritual.

"-blem back there. The sole target. Not cutting you off would have—"

"And you don't get to decide for me-" They had started to talk through one another. Never a good sign for where the conversation was heading. But then the droid again interrupted them. Talsin huffed out and looked at the droid. "Yes?" That yes had a lot of energy behind it, but he managed to continue to be polite.

"We have exactly 52 vacancies left is there any-"
"Top floor, biggest and cleanest room you have."
"Very good, sir. Would you like two beds or a single large one?" Talsin paused there and glanced to Tansu. Then back to the droid before straightening out again. Unless she interjected with her preference, his tone was more sober now. "One large one." His anger, he couldn't let that ruin their relationship, not again.

"Don't ever do that to me again, Tansu. I mean it." Quieter now, more morose, as they entered the lobby with much more people inside there, following the droid to the elevator.

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

"Thank me for saving you!" Exasperation made her voice a pitch higher than she wanted it to be. What was so hard to understand about her extreme bravery and generosity? Unbeknownst to him, she'd rationalized to herself that she would lay down her morals and kill for him. To protect him. And here he was reverse uno-carding her? The ingratitude baffled her.

And then he plainly (maybe even pointedly?) ignored her request for two rooms, which the droid also didn't stand up for, and brazenly booked just the one. And not even with two beds to boot! Promptly, in her brazen haste, Tansu labelled the droid sexist for clearly ignoring her requests and favouring the man's instead.

Whatever.

"Hey, woah, this is rich, SPEAKING of deciding for the other person — In case you weren't listening or paying any attention, I'm a fan of walls between us right now. Remember? I asked for two rooms." Pointer and middle finger flashed up, making a very clear v-shape to emphasize her point.

With the amount of people in the lobby, it was a wonder they still had 52 — now 51 — vacancies. She hadn't taken stock of how big the place was but it must have been huge.

"Oh you mean it? Gee! That makes it all —-"

A tired looking man gave her and Talsin a once-over and clearly did not pick up on their body language.

"Coruscant?" He asked, seeking a commiseration companion.

Tansu nodded once and self consciously looked down at her soot-coated self. How did this guy stay so clean?

"Me too." He nodded sagely. "A buncha us," he thumbed over his right shoulder at a cluster of people gathering to get into the elevator "Got out just before those TIEs showed up."

"How fortunate."

"Yeah we're already checked in, saw our rooms, tried the restaurant.."

Tansu blinked at the absurd mundanity of this man's story. He seemed uncharacteristically calm for having just escaped a war zone — barely even bothered.

"You two look awful."

____________________________________________________________
Talsin Lota
____________________________________________________________
​

 

[Talsin Lota]

Tansu Treicolt

In truth he was still so in his own head about everything that happened he didn't truly register her earlier request until she called him out so beautifully.

Talsin flushed again. Neck burned up but he couldn't respond because now it wasn't a droid.

Now it was a person.

He stayed there muted, letting Tansu do the talking, until they had to step into the elevator.

The idea of being here with this man who was going to talk to them for the entire duration was too much for Tal. "Sorry, you can take the next one."

And then without warning pushed him back right in time for the elevator doors to close in his face.

Kinda like when Tansu had slammed that debris in his face.

Great reminder.

"You want to sleep alone tonight?" He asked her calmly now. "Say it. We will get seperate bedrooms and I won't bother you for the rest of the night."

He thought they were past these sort of things, but Tansu had a way of setting him off like nobody else could.

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

Was she thankful that Talsin didn't let that weird, fat , chatty man into the elevator with them? Probably yes. Did she draw the same parallel to the doors shutting as Talsin did? Definitely not.

She bit her lip.

Now she was cornered. Physically and faced with a question she only had half an answer for. He was wicked, the way he used her least favourite descriptor— alone — so pointedly.

Her arms folded across her chest and she leaned against the right side of the elevator, leaving a large gap between them.

For all the quick to her tongue responses she'd lashed out unthinkingly and readily before, she paused, flushed, and glared at her reflection in the mirrored durasteel of the door.

Two rooms would be to punish him. He'd feel it. But so would she. And while he promised not to bother her further, if she wished, that didn't sit quite right either. But she still wanted recompense and gratitude.

Her mouth opened to answer him the same time the doors did. They'd only reached the third floor. And in marched a mother and her child.

The same mother from the space port.

"Tansu! Talsin!" The kid, Darnel, remembered their names. He and his appreciative-looking mother settled between Talsin and Tansu, and the kid's neck swivelled left and right. "You made it!"

____________________________________________________________
Talsin Lota
____________________________________________________________
​

 

[Talsin Lota]

Tansu Treicolt

It was easy to be mad when she kept attacking him with every word. It was less easy the moment the silence took over. This was the opportune time for the droid to say something, anything, to break the awkward silence and loaded moment.

Of course this was the time it decided to just stay quiet.

"Look-"

Before he could apologize two people came in and this time around Tal couldn't just push them back.

He blinked as he realized who it was.

"Hey, little man." Tal said with a soft smile, kneeling down and ruffling the boy's hair. "I see you kept your mom safe, that's good on you, I knew you would."

It seemed to make the boy's chest puff up in pride and please the mother too.

"Thank you for protecting us, mister, ma'am." The mother knew their names too but was less comfortable just using them. While the boy didn't notice the loaded energy, she had noticed it while stepping into the elevator.

"It's what we are there for." Tal said after a moment. "Besides Tan did most of the work, I was just standing in the background."

No hesitation in giving credit where credit was due.

At least when it came to this.

The elevator binged and the kid's mother realized it was there floor. "Oh, but we will do something to repay you, I promise. I swear."

Before Tal could say that wasn't necessary she swept out. Almost as imperious as his own mother would have.

The boy looked from Tal to Tan. Tal should have realized when he got a mischievous expression and QUICKLY mashed every button on the board before fleeing quickly after his mother with a cackling giggle.

Tal could only sigh and shake his head in amusement.

"Kids..."

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

It took every fibre of her furious self to retain the same level of hot-headedness she'd grow in the shuttle and the walk up to the turbolift. Ruffling a kid's hair, getting eye level, praising him for protecting his mom when those words couldn't apply to Talsin himself? It was almost too much.

She looked up to where the turbolift's wall met the ceiling and glared at the corner.

"It's what we are there for." Tal said after a moment. "Besides Tan did most of the work, I was just standing in the background."

Darnel caught Tansu mid-eye roll and she forced out a shrug, a universal shoulder shimmy of it-was-nothing-don't-worry-about-it.

At the seventh floor, the knee-high human cast them into a wicked fate. The doors sealed and every button glowed at them. Each number illuminated.

::Oh dear. Looks like you get to enjoy Rendili Aurum Resort's scenic view! Please do take note at each floor the different artwork selections that greet you as soon as the doors open, to give you flavour of all Rendili has to offer during your visit.::

Ding.

::See here, a portrait of the late Aric Jorgan. A national hero. Striking isn't he?::

A beat, a ding.

:: Ah, the ninth floor. One of my favourites featuring "The Launch of the Victory" One of the resort's many spacefaring paintings of the very first Victory-class Star Destroyer emerging from Rendili's orbital drydock, but this one features Coruscant glistening distantly in the background. Fitting for today, no? It has just ascended to my top three as of this morning.::

Tansu huffed, folded her arms across her chest, and leaned into the corner of the turbolift, resigning herself to the silent treatment and letting the droid fill the charged space instead.

____________________________________________________________
Talsin Lota
____________________________________________________________
​

 

[Talsin Lota]

Tansu Treicolt

It felt like eternity.

Especially now that Tansu was not chatting and she was also chatting. When they had first met Talsin had found it one of the most annoying things about her. Now, he realized, it had become a vital part of his background sound. Just the tone of her voice soothed him, kept him calm, especially when things were getting tough.

Missing it now? Tal bit his lip. He didn't realize just how much he had grown to rely on it when they were together.

But she wanted space, so he'd give her space. The doors opened finally to their floor and Tal gestured for Tansu to go first, letting her decide the distance she wanted between them.

:: Oh, thank you, gallant Lord. You certainly are gracious and dignified. ::

The droid went first instead and that made Talsin blink. "Um. You- you are welcome?" A bit baffled but then waiting a bit longer for Tansu to follow behind the droid before closing the ranks proper. If she let him, he'd lace his fingers into hers, while they walked to the room. Maybe she'd slap him for it but he didn't want her to think that he didn't care.

He cared too much, some might say in his court.

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

::From here the views of Rendili are exquisite. You will even see the spires of the shipyards and city centre from your balcony. I'm not sure how long your stay is meant to be, but if you'd like to enjoy some of the tours of production facilities, I'd be happy to arrange a shuttle service for you.::

The droid, silver and chrome, stopped right before their designated room and waved a hand in front of the panel. Tiny inset lights turned from red to yellow to green and the door hissed open. Before either of them could step inside, the droid produced two cards from a hidden slot in its wrist.

"Thank you." She reached out to take the two, still feeling a smidge bitter about not getting her own key to her own room.

Featherlight, she felt his touch brush her hand, and he quickly found his way into the spaces between her fingers. At first, she kept her hand limp and unreceptive. Fine, sure, he could hold it, but she wouldn't hold his back! That would show him.

Her jaw set for emphasis and she dropped her voice.

"This you apologizin'?"

And just in case it was, she relented her earlier passive aggression and firmed her hand in his.

:: Please enjoy your stay. If you should need anything you can reach me from the panel on the bedside or visit the front desk. Check out is at oh-oh eleven hundred.::

____________________________________________________________
Talsin Lota
____________________________________________________________
​

 

[Talsin Lota]

Tansu Treicolt

"This you apologizin'?"

A tightening around his eyes was the only hint that it had gotten to him.

"This me choosing to make sure you don't feel alone over trying to score points on the ledger of who is right and who is wrong."

Talsin was at risk of her yanking her hand out of his after that. But he sure as feth was not going to apologize when there was nothing to apologize for.

Sometimes he truly felt like up was down and left was right with her.

Then louder as they entered the room. "Yes, thank you, you were very kind for the thorough introduction."

And resolutely Talsin closed the door once he had shuffled the droid off.

Finally Tal deflated, breathing out, usually he didn't mind people. But this had been ridiculous, as if they were playthings to some universal writer that was toying with their lives.

Ridiculous, of course.

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

They showed care in different ways. Talsin was consistent, quiet, and thoughtful. Tansu was loud, sporadic, and deeply emotional.
And somehow, somehow, he always knew how to highlight that difference with just a look or a single sharp one-liner. It drove her up a wall.
Worse? It still made her heart flutter. Force help her. Especially now, locked in a room together and finally ready to properly have it out, without the interruptions of so many uncontrollable things cutting them off halfway through each sentiment.

He might have cast the ledger's balance to the wind, but she insisted on keeping score.

He exhaled and she crossed the room. The hotel room was too clean. Too neutral. Everything was beige, like even the walls were afraid of picking a side. It smelled faintly of industrial purifier chemicals and low-grade soap. Long strides took her to the window, and she looked out at the galaxy's most boring city. A brutalist jungle of spires and square shadows. No artistry. No colour. No grass. Just grids and glass, pretending to scrape the sky.

"I'm mad at you because you're mad at me." Tansu muttered finally, her back to him.

"How the feth could you possibly be mad at me when I did something to save you when you were so clearly out of it?" Her voice cracked partway through, not from weakness, but from the effort of holding everything in for hours. Her fingers flexed, then curled into fists.

She turned sharply, backlit by the sky that threatened to slip from blue to pink. "Explain how you would've done anything differently in that moment. And why I'm the one who you so eloquently coined as Karked up my performance."

____________________________________________________________
Talsin Lota
____________________________________________________________
​

 

[Talsin Lota]

Tansu Treicolt

He leaned into the door for a moment, letting its hardiness ground him, but then she spoke up.

Quietly, quieter than she usually was, so he pushed himself forward and entered the room proper with her. For a moment Talsin watched her back as her attention was on the window and what was beyond it. Then he finally joined her there, hip brushing hip, gently. But still he listened, even if every word was infuriating him.

"I am not mad at you for saving my life the first time, Tan. I would have done exactly the same. Don't pretend you don't know what this is about." Tal said calmly, that same calm tone that always drove her up the wall as much as his consistent quiet care.

"I am mad that you took it upon you to isolate yourself with that killer and left me on the outside."

His hands found each other behind his back, locking into place. It was the only support Talsin had when she turned so sharply towards him. That lack of distance shrinking even more.

"I had recovered. You saw it, I was back and instead of trusting me, you kicked me out of the arena and tried to go at it alone. Tell me, how would you feel if I did that to you?"

That question had been posed earlier too, but then it had been chaotic, now they were alone. No distractions.

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

"Turning this on me is irrelevant, don't you dare do that.

That didn't happen and more importantly, don't lie to me! You were not back." Tansu shot back, hands on her hips."I could feel it. There was still somethin' muddlin' up your peripheries. You can't hide that kind of chit, Tal. Not when it counts. Not when someone has been sent to kill you specifically.

Did you forget that? The way she said Him? That was you! You were the Him, the one target. Once you were out of the way, I became l'il more than an inconvenience.

You being a part of the equashun on the platform woulda brought all the stakes up. You wouldn't'a been out there helping save me, you would have been out there trying not to be killed and I'd be protectin' you."

____________________________________________________________
Talsin Lota
____________________________________________________________
​

 

[Talsin Lota]

Tansu Treicolt

He stiffened there.

"Is that what I am to you? A liability that you need to protect? A broken bird that needs sheltering?" Gaze finally leaving the window and finally finding her face. "How often have you slipped in our missions, have I ever thrown that in your face the way you are throwing it in mine? I had one slip, one moment of weakness and now you are going to stand there and pretend like you are my guardian?"

Stepping towards her.

"I don't need your protection. I don't need you to sacrifice yourself to keep me safe. I lost so fucking much already-" His tone hesitated there, he could see them still, even now.

Right behind her.

Eyes drifted over her shoulder for a moment before he blinked again.

"-kick me out of the fight like that again and I won't go on missions with you anymore. I will go on my own, because I will know I am on my own anyway."

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

He wasn't getting it. He still wasn't getting it. Spelling it out for him were big, chunky, blocks of words jumped up in her throat that she could barely swallow through.

She would do anything to keep him safe. She'd put her own life at risk in an instant if it meant that his would go on. He had a house to look over, a legacy to protect, younger siblings to raise. She was the youngest of a family already grown.

Her heart flinched at the crack of his voice, the faraway look that roamed through his eyes. But she couldn't step back, she had to hold her ground and maintain her defiance. Her stamp on the ledger of right and wrong needed to be clear. When he looked back, he'd find her eyes steadily on his.

"It's not every mission Talsin. It was this one. This one where someone came to hunt you specifically down and kill you. You. Talsin Lota." She glared up at him, fists tight, breaths short, jaw set. Didn't that scare him? It scared the chit out of her.

"So yes, you were a liability. You almost got yourself killed, and then it would have been me right after. Can't you see that? It wasn't just a slip up Talsin, you were gone. And then you said you were back but you weren't. Your voice was unsteady, you weren't focused, you needed time so at the very least I gave you that."

A thought crossed her mind, narrowing in on what he said about solo missions.

"So if you think about it, I didn't kick you out and leave you on your own," She drew in a sharp breath, held it, then exhaled, and added quietly: "You did that to me. When you shut down and didn't come back."

____________________________________________________________
Talsin Lota
____________________________________________________________
​

 

[Talsin Lota]

Tansu Treicolt

"I... left you alone." He said, quieter now, softly.

And perhaps Tansu thought she finally got to him. That he understood and in a way that was correct.

His hands squeezed down, nails biting info his flesh.

"I... Wasn't there to help you." Blinking there and he was there again for a moment. His parents, frozen there, then Tansu's cry that had shook him out of it so violently.

His chest was getting tight.

"I-I I didn't mean for that to happen." Talsin whispered and took a step back. "I swear, I promise, I wanted to help. I just..."

Biting his lip, harder.

"I saw them... They were, right there, I killed them... Just by not being there to help, that was... Oh gods. I did it again..." Eyes wide as he looked at her but didn't fully see her. "I wasn't there to help you..."

"I can't-" breaths getting shorter, shallow. "I- Tan? I can't... Breathe..."

Collapsing back against the edge of the bed and sliding down to the floor.

Everything was so bright, hot.

Why couldn't he breathe?

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

His cold, stoic threat slid away to something that sounded more like he understood. Her ears perked, hopeful that he'd cross into her world of understanding.

"I... left you alone." He said, quieter now, softly.

He was close! She nodded encouragingly, surprised that out of all her sentences, all the points made, that was the one that landed.

Then he leapfrogged right over comprehension and straight into something unaccounted for. Something far worse.

"What—" whooshed out of her as she felt the cogs in their shared link grind and judder. He sounded like he was drowning, swimming through thoughts he had no control over until the tide drew him right back to the sea she'd lost him in on Coruscant. His parents. He'd seen his parents? He felt responsible for their deaths… still? How could he possibly have reached that conclusion?

Her expression dropped, whatever fire she'd brought into this room extinguished in the face of something she hadn't seen from him before. Not once.

"Talsin?"

She watched helplessly as Talsin buckled backward, eyes wide and vacant, voice coming in jagged, raspy bursts. Like he was trapped between now and somewhere else somewhere she couldn't reach.

"Tal!" She was on him a second later, dropped to her knees and her hands hovered over his — unsure if touching would ground him or send him deeper. She had no idea what to do, or what was happening to him. Was this like the near-catatonic state he'd reached in Coruscant? He looked so unlike the solid youth she was used to. Stoney, stately, rigid. Instead, he crumpled on the floor with his legs bent awkwardly.

Culpability broadened in her chest and buzzed in her hands. She did this. She did this to him. Something about her relentless disagreement had undone him to the point of collapse.

"I know you wanted to help. You always do. I was just taking a note from your book, where you're always the first to danger, Tal, please, c'mon. I swear that's all, and then I — What'shappening."

How could she undo it? What could she do now?

Keep arguing: "You can. You can breathe. I promise you, you can. I'm here. You're here with me."

He didn't seem able to acknowledge her. She gulped in a breath of her own and frantically searched his face. He looked pained, anguished, and confused. And his breaths seemed worse and worse.

She took a chance.

Her fingers threaded through his, firm but gentle. "Breathe with me, Tal. C'mon cowboy. You're alright. I've got you. Just try to match me."

Loudly, exaggeratedly, she inhaled. Held it. Exhaled.

Then she did it again. And a third time, her eyes darting across his the entire time, seeking any catch of recognition.

Her grip tightened pleadingly.

"Breathe here now with me," she murmured. "I ain't mad anymore. Just breathe with me."

____________________________________________________________
Talsin Lota
____________________________________________________________
​

 

[Talsin Lota]

Tansu Treicolt

She'd be able to experience it all through their force bond.

The way his heart was racing his mind. Each beat, each squeeze of it, she'd get to see exactly what had happened on Coruscant for the first time.

Beat.

A crowd of the dead, those he personally killed, surrounding. Not a hallucination, real, tangible that you could taste their stench.

Beat.

Tal pressed on. He wasn't proud of it, but they had a job to do. An assassin that was threatening them both.

Beat.

His saber slipped out of his hand, body responding when his mind hadn't caught up yet, it were his parents. He knew, somewhere, deep inside of him, that he was the one who had killed them. The images were confirming it. How their last moments were spend grasping for him, needing him.

But he hadn't been there.

And that was on rotation. Until her scream pierced it and Tal managed to break through it, force himself back in the now and come to her aid.

Beat.

The metal debris cut him off from her. His breath grew shallow. Finger nails crunching against the metal as panic set in for the first time. Tal hadn't been able to save them, he hadn't been there. He wasn't there to help Tansu either. He wasn't there.

Be-

Warm hands laced into his. Squeezing back, eyes still half a flood, but meetings hers, his breath trying to synchronize to hers.

Talsin shuddered there and his body slowly collapsed further, but now into her. To touch her more.

"T-Tan..." He gasped against her neck. Then she'd feel it against her skin. If Tansu didn't know any better, he was... Crying? But that couldn't be right.

Her Talsin never cried.

"W-what's happening?" He shuddered out in a shock.