Private Rebuilding

[Lanx Velishin]

​

Leaving the ship so soon after the whole rescue operation was not exactly something that Lanx had actually thought would be a good idea. They needed to rest, recuperate mentally and physically. Get their wits back about them from what they had gone through in the mines and what had occurred when they had recused the remaining slaves from the Hutt’s control. If he had his way, Syb and him wouldn’t be on active duty until he felt as though they could both hold their own if need be. There was no reason to rush back and be a detriment on the new crew they had joined. That would only serve to sour relations before they really even got the chance to make good impressions.

But he wasn’t the one currently missing the better part of an arm. He wasn’t the one who had gone through the worst of the rescue operation, or had to have dealt with what the Hutt’s described as doctors solder the wound closed. She wouldn’t even talk to him about how she had lost the arm. Whether it had been a punishment for being part of the escaping group or had happened by accident, he didn’t know, but there was one thing for absolute certain. Any scars on the outside of the body of his Chiss companion run much deeper, much more painfully, on her mind.

This was why, despite his internal unhappiness, he didn’t give a second thought when Syb had asked him to pilot a shuttle down to the planet they were now hovering over. Some no name celestial being way out in the outer rim, where nothing much happened. She had talked about gathering the parts she needed to rebuild an arm for herself. While they definitely didn’t have any credits, Lanx had been able to swing a few hundred from Kira. It wasn’t much, but it would be enough to get her started. Besides, whatever she got, despite how junky it might be, would be turned into an exceptional piece of machinery. Syb always did have a knack for doing stuff like that.

He hadn’t actually seen her around much this morning. The Cathar had gotten up early to stuff down a quick homemade breakfast before heading out to the hanger. During that time, the Chiss was seemingly nowhere to be found. Not that that was too strange. Syb had been in her room for most all of the time since they had gotten her back, only coming out to grab a meal or a shower. Lanx had spent most of his time on the other side of her locked door, talking to her through it, whether she responded or not. Of course, he knew plenty well when to give her alone time, but he also knew leaving her completely alone with her thoughts wasn’t a smart idea either.

Lanx highly doubted that she would be late or miss this though. Discussing her plans for the arm, even if most of the finer details of the mechanics went over his head, was among the first times he could genuinely say there was some emotion in her voice. Right now, that was about the best he could ask for. This was why, even as he went through some of the final checks on the outside of the U-Wing they would be using as a transport, there wasn’t really a doubt in his mind that she would join him when she was ready. Even if Syb wanted to be alone in these moments, that wasn’t something the Cathar was willing to do. Whether or not she appreciated that, he didn’t know. Not that he cared too much. She was special to him, and a little extra grumpiness wasn’t going to change that.

| Sybilla |​

 

[Sybilla]

Lanx Velishin ​

Escaping the clutches of Hutt slavery wasn’t yet over for Sybilla. Yes, she was no longer in chains. Yes, she was no longer forced to work in a mine. Yes, she had the ability to do as she liked now. In everything physical she was free, but her mind still felt like a slave.

No matter how hard she tried it remained trapped in the dank, darkness of the mines. It was pitch black in there, or dingey, or filled with the artificial lighting that used to attempt to illuminate the canteen. The noises berated her every day. The deafening clank of the machines, the hissing and fizzing of the breathers, the constant grumble of her fellow miners. If she shut her eyes, she could even smell the stenches. The sweat, the dirt, the acrid metallic tinge every time a pickaxe hit the stone. When exhaustion finally snagged her forcefully into sleep she relived every heartbeat she spent down there and when she woke the reality of the situation took hours to sink in again. Every moment, waking or otherwise was a nightmare.

Lanx was the only thing that brought her to the verge of sanity again. His voice drifting through the crack in the bottom of the door, muted though it happened to be, was just enough to rescue her from the darkness. For the second time. Sometimes it dragged her from the nightmare long enough for her to respond. The brief back and forth never lasted more than five minutes. Sybilla would sit up in bed and begin to make for the door, only to lean on the arm that was no longer there and send her spiralling back into the haunting memory of the “doctors” tent. Back into the nightmare. Back into the mines.

But it couldn’t go on forever.

The revelation that spurred the trip they were about to take was one that had dawned on her slowly. After the millionth time dropping her toothbrush onto the bathroom floor, splattering sprays of white foam all over her legs, Sybilla had decided enough was enough. Something had to be done. The next two weeks were spent locked in her room, only emerging for the necessities, which she more often than not considered to be more paper in order to fuel her muse. By the end of it there was enough of the stuff papering her walls to rival the forests of Yavin IV. The chats between the door were growing longer and longer too. Eventually, the darkness felt like the lingering state of mind instead of the reality she lived in now.

At the end of week two, Sybilla decided that four of her designs stripped and rebuilt together were a better choice than anyone thing she had drawn. So, the day dawned. Lanx was a little hesitant. She could hear it in his tone even though he tried his best to cover it up, but he agreed. On that very morning, Sybilla finally left emerged from four walls she’d spent surrounded by for the past two months. Not for a shower, or for food, or even paper, but to spend the day out. In the sunshine, or perhaps the rain… She had no idea where they were, or where they were going, but at least it wasn’t here. It was a step in the right direction, a step to help her mind join her body in their well-earned freedom.

From the other side of the hanger, Sybilla could see his silhouette cast against the U-Wing she assumed they would be taking out. For some strange reason, her heart was pounding so hard she was scared it would rebreak her ribs. How long had it been since she’d actually seen him? Three weeks, maybe four? Even then only briefly, he had caught her sneaking out of the shower… Would he be upset? Sybilla shook her head quickly and swallowed the lump in her throat. He was the reason she’d gained the courage to step out of the room in the first place, if he truly was upset, she would just tell him that. He loved cheesy things like that. The fingers on her remaining hand flexed as she inhaled and braved the fifty or so paces it would take to get to him.

When she finally reached him, she drove straight in.

“I was thinking of something like this.” She shoved the pile of papers into his chest, rather forcefully than she meant too, but it wasn’t intended. Her dominant arm no longer existed and using her left was proving more difficult than she had expected. It was even obvious in the drawings that were sketched clumsily with jagged charcoal lines on ink-stained paper, but the general idea was pretty clear. “See how the fingers are thinner? I thought I could have different attachments too. Would save carrying around a toolkit, right?” Sybilla was wearing a faint smile, but it didn’t quite look natural on her face. “Maybe one day we’ll even have enough to afford something extreme. Like a hack saw or a welding torch.”

The expression was more of an attempt to distract Lanx from the dishevelled attempt at doing up the buttons on her shirt, or indeed her unkempt appearance in general. Though she’d never really cared for what her hair looked like, the bun she had tied the mass of sky-blue curls into was messier than it had ever been. Her remaining hand was stained with ink and pencil that the scolding hot water just wouldn’t wash away. She hadn’t wanted to ask for help, from the moment she was dragged into those mines Sybilla had done everything by herself, for herself. It didn’t feel natural to ask for help for things way beyond her capabilities, never mind something as stupid and simple as washing her hand. “Come on.”

She snagged the cathar’s hand and entwined their fingers, tugging him gently toward the ramp of the ship. It was the first contact they’d had since they’d parted at her bedroom doors months ago.

 

[Lanx Velishin]

The sounds of boots hitting the metal of the hanger was easy to distinguish. Of course, there were plenty of people on this ship. And most all of them wore boots of some kind. But the types of boots varied, and even more, how the people’s feet feel against the metal were all seemingly different. Most people probably wouldn’t pick up on that sort of thing. Of course, with his ears, his hearing was quite a bit better than most other peoples. All that to say, the moment that Syb’s footfalls were heard through the hanger, it was obvious to him that it was her, having finally emerged from that room

Yet, even though he knew it was her. Knew that it would be the first time he turned to look at her in quite a long time…he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Something within him prevented him from taking the motion to turn and meet her eyes. To finally see the smaller alien with his own eyes. Inside of him, the pain and hurt that he knew she must be going through, alongside the exact feelings also working their way through him, overtook what should be his happiness at seeing her. This should be a joyous moment, having finally gotten her to come from her room, but there was just something inside of him that prevented that from coming to him in this moment.

Eventually though, he had to turn around and face it. Face seeing her for the first time in weeks. What he saw sent a wave of sadness through him. Even in the mines, while she might not have completely cared what she looked like, there was always an air of professional about her. Her hair, while maybe not the cleanest due to the facilities, did always seem to be more clean than not. The way she looked now almost felt like there was a cloud over her that had permeated in her looks. It broke his heart to see her this way, even if he didn’t get the most time to fully take it in before a bunch of papers were pushed into his chest.

Looking down, he dropped the tool he was using to take the papers from her, brow furrowing for just a moment when his eyes fell on her marked up hand. That would have been something he was willing to help clean up, not that he mentioned it now. There was no point in it. The way she talked, moved, and the mood that permeated from her all spoke to how much she wanted to get this done. It spoke volumes to him, enough so for him to keep his own mouth shut for the moment to allow her to speak while looking over the messily drawn plans.

Even with his limited mechanical knowledge, the way the plans were drawn could be deciphered by him. They would need quite a few parts. Enough that he wondered if they could get them all from this tiny planet. Getting the base parts was the absolute necessary bit. Once those were added, and Syb actually had any sort of functioning arm, then they could focus on actually upgrading it and adding all sorts of fancy bits.

One thing, even as Syb continued to detail the ideas she had, tingled at the back of his mind. While she was speaking, his eyes glanced up to her arm, or where it might be had it still been there. The thought of whether or not all of this special tech being added to her arm was her way of making up for what she lost. Kira had offered to help her get a prosthetic, one of those fancy new ones that could match the skin color of the wearer. Much to his surprise at the time, she had denied it. Seeing this plans for her arm, one designed by her mind gave clarity to why she would do such a thing.

If she could build it, make it something of her own design..

Then it would be her arm again.

Another shot of pain and sadness moved through his body and mind at this thought, but not that he really had the time to dwell on it. The contact of her hand on his free one brought him back to the present, one where things were just as sad as they appeared on the inside. He allowed himself to be moved into the ship, which once inside he slipped his hand from hers and closed the ramp to. With a heavy sigh, knowing now that there wasn’t any turning back, not that there had been time for that for a long time now, he made his way to the cockpit

On the way there, his eyes met the deep red ones of his partner in crime. The pain in his own matched hers. While there was no anger, due to his understanding of why things were the way they were, the sadness of this having to be her existence was there. He had an idea of the demons that now haunted her, would haunt her forever. But there was no way for him to help. Lanx was left in a place of limbo where he could share in some of her pain, but with no way for him to stem the tide.

Yet, even with the sadness barely hidden in the deep depths of his eyes, his face still wore a half genuine smile. There was no getting rid of that. Too ingrained into his soul was that feeling of joy, even if all he was surrounded by in the moment was pain. “C’mon then. Let’s get this nice and done for you.” Reaching out to give her shoulder a quick squeeze, his back turned to move into the cockpit and hop his way into one of the pilot’s chair. After a few final preliminary checks, the pair were headed down to the planet, beginning a rebuilding process that would take so much more than a few pieces of metal.

| Sybilla |​

 

[Sybilla]

Lanx Velishin ​

It was difficult to look at him, which was difficult in and of itself. She could read the sadness in his eyes, see it written all over his face as he drank her in for the first time in weeks. Though he hadn’t meant too, it reminded her of the time they spent together in the mines, but that wasn’t fair. Lanx was the one who had come back for her, he had saved her. His sorrow came from a place of sympathy, just as her sorrow for his experiences did. She should have looked at him with adoration and loyalty, but all she could conjure was the forced and unnatural smile. In time, this would change too. Just as his voice had chased the darkness away, Sybilla had no doubt spending time with him again would finally seal the memories away for good. They just had to get over that first hurdle.

Surprisingly, the sensation of his soft hand entangled in hers helped greatly. In the mines the only moments in which she’d felt the need to touch him were… sentimental ones. Ones where one or the other had taken it a step too far with the guards, earned themselves a severe beating and trudged back into the dorms to be tended by the other. They weren’t happy memories, by any means. The cuts had always run deep and the bruises were always black and angry, but they reminded Sybilla that even through all the darkness she’d had a friend to return to. Someone who cared about her. Someone who stayed up all night with her when the pain was too grave to bare or the nightmares were too haunting to submit to. That was Lanx. This was how they would face this. Just as they always had faced things. Together.

As the entered the ship, Sybilla caught his gaze. He wore the same kind of smile she did, but there was a flicker of the cathar he used to be underneath. The one who’s enthusiasm and positivity would have brightened a funeral. For the first time since the rescue mission, Sybilla’s smile turned genuine too. Just for a flicker of a second, but for once it didn’t look uncomfortable to wear or unnatural on her hollow blue features. It looked like it belonged. She patted the hand he used to squeeze her shoulder and nodded her head to his words. “Thanks.” Syb wanted to say more, but she couldn’t find any more words to speak. It was true that they’d shared words through the crack under the door, but somehow this journey felt like one that demanded them both to reflect on just how big this moment was. It was the first time she and Lanx were able to just… do something. Just like that. Nobody to ask permission off, no beatings to fear if things went awry, no worrying about whether or not they would survive to see the next day.

When they entered the cockpit Sybilla took the papers off Lanx once more and availed herself of the co-pilots seat just a foot away from where Lanx would be sitting. “Bet you never thought you’d be flying one of these.”

Sybilla tucked her legs up onto the seat, crossing them one over the other and setting the papers into the gap they made. The rustled noisily as she made her best attempt to straighten them out. It didn’t really work, the dog-eared corners still stuck out at jaunty angles, and the sheets still lay in strange directions. She’d adjust each one as she flicked through, the practice was good. Once she had her robotic arm things would be better, but her left arm was the only arm that had any feeling to it. She didn’t want to dismiss it completely, so regardless of the new additions she might have made to her body, Syb would still practice. Her fingers fumbled through the sheets one by one so she could inspect the child-like drawings.

The planet wasn’t too far away, they’d be there within the hour. Then it was just a matter of finding the right parts or scavenging them if they needed too. She’d already seen a piece of the u-wing that would make the perfect casing. The Confederacy wouldn’t mind, surely?

 

[Lanx Velishin]

During the past two months as part of this whole Starfall squadron get together, he had gotten somewhat better at remembering everything having to do with the final checks and get them done quickly. That being said, it wasn’t but two months ago where he was still deep in that asteroid’s mine, so he could be excused at not remembering every last detail right off the bat. This meant that something that some of the other pilots could probably knockout within a minute took him a few extra ones to finish up safely. The last thing he wanted was to explode an engine, get one or both of them hurt. Especially..especially not today. It was hard enough already. Even if it was getting better as the seconds ticked by.

One of the last parts of his check was located on the middle console, where Syb was attempting to straighten out the stack of papers. Instinctively, he started to reach out to help. It was a natural thing for him to do. As he neared the papers, however, a thought occurred to him. As much as the Chiss might appreciate the gesture, it would probably frustrate her just as much. Her attempts to get it right, to use the arm that remained was obvious enough. What she might appreciate more would be him taking the care to let her fail and learn on her own. With this thought now fully realized in his mind, the Cathar’s slightly furred hand changed directions, trying to pass it off as his natural motion to press a few buttons on the console. Of course, it may not have looked completely natural, but Lanx didn’t address it, allowing Syb to do her thing getting the papers straight.

With the final checks done, he couldn’t help but let his smile widen at her question, nodding slowly as he began to ease the long ship out of the frigate’s hanger. “I always thought I’d be stuck mining, or getting to fly one of their shuttles when I got lucky…” This gave him a slightly more pained smile, the memory of flying that old, junky shuttle off the asteroid with a hull full of the slaves. But not a single Chiss. Definitely not his Chiss. It wasn’t fair how quickly those memories could come back. Notably now when he should be in such a better mood.

Once the ship was into the open and vastness of space, it felt like the weight of the past few months began to was out and off of him. He took the U-Wing for a quick circle around the frigate, hugging it perhaps just a bit too close. It wasn’t like he had been sitting around, doing nothing at all while Syb fought her demons. This was as good an opportunity as any to show off a little bit. With his lap done, the twin noses of the shuttle pointed downward toward the planet, and a little engine boost shot them to their destination.

“Y’know..” He started, leaning back in his chair once they were successfully on their way. Yellow eyes glanced over to his copilot, beginning to grin just a bit wider. “I’ve actually had the opportunity to..fly a couple of combat missions.” Quickly those furred hands shot up, giving a little bit of surrendering look for the reaction he expected to get. “Nothing too crazy! Just..a couple of hit and runs against some Hutt targets. Giving them back some of the pain..the pain they…” Lanx trailed off, eyes blinking once or twice as his face fell just a bit. Those eyes turned to focus back into space, leaving the gaze of the red eyed alien. Talking about the pain that those mines had caused, even now, seemed to be something he still had trouble doing.

| Sybilla |​

 

[Sybilla]

The ship was much faster than Sybilla was used too. Anything she’d had an opportunity to sit in back in the mines had been slow and sluggish, thanks to their poor designs and even poorer parts. So, when the u-wing shot off at full speed toward the planet, Sybilla found her hand tensing on the armrest of the co-pilots chair. It almost felt like it flew so fast her stomach had been left behind, still circling round and round the frigate endlessly. It was Lanx’s voice that offered some kind of relief from the sickening sensation of missing an important organ. “Oh yeah?” Her teeth were gritted, and it was obvious in her tone, but it wasn’t because of what Lanx was saying. When the ship smoothed out into a steady speed and began to head toward the planet Sybilla noticeably relaxed, and when she did, she began to consider Lanx’s words properly.

Part of her was upset that he’d taken the risk. Neither of them had any combat training save for trying to defend themselves and their meals in the mines. She wasn’t even sure if Lanx had been taught how to fly properly or if, like her intrigue in mechanics, he had brute-forced his knowledge. On the other hand, anything that damaged the Hutt’s in any way was a-okay in Sybilla’s books. She was even a little jealous that she hadn’t had the chance to join in. “Good for you.” She said with a firm nod of her head, finally deciding that the latter was how she really felt about the situation. Besides, she could tell flying made Lanx happy. The same way tinkering with things made her happy. That was all she wanted for them both now, to find some light that would chase the darkness away for good.

“What else have you been up too while I’ve bee-…” She paused, briefly, considering how she would label the past few months. Calling it a mental breakdown would acknowledge it, and she wasn’t ready for that just yet. “…while I’ve been away.” She was interested in what he had been doing, there was no doubt about that, but just as she finished her question the nav began to beep wildly. The ship shook just a little as it entered the atmosphere and swooped down to their destination.

There was a spark of enthusiasm in the way she threw herself up off the chair in time to the ship bumping onto the ground, sending her roughly organised papers flying everywhere. It had been an accident. Some subconscious part of her always expected her right had to be there to catch whatever was going to fall, but of course, it wasn’t. This time though, instead of bringing her to a dead stop where the world collapsed into darkness again, Sybilla ignored the ink-stained sheets that littered the floor like a layer of snow. Instead, she dived around the co-pilots chair straight toward the loading ramp which was slowly extending outward to touch the planet surface. Sybilla was out of the door and kicking up a ball of acrid smelling yellow dust before it even could. “Wooow…”

Just ahead of them was a horizon that looked as though a city had once been standing there. It jutted and curved in strange places, jagged in some parts and smooth in others. In actual fact, what it was, was a junkyard for old Confederate ships. Like a graveyard where all the brave metal beasts who had once fought bravely finally came to rest. Their hulking great frames were littered far as Sybilla’s eyes could see, and though they were mostly covered in a thin layer of orange rust and dirt… Sybilla was aware of their potential. All along the seemingly man-made road that stretched the length of the planet merchants stood to peddle their wears. The more important parts of the ships that they'd had the good fortune to salvage, engines, HUDs, navs, comms. Sybilla wouldn't need any of those, but it was still a wonder seeing them so closely. Seeing them free of their metal casing in all their glory. “Lanx, are you seeing this?” There was definite excitement in her tone now. Her words actually shuddered with it, though they were spoken so quietly it was hard to tell she had said anything at all.

Lanx Velishin ​

 

[Lanx Velishin]

Lanx had heard her question loud and clear. He was fully ready to answer it, tell her all the things he had done to possibly keep his mind off the fact that his only friend in this galaxy was shut into her room, barely talking to him. One had to find ways to keep themselves busy if that was the case, of course. However, they were plenty unlucky enough to have the ship begin to enter into the atmosphere at that point. The shaking was enough to make him have to grip on to the sticks tightly, keeping the ship as straight and smooth as possible. It wasn’t as though he had missed her gritting her teeth, sounding like she might be sick during his little circling maneuver. That was partially why he had cut the little show short. No reason to put the chiss in a bad mood the first day he had been able to get her off the frigate.

By the time he was able to smoothen it out, point the nose of the ship downward toward the little providence once again, there was really very little time before they would land. Not nearly enough to list all the mundane things he had done to keep his mind off Syb. Unsuccessfully at that. But, just as he began to start pressing the landing gear buttons, he was able to turn his head for just a moment to flash that smile to the blue alien. “Plenty of things. Read a couple of books, did some practice flying training, got up to speed with some of the other galactic events.” His eyes turned away for just a moment before turning back to Syb, his smile growing just a tad more as his voice changed to a slightly teasing tone. “Even got pretty decent at Sabacc. Bet I could finally beat your lucky butt now.”

When the landing gear finally touched down, it ended up being just as smooth as he could have hoped. What he didn’t realize was that the moment he lowered the ramp, Syb would be bursting from the cockpit to get down to the planet as quickly as possible. “S-Syb! Wait!” The Cathar cried after her, rushing through a couple of the final landing checks before locking down the console, then quickly moving to catch up to the excited Chiss. More excited than he had seen her…ever. It was quite an interesting sight to be had, one that Lanx wanted to miss absolutely no bit of.

What laid in front of them was not what he had been expecting. They told him that there was a marketplace, which to their credit, there was. A long strip of tiny little shops of components that seemingly had been salvaged from the convenient bit that they had left out for him. The fact the there was a massive shipyard of retired CIS ships. Just the sight of the yard gave Lanx pause, murmuring to himself, “I wonder if there are any flyable bombers still in that mess….” Sybilla snapped him from his thoughts with her question, giving her a quick nod and a grin in response. “Shouldn’t take long to find everything you need. Where should we start?”

| Sybilla |​

 

[Sybilla]

Lanx Velishin ​

“Flyable?” Sybilla shook her head, though she was not looking at Lanx for him to see it. “Nothing in here is flyable the way it is. But I bet you a hundred credits I could find the parts to make one.”​

​

This probably was not quite the same for Lanx as it was for Sybilla. This was like her idea of the other side. What you were rewarded with when you passed over. Endless joy, fun, and peace. For Sybilla, there was an immeasurable amount of all those things tucked away in the rusted depths of the graveyard of ships stretching out before them. Lanx probably saw it for what it actually was. A junkyard. Where people came to throw away the broken things, the things that they no longer wanted, the things that were no longer useful. It was perhaps the only location they had been to in their lives where Sybilla was the positive one.​

​

Lanx’s question caused Sybilla to pause in her step. Fortunately, she paused at the start of the long market street that seemed to stretch out toward the horizon. Crimson eyes danced from one side of the market to the other. She had an uncanny ability for selective hearing, so most of their tempting cries to view their wares went straight over her head. “Honestly? I’m not sure where to start. It’s not like I’ve ever been to a market.” She responded, with a little of her usual fire in her tone. “I don’t even think this is a normal kind of market anyway.” Regardless of her answer, they had to start somewhere.​

​

Sybilla fumbled in her pocket, withdrawing the folded pile of papers she had taken with her from the ship. “I guess we can start with a power source. No point in making an arm if I can’t move it.” A power source was likely one of the things that Sybilla would not be able to scavenge from the shells of the old ships. The street was packed with all kinds of aliens, but jawas reigned supreme. Sybilla didn’t know much, but she knew their forte was scrap. If there was anything worth being had in those ships, the jawas would have found it. So, that left simply trailing the long market street. Looking at each and every table to find what they were looking for.​

​

Pure bliss.​

​

“Let’s start at the beginning.” Sybilla said, feet carrying her forward toward the first table. It was more of a box than a table, with an oil-stained cloth draped hurriedly over it. Sybilla only needed to see what was splayed over the top of it to know it was not what they were after. “Nah. Not here.” Truthfully, she had not looked behind her to check if the Cathar was following or not. She knew he would be. Not only that, but she could feel him behind her. His shadow cooling her back from the harsh rays of the sun. His presence radiating a calming emotion that had long since been lost to Sybilla. Besides, if it had been Lanx leading them through the market streets, Sybilla would have stook as close to him as he was to her.​

​

Without even realising, distance had become painful. Back in the mines, Sybilla would not have dared admit that she needed Lanx. In any capacity. He was just a friend, someone who provided balance to her sour moods. Stopped her from making stupid mistakes fuelled by anger. Then they were separated. At the time Sybilla had no idea where Lanx had gone. For all she knew, he had died trying to fly that shuttle to safety. All she knew for certain was that she was alone. Now they had found each other again? Even though they had only been in close proximity to one another for less than a few hours? Sybilla felt the need to cling to him.​

​

She was not going to force herself to face that loneliness again. Lanx, as far as she knew, was the only person who could understand that.​

​

Sybilla moved on to the second table, on the opposite side of the street. A gristly looking alien sat behind it, and barely acknowledged the presence of two more customers. Sybilla instantly liked them for it. “This could be useful. An old droid battery.” She turned to Lanx, one of her slender fingers pointing down to a rectangular object no bigger than her palm. “Has it got any power left?” The alien behind the counter grunted and spat something in a rough accent that Sybilla could not make out. By his body language though, she took it as a no. “Never mind.” She said passively to the alien. “How much?”​

​

The answer to that question was followed by a heated argument between Sybilla and the merchant. It lasted a full ten minutes, with the merchant turning several different shades of red throughout. By then end of it, Sybilla had a genuine smile on her face as she handed over two of the credits they had brought along with them. As she began to walk away from the table, she let out an exhilarated sigh. “I guess all those times bartering with the guards for new rebreather parts back in the mines did me some good.”​

 

[Lanx Velishin]

He was not going to be the lead this day. That very first few moments quickly following the practically sprinting blue alien spoke that clearly into his mind. But in all honesty, the feeling of being one step behind, in the back, following her lead, didn’t feel wrong or out of place. In fact, he felt warm, as if this was exactly where he was supposed to be. Not just by the Chiss’ side once again, but watching her back, following her around, allowing her to take on the lead.

It just felt….right.

That being said, he would be lying if he said that he wasn’t allowing himself to let his eyes wander every so often to the junkyard of ships surrounding them. Heaps of ships from differing factions from all over the galaxy laid there in the sand, gathering dust and rust. Many were just pieces, reaching out toward the sky as if they were attempting to grab the sun that so dared as to rust them.

To the untrained eye, many of the pieces would look like just rusted and twisted pieces of metal. Worthless and unnameable. But to him, someone who had spent many a night glaring at flight manuals of ship after ship after ship, those pieces meant something to him. He recognized exactly what many were the pieces of. It brought him a sense of pride to see a piece of an engine sticking out of the ground and know it was a y-wings, or a wing twisted beyond help, only for his mind to pull it apart piece by piece and see it as a wing of a lambda.

Maybe all those beatings for reading those..counterfit manuals was worth it, in a sense. Probably not best to bring it up around Sybilla, though. She always yelled at him for keeping those things around his bunk, either than he needed to find a better place to hide them or to get rid of them all together. He seemed to manage to do things like that frustrated his alien companion, but little didn’t really make he angry. At least she seemed protective of him…sometimes.

Their little trek ended up in front of an alien merchant that didn’t exactly look happy to have new customers. Not what he would think someone in his position would act like. How many new customers could he be getting, really? Lanx would be out of his seat to sell something to what looked to be very..brighteyed individuals. Well, maybe he was the brighteyed one. If Syb ever looked that way, there was a very good assumption that there was something very, very wrong.

Or Lanx had screwed up, Syb knew it, and she was about to call him on it and put him in her debt. That was..that was something that happened a few times.

Still, the non-brighteyed of the pair seemed to find what she wanted. Wonderful! His grin was as wide as it could be seeing Sybilla find something that worked with her plans. What wasn’t wonderful was the next ten minutes of arguing that he, even with his vast knowledge of hutta, only caught snippets of. Pletny of insults thrown either way. There wasn’t much he could do, either. Once his companion managed to get on one of these bartering treks, pulling her off the warpath would only end with him having a slapped face and her right back at it in double force. Better to let the Chiss have at the seller and pray it didn’t come to blows.

Instead, his eyes wandered away from the stall and toward the wreckage once again. This time, though, there wasn’t a piece of metal that caught his eye, but instead….a person. Or, what looked to be an outline of a person. He couldn’t really make them out from this distance, and with a hood on..it’s head, there was zero chance he was identifying them. Still, it felt very uncannily like whatever..whoever it was, it was watching the pair.

“uh..syb..” He started, just as Sybilla came up with her prize. She cut him off, bringing his attention back to her for a moment, only to look back at the wreckage soon after, with the figure now disappeared. Her words then began to click in his mind, and, with his eyes still on the wreckage, began to subconsciously rub where the rebreather scars adorned his face from where one had failed all those years ago, leaving him with some nasty burns under fur that would never fully grow back. “Yah…rebreathers.”

That figure was probably no one. He probably didn’t even see one. His overactive mind playing tricks on him again. Instead, his mind decided to refocus on the task at hand, giving Sybilla a wide grin to show he was fully here. “So, what next, m’lady?”

| Sybilla |​