That Home

[Kaili Talith]

The ship was quiet again. Kaili looked out across the cargo hold as she shut her locker. Wandering eyes followed the echoes as they traversed the small cargo hold’s interior and with a sigh she let go of the remnant thought that she would hear Allyson’s voice asking what she had done on this trip again. The blonde girl’s rump placed itself against the cold surface of a nearby crate as her face buried itself within the embrace of her hand. It dragged across her skin and threatened to tear it all off. This day had been long. It had been too long for Kaili. There had been crystals, trials, ghosts and new friends, yet she knew that she couldn’t call it just yet. Something held her back, a feeling of unease had set over her and made it hard to rest. It was like a stress that clouded her mind and made her nauseous to the point of nearly wanting to throw up. A weird feeling of trepidation set over Kaili and she just couldn’t figure out what it was.

It wasn’t natural, it felt like the force. It was as if something was wrong, but Kaili was too stubborn to see what it was. To her she started to think that perhaps it was her mind that was struggling with the realization of what had happened. This was her mind that had reached the point where denial had started to shift into acceptance. The mere thought got her to bring out her wrist to look at the messages that were stored on her HoloPad again. Micah was still in intensive care and Allyson was still dead. Her last message still pinned to the top in a emotionally masochistic reminder of what she had thought of in the end.

Kaili’s lips twisted into a frown. Where was the message from Allyson’s doctor? Her brother kept Kaili up to date, but not Allyson’s which either meant they had never found her or that they didn’t have her number. It was the thought that had plagued her the most. Allyson having died alone and afraid because of what Kaili had gotten her into. Knowing the SIS Kaili wouldn’t have put it past them to leave her rotting corpse floating in space. All these missions, all these outfits that Kaili hadn’t objected to at the time. It had seen like a better deal in the face of the Rogue Squadron at first, but in the end Kaili had been proven wrong. So very wrong.

She felt the stinging of tears as they jumped down her nose bridge and onto the wrist device’s projector. A shaken sigh parted her lips as she shut the device on her wrist down and stood up from the crate by the lockers. There was no point in sitting here anymore. At least there was warmth in the kitchen of her yacht, but here in the cargo hold there was nothing but the secondhand coldness of the Ilum wastes. Her hands shifted against the security console into the kitchen as Henry prepped the engines for takeoff. For a second her eyes set on Allyson’s locker again as if something had tugged it there, forced the young blonde to stare at it in horror at what she had lost. The final digit caressed the metal surface of her console she was thrown off-balance by a gust hitting the ship right as it took off from the landing pad.

It had gotten a hold of the rest of the cargo hold too. Counter-weights were added and the balance of the ship was regained, but not before the locker was forced open once more with a louder squeal than usual. A careful breath filled Kaili with air. Part of Kaili wanted to leave it open, to ignore what the force told her to do. It was obvious even to her that it was trying to tell her something, but she didn’t want to hear it.

It was best to close it. Kaili approached the locker. Her hand grabbed at the panel acting as door and her nose caught whiff of Allyson’s scent. The idea of closing the locker turned into a struggle against a tsunami of memories, one that Kaili couldn’t keep at bay as her mind remembered it all. Allyson’s jacket hung in there and Kaili grabbed it on instinct. It reminded her of the touch of Allyson. Of her lips, the smiles and laughter they had shared with this jacket alone. Was this what the force wanted with Kaili? To see the jacket and bloodstripes again?

The blonde found herself throwing the jacket over her shoulder against her own better judgment. For a second she felt a strange fear that she had lost control of her own impulses, but there was something that soothed her. WIthin the embrace of this jacket she felt safer than she had before. She felt at home. The girl let in a deep breath to take in more of the scent.

This is a place where I don’t feel alone,
This is a place that I call my home.

Kaili twitched at the sound of a voice echoing through the cargo hold. Little did she know, the ride wasn’t over yet.

 

[Allyson Locke]

The Force worked in mysterious ways, it forced [member="Kaili Talith"] to face her fears and to try and accept that Allyson was gone. The death of the Corellian was something that she herself knew was on the horizon. Possibly a six sense of it. She had been feeling it for some time now. Which was why she was so determined on sharing her feelings, to vow her life to the blonde girl who was now wrapped in her abandoned jacket. Allyson’s greatest fear was to leave Kaili alone.

Leading up to the mission on the space station, Allyson had taken precautions for this especially after what had happened before she had to leave. As Kaili wore the jacket, she would hear the flicker of paper from the pocket. Something stuck out that she hadn’t noticed before. If she had decided to pull the letter out, she would find it addressed to her in Allyson’s handwriting.

Dear Kaili,

This is probably the hardest thing I’ll have to write and well there’s a few of them after this one. So you’ll hear me complain about writing them in those letters as well. Hopefully it will make you smile and imagine my hand cramping as I do my very best to make sure m. hand writing is readable. The last thing I need to do is to have you have a letter that you can’t read. I don’t need you frustrated with me…especially because if you’ve found this letter – well then, you’re probably already frustrated with me…

Because if you’ve found this letter, Kaili – then I’m gone. I hope I died a hero, I really hope that when I died I was saving someone or a bunch of people and they lived because I didn’t. I know, you’re probably thinking ‘I don’t care about those people, I wanted you to live!’ You know I wanted to live to, I’m already getting mad thinking about you forgetting me, or moving on. I don’t want to imagine you falling in love with someone else.

But Kaili, it’s okay. I want you to know that, I wasn’t scared when I died, I just – I didn’t want to leave you alone. You were and always will be my last thought. Your love saved me and it will always be the greatest thing that had ever happened to me. So, do me a favor. Keep finding these letters. Read them and remember our fond memories. If you get stumped Henry and Bait have a map and some clues. But play by the rules Kaili – don’t cheat. So, enjoy this journey – I’ll be with you the whole time. I wish I could hold you and make it so you weren’t reading this, but the Force does what it wills.

I want you to remember the first time we met, remember the awkwardness and how stubborn you were. Go where we first met, where our story began.

Love Allyson…

PS. I love you.

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Allyson Locke"]

A tightness formed in Kaili’s chest as her eyes peered through the letter. Her thumb stroked up and down along the surface of the paper, numbing it ever so slightly for each motion that passed against its surface. Count on Allyson to make the entrance something else, a small smile spread on the blonde’s lips despite everything she felt bubbling up within her heart. Wherever they left Allyson she hoped she had indeed died a hero, saving the lives of the many rather than look after her own. That was who she had been even if it hurt Kaili. A pained sigh burst through her nose as she folded the letter back into the jacket’s pocket. The jacket that Kaili would proceed to put on properly rather than simply let it cover her shoulders and back like a cape.

It felt like a proper hug.

In this grasp she felt as if Allyson was there. It felt as if Allyson was alive. She treasured it.

“Henry,” Kaili called out through the ship. “Henry.”

“What is it, Kay?” He asked sounding ever so worried for her mental health. “Is everything alright?”

“We’re going to Borleias.” Kaili said and entered the kitchen. “I…”

“Allyson has left me something there, apparently.”

The droid obeyed and Kaili approached Bait to usher him towards the dining booth. There were questions she wanted to ask. Part of her wanted to rip the information straight from his little brain, but Allyson had posthumously asked her to not cheat and if ever there was a time to respect that, now was it.

“Bait,” Kaili swallowed air with newfound curiosity and vigor. Confusion hung heavy in the air, but not without cause. Had Kaili known she would have been more ecstatic, but she would instead draw the conclusion that it was her own confusion muted by the happiness the letter brought. “Bait, listen to me.”

“You need to tell me right now what Allyson has left me, okay?” The blonde chuckled. “I know she probably said that you shouldn’t, but you can do that for me, right?”

“Just… Let me know where this ends, okay?”

“Is it Borleias? Because we are going to Borleias.”

The ship entered hyperspace with a kick. Kaili kept her eyes on the BB-unit awaiting a response.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Bait would roll over and stare up at Kaili. The droid was also defeated knowing that his owner would never come home. It was a feeling that Bait really didn’t understand why he would feel it since he was a droid, but not seeing Allyson or hearing her gripe at him was something the would miss for the most part. The droid did contemplate on wiping his own memory core, but he had it good here – there was no reason to. Still, being entrusted with Allyson’s dying wish, was something he took full seriousness in. So when he was summoned he rolled around a bit as if he was thinking about it.

A trill and a chirp, he mocked his excitement and cooperation. Suddenly a small camera lens revealed itself from his head and a hologram of Allyson with her hands on her hips stared at Kaili. It seems Allyson knew this was going to happen.

[member="Kaili Talith"]! I can’t believe you! There was a time starter on the letter that you opened so - <insert generated time here> has only been <insert generated time passed here> and you already bothering Bait. Don’t tempt yourself with stripping the knowledge of what is hidden or taking a step over what I’ve laid out. He has blockers and the code was written by yours truly.

Also if you try and rip the data from him, you’ll fry poor bait beyond existence and leave yourself without data. So please my love, just play this one last game with me? It would mean the world to me, I love you.

The hologram faded and Bait chuckled. Then he suddenly stopped as the hologram image popped out again and rewound. He played back the part where the Allyson hologram mentioned about him being fried. A panic in his beeping fired off as he turned his attention towards Kaili and with that he zipped away to hide somewhere lost in Allyson’s abandoned belongings.

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Allyson Locke"]

There were three separate feelings that swept through Kaili at intervals that were too quick for her to handle. It started with joy at seeing Allyson before her again, swiftly changed into a desperation to feel her touch as she grasped for her hologram before finally turning into fury when she realized it wouldn’t happen. All the while a strange feeling of confusion riddled her body, and when coupled with the fact that she was getting lectured by the dead it simply became too much. While the thought with the scavenge hunt was one that Allyson had likely meant to set up as a fun game or a final send off before they never saw each other again, Kaili found it to be neither exhilarating nor fair. The blonde’s jaw locked itself tight as it clenched itself together with all that she could muster. Breathing grew deeper, aggravated and shaky for each inhale that passed through her system. A hand reached out for a nearby vase, the grip around which grew shakier and tighter the more Kaili began to exert her own will around Bait’s innards despite Allyson’s better wishes.

The droid’s message came to an end and it began to roll away. It parted her grasp, broke free from the terror she was about to bring down upon it and Kaili felt her nerves wind up beyond anything she had ever experienced before. Teeth began to expose, the glass began to crack beneath the pressure of her fist until finally a scream of pain, of agony and fear parted Kaili’s lips. The vase had cracked, cut into the palm of her hand before she swung her fist for the cupboards of her kitchen to toss what remained of it in whichever direction felt the best. An arm proceeded to sweep against the surface of the table to clear out what remained and let the glass shatter against the walls.

“Come back here you little chit!” Kaili demanded of Bait. Her yelling echoed through the empty ship but nothing came of it. “Tell me!”

“I need to know!”

The vision from Ilum resurfaced. A smell of burning corpses and screams of terror flashed before her mind again and a gasp forced her to stop herself before it got any worse. Eyes peered down at the blood dripping from her hands and the trails she had left on the table, the walls and floors. While the intent behind the vision was still unknown to her Kaili had little doubt about why she was granted it. If she didn’t learn to control her temper in a period such as this she never would. She had to beat this and come out on top or risk something far worse than just losing Allyson.

Kaili let her uninjured hand run through her hair in fear as the realization of what she had just done began to settle in. The blood that ran in her hands dripped like the hands of the vision on Ilum. It had called itself the real Kaili, taunted her in what she thought she knew and tried to break her apart. Her own self, Kaili’s mind, had tried to break herself down. Uneven steps stumbled back in terror. She had to get to the medbay. She needed to fix herself up and then clean this place. Terrified amber eyes set on the dragged out blue hues of hyperspace swept across the viewport.

There wouldn’t be time to fix the ship in time, but if she left her hand unchecked she knew what it meant for her own safety. The center of rationale kicked to life as her brain began to push the thoughts of Allyson aside for that of self-preservation and first aid. The rest of the trip would pass in silence as Kaili contemplated her own reaction to heartaching defeat. She wouldn’t utter a single word until she heard the sound of her boots stepping up before the old doors to her former home and workplace. Bait and Henry both accompanied her here, that was what Allyson had asked of her, and in the end Kaili had decided to play her game no matter how much she wanted to break Bait apart and simply salvage what she could from his memory banks.

Eyes set on the insides of her former home. Thought these days it felt more like a tomb for her memories. The confusion in the blonde girl’s heart had done nothing but multiplied since last as a greater sense of unease and sadness began to seep into her emotions. She hoped this was the end of the trail and that Borleias was where this trail would end...

But something told her it wasn’t.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Bait would eventually return to Kaili’s side along with Henry. He made his arrival known with a sad trill and a utility arm extended offering Kaili bandages for her hand that was now bleeding from the frustration of her situation. Allyson’s goal with this wasn’t to frustrate the girl, she wanted to make this be something to at least take her mind off the pain she was probably feeling. Her intentions were good, despite the reaction that was happening. The ship would arrive on Borleias, Bait would take the lead and beep a few times for the blonde and Henry to follow.

In his little data bank, he had all the information embedded – of course heavily encrypted as well. He whistled happily running up to a taxi of sorts which was summoned by him along with the arrival of another letter – which this time would appear in Kaili’s comm.

From: Allyson Locke
To: [member="Kaili Talith"]

Creepy huh? Sending letters from the great beyond. Let’s just say I learned that Yoda thing where you become one with the Force eh? Anyways, if you’re getting this you’ve remembered Borleias. Good job Kay! If you look around the taxi you’re in, it’s the same one we took back from McYoda’s. It was the first time you really opened up to me, also one of the first times you held on to me. You made me feel important and needed, even though we had just met. It was this moment that I decided I wanted to stay with you and protect you. Of course, you were always good at guarding yourself, but I wanted to be there so you didn’t have to be so guarded. I wanted my presence to be comfortable and strong enough for you to relax…

I hope I did that for you because you did that for me. When we met, I had no one really. Ember passed soon after we met. Alec and everyone went their own ways – but you were always there. You were the constant in my life. When we rode in this taxi back to your workshop, I didn’t realize it. Though the more I stayed by your side, you became the reason for me to come home. I stopped fighting like I had nothing to lose – because I had you to lose. I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry that I did this to you…

You should be arriving at the workshop. Our earliest memories together were some of my favorites. The way you always had to compete and how our first kiss was because in your drunken state you didn’t want to back down. You probably don’t remember it, but its one of my favorite memories of you. I never felt so alive until that kiss, it was as if you brought in from the cold, your love warmed my soul. Please while you’re here, find the next letter. It will be in a place where we first became lovers, your words that day forever echo in my soul.

Always yours,
Allyson

PS: I love you

The letter would finish and the taxi would pull up to the workshop. Upon entering the shop, it would be as it always was. Even the living quarters was still the way Kaili and Allyson had left it. Of course, clothes were tossed about, both girls having articles of clothing mixed together. On the counter, would be the toy that Kaili had first given Allyson to practice with. Underneath it a small note would be addressed to Kaili.

PPS: Thanks for letting me play with this. Usually I would keep this with me – but something told me it was time to return it to you.​

Looking around, Kaili would have to begin her search – of course she would have to remember. Knowing this, Bait quickly zipped off into hiding.

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Allyson Locke"]

It was like riding a roller coaster of emotion. To sit in the cab they first embraced before they really knew each other felt unreal. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she read the message that Bait had stored for her. It was creepy, and it wasn’t the Yoda thing that Kaili had told her about. Had it been the Yoda thing she’d been here, in the cab as a ghost, to console by herself and not through a message. They had both had one hell of a day in that taxi, and it had all ended just a few days ago. An elbow propped itself against her knee as she ran her face across its surface to dishevel the locks of her hair. Allyson had succeeded with what she set out to do and created a presence that had been more than just comfortable to be around. It had even been enough for Kaili to truly lay on her back and simply exist as the two of them relaxed together.

When Allyson and her met the circumstances weren’t all that different for Kaili either. She had her family and Mara, but nothing beyond that. She was in a deep depression and buried herself in droids just to get away from it all. The more she found herself in another person’s company the more she found out about herself. She had never been one to be attracted to men, and Allyson had been the one to help her realize that. The soft curves of a woman, a single woman, was all it took along with the even softer kisses against her neck coupled with a botched attempt to take her own shirt off that had eventually ended in them watching a movie until Kaili drooled herself asleep in Allyson’s lap.

“Fark.” Kaili stared at the approaching workshop through tear filled eyes. A hand moved up to cover her mouth in an effort to mute her sobbing, but it didn’t help. Shaky exhales caused her entire body to shake back and forth. Her eyes closed to force one bead of tears after the other to pour down her cheeks. “Fark.”

Walking into the workshop she found the cube with its letter. Kaili raised it before her lips and nose to try and find some measure of comfort in it but there was none to find. Defeated she put it back down and ran another hand across her face to wipe away the tears.

She needed to find some sort of clue as to where they had gone that night. The memories escaped her and it brought Kaili no small measure of pain to admit it. Sinking into the sofa she felt both her arms prop themselves on a knee each to let her face bury itself within her hands. It was all lost. She had lost the trail already. The dust swirled around the room as Kaili had disturbed what had laid to rest for such a long time.

“I lost her.” She sobbed into her hands. “I can’t even remember.”

“It’s all my fault. I let this happen.”

“I’m-” The mere thought of saying it caused her gut to wrench and shut her up. Her entire body shook again as each sob grew harder to bear. Kaili fell to her side cradling herself against the soft fabrics of the sofa that she had bought just so that Allyson could have somewhere to sleep when it had all started. “I’m never getting her back.”

A pool of tears started to form around her. Hope was lost.

 

[Allyson Locke]

As Kaili drowned herself in sorrow, she didn’t realize that she was where she needed to be. The couch was something of importance, of course it wasn’t the stiff couch Kaili originally had Allyson sleep on the first day or so she was there. Still, the couch was of some importance because Kaili for the first time in probably a long time had accepted someone into her life. Allyson was in the same boat, she had forced herself to keep everyone at a distance, only allowing those that she could use close enough to use them. Originally, that was the plan with Kaili. To get the droid repaired and possibly add another notch to her belt, the girl was attractive – so in Allyson’s mind it was worth the effort.

As time had progressed, Allyson found herself infatuated beyond anything. She wanted to know about Kaili, she wanted to understand the girl’s feelings and how she functioned. Allyson wanted to know everything and to continue remaining in this small workshop with her. The Corellian needed to be near the Borleian girl, when she was a separated from her for too long – life became unbearable. Still, Allyson knew that she just had to get through the next day and she would be able to spend all her shore leave with the woman she loved.

Bait picked up that the event hadn’t started and wheeled his way into the room. He noticed Kaili had given up and made a sad beeping noise. He moved about the room and shut off all the lights. Small flickering lights started to show as if the stars were beginning to appear in the dark living room. Kaili would pick up on a recording of her and Allyson’s first meeting after their three-day adventure. As the words echoed in the room, she would hear Allyson’s voice chime in as she tried to explain herself as to why she had gone missing for an extra two weeks. If Kaili had a chance to open her eyes, she would see lines connecting the small star like lights. As the constellation finished, color filled the void as a holo image of the two of them from that day. It was the moment when Kaili had opened the door and grabbed at the jacket Allyson wore and pulled her into a kiss. Of course, it was moments before the infamous slap across the Corellian’s face had happened. The recording stopped and Allyson’s voice came over the speakers.

‘You know, my face hurt for a week after that. You hit hard, because of that I know that you’ll always be okay. Even without me around.’ The recording had played Allyson’s promise to Kaili. ‘Jeez I made that promise a lot, didn’t I?’ Allyson’s voice chuckled. ‘I guess I need to keep saying sorry, then right? I am truly sorry for doing this to you. There were several times that I wondered if I should have just left you alone. If I should have just let you fix Bait and stayed just your friend. Knowing that one day I’d leave you like this – it hurts. I never wanted to bring you any pain Kaili. So, I hope after all of this, you find it in your heart to forgive me.’

The holoimage of the two of them embracing remained and Allyson’s voice continued. ‘This was one of my favorite moments. It was at this moment that I knew I wanted to be with you, that I wanted to always come home to you. At times, I wanted to just run away with you, take you far from this war filled galaxy and just disappear. Now, I really wish I would have. Maybe things would have been different?’

The lights turned on and the holo image disappeared. Bait rolled forward to Kaili and handed her another letter. The letter was simple this time.

You’re doing well so far! We’re almost to the end! I wanted to run away with you so bad, remember when we got to get away? Remember when we had a place all to ourselves that wasn’t filled with Sith or Jedi? Go there and remember what it felt like to just be the two of us. I promise this is almost done and you’ll soon be free from me and hopefully able to move on.

Be safe.

PS: I love you [member="Kaili Talith"]

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Allyson Locke"]

The cramps caused her entire body to shrivel up into a comfortless embrace on the couch as she wrapped her arms around her knees for warmth. The room started to feel colder than usual and more quiet than Kaili could even seem to remember. As the lights came off it became harder to tell whether or not her eyes were closed and the darkness threatened to swallow her whole. She felt more lost than she had in the last few days alone, the whirlwind of her world coming down on her becoming too much to handle. The trails on her cheek burned with fire and left her squalid in a pool of her own tears. She couldn’t stop thinking about her brother and Allyson and how they both disappeared at once. Why was it that whenever the girl found stability it was ripped away from her?

The room began to buzz with life and Kaili felt her eyes open to the blurred halos of a hologram. They blinked in an attempt to wipe the tears away but it didn’t work and she moved a hand to wipe them away. A sob caused her nose to snivel with pain as she finally found focus on the image of her and Allyson kissing. It had been one of the memories she treasured the most as well, the first time that Kaili had ever felt herself so desperately in need of telling Allyson how she felt. It had been the first of many kisses like it, but few compared to it. She had laid it all out for Allyson, and so had the Corellian in turn. The eponymous ‘Clothes Boss’ had been defeated that day, the first time of a considerable many since.

And now here it was before her…

Here it was before her. Kaili felt her jaw tense up as she sat herself upright. Another wet snivel swept through her nose as she moved both hands to wipe at her cheeks. Allyson wanted to run away and disappear, and right now Kaili wanted to do the same. The thought of just exactly how unfair this was at the forefront of her mind. She hated it, but for the sake of honoring the dead she played along. It hurt her, but she owed it to Allyson. Effort had been put in, and one last round of it was the least Kaili could do to try and soothe the pain she felt.

The next message was delivered and Kaili read it.

Kiara.

Her forehead fell into the palm of her hands as tensed fingers ran through the locks of her hair. She had only just gotten to Borleias and now she was going to head to the very opposite of the galaxy? Her other hand joined in a drag across her face. Frustration was getting to her. She knew Bait held the answers, and she knew damn well that she could crack whatever protection Allyson had put into place, so what was stopping her? She knew she could put an end to this and tear the message from his drives whether the two of them had wanted her to or not, so what held her back?

Love. This pesky little emotion called love held her back.

Frustrated sigh and groan tore at her throat.

“Henry, call the fucking ship again and tell it to prepare for take off. We’re going to Kiara.”

“Kaili, your heart rate-”

“JUST KARKING DO IT.” The tears continued to pour. “... Please.”

Henry obliged and with time the trio would find themselves on the ship in a jump towards the two lovers’ sanctuary, yet another stone-dressed tomb of memories that were going to haunt her for years to come. This was getting to her, and it wasn’t in a good way. Any consolation Allyson had tried to offer was lost on her, she didn’t feel much beyond her own growing frustration at what she was being pulled through.

The ship reverted to realspace within a day. Kaili was forced out of her shallow slumber by the sound of engines preparing to cool down post-jump. A disheveled, destroyed mess wandered the ship looking for Bait. It hungered, cried for sleep with dried up rivers running along its cheeks.

Was this game ending soon?

She hoped it did. It was growing hard to bear.

 

[Allyson Locke]

[SIZE=10pt]Bait remembered what Allyson had said when it came to this moment with Kaili. He was a smart droid and had quickly learned habits of his partner and friend. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t cave and give Kaili a hint as to what is waiting for her at the end of the adventure. When all of this was in the works, he remembered the stress Allyson was under. He had recorded it and possibly it could help Kaili with her patience. Still, he remembered the warning that Allyson had given him when she left for the Hoth invasion. Kaili was a smart and clever Technomancer, probably the best in her day and age – this meant if she truly wanted to get the information – she would get it. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]A heavy beep and he trailed off to find the half alive woman who wandered the halls of the ship – groaning and incapable of crying anymore. Bait was happy knowing that he wouldn’t ever turn into this. Although, he did wish he could cry or at least have some remorse for his lost master, she was good to him and thinking about it the droid worked up what would be close to sadness. He would never truly feel it, but he understood and missed Allyson’s company. Finding Kaili, Bait kept his distance behind the girl, he would surprise her with the message that Allyson had left for Kaili when she arrived at this point in her emotions. A small lens emerged from his spherical body and projected a life size hologram version of Allyson. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She knelt as she would have been when messing with Bait – getting the angle right and such. She memorized the height of the other woman, so knowing that this would eventually find her, Allyson did her best to make sure she considered the blazing orange eyes of her lover. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Hey you, I know this isn’t how you wanted to spend your days. Of course, I didn’t want to have you ever be watching or reading the messages I’ve left you. I wish I was traveling with you to Kiara to retrieve something that is very dear to me. I know you’re wanting to find the end, but please know that after Kiara there is only one more stop. Because you’ve played along this far – I’ll give you the answer you’re searching for. The last stop is on Ruusan, the tree, where we promised ourselves to each other, but you have to go to Kiara first and find my goggles.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The hologram paused, she stared at Kaili and tears filled her eyes the best way a hologram could show this. “Kaili, I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to leave you alone. I wish I could turn back time and quit the Rogues, say no the SIS and just be with you. If I would have known this would have happened. I know this entire time I’ve been apologizing, but I feel there’s nothing I could do to make you feel better. It destroys me to even fathom that one day you’ll see this and it would be because I was too busy playing hero, believing in something beyond you and me. I’m so sorry…” As if she remembered what she was doing with this message, the hologram wiped her eyes and stood straight. Allyson’s cheeky smile spread across her face as she nodded. “Find my goggles, they should be by our bed. With them, you’ll find a small box with a small key. You’ll need that key to get to what I left you.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Kneeling, she seemed to fiddle with something. One more glance from the hologram image of Allyson and a last bit of words, “A map will be there to show you exactly which tree you need to find if you can’t fully remember. Force knows all trees look the same. Bring a shovel with you and the key. There my final gift to you will be.” A heavy sigh and a final word. “I love you so very much [member="Kaili Talith"], I hope my last gift will offer you some comfort.” The hologram cut out and Bait waited to see the reaction. [/SIZE]

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Allyson Locke"]

Audible inhales reverberated around the hallways, silenced only by the humming of the ship’s engines. Kaili let a hand trail against the surface of the ship’s wall for a measure of balance in her newly awoken state. It began to shake and she froze up much like she always did as it entered the atmosphere of the place she and Allyson had called their home. It was hard to think of it as that, made the return worse than it had to be.

Bait rolled up behind her and activated his hologram of Allyson. All air was forced from Kaili’s lungs as a moment of utter devastation fell over her. She turned on her heel and set her eyes on the shape of Allyson. That was all it was, a shape. A moving, talking projection of Allyson. It wasn’t her, she wouldn’t even last if Kaili reached for her. There was nothing to touch or feel, only see and hear. Eyes closed to bring forth the tears that wouldn’t come. Dried up cheeks stayed dry. She couldn’t stand looking, much less hearing, but she needed it. She could envision the Corellian before her if she closed her eyes hard enough. Taste the memory of her between the distortion in the recording.

Then came the pause. An insufferable pause that broke any kind of illusion Kaili could have granted herself that Allyson was right there. The projection’s voice grew shaky, telling truths that Kaili already knew and told herself on repeat. Perhaps the easiest way was to drop all pretenses of heroism and just act in complete self-preservation and the interest of the self. It was the wisdom Kaili wanted to pick up but not one she could ever commit to. Allyson had died on her feet, and that was more than some could say. She hadn’t run away in face of overwhelming odds and in the end the only real loser was Kaili.

She had lost everything in a single moment.

She had lost everyone in a single flash.

So she would go to the bedroom to find the goggles. Not because she wanted to but rather because she felt as if she owed it to Allyson. Because what Kaili wanted to do was to crawl back within herself like she had before Allyson had turned her life around. There was nothing out here anymore. What was the point? Isolation had worked well for her during a good part of her teenage years. Isolation had left her out of reach from the dangers of a broken heart. A quick cuss snarled to part her lips as she stepped through the doors to the palace atop of the cliff overlooking Kiara’s capital.

She knew she was wrong again. Had she isolated herself she wouldn’t have met Allyson, or Mara, or Theodor, or anyone else and her life would have been worse off.

The doors to the bedroom swung open and smashed against the walls. Hand reached out to grab the goggles. Anger reeked, yet she stopped herself before she did anything stupid. Hand carefully recoiled as a deep sigh burst through her nose to calm her down. Letting her fingertips touch against the goggles she grabbed them and held them by her face.

“Feth.” She whispered. “What now?”

 

[Allyson Locke]

[SIZE=10pt]Bait quickly followed Kaii as she exited the ship and headed towards the home they had with each other. He had forgotten how big the place was since most of the time he was chilling in a room with all his attention focused on the holonet. This place had a pretty baller reception for the net so he surfed and trolled millions. Despite his desire to go head into his room, he followed Kaili into the room she had shared with Allyson. It didn’t take long for the girl to become distracted with finding the goggles and forgetting everything that Allyson had instructed her to do. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Papers stuck out from the dresser and Bait rolled up to Kaili’s feet and bummed into her. His little arm, the one that Kaili had helped Allyson install; extended outward from his spherical body and grasped the papers and tossed them onto Kaili’s lap. A loud beep and the arm emphasized what the paper read. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Kaili would find a picture, one they had taken most likely after a few months on Kiara. Bright smiles and happiness captured by a camera – locking it in place forever. A small hand drawn map would be on the back of it. In the corner, would be coordinates and on the hand drawn map, an ‘x’ would be labeled. Scribbled at the other corner, opposite of the coordinates a note would be written addressed to Kaili. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt][member="Kaili Talith"] - close to the end of this journey, go to Ruusan, find the tree (where the ‘x’ is labeled) dig at the base. The lock code on the chest would be k41l1 74L17H – yes, it’s your name, why wouldn’t it be. You kept me safe and you kept me whole. Don’t beat yourself up, just know that I’ll be waiting for you – so take your time coming to me on the other side. Enjoy what I’ve left you, your journey is almost over…[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Love Allyson[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]PS: I love you. [/SIZE]

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Allyson Locke"]

A thumb gently stroked along the edges of the photo. It was a simpler time, and one that wasn’t as emotionally turbulent. Kaili felt anger, felt overwhelming despair and sadness yet in the midst of it she felt an inherent confusion. At least she knew she was on the last stretch now, the last part before this game was over. She could maybe rest soon, perhaps even sleep. She needed it, needed some sort of measure of balance that wasn’t quite hers yet. It felt distant, way too distant but she had to reach for it, she had no other choice.

Leaving their mansion she stepped back into the ship and entered the bedroom to find some solitude again. Not that there was any shortage of places in which she could be alone anymore. Her head found her pillow once more and the ship’s gentle shake as it took would briefly toss her in the bed. At least when lying down it didn’t feel as horrible as it did standing up, right?

The small victories.

Cheek on her pillow, the image was there. She stared at it for as long as she could. Allyson’s jacket still hugged her shoulders but the smell was no longer there, replaced instead by Kaili’s own. At least now she had the image. Rolling on her back she brought the letter back again. The passphrase to whatever she was looking for was ‘Kaili Talith’ written in numbers. It was poor security in the sense that Allyson knew better, but that was probably just it. She knew better, and considering whatever she was looking for was buried in a forest there was no doubt that Allyson knew nature itself was a secure factor as well.

Sigh parted her lips as sher arms helped her lean back on her side. The ship jumped to hyperspace and the next time Kaili would wake up was when the ship touched down. In her dream she had seen doctors and a medical bed as if she laid still as the night. She hadn’t recognized anyone, but there was one of them. A blonde person, hovering above, taking care of her.

Waking up had been a relief at this point. Hazy visions and Kaili had a bad track record as of late.

Stepping out into the forest of Ruusan Kaili looked to Bait. Goggles went over her eyes figuring Allyson had meant something with them.

“Well?” She sighed. “What now?”

The blonde began to wander into the forests. "Just find the X?"

 

[Allyson Locke]

The planet was filled with memories, several in fact. Here was the last place Allyson and Kaili had gone together. They had discovered information on an ancient technomancer’s secrets, they had realized that there was nothing more the other wanted besides each other. It was here that Allyson’s most recent pleasant memories, they were the memories that she had held onto as she floated in the abyss of space. The chill of the dark space didn’t penetrate the woman as she held onto the memories. Her life ended, but she couldn’t leave Kaili without anything.

Allyson’s droid companion followed Kaili quickly down the ramp. It headed towards her and finally sped up moving past Kaili. He figured that the girl was going to miss the details of the map. Allyson had figured this as well, which is why Bait had been programed to know the exact coordinates to where the tree was. Figuring Kaili was smart enough to catch on, he beeped and trilled till the woman for sure followed him. They traveled quickly through the forest as they moved closer to the tree that was on the mark. Bait stopped in the middle of a clearing. It seemed the droid had gotten a little turned around.

A few little trills and then he finally resituated himself and rolled up to the tree. Remembering what Kaili had said, he quickly extended his little flame and burned a small x into the tree. He made a few more noises to get Kaili’s attention. His little body spun quickly on the area that Kaili needed to start digging. The droid knew what was under the dirt and like Allyson, he hoped that it provided some closure for the blonde. [member="Kaili Talith"]

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Allyson Locke"]

It felt like for each step she took she felt the end grow nearer. Knees grew weak, arms grew heavy, breaths shallow before Kaili had to stop herself to regain her composure. Bait beeped at her and at first she didn’t respond. Eyes staring themselves blind at the ground, mouth agape at the memories, mind distant as if in another world. It was here that the last solid memory of Allyson ended, the moment before they had to go separate ways again. She to get debriefed, Kaili to go see a contact that a ‘friend’ of hers had informed her about. Now here she stood again, alone and afraid to even walk. In her mind she could still hear their last few words echo with a clarity unlike anything she had ever experienced.

Bait beeped again and Kaili was brought back from her escape from reality. Hazy unfeeling eyes set on the droid as one uneasy step followed another further and further into the forests. A tightness formed in the girl’s chest. She felt them get closer, as if the event had been burnt into the environment itself, embedded in the force like a cruel reminder. They came to a stop underneath the tree that burned the most.

Kaili’s fingertip touched against the bark. It burned like a fire.

Knees landed with a loud thud against the forest floor. Hands digging into the ground until dirtied nails scraped against the metallic box she was looking for. Frantic shovelling threw dirt from side to side to expose a small box with a codelock on it. Kaili hesitated for a second before reaching out for it.

What if this wasn’t the end. Her eyes went wide. It had to be. Yet what if it wasn’t. The hand that had reached for the box shifted backwards with a visible tremble.

No, she had to do this.

The box shook as she raised it out of its hole. Her fingers brushed against the keypad to unlock it. The lock deactivated at the input of the code, her fingers slid to one side each to gently prop it open...

 

[Allyson Locke]

The box was for safety, the contents were of the utmost importance. The box would open being filled with papers and other documents. Among the contents, there were legal papers, specifically ones filled with information on Allyson’s accounts, her ship and whatever other assesses she had collected. Underneath the banking papers, were several photographs of Allyson’s family on Corellia and with those there were several images of a child Allyson up through her teenage years. Memories filled the box and further if Kaili ever so decided to dig, she would find a small note sticking out of a small 2x2 box.

The note would read:

Kaili,

If you’re reading this, well then, you’ve found the end of the line. The journey through our memories has hopefully reminded you of how much I love you and how much you’ve changed my life. I hope that this especially provided you with some closure and that you could eventually move on. Don’t lock yourself away – the galaxy needs you so much. Just like I needed you. Please never forget me and don’t live your life with regrets. I didn’t, although the only regret I have…is that I couldn’t marry you like I intended. Please keep this safe…it was my mother’s and now it’s yours.

Love always and forever,

Allyson

Inside the box there would be a simple silver wedding band. It wasn’t much as Allyson’s father at the time of the marriage was barely working his way through university. The relationship between the two was torrid and chaotic – but in a good way. Allyson’s father couldn’t bear another moment not having the woman of his dreams be his. A trait that Allyson had fondly inherited. There would be etchings on the inside of the ring, it was written in Old Corellian.

‘Uhl Lum tio gviti mi heimo’​

The light that guides me home.​

[member="Kaili Talith"]​

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Allyson Locke"]

The longer it went on the harder the sound of her heart beating against her chest grew to bear with the way it assaulted her ribcage and seemed to attempt an escape for every second that passed. The cover of the box that Allyson had sent her to retrieve hit the ground with a mild clang as its metallic surface hit against the hardwood roots of the tree it had previously been buried under. Her hands shook at its touch and the winds seemed to have stilled by the time Kaili gave herself the chance to truly look inside. There was a letter in there covering the rest of the box’s contents, shrouding it all in a layer of mystery that she would have wanted to live without. The girl felt the way her blood shifted around her body and made her feel heavy. The soft skin of her fingers touched against the paper’s edge to pick it up with great care and the sound it made as it unfolded made her hands shiver even worse than they had before. Thumbs slid against its back to expose what was written within to let eyes dance from side to side through one letter after another with the hopes of taking in what it all said. Yet as they skimmed across the word ‘marry’ she couldn’t help but gasp.

The shiver began to turn into a shake as Kaili continued to read. The tears that rolled down her cheeks burned like fire by the time her index finger retracted to collapse the letter within her grasp again. It had made mention of how something inside of this box had once belonged to Allyson’s mother, and now she wanted Kaili to have it. A big part of Kaili felt like she already knew what it would be but kept her from thinking it. It hadn’t been meant to be like this. It was not supposed to have been today, not like this, not now. Reaching in to grab the small collection of photos Kaili couldn’t help but struggle for breath as she witnessed what Allyson had only ever been able to describe with words. Images of her family, of an Allyson that had been just a few years younger than when they had met. There was a brother, and mother and father. And then there was an image of them, of Kaili and Allyson from the very start when they had first met. In retrospect it was so easy to see the through her feigned smile, but Kaili had not known any other at the time. Just as she didn’t know anything else in this very moment either. To think that this had been the start of a ride she had wished would never end...

Lowering the photos she spotted the box that they had covered. A small gasp forced itself from her lips as her eyes set on Bait to seek some sort of sign to go ahead but they didn’t linger for long. Both hands moved up to cover her mouth and nose to stifle the panic spreading in her body but the sound of her own breath wafting against her neck didn’t help with anything. A loud audible gasps for air forced her lips to part as her right hand began its descent towards the small box. Fingertips brushed against its smoothed surface before they wrapped themselves around it in a weak grasp that she couldn’t hold. Her hands shook once more as she raised it before her. With one thumb on each side she gave the lid a gentle push. It popped open and once more a gasp parted Kaili’s lips.

It was a ring. Silver, and absolutely beautiful. She had known that this was coming but it didn’t help at all. The corner of her mouth hissed for air as a grunt of pain threatened to part Kaili’s lips. She reached for the ring, to hold it between her fingers and treasure like Allyson had instructed her to, yet unlike everything else that she had touched to this point it remained cold. The faint glimmer of the sun sparkled from inside of it. Kaili blinked it away before she raised it for her face. The shakes made it hard to read, she had to tense her entire arm for any sort of stability.

“The light.” Kaili swallowed, her voice barely a whisper. “That guides me home.”

The ring was deposited back into the case with the utmost care for what was Allyson’s last gift. It was the gift that they had both wanted to share at some point but been robbed of in a single moment’s notice. The pounding in her heart slowed down but the intensity did not. She raised the small box towards her chest to cradle it as her entire body began to shake in grief. One sob after another it felt as if the whole world itself began to fall apart, as if the trees themselves were falling from the skies and pounded against her body to send it swaying back and forth in a near- catatonic state in which the only emotion she allowed herself to feel was the pain, the grief and remorse that the last few days had thrown at her.

The grip she exerted around the box started to pain as she pushed it as close to her heart as she could. Knuckles paled and burned to the point where they threatened to jump from their sockets.

There was so much Kaili wanted to say, to do and think and act on. A groan parted the corners of her lips in pain; heartache. Her breathing grew harder to bear as each breath got more and more difficult to take in. Muscles tensed up with the pent up frustrations, anger and hate that she had kept bottled up for years until finally Kaili broke down in full. Something bubbled up her stomach, pushed through her chest, up her throat until the point when her eyes closed. Teeth gritted yet the sensation could not be contained.

The silence was broken in an instant, killed by a scream that was amplified through the force as it tore Kaili’s mouth open in an expression of pure grief. The galaxy had taken too much this time. The scream tore the tree before her asunder and tossed what remained of it into the trees beyond. The dust and grime around her began to soar into the sky, rocks began to ricochet around the forest. One after another the sound of trees cracking under the weight of Kaili’s onslaught reverberated around their immediate area.

Eventually all that remained was the dust clouds and the girl with no one left. Her body swayed from side to side as the screaming ended. Errant sobs filling the silence once more where once was an expression of pain.

 

[Allyson Locke]

The scream tore through the Force and somewhere far from where Kaili was, a pair of eyes fluttered open. Allyson’s lingering force presence began to grow stronger as consciousness had returned to her. Either way, through Kaili’s grief she may miss the sudden flicker in the force. Everything settled around Kaili and Bait rolled from under a few trees that had blown over. Times like this he wished he could understand the emotions of flesh people. If he knew what she was going through maybe he could provide some comfort. It seemed knowing that all this was here for her, only brought more pain to Kaili. Bait decided not to show any more of the previously recorded holograms to the girl.

It took what felt like ages for the droid to finally work up enough courage to approach Kaili. A long sad boop echoed from him as he did his best to sound comforting. He did his best to try and get the girl to return to the ship, but she wouldn’t budge. Hours passed and the droid circled around her and had a more urgent tone in his beeping. He wanted to return to the ship and leave. Their adventure was over and sitting here would only bring more pain to the blonde. Still, they remained.

As if by chance, the comm that belonged to Kaili Talith began to ring. If she decided to answer, she would be greeted by a voice, a man’s voice.

Is this [member="Kaili Talith"]? Agent Locke placed you as her emergency contact – I regret to inform you she was in an accident, but she has woken up from her comatose state…​

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Allyson Locke"]

And then there was silence and nothing but the silence. The sound of chaos reverberated around the forest. Kaili could feel the way it spread between the trees like a wave setting across as many shores as it could before fading out into nonexistence again. The dust danced until its last sweep before it covered gravel, dirt and sand alike. Kaili couldn’t breathe, her breath grew as shallow as they needed be to keep her stationary for as long as she could. Her knees buried themselves into the ground as she lost her bearings entirely. The trail was at its end, all she had left now was Bait. Bait who kept on yanking at her arm trying to get her to move, Bait who eventually resorted to circling her as if he wished to protect her.

Hours would pass like this until finally her senses would start to come back to her and allow her to see again. To hear and feel. Her breathing ramped up again, her first breath a deep one to make up for the intake she’d lost. A steady flow of air seeped out between parted lips as eyes finally set on the droid that had asked for it all this time. Bait had been there. Kaili tried to smile but she couldn’t. With her hand sweeping her hair back behind her ear she felt the subtle vibration of her holopad against her wrist. She didn’t react at first, instead pushed herself off the ground and onto her legs. If it was important they would call back.

Kaili began walking towards the ship, yet the vibration continued. Her head shook, her throat groaned.

“What?” She whispered under her breath, barely able to make a sound.

“Is this Kaili Talith? Agent Locke-” The call started, Kaili’s eyes went wide. “-placed you as her emergency contact.”

“I regret to inform you-” Kaili’s heart slumped again. It was too good to be true. Sigh burst through her nose, she lost track of the call for a second. “-but she has woken up from her comatose state.”

Wait, what?! The world began to shine again. The setting sun’s golden kiss pierced into her wide open eyes. “WHERE IS SHE?!” A raspy, barely audible and hissed whisper-shout burst from Kaili’s lips. “IF THIS IS A PRANK I WILL KARKING GUT YOU, MOTHERKARKER.”

“TELL ME WHERE SHE IS. NOW.”

 

[Allyson Locke]

The man was startled as he listened to the woman threaten him on the other line. Most cases when he phoned the loved ones of agents they were happy and joyous to hear from him. His brows furrowed as he regained some composure to answer the threatening and aggressive woman. This was something new for him and he leaned against the desk he sat at and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. The man allowed silence to fall upon them and he calmly answered [member="Kaili Talith"].

“Please calm down. There’s no need to make threats.” His tone never changing as he continued. “Agent Locke is stationed at one of our secure hospital care centers. The location of said hospital is of course…” A grin would spread across his face, knowing that the woman on the other end would most likely lose her mind at the rest of his sentence. “…a Faction Security that only the highest of security clearances know about.” His lips continued to curl in the widest of grins. “With that said I cannot allow you to visit it just yet. Especially with the circumstances of her current condition.”

The sound of papers would ruffle against the holocall as he looked for the exact situation of Allyson Locke. “With observation from the Doctor and myself, it is obvious that Agent Locke is suffering Amnesia.” Musing over the daily reports he was given by Dr [member="Hazel Zanteres"], he continued. “She seems to have forgotten events of the past four to six years. Although, daily her memories are starting to return, but still slower than we had hoped. Things such as piloting and some of her training as an Agent and with the Force have returned – but anything of her personal life has remained a mystery.”

Moving his finger downward he finished through the reports and mentioned one more detail. “She does mention a fiancée. I’m assuming that person is you, since she had placed you as her emergency contact and she has no living family or anything of the sort…” The perfect agent… the man thought quietly – nothing to hold them back, nothing to distract them from their mission, Allyson Locke was the perfect weapon, except now he discovered she had a reason to hold back.

“I do ask once she’s released into your care that you do not bombard her with tales of your time together, it has to be slow, please avoid using the Force to enhance her care to make her remember. The mind is a fragile thing Mrs. Locke…I mean, Ms. Talith. She has to remember on her own or her mind may reject everything and all our care would be for naught.” Not leaving Kaili a moment to respond, he quickly stated.

“I will send you details of where you can pick her up, once she’s ready to be released…Any questions?”