Private Thawed

[Arris Windrun]

A short while ago, Arris Windrun had delivered one Jedi frozen in carbonite to Jerec Asyr. One antic after another, and the dethawee managed an ugly escape from the Ithorian's compound, and now wandered the streets of Nar Shaddaa with nothing but confusion and her lightsaber.

The cyborg followed after her - at first from a distance.

"Hey!" She called out.

Arris tried her best to sound friendly, despite her voice being recognizable as the hunter.

She kept a steady distance, maybe a few bodies back, and she followed at a pedestrian's pace. There was no obvious rush, and she didn't have her weapons drawn, though an obvious pair of pistols weighed down the holsters at her hip.

"Girl - wait up!"

The unhealthy rain picked up from a drizzle to only short of torrential.

Triaso Latain

 

[Triaso Latain]

As Triaso struggled to reach no destination in particular, her clothes grew wet and heavy with rain. Each step, already labored by weakness, became a test of will as she continued to trudge through neon-soaked alleys. It wasn't that she was ignoring Arris; she simply had a hard time perceiving her. While her hearing was blissfully unaffected by the carbonite sickness that was otherwise ravaging her eyes and leaving her weak, the rain and the noise of the crowd meant that the wayward jedi had merely assumed that any voices weren't meant for her.

It was only when she reached the relative seclusion of what could generously be called a public park and had collapsed against the sorry excuse for nature that was a single tree barely clinging to life that she realized she had been followed, though her head remained bowed as her wet mop of hair stuck to her face. With her hands both clutching, white-knuckled, her lightsaber defensively close to her body, she finally looked up, faintly sensing a soul that was looking at her.

"What do you want from me?"

She simply asked, voice almost pitifully warbling from strain as the adrenaline from earlier had long faded from her system. Triaso felt as if she was about to pass out from sheer exhaustion, or worse. She had no way of knowing, and she barely had the means to defend herself should Arris prove a threat.

Arris Windrun

 

[Arris Windrun]

"Honestly?" She chewed on that thought for a long time, relatively speaking. "I'm still figuring that out."

Arris looked down at the woman. Her stance, her posturing, it was all a little pathetic. Though looking back at the Jedi's escape, she had a feeling this woman wasn't so helpless once upon a time.

Just how long had she been frozen? Arris wondered.

The cyborg placed a hand on each hip.

"You know the Syndicate - or someone else - will rob you blind if you keep clutching that weapon so openly. Jedi have few friends."

Triaso Latain

 

[Triaso Latain]

Triaso scoffed. Jedi not having many friends sounded about right. Especially since she was one. Her luck just demanded that she be an enemy of many by default, especially now.

Though she couldn't actually see the cyborg, her head tilted up in her direction, dark hair plastered to her face by the wetness of the rain, "That why I was 'sold' to that other guy?"

The answer didn't matter, truthfully. Though a little bit of context would help. Well that and some way to treat her carbonite sickness, but she'd have to take things one issue at a time. For now, she waited for the other person to make a judgement call, knowing that her fate likely rested in this other woman's hands.

Arris Windrun

 

[Arris Windrun]

Arris laughed at the question.

"What? No!" She stopped to think about it. "Actually, maybe, but I don't really know."

There was a whole blurb about it, but Arris wasn't really one to read the why of a bounty, more so focused on the what and the how much.

Arris sighed. One hand moved from hip to forehead merely to rub it. A force of habit, since those nerves were highly regulated by her implants. Suffice to say, the cyborg didn't actually experience normal headaches anymore.

"Listen - I bought ya, or well the brick you were in, from some guy. Didn't ask much questions."

She pointed at the lightsaber, regardless of whether the Jedi could see. "Came with that.

"So you're a Jedi, right? That's all that mattered to me, but as far as I was concerned, you were wall art. Didn't actually believe people could survive being dethawed."

She felt like there needed to be a succinct point.

"I flipped like ya like a used starship. Nothing special."

Triaso Latain

 

[Triaso Latain]

So that was it, then. Triaso's entire situation was a ploy for some credits; one that wasn't given much attention or care until now. She should've been furious, but she didn't have the energy for that now. All she could feel was the emptiness in her chest as she heard that she'd only been a ticket for this other woman to get paid.

"I see." Was all she managed to say, her voice soft and low as she tried to come up with some sort of action she could take to improve her situation. Her dominant left hand reached down to try to push herself up off of the ground, but her arm was too weak. It shook with the effort, until finally giving out and falling limp uselessly at her side.

She sighed, knowing that she was trapped here. Her own body didn't posses the strength to get her anywhere. Her nose sniffled reflexively, the cold rain having caused the recently thawed mucus start to run down to her lips. It was unpleasant, but any autonomic function of her body felt reassuring in a way. At least she was awake.

"You got paid, right? So your job's done?"

Her best hope was trying to appeal to this other person's practicality, she reasoned. If she had no incentive to keep here, she might be willing to let her go.

Arris Windrun

 

[Arris Windrun]

It seemed the Jedi's strength had waned. Or at least the Force didn't swirl around her like it had in the room, not that Arris really knew, though she may've been the freshly minted apprentice of a has-been Dark Lord, a so 'best-of-the-best' in the art of mechu-deru, her perceptions were limited.

Still, it was obvious to the fighter that the almost-wall art had been weakened during the escape.

Arris nearly frowned.

This woman's situation reminded her of her own, once upon a time. That was very long ago, however... when she was a street rat prowling the gutters and alleys of Talusian haunts. She couldn't fully relate - but she did sympathize.

"Yeah," she said. Barely above a whisper. "Job's done."

Triaso Latain

 

[Triaso Latain]

"Then why are you still here? I'm no threat to you, as you can see."

Triaso hoped that however pitiful she felt had translated into how she currently looked. It couldn't be good, she thought. She didn't even remember what she was wearing, but with how heavy her clothes had gotten on her she knew that it wasn't rain resistant.

"I don't have any money."

She added, sighing gently. Whatever venom could've been attributed to her word choice was diluted by how tired Triaso was. Was this going to be it? Was she about to pass out in front of this woman while trying to convince her to leave her alone?

"I'm not sure I'll even survive the night."

She finally admitted. Her eyesight still hadn't gotten any better, which she assumed was abnormal for someone of her condition. Triaso had no way of knowing how long she'd been frozen, but she assumed that it had been quite some time if her symptoms were this severe. Really, she could've used that medical droid that other guy was talking about. Too late for that now.

Arris Windrun

 

[Arris Windrun]

"Well..."

Then came the topic of money, and she sighed.

Didn't help for that to be followed up immediately with survival on the mind. Were this anyone else, Arris might've just rolled her eyes, but given the specifics...

"Look - that guy? He wants his boys to spy on ya. I figured I'd make sure you at least get settled, if not off this rock."

The cyborg crossed her arms and kneeled, this time quite close to the woman in question.

"So what do you need?"

There was no deception in her voice. Granted, Arris spoke entirely with a modular that could mimic tones and voices, but it was true.

Triaso Latain

 

[Triaso Latain]

"To be honest, probably a long kolto bath."

Triaso took a breath, closing her eyes a moment as she realized that her escape had left some threads stuck to her. Something she'd have to deal with later, she guessed. She opened her eyes again to stare blankly in the direction of the voice, but they were unfocused, barely even reacting to the light of the neon-soaked street.

"And someplace out of this rain that I'm not gonna get killed at. Judging by the smell of exhaust and sewage I'm going to assume we're on a city planet, which isn't the best for personal safety."

The jedi tried to push herself to her feet again, but failed.

"A hand up would be nice, too." She finally admitted, defeat in her voice.

There was more, of course. She needed to figure out where and when she was. She needed to get some sort of income. Most of all, she needed to be cured of her sickness. That being said, she was already trying her luck with this stranger, and she didn't want to give her a reason to give up on her.

Arris Windrun

 

[Arris Windrun]

Arris raised a brow, "Kolto? Y'mean that stuff from Manaan?"

She snorted. "Pretty sure that shit's outclassed by bacta... are you like, allergic or something?"

Mention of a place to lay low earned a smirk, as Arris wasn't too far from her digs, after all. A bunch of the Black Sun ilk stuck together in or under New Vertica - in Arris's case, it was the latter.

"My place isn't too far, you can crash there, but only if you don't swing that lightsaber at me."

Though her tone was friendly, she meant every word of it. The cyborg had spent too much of her recent time on the other end of a laser sword and wasn't really looking for another fight. She reached out to grab the Jedi by the hand and lift her up.

"C'mon."

 

[Triaso Latain]

"Don't give me a reason to, and I won't."

The wet rag of a woman let herself get pulled up by the blonde, internally noting how easily she felt herself get moved. Was this lady really that strong, or was she just that weak? She paused as she wrapped an arm around her, using her for support since she could barely stand on her own strength.

"Can you answer me something? What's bacta?"

She'd never heard of that before, or at least she didn't think she had. Kolto and the name Manaan seemed familiar, but bacta? It didn't ring any bells.

"If it's good for healing I'll take it, no matter what it is. I don't think I'm allergic."

She took a breath as she took the first few shaky steps with Arris, taking effort to maintain her balance. It was going to be a long walk, she figured, regardless of its distance. Each step with her heavy limbs took a toll on her, the rain and the cold sapping extra energy from her body.

"What's your name? Mine's Triaso, I think."

Arris Windrun

 

[Arris Windrun]

Arris rolled her eyes at the half-threat as she pulled the Jedi up onto her feet.

"What's bacta?" She repeated the question in disbelief.

Sheesh... Carbonite must not be good for the brain.

A thought that felt confirmed when the woman seemed uncertain as to even her own name. Arris glanced at the woman as they walked down the rainy street together. Most of the civilians paid them no mind, but those who knew who Arris was - or who she worked for - gave them both a wide berth.

This is taking too long.

The cyborg reached into her pocket to retrieve a stim. She jabbed it into the side of Triaso's neck and pressed to inject it. It wasn't bacta, but it would hopefully give the dethawee an energy boost. Increased heart rate, improved acuity. It'd kill pain and lift the spirit. Of course, it wasn't a miracle. This shit had a way of overloading the adrenal system if not used cautiously - and it was highly addictive. One dose couldn't hurt, though, right?

"Name's Arris," she finally answered.

Her place was around two corners and a long straight from there. Maybe a twenty-minute walk. Probably longer, given the Jedi's condition. It was an apartment located in a poorly maintained tower directly below New Vertica, where the Black Sun elite ruled from a collection of casinos and other high-life vice dens.

The entrance was guarded by an elderly Duros who paid no mind but had a snarling look about him.

Triaso Latain

 

[Triaso Latain]

The glance spared towards Triaso afforded Arris a close and personal glimpse of the sopping form of her companion, whose hair was covering most of her complexion by virtue of the shaggy wet strands sticking to her face. Her left hand still gripped her lightsaber, though she held it close to her body to try to keep it less visible than if she was holding it down at her side as she hunched over it and leaned onto the cyborg's form.

She was about to ask after what bacta was again before she felt a sharp pain; not a physical one, but a warning in the force that something was about to happen to her. Had she been fully in charge of her faculties, she might've attempted to dodge out of the way or counter attack in some way. As she was now, however, the needle sunk into her neck and the fluid mingled with her bloodstream, giving Triaso the semblance of strength.

Only, strength wasn't the right word. She wasn't gaining anything. Not really. Instead, it felt like the pain and weariness that had filled her body slowly ebbed away, like the tide before a tsunami. That wave would come back, she was sure, and likely stronger than it had been when it left, but the absence of it in the moment was heavenly.

While Triaso's body still wasn't fully cooperating, Arris would be able to notice a gradual change as Triaso's sopping wet form went from relying on Arris to support her weight to using Arris's form as a guide to keep her on the right path. Less wounded soldier, more blackout drunk, which was still an improvement. Should Arris see Triaso's eyes, she'd find that the whites were marked with dozens of tiny blood vessels, causing them to appear pink while her normally vibrant irises were nearly fully dilated by her pupils.

"Th-Thanks, Arris."

She choked out, her breathing having grown in pace from the ragged exhaustion that had previously marked it. Her questions could wait. If she was going to be staying with this woman all night, they'd have plenty of time to talk. For now, her mind focused on the single-minded march of putting one foot in front of the other.

Arris Windrun

 

[Arris Windrun]

"Don't mention it."

Arris stopped at the stoop and looked back at Triaso. If only for a brief moment. Then, the door slid open and they both disappeared inside.

The cyborg's place was a few floors up and several doors down. Hallway lights flickered ominously, and more than a few lowlifes clung to the walls and groaned through their various comedowns. It was not the sort of place someone would choose to live, especially not someone with the kind of income that Arris had, turning in Jedi and the likes for bounties.

"And here's me," she fingered the keypad and let them both in.

Compared to the rest of the building, her place was nicer, but not by much. Half of it had been converted into a makeshift armory, with weapons and cybernetics strung about. Some in the middle of maintenance.

The other half was about what one expected for a bachelorette's depression pad. Trash, clothes, and clutter made their home here along with the pests. A small rodent creature scurried into a hole. The only thing that seemed remotely well-managed was her bed and bathroom.

There was also a couch that looked like it had never once been used.

Arris pointed at it. "You can crash there."

She walked over to a gun table and set aside both guns and gunbelt. "There's a foodstuff dispenser and a freezer. Toss ice into a cup if you need to drink, because the sink water will kill humans.... You are human, right?"

Triaso Latain

 

[Triaso Latain]

As they moved through the building, Triaso struggled to navigate stairs without her eyesight and did her best to ignore the sounds of flickering lights and moaning of the denizens that surrounded them. Thankfully, no one seemed to bother them directly, but Triaso was left to wonder where she had been taken. At least the door seemed like it was decently secured, if the beeping of the keypad was anything to go by. When they entered, Triaso was mostly greeted by the smell of stale clothes, likely sitting for who knows how long before she had arrived.

Not that she cared.

Though Arris pointed at the couch, Triaso's eyes could only make out faint blurs at best, and only when her visuals weren't consumed by the void of darkness. Things were coming and going, she realized, which was better than nothing.

"Where..?"

She asked, her hands reaching out in front of her to grasp for some kind of guidance. Then she realized something important that she had been actively ignoring until now. Triaso was soaking wet.

"I'm wet... Do you have a towel I can use? Maybe some spare clothes you don't like? I don't want to ruin your place."

Now that she mentioned it, there was a modicum of feeling that was slowly returning to her. Her limbs were growing heavy again, and the general fatigue and weakness was beginning to embed itself back into her frame, penetrating into her very bones.

Triaso hovered awkwardly in place, worried about tracking mud, grime, and water throughout the apartment, before she finally shook her head. Human didn't sound right. Not entirely, at least. Then it finally came back to her, "Keshian. Mostly human, just different eyesight. Normally, at least." Truthfully, the water not being drinkable didn't really matter to her right now. She craved nothing more than a warm blanket and rest; her stomach had been feeling queasy since she'd woken up, and she severely doubted she'd be able to keep anything down, liquid or otherwise.

Arris Windrun