The Bonds of Catastrophe

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua stood as Irajah picked her way across the hall, careful to spread his weight evenly among his feet. It would be quite embarrassing of him to fall through after he had made it through the worst part of the hallway.

Not the way he wanted to go out.

As the Doctor joined him safely, he had to agree. "Yeah, let's hope it stays changed until we get out of here." Ghorua peered deeper into the expansive darkness, looking for any more threats. He tasted the air, just to make sure there were no contaminants, his efforts only revealing dust and stale oxygen.

"Let's get moving. I don't like the look of all this debris in one place." Ghorua tried a shallow grin, and plodded down the hall, nonchalantly escaping the dangerous area.

It wasn't long before Ghorua began to feel the effects of his injuries again. Once the emotion and adrenaline calmed, Ghorua felt sore all over. He had various cuts and burns on his bare upper torso, although most bleeding had stopped by now. He held his arm dutifully, making sure not to bump against the wall with it. His limp returned, reminding him of his fall.

All in all, he was a little roughed up.

Ghorua broke the silence with a coughing fit, expelling dirt and grime from his blowhole. He wiped it with a stray bandage, as one might blow their nose. The depreciated air quality was taking it's toll on the Shark. He needed something to keep his mind off of the situation.

Why not get to know my new companion a little better?

"You got any family on the outside?" Ghorua grinned, rubbing a tender muscle. "You don't have to answer, I know how this galaxy is. It takes things, people, away from you." Ghorua pensively looked forward. "I've got a mom and dad, alive... somewhere. But they're missing at the moment. So I suppose they aren't really waiting for me out there."

Ghorua may have been rambling, but in all fairness, he was tired. He had been drained from this encounter, and it only felt natural to talk. Where he would usually reserve his inner thoughts, he let them flow from his tired mind.

"I do have a kid back home, though. Her name's Minna." A peaceful smile came across the Shark's face, thinking of the four-year-old. "I adopted her... maybe five months ago. An absolutely delightful little girl. She has so much life, so much happiness." Ghorua chuckled, staring into thin air. "That's my minnow. Full of life." He sighed blissfully, forgetting his surroundings for one blessed moment.

If he were to die unexectedly, he wanted his last thoughts to be of Minna.

- [member="Irajah Ven"] -

 

[Kuzo]

Irajah plodded on, one foot in front of the other. At this point, it was all she really had left. One more step, one more step, following in the wake of the crooked mouse droid. So it was a small blessing when [member="Ghorua the Shark"] broke the silence. She had forgotten, momentarily, that she *could* talk. She was just so tired.

She smiled up at him, weary but pleased by the story he shared.

"That's good," she said quietly.

Irajah had yet to meet [member="Boo Chiyo"]. Those events, of trying to build a normal life, even if it would only be for such a short time, were still in her future.

"Family is good. I'm glad you have that." Her tone was sincere, if a little wistful.

"And no. It's.... it's just me."

Her father's death was less than a year old, but enough time and water had passed to make it possible to speak of. In a fashion. Her memories of him, of her childhood, had not yet been tainted by what was to come. So when she spoke, though it was sad, there was a warmth to it.

"Growing up, it was just me and my parents. If either of them had extended family somewhere else, well, they never talked about it. But, we were happy. Mom was an artist. My father, well, think I mentioned he was a doctor. They were.... they were good people," she said with a small smile. "Good parents. They loved me, unconditionally.... and they loved each other. Doted. I was thirteen when she died, but I don't think he ever even looked at anyone else after that."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "I begged him get a girlfriend once. He just smiled and said that after loving the perfect woman, he didn't really see the point."

Glancing up at Shark again, she reached out, squeezing his arm.

"Minna's lucky to have you," she said quietly. "From someone who grew up with love, well, I can see it in you when you talk about her. You two will do great."

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

"Thanks. That means a lot."

Ghorua pondered on Irajah's words. She had been orphaned herself. From what age, he didn't know, but he could almost relate. At least she had some form of finality. Ghorua was trapped by the worst of tortures: hope.

"I'm sorry about your family. I've never... never lost anyone close. I don't quite know what it's like." Considering the Shark's profession, it might come to some's surprise that he had never had anyone close to him die. Sure, he had lost people that he once knew, but they had never been close. Even his grandparents were still alive, living in a retirement home on Giju.

Even as he was surrounded by death, it had never impacted him, and he was terrified for if it ever did.

"Y'know, I..."

In his musings, he almost forgot the mouse droid. It squeaked up at the pair, excited about something. Ghorua couldn't speak binary, but he could piece together what the little box with wheels was saying.

He huffed, paranoid about getting hopeful. "I think we're close to another way down."

- [member="Irajah Ven"] -

 

[Kuzo]

"It.... it leaves a hole," she said quietly. "And the hole never really fills up. The edges get smoother, less jagged, but it's like.... missing a tooth I guess. And you might forget for a little while that it's gone, but eventually, you're going to find the empty spot again. And then you can't stop poking at it."

It had been a long time since she'd spoken this candidly with another person. But then, he was easy to talk to. Funny, what a life and death situation could do.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"] was a thoroughly unexpected individual. The more she got to know him, the greater her respect, even if he did surprise her often. Or perhaps, it was because he surprised her constantly. Raja wasn't one to judge a book by it's cover, but even with that in mind, he impressed her time and time again.

Not with his strength (though that would be impressive enough), but with his kindness, warmth and depth of character.

She paused, looking down at the droid as well- and equally, trying to tamp down on too much excitement at the prospect. Looking up, she shined her light into the gloom ahead of them.

Stairs.

"Well that explains why it couldn't get down them itself, even if it could have gotten past the rubble," she remarked, blinking in surprise. She didn't realize buildings in Coruscant *did* stairs. At least, other than as decorative.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua was just as surprised as Irajah.

Despite all of the unexpected obstacles they had encountered and overcame, stairs seemed the strangest of them all.

The Shark stuck his head in the large doorway, glancing up and down the stairwell. The stairs curled both up and down seemingly endlessly, fading into darkness above and below. Ghorua glanced up and down the walls, looking for anything out of place. Nothing.

"I guess it makes sense," the hunter stated, rather mutely. "If the building ever lost power, they'd need a way down." Ghorua looked back to the droid and Ira, a spark of humor in his eye. "We've got... quite a few flights to go down."

The Herglic's limbs wailed in protest, each muscle having worked itself to the max. Ghorua tried not to let it show, forcing some pep into his step. "I suppose we should get going..."

Ghorua pressed his hand against the a wall suddenly, feeling the world tilt around him. At first, he thought the building was coming down. Then he realized only he was affected by his imagined tremors.

The Shark's fatigue and dehydration was getting to him.

"The... sooner, the better." The Herglic's tongue felt heavy, his mind, fuzzy.

If they stopped now, Ghorua feared he might not start again.

- [member="Irajah Ven"] -

 

[Kuzo]

"Hey..... take it easy....."

There was no masking the worry on Irajah's face as she touched his arm.

"It's almost over. We've got this," she tried to inject optimism into her tone, but it fell a little flat, even to her own ears.

It had been one thing after another. And she worried that this would be no different. Each time they'd come through, but rougher on the other side as catastrophe piled on catastrophe. She didn't know which of them would falter first. If it was her, he wouldn't leave her behind. But if it was him.... she couldn't carry him, couldn't help him. But if that happened.....

Irajah pushed the thought out of her head.

Stooping to pick up the mouse droid again (was it getting heavier, or was she just getting more tired?), she looked at the endless stairs and couldn't manage to suppress a sigh.

"We'll find a level with power and people," she said firmly. "The blast didn't destroy the whole building, so there *must* be rescue workers on their way up."

The two began their descent, slow and tired.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

The Shark and the Doctor moved slowly, each picking their way down the stairs. Ghorua took the stairs slowly, but because of his size, two steps at a time. After only a few seconds of this slow pace, the Shark stumbled, planting his hand on the wall quickly to keep from falling down. He looked to Irajah carefully, the sudden fear draining from his face. "It's alright, I'm good."

He was anything but good.

They went slow. Ghorua had to lean on the wall, until they finally arrived on the floor below. Ghorua pressed the button to open the electronic sliding door, but it had long since run out of power. The large Herglic growled, his voice slightly scratchy. "Oh, come on."

He pressed against the door weakly, testing it's strength. If he were in perfect health, he could easily push the door open, bowing to Irajah as he led her forward. Ghorua was far past that point. He suppressed the urge to scream at the sky, and breathed in, his tone forcibly controlled. "On to the next flight."

Or the next, or the next, or the next...

A bead of anger burned itself into his soul. He turned quickly, launching a punch into the portal. The metal bent around his fist, creating a crater in the tough surface. It also hurt his hand, but he didn't care. He launched another punch, but it pattered uselessly against the door as he felt a twinge in his bad shoulder.

Anger, frustration, and his own pain fueled his fists as he punched uselessly into the metal, producing a tinny banging sound. He desperately pushed his shoulder into the surface, with not a budge. Finally, he slid down the door, defeated.

"I... had to try..." Ghorua had lost his breath, and he panted on the floor, back pressed against the smooth surface.

- [member="Irajah Ven"] -

 

[Kuzo]

"Hey, hey. It's okay. We'll find another way."

She had watched him rail at the doors- she knew she couldn't stop him, get between him and the metal barrier, so she'd simply watched, understanding his anger, his helplessness.

After all, they were emotions she shared.

"Sit for a second, okay? Calm down, rest."

The worry on her face couldn't be masked. She frowned at him for a moment, watching. In some ways, he was worse off than she was. Larger, he'd expended so much more of himself. And he needed more reserves than she did. While she was thirsty and hungry, it was nothing like what she suspected he was experiencing in that moment.

Putting the little droid down carefully, she walked over to the doors, giving them a sour look. But it faded slowly. She tilted her head slightly.

I wonder.....

Reaching out, she placed her hand on the cold steel. The imprint of his fist was larger than her whole hand spread, but that wasn't what she was looking at- or for.

Her frown deepened. She'd been able to concentrate- to find the danger in their steps. Could she do something like that here? With whatever she'd done to drop the floor out from beneath him?

How long ago had that been? It felt like a lifetime, rather than simply hours.

"Um. Ghorua. I'm going to.... try something. I.... don't know if it'll work, but, don't.... freak out or anything, okay? I.... don't really know what's going to happen."

If there was ever a time she needed to find this within herself, it was now. She had been in danger the last time, at risk. She still was now, though the sensation of it around her was different. It was the danger of weakness, of slowly losing the strength to carry on, rather than the immediate rage of his charge.

Would it be enough.

She closed her eyes, both hands on the doors. A tremor shifted through the floor, but Irajah seemed oblivious to it. The tremor grew. Though she clutched at nothing, her knuckles were white. Pain swept across her face, the drip of blood from her nose, stark against pale skin.

A frustrated sound deep in her throat, she shoved back from the door half a heartbeat before the tremor stopped, but she didn't look away from it, her jaw set, determined.

Can't wasn't going to fly here.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua could barely feel his extremities. His entire body had gone numb, save for his throbbing shoulder, which still pushed waves of pain through his body. Blood mixed with sweat, as Ghorua seemed to have opened up some barely-healed scrapes and scratches. He felt like he could barely breathe, and that he was thirsty. Really thirsty.

The Shark sucked in a labored breath, looking to Irajah, who was once again almost eye-level with him. He noticed concern, and his natural reaction was to try a smile. Naturally, he couldn't muster the strength, and his attempt devolved into a creased, tired frown.

"Yeah, rest sounds good right about now." Ghorua shimmied to the side, pressing his back against the wall instead of the door. He watched Ira walk up to the dented portal, and speak. The Shark nodded encouragingly.

"I believe in you, Irajah."

Ghorua wished he could help. but was left to watch as the Doctor stepped up to the door, and placed her hands on the door. Ghorua couldn't see it, but he could feel a shift in the air. The floor shook with a hidden power, and Ghorua found himself holding his breath as he watched.

Zilch on the first go.

Suddenly, a thought, a memory, touched Ghorua's mind. Of his friend, and her own abilities in the Force. He visualized her, the way she pushed her energy into her work, the way she healed.

"Try... try something else." Ghorua found himself speaking up, authoritative despite the circumstances. "The door is strong, tough to push apart. All you have to do is activate the mechanism that opens the door, with power or without." Ghorua pondered again, feeling a wave of nausea.

"Picture the door in your mind. How the lock functions, the switches, the wires, the damage..." Ghorua found himself relaxing as he spoke, the strain in his voice slowly disappearing. "Picture how they connect, how the energy flows. Then... be that energy. Push your energy through."

Ghorua grew silent again, after having describe's Lady Kay's approach to Force Healing.

Even if it was all for nothing, it soothed his mind to talk.

- [member="Irajah Ven"] -

 

[Kuzo]

Irajah's frown deepened as she faced the doors and listened to [member="Ghorua the Shark"].

"I've never tried to do anything like this on purpose before," she muttered. "But I'll give that a go at least."

She reached up, wiping at the wetness on her face. Her fingers came back bloody. She stared at them for a moment- not the first time this had happened. Discretely, she wiped her fingertips on her already filthy tunic. Irajah hadn't turned back to face Ghorua yet, and she was just as happy that he couldn't see it.

After all, he might instead caution her to stop if he had.

Putting her hands up on the door again, she leaned slightly against it, closing her eyes. It was easier to imagine the mechanisms that way. She wasn't a mechanic, but she knew enough at least. Breathing in deeply, she focused, pulling up the keenness of imagination she'd abandoned as a child.

Something groaned quietly beneath her hands. A grinding of metal against metal reverberated through the room.

A slice of light fell through the widening crack between the doors, and she squinted in pain as she pulled her head back.

The door creaked slowly open- pausing about half way as the mechanisms failed. She leaned heavily against one side of the doorway, her head pounding.

"That's as far as I can get it," she said, her voice a little faint. "The electronics are shot."

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

"Always a first for everything." Ghorua relaxed deeper into the wall, feeling slight panic as air caught in his throat whenever he took a breath. He had never exerted himself this far before, nothing had ever come close, not even in his years of bounty hunting. It seemed after countless times tracking and battling criminals, Sith, and Jedi, he had finally reached his limit. He knew he couldn't go much farther, couldn't do much more. Then he smelled more blood.

The Herglic's blowhole opened wide, trying to detect the source. Ghorua came to the conclusion that Irajah had begun to bleed anew. Had her recent attempt done that to her? Ghorua wasn't sure, and he felt a sudden concern for the woman. Had she been pushed to her brink as well? Ghorua debated stopping her, telling her that they had done enough for now, and to rest like him. Then she began anew, and Ghorua squinted intently at the door, daring it to move.

A crack appeared, broadcasting a bright, luminescent shine, not unlike the artificial glow of the building before the explosion. The crack widened, until the door was halfway open. No way the Shark could squeeze through, but the small handhold was all he needed.

Now he needed to get up.

"Great," the Herglic said, making no effort to mask his awe. "Now let me do my thing..."

Ghorua began to lift upward, before losing strength and slamming against the wall. He grunted, the wind temporarily knocked out of him. He tried again, pushing up against the wall, before his body once again fell into the metal surface. The Shark grumbled helplessly, arching his shoulders. "Or... Maybe not." The Shark tried a nonchalant shrug, and grimaced as the action jarred his shoulder.

He had almost forgotten about that.

"What's in there?" Ghorua craned his head to peer inside. From his dim perceptions, he could see indeed working lights, some rubble and broken rooms, and... he smelled blood.

The place looked damaged, but not nearly as bad as the floor Ira and Ghorua had escaped.

- [member="Irajah Ven"] -

 

[Kuzo]

She leaned heavily against the door again once it was clear it wasn't going any further, pressing her cheek against the cool metal. Reaching up, she absently wiped the blood from her nose, not really noticing it as she peered through the opening.

"I could fit through, but you can't, and I'm pretty sure we've already been through this upstairs," she said, her voice beyond tired and into the realm of numb. Even if she had been willing to leave him behind, she didn't think she'd get very far before she collapsed. Her knees were weak, her head swimming. She was seriously concerned that if she stepped away from something to lean on, she'd fall.

Rather than that, she put her back to the door, sliding down it into a sitting position. Sitting on purpose was better than passing out because she was lightheaded.

"Hey. You."

Blip?

"Yeah. You."

The mouse droid tootled over slowly, another querying series of beeps sounding.

"Your turn kiddo. We got you this far. I need you to see if there's anyone on this level. If you can bring them here, well, we sacks of bones would kind of appreciate it. If not, well, maybe you can get out of here. But I admit, I'd rather if you brought help."

Bwaun wa.

"It would be really silly to stay here until your battery ran down. Consider it a favor to me. I can't carry you any more. I would if I could."

The mouse droid wheeled back and forth, clearly indecisive for a moment. Then it blipped again and went rolling (slightly crookedly) through the gap.

"Well," she said after a moment. "That's all she wrote. Now.... now we wait."

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

"Yay. Waiting."

Ghorua's entire body felt heavy as lead, including his chest. Each breath forced him to push up against his muscles, his only reward being the opportunity to breathe again. He looked over to Ven, and she didn't seem to be doing much better. Whatever advice he had given her, she hadn't quite been ready for it.

Ghorua strained his ears, listening as the beeping of the mouse droid slowly faded. Finally, closing his eyes, he leaned his head against the wall, letting his mind rest. The feeling of release that came with thinking about nothing was... relaxing.

Ghorua vaguely sensed the passage of time. One minute of silence passed. Another.

Footsteps.

At first, Ghorua figured Irajah was the source of the noise. Then he heard another pair. Ghorua opened his eyes, the onyx orbs revealing the mixed excitement and fear that quickly ran through his mind. He looked to Irajah, to see if she heard the footsteps as well. He put a finger over his mouth, and listened again.

Two sets, walking slowly. One voice. Feminine.

"... aren't even sure if that thing isn't busted! Maybe the sorry droid just has a faulty wire." The voice seemed tired, flat. The statement was followed by a rough growling, punctual in nature. The first voice only sighed. "For the last time, I can't understand you. Wait, hold on, man! What're you doing?"

Large furred hands emerged from the other side of the partially opened door, and forced them all the way open, creating an ear-murdering shriek of metal-on-metal. A beat passed, and the being growled again, poking a hairy face through the door, his dreadlocks waving with the movement. The Wookiee looked between the tired forms of Ghorua and Irajah, his eyes widening.

Another shape pushed past the Wookiee, a female, wearing a thick leather jacket, and carrying a very large blaster pistol on a lopsided belt. "Well? What is... oh." The woman, with short sandy hair, took in the scene as well. She glanced between their battered forms, letting her eyes stare suspiciously at the incredibly large muscles of Ghorua, who even dwarfed the seven foot tall Wookiee. Ghorua stared back, his eyes holding a similar amount of apprehension.

The woman let her finger trace over her blaster, letting Ghorua know she meant business. "Start talking. Who are you?" She looked to Irajah, her gaze softening.

Ghorua shifted, clearing his throats. His voice was forcibly controlled. "Please, we just need..."

The Shark flinched as the mysterious woman upholstered and pointed her blaster at him. "Was I talking to you? No? Then shut up." Even the Wookiee seemed taken aback by the sudden violence.

"Okay, okay..." Ghorua put his hands up, averting his gaze, trying to look as non-threatening as possible. The woman, content, looked back to the doctor.

"So, who are you? Who's... he?"

- [member="Irajah Ven"] -

 

[Kuzo]

Irajah dipped in and out of consciousness. It couldn't be called sleep- that would imply that it was restful. But it had all been too much, one thing after another, and her body couldn't take much more.

It wasn't until the sound of voices that she realized she wasn't dreaming (or hallucinating). Hazel eyes blinked slowly at [member="Ghorua the Shark"]. Everything seemed to move slowly. Simply moving her head was a chore as she turned to look toward the doors as they creaked open.

"He could answer you himself if you let him," Irajah murmured. If she'd had more energy, she would have been horrified by how weak her voice sounded.

"I'm Doctor Irajah Ven. This is Shark, my friend." She gave them the name he had initially given her, rather than 'Ghorua.' That had been given in trust, and was his to give, not hers.

Irajah struggled to sit up, but failed.

"We found our way down.... from the level the bomb was set off on...." How many levels down had they come? She couldn't remember now.

"There are still people up there. They need help."

She reached out, the mouse droid rolling up to her hand. "Good job kiddo. I knew you could do it."

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

The woman looked Ghorua and Irajah over, gauging the validity of their words. The Wookiee seemed uncomfortable, looking at the sandy-haired girl with imploring eyes. It was strange to see the small angry woman intimidate even the enormous being.

Then, after a long pause, the woman relaxed her rigid stance.

"I guess I can believe that."

She walked to Irajah with some haste, quickly helping up and supporting the exhausted doctor. The Wookiee plodded over to Ghorua, who gave the other goliath a shrug. Ghorua wasn't entirely convinced the hairy humanoid could support his frame, but they might as well try.

---​

​

Ghorua and Irajah had been pulled inside, with some difficulty for the former, set up on a few salvaged couches outside a broken furniture store, and given bottles of water. With the cool liquid came some clarity, as Ghorua's headache was banished. The mysterious woman pulled up a chair, swagger oozing from her smug expression.

"Thanks," Ghorua said, massaging his shoulder. "We needed this. I don't know how much longer we could hold out on our own. We've, ah, been through a lot." Ghorua cast a sidelong glance to Ira, a bit of jolliness in his tone. He had been reinvigorated, and it showed. He sat comfortably, bowing the cushions underneath him.

"Yeah. Explosion. Couldn't imagine it." With a cruel smile, he woman clasped her hands together roughly. "I'm Jaice. I don't know his name." She pointed over her shoulder, to the giant standing awkwardly behind her. "Can't understand a word he says. I've taken to calling him 'Walking Carpet'." The Wookiee growled, a quiet, yet slightly exasperated sound.

The Shark leaned back again, taking in the new company. Definitely less amiable, but Ghorua decided to bite his tongue. Getting into an unnecessary fight would only tire them all out, and make escape all the more difficult.

"We've looked for a way out, oh Force did we look. Fuzzball here wanted to try to fix the lift. I said no, the stairs would be easier. We try that, but the doors won't open. Then you two come along, open it like it's nothing. Make's a girl twitchy, ya know?" Jaice's fingers traced over the hilt of her blaster, a bit of anger in her hard eyes.

"So before I let an odd couple like you come along, I need to know that I can trust you. Especially Shark here. I don't like the looks of him. Something... fishy about him."

A single eyebrow raise was all the reward she would get for the quip.

- [member="Irajah Ven"] -

 

[Kuzo]

She had sunk onto the salvaged couch with nothing resembling decorum. The water didn't have quite the same effect on Irajah as it did on [member="Ghorua the Shark"], but it did help. She relaxed as much as was possible when everything hurt, eyes closed as she listened to the fairly one sided 'conversation'.

"Look," she said, her voice a little stronger after water and comfortable rest, "we're not looking to 'tag along' with you. But if there's one thing I've learned today it's that people are better when they have help."

She opened her eyes, glancing sideways at Ghorua.

"Neither of us could have made it this far without the other. I don't know about you two, but I figure we'll stand a better chance working together than separately."

Irajah sat up slowly, pushing against the back of the seat and resettling. She didn't particularly trust this Jaice. Didn't even like her very much, truth be told, and Irajah was the sort to like most people. In truth, if the other duo decided to go off on their own, her initial instinct was that would be just fiiiiiine. But she offered anyway, because no one deserved to be stuck here if they could do something about it.

"And believe me, opening that door wasn't easy," she muttered, more to herself then anyone else.

"The lift is right out- we saw through a open shaft a floor up and there's no getting out that way unless we climb down," she paused, glancing over at the Wookiee. "You could probably handle it, but I don't know about the rest of us. But the stairs are relatively clear-" she stopped suddenly, realizing part of what was bothering her.

The last level they'd been on was a service level. It made sense that it had been empty. But these were shops.....

"Where is everyone who was here when the bombs went off?"

At the very least the employees of these stores should be here. But the entire level was eerily silent.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

The two new faces seemed relatively calm as Irajah spoke, the Wookiee seeming intent on listening to the entire testimony, while Jaice seemed less than interested, instead occupying herself with cleaning her weapon. The blaster already looked perfect, so perhaps it was a nervous habit of hers.

Then realization dawned on Irajah, and the temperature in the room dropped.

Ghorua felt a sudden, undeniable sinking in his stomach. Something had been off. He had smelled blood on the way in. Lots of blood.

He could scent the sudden spike of adrenaline in Jaice, suggesting along with an unquenchable fire in her eyes that Irajah had angered her with the question. Ghorua narrowed his eyes, the hand at his side suddenly developing a twitch. reading the woman's features. The Wookiee seemed to try to make itself smaller, emitting a low growl.

Finally, Jaice pulled her chair closer to Irajah, until she was a few inches away, snarling. Ghorua tensed, and felt the large hairy form of the Wookiee shift next to him. The woman spoke, her words venom. "There were more of us. Then the world fell apart, and there were less. I saved Fleasack there." The Wookiee cautiously nodded. "Those of us that were left piled the bodies over there," she said, pointing into a restaurant.

"Then the others got antsy. We had a little... dispute over leadership. Now it's just us." Jaice bared her teeth gripping her blaster angrily. "We did what we had to do. So don't think I won't end both of your pathetic existences if you so much as sneeze on me."

The woman ran claws through her sandy hair, relenting from her verbal attack on the doctor. She turned to her muscle, rolling her shoulders. "Watch 'em. If they do anything... Rip 'em apart." The Wookiee barely reacted, too stunned by the entire situation, as Jaice walked off, steps hot.

Ghorua scooted over to his friend as Jaice took her leave, speaking under his breath.

"I don't like this. I don't like it one bit."

- [member="Irajah Ven"] -

 

[Kuzo]

Though both pairs had been given the same beginning situation, the way their paths had diverged was so radically different that for a moment, Irajah could barely breath. She stayed very still, and very quiet, while the explanation and threats were delivered.

Now she was even more glad that she hadn't told them that *she* was the one who had gotten the doors open. That was information that she simply didn't trust them with. The wookiee? Maybe. But her? Absolutely not. She suspected that she'd end up with that blaster in her face in a hot second if she'd said anything about it.

Hazel eyes cast over to [member="Ghorua the Shark"], and she scooted a touch over herself so they were in physical contact. A small nod indicated that she heard him and agreed.

"We have no interest in challenging Jaice's..... leadership," she murmured with a grimace, looking over at the wookiee. "That's not why we're here. We just want to get out of this in one piece, that's all. We left a lot of people a few floors up, and I'd really like to make sure someone knows they are there so they can get rescued. That's all."

The wookiee nodded, then offered a helpless sort of shrug and a whining rumble.

Despite wanting to put him at ease, Irajah already knew that traveling with someone who saw 'leadership' as something worth killing over was not what she and Ghorua needed.

"Maybe it's time to continue on our way," she said quietly. "You can stay here if you want to of course. I understand not abandoning the person who saved your life," she threw a small, grateful smile in Ghorua's direction before looking back at the wookiee. "But you could also come with us. If you wanted."

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

The Wookiee stared at Irajah as she spoke, the glimmer in his eye giving all the confirmation she needed to know he agreed with her. Yet, he shook his head no. He growled, and while Ghorua couldn't understand his language, he understood better than most.

"He's got a life debt to her," he said glumly. "He has to protect her. I'd know. I had one, once." That story was best saved for another day, but the softening of his features was noticeable.

The furred being nodded, looking back to the woman, who was now smoking a deathstick. The Shark stood, strength returning to him. The Wookiee stepped back, uncomfortable at the being three feet taller than him. Ghorua looked over him, noting that Jaice had stepped into a store, purposefully not being anywhere near the newcomers.

Good, I'd rather she didn't know we'd left yet.

The Shark held out his hand to Irajah, who had arguably been in worse shape than him when they were brought into the floor, offering to help her up. "C'mon, we got a group of people to save. Chit, we've got us to save." The genetically-modified Herglic gave a respectful bow to the Wookiee. "I hope you get out, sir. We'll send a rescue party to this floor, or you two can follow after us."

Ghorua turned a shoulder, walking with soft feet towards the stairs. He felt much better than before, but the various injuries he had sustained were still nagging at him, and he was sure the same was happening to his smaller companion. They made it to the door, and the Shark muttered under his breath. "I'm glad we didn't end up like... them."

- [member="Irajah Ven"] -

 

[Kuzo]

Irajah shot [member="Ghorua the Shark"] a curious look, but left the question unasked. Now was neither the time nor the place- and for all she knew, the topic of a 'life debt' was a private one. What they had shared so far in no way obligated him to explain that to her as well if he didn't want to.

After letting him help her up, she paused, giving one more look back at the Wookiee before following her friend. She hated leaving them, but she wasn't going to get into a fight with this woman. They would follow, or they wouldn't. The door was open for them now. It was all they could truly offer.

"Me too," she said quietly as she stepped through the door behind him. "Me too."

While the rest and the water had been a small help, it wasn't enough. But sitting and waiting wasn't really her style.

It wasn't until they were fully out of earshot, more than a flight down, that Irajah spoke again at length.

"Maybe it was just that neither of us cared who the leader was- but I just- Ghorua, I don't think we could have ended up like that." Her voice was tired, but adamant. "It's easier to work someone than to kill them. I don't know. I guess I don't understand how a situation could go so far south as that one."