Private Things We Lost In The Fire

[Teyla Sal-Soren]

N A B O O
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Location: Lake Country
Takes Place During: X
Hair: XOXO
Wearing: XOXO

Being pinned and tucked into a suffocating evening gown chosen by her sister, who wanted to see Teyla properly outfitted, was an uncomfortable bed fellow for the once CSF officer, once Handmaiden. Made of fine Dramassian shimmersilk, the sunset dress had been a custom design tailored to fit her particular physique, hugging her hips and thighs with a slit that reached high on her thigh and fluted out at the bottom.

Besides the small spillage of wine after her literal run in with Luca Ioneşti, Teyla, with pearlescent cosmetic powder dabbed across her skin, was pristine; the model of a Naboo aristocrat.

… But it was all a carefully painted facade.

Teyla was barely able to pull herself together on even her best days, as of late. Under all the layers of silk, makeup, and fake pleasantries, was a sunken face and dull eyes, drained of hope.

There was still no word on Damon, and Rafiki could not remember anything beyond crashing the Revenge. Was he dead, captured? Or had he simply left her? Teyla only knew that wherever he was, he was beyond anything that she could sense. There was nothing from him that she could feel.

Eline encouraged her to grieve and accept that he was gone. Each day that came and went without any word, made it a little easier to come to terms with that idea. The numbness had started to set in after a year, but there were still days where the pain came out of nowhere, leaving her doubled over.

Soon, however, all of it would be behind her. At least, she'd be distracted enough where it would be more difficult to let her mind sit and dwell on the negatives in her life. Honestly, most of the time it felt like she was running a relay from one tragedy to the next. She sighed, peeled off from the wall, and tossed back the rest of her wine.

There was at least some solace in knowing that her children would be safe with Sera and Eline, far enough away from the dangers that she typically found herself in. Oh, her heart ached at the thought of leaving them, but joining the Knights Obsidian and honing her force abilities was the only way that she would ever get the answers she needed; it was the only way she could ever hope of going up against the likes of Ferian Adair, and his grandson Kerstan Blackmoore.

Revenge was not something she’d thought herself of ever being truly capable of, but the feeling was one that gnawed at her soul unceasingly, endlessly, festering like a septic wound. Perhaps it was the K'paur blood that coursed through her veins which made her want to put them both down like the animals they were, or perhaps she was tired of her life being one big cosmic joke and she wanted the control back.

Leaving the crowded ballroom, Teyla meandered to the balcony with her thoughts, away from all the noise.

Outside, the sky was a perfect midnight velvet, with stars so bright that it was impossible to keep your gaze from going heaven bound. Teyla breathed in the crisp summer air deeply, committing to memory the scents, and feelings of her last few days on Naboo.

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​

Location: Gallo Mountains, Dee'ja Estate


Teyla left the party before it was well and truly over. Eline had tried to leave with her, but Teyla impressed on her sister to stay and continue enjoying the coronation festivities. The conflict writ across her face only lasted a moment, and Teyla couldn't be more thankful to have someone as loyal as Eline looking out for her during these trying times, but she more than deserved being able to enjoy the rest of her evening without worrying over her little sister.

Teyla gently reassured the Hapan beauty that she'd be fine on her own, and watched as her sister reluctantly joined the crowd.

By all accounts, she should have gone straight back home.

Instead, the brunette found herself standing outside his estate. The last time she'd been here, she'd been delivering an illegal package to him under the nose of the Confederacy at the risk of Damon and her losing their contracts with the government that employed them.

There was no way she could have known at the time, that Baros would be on Naboo of all places, or that it would be him who was interested in such a peculiar artifact.

Emotions long buried had stirred up to the surface when Baros appeared, although their interaction was short.

Silence persisted, moments passed, and a slightly buzzed Teyla rubbed a hand over her face as she deliberated what to do. The speeder taxi had already left, but it was well on the precipice of moving into the late evening, and knew what it would look like for her to show up on his doorstep unannounced.

She sighed. Kark it.

Walking toward the gate, Teyla pressed the button that would sound the alert of a visitor waiting outside. Hopefully, someone was awake.

Baros Sal-Soren

 

[Baros Sal-Soren]

Place: Sal-Soren Estate
Time: Late

Within the walls of the large facility, no one would look at the structure and say, "house," he had stood silently watching her. Aching. Her silhouette, so familiar, had never seemed so close nor so distant. Poor timing. Her face shrouded in shadow, was only occasionally glimpsed as she turned to away to leave. Memories. He had been watching for some time as she lingered thoughtfully, should she, shouldn't she. Bemused. The perimeter alarm was triggered. Unsurprised.

~~~​

Moments passed after the bell rang. No lights turned on to indicate someone had awoken. No movement could be seen, though it seemed the windows had a tint to them preventing view to the internal, it was likely that the view from the opposite direction was unhindered. The large block like structure loomed 4 maybe 5 stories above, with the long tinted windows running the full height of the building above the main double doors, but then the rest of the windows seemed to randomly start a floor or two up, go up the full height or only a floor or two. The seemingly random nature of the windows gave an uneasy lack of understanding as to the organization of the internal rooms.

It was all so grey. So looming. At night it had the impression of a fortress.

The door swung open and from the shadow stepped a wizened old man with snow white hair wrapping the sides of his head, which only accentuated the long since receded hairline. His long white sideburns seemed to stubbornly refuse to join into a full beard as the stopped maybe a finger width from his clean shaven chin, and mustachioed upper lip. It was a unique facial hair set up for sure, but somehow the, relatively, short and thin man pulled it off. He bowed deeply, his eyes not leaving Teyla's gaze. "The master was not expecting a caller so late," he said with a bow, "he rarely has callers these days...but you...he assures me...are always welcome, Mrs Riggs. Please, walk with me."

The long, 3-4 meter wide, hallway stretched the full length of the building, with the occasional window giving a view of the large waterfall across the moonlit lake. On the wall opposite the windows was the occasional industrial styled door, and pieces of art that seemingly depicted ancient battles of force wielders with their proto-sabers - each image seemed to depict the battle from specific points of view, most favoured the Sith recounting of the battles.

Approximately half way down the long corridor, there was an open door some three times wider than all the previous doors. Beyond the door, an open atrium about twenty meters wide, and reaching to a large stained glass skylight above. The room was vastly different to the exterior and harshly industrial corridor that the old man had just walked down. The atrium was encircled at each floor by a verandah, with safety rails, and from the main floor up each floor saw force related art hanging, and podiums stood displaying artifacts. On the far side of the room, there was a small repulsorlift, with safety railing, to take those visiting between each floor. There on the second floor, under a soft hanging light, sat Baros with the back of his chair turned mostly towards Teyla, he seemed to have a book in his hand.

"Can I say Mrs Riggs," said the old man, breaking the silence, "you might be exactly what he needs right now." With a subtle gesture he indicated towards the repulsorlift that was some twenty meters away, and then he bowed his head and departed with haste that his demeanour did not replicate.

Teyla Sal-Soren

 

[Teyla Sal-Soren]

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Just as she was readying to turn around and leave, that was when what seemed to be the butler appeared in the door frame. His gentle voice easily drew back her attention, calling Teyla by her married name, a name she no longer used. After a year of someone missing, the chances of finding them dropped to abysmal levels. She’d worked in law enforcement before, she knew that the odds of him being found alive was close to zilch, but it still hurt every time someone unintentionally reminded her of that. Teyla decided to stay silent on the matter, not correcting him on the mistake. How could he have known?

When he went on to explain about Baros not expecting any callers, but assured her that she was always welcome, Teyla couldn’t help the small smile that curved on her lips, partly born from relief. His words helped assuage her anxieties and the reservations she held about showing up like she had.

Following his advice, she trailed behind through the industrial Estate that Baros had built for himself. The interior and its contents were a curiosity, and took Teyla aback. From the outside, the fortress-esque home was a lot to take in, but from the inside… that was another story altogether. In quite a literal sense. Stories and legends of the Jedi and Sith lined the walls, and a few times Teyla fell behind her tour guide, getting momentarily caught up in the displays that Baros had managed to collect. It bordered on obsession.

When did he become so interested in the Force, and why? She’d warned Greta, admonished her, to keep him away from anything that had to do with the Force, from sinking too far. Clearly, she either hadn’t listened, or all of this was already well underway. Having only been slightly inebriated, she was quickly sobering up, wanting to get to the bottom of all of this.

Reaching the last room, they paused. It was the only room that’s door wasn’t closed, and it seemed to have no end. It could make a girl dizzy just looking at it.

Teyla tried to organize all of her thoughts and feelings, thrown by everything she’d seen. Fom where they stood, Baros was barely visible and turned from them, engrossed in whatever book he clutched in his hands, either unaware of their presence or ignoring that they were there.

"Can I say Mrs Riggs," Teyla turned her gaze briefly toward her guide as he began to speak. "you might be exactly what he needs right now."

Teyla nodded slowly, thoughtfully. It was hard to decipher what exactly he meant by that, but based off his tone and what she could discern of his emotions, she knew he cared about Baros’ well being and assumed the best.

“I’ll see what I can do,” she said, trying gently to reassure the man, despite the modicum of guilt that settled in the pit of her stomach. She was planning to leave the next morning, not knowing when, or if, she would even come back. How much could she really be of help?

The repulsor-lift was albeit a short ride to the second floor, although it seemed to last much longer.

“Baros,”

She started, stepping towards him. How long was he going to stay turned away from her? Teyla bit down on her lip out of nervous habit. “I saw your vast collection on the way in… it’s… something else.”

Baros Sal-Soren

 

[Baros Sal-Soren]

“Baros, I saw your vast collection on the way in… it’s… something else.”

The words hung in there for a long while. No response came. He could not see her, but her voice filled him with both relief and dread. Was she safe? Was she well? He couldn't speak, even though he tried with all his might to do so. The paralytic neurotoxin ripping through his veins was slowly killing him, and he feared that she too might have become subject to whatever agent had been introduced to his body.

Baros' face was taut, stuck in the moment of realization that he had been poisoned. His eyes wide open, drying, aching for a single blink to relieve the redness that had taken his eyes beyond bloodshot. Blood had been dripping from his nostrils for some time, his clothes had become sodden with the life giving fluid that slowly escaped his being. He could not move his hands to even drop the book. Nothing. He wanted to scream. To cry out, telling Teyla to run, that he loved her, that he always had but had been to young, or to driven to success, or too obsessed with the trappings of wealth.

He pushed those thoughts away from his mind. Her safety was all that mattered, not any relief or pain that he might experience from telling a married woman of his dawning realizations.

Teyla Sal-Soren

 

[Teyla Sal-Soren]

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​

The silence between them hung in the air, feeling much like that moment before a falling glass shattered.

Why would he have invited her in, if he didn’t intend to say anything to her? Did he hate her for leaving? Or was it all a game?

No… Teyla knew better than that.

Underneath it all, she’d always believed Baros was a good man, and one of the reasons why she’d stuck by his side so fervently, all those years ago.

“I’m not leaving until you talk to me.” More silence persisted.

“Baros!”

She pressed the issue, forcing his chair around.

At that moment, her heart jumped into her throat and Teyla gasped. There was nothing that could have prepared her for the sight that greeted her, Baros, covered in his own blood. “Oh my Gods…”

“I…” The words that she tried to say became stuck in her throat.

Reaching for her com device, she dialed the necessary codes to alert the local authorities of the emergency before dropping down on her knees in front of him, resting trembling hands on his arms.

Determination filled her, and her lips pressed into a firm line. “I’m not going to let you die, I promise.”

Could she keep that promise? Teyla didn’t know. She wasn’t some powerful Jedi with an extensive repertoire of knowledge to draw on, but she knew she had to try at all costs to save his life, as the heavy fear of what would happen if she failed, laid on her heart.

The situation called back to a time before, when the TBK had been active, and she saved Baros life at the peril of nearly losing her own. There was no way though… this had to be some result of his propensity for whatever it was he had gotten himself involved with...

Teyla took a deep breath and tried to collect herself, closing her eyes and concentrating, a series of breaths helping her to relax.

The ability she intended to use was one she’d never tried before, and was only familiar with it because Luca Ioneşti used it regularly to rid himself of the poisons induced by his proclivities. From what she understood, it was a typical skill set in most Jedi’s tool boxes, and easier to use if the relationship between the individuals was strong.

It was a gamble at best, but if she could successfully detox what she was assuming to be poison from his veins based on his inability to move and the blood that poured from his orifices, then there could be a chance that he would make it. If that didn't work... she could try to heal him. She'd keep trying, and trying, until she saved him.

There was no way her heart could take the death of yet another person she cared for.

Her shoulders slumped slightly, feeling her body grow weaker as she concentrated with great intensity on the molecules in his body, searching with great care and attention for the foreign entities in a sea of similarities, burning away the toxins.

Baros Sal-Soren

 

[Baros Sal-Soren]

In spite of the fire that felt like it was rippling just beneath his skin, the touch of his former security chief was a balm, nay, an elixir of hope. His body was still taut and unmoving, but his heart relaxed ever so slightly. This lasted only as long as his selfish desire for life whipped through his mind...now it was gone and his heart raced for fear of the unseen assailant. What were there plans for Teyla? Were they still here?

"...I promise.”

So long as she was safe, he was safe. But if she was not, his safety was of little concern. He wanted so desperately to wipe the blood away, to make himself look presentable, dignified and yes, desirable. She was grace personified, but what was she doing? What are you doing?

He had read much about the force, and he wondered if Teyla had as well. The concept was so far from his material grasp, yet he had a keen sense of its working in theory. He had determined years earlier that he was not in the slightest force sensitive himself, to which he had breathed a sigh of relief at the time. Now, he wondered if his friend here had not been so fortunate in the cruel lottery of genetics.

For now he just stared forward, checking his periphery for any movement that would pose a threat. He thought he saw something at one point, movement reflected in the shining armour chestplate that was on display not more than a few meters away. Palpitations intensified, and relief washed over him as he saw the patches on the shoulders of Naboo First Responders. How long had it been? How long had she stayed with him? What had she done to him? Just give him hope?

He felt something inject into his neck...and then...black...

Teyla Sal-Soren

 

[Teyla Sal-Soren]

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Once Naboo first responders arrived, everything became a flurry of activity to save Baros, including Teyla insisting to medical personnel that she be allowed to accompany Baros to the hospital. Maybe not the best course of action, but she had no intention of letting them cart him away. Teyla remembered all too well what happened the last time. No, she wanted to make sure he was safe, that he was taken care of.

They finally relented to her demands, upon realizing that there was no way to dissuade her.

Getting any kind of sleep that night was going to be impossible. Not with knowing the state Baros was in. His vitals were all over the place, he was unstable, they quickly transferred him over to triage.

Hours passed, how many, she couldn’t recall exactly. Only that by this point, she was fighting against her own exhaustion. Somehow, Teyla stayed awake through all of it, never leaving his bedside.

Questions gnawed away at her mind. Who was behind all of this? Why would they go after Baros? Was it an assassin? She cupped her face in her hands, rubbing her temples where a headache had began to form.

She reached for her comm, sending out a few messages to her family and Luca. Relaying why she wouldn’t make it in time for her afternoon departure.

Tucking the comm away, she reached out for Baros’ hand and held it. If she fell asleep, she wanted to make sure that no one tried to take him without her knowing. Teyla wanted him to know, if he woke up, that she hadn’t gone anywhere.

Her head lolled a bit, her eyes fluttered, until the allure of sleep finally got the best of her.

As the both of them slept, a neatly folded letter was delivered by an unknown sender to Baros’ bedside.

Baros Sal-Soren

 

[Baros Sal-Soren]

Baros could hear before any other senses came back to him. The subtle hum of machinery reminiscent of medical equipment was the first thing that he noticed. Then the sound of his own breathing, then the sound of even more of his breathing...no...not his. Perhaps he was still asleep. For a moment, Baros engaged with his semi-conscious state and tried to force himself back into a deep sleep. The mental effort was the wrong medicine for his perceived problem as it only awakened more senses.

Touch was next. He was lying down. It felt just a little off from comfortable, as whoever had positioned him on the bed had not had his opinion at the time as to how comfortable it actually was. Someone's hand in his, this made his mind light up in frantic worry, but there was no movement from his body. His lips parted, some movement, and he tried to speak: "Gaaa blaaaag aaooo." He was sure that made perfect sense to anyone that heard him, though it was barely a whispered garble.

His lips were dry, his throat scratchy, had there been something down his throat? Wait, there was something down his throat? What was it? Was someone trying to kill him? The panic subsided as the rational side of brain reminded him...medical equipment...lying down...you are in a hospital, Baros.

There was a tube in his mouth, down his throat, he could hear now that one of the machines was sucking fluid. Was it coming from his stomach? What happened to him? Poison. I was poisoned!

He needed to communicate somehow. His hand. Someone held his hand. Squeeze, damn you. Squeeze your hand, damn you. Come on Baros. Squeeze.

After what felt like eternity, his thumb twitched - twice. It felt like he had just climbed a mountain. Exhausted. Baros drifted off back to sleep.

Spoiler: Letter

Back you should have turned.

Instead you tripped the sensor.

Though, it was admittedly a pleasure to observe you once again.

Till we meet again.

TBK

Teyla Sal-Soren

 

[Teyla Sal-Soren]

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The weak squeeze wasn’t much, but it was enough to pull Teyla out of the partial sleep that she was in.

“Baros?”

There was no answer.

Her hand gently squeezed his, and let go.

“Oh, dear… you’re still here?” the nurse asked, pulling back the curtain and smiling kindly. “You should go home, get changed… sleep. We’ll let you know if he wakes up.”

“I’m fine,” Teyla insisted, despite her hair being a mess, the slight dull headache at the front of her head, and being still dressed in last night's gala wear.

“Suit yourself… we’re expecting him to fully wake up in another hour or so. He’s going to make a full recovery, you know. It was good thinking what you did, before the paramedics arrived. We might have lost him otherwise.”

A weight relieved itself from her chest at hearing the news, a small smile forming on her lips, knowing that the ordeal was over for now.

“Do you know who brought this in?” her brows furrowed together, reaching for finely etched card on Baros bedside.

“Hm? No... I don’t recall seeing anyone.”

The letter was flipped open...

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​

When it seemed like Baros was stirring, Teyla attentively sat up and pulled his hand to hers again, waiting for his eyes to open. “Hey,” she whispered, smiling. “Scared me there for a minute..."

Baros Sal-Soren

 

[Baros Sal-Soren]

Coming out of the blur of sleep, Baros was meet with the radiance of Teyla's visage. He saw beyond what was clearly yesterday's hairdo, and saw the fact that she was there. His brain fired up with the sensation of fluid streaming from his face again, was his nose still bleeding? His hand went to his nose, but found no evidence when he pulled away. What? He was crying.

"Drugs...they must have me on drugs."

He squeezed her hand and smiled sheepishly. If she had not arrived he would most certainly be dead now. Blinking the sting of salty tears from his reddened eyelids, he allowed himself a deep breath.

"How...how are you? Thank you...did they catch anyone? Thank you so much...do you want a job again?" He blurted out, part laughing, part serious, but all up his face far softer than it had been in years.

Teyla Sal-Soren

 

[Teyla Sal-Soren]

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​

The tightness in her chest increased slightly with the rise and fall of emotions stirring through the room. "Yeah, must be just the drugs." She laughed softly at his attempt for humor, feeling her own eyes misting and blurring her vision. Quickly, she brushed them away, before there was any time for him to notice. She'd been filled with so much fear at the thought she might lose Baros, just like she'd lost Damon, that she labored to keep her emotions in check.

The idea of losing him, due to her own short comings? That was a grief she couldn't bear. Not again. Not now, just as she was starting to finally pull herself together.

That she cared for Baros was no great secret.

She'd revealed that raw part of herself a couple of years ago, thinking foolishly that it would bring some resolution and relief to the unresolved feelings she still harbored. Not only had that back fired, but it ignited the passion she'd kept buried there since their previous time together. Memories had slowly begun to resurface, and it forced her into a decision where she left one love, for the sake of salvaging another. To choose otherwise would have been selfish, and unfair. She'd loved Damon, just as boundlessly, and had tried with every fiber of her being to hold onto him while she could. Waited, for as long as she could, before it started to break her. If hadn't been for her children, for her family, it might have been irrevocable.

"How...how are you? Thank you...did they catch anyone? Thank you so much...do you want a job again?"

There were a lot of questions there, and she didn't know which to answer first.

"I've been..." she hesitated, trying to find the right words to say. Barely hanging on by a thread? He was already in a sick bed, she didn't want him worrying over her well being when it was imperative that he regain his strength. "I've been alright. The kids and I moved back here a little while ago, so they could learn about the place their mother came from, and spend time with my family. It's been really good for us to come back, we needed it."

Onto the next inquiry.

Did they catch anyone?

The letter she had folded in her pocket felt like lead. Did she tell him? It didn't feel like a secret she should keep from him, but was now the right time to reveal the information she knew? The TBK was back.

"No one's been caught yet," she explained, "The detectives are still trying to put all of the pieces in place. If you really are serious about offering a job though..."

Teyla knew that her sister would not approve of her setting the Knights Obsidian aside, but there was a small chance that perhaps she could convince Luca to remain on Naboo to conduct her training here for the time being, in order to keep an eye on things.

"Did you see anyone? Or do you remember what happened?"

Baros Sal-Soren

 

[Baros Sal-Soren]

"I've been..."

She is about to lie. He could tell.

"I've been alright. The kids and I moved back here a little while ago, so they could learn about the place their mother came from, and spend time with my family. It's been really good for us to come back, we needed it."

Baros tried not to wince at the phrase 'the kids and I', but when the wince came anyway he rubbed his stomach as if in pain. It seemed like a punch in the gut anyways, so the pain was somewhat real. Kids. Ick.

"No one's been caught yet. The detectives are still trying to put all of the pieces in place. If you really are serious about offering a job though..."

Visibly distressed, the crows feet only deepened on his face as his frown took hold. They hadn't caught anyone. He was no longer safe in his home. He was no longer safe on Naboo. Teyla wasn't safe. They had to leave. Would she listen?

"Did you see anyone? Or do you remember what happened?"

Quietly he lay there, and only processed her questions several seconds after they were asked. "No. No...I saw nothing," he said in pained whispers, "I was having a nightcap in the chair where you found me. I don't even recall leaving my drink alone...Greta had left for the Core on business earlier that day. It was just me. No perimeter alarms were triggered...until the time that I presume you set it off."

Teyla Sal-Soren

 

[Teyla Sal-Soren]

The wince was noticeable. Baros tried playing it off... Teyla pretended not to notice...

The room grew a little more quiet.

Teyla wasn't going to judge him for feeling uncomfortable; it wasn't exactly the easiest subject to broach, especially given the circumstances, but she wasn't going to carefully maneuver around the matter, either, even if the result left her stomach feeling like it was in knots. She had children. That was a fact of life for her, and there was no changing that, the one constant bright spot in her world.

Softly clearing her throat, Teyla regained her momentary lapse of composure and moved forward, carefully measuring Baros' reactions throughout the conversation.

"I was having a nightcap in the chair where you found me. I don't even recall leaving my drink alone...Greta had left for the Core on business earlier that day. It was just me. No perimeter alarms were triggered...until the time that I presume you set it off."

A wrinkle of concern formed across the smooth skin of Teyla's brow as Baros told her what he could remember before she showed up, the cogs in her mind starting to turn.

"No...Baros, you weren't alone. There was an elderly man there, he let me in, lead me to you." Teyla felt the rhythm of her heart slowly increase, quickly realizing the trap she'd let herself walk right into. "He knew my name." Her mouth went suddenly dry. Did he know where her children were? Was their safety at risk?

Quickly digging out the note from her back pocket, Teyla unfolded it and handed it over to Baros.

"I didn't want to worry you... because I wasn't sure of its validity. For all I knew, it could have been some kind of sick prank, But," Teyla dreaded her next words. Saying it out loud felt like she was breathing life back into it, confirming its existence. Her worst failure made manifest. Was there not one aspect of her past that she couldn't escape? "He's back, Bar. I'm sure of it."

BZZZZTTTT
BZZZZZTTTTTTT
BZZZZZZTTTTTTTTTTT

Almost as if on que, her commlink started frantically going off.

Teyla went for the device, the look on her face turning from mild concern, to absolute horror as she scrolled through the messages.

"I...I need to go home, now."

There wasn't time for her to explain the urgency of why she needed to leave, but the lack of answers was in itself telling. In putting her efforts into trying to save Baros' life, and making sure he was alright, she'd left the most vulnerable part of herself exposed. The only thing she could do, was hope she made it back before it was too late.

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Through the hospital room window, one could pinpoint the faint glow of a fire and the grey plumes of smoke rising in the distance where the Ee'everwest Estate once rested.


Baros Sal-Soren

 

[Baros Sal-Soren]

His energy had not fully returned but he felt that with every word she spoke he could have jumped out of his bed, but his mind rang like a bell when she said, "He's back, Bar."​

The Thistlebark Killer.

What?

He looked away, making sense of what he knew to be true. He trusted her instincts but also...he had known even as he bled out in his own home. TBK had returned to torment his playthings. No one Teyla cared for was safe. No one Baros cared for was safe.

Greta Keo.

Atara Themis .

"I...I need to go home, now."

"Yes...yes...but be careful. Don't eat anything...don't touch your face...don't shake anyone's hands...watch your back...Teyla. Promise me. Take care of you, too." He knew the look in her eyes. She worried for someone dear to her, and nothing would stop her from protecting those few. He tried to stand, but there was no strength.

"I'm sorry..."

She was already gone.

"...damn it."

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Within the charred remains of the Ee'everwest residence, lay a number of bodies but one in particular was out of place. It was not staff, nor registered visitor. Within 24 hours the coroner had a digital reconstruction of the burnt and contorted upper body - where the lower portion was remained a mystery.

"I have never seen that man in my life," said Baros sullenly.

The visage that was present to Baros was that of a old wizened man, with grey hair in a horseshoe shape around a bald scalp. The expressionless image was disarming. He looked like someone's grandfather, someone's dottery old grandfather, but no relation to the Ee'everwest family.

"Who is he?" He asked, hopefully.

"We have no idea."

To be continued...​

Teyla Sal-Soren