Private When The Past Meets Present

[Zinder Tokarache]

Location: Coruscant, Military Complex
Equipment: Sweat Pants, Tank Top
Tags: Briana Sal-Soren

Strands of dark hair covered face as he ran down the access road toward the base.

The training hall not quite what he had wanted for thinking after sending the holomail through the Alliance network to Aiden Rennek . A startling surprise to find out anyone had made it from the ambush he'd been told about. He hadn't exactly given him the rundown of how he made it himself, but enough details to hopefully dissuade the thought of it being an imposter.

Or a journalist trying to get a private meeting.

Something he had thought of from the old holo-vids he had watched sure. But it was still a worry of his own. The music player over his ears cutting out the sound of traffic overhead but not the feeling of the repulsor systems pushing air, or the slight crispy swish of other engines that passed by.

The sour downturn of his mouth keeping most from doing more than giving him a slight wave as he steadied his breathing. Kept his pace rhythmic, and offset his breathing as he focused on his pace than distance.

The holopad in his back pocket having already tried to escape a few times, wondering how hard it would be to find someone to sew a button on the stupid thing as a chime sounded in his ear.

He slowed, taking deep breath and holding them before pulling the device free and clicking the screen on. A message informing him of a visitor awaiting him. A scoff escaping as he looked down the road and squinted a little.

"Returning to base... in nine... standards." Never learning to stop speaking as he typed and sent the message along. Pocketing it once more before hopping once, then twice before grinning.

"Come on. Seven standards." Hyping himself up as he set off in a dead sprint rather than keeping his easy pace. He'd already passed through some spots in the city, sightseeing as much as he could before his leave time ran out.

The guards shaking their heads at seeing Zin sprinting as they held him up at the five standards mark. A check of clearance and a call inside getting him access back inside as his steps took him through the muster area, vehicle maintenance bay, and into the civilian section of the base.

The receptionist waving him over before frowning at the state Zin had arrived in.

"'Oy oy! Gotta stay tip top. So. Who uh. Who's here?"

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Wearing: XoXo
Equipment: Lightsaber
Location:
Tag: Zinder Tokarache

It wasn't typical for Briana to find herself meandering through the bustling corridors of the Galactic Alliance's military base. However, the imminent threat of a Mandalorian offensive had driven her to visit their disciplined ranks with increased frequency — enough so, that she'd begun to recognize not only the overall layout of the facility, but the faces running it as well.

With war looming on the horizon, ready to shatter the fragile peace left in Exegol's aftermath, Briana was all to aware that she'd be spending more time than not with these men both in the field and on varying missions. Getting to know them on a personal level and gain a clearer understanding of how they operated would be essential if she was to be more than just their 'token Jedi' on the team.

When she'd approached Aiden about wanting to do more with his unit, he'd been more than receptive to the idea, ensuring that she was kept in the loop about upcoming drills and combat training opportunities that she could actively participate in.

This particular day, however, carried a different air about it when his message came through.

Instead of relaying information on the newest training opportunity, he'd asked her to check up on something personally important to him, or rather, someone. A certain said individual had recently materialized with the claim of being another survivor from the same harrowing mission that — to Aiden's knowledge — had taken the lives of his entire crew, save himself and Alexander Hayes . The very event that'd made Aiden into the broken man she'd found almost two years ago – a sorry state he'd slowly clawed his way out of. Her heart tightened for the pain and nightmares that'd haunted him for so long, imagining what might have happened if she'd arrived even minutes later while he was bleeding out in that dark alleyway.

The idea of there being a galaxy with him not in it? The thought alone was nearly enough to knock the wind from her lungs. With a prompt shake of her head and a centering breath, she sluffed off the sobering thoughts.

Had Aiden not been deployed elsewhere, then surely he would have wanted to face this individual himself — though, perhaps it was for the best that he wasn't able to. Briana knew firsthand the heartbreak of misplaced hope.

"'Oy oy! Gotta stay tip top. So. Who uh. Who's here?"

"That would be me," Briana answered in the hopes of halting his progress, cerulean eyes locking onto Zin just as he attempted to jog past her. He certainly looked like the man in the image Aiden had sent her. Boyishly handsome, with a muscularly lean build and a wiry, tightly coiled sort of energy about him. She tilted her head slightly, dark hair spilling over her shoulder. "I'm Jedi Knight Briana Sal-Soren," she introduced, extending her hand out towards him. " Aiden Rennek mentioned that you're an old friend."

 

[Zinder Tokarache]

Location: Coruscant, Military Complex
Equipment: Sweat Pants, Tank Top
Tags: Briana Sal-Soren

The sharp squeak of shoes against the floor as a voice caught his attention.

His head whipping around before settling on a long haired woman with bright eyes. His eyes taking a moment to look her over. Aiden hadn't come. Sent someone in his place. A girl no less.

Leaning in towards her a bit to look at her face before standing upright with a grin.

"Sent his squeeze to see if it's me. I'm-" taking her hand while his other made an overly dramatic display of dismay before chuckling. "Pleased to meet you."

Letting her hand go before pulling his leg up behind his back and holding it there. His expression never quite settling into a serious one as he kept that grin.

"Surprised that he's messing around with a Jedi though, I" Taking another look at her before frowning. "Well, maybe not. But yeah. We are friends. Least I hope we still are. I was the fun one."

Switching to the other leg before crossing his arm across his chest, the large scar peaking through the tank top. A deep sigh let loose at the stretch before he paused and gave her the closest to a serious look as he could muster. Letting the arm down slowly as he fixed his gaze on her with a stare.

"He doing alright?" The grin not quite reaching the corners of his mouth as he asked.

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Wearing: XoXo
Equipment: Lightsaber
Location: Coruscant
Tag: Zinder Tokarache

Briana could sense the raw emotions hiding beneath the otherwise jovial, and wholly theatrical, display. Hands slid easily into her pockets, head cocking to one side as an easy smile spread over her lips, trying to match Zin's relaxed demeanor. "Given what you both went through, can you blame him for being cautious?"

Her eyes fell, glancing briefly at the large scar peering out from beneath his tank top. Her throat bobbed — slightly, before quickly peeling her gaze from the evidence of past battles to avoid staring. Aiden bore his own scars, too. Most of them faint — save for the harder pieces of membrane. The rest were obscured, unseen, hidden deep beneath the surface. Though he could smile now – laugh, live more than just exist – those scars served as a stark reminder of the costly price that had been paid during the last war.

Softly she cleared her throat and straightened her posture, taking one hand from her pocket to make a vague gesture. "Mmm. Aiden mentioned something like that when he told me about you, but judging by this performance... you might be a little rusty." A soft probe, a test to better feel him out.

"As for Aiden — it took him a little while to get back on track after what happened, but he's doing good, real good. All things considered. Though, hearing that you'd shown up managed to stir some old feelings."

 

[Zinder Tokarache]

Location: Coruscant, Military Complex
Equipment: Sweat Pants, Tank Top
Tags: Briana Sal-Soren

"No I can't. I... " The words never forming given how ironic the would likely sound. "Suppose I should be happy he wants to see if it's actually me or not."

Her comment about his being rusty drawing yet another dramatic display as he straightened up, holding a hand over his heart while his mouth went wide at the faux slight.

"How dare! I'll have him know I can still find the best toiletries on base bar none." The slight rumble of his chest to keep from laughing breaking the dramatic scene as the receptionist snapped their fingers.

A plactating wave of his hand before Zinder sighed. The news of Aiden slipping with his return dragging the smile down further before he covered his mouth in a scratch. Fixing the grin once more as the hand slipped to a pocket.

"Yeah. Yeah, that really isn't a fun topic to revisit." Stumbling for once, fiddling once more. "He put his head down and find something to busy himself with after I messaged him?"

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Wearing: XoXo | Equipment: Lightsaber | Location: Coruscant | Tag: Zinder Tokarache

Briana's lips curled upwards, the sound of a delicate, mirthless chuckle slipping past them at Zinder's question as her hand waved off the notion with a dismissive gesture. "Quite the opposite, actually," she replied, her hands finding their way into her pockets, settling into a comfortable lean as she rocked back on her heels, acclimating to Zinder's easygoing presence. "He practically had one foot out the door the second your message pinged our comms," Briana disclosed, shaking her head in remembrance, "chomping at the bit to be in this very spot, to be part of this reunion." The words were spoken with a tinge of regret, a reflection of circumstances beyond their control. A casualty of duty.

"Nobody knows better than you and Aiden how war changes people. But Aiden...he's a survivor." her brows came together, trying to grasp the right words. "He...doesn't bury his head in the sand. He was ready to face whatever came next. Even if that 'next' was someone masquerading as you." her brow raised, head tilting as a tentative smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. "I'll be glad to tell him that that doesn't seem to be the case."