Private Find Your Reason

[Talin Treicolt]

5 Weeks Ago
Treicolt Homestead, Concord Dawn
Tansu Treicolt

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Rain pattered upon a fertile ground outside the walls of the shack where the twin's ships were housed. A pair of booted feet stuck out from beneath the X-wing, but no clatter of tools could be heard. The mechanic had laid aside her wrench, staring upward to iron and wire, contemplating. Rain meant work to be done in the morning. The bantha had been put to bed before the storm, and would need to be brought back to pasture in the morning. Washed up rows would need to be tidied and replanted. It was a routine Talin knew like takeoff. Just as their siblings before them, since she and Tansu were old enough to hold a tool, they had been put to work. Life on the Treicolt homestead was only easy for visitors. Maybe why Auteme kept returning. With a sign, the blonde grabbed an oil rag, wiped her hands, and slid from beneath the starship. She couldn't hide forever; and as jealous as she was of their core-dwelling visitor, she wouldn't miss the dinner or the stories that came with it.

The wall of water had shifted to a lazy drizzle by the time she had trekked over the fields and back to the house. It was a warm summer rain, for which she had to be thankful. It offered perspective. Last night's table had grown rowdy. Anytime they hosted, the flock of three grown returned to the nest from across the sector. Being the youngest, they couldn't partake in many of the revelries; but politeness didn't keep her brothers from the whiskey, Aunt Auteme drank socially, and even dad had been convinced as the night went on. Tales of the senate floor and hundred story huttaburgers subtly shifted into that of the old days. Guts, glory, and adventure littered each. Ryv leading to every other charge. Auteme and the force, old pals. Mom and Dad walking up hill both ways, in a humid jungle, with only 10 men and taking a city unawares. With every word, Talin sunk deeper into a sea of envy. It was everything the seventeen year old girl desired, but only a shadow of it.

Tonight's dinner came and went without further incidence. Dad had been reminded his youth was fleeting with a nasty hangover and swore at the boys with the mention of liquor. With mischievous smiles, they shrugged, and departed with bottle in tow. Mom and dad went about setting the kitchen right, and Auteme took an early retirement to her room to catch up on work. Talin found her sister sprawled on the couch. The pair locked eyes, and needing no words for another well known routine, made their own exit.

A pair of speeders sat beneath a rainport, though they needed no further protection. The weather has cleared, the clouds inching toward the east and leaving a brilliant moon behind. Wordlessly, the elder launched her bike down the route. It followed the pasture fence out, to the small creek which separated their property from the rest of the planet. The bantha may have been up, but there was always risk of a stray, and the Tip-Yips were only protected from predator by a small dome of wire. Best to check before bed - and best to get away and clear the head. Talin pushed the speeder. Leaning deeply, thr wind chaffed against her cheeks, golden locks reaching for her sister behind her. Their land flew by in an emerald blur. The fence came to a halt, and she slowed to a stop just before their normal turn. When the freckled face turned back to her twin, it was painted with longing.

"We should go further." She expressed. "It's been a year since we got grounded, and the most they let us do it take eggs to town and fly, with escort." Her voice twisted with insolence, mocking their father's baritone.

"I mean, come on, man! When they were our age, they were fighting a war, and falling in love, and had already passed their karkin' trials! We get picked up by sector police one time, and they just what, lock us up and throw away the key?! I mean, as if they never went podracing!"

The words had grown into a shout as she flailed her arms at the injustice.

"Come on, maybe if we get in trouble again, they'll just get so tired of us they ship us back with Auteme! I'll bet Cabbage could hook us up at the casino. A little gambling, eh, that would really rear their high horse."

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

After dinner, Tansu felt full and mellow—full of stories and grub. Her body was like butter, melted around the speeder—a pet project built from rainy days—and smoothed by the rush of wind. Nothing existed when they went this fast. The only thing she wanted more of was speed.

Or, that was normally all she wanted. Tonight, an unspoken itch had grown in Talin since Auteme arrived. Tansu tried to ignore it while leaning deeper into the slope of the maneuvering controls and blending further into the bike.

The fence and the horizon were perpendicular lines racing in her purview until she swung the base of her speeder around to a stop, and the two intersected. She leaned her elbows on the handlebars and dropped a foot to offset the pause. She hadn't figured out the equilibrium on the makeshift bike just yet. Not for stopping, anyway. And she'd broken her kickstand last ride. Or, actually, Vyrin had broken it to prove a point on the importance of balance. Some elder's right or something.

"Well—" She started, but Talin wasn't stopping.

"Okay, but, Kara's not exactly—" Kara was their escort. The middlemost Treicolt without a counterpart. She was the most unique out of all of them that way. Not split down the middle and dependent on another. Maynard Treicolt and Loske were a pair, Vyrin and Waylon another, and of course, herself and Talin. Kara was a free bird who floated and fluttered between them all. And she had all her younger sister's envy.

Imagination was as far as they ever went with these kinds of conversations. Their conviction was as easily bent as the wheatgrass in a windstorm. But tonight, there was an edge to Talin that didn't exist before. It was like she was balancing between reason and recklessness. And with half a mind already made up through their Twinlink, Tansu could be easily convinced. Already, she was closer than she'd been at lunchtime.

"Maybe it was because we didn't win, that was the trouble—" Tansu offered. The gears were turning. "Which..would also happen with gambling." The pair were shit at sabbac.

She looked beyond her sister's flailing. The rain from earlier clung to the stretch of fields on the other side of the creek, which looked like a field of ground-fallen stars sparkling in the moonlight.

Something about the way she said 'further' sounded like more than a couple hundred yards down the lane. Tansu tested her theory:

"Whaddya thinkin' when you say further."

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Talin Treicolt
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​

 

[Talin Treicolt]

Talin sent the fault logic rolling away with her eyes. Glory wouldn't have done them any good, and her counterpart knew that. It was the exact thing their parents seemed intent on keep them from. Plus, she had gotten better at cards! It was Tansu's smirk when she felt the victory of her sister that gave the pair away. The angst fell away when she realized she had hooked her sister, moonlight glinting on a mischievous smile.

"Y'don' reckon they keep a ship like Alliance One behind the market, eh?"

It was an insane plan that had begun to take root, and it grew like tall weed. It would go right to the core, and no one would think to check until after it had landed. An entire checklist needed to be accomplished before hand. Recon, supplies, an alibi... yeah. All of it would hinge on finding the ship, and the nearest backwater town couldn't house more than the few freighters that put their crops on noble's tables.

"How's the city sound? I'll race ya."

Talin offered a wink, but no further explanation to the lunatic questions. Instead, her fingers pulled the throttle, revving the engine and egging her sister on.

Tansu Treicolt ​

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

Speaking in a world of unspoken understanding made vocal exchanges superfluous. Tansu could tell what Talin was thinking just by the glint in her eye and the curled edge of her mouth. Because Tansu was thinking it too.

As the youngest of the Treicolt tribe, the two girls were overresourced in confidence and lacking in perspective.

"Talk about gambling..." she mumbled. But her eyes were bright. Excited.

"Sounds like only the first stop!" She obliged with a laugh and lifted her feet from the ground. The bike rebalanced, supported her weight, and revved loud to meet the pace her twin set.

Beneath the stray, unclouded night, Tansu tightened her legs against the speeder and bore down on it.

The race was one huge heady, reckless rush. She'd gain on Talin, pass, and then her lookalike would slingshot past. This went on for stretches of grasslands and dirt roads until gravel started to turn into dust.

It wasn't until the city's skyline came into view that Tansu realized she hadn't looked back. Not once.

Just as she sensed a similar awe of disbelief and wow-we're-closer-to-doing-it-we've-never-done-before washing over her sister, Tansu didn't release the throttle. It was the final push she needed to cinch the win in their race against selves and launch herself just a few more feet ahead of the city's edge and swoop around to a stop.

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Talin Treicolt
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​

 

[Talin Treicolt]

"Well alright then, cowgirl." Talin teased as she rolled to a stop before her sister. "I know the rules. Chores for a week."

Despite the loss, she was giddy. The night was dazzling, with 50 towers rising to compliment the stars. Where previously cicadas, there was the racket of land speeders. They were doing it. They were doing it.

"Okay." A nod to reassure both. "Space port."

An easy pace was set within city limits, as to not draw unwanted attention. Riding alongside her sister, they were just two nameless faces, enjoying all the night had to offer. Strangers on their own planet. How grander would the feeling be on Coructant? Denon? As their destination came into view, she pulled over, tilting her head at the entry. A mirialan snoozed at the threshold, hat over his face. Within the yard, she could see spark flying from a torch as someone repaired a chassis. Not as much security as she expected to accompany the chancellor; perhaps they had the night off the their ship seemingly secure and Auteme safe at the homestead?

"Alright, I'm gonna distract the two bubble brains. Wait for my signal. Then I want you to sneak in, and try to find the ship. See if you can board, and if you can poke about and find a hidey hole, good. Just, don't get caught! If there are guards on the ship you can't get past - just abort mission. Wait for my signal."

Not waiting for traffic, the blonde peeled out, going opposite the space port. On the next street over, she whipped a three point turn, heading towards her sister then passing her in a streak. The bike began to scream beneath her as the throttle met the handle.

Coming on the space port, she leaned, hard, throwing the bike into another slide. The impact was too much. She separated from the vehicle, tumbling, then thrown into the mirialan with a grunt from both. The bike continued, riderless. It made circles until skidding into a the ship under repair. The crash victim swore. The mirialan looked stunned, somewhere between concussed and lovestruck. The welder yelled and flailed, throwing aside torch and mask.

"Y'uv got to be karkin' me! What kind of krill' idiot?" The cry came as a human ran towards the entrance, intent on finding the cause of the ruckus. "By the force, have you been drinking?!"

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

"Gonna have to think of new rules." Tansu realized, given the way the pair were talking, that chores for a week might not be transient enough for the recklessness they were pursuing.

Harlan was a sleepy town. The Journeymen patrolled to keep uprisings down and had made it safer than it had been years ago. It was the Journeymen that Tansu and Talin kept an eye out for. The patrols reported directly to their parents, and if they were seen — the trouble that Talin yearned for would be handed right to them. Heaps of it.

They knew the streets around the Homestead like the back of their hands, it was the landscape of childhood, but in the city, they exercised caution. The risk was higher when the familiarity was less.

"Treicolt promise of safety." Tansu beamed proudly by way of explaining the understaffed guards to the Chancellor's parked ship (it helped that Auteme was a Force of her own, going toe to toe with Solipsis in her day). But here, the crime rate was lower than ever. The struggle for power was thwarted by the obvious showcasing of strength from Maynard and Loske when they'd first arrived, and then their brothers and Kara — everyone was brave and known except for the two girls.

That would change.

"Gotcha." Tansu nodded firmly to her sister's decision and veered off to a darkened alleyway between two loading stations to park her bike.

Tansu couldn't name the storm in her chest and throat. All she knew was that it thrilled her. It felt bigger than adrenaline but smaller than fear. The feeling tightened in the space behind her ribs as she moved from the shadows to a place where she could pounce into action and wait for her cue.

Sneaking around wasn't a Treicolt forté. The loud crash bang nearby was clearly Talin's signal.

Tansu leapt into action. She darted from the shadows, moving with the enhanced speed she'd learned from Kyric. A too-high barrier obscured the visibility of whatever ship Auteme used to get to Concord Dawn. Tansu planted her foot just before the collision, vaulted up, briefly planted her hands at the balancing point, and tipped over, landing with a soft thud on the other side.

Around her, nobody appeared roused by the commotion outside. Nobody appeared..at all.

That feeling gripped her heart and made her teeth flash a huge grin. The possibility of this insane plan coming true became more real.

She darted forward, running and looking for anything that just screamed Core-World. Auteme 's travel through the Mandalorian Protectorate's space was subtle, especially for vacation, but ah—that looked like a ship Tansu'd seen a handful of times before. She remembered them being six and Auteme giving both girls the wide-eyed tour of Corebuilt escort ships. This one was unmistakably the shuttle for The Chancellor of The Galactic Alliance.

'Found it.' Tansu broadcast the update through their ethereal connection. She crept forward, keeping low and as concealed as she could. The cockpit dimly glowed, and everything else seemed firmly sealed. Tansu made a face and scuttled around beneath, trying to figure another way in without using the only door.

Perplexed, she grunted.

The ship was so smooth it was nearly impossible to tell what each hatch was. She ran her hands along what she could reach and took liberal steps backwards with her hands on her hips to try and assess where something else might open. She tried to think back to being six years old on that tour with Aunteme (Loske's affectionate term for their family friend).

Ah-ha!

Once she had the idea, she quickly set to work. Sort of like how the whole evening was operating. The grey and black water umbilicals were perhaps the most obvious and most essential hatches she could reach from the underbelly of the ship without tripping the alarms. Once those were rendered useless, she concentrated everything she had on the life she could detect in the ship. There were four guards. She focused hard, thinking only of waterfalls, water pouring, fountains flowing, faucets gushing –– and in response, a sense of urgency filled the rooms.

Each of the guards suddenly felt a desperate human need that needed to be satisfied, and after some frantic footsteps around the shuttle, they found themselves awkwardly trapped in their luxurious ship. They had to open the ramp to get out and find somewhere in the spaceport to relieve themselves.

It was only a few minutes later that the landing ramp door whooshed open, and all four raced out.

Poised behind one of the shuttle's sleek legs, Tansu clenched her fist in triumph at the shining open ramp.

Turns out they could walk right in. Now to find the hidey-hole.

'I'm in! You got like…maybe three minutes if you're coming now. I'm hidey-hole huntin''

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Talin Treicolt
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​

 

[Talin Treicolt]

Half a mind was kept on her twin's activity, the other verbally sparring with the foreman who demanded an explanation, responsibility, and a cry for mercy, just for good measure. With every jab, Talin bristled. Her father had a mean streak a mile long, and it sure didn't skip a generation.

"You swoop racers have been runnin' amuck, and you don't even think of the property damage until somethin' like this happens and yur faced with the consie'kensis of yur actions. Didn't your parents teach you better, girl? Why, I ought call the journeymen! Y-"

"You won't." Talin stepped forward, an edge to her force. The incessant rambling stopped, and the man, confused, paused. "This job doesn't pay enough. Your wife says it's killin' you, and she's right. Just go take a break. Give her a call."

It didn't work perfectly. She didn't have nearly enough training, nor discipline, and the suggestion didn't come from a place of serenity. It was, however, good enough. The man stared, still confused, and scratched the stubble which decorated his cheeks. Then he shrugged, walked off, towards the building in the back., mumbling something about women and kids both. The mirialan, nearly of an age with her, looked like he was attempting to become one with the wall.

"Look, your boss seems like a winner. Ain't nothing against you. I'm a Treicolt, and I got some work to do. Just leave me alone and we're good."

He was too young to know that a Treicolt was not the thing you wanted to be in this situation, but he did know the name and the power behind it. He nodded, quick on the uptake.

"Good time for lunch."

With a wink, and the two parted ways, about their own business. Head swimming, she heeded her sisters call swiftly. There was a grace to Tansu's actions which bolstered her sister's confidence. Doubtful was the wrong word, but she hadn't expected to literally walk in.

"Slick." She complimented, coming up behind at a slow jog. "Okay, okay, uhm..."

How did they get this far?

"Whatta the smugglers do? Y'reckon the floorboards come up?"

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

Talin's compliment bolstered the celebration Tansu'd already mentally been glorying in.

"I knowww!" She gripped Talin's arm and squealed giddily, the thrill of success puffed her chest. The fact she'd pulled off something so influential in a relatively short amount of time made her all the more confident that she and Talin were meant for bigger things than this dustball.

"I 'onno." Tansu shrugged and yanked the arm she'd gripped up the plankway. Their family ship made the convenience of floorboard hiding a familiar thing. But a Chancellor's ship? Maybe they'd find a more posh alternative.

"Let's split up and look for something? I think I saw an escape pod 'round near the engines. That might be more comfy — I've had enough tight space sharin' with you. Longest nine months of my life."

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Talin Treicolt
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​

 

[Talin Treicolt]

“Whatever, you smellin’ up our room for the seventeen years since is way worse.” Talin fired back. “Right. Two minutes and back here. We gotta get home before first light.”

The ship was by no means large - it was intended for speed and stealth in a foreign state. It was, however, grand. Tracks of steel walkways were lit with cyan light, every inch spotless. The kitchenette was sizable. It possessed every nutrient and craving from this galaxy and the next. It opened into a small dining room, the table decorated with blooms in crystal vases.

In the mad dash, Talin stumbled upon Auteme’s quarters. The extravagance force a sharp inhale. There was a row of fine clothes, one for every occasion she might be called back for - an emerald evening gown, a navy jumpsuit, ebony funeral wear. Small trinkets decorated the vanity, along with a few golden tubes of lipstick. Squinting, Talin picked up the one whose name she fancied most: Afterburn. It slipped neatly into the pocket on her shirt.

“Sorry, Chancellor.”

So the journey went, until the finery lost its appeal. The contents of the ship must have been worth a dozen seasons combined. Do you think they think twice how lovely it is? The thought would float to her sister aimlessly. The floating orbs which held the gunnery, opening to the stars below, were the only promising spot she’d find before wrapping back around to the ships entry.

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

Inside the ship was more ornate than she'd remembered from eleven years ago. It was sleek yet unassuming on the outside, but inside it was beyond imagination. Even the trims were painted and engraved! Design filled every nook and Tansu almost lost the point of her initial mission just looking at the details of the hallways.

Hallways that lead to the refresher (where she undid the stop she'd made to get in), ladder down to the maintenance room, and tried a few panels along the floor. There were a few, creaky, unused, and cramped. She peeked alternatives, and noted the cargo hold had some spots they could curl into. She popped one of the hatches to be looser than normal, so they could find it from the outside.

Talin's thoughts formed sharply in her psyche, and Tansu shook her head and sighed.

Their parents might have been lofty once, well-paid generals and XOs, but after their discharge and spurn from The Alliance and their paycheques, they'd made what they had stretch until they started making money off the farm and Protector payments. Luxury like this was.. not within grasp.

She whistled in a way that split the air and travelled along their connection.

"Prob'ly too busy to even notice." Their life was a slow one. Reliable, calm, connected, and ample in time to notice the details.

An invisible spike pinched at her neck, rooting her back in urgency.

"Meet me near the airlock. There's a hatch we can get out of. The front ramp's about to be compromised with company."

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Talin Treicolt
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​

 

[Talin Treicolt]

Forewarning came seconds before soft chatter. It was close - something about shock boxing? The newest line didn’t matter right now. Breaking into a sprint, her boots clattered on steel. Chit. Stealth was by no means her forte, but she had to try. The run slowed to a walk, feet sliding to avoid the racquet before. She slipped into the nearest doorway. Met by tomes and holopads, she hoped the figures of the past would keep her secrets. They would watch her lean against the wall beside the arch way, holding her breath, frozen.

What gave her away, she couldn’t say, but the guard sensed something. Him and his buddy rolled to a halt just before where she had turned off. Laughter faded to silence.

“Was is that?”

“What is.. what?”

“I dunno, you ever just feel… something out of place?”

“Yeah, my waistband after a visit to Little Atrisia.” The chuckle was a solo this time. “I don’t know man, did you forget something out there?”

Talin’s eyes shut, her blood cold. Dammit. Dad would kill them. Okay, what was it Ripley had said? Feel nothing. Be nothing. She pushed her weight against the wall. Part of the scenery. There was no fear, only certainty.

“C’mon, man. We’re gonna miss the next match!” The buddy urged.

There was still a hesitation. Doubt cast its shadow on her, and in that moment, she felt small. They only had the training of the scraps they could be snuck when their parents weren’t watching. How would that hold up to the Chancellor’s personal guard? She couldn’t do it alone, at the very least. One word travelled through an ethereal tether.

Help.

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

Only her legs were still in the ship, and she was mid-hoist out the rooftop hatch when the stressed plea reverberated through their link. She finished her pull and swung her legs up around her, settling on the rooftop and felt the urgency of the ship. It was hard to read those outside of Talin, because she wasn't so familiar, but she'd affected them earlier to some degree. On a small scale, with significantly less risk.

Talin needed something that would give her the space to get to where Tansu was. How could Tansu help with that? From what she could assess, Talin was making herself as tiny as possible. The two guards on the ship were half of the total personnel, which probably meant their friends would be back soon, too.

She squeezed her eyes shut and inhaled deeply to settle herself.

Any sort of alarm or physical noise she'd make within the port could draw the need to investigate the ship, which would expose her tampering to the cargo bay. And Tansu was far from talented enough to infuse a new emotion into the ship.

But the anxiety from Talin and herself was enough to work with, right?

Tansu imagined it and tried to shape it as something bigger than it was, but the source was not from within the ship. The source was the refreshers in the space station.

"I think I ——" the guard that had initiated the uncertainty frowned heavily. "You go ahead, set up the match, I think I left something in the refresher that I shouldn't have."

The sports enthusiast grunted and parted ways and headed to the galley while the other turned around to return to the refreshers, probably passing by the other two guards for a brief exchange.

'Hurry!' Tansu urged.

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Talin Treicolt
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​

 

[Talin Treicolt]

A deep exhale released with the fading footsteps. Hands shaking, she crept through the maze of halls, following her sisters insistence. Uncertainty faded as quickly as it had come. Easy. They were born to do what no other dared, against all odds.

Once reaching the hatch, a hand popped through, expecting her arrival. She took the offer, her other moving to grab the rim. The hatch was not made for a ceremonious exit. Inching like an earthworm, Talin rolled with her ankles still trapped, and meet her sister with a goofy grin.

“Thanks, sugar.”

Above them, the sky had lightened half a shade. The moon made its downward descent to kiss the horizon good night. Just enough time to get home and crawl in a window. Enthused, she leapt up, grabbing her conspirator’s hand.

“Let’s go!”

A jog led them to an edge, where she lunged into a half slide, leg extended and hip caressing the side of the ship. An oomph accompanied their landing, but the only one around to notice was the mirialan who had returned from lunch - who, after glancing back at the pair, whistled a tune, deciding he hadn’t heard anything after all. The bike was inches away. Though dirty and scratched from its earlier endeavor, it had seen far rougher beatings from the elder siblings. Its engine turned over loyally. Talin would pat the half a seat behind her, offering her sister a ride back to her own steed.

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

At least the hooligans had the sense to contain their celebration until they'd crawled back into their bedroom.

Tansu was flushed pink from the wind of their race home and the exhilaration that she could now let flow a little freer.

Excitement whooshed out of her in barely contained whispers.

"Did you see —"

"And then you —"

"He never even saw it comin'!"

There was nothing but bubbling praise shared between the two of them. Any idea of alternative consequences didn't exist. They'd only had success, and they were the best.

"I can't believe you got away with that! Kind'a shame nobody saw us to believe us."

"We're doing this, we are so doing this and getting off this rock." Tansu beamed, gripping her sister's hands excitedly. They'd overcome four Chancellor guardians, a few spaceport attendees and mechs, and now they were certain they could take on the galaxy.

"Okay, okay, okay," she squealed, then let go of Talin's hands, shaking hers out along with the remaining jittery excitement. She tried to look composed and exhaled, flattening her palms by her hips to personify serenity and control. "Okay, timeline, let's go over it again and everythin' we need before Aunteme takes off tomorrow 'round evenin'."

A sound on their bed made Tansu nearly jump out of her skin, but it was just Amos, the old family cat.

She clutched her chest and grinned lopsidedly at her sister, mildly abashed. "Should we bring the cat?"

He was on the eighth and fifteen-sixteenths of his nine lives. A tour of the galaxy would be a send off.

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Talin Treicolt
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​

 

[Talin Treicolt]

Laughter bubbled at the prospect. Talin’s hands flew to her mouth, stifling her giggles before she woke up the entire house.

“We have to! Daddy’ll throw ‘im in the barn otherwise.” She picked up the fuzzball, nuzzling him despite the meows of protests. “The mouser is not strong in this one.”

“Okay, er…” She eyeballed the posters on the wall, concentrating. “Might rain again, let’s hope. That gets us out of work. Gotta at least stay for lunch. Probably best to leave just after, and then we should miss Auteme’s escort when we board, since they have to pick her up. We were awesome, but don’t want to push it if we don’t gotta. Have ta think up an excuse for disappearing, though.”

She allowed Amos to clamber his way out of her arms, and utilized the freedom to sit on her bed, taking off the boots. A hand idly rubbed at calloused feet.

“We’re gonna have to get in’ta the blaster safe, or lift one from Waylon. Light on food, a change of clothes…”

A twinge of guilt shot through her chest like a bullet.

“Do you think they’ll ever forgive us?” A small voice that almost didn’t sound like herself asked.

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

"Aww, Amy, I bet you got lots'a mice back in your day." Tansu scratched the ancient cat between the ears, defending him from Talin's teasing. Like everyone else in their family, even the cat had been a great warrior at some point. Tansu pouted at the mire of self-pity she was convincing herself of.

While Talin worked through the mechanics of their tomorrow, Tansu nodded along loyally, beat for beat.

"Mom and Kara are makin' nerfwiches, which we can't miss." They were the Concord Dawn equivalent of the Huttaburgers they always spoke about around the table. "We could let some of the herd loose, say we need to track them down. That'd let us take the speeders too, and give us a while to be gone.

I'd rather go to the safe than Way. He's always got such a good intuition.." Tansu wrinkled her nose at the idea of the eldest catching on to her and Talin's flawless plan. "You can do that while I loose the herd. Or I can, visa versa."

She felt the mood shift before Talin spoke. That same bullet spiked through her, and she deflated to the edge of her bed in silence.
It felt like something was gnawing at her breastbone from the inside. The pressure and the pain were better than whatever was underneath them.

She didn't have an answer. And she couldn't look at Talin.

Instead, she poked at a small disc on the bedside table between their twin beds.

Smoothing her thumb over the tiny holoprojector, she buried her fingerprint into the speaker. Silence charged between the two until eventually Tansu spoke up. Her voice was thin, fragile, and threatened her conviction. Their parents gave them everything and it wasn't enough.

"We should leave 'em a message. Let them know we're good for this. And...it's not..." Tansu couldn't find the words to articulate how she didn't want their parents to feel hurt, or blame, but her voice was becoming croaky. "Y'know..."

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Talin Treicolt
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​

 

[Talin Treicolt]

A lump rose in her throat. It was cold. The vivid image of her mother swam through her head, clutching the recorder, laying in Su’s bed as she did when they were kids, but without her constant companions. Grief wracked every muscle in Loske’s body, forcing her into a ball. It was the stuff of parent’s nightmares.

Talin shook the image away. If her imagination got away from her, she’d lose her guts. Instead, she swiped the device from Su’s toying grasp, and firmly pressed the triangle atop.

“Please don’t blame yourselves.” The words fell out uncontrollably, thick with emotion, and once she started, she didn’t take a breath. “We would have gone eventually, no matter what. You know we've always wanted to be just like you guys. Since we were kids. Y’ur heroes, and the galaxy still needs those.”

Those words empowered her.

“Y’all did all the right things with us. Discipline, kindness, respect. You raised us to be strong. To fight for those who can’t fight for themselves. Shoot straight and shoot surely.”

They were nine years old when Maynard told them that the first time. Arms wrapped around Tansu, he helped her find cans with a blaster. It felt like yesterday. Golden fields were the edge of their universe, back then. The grunts of approval when they found their marks were all that mattered.

“We’ve been listening to you all along, and now we have to grow up and put it in practice. You’ll be proud when we come back. Promise.”

A soft static would be caught in the recording as Talin laid the device back down on the surface between their beds. Ocean eyes met, and the elder fell silent, allowing Tansu to interject and break the news of their destination.

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

An invisible hand curled around Talin's and squeezed. Their unison was unspoken, but she wanted her sister to feel it. Talin's speech was focused, refined, and deeply emotive.

She could feel the way Talin ached at the core from her belly to heart, because Tansu felt the same. The air around them was thin an eager, with something in it sad and nostalgic and familiar. Their excitement and enthusiasm collapsed into something exquisitely painful and vast, and just when Tansu wasn't sure how they'd pull themselves from the mire, a surety rose and lodged in their throats. Talin gathered them up and hoisted them back into the realm of potential and promise.

Her mouth stung with nerves, and her heart was bright and racing. She almost felt the need to salute Talin she was so moved.

"We're gonna come back. Dont'cha worry." Tansu echoed when the silence had lasted than longer than she thought her nerves could bear.

"We left on Auntie Auteme's ship. We've found a spot to stow away and we're gonna ride it all the way to Coruscant. We know we asked you not to blame yourselves, but also please don't be mad at Auteme either." Tansu swallowed and fidgeted. "She didn't know our plan."

She almost added that neither of them knew their plan up until a few hours ago either, but she stayed her tongue.

"Mom, dad, this is gonna be excitin'. And we'll have each other." This time, she squeezed Talin's hand for real, for their parents to see. This was a unified desire turned to action.

"And all the stuff you've taught us over the years. We'll see you soon."

There was a vivid image of their pa spitting angrily, and gearing up to go get them. Same as he'd done for ma all those years ago, hunting her through the stars to bring her back.

"Please..let us do this. We're gonna either way.

She felt a pit in her stomach and said one last thing before ending the recording.

"We love you."

Once they finished their message, Tansu exhaled heavily and flopped back on the bed, exhausted by the emotional rollercoaster.

"Let's get some sleep. We got a big day tomorrow." She smiled weakly. "The first of many, I reckon."

____________________________________________________________
Talin Treicolt
____________________________________________________________
​

 

[Talin Treicolt]

Sleep was not a shy lady. Exhausted by their revelries, Talin embraced her hold, anxieties fading into oblivion. Days of future past fell in and out of focus. @Kyric’s amber gaze found hers, expectant, and threw a wink. The underbelly of Corucant teemed with life as her consciousness darted her way through unfamiliar grounds. A droid’s voice, garbled, floated through the void.

“Rise and shine, huttabeds.”

Kara’s voice broke the holovisions of the world beyond waking. Light flooded their room. The day proved overcast and dreary once more. Momentary confusion cleared away, and the twin smacked her lips, mouth and eyes dry as the deserts of Tatooine.

“Hello?” Their sister inquired. “Signs of life? We’re makin’ lunch.”

A groan was offered in response.

“Teenagers, man.” Kara scoffed, writing off the behavior as attitude. Whatever, worked in their favor. “Get dressed. You don’t want Pa coming’s up cause you’re being rude with guests here.”

With the warning she took her exit, and the twins began to rise. They’d only have a short window before lunch was served to accomplish their goals. As Talin laced her boots, she followed the breathing techniques to center her emotions. Anxiety would not be the thing that stopped them.

“Luck.” She told Tansu before departing. “See ya in a few.”

Her journey was a short one, not nearly as exciting as her counterparts. The blaster safe resided in their parents bedroom. Just a few short strides and she was at the door. A wordless apology went up as she opened the door, invading their privacy.

 

[Loske Treicolt]

Loske was rinsing her hands in their private refresher (needed some sanctuary from five kids) when the door to their room slid open.

Surprised, she looked up into the mirror that reflected the room. The wall obfuscated the door, and the new entrant wasn't immediately in view. She leaned back a bit until she recognized Talin Treicolt .

It was nearly impossible to tell the girls apart from looks alone. When they'd been days old, months even, May and her mixed them up all the time. But the way they carried themselves once they were able to crawl and walk changed. Talin was something fiercer, more assured. Even now, just in her parent's bedroom, she looked sure and confident. Not like she was here to talk about troubles or seek help.

She rarely sought help anymore. Little miss independent.

Loske felt a yearning pull at her throat everytime she realized how much each of her children had grown. It was unfair to expect them to be dependent forever. She didn't need forever...just a little longer.

"You have a rough sleep, Lin? Just waking up?" Wiping her hands on her slacks and stepping into the doorframe of the bedroom. She felt a hop of surprise trill from the room and she chuckled out her explanation.

"Never enough refreshers in this place. 'Specially with all of you back for the visit." Something clicked behind her rib cage, and her expression softened out into a small sigh, her hands on her hips. "Wouldn't change a second of it, though. I love it when we're all together."