Private A storm in the sky

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker


Here we go.

The words drifted in Choli's mind, the Warden doing her best to think of the end goal they were working on. Although the expression Trextan gave was enough to prompt a small snort.

"... manage? Guess I should tell Chloe now that she was right about you potentially crying and that you could not keep up." it was a small attempt at a joke, a distraction.

"Alright," she replied, although she went to grab a few snacks for herself -- it was something to keep her hands busy while they waited for the alcohol to take some effect.

"We can likely test it out depending on the length of time from the time you begin and then take it in stages -- I am not sure how Sith Poison will work, but we should practice on what to do if you are immediately exposed verses learning you were exposed much later and how that will affect detoxifying."

That way, they could also ease into it.

Without further ado, Choli led the way back to the meditation chamber. Here is hoping Trextan remembered to get a glass to pour the rum in.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"... manage? Guess I should tell Chloe now that she was right about you potentially crying and that you could not keep up."

"Wow, she knows me too well," Trextan replied. He could tell they were both trying to make light, but it was a touch stilted. Both because of the time that has passed and because of the situation they found themselves in.

Without further ado, Choli led the way back to the meditation chamber. Here is hoping Trextan remembered to get a glass to pour the rum in.

Trextan sat down in the middle of the meditation chamber. He had not brought a bottle.

"That all sounds really scientific," he said, looking at the bottle. "I was just thinking drink this and see if we could get ride of it at all."

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker

Choli arched a brow over at Trextan when he made his quip and noticed he had not brought a glass with him.

“Are you expecting to drink the entire bottle on your own now?” She asked him with a bemused expression, her olive face scrunching up in a mixture amused disbelief.

She gave a small shake of her dark head, the thick braid slightly swaying along her chest as she did a slow smooth amble over towards where he sat. She set herself down in front of him, a mirror of the past again, crossing her legs out underneath her as she settled down comfortably.

Now was the question on what to do while he drank up.

Now she was wishing she brought something else other than snacks.

“Alright… well. How long does it take now to get you to a buzzed state?”

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan brought the bottle to his lips and took a swig. He couldn't avoid pulling a face, but he managed not to cough.

He looked at the bottle as if it had betrayed him in front of Choli.

"I didn't really think about how long we'd be sat here," he admitted. "It'll take maybe ten minutes?"

Trextan took another sip. It was slightly spiced but outright hot as it seemed to burn the back of his throat on the way down.

"Maybe less."

"So, er, what's the best thing you've learned on your travels?" he asked.

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker

Choli's smirk deepened as she watched Trextan glare at the bottle like it had just personally insulted him. His face twisted again after the second sip, and she couldn't help the wry murmur that escaped.

"Ten minutes? Well, that is par for the course."

She shook her head, popping open a bag of snacks she'd grabbed from the galley. Picking at them, she focused on anything other than the low warmth of amusement bubbling up at his expense. The moment was oddly light, a rare reprieve from the weight of what lay ahead.

Still, she couldn't ignore the task. At some point, she'd have to use the Force to assess how the alcohol was affecting him and then detoxify it. That would mean getting closer, really focusing on him, his presence in the Force. Her stomach flipped slightly at the thought, but she kept her expression neutral, at least until his question drew her out of her musings.

"What's the best thing I have learned on my travels?" she echoed, leaning back as her fingers toyed with a piece of dried fruit. She thought about it for a moment before speaking, her voice softer than usual.

"I spent almost a year on Yanibar, learning how to survive on the tundra. It was... different from living in the desert. Harsher in some ways, but there was a kind of peace to it."

She hesitated, the words coming easier than she expected. "The Zeison Sha, the people there, are amazing. They're so community oriented, you know? Family is everything to them. They train their kids in telekinesis, not just as a skill but as a way to survive. It's not like the Jedi or the Sith, with all the rules and philosophy. It's just... practical. Everyone looks out for each other. They're just doing their best to live one day at a time."

It was clear that time had plenty of influence on her.

"What about you?" she asked.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Ten minutes? Trextan wasn't certain if she was making light of his drinking or something else entirely.

He leaned forwards and took a small handful of little salted baked snacks. Trextan had never been sure whether these were a type of biscuit or bread, but he was always sure he was hungry.

He listened intelty to to her thinking through her last few years. After all this time not knowing more than the odd details from Chloe, it was fascinating to hear her story.

"I suppose I didn't get the peace of learning to survive a tundra. I don't think I learned much at all."

He started crunching on a snack.

"Ah-guess that's not quite true. I got better at working out when to act. Maybe better around people. A pragmatic culture who use telekensis? Sounds like people I should visit."

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker

Choli watched Trextan as he chewed thoughtfully, the rhythm of his movements unhurried. His words pulled her focus back, and she leaned in slightly, one elbow propped on her knee.

A small, amused huff escaped her at his comment about the peace of the tundra. "Peaceful? Far too cold to be peaceful," she replied wryly, shaking her head.

"It took me months to get used to it. I was bundled up in so many layers I looked like I had stolen half the wardrobe off a freighter crew."

Her grin lingered, softening at the edges as she listened to him. It wasn't often Trextan opened up like this, at least, not that she remembered from the years before. She tilted her head slightly, a chip hovering halfway to her mouth as he mused about what he'd learned.

"Well," she said after a moment, lowering the chip back into the bag, "if you are better at knowing when to act and how to deal with people, I would call that a win. You have come a long way." There was no teasing in her tone, just quiet acknowledgment.

Then, her grin returned, this time with a hint of sincerity beneath the usual banter.

"You'd like the Zeison Sha. They would like you, too. Especially with how strong you already are with telekinesis, help you fine tune it." Her mind flicked back to that moment years ago when he'd slowed the descent of her plummeting starfighter. How she'd panicked when he'd passed out from the effort.

She swallowed the memory down, her voice light again, adding, "I can introduce you sometime, if you want. They are good people."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Tagging Choli Vyn for once

Trextan laughed at the notion of Choli raiding a freighter for spare clothes. There were clearly parallels between the endless wastes of tatooine and a tundra, but it wasn't what she was used it.

"I guess in a wide tundra doesn't have many caves for shelter," he mused.

His expression managed to visibly stutter. He had thought of Zennox Five ans their need to take shelter, but his brain hadn't run that through to the end and what that time had meant for them.

He cleared his throat. Grabbed the bottle and took a swig. Suddenly the burn of the rum felt quite mild.

"It's... Cool to hear you say you think I've come a long way. That means a lot."

He had come far enough to express him with real words, even if he didn't maintain full eye contract.

"Let's do that, meet the Zeishon sha. After we're done with these Ren," he said firmly.

"Maybe I should stop drinking there and let it settle?"

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker

Choli noticed Trextan clearing his throat and how he glanced away. It didn't take the Force to realize his mind had gone elsewhere, to be honest, he wasn't the only one with the wandering mind.

With a silent nod and a purse of her lips, Choli nodded in the affirmative, adding, "Yeah, okay. Let me try it out now to see if I can detoxify you before it really settles into your system," It would also allow her to see how fast she could do it and how well.

Rolling up to her knees, she scooted forward until she knelt up in front of Trextan. She had to be close enough for her hands to float over him and, if needed, actually touch him to get the process done.

"Just relax for a bit. Feel free to close your eyes and... yeah, relax," repeating herself.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Yeah, relax," he repeated.

There was the start of a pleasant haze already. His gaze flicked up and down before he closed his eyes. He was half tempted to offer to turn his back towards her but it felt too late now.

That would have made it seem like he was uncomfortable. Which wasn't entirely true. Choli was very close. Three years suddenly felt very short when most times she had been this close into his personal space had ended up with lots of fumbling.

He was very conscious of every movement he made. Even breathing suddenly felt like a deliberate, mechanical activity.

"So can you... No... Sorry... I'll be quiet."

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker

Choli's brow furrowed in concentration as she reached out with the Force, her hands hovering just above Trextan's chest. She could sense the alcohol in his system, like a faint heat wave threading through his bloodstream, and focused on unraveling its effects. At least this was a way to keep her mind from drifting at his close proximity again or the way the scent of his well-worn clothing and skin tickled her nose. It threatened to bring back other memories...

Her attention wavered when Trextan started to speak, his voice low and hesitant.

"So can you... No... Sorry... I'll be quiet."

Choli's lips twitched, and her olive face twisted in the kind of expression that came from equal parts curiosity and amusement. She didn't look up, keeping her gaze trained on her hands as she murmured, "What were you going to ask?"

Choli was always the blunt one; Trextan should have known that once he started to say something, she would rather he finish it than leave it hanging.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan should have known that once he started to say something, she would rather he finish it than leave it hanging.

"I should have known I couldn't start a question," Trextan said, blinking his eyes open. She was very close. His gaze dipped down from her eyes just a few inches. It remained briefly at her lips before he glanced down at her hands and then back up.

Trextan closed his eyes again. She was stretching the Force through his body. He knew that this was a pragmatic exercise and they were about to face very real danger. It still felt intimate in a strange way of its own.

"I was just going to ask if you could sense the toxin at all."

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker

Choli exhaled slowly, her fingers hovering just above Trextan's chest as she delved deeper into the Force. The alcohol in his system shimmered in her awareness like a faint heat, tendrils of it curling through his bloodstream. Carefully, she started unraveling it, letting the Force cleanse it in small, measured pulses.

A warm, tingling sensation stirred under her palms, a mixture of the effort and... something else. The closeness. It had been so long since she'd been this near to him, and the memories it stirred were impossible to ignore. His quiet laugh, the way his hand had once steadied her as they curved against her waist, how he'd push back her hair -- moments that felt both distant and immediate now.

But she didn't let herself linger on those thoughts for long. This wasn't about nostalgia or whatever unspoken thing hummed between them now. This was about preparation. About survival. The vault ship would be a whole different kind of test, and she couldn't afford to lose focus now. She was about to say something when his voice broke the silence.

"I should have known I couldn't start a question,"

The tingle in her hands felt sharper. She swallowed hard, keeping her tone even. "Yeah, well... you know I do not like leaving things unsaid."

"I was just going to ask if you could sense the toxin at all."

It was a good thing she had her eyes closed. Otherwise, she'd have noticed where his gaze had drifted. Instead, she responded to his question.

"I can," she said softly. "It is ....almost like a trail of heat. I can feel where it's settled and what it is doing to you. I am working on it now. Should not take long."

Her voice dropped slightly, more serious. "Sith poison's going to be worse than this. A lot worse. Not sure if it will be more difficult to cleanse or not ... I guess trying to tackle it early is our best bet."

She let the Force pulse again, the warmth building in her hands as she pushed the alcohol out of his system, the tingly sensation growing sharper with every second. Proximity had never felt quite so... charged before, but Choli didn't let it stop her. For both their sakes, she couldn't.

"How does that feel?"

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Yeah, well... you know I do not like leaving things unsaid."

Ouch, he thought to himself.

There was an awful lot that had gone unsaid. They could worry about that after dealing with a ship full of weapons and a raiding part of Ren. It would take time to decide if thoughts were just an echo of the past or if there was a foundation of feelings they should address.

"How does that feel?"

Trextan opened his eyes again. He looked down at his own hand. For some reason moving his fingers and seeing how that felt was a quick way to determine sobriety.

"I'm not feeling drunk. At all. That's...quite impressive."

He was both impressed and slightly jealous at how quickly she picked this up.

"Try again?"

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker

Opening her eyes, Choli stared at him. Even on her knees, they were still at eye level. Close, but enough to see the familiar hue of his eyes. She leaned back on her haunches then, putting a little more distance between them. Not much, but still.

"Well... do not be too impressed. You are the one who has the greater Force Potential with the Force, not me," she reminded him. Choli would never show the sort of power or ability Trextan would. At most, she had enough Force sensitivity to use on instinct and for basic uses. She would never show any major expressions of the Force.

"Honestly, you should be learning how to do this. Not me." she added, thinking about it.

"Actually, let us do that. My turn to drink, and you can try it out on me."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"I've got that potential but I am awful at sensing stuff going on around me," Trextan admitted.

He watched her rock back. He noticed the crease where her thigh met her hip. Her body shape had slightly changed over the years. She had filled out a little more.

He had often placed his hands on her hips in different ways to express himself. Sometimes just a gentle touch to greet her in the morning. He knew they would be softer under his hands.

He didn't think he had changed as much. That was because he had seen himself in the mirror every day for three years and hadn't noticed the gradual changes. The change in the shape of his jaw, the extra brawn across his shoulders and neck that made him look much more like his father from a distance.

"I'll give it a go then," he said, passing her the bottle. They now had another few good minutes whilst she got some into her system.

"I'm probably more likely to get poisoned though."

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker

"Three years, and you did not get any better at noticing things around you?" Choli ended up saying without much thought, reaching over to take the bottle from Trextan's grasp with a gentle pull. Moving to a more comfortable position, the Warden crossed her legs, leaning back so she could rest on the palm of one hand while encircling the bottle with the other.

Without further ado, she brought it to her lips and took a sip. The warm, spicy rum filled her mouth and spread a comfortable heat down as she swallowed. She let her gaze linger on the bottle as if reading the details on it, but not really.

"What makes you think the chances are higher with you? We do not know what the traps or triggers are. Anyone could potentially set it off."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Hmm," he went.

"A bit better. I can tear down a blast door with the Force but I don't really sense things much better than any Jedi."

If there was a double meaning in her first question it went sailing over his head. Which answered the underlying question if it had been there.

He remained where he was sat. His gaze followed the rows of stored treasures. It was remarkably quiet in the sealed room. His thoughts struggled to stay on track, down to memories of Choli in that torture chamber on one side to how they would have spent time alone with a few drinks a few years back.

"Probably most likely to walk into a trap though, let's be honest?"

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker

Choli gave a small, amused hmph in response to his being able to tear down doors.

"That does not surprise me; you were always very good at using brute force when needed. Although it was more trying to control it back then when it had to be used." plus how he had been trying to get used to the cybernetic arm as well, something he had trouble making amends with when he first got it. Perhaps that had changed, too.

She took another swig, feeling the warmth of the rum flow through her. It wouldn't take long. While she was a lightweight, she had been more prone to partaking in the last three years. Granted, it was very, very rarely hard liquor.

The more important aspect was keeping her typically blunt tongue from wagging more than normal. Safe topics would be okay.

"Walk into a trap perhaps -- but you spent plenty of time with the Justicars... then as a Warden. Keeping an eye out for traps and anyone who might try to pull one on you on a ship must come more second nature to you than you think."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Maybe it does. Not that we often dealt with anything like this."

He thought back to those days. The Scarred had been maimed by the First Order during the same battle that had taken his arm. Then had come the Justicars and the mor organised Alliance soldiers.

Despite his powers they had seen him at the same level as a fresh recruit. They had raided sith cultist hideouts and dealt with serious crime. There had been plenty of common, mechanical traps from the latter. They had reinforced doors and explosives rigged to cover their escape from law enforcement.

He flexed his mechanical fingers on reflex. The arm was certainly due a service. The paddle beamer had long since gone to make room to hide his lightsaber within the forearm.

He narrowed his eyes and stretched out with the Force.

"I don't think...I can sense anything yet. Not inside you."