Dead Nerves

[Alric Kuhn]

Alric caught the pillow, or rather he deflected it. The soft cushion fell onto the ground with a soft thump, and stifling a chuckle Alric took a drink of his iced tea.

That was something that had always irked her, and something that he loved to bring up. It had all been quite innocent really, he had only had Six for about three days before giving her back, five in total since he had spent two days at home in her company after his return from Tatooine. Of course that entire time, and the time that he had been gone, Six had been acting as a maid within his home. She had cleaned, cooked, and then thrown away what she had cooked when he wasn't there. It had all been an elaborate joke, and an incredibly amusing one to this day.

"Shame." Alric said quietly.

He took another sip and let out a sigh.

Aside from the joke, a part of him was telling the truth. He needed something to get him out of the bed every morning, something to motivate him, something to push him, something to tell him that what he was doing was worth it. Of course he had himself, but at times he wondered if one morning that would be enough.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Danger gave a growl in indignation, however, the heat of her ire could not seem to linger with the deep sound of his half chuckle, nor in the wake of a subtle uplift in his demeanor with the joke. It was the first time she'd seen him show at the very least a shadow of his former self. The jokester. The grief was still real as was the wound, but it appeared he was getting a bit better.

What no one tells you is that when someone you love dies, you lose them twice. Once to death, the second time to acceptance, and you don't walk that long,dark passage between the two alone. Grief takes every shuffling, unwilling step with you, offering a seductive bouquet of memories that can only blossom south of sanity. You can stay there, nose buried in the petals of the past. But you're never really alive again. Spend enough time with ghosts, and you become one.

She did not wish that for Alric. Not at all.

Maybe that was why she did not stop the glaring daggers sent his way, nor the half curse heaped upon his head about gorram Tetans. "Shame? Shameless, you mean," she again, growled out, but there was no venom in her tone.

There was familiarity in her vexation with Six, was there not?

Her cup of caf went rattling upon the small wooden table in between them, with more bark than bite. "How about you invest in an alarmchrono? I can even get you a discount on one," came her smart quip, reaching up to brush the dots of caf from her gaiter. However, it was scattered with damp spots, so she proceeded to tug it up and over her head with a defiant pull. Her hair went wild for a moment, settling in all directions, giving her a bedraggled look. A rake of her fingers through it tamed the waves some, but not all. She tossed the neck scarf to her right.

"Or get a dog." she'd say ruefully, tossing mock glare at his direction. "They keep to schedules just fine." It was getting easier yes, to banter.

The next was said in jest.

"Get a wake up call -- and not from Six."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

He perked an eyebrow.

"You want me to get a dog?" His voice was incredulous. Oddly enough, Alric Kuhn had never had a pet. He wasn't adverse to them, be they living or robotic, he had just never had the opportunity. He was always either far too busy to take care of such a creature, or he hadn't wanted one. Oddly enough his daughters had never asked for a pet either, perhaps because they had had everything else and just never thought to ask for one. He frowned slightly, then shook his head.

"I can barely take care of myself, don't make a poor animal suffer just because I own it." That wasn't exactly true, he'd likely make a very good pet owner, but he hardly had time to properly care for an animal. He thought for a moment more, tapping the side of his face with his fingers. "No. I think I'll just have to do it myself for a little while longer."

Alric sounded rueful, his inflection changing slightly.

Perhaps Danger had realized what had gotten him out of bed just a few short weeks ago, perhaps she hadn't, but as he spoke of taking care of himself Alric was reminded once again of what he had lost, and what he now lived without.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Death is the final chapter in a book one can’t unread. You keep waiting to feel like the person you were before that chapter ended. You never will.

Danger understood the underlying reason why. She also caught onto the fact that he had not mentioned his wife since she'd seen him last. Grief and mourning took to folk different ways, but at the very least it was an improvement to what he had been before. The subtle shift of his voice would return, none the less, as she'd expect it still would from time to time.

"You're right," she'd say, giving an arch of her brow "A bantha would suit you better. One cowlick and you'll be set for the day." she drew up to her feet, taking her caf with her. With that half sputtering, half of it was now gone and she'd need a top off. Rounding the acceleration couch, she passed by her desk, to where the stimcaf single cup dispenser sat. Lifesavers they were, glorious contraptions of technology that would prepare a single cup of perfect stimcaf goodness in whatever sort of style she wanted.

Knocking off the rest of the caf, she'd continue, "Take it Mos Eisley seems a bit different to the eye." she made small conversation. "Lots of changes throughout the years." she set her cup under the spout, going through the motions of selecting the type, amount, and strength.

"Ain't the asscrack of the OuterRim anymore at least." came her half joke, well aware that for the most part, folk still considered Tatooine so.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

"Ah yes." Alric said with a small smile. "You stand in the center of all civilization."

He had a need to tease her, but the truth was Mos Eisley had changed. It wasn't Coruscant or Nar Shaddaa, but it certainly wasn't the ass end of nowhere anymore. There was something to be said about that, a small accomplishment in it of itself. Of course Tatooine would never be the center of commerce, it was simply placed too far away from the galactic core, but it was important. It had become a hub of some sort, and more importantly a destination location for those who would visit Arceneau Trade.

Impressive really, but that didn't mean Alric couldn't tease his friend about it.

He smiled into his drink again, taking another sip. Mos Eisley had grown, and other planets would soon grow. After the Netherworld event things had happened fast, and he wondered just how much had been lost and gained throughout the course of it, and its aftermath. He held no doubt that there were still opportunities, planets that needed rebuilding, worlds that had never exactly reached their peak again.

That was a significant part of Vanir Technologies, construction.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

The caf dispenser would sputter out the last of the brown liquid, and the scent of it would waft with notable enjoyment from Danger. She took a deep breath, inhaling the aroma of it. Three tablespoons of sugar made it complete; sweet tooth that she had. Turning towards him anew, she perked a brow.

"Don't you know it." she met sass for sass, the corner of her mouth perking. A small spoon would stir in her sugar. A rather medial task, but there was something about stirring her own caf that she enjoyed rather than getting it premixed in with the caf dispenser.

"The Bazaar on Mos Eisley is just part of the growth." she would inform him, detailing a few of the changes. "That isn't including the extent of expansions the Trade Station and the shipyards now show." Tatooine was the go to location for all of the Southern Systems Business Bazaar Expos, as well as the testing range for a few weapons that many armstech dealers would use to show off their goods. Tatooine was a center of trade at least when it came to that regard. The charting of a hyperlane to connect it to the Mara and the Corellian Run only made that easier.

The slight clink of her spoon against her cup slowed, and at the mention of the shipyards, she would give a pause. Memories came to her, one in particular. She stood there, studying him, mulling as if to mention it. Finally, she did.

"We dug her out you know." she began, encircling both hands over the caf cup. The 'her' may not be obvious to others, if they did not catch the reference of digging.

That Imperial Star Destroyer they had stumbled upon so many years ago.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

"I know." Alric said quietly, casting a glance out the window and into the desert.

That Star Destroyer had been what saved their lives.

They had stumbled around the desert for days, and eventually they would have run out of food and water. Danger had been knowledgeable enough to get them moving, but there had never been doubt within Alric that that Star Destroyer had ultimately been what saved their lives, what had allowed them to get out of the desert. That was funny in a way, that it happened like that. He supposed it was just the way of things. In the end, that Star Destroyer held more fond memories than bad ones.

What happened after was an entirely different stories. Those memories were both good and bad.

"What did you do with it?" Alric asked quietly. "Cafe?"

 

[Danger Arceneau]

With as much time as Danger had to excavate the Star Destroyer from the sands of Tatooine, so did she also have enough time to discern what to do with the remains. At its core, it had a wealth of technology that had been lost long ago. After all, it had been a transport outfitted with the latest technology and security for the transport of Alpha Red. With the rest of the fourteen vials destroyed, the Star Destroyer was left as scrap -- or to be retrofitted into something new.

The corner of her mouth would perk, "No, no cafe." she told him, bringing the stimcaf up to take a sip of her drink. Light coils of steam rose just over her nose, and she blew on the hot brew for a moment. Looking at him over the rim of her caf, she would continue.

"It is a research facility," she would admit, "For the sector. Medicines and the like, there is a wealth of flora that can be harvested and refined into something new." considering exactly how dependent they had both been to the desert, she thought the repurpose would suit it just fine. Considering the bulk of the Aspha and more was researched there, it made sense.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

He smiled slightly. Alric was glad that something good had come of that. Star Destroyers had been weapons of fear, anger, and war. They had been meant to frighten entire Star Systems into simply giving up and capitulating to the Old Empire. This one specifically had been designed to carry one of the worst weapons of war in the entire Galaxy, Alpha Red.

He was glad that something good had come of it.

"Where is it?" Alric asked quietly.

He didn't know if they had managed to spark the reactor again to move the vessel, or if they had simply dug it out and let it sit as a research facility with some shields, at least he assumed that it had shields given that it was in the middle of nowhere in the desert. Such a ship was big enough to function as a city all on its own out in the middle of nowhere, and he wouldn't be surprised if Danger had simply done so.

It would yield its own advantages.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

"Where we left it."

Danger said quietly, watching Alric's reaction as she withdrew the stimcaf mug from her lips. Folk could hide many things on Tatooine, more so if Danger put the resources and security to ensure it. The Jundland Wastes had natural ore deposit that would prevent transmissions from going in and out, it would keep the area secure. Beyond that were the use of the shields it had originally had, but advanced and modernized. A hibridium cloak would ensure that the area remain hidden from view, not that the sands wouldn't also help out in that venture.

Only those who knew the exact location would know how to get there. With the full resource backing of Arceneau Trade and PharmaTech, the old Star Destroyer had been re-purposed for a new role.

"With everything said and done...there was no chance that the Star Cabal would ever go back -- nor did they." going back would have been too obvious; but that was a chapter in their lives that they had both taken care of and overcome together long ago.

Funny, how that happened. How it all happened really.

Look at them now.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

That didn't really surprise him, moving that thing would have been expensive.

"The Star Cabal." That was something they hadn't talked about in a long time, something that at times he even forgot about. It was funny like that, how the galaxy moved and how events had all flowed like that. His eyes closed for a second and he recalled things that he had not had the chance to recall in what seemed like decades. Everything seemed to come flooding back to him, every tidbit of information, every tiny shred of knowledge, every single document they had seen.

"My father always said that knowledge is power." Alric's voice was low, quiet. "My entire life I've wondered if he was right."

His eyes opened and he looked at Danger. They both well knew how Alric felt about his father, what he thought of the man. They also both knew just how valuable information was. "Can I make a man question his allegiance? Can I make a planet rise up against its oppressors? Can I make a government fall?"

Alric's questions were rhetorical of course, but he spoke with an odd passion.

"I don't know." He answered quietly, shaking his head. "But I intend to find out, Danger."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Her eyes narrowed then.

While it certainly had been decades for them, there was still a measure of familiarity in the set of his jaw. In the quiet,contemplative look in his ice blue eyes. One one hand, he seemed to have come up with something to drive his focus, on the other, just what was he intending to do?

"Knowledge is power. Yes -- but at what price?" she would counter, and perhaps in saying that aloud she would realize just how true that statement would be. Slowly she would push herself from her perch on the desk -- and likely get him another headache with how much she moved -- and she would amble on over towards the large pourstone archways of her windows. There, the view would overlook the open balcony, the white almost chiffon curtains lightly swaying in the hot breeze.

"Look at what it did to the Star Cabal." both knew quite well. At the end of it, the Black Codex was theirs, the end result of a carefully laid out and precarious plan that had begun years ago. A plan that had started with their desire to ensure that Alpha Red would not claim another lie.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

The hard set of his jaw didn't change. He looked up at Danger, following her with his eyes. Even after all of these years she was still undeniable a beautiful woman, and although he'd never utter that outloud to her, at least not now, there was something enjoyable in simply watching her move. His lips didn't twitch into their usual smile, a smile that had come with that thought in years passed. Instead he looked at her, simply watched her and thought about her words.

"I know." Alric said quietly. "But it doesn't change anything."

Slowly Alric rose from his seat, he stayed where he was for a moment, then slowly walked up behind Danger.

He still towered over her, that hadn't changed either. His eyes closed again, folding open after a second of thought had passed through his mind. He stood directly behind her. "I intend for my daughters to be safe, for their children to be safe."

That was enough for him. Alric didn't want power, he didn't want a planet or even a galaxy. He wanted his family to be safe, and to ensure that he would continue on the path that he had set for himself. It wouldn't be easy, it would be damn near impossible, but it would give him everything that he wanted.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

She felt him come up behind her; didn't need eyes to know that.

Time may have drifted along like shadows along the wall, but a woman's memory or instinct would not fade. She knew his scent. She knew the sound of his breath. She knew the way the air felt when she was near him.

With it came a bittersweet tang. It wasn't the painful ache that it had been in the past, but held in the same affection one holds of a bittersweet memory. Like finding the blanket one had as a child, tangling oneself in the scent of that comfort, but aware that the cloth is well worn, patched over, and seen better days.

"You will, Alric," she finally said, conviction in her words. Bright green eyes stared out towards the bustling bazaar, and her arms went wrapping just under her breasts, cup of stimcap in her left hand.

Her head would slowly swivel up and over her shoulder towards his, lightly freckled face imparting that level of confidence she had in his ability to do whatever his mind decided on.

"Come the Nine Hells or high water, I've no doubt of that."