Private DiscipleQuest: Extra Baggage

[Baros Sal-Soren]

D E N O N
​

There were so many things that needed to be said, and Baros had said them all in his head a dozen-hundred times. Swimming in Bacta for a few days with tubes stuck up your nose gave you plenty of time to think, and think he had. He had heard all that Teyla could possibly say, envisioned all the responses. Should he quip for his first words out of the tank? He knew how she would respond to his various levels of scandalous words. Should he confess his true feelings and pledge himself to her for all of time and space? He knew how she would respond to that as well. Yes, he was so confident in all of this that somehow he had looped back around to not being confident at all. It was like looking at the same page you had been working on for hours and not seeing the small grammatical error that had somehow slipped past.

Maybe none of what he imagined would come to pass. Maybe she would be cold and shut off...to be fair he had imagined that too.

He had seen her watching him from outside the tank. She had spent extended periods of time there watching over him. Of course she had brought some work along to do while she waited, but it had given him such comfort to know she was well.

The droids had just finished tending to Baros. "There you are Master Sal-Soren. You are as good as new. If not better, but I do not wish to sound braggadocious."

Baros smiled, but he wasn't really listening to the droid. Droids with a sense of humour were just the worst.

No, he was not listening, but rather his eyes were fixed on the door across the room. Waiting for her to arrive. Would she? Surely he couldn't have stuffed things up while completely unable to communicate?

~~~~11 DAYS LATER~~~~​

The hum of the HWK-290's engines had been the only noise for the last few hours. Ever since Valere and Baros had said their goodbyes to Teyla and the droids, they had not said a word to one another. To be fair, they had not really had much social time in the 2 weeks since the so called Final Showdown. Prior to that it had all be work as well. So they didn't really know each other.

It was clear that she was nervous though. Perhaps it was the way that she tucked her hair behind her ear every few minutes. There wasn't any visible need for it. She just did it. The silence was constricting around Baros like a social noose. He had to get it over and done with.

"Look...we all have skeletons in our closets," he said with a wave of his had, "so long as we are on the same page now, and you are not going to put my life in danger because of any secrets you are hiding...you are forgiven. OK?"

Since where did he forgive people? Teyla was making him soft.

"I know you are not inept. You are a capable individual, and one that I trust to gone on this fool's errand with...almost trust you more than anyone else," he said, leaving Teyla's name unsaid.

Teyla Sal-Soren

 

[Teyla Sal-Soren]

D E N O N
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

| Medical Ward |​

Teyla wanted to keep a bead on Baros’ situation herself while he recovered, still not even the slightest bit trusting of the Isoto’s and their intentions, but knowing that they were not in any position where they could refuse.

Even without the extra ‘motivation’, Baros had needed medical interventions before things started to heal naturally and render the bacta ineffective. Bacta could only repair what was already broken and injured, they were fortunate, at least in that sense. Bones wouldn't need to be rebroken and correctly placed.

The first day seeing Baros floating suspended in a bacta tank and witnessing all of his injuries a second time since the incident with Respini, made her stomach twist around in a heavy knot as the realization of what they’d been through began to settle.

Never again did Teyla want to be in a position like that, where she could see and feel his life force slipping away, but was helpless in being able to do anything about it without taking drastic measures and making snap decisions, ones that she was still struggling to grapple with.

And what would happen the next time? It was truly a terrible thought to dwell on for any length of time, but deep down she knew there would be a next time. There was no backing out, they were in far too deep.

Days passed.

Teyla managed to mostly avoid interactions with Jannus by leaving early enough in the morning so as to not cross paths with the disgraced detective. Valere had balanced them all on a wire, and while none of them were innocent, she still hadn’t been able to bring herself to exchange more than pleasantries with the woman for what happened and the repercussions that were going to follow them because of it.

Every day she went to watch over Baros, repeating the same ritual over and over, pulling up a chair next to his tank and proceeding to scroll for hours through news articles and old footage from the TBK case. She’d seen it all before, too many times in the past, and the search for missed information was as it had been back then, uneventful. Breaks were taken every so often, both for her own sanity, and to receive reports from the nurse droids that were keeping her up to date on all the progress he was making. When Baros was awake, Teyla would watch him, smile, try to convey in whatever way she could that she was there for him and not going anywhere.

She wished there was more she could do to aid in his recovery process and see him back on his feet again, though she’d been reassured that just being there would help. So she remained vigilantly by his side, until the day came when he could finally leave.

“Why didn’t you tell me that he was being released today?” Valere asked, sounding wounded, having been the one who received the call. An oversight on her part.

Teyla sighed, trying her best to keep the annoyance out of her voice. “Because, two people don’t need to show up just to pick up a patient.” Teyla shrugged with some nonchalance, trying to hurry and end the conversation before it spiraled into something else. The tension between them had been building up since the trip down memory lane with the Isoto’s, and was one powder keg away from exploding. “It’s not a big deal. Just wait here, and I’ll be back soon.”

She looked at the chrono on her wrist to check the time and cursed beneath her breath.

She was late.

______________​

The door she’d walked through so many times in the last few days opened and closed with a ‘swoosh and click’ behind her, revealing Baros, who was looking both stronger and better than she’d seen him in a long time.

The nurse droid, who was still standing in the background, glanced between Baros and Teyla, “Since Miss Ee’everwest has arrived, I will take my leave. Don’t forget to pick up your discharge papers at the front desk on your way out.” with that, the nurse droid departed out of the room and down the long narrow hallway.

Not even a half of a second passed before she was overcome with impulse and crossed the room in a few short strides to embrace him, not caring about whatever smart comment or quip he’d have to say about it, or whether or not he would reciprocate, letting her arms wrap tight around his torso.

Pushing all of the worries and burdens of the ordeals soon to come from her mind. She’d watched him float for days in that tank, and Teyla allowed herself for that moment to be filled with the simple joy and relief at the sight of seeing Baros recovered, and being able to be reunited with him.

Peeling back she allowed her chestnut eyes to wander up to his face and meet his blue. “Hey,” she said softly, giving him a bit of space. “Sorry I was late...” she smiled, then asked, “How are you feeling?” There would be a lot for them to talk about, and some of it she knew was going to be uncomfortable, but there was time for all of that later.

______________________________________________________________
W I L D S P A C E
| Present |​

Every Detective had it, that one case that drove them, consumed everything. She’d been warned about the burn out, the potential of a breakdown, going weeks on end with a relentless, mechanical energy when she had felt like she was getting close. When it came to light that it was personal, the Director took everything she’d been fighting for from her, and removed her from the case.

What did she do in response? Took things into her own hands and made a mess of things, sacrificing everything, all for an elaborate lie.

"Look...we all have skeletons in our closets," he said with a wave of his had, "so long as we are on the same page now, and you are not going to put my life in danger because of any secrets you are hiding...you are forgiven. OK?"

Valere glanced sideways at Baros, then back out the view port.

“I’ve got nothing worse than what you already know, hiding away. So, you can put any worries there to rest.”

She had to chuckle to herself though, not out of humor, but irony, when he told her that all would be forgiven. Teyla had expressed exactly the opposite when she’d finally confronted her about it.

"I know you are not inept. You are a capable individual, and one that I trust to gone on this fool's errand with...almost trust you more than anyone else,"

Silence stretched as she worked to put together her response, not missing the fact he’d left out Teyla’s name. Had he done that for her benefit? To make her feel more comfortable? The tension in her shoulders slowly slipped away.

“Thank you...I’ll try to make sure I’m worthy of that trust this time around.” she said with sincerity and glanced over at him with a small, slight smile, before clearing her throat.

“So… where’s the first place we’re headed?”

Baros Sal-Soren

 

[Baros Sal-Soren]

D E N O N
​

The moment Teyla entered Baros found all his concern over what he was going to say melt away. His mind went back to the day that they first met. She had annoyed him so much. She was the very epitome of everything that he did not look for in a woman - committed.

He had seen it in her eyes the day that she questioned him, and in all moments since. Teyla Ee'everwest knew what she wanted and would commit herself to that path. He respected her immensely. It had once been a grudging respect, but now it was deeper.

Without even realising it, he had stood already. It was an act of chivalry and difference that had come so naturally. It was possible that for the first time in his life he had not stood as a lady entered the room out of obligation or self-serving manipulation.

The droids words washed over him without a moment of attention given to them. Teyla was so quickly into his arms, that the world faded into a single exquisite moment. Her embrace was brief, but in that moment Baros closed his eyes, and held his breath trying to capture the moment.

So much had happened. So much had to happen. There were indeed conversations of a difficult nature that had to happen, and the most difficult was one simple, powerful statement that Baros needed to say. Surely she already knew?

She had spoken? How was he? He was broken. By her. His will was shattered. He felt bare and vulnerable like never before. Surely she would not reject him, but the fear of what that would do if she did gave him pause.

I love you.

Three simple words. Yet their gravity, and the commitment that he felt they owed her gnawed at his cynical spirit. He knew it was true, but...

I'm afraid?

Lifting his hand, Baros traced across her cheek slowly with the back of his fingers.

"You are here. With me. What more could I want?" Baros said, the agony of his cowardice causing his cheeks to flush.

His eyes closed, and his head leaned forward coming to rest atop Teyla's. "Forgive me, Teyla. I was weak," he said as images of Respini's dying face flashed across his pained mind. Admissions of how much he enjoyed it flashed across his mind, the deep shame of it all gnawed at his spirit. Even in her death, Respini had beaten him by making him just like her, even if just for a moment.

"I so desperately need you in every part of my existence, Teyla," he said in a whisper, "but you have seen the truth in so many situations. I am not a good man. I have used and manipulated people. And when the chips were down, I resorted to one of the worst crimes imaginable...and excused it because of how I feel about you."

A single tear pooled in the corner of his eye. Baros stopped talking. In a swirling instant of emotion he saw himself pushing her away, again, and declaring her better off without him, but he couldn't. He couldn't bare it for a single moment. He knew it was better for her, and he knew that as he opened his mouth he spoke truth, but in a moment of selfishness.

"I love you."

ER'KIT
Wild Space
18 Days Later​

The sand ripped across Baros' face as he did his best to shield himself with his arm and the jacket he had taken off and wrapped around the heads moments before jumping from the malfunctioning speeder just a few moments ago. He thought he had seen an explosion, but the sand storm was just too intense for him to keep his eyes open for long.

If he had his bearings right, he was only a hundred metres or so from the base camp where the Disciple was holding Valere captive. This storm would be causing them to hunker down, and it would likely obscure his approach...if he could find them.

Momentarily relief was granted as the winds changed direction and instead of blowing coarse, painful sand across him, now it pushed him from behind. This propelled Sal-Soren up an incline, much to his gratitude, but as soon as his mind had processed the thankfulness he realised that the sand dune was no longer under foot and the wind was either carrying him or he was falling down a cliff.

Bracing himself, Baros waited for an impact that would surely shatter something, before he felt some sand brush the bottom of his shoes. He tried to run, but there was no purchase and he was soon treading air again. His feet had just begun to slow their air-jog when he again felt the relieving sensation of terra firma. This time there was more purchase. He tried to keep pace but the wind instead drove him face first into the sand.

He hit so hard, that for just a moment, he blacked out, the blood rushing to his nauseated head. In just that moment, the sand had already begun to cover him, as he pushed himself up to his hands and knees - strength waning has his head collided with a solid, rock hard object.

His hand reached first to his head, as his pitiful groan leaped from his mouth, and then forward to the rock...no...a bulkhead.

"Hold on Jann...I'm coming..."

Teyla Sal-Soren

 

[Teyla Sal-Soren]

D E N O N
____________________________________________________________________________________________​

"You are here. With me. What more could I want?"

Looking into the deep pools of his blue eyes, Teyla saw something unexpected in his expression, unrefined emotion, his soul raw and open to her. His fingers traced across her cheek, leaving behind a warmth that reached all the way to her fingertips. Even if he hadn’t said anything, the soft touch, his expression, his gestures, all of these things could have served as whole sentences. As his head came to rest against hers, Teyla closed her eyes and listened, feel his flustered emotions and inward quaking through the Force, swirling around her like a torrent current.

"Forgive me, Teyla. I was weak, I so desperately need you in every part of my existence, Teyla, but you have seen the truth in so many situations. I am not a good man. I have used and manipulated people.”

His words made her think back to when they'd first met and how much she initially tried to dislike him. Yet, despite all of the animosity, the back and forth bickering... she always came up short. There was something to Baros, a depth he kept buried beneath. Though, none of that hadn't stopped her from giving him a number of monikers over the years.

Foolish. Reckless. Stubborn. Deviant. Scoundrel.

...Endearing. Comforting. Driven. Caring. Sincere.

He was, in her eyes, full of swaggering contradictions. Always throwing her off her game, keeping her on her toes, and managing to drive her absolutely crazy.

She was not willfully blind to his flaws, but saw beyond them, through the many layers that made up Baros Sal-Soren. There was goodness in him, even when he didn’t see it in himself.

A part of her wanted to interrupt him then and there, but she stayed quiet to let him finish his thoughts.

“And when the chips were down, I resorted to one of the worst crimes imaginable...and excused it because of how I feel about you."

Was this his way of telling her goodbye?

The tone in his voice and the ripple she sensed through the Force seemed to indicate that was what was happening, causing a small swell of dread to rise up in her. The thought that he was pushing her away again, that this was it…

The room that had been full with the noises of beeping machines and monitors over the last few days, was now fully of nothing but complete and agonizing silence.

“Baros...” she began, ready to assuage his guilt with a speech, but her thoughts were cut off, and he momentarily rendered her speechless by the three words that left his lips.

“I love you.”

She swallowed hard and pulled back to look at him, her eyes widened and lips parted in surprise as she quietly tried to get a read on him, still processing what he’d said to her.

No wisecracks, no games. He meant it.

The fear and worries of losing him, the guilt of thinking back to what happened, it all faded away for that moment to be replaced with something almost… ethereal and warm.

She’d known how he felt, had seen it in his expressions and actions many times over, but still had longed to hear him say the words. Her innate rationality had concluded that he may not be able to give such reassurances freely, maybe not ever. This was a risk he’d taken, essentially laying himself bare at her feet.

How did she respond?

“Hey, it’s… it’s okay.”

She reached up to gently wipe away the tear that rolled down his cheek and maintained eye contact with him.

“What happened… anyone would have done the same thing. You only wanted to save me and Valere… and that is not the mark of a bad person. You're a good person, who had impossible odds stacked against him, and if it wasn’t for what you did, we might not be alive right now.” Thoughts tried to creep in about her responsibility in all of it, still wondering if her dip into the darkside had been to blame. For now, she pushed those thoughts aside, no matter how much she wanted to tell him. Now wasn’t the right time.

“And I will stand by you, no matter what. Because I love you too, all of you, more than anything.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________

E R'K I T
P R E S E N T​

Jannus swam through the folding weight of dark waters and back to consciousness. Her blaster was gone and her hands tied, slumped against a clay beam. A strange thing to be aware of, past the pain of her shattered shoulder and the gaping wound on her head.

Up ahead, she saw the Disciple, Sion, pacing the length of the abandoned structure with an unconscious woman at his feet. There was some comfort in knowing they couldn’t go any further until the storm passed, meaning that his plans were momentarily on hold. This wasn’t the right place, and the last of his poison vials had broken in their earlier scuffle. When he noticed that she was finally awake, Sion stalked towards her, pointing an accusing finger in her face.

“You messed everything up!” he screamed, his eyes blood shot and a vein bulging at the top of his head. “You and that karking Corellian. Coming into my house! MY HOUSE!”

“Maybe if you weren’t such a screw up, we wouldn’t have found you so easily.”

“Shut the frak up!” he spat. Sion was manifestly unhappy, a man being rushed against his will, being forced to compromise his dedicated work to the TBK. “I’m just going to have to kill you both, then start over.” She watched him stomp like an over-sized child to the woman and withdrew a vibro dagger. Valere licked her dry lips and tried to adjust her position, realizing she'd lost all feeling in her right shoulder. “Hey, Sion.” Jannus said, trying to draw his attention away from the woman. “Yeah, you. I’m talking to you, you fraking idiot.”

He looked at her, and she was unsure if he was pleasantly surprised, or quietly enraged.

“The real Teebs never would have made this kind of mistake. Not even when he first started. He was always a genius. You know that, right? After all these years, and he’s never been caught. But you? Can’t even do something as simple as getting extra poison. You haven’t got this, better quit while you’re ahead.”

Sion withdrew the vibroblade kife and stood to his feet.

“You should be embarrassed, just wait until he hears about what a massive failure you are. Can't get anything right, can you? No doubt Baros already told him what a waste of space you are.”

He was coming closer and closer, much to both Valere’s dismay and relief. Her strength had mostly left her, and she had no weapon. Baros… where are you?

Baros Sal-Soren

 

[Baros Sal-Soren]

D E N O N
About Two Days Later​

The words that had seemed so difficult to say just 40 hours earlier, were now flowing freely. It was almost like Baros was making up for lost time. He said them while laughing, while cringing, while frustrated with her and with others and all the spaces in between. The last two nights they had talked about anything and everything frivolous, but steered specifically away from anything to deep. They talked until the sun began to rise just to be in one another's presence, and then Baros dismissed himself from Teyla's presence just so he would not be tempted to start up again. They had to sleep at some point.

The conversation inevitably came back to TBK, just as it had now in the wee small hours of the morning. Baros' feet were propped up on an ottaman in Teyla's quarters, and was slouched down to the point that he was almost lying down. "No," he said, disagreeing with Teyla calmly, "I don't think so. The Isoto's are watching everything. Listening too. I would go on the assumption that there is not a single true space of privacy. Even the Revenge is not private now."

We will probably have to destroy the ship. Get something new. She's not going to like that.

"Tomorrow we can meet with Valere and go over the information that the Isoto's have given us. Looks like we will be going to Er'Kit first. Do you know anything about the planet?"

Without much forethought, Baros reached for Teyla's hand and slipped his fingers between hers. A slow breath out reminded him not to get too hot under the collar. People were watching.

Er'Kit​

Sal-Soren was very glad that there had not been any form of video recording outside. His clambering up the ladder and across the roof had been nothing short of shambolic. The wind was so strong that it threatened to lift him off the small metal structure. He kept his body as low as possible, preventing as much air as possible from getting underneath his attire. Still, it took all that he had to hold himself to the surface of the ragged roof.

Hope would spring up occasionally, as he thought his searching hands had found some form of hatch, but then it turned out to just be another broken node that once craddled a transmitter, or receiver. Perhaps he was refinding the same one each time. He was just about to give up when his ankle collider harshly with something unforgiving. Stifling a yell, Baros bit his lip to the point that he was sure he had drawn blood. The node that he had recently found would still be near his hand, so he knew this new find was something else.

He rotated as best he could, before finding his hands resting on the locking mechanism of the the hatch he had hoped for.

He pulled. Nothing.

He repositioned for better leverage and pulled again. Nothing. Didn't even budge.

A gust of wind then picked him off the roof, and the only thing that prevented him from being torn away from the building was his grip on the locking mechanism. It budged!

Wrapping fingers over and around his other hand, Baros took a hold of the handle to the best of his ability, and angled his body to plant his feet on the roof. The wind caught him like a sail, and forced him backwards. His feet were not long for solid ground, but the resistance that they had provided offered enough leverage to force the locking mechanism open. The hatch flew open, the wind catching it, and a loud creaking sound indicated that some damage had been done to the hinge. It was unlikely that it would be closing again any time soon.

The wind and sand now rushed into the internal of the small bunker.

Teyla Sal-Soren

 

[Teyla Sal-Soren]

D E N O N
________________________________________________​

All of the anxious tensions had drained away in a matter of days, the hardships from the last few weeks and the weight of the ordeals yet to come, all of it was swept up and overshadowed by the bit of happiness they’d discovered. Their relationship had changed irrevocably between the confession and now. Their long conversations, the light touches, and the many affirmations.

Intimacy, without being intimate.

All of it made Teyla’s heart feel full and immeasurably lighter, even knowing it would come to an end sooner rather than later, all the more reason why she didn’t want to waste any of the stolen moments they found together.

There weren’t enough as it was.

She sighed and left her perch near the window that looked out over the city of Denon to take a seat with him. Without much thought, Teyla tucked her form into Baros, her head resting against his shoulder, and her long legs folded off to the side.

“You’re probably right.” She conceded.

It was an unsettling thought, regardless, to know that your every movement was being watched. Especially on the Revenge, a ship that had been her one sanctuary while on the run from Ferian.

When Baros moved the conversation on to where they were headed next, Teyla hmm’d thoughtfully, “A little,” she admitted, brows furrowing to try and pull what little she remembered about the world from the recesses of her mind. “It’s right on the border of Sith space…on the other side of the Galaxy...”

Which meant that it was going to take weeks for him and Valere to reach their destination. It was exceptionally difficult trying to resign herself to the idea that Baros was going to be gone, let alone with another woman... one whom she didn't fully trust. Apart from her personal grievances, she'd also grown used to having his presence around over the last month and a half, though she understood and knew that none of this could be helped.

“It’s hot and arid, so you’ll need some environ suits, and should stock up on your water supplies. Though, I’m sure the Isoto’s will have that taken care of as well.”

A frown threatened to form, but was replaced with the ghost of a gentle smile stretching across her lips at the feeling of his larger hand intertwining with her more delicate fingers, sending a sensation of warmth rushing through her system. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”

But he would, and she still hadn't told him what she need to about Respini.

The longer she delayed, the harder the subject felt to broach. Timing was never going to be right, she just needed to tell him and be done with it. Surely, he would be the one person that would understand, having survived through the same experience. Wouldn't he?

Teyla turned slightly, peeling herself away to look at him, feeling her stomach lurch a bit as she took a breath. Whatever the fallout would be, she would have to deal with it as it came. "Baros, there's... there's something else I want to talk to you about. Before we meet up with Valere, before you leave. I have to tell you about what happened that night on the Revenge."

________________________________________________

Er’Kit ​

He stood above her now, not saying anything for a long moment but just staring down at her. “Felacat got your tongue? Not a single quippy rebuttal?” she said with mock confidence. “I shouldn’t be surprised, with your level of incompetence.”

Sion knelt down and grabbed her by her blood-soaked shirt, yanking her close enough to feel the warmth of his rank breath on her face.

“I thought I told you. Shut. The Frak. UP.”

Valere shook her head in mild refusal. She didn’t know where Baros was, and if these were going to be her last moments, then she was determined to make them as annoying as possible for the Disciple.

His hand cracked across her face, causing her head to reel sickeningly as she slammed into the sand covered floor before being unceremoniously pulled back into a sitting position by her hair with her milk-white neck exposed.

Jannus could feel the heat of the vibro dagger getting closer to her flesh and closed her eyes tightly, but the blade was abruptly pulled away followed a loud clanging noise.

“Now what?!” he screamed, looking back and forth between Valere and where the noise had come from, unsure if he should finish the work or investigate.

“Don’t you even try to move!”

Needless to say, even if she wanted to, there was no way she could even crawl her way to safety in her condition. Blue eyes watched him vanish down the dark corridor, hoping beyond hope that it was Baros, and that he was ready.

Baros Sal-Soren

 

[Baros Sal-Soren]

D E N O N​

There were many aspects of their relationship that Baros had been simply ignoring as tomorrows problem. There were discussions that needed to happen, but he was enjoying the glow of newly expressed love so much - and for the first time ever - that he was not at all willing to give it up just yet.

He didn't want to leave this moment.

As he suspected though, Teyla was the responsible one. The one that knew things couldn't linger unsaid. He loved her, but found in this moment that he disliked her for what she had done. She had already become distant, stopped the closeness that had been, to 'talk'.

Pushing himself up, Baros paced away with hand running through his hair in frustration. "Look."

He turned around finger out in a motion that asked for his silence.

"I did what I did. It wasn't right. It wasn't good," he said avoiding eye contact as the shame about hi actions threatened to swallow him whole once more, "but...I would do it again in a heart beat if you were in danger. That is a fact that we...that you...are going to have to live with, if this...is going to work out."

His head tipped back as the whole subject of the future came up. That meant dealing with her ex, dead though he may be, and her kids, and the possibility of...

Baros shuddered.

...marriage.

A pained expression crept across his face as the realisation sunk in that these were all conversations she would want to have. And all of them seemed to detract from the visceral experience of love.

He only now realised his fist was clenched in frustration. Opening it, he stretched his hand out in what appeared to be a hopeless attempt to regain the moment that had been lost.

Er'Kit​

Sand poured in through the open hatch, as Sion walked towards the opening. Baros could hear him cursing the planet itself, as if it were some sentient force in all of this.

One step closer.

Sion didn't take it.

Come on. Coooome on.

Instead of taking the further step forward, Sion appeared to be getting ready to turn and head back. Instinctively, Baros acted at the less opportune moment than desirable, but certainly more desirable than in a few moments.

Jumping from behind a support strut in the hallway, Baros swung the large wrench he had found in the room off to his left. the swing connected partially with Sion's hand, but did not dislodge the vibroknife as intended. Sion screamed in pain, clutching at his knife hand with the other, but he was already getting ready to strike.

Baros stumbled backwards and to his left with the momentum of the wrench in his hands. He tripped and fell over into the quickly increasing pile of sand under the hatch opening. The sand was covering him now.

Sion's attach was stunted by the sand, but Baros could feel the knife blade vibrating not too far from his torso. He tried to move in a roll backwards, but the downward pressure of the falling sand kept him in place.

His next attempt was a wild thrashing...which seemed more successful if utterly exhausting. When he emerged from the pile of sand, Sion was stumbling backwards brushing sand from his eyes.

Mustering wat remaining strength he could, Baros moved quickly into a walk and swing of the wrench. He lifted it over his shoulder, and then at the last moment up into the air before giving it to gravity and letting it fall on Sion's head.

The Disciple crumpled to the ground. Baros followed him.

A few moments later​

Stumbling, with support from the wall, Baros made his way into the largest room in the bunker.

"Hey there, Jann. Told you I could fly a speeder."

Teyla Sal-Soren

 

[Teyla Sal-Soren]

D E N O N
________________________________________________​

Teyla sat very calmly, her golden brown eyes watching Baros pace about in one of those headstrong-Corellian moods, knowing it would be impossible to get a word in edgewise until he was finished.

Though she didn’t need the Force to gauge him, she couldn’t help but pick up on the fluctuations of his emotions as they rapidly fired from annoyance, and guilt, to frustration. On one hand, Teyla could understand why what she said would put him in a bad mood, though he’d missed her meaning entirely. Her expression withered into one of disappointment, and for a long moment she didn’t say anything.

Her tongue clicked and she let out a slow breath, trying to steer the conversation away from what could easily turn into one of their more typical arguments.

Just let it go, Teyla. She told herself, her cheeks flushing hotly as she tried to keep her own building frustration in check.

All of this was new to him, and adding on to the fact that he was still feeling shame over what happened with Respini, she knew extra care and patience was needed to allow him the space to sort it out.

“First of all,” she said, her tone taking on a stern and indignant edge to it that she hadn’t meant to express, a bit of weakness on her part, accentuated by the fact that it took a noticeable half-beat before she took his hand and rose to her feet. Though it was clear by this point, she wasn't going to let things go back to the way they were.

Tilting her head to make eye contact, she tried with more effort to soften her voice. “I wasn't trying to rehash something, I wanted to talk to you about what I did. I already made my choice when I said I would stand by you. If I didn't mean it, then I wouldn't have said it." Her eyes traced over his features, giving his hands a single squeeze of reassurance, unsure if it was for him or herself. "And... what will make this work? Is getting to the place where, whatever needs to be said can be said with honesty to each other, and listening to one and other.” Clearly, there was more on his mind and heart than what was being said, and that they would need to talk about later. She could think of several conversations off the top of her head, but they didn't need to be dealt with all at once, in a single evening. Certainly not right now. "All I'm asking for, is that you listen."

________________________________________________

Er’Kit
|Presnet|​

Her hands were numb from the tight restraints and her shoulder dead, but once Sion had left Valere had set to work, managing to get her legs underneath her to try and crawl to where the would-be victim laid unconscious.

That she appeared to still be breathing, even though it was shallow, sent a flood of relief through Valere, though that relief soon turned to apprehension when the sound of quick footsteps came rushing towards them, suspended in wait to see who it was that would appear.

"Hey there, Jann. Told you I could fly a speeder."

Her chest heaved like a heavy weight had been lifted from it at the sound of Baros voice, her pert nose simultaneously wrinkling a bit, with a tired smirk tugging her lips. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll sing your praises later, just get these off me.”

She turned slightly to expose the restraints to him, “When you're done, I want you to grab the extra blaster in a side holster in my boot.” It was standard practice for a lot of officers, and while she initially had thought it excessive, after a few mishaps she saw the draw. “My shoulder is messed up, so it’s up to you. Make sure to set it to stun. we want to make sure we bring this one in alive… The ‘Teebs Family’ was explicit about that.”

She grimaced and jammed her jaw shut as her wrists became free, jarring her shoulder, her arm hanging limp. Valere could feel the cut-glass edge of darkness trying to creep in on her. Force of will. Breathe through it. Her hand came around to support the hanging appendage, her eyes slammed shut briefly, opening again in time to see Sion, his jaw looking displaced and possibly broken, absolute madness in his eyes. He came barreling at Baros back with an unearthly scream.

“BEHIND YOU!”

Baros Sal-Soren

 

[Baros Sal-Soren]

D E N O N
​

She was so damned good at all this relationship stuff. Baros actually felt a flush of embarassment come up in his cheeks because of his reaction to her desire to talk about what had happened. This was unchartered territory for him and he was only now starting to realise that it wasn't all going to be long nights talking about arbitrarily decided pop culture subjects.

With her hand now in his he felt his heart calming until she brought up the subject of her desired discussion topic. What she did? And there was the rub. Teyla was Force sensitive, probably Force adept.

Don't go there, he begged her internally. He knew that until now he had been willingly ignorant of the Force issue. She didn't know about his deeply held views. She knew of his interest in the subject, but they why.

I will talk to her about it at some point. He was of course lying to himself. Being honest about this risked losing her. That was something he could never allow.

"Sure. Honesty," he said with a smile that he hoped was not to fake looking, "go ahead Tey. Say what you have to say."

Er'Kit​

“BEHIND YOU!”

The scream had already alerted Baros to what was coming, but it was Jannus' yelling that jolted his senses towards a reaction. He tried to jump out of the way, but the limp excuse for a jump saw him simply fall slightly to the left and hit he ground like a ragdoll.

He would later claim that this was his intent all along, as the odd scene caused Sion to trip over the fallen body of the Corellian. As he fell, Baros saw the man's vibroknife twisting in his hand, but not fast enough to avoid his fate.

The blade pierced his torso at an obtuse angle, going up and under the ribs. It was clear from the gasping, and gurgling that followed that Sion's lungs were filling with blood.

Baros cursed softly as he lumbered in a crawl over to Valere and went to work freeing her.

"We can't let him die. We need to signal our Wookiee friend..."

Teyla Sal-Soren

 

[Teyla Sal-Soren]

D E N O N
___________________________________________________​

Something felt off, but there was no instance in which she could place to have a tangible reason to question his sincerity. If a look seemed misplaced or something about his presence was off in the Force, Teyla dismissed it as her own paranoia for what she was about to tell him.

Drawing in a shaky breath past the tightness in her chest, Teyla tried to summon the explanation she’d been struggling to work out in her head since the incident. She was not one who normally came up short on courage, but in that instant, her typical steadfast resolution wavered.

What if the price she’d paid to save his life, would be too much for him to accept? What if it drove him away?

“When everything was happening with Respini, after you gave me the antidote, it became clear that,” a nervous flutter took up residence in her stomach as she felt the dreaded moment of truth descend on her, her voice grew quiet and sorrowful, “I wasn’t going to get to you in time.” Teyla told him, swallowing hard and closing her eyes against the tears that gathered, and threatened to fall. “I could feel it, Bar, your life force draining away.” The harrowing possibility of losing him and the weight of guilt for what she’d been willing to do, of what she knew she would still do to keep that unbearable idea from becoming a reality, existed together in a somber kind of solidarity. Her eyes opened again, but this time she looked out the window to the side, at the cityscape directly below them.

“I was so afraid of losing you that I became desperate,” She was not flawless, she didn’t always make the right decisions, but in this, had she been so wrong? What she saw before her was only the result of something good. Baros was alive, breathing, and safe. “I didn’t feel like I…” Teyla chided herself. No, don’t lie. “It was never a choice for me,” She corrected, “Saving you. My fear reached for the first thing that reached back, and it was power. Raw, instant, and unlike anything I’d ever felt before. Something wasn’t right about it, I knew that, but I still didn’t hesitate. I needed what it offered. Not until after the damage was done, after the cold emptiness set in, did I realize what it was…”

Teyla didn’t realize until then, that her hands were holding tightly to his, as if he were the only thing keeping her steady. Slightly embarrassed, she loosened her grip and breathed out, trying to rid herself of the tension as she prepared to voice the truth of her own shame out loud.

“I used the darkside and... everything that's happened, I can't help feeling like it's my fault.”

There was no concrete way of knowing if Baros’ action had been influenced by it, but Luca would tell her it didn’t matter, that the cost was never worth it in the end, and that the full ramifications of her actions could yet be unseen. But what good was having the Force, if you could not shift the tides and save those who mattered most? How could that be wrong?

"I wish there had been another way..." she said, finally looking up at him, her expression pained, "but there just... wasn't."

___________________________________________________
ER'KIT​

They had minutes, maybe, before this situation went from worse to… what even came after worse?

As soon as she was free, Jannus scrambled over to Sion, agony in every movement, that she had to push through, to try and save the Disciples life. She searched his pockets until she found where he’d tucked away her comlink and their tracker, pressing the activation to send out a homing signal to the Wookiee that’d been waiting on standby back at the ship.

“Rafiki! Get to our location with the ship, ASAP! I already sent our coordinates. Listen, we’re going to need a couple stretchers and bacta patches, we have two wounded.”

She wasn’t well versed in Shyriiwook, having only picked up bits and pieces of it here and there since they’d been traveling with a Wookiee, but she was certain the grunts and rumbles coming from the other side of the commlink translated to something roughly meaning:

‘Are you both alright?’

“Yeah, we’re fine.” She replied with some frustration at the inquiry. Right now her and Baros’ well being came second in priority to everything else.

A low growl followed.

“Great.” She said, turning back to Baros, “He’s on his way. Get the girl ready, I’ve got him.”

___________________________________________________
W I L D S P A C E
3 Days Later ​

“Rafiki's taking his sleep cycle a bit early,” She announced, taking up residence in the seat next to Baros. It had been a few days since they’d finished their business on Er’kit. The victim had survived and was returned to her family, and Sion’s miserable life had been spared. After spending a couple days dunked in a tank of bacta next to her own, which the Isoto’s had provided them, he was promptly secured away in their makeshift holding cell. It was a small victory, but it had felt good.

Afterward, Valere, Rafiki and Baros passed the time in hyperspace by swapping jokes, some light-hearted stories and other mis-adventures from a time before. Over the course of it, Jannus had to admit that she was growing not only more impressed with Baros, but felt a closer connection that moved outside the restraints of mere professionalism, having a difficult time not getting sucked into the vortex of his effortless charm.

“He says you’re flying us the rest of the way back to Denon. Seems to me you’ve impressed him if he’s willing to leave us in your hands.” she smiled, giving him a teasing look. “You don’t mind having a less hairy copilot for the next few hours, do you?”

Baros Sal-Soren

 

[Baros Sal-Soren]

D E N O N
​

Well. He didn't get to avoid the situation for very long now did he. To the best of Baros' ability he kept his face and posture neutral. The hatred that he held for the Force was not mutually exclusive to the unknownable, unattainable, special sauce of the Jedi, Sith and other like-minded cults. No, he had a very real detest for the adherents of the Force as well. He had studied them and their ways for years now and had become convinced that without Force Users, the universe would have reached a place of peace and harmony a long time ago. All the Force did was amplify the arrogance, greed and lust for power that sentient beings trended towards. It kept sentience from evolving.

For Teyla to be so blatantly a Force-user, and so openly, was a sting that Baros felt deep within his core. He hated what she had done, hated hw she had done it, but loved her with a fire that even his own prejudices could not quench. He took a moment, eyes darting away briefly from maintaining eye contact, to consider the possibility that his own inate lust and putridity found a thrill in loving someone devoted to that which he despised. There was something secretly sinful about it?

"I wish there had been another way, but there just... wasn't."

Baros did not respond verbally to any of the words. In fact, he feared what might come out if he did. Instead, he leant into the moment and took Teyla fully into his embrace. His lips sought hers, muffling the wasn't that came from her mouth.

WILDSPACE​

It had been an oddly peaceful trip back to Denon so far. Despite having a madman in the makeshift brig, Baros had felt more relaxed than he had for some time. Shooting the breeze with a Wookiee and a disgraced cop had not always been on the agenda, but now it was par for the course. He liked it too.

"I think Rafiki just got tired of hearing my bantha milk stories," Baros said with a chuckle. The last had involved sour milk in a guests stimcaf. It wasn't the greatest story, but they had reached a point of exhaustion from staying up and laughing together so much, that anything seemed funny. "Honestly not sure why milk from such a disgusting creature is so popular. Thala-siren milk is much tasier...here I go again."

He glanced across at Valere and smiled. Her presence was welcome. More than he would have once thought. "Thanks for all you did back there Jannus," he said, using her first name for what felt like the first time, "we make a pretty good team...hopefully should mop up these disciples in no time."

Teyla Sal-Soren

 

[Teyla Sal-Soren]

Location: Denon
Equipment: None
Outfit: XoXo
Tag: Baros Sal-Soren

Years of sitting at the feet of her father, and later the Queen of Naboo herself, had taught Teyla something about political maneuvering and how to read body language. Baros was listening intently, but there was an otherworldly stillness, a thoughtful effort of control, that gave her a sense of unease. Something in the air, unsettled and nervous. Her intelligent eyes roamed over him, as if she could try to detect what he was attempting to conceal from her, then scoffed inwardly at herself.

There you go again. You’re reaching, Tey, because you’re worried about what he might think.

With a whim, she dispeled the intrusive thoughts as being nothing but her own paranoia getting the better of her. There was no underlying tension that needed to be dealt with, and those voices of doubt further dimmed when his lips covered hers, anxieties melting away in the security of his embrace. Teyla wanted to believe in his sincerity. If Baros had more to say, then undoubtedly he would tell her his thoughts.

…What was there to hide?

_________________________________________________________

W I L D S P A C E​

Jannus blew gently on the steaming cuppa in her hands, grinning from ear to ear.

“I thought they were entertaining. Though I didn’t realize you were such a milk fanatic Sal-Soren. Unless this was all just an elaborate ploy to get me to pick up green milk the next time we make a stop for supplies? All you had to do was ask, you know.”

She laughed softly and inhaled a deep breath before leaning forward to get a look at the technical readouts on the navcomputer. “So, how many hours we lookin’ at till-”

"Thanks for all you did back there Jannus,”

Her eyes darted up at the use of her first name, she hadn’t been on a first name basis with him since the incident with the Isoto’s had laid bare all of her own hypocrisies. It was a step in the right direction, that maybe, just maybe, the Corellian was finally starting to put some trust in her again, that he hadn’t totally written her off. Something she wasn’t expecting, but hoped for. Jannus knew better than most how hard it was to regain someone’s trust once it was lost, and knew that a lot of what had happened to Baros and …. Teyla… had been a direct result of her own selfish, hellbent-schemes to bring down the TBK.

A soft smile pulled at her lips, but quickly faded at his next words.

“we make a pretty good team...hopefully should mop up these disciples in no time."

One the one hand, she was just as eager to get through these disciples as he was, but on the other, she disliked what would come about once the mission was over. No more late night laughs and absurd debates. Baros would go back to Naboo, to Teyla, and she’d be alone again.

“You know… it doesn’t have to end.” Her lips pressed together, looking over at him with a slightly arched brow. “There’s a whole galaxy out there full of miscreants, and the vigilant do-gooder vibes with you. We could help a lot of people. Like that girl we rescued on Er’kit.”

 

[Baros Sal-Soren]

WILDSPACE​

...it doesn't have to end.

Briefly catching the pursed lips when he glanced across the cockpit, Baros had a sudden chill run through him. Valere was proposing a continued venture. Why hadn't he seen this possibility sooner? Years of casually flirting with any and every attractive woman that caught his eye, had led him to a certain level of ease and comfort with it. Had he slipped into these mannerisms? Had he given a false impression.

His hands fumbled the controls on the routine navigation check that he was in the middle of. He grinned sheepishly. Valere. Yes, not Jannus, but Valere, was an attractive, effective operative. In many respects she had all the hall marks of a younger, less responsibility laiden Teyla.

The fumble casually fell into a wave of his hand as he lent back in his chair. It reclined far enough for the Wookiee that normally sat there, causing Baros to momentarily lose his balance and not achieve the calm posture he had intended.

"Valere..."

He stumbled across the purposefully chosen name.

"...I'm not a hero. Certainly not a hero for hire. I am a simple man...merely a tailor...trying to make my way in the universe."

His features, oddly soft for the normally confident Corellian, endeavoured to let Jannus down easily. He relied on her, needed her in a professional sense. But romantically? He thought he would never say it, but there was only one woman for him.

"I'm not sure what vibes I was putting out...but I think they may have been misunderstood," he said with a chuckle, the hidden meaning not really that hidden.

It was going to be a long ride back to Denon.

| Teyla Sal-Soren |​

 

[Teyla Sal-Soren]

Location: Inquisitor's Revenge
Equipment: None
Outfit: XoXo
Tag: Baros Sal-Soren

"I see," Jannus answered quietly, shifting in her seat and trying to keep the bite of his rejection from presenting in her expression, her self-assurance having taken a deep nose dive. "seems as though I did misunderstand."

Her tongue clicked and the blonde lifted the porcelain white mug back to her lips to take another careful sip of her currently luke-warm tea, providing a small distraction to organize her thoughts. "I guess I just didn't peg you as the type to settle for normalcy." Valere remarked, trying to play it off casually. "But if that's what you want..." Her blue eyes swept over to his and lingered there for a half-beat, then down at the read out.

"Only eight more hours to Denon," she sighed, uncrossing her legs and standing to her feet, motioning to her cuppa. "I'm going to go reheat this, don't crash while I'm gone."

Eight. Long. Agonizing hours.

 

[Baros Sal-Soren]

The sting of his words was apparent across her face. Oddly, he felt the sting too. It was a new experience to turn down a woman because he was devoted to another. Normally it was out of lack of interest, or that they offered no advancement in his career ambitions at the least. Valere was neither of those and yet he had not hesitated. Teyla had made him, if not a better man, at least a different man. The fact that he stung seeing her rejection was something that he would have to parse out during some alone time.

"Eight hours with me flying...I will try to make it 7 and a half," he said with a smile that came across as forced. He was not familiar with alleviating this level of awkwardness where he actually cared about how the other friend-zoned party might feel.

There were going to be quite a few more missions like this with Valere. He would have to address this at some point, or maybe it would just work itself out. Either way. Now was not the time.

Now he would just stare into the maelstrom of the hyperspace funnel and wonder. What else had changed about him since returning to the TBK case. His hands left the controls and went into his pockets as he rested into his rather automated task of flying the ship. His fingers bumped into the small pouch that contained a singular item of jewellery.

Is it time?

D E N O N​

The Inquisitor's Revenge had finished its landing cycle, and the three crew members plus prisoner were already descending the boarding ramp. The Isoto's droids were present and ready to take the disciple into their custody. A pang of uncertainty hit Baros in his gut. The Isotos still left a lot to be desired in their methodology and he was still not convinced of their sincerity. But, they provided the means and the ends to type up a lot of loose ends to a problem that had plagued Baros and Teyla for years. If anything, Baros at least knew he was playing with fire, so he could be aware of the possibility of being burned.

A wave to Rafiki and Valere, saw Baros turn towards a small garden off to the side of the private docking bay. The enclosed greenhouse seemed to be impeccably maintained, and while small, was laid out in such a way to maximise the traversable space and make one feel they were lost in a garden that went on indefinitely.

It was here that Baros had agreed to meet with Teyla. Away from prying eyes. Hopefully anyway.

Rounding a corner, Baros saw Teyla with her back to him and looking out the window at the end of the garden. Again, as he had so often, he paused in wonder. Whereas once he would look upon with almost lecherous eyes, observing her curves and features as a trophy, or a prize to be achieved by domination or coercion, now he just felt...

"We got him."

| Teyla Sal-Soren |​

 

[Teyla Sal-Soren]

Location: Denon
Equipment: None
Outfit: XoXo
Tag: Baros Sal-Soren

She could have stood there for hours in front of that window lost in thought. It had been too long since they last saw each other, and while it’d only been months, to Teyla it felt like an eternity had passed. So much had changed while he had been away, and there was no small part of her that wondered how he was going to take the news she had to bring him today - what it meant for their future.

When the low rumble of his voice broke the silence, an overwhelming feeling of solidarity and wholeness electrified her senses. A soft brown ringlet tumbled over her shoulder as she turned to meet his gaze, a certain glow in the smile that greeted him blossoming across her clever lips. “Oh, Bar.” she said, her voice carrying a mellifluous quality behind it as she crossed the space that kept them apart and kissed him with a feverish intensity. “I’m just glad you are here, and that you’re okay.” Teyla had worried for him endlessly while he was across the stars hunting down disciples, knowing that there would be nothing she could do if something went wrong… and now…

“I know you wanted to tell me something, but,” Uncertainty lingered behind her golden-brown eyes that were locked on to his deep ocean blues, her heart pumping a little more quickly. She’d gone through every scenario in her head, every reaction, but the anxiety still twisted her insides. “I have something remarkable to tell you, first.”