Forest Fires

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra panted at the sudden exertion, going limp inside the water. The bubbles cleared, revealing a defeated expression as she stared forlornly back at him.

“We thought we were ready...” she couldn’t help but to read him, speak for him. While company was a balm for the madness of confinement, it did little for her mentality. Not that she recognized that.

They so weren’t ready. And she felt their pain over it enough for the both of them. The crushed egos, the dashed ideals. The frustration at giving it your all and still not measuring up.

Or perhaps that was just Acaadi. Still, she took it on as her own, tears melting seamlessly into the liquid.

 

[Acaadi]

"I know!" he snapped. His gaze fell as hot shame rose up his neck. That was the part that hurt the most. Everything had always been so easy. Then he had found himself trapped in those ray shields like an idiot. If the trandoshans had searched them or had just decided to get rid of the Jedi then this could have been even worse.

He lifted his hands in ball led fists as if it would slam them down. Acaadi closed his eyes, mentally ran a proverb across his psyche and let them go.

Acaadi opened his eyes and sighed. He placed a palm against the glass.

"We can do better. I know we can do better. Just...think what would have happened if we hadn't been there." It was cold and logical but he couldn't turn to his emotions right now.

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra stilled, unable to help but vividly picture what would have happened if she hadn’t been so reckless.

Those poor wookies... the logic, while cold, did reach her. Along with the hatred for the slavers that had started this all. She frowned, a growl catching in her throat. “What happens to the remainder?” What she meant to say was the ones they hadn’t killed, but neither were comfortable even putting that event into words, never mind thinking about that experience just yet.


He was right, they fucked up. But not entirely. Something good had come from it. And there were now less slavers out there to tear families apart. That fact alone almost made it all worth it.

 

[Acaadi]

Acaadi suddenly realised that he had been holding the Force tight around himself. A defensive reaction when there was no real threat outside his own head. He slowly let the energy bleed back into the world.

"Locked up. The wookies are not happy about it. They have like this whole history with the trandoshan. Apparently they would slave raid the wookies back then for the old Empire. Its gonna be a big political thing.

"Feth. I hope the Silver Jedi can keep us out of all that."

He took a pause for a breath. Everything had been simple a few days ago.

"Your wounds look much better!" he said, pointing to her shoulder.

 

[Kyra Perl]

That was first statement that managed to derail her, the girl blinking and looking down to her shoulder. The hole it’s had been filled in, regrown over with healthy cells and angry red flesh. She touched it gingerly and winced, grateful to be feeling anything there at all. She could have died. She knew that.

She skimmed the shot on her side, relieved to find the graze was nothing but a patch of tender, pink skin. “It’s incredible,” she breathed, the science unfamiliar to her.

She turned, a wild look to her gaze as it reminded her just how long she had been stuck like this. “I want out.” It was a plea, her hand pressing back against the glass as if his hand could reach through and pull her out.

 

[Acaadi]

Acaadi smiled. It was glass all the way around so he imagined it wouldn't have felt too claustrophobic. He had never had need to be fully immersed in a tank of bacta. It probably started to feel like you were trapped very quickly.

"Let me ask," he said, placing the microphone back and taking his hand away. It left a small print on the glass. Acaadi didn't go far. There was a medical droid just outside who explained the situation.

Acaadi returned and gave her a nod of encouragement.

"As soon as a doctor comes past and signs the forms," he explained. "Do you want me to go and find one?"