High Cost of Living

[Cassandra Paige]

Creatures of wood and bark were no match for the fires brought by Didact. They stood their ground and if someone closed they were mean, but once the security forces had realized that Dalans burned, well.

They took few enough losses after that.

The corridor split to the left and the right, the group doing the same. Keeping in connection was easy and the interior defenses were much lower than the exterior ones had been- especially since they were more than willing to burn everything that moved.

[member="Itash Mecetti"] found Talik first.

While his was the only form in the long, warm and humid room, the dozen tables stretched out said that it was merely due to timing. Each one had a lip that ran around the edge, a hollowed indent in the center. Talik occupied the far table. He was alive.

By courtesy.

The Dalans had taken him as a living nursery. Several saplings sprouted up through his body- they had been planted through incisions in his flesh- while their tendrils had pushed up and down, roots had sought down, finding water and nutrients inside of the unfortunate man. Their roots sprouted out from the bottom curves of his legs, his arms, his torso, snaking down and around the edge of the table and making their way toward the floor- likely at that point they would be able to step themselves out of their 'nursery'. With how extensive the roots were (they could see them patterned beneath the skin, like veins where no veins belonged), it was clear in a mere moment that there was no way to separate the young Dalan's and the mercenary..... not without killing them both. It was not a challenge of one or the other.

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

He found the room courtesy by the cloistered armored bodies of Didact standing around the entrance.

They were looking away from it.

Impassively Itash studied his men, before looking through the open doorway and seeing a bunch of tables, but the visage of Talik was still obscured by the angle of the doorway itself. The suffering and agony was loudest here though and seeing as they didn't want to actually enter... it told him plenty about what he'd find there. It took a special kind of something to disturb his men.

There were reasons for that.

The Tapani stepped on through first. Eyes scanning the room twice, before he realized that what first seemed like a tree growing... was so much more than that. Talik's eyes were open and his mouth twisted in a scream that would never come. Not with a part of the root burrowing through the larynx.

M-my Lord.

"Talik." Tash responded calmly as he stepped up and found himself right before the 'tree'. His eyes roamed more, exploring every angle, every curve. "We can't save you from this."

The reality had settled in the moment the Tapani saw the extent of the infusion.

I know, my Lord.

Tash nodded. That was easier, if the Thyrsian knew.

I tried.

"We know." They had shared the struggle together, visceral, painful, every inch of the root, every... everything. As Talik tried to say more Itash realized the Thyrsian was just extending the time, desperately. Not having the courage to put an end to it. Not even when his body was broken and beyond repair. Not when his brothers were holding part of his pain and Kalik didn't have to wear the full brunt of it.

Before the Thyrsian could say more Tash stepped in, hands wrapping swiftly around scalp and neck, then twisted violently.

The room was filled with that wrenching sound of bone snapping and cracking for a brief moment. Then silence.

"Burn the room." Quiet, these words, before the Tapani stepped out and left it behind him. But the image of Kalik entwined with the living tree... that would always be seared in his mind.

 

[Cassandra Paige]

The contact came through in the moment he stepped out of the room.

We found her.

While not nearly as disturbed as the men who had found Talik, there was something in those words that spoke volumes. Cass had been around for months- and while she wasn't one of them, they valued strength (of body and of character), as well as a cool head. The fact that she was their boss's.... whatever they were exactly.... meant that if there wasn't affection for the woman there was some respect and occasionally a little amusement. She was polite if not friendly and stubborn while having a hidden ruthless streak they had seen on display the once with the SETA protesters. Those that didn't know her directly knew her through the link, even if she had no idea. Cass was a difficult woman to like perhaps, once you saw beneath the veil, but in some ways that had only heightened the idea that even if she wasn't one of them, she belonged well enough.

As it happens, the one who found her knew her.

The medical bay was not extensive. It was not meant to treat ailments, not truly. It was intended to stabilize and put a creature Kalak wasn't entirely finished with on hold until he returned. A simple glance told that story- the room lacked half of the equipment that would normally be standard in any moderately stocked medical.

They kept their distance, though this time in the room itself. It was disturbing, the state of the strong willed woman, reduced quite literally. But it was more within 'acceptable parameters' and experience. Trees growing out of someone that was part of their link? No. This? They could handle just fine, even if they didn't like it.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

We found her.

He didn't have to see her body to know something was very wrong. No, the tone of their thoughts had already tipped him off, before Itash closed his eyes to inspect their finding in the makeshift medical bay. Just as before Tash studied the sight clinically, every inch, every part, the catatonic state, but the shimmer of eyelids saying that she was still alive.

For now.

"Secure the surroundings and reinforce our exit. We got what we came for." Some of them might have been surprised by that. After all, they were here and could level this place now that the battle was shifting in their advantage.

But Tash was not interested in that now.

They had taken out the facility's airsupport, but who knew what kind of back-up that was incoming? If it were as strong as their static air defenses? Then they'd be pinned down without any option to exit. Revenge wasn't worth that. Besides, this entire mission was not completely a loss as far as Tash was concerned. It took only moments (from his perspective) to meet up with his team that had found Cassandra.

Securing her had been their priority.

"How are her vitals?"

Enough that she'd need a hospital as soon as possible by the looks of it.

 

[Cassandra Paige]

Weak but stable.

We can take her off of the machinery without risk.

Maw, this is just saline, there's no painkillers in this drip.

That's karked.

Careful, careful.

I don't think she's actually unconscious, she's shaking.

Well would you be after that without meds?

Me? Probably- okay maybe not. Eesh.

Let's get her out of here. We've got something on the ship, right?

Yeah. Just..... yeah.

Why isn't there a bleeding blanket in here?

Cause it's not an actual medbay.

Gonna need new language to figure out what to call this.

Okay, she's stable. Let's go.

They'd been careful removing her from the machines, moving as quickly as they could without actually endangering her. In that moment it wasn't clear what damage might have been done outside of the obvious- and the obvious was enough.

Cass for her part was aware. Most of it was taken up by the pain and distance, but the shaking had started as soon as her subconscious had realized someone else was there. Not because she thought she was being rescued- there was no part of her mind, conscious or otherwise, that had expected that. Her conscious mind retreated harder, knowing that it was only a matter of time before she was forcibly drawn back out. She was wrong, of course, but there was no benefit to swimming back out of the pain, up and to the surface, when she thought it was all about to start again.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

His first instinct was to brush his mind against hers to see.

But Itash left that for later. His eyes studied her form impassively as they began to move out of the facility, it was different to see it with his own eyes. That detached quality of watching it through someone else was gone. This Raykkan had done a number on her, her mind would be... hmm. The immediate aftermath would have to be handled with practiced care.

That much Itash was sure of.

"Any sign of reinforcements?" Tash asked as his hand brushed some of her hair away. Burns on her face too, it didn't look like much considering the state of the rest of her, but this annoyed him a fraction.

He liked her face.

Fighters incoming, boss. T-minus 30 minutes.

Just as the Tapani had thought- enough time to get out, but not enough time to send a bigger message here. But that was just as well. Maybe at some point Tash would have a conversation with this Raykkan, but it wouldn't be today or anytime soon. There were larger concerns on his mind now. It didn't take long for them to exit the partially wrecked facility.

Soon enough they boarded their ships and left it burning behind them.

 

[Cassandra Paige]

Even hidden in her own subconscious, the physical flinch was noticeable when he touched her face. It wasn't much, just a slight turn away- but there was no part of her mind or soul that had expected not only to make it out of here (she had known without question that the Raykkan would kill her by the end), and certainly not that Tash would be the one to come after her. It was a subconscious moment, based on the knowing.

The relief that would come when she realized she was wrong would be interesting and educational. For them both.

There was some resistance as they left- the Dalan's didn't particularly care that they were taking the woman. But they were wroth at the wanton burning of their nursery. They fought harder, darker than they had when they were merely defending the complex, and Didact paid for every person who walked out of that factory under their own power.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

His lightsaber ran them through, but more came in their wake.

Didact was professional, clear and patient in the path of destruction they were crafting. Any other organization might have crumbled by the sheer pressure - both physical, but also psychological (evil sentient walking trees) - but Didact remained committed and focused. They didn't allow themselves to be distracted. Not now, not ever, because they were on the job.

The job was all that mattered.

Any distraction could mean death and they worshiped the life of the Sun. "Clear." Tash grunted as he cut through the last Dalan and watched the rest of his men take control over the immediate surroundings of their ships.

"How many?"

"Another twenty percent, Tash."

He cursed. More than half of his Words gone on this mission. It had been costly, too costly and it would take a lot of time before they would be able to recover from it.

"Let's go. We will have time to contemplate this later."

 

[Cassandra Paige]

Cass remained insensate for the retreat from the facility. Considering what had been done to her and the amount of pain she was in, that was a small blessing. They loaded onto the ships that had survived the initial approach and lay quit of Raykka.

In the shuttles small med bay, they did what they could for her.

Primarily pumping her to the gills with painkillers once they established for certain that she had nothing else in her system that might possibly react to it. Monitoring her condition, it was only then that the tight lines started to smooth off of the edges of her features and the muscles of her remaining arm and leg finally relaxed from their state of perpetual tension.

It was only then that the shaking stopped, and grey, unfocusing eyes blinked slowly back open.

Because from the beginning until the end of her time in Kalak's care, there had never been a cessation of pain.

There was confusion there as they cast around- the edges of her vision were blurred by the drugs and she could only focus on one thing at a time. So it took a moment for her to take in the change of scenery and finally find the familiar face by her side.

Confusion flickered harder for a moment.

"What..... are you doing here?"

It was a very, very silly question. But between what had occurred and the maximum level of painkillers they had (blissfully) pumped into her, that was to be expected.

"H-how...."

She faltered, knowing she wanted to ask something but losing the thread of what in that moment.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

One of the advantages of his connection with his troops was that he didn't need to be there to talk to them or to coordinate.

His eyes were closed, as he sat next to Paige's bed and coordinated the efforts of their little flotilla. This had been a mess, a complete and utter mess. They had managed to retrieve Paige and pacify the pain of one of theirs, but- eyes opened as her voice filtered through and coaxed his attention towards her. There was no immediate pain radiating from her.

Good, it meant the pain meds were working.

The slightly off-tone of her voice told him they were working... very well apparently. "Keeping you company, Cass." Tash replied with something that approximated his own version of confusion.

It was obvious, was it not? That expression said. As if it wasn't a complete surprise that he would do that.

"I saved you." The explanation came a moment later. How seemed only possible as a question to that answer. "Breached the facility and extracted you." Slowly, letting her see the approach of his hand, he moved it towards her remaining one. If allowed he'd let it rest right next to hers. Not touching or grabbing, but in proximity so she could make the final move if she wanted to.

 

[Cassandra Paige]

Everything was hazy and floaty- Cass had never been on heavy duty pain meds before and it gave everything a dream like quality to it. Which would be the only explanation as to why the next thing she said made any sense.

"Or I'm dying and hallucinating that you did," she murmured, eyes closing slowly for a moment before dark lashes rose again.

He'd know in that moment that she wasn't joking- wasn't capable of it. There was a deep sincerity in those words.

"Which seems the more likely."

It was less a comment on the likelihood of him coming (though that was more surprising than the idea that she was hallucinating all of this in that moment before death), and more on how deeply she had believed she was going to die in that facility. She hadn't come back out of that place in her mind. It wasn't uncommon, psychologically. Once someone accepted that, nearly embraced it (and she had prayed for death more than once), it was a difficult place to come back from swiftly. She would, but in this moment at least, she believed the fact that she was imagining this.

"There are worse things," she smiled slightly, a little dopey from the drugs.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

Her mind was open and her state brought options.

But Tash didn't rush himself into it. There would be plenty of time moving forward, so he wasn't particularly worried about it. "I hope your hallucination of me is especially dashing then." The retort came just as he softly placed his hand on hers. Fingers curling carefully in and holding it. In truth Itash looked tired, new lines added to a face once unmarred by them.

Some of it had come simply from his regular work, but all of it had deepened because of today. His hair had ash running through it, set of his eyes were tired.

For once Itash looked almost... vulnerable.

"You are alive, Cass, I am glad you are." Not a lie whatsoever. As they talked his mind reached out carefully to the frayed edges of her being. Taking scope of what was going on there, what feelings were hidden, buried, what could be used?

 

[Cassandra Paige]

"You're always dashing when you want to be," she mumbled with a drugged smile, eyes half closing again.

It wasn't until his hand touched hers that she frowned- very slightly at first, and then deepening as confusion flickered back across her face. Her fingers curled around his, almost convulsively. Grey eyes opened and tracked down on that side, confirming the sensation with the visual.

That was where it started to sink in that this might just be real.

That the nightmare was over.

"You..... came..... for me?"

Her brow furrowed- more confusion still than surprise. The one thing that she hadn't felt while all of this had been happening was hope. There had been no part of her trying to hold out because she had expected him (or anyone) to come after her. Her comment that people knew where she had gone and she would be missed had been more a threat than anything that actually might have made a difference in the moment. It would have been days (she thought) before someone realized that her absence was problematic. She had no illusions- she was not beloved by her staff.

And Itash?

Certainly he enjoyed her company- and she enjoyed his. But she did not, had not, though for a moment that she had managed to settle herself that firmly into his affections. Oh, it was the aim, certainly. Some day, if she could. It would be advantageous, of course.

So this warred, sharply, with her view of the fact that they were both playing a game, and he was there primarily because she made it worth his while.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

He wouldn't have come had he known the true cost.

Sixty percent of his men dead and burning back on Raykka, too many, far too many. Tash had known that it would be costly? But this had gone beyond that, he'd have to radically shift the way Didact handled missions from now on.

"The things I do for love..." Tash murmured softly as he squeezed her hand, the edge of his thumb running up and down the side of it. He had felt it- the lack of balance and footing in her mind. She was right on the edge, between belief and disbelief, between falling and flying. All it took was a little push. Just the right words at the right time to shift the balance between them.

He brought her hand to his and kissed the knuckle softly.

Then looked up and gave an even softer smile.

 

[Cassandra Paige]

When he looked up, he'd find her eyes closed, her lips tight. Tight except for a quiver that couldn't be hidden.

She was alive- this was no hallucination. And the implication that he had come because he loved her?

All of the tension, the pain she had gone through. All of the terror, the piece by piece dismantling of her very body. Those words, that way he took her hand, it opened the flood gates- it made this, here, real.

And he saw something he hadn't before.

Cassandra started to cry.

She had cried, sobbed, whimpered, and begged at various points as Kalak had systematically taken her apart. But this was different. This was deep, wracking- the sobs started in her shoulders, not breaking past her lips at first even as the tears started. Without the drugs in her system, perhaps she could have kept control over it but then, it was impossible to know for certain. Without them she might have been in too much pain to keep it in check. Either way, as the reality set in, the series of emotions- relief, shock, grief- flooded in. Some of them so deeply alien to her that she couldn't have put a name to them in that moment if she had tried.

Her hand tightened in his, and she let out the first small sob, opening up a flood gate.

She wept like a child, bitterly and with her entire body, finding herself shaking in his arms- not sure when he had come in but clutching him tightly.

"He was going to kill me Tash," she whispered, not even sure why she was saying it but it was there without bidding.

Later, she'd hate that moment. The perception of weakness in it. The acknowledgement that she was as human as the next person. But then and there, she held him as tightly as she could (in truth, weakly), and sobbed into his shoulder.

Never once did she notice the careful, oh so careful, probings into her mind.

"I'm glad you came."

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

It felt like the thing to do.

That's how Itash explained the instinct to take her into his arms and holding her tight right after. This... was strange to him, the sobbing, the crying against his shoulder and he wasn't sure what to do next. That lull between instinct and knowledge allowed him to regain some measure of composure, to snatch calculation right back and focus it on the moment itself.

These were the moments that made up change.

The little lies they told themselves and told each other. The lies. There was nothing more here, was there? "I am glad too." A kiss on her hair, her brow, nuzzling her nose and catching the wet curve of her lips with his for a soft peck.

No push forward.

Oh, Itash wanted to and maybe part of Cass would sense that hunger eternal resting just under his skin, but at least for the moment? He was keeping it in, didn't let it overwhelm him or take her. There would be enough time for that later after all. It would only ruin things, would only make it more complicated for the future. But already his mind was coaxing hers.

Pulling out and deepening things already there.

Her need to feel safe in the moment. The relief deepening out and fixating it onto one soul right next to her in the moment.

 

[Cassandra Paige]

After trauma the mind is a raw and vulnerable place. Particularly right after, before any sense of normality has been restored. The feelings he went hunting for were there, easily within reach, ready to be fed and grown.

Cassandra was not a woman of particularly strong or prevalent emotions. She was not emotionless, but they were base with nuance only within the expected parameters. Pride. Annoyance. Anger. Betrayal. Possession. Appreciation. The last and a newer version of fear was what played out primarily now. In the past, fear of consequences had been the strongest she had ever felt. The desire to avoid those consequences was frequently the only thing keeping her actions in check. But this had been new and strange and visceral, and the space the new emotion had made was torn and jagged around the edges where it has burrowed into her psyche.

Relief, another familiar one, easy to raise, easy to stroke. Easy to connect to appreciation and wrap it around that fear.

She fell asleep in his arms, cried out and exhausted, sinking into the drugs and the relief from pain, from fear. Her right hand remained curled in his.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Cassandra Paige]

After trauma the mind is a raw and vulnerable place. Particularly right after, before any sense of normality has been restored. The feelings he went hunting for were there, easily within reach, ready to be fed and grown.

Cassandra was not a woman of particularly strong or prevalent emotions. She was not emotionless, but they were base with nuance only within the expected parameters. Pride. Annoyance. Anger. Betrayal. Possession. Appreciation. The last and a newer version of fear was what played out primarily now. In the past, fear of consequences had been the strongest she had ever felt. The desire to avoid those consequences was frequently the only thing keeping her actions in check. But this had been new and strange and visceral, and the space the new emotion had made was torn and jagged around the edges where it has burrowed into her psyche.

Relief, another familiar one, easy to raise, easy to stroke. Easy to connect to appreciation and wrap it around that fear.

She fell asleep in his arms, cried out and exhausted, sinking into the drugs and the relief from pain, from fear. Her right hand remained curled in his.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

Some substantial amount of time passed.

Paige had been signed out of the privatized clinic for a while now and, at least for the moment, the status quo was turned upside down. It was decided early on that having her be alone wasn't the right way to go about the healing process.

So.

She lived with him now.

Or he lived with her.

It was... complicated and Itash wasn't entirely sure what to think of it, but his toothbrush had a permanent fixture in her bathroom and he had some clothes set aside in her apartment. Of course, they had both agreed that this was a temporary measure. That neither wanted to put too much pressure on each other. Itash had left in the morning for a board meeting for Didact, but returned after about three hours. Once he opened the door with the key she gave him-

He heard cursing, a lot of it.

Tash blinked.

"Cass, you alright in there?" He closed the door and locked it, before following the swearing towards the living room.