Take Off The Mask

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Is that right?" Danger would coo, leaning against her husband then. So he wanted to play a bit. "Hmm.. sounds like you got yourself a high maintenance girl." an amusing thought to say the least, considering Tatooine and all that they'd experienced before. By all intents and purposes, most would consider the Queen of Trade to be high maintenance. Danger oozed class and perfectly coiffed dignity that was wrapped up in old southern charm. That she had personally over seen the guidance of the Companion Training gave her the sort of gentle quality that would give any noble their run for their money.

"Perhaps if you were cast out, I might be able to come up with a place for you to lay your pretty little head upon." she teased, coming to a small stop as Mister Tuggles began to walk around them. A chuckle came out, and she nodded to the critter.

"Should we let him run freely, or do you reckon that might cause too much of a stir?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

"Better not." Alric said as he watched Mr. Tuggles slowly wander about. There was a bit of a problem with how excited the little guy could get, and the park area was quite honestly massive. Alric didn't fancy the idea of chasing after Mr. Tuggles for the next three hours as she explored every facet of the forest and looked at every single tree, better to keep him on the leash for now until he was a little bit better trained. The Old man smiled slightly.

"Wouldn't want him running away." There was still quite a ways to walk anyway, they could make a complete circle around the place then come back to the lift that they had entered through. "Let's just go around."

The journey took them about an hour, slowly circling around the massive area with the lake at the center of it. At one point they crossed one of the artificial streams that had been put into place, Mr. Tuggles excitedly splashing into the water and getting his pristine white fur all wet and muddy. He trampled over to Danger, proud as could be with the mess that he had made and shaking himself slightly. It was as if the Tuggle was grinning the entire time, bouncing down the walkway with his now slightly browned fur.

Eventually they came all the way around, Alric smiling as they entered the lift. "Come, let's go see if we can't find someplace for me to lay my head."

He winked at his wife with a grin.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

​

Hydian Way
En-route to Etti IV


They didn't know her name.

Blood and mud could be washed off. Scrapes and cuts tended to with bacta. Even the state-of-the-art medbay within Alric's and Danger's ship processed every sort of medical scan and test in its protocols. By all intents and purposes, the youngling that Alric had saved from Dromund Kaas had a perfect bill of health minus a few bruises and cuts.

Yet it was the psychological and emotional damage rooted deep that no medpod would be able to heal. Almost twenty-four hours had passed since the events on Dromund Kaas had Alric and Danger flee for their lives. Preliminary reports and what scans their own medical scanners could diagnose is that this was no Blackwing or Dark Harvest Virus.

When Danger heard that, she could only breathe a sigh of relief. While the vaccine was available, it was a virulent and horrific virus to live through. She'd seen enough damage during that month it ran wild to understand the gravity of the situation if it were to be that. With a biological origin tossed aside, one can only wonder where it came from. For now, the Queen of Trade was focus on the well-being of two individuals. Alric and the little girl.

Neither were able to step far without her panicking. She clung to Alric or Danger with a near death grip. Dark crescents marred purple blooms under her red-rimmed eyes, their irises a stormy grey that made Danger recall the dreary skies over Kaas City. Her tiny body, when she had coaxed the girl into stripping down, was malnourished. A grime line flattened her lips as she could count every rib bone.

Alric had far more experience with little girls, and he took to the youngling with the grace and experience of raising two daughters. Worried about his knee, Danger fretted over him and the little girl, offering any sort of help she could provide. For now, their main concern was getting her to rest.

Yet sleep would not come so easily, nor peacefully.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric had managed to find his way over towards the sofa, or rather, one of the many acceleration couches that were scattered around their ship. His knee was propped up on a small ottoman in front of him, pain still lancing through it in dull throbs as time went on. he cringed slightly as he sat there, the little girl that he and Danger had rescued finally having passed out beside him. There was a blanket over her, a pillow propped up against Alric himself. Her tiny hand rested on his other leg, as if she were hanging onto a security blanket of sorts.

His own head was laying back against the sofa itself, eyes closed, his lungs filling with shallow breaths.

The stress of it all was finally hitting him, the adrenaline having long since left him and any high from the incident being gone. Danger was making calls, specifically to Dromund Kaas' planetary government. It seemed that the skirmish had settled down, at least enough that refuge camps and the Silver Sanctum government were organizing a bit more. The Trade Queen was knee deep in trying to find out if the girl had any family to speak of, or if the bodies she had been...

Alric shook his head as he cut off that rather dark thought.

There was no need to think of that, not until they were sure anyway. He frowned slightly, looking down at the little girl. This was the first bit of rest that she been able to catch in quite some time, it seemed that even before the outbreak on Dromund Kaas her life hadn't exactly been the most fantastic, the state of her own body showed those signs.

He frowned again, then began to hear Danger's feet pattering down the hall.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

"How is she?"

[member="Alric Kuhn"] would feel the gentle press of his wife's hand as she slipped behind him to cup his cheek.

"She was finally able to sleep?" her voice was low, barely a whisper. Danger didn't want to wake up the little girl, especially after the amount of stress and horrid twenty-four hours she'd been subject to. They had tried to get her to sleep in one of the spare bedrooms, but she wasn't having it. Only after a few hours of simply spending time and holding close to Alric did she finally manage to cry herself into an exhausted oblivion.

"How are you?" there was concern in her voice, the dark auburn brows furrowing as she bent over to hold him in a brief over the shoulder hug. After everything, if she was honest, all she wanted to do was exactly the same as the little girl; simply hold Alric in her arms and rest. Sleep the hours away as what bit of life they had became all the more precious to them.

"We've some painkillers if you like... even a vial of Aspha or two." Typically, Mister Tuggles would be actively joining them in this session, but with what the little girl had experienced, having a rather overexcited meter long critter in her face wouldn't do. She'd likely be frightened more than she was already.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

His leg did hurt, quite a bit actually. It wasn't a searing pain like the initial wound had been, but instead a dull ache that carried from his leg towards his upper torso. The Titan didn't really understand it, the doctor had tried to explain it before but Alric was no medical professional. It was something that had to do with the nerves and ligaments in his leg. He frowned as he shifted slightly on the couch, making sure not to disturb the little girl but getting the bearings for his leg just enough that it was more comfortable.

"I'm alright." He wasn't really, the pain was excruciating, but there was no way he was taking aspha.

Alric thought that he would be alright in a few days time, when his leg had time to rest and when his body was fully recovered. Of course, he'd realized hours ago that he had lost his cane in the scramble to scoop up the little girl. That news would disappoint his daughters a bit, though he doubted they would really mind once they knew the circumstances in which it had been lost.

Still, the loss disappointed him.

His head shook from side to side as he dispelled the thought, then he half turned to Danger.

"Did you find anything?" His voice was in the same hushed whisper as her own. "About her family?"

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Danger gave a grimace, shaking her head.

"They are still processing..." with what had been disclosed, the remains of several of the victims were too mauled or mutilated to really be able to make a positive identification. Close to almost one hundred dead and the numbers were climbing. A knot formed in Danger's throat. Just thinking about it brought it all back. It had all happened so fast...

Curling her hand over his shoulder, she gave it a gentle squeeze. "We'll learn more throughout the day I'm sure." she said. Those of the Eve Foundation were very thorough with their registries. All of those accepted within their purview would have identification of some sort. They would find out who the little girl was and if any of her family had survived.

However, thinking back, all the Queen of Trade could bring up was the image of the two hunched forms protectively over the little grey eyed youngling. In the back of her mind, perhaps Danger already knew.

Turning to stare into the deep blue of Alric's pain filled eyes, perhaps he did as well.

"Would you like anything to eat?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He thought for a moment, then nodded. "Something small."

Neither of them had eaten a meal since they'd left Dromund Kaas of course. There had been the hour or so that they had tried to get the girl to eat, but that inevitably hadn't really worked out. Eventually Alric had settled on the couch with the girl and Danger had wandered off to go assess everything. Of course in all of that Chaos the both of them had forgotten to eat. That was only natural of course, especially considering how things had gone back on Dromund Kaas.

Alric didn't have much of an appetite.

"Maybe just some bread." That was enough for now. "Or something."

Truth be told, Alric didn't really have an idea of what to do next.

If the girl had a family, then they would get her back to that family...if she didn't...then they would have to think. A part of Alric had already thought of asking the girl if she wanted to stay with them, a small part, but a part nonetheless. He was sure that Danger had the same thought, that the idea had crossed her mind. They were alike that way, but that possibility was minute, or so the Titan thought at least.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"I can check the processor for some mealbread." A rather quick item to bring for the Tetan to eat. "Want anything to drink?" she asked him quietly, brushing her lips against his temple. She was worried despite his assurance. There was no denying the tension that marred his brow, or the dull pain that reflected in his eyes. Not only that, but the youngling as well.

In a short time, they would be able to have word on just who and what was the status of the little girl's family. A deep exhale fell from her lips as Danger let her gaze regard the tiny brunette. Her hair was long, went well past her waist actually. It was bleached a bit at the ends. Even after the refresher, there were dark, rough patches on her elbows and knees, as if she spent too much work in the jungle. The dark crescents under her eyes were a stark relief against her pale skin. Even the makeshift shirt they used dwarfed her. She was all legs, arms, and ribs.

A slow gait would have her round the acceleration desk and the ottoman. Her head would tilt to the right, observing the sleeping girl. The desire to gently brush a wayward strand of hair away from her cheek rose strongly within her, so much her hand went reaching out as if to do so. However, those fingers paused. No, couldn't risk waking her.

Darting her verdant gaze to Alric, she gave him a small nod. "I'll bring you the bread."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Truthfully he wasn't even sure if he would be able to keep the bread down. Oh he wanted to eat, but there were still lingering memories of what they had seen on Dromund Kaas. Alric had lived a long time now, at least by Human standards, and in all those years he hadn't quite seen the dead walk. Oh he'd seen horrors before of course, vagrants, the products of war, even the effects of chemical weapons, but there was something about seeing a dead man walk, about watching a corpse rise from the ground...it wasn't easy to shake.

He frowned for a moment.

The Tetan had never thought himself a coward, had never even considered that such a title might apply to him, but he realized that as he got older, most of his bravery had fallen away. Perhaps it was what some called wisdom, perhaps he simply knew better now, but he felt like risks were somehow more now, as if they had become substantial in some way that he had never seen before.

Part of his supposed that was silly, he had after all dove into a pile of zombies in order to rescue this little girl, but in truth, he wasn't entirely sure that if he had been of a rational mind that he would have done the same. Alric frowned slightly, looking down at the little girl.

Maybe he was just coming to terms with his own mortality. Some things, after all, were worth risking your life for.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

It was a reality check.

The whole event was. Alric and she were not as young as they once were. That thought resonated throughout Danger’s mind as she made her way to the galley. It was a sobering experience, one that made her think back a year ago on Tatooine. To when she’d been taken by a local gang and Alric had come to save her. At that time, she hadn’t even considered the risks he had faced. Granted, he had worn that specialized armor, but he was beyond his prime. With a heart condition none the less.

No at the time, both had been subject to discoveries of long kept secrets that took the fore in importance. How they’d both been lucky to have survived then never took root. If they’d had gone through the same experience as they did twenty years ago with the Tuskens…

Neither of them would have likely seen the light of day.

It was a grim discovery of ones mortality. Her own lungs had suffered in that run. She had become so easily winded. Tired and worn. The adrenaline could only do so much. Her lips pressed further into a straight line, crossing the threshold that led to the large open area galley and dining area. The ship was fully automated, and allowed Alric and her the luxury of simply living in peace and comfort. The one they were designing for themselves would be more aligned to their needs.

But that was at the back of the mind, right now, they had to consider that youngling and her family.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Thoughts quickly left his mind as exhaustion came over him. He hadn't slept in some time, and the strain of what had happened over the past two days were finally striking him. His head tipped back against the couch, his eyes closing. Oddly enough he began to wonder about what his daughters were doing, if they were safe, if they had everything they needed, whether or not they were happy. The Titan couldn't help but fear for them, having seen the devastating results of being parent-less.

Even when he and Silara had gone, when they had fled from the threat above their head he had watched over his girl, from afar.

This little one had nothing, no one.

The thought made him cringe slightly, though it was a bit premature. They didn't know yet if she was alone in the galaxy, or if she had family somewhere out there. Alric frowned slightly, his eye opening for a few moments as he cast a glance towards the small figure at his side. There wasn't a lot of sure things right now, not for her at least. He wondered if she even realized what all of this meant, if she knew what was happening, if it even registered.

His head shook again as if he couldn't quite believe any of it. At least she was safe now.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Danger didn't take long.

She brought a platter of mealbread and a glass of water in the other. Her footfalls were quiet, but every step brought with it the muscle soreness from earlier. One simply reacted in that situation. The adrenaline blocked out the pain then, but she was reaping the results in aches and scrapes.

Danger set the platter and the glass of water on top of a small hover table. She then lead it to a place within arms distance of the Tetan. Just then, there was a small
shudder as the ship slipped out of hyperspace. Etti IV bloomed as a small blue grey sphere in the distance. They would take the time to rest here, utilize the advanced medical facilities to check on both Alric and the youngling. Alric might say that he was alright, but Danger knew better.

At that moment, there came a small vibration from her datapad. Danger had set it on silent so that it wouldn’t wake the little girl when she came over to check on Alric. Slipping it out, she gently tapped the screen while gesturing with her other hand for Alric to try and eat.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric began to slowly eat the bread, though truth be told it was more nibbling than eating. It was odd, almost child like in fact. He took tiny bites of the edge of the bread, slowly chomping into the small rolls as a way to get the crusty bit off first. It was an odd sort of ordeal, but it was the way that he felt like eating. His stomach was still rather upset from everything, and he didn't dare try to eat more than his fill. Suddenly the small noise of vibration filled the air.

He looked after Danger as she walked out into the hall.

There were a lot of people that would be calling them right now.

He'd already told Lily and Rose about what had happened on Dromund Kaas. They had known that he and Danger would be traveling through SSC space and he'd wanted to make sure that his daughters knew that they were okay. They had been relieved, though concerned at the same time, and of course both had expressed a certain amount of surprise at the rescued Orphan that Alric had told them about. He wondered for a moment, then cast his glance back towards the little girl.

Alric wondered when she would wake up, if she would say anything, what she would think.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Danger would keep her voice low, ambling off down the corridor so that she wouldn’t disturb Alric or the youngling. She brought the small holographic image up, close to her face It was Aeri Vyn, the Zeltron woman who had once taken the position of being her personal assistant. Now, she ran a large part of the Arceneau Conglomerate, to include Republic Space.

“What did you find out?” Danger asked, watching the miniature holographic representation of the Zeltron woman. As always, she had a posh a-line cut that angled her dark purple hair into a sharp point near her chin.

If Aeri would be able to use her pheromones and empathic abilities through the holocall, she would. However, there wasn’t much to be done about it. She had to relay the news.

[ Her name is Myra. ] she began, reading off a small datafile. [ Myra Elspeth Korden. ]

There was a bit of relief in Danger’s expression. At least they were able to locate and identify who she was.

“What about her family?” The Queen of Trade inquired.

The resulting expression already told her the news before Aeri spoke.

[ What remains we were able to recover confirmed that Myra’s parents are dead.]

A pause.

[ There are no other known next of kin. ]

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

Alric sat on the sofa still, for the moment blissfully unaware of the news that he was about to receive. He wasn't thinking about the big questions anymore, about his age or how he and Danger had struggled to run just a few hundred feet. Instead he was thinking about the immediate future. What they would do tomorrow, how they would have to change plans for their trip, simple things. It often helped to think about simple things, it made for an easier task then tackling the big picture.

His eyes wandered over towards the small figure on the couch beside him.

The little girl shifted slightly, moving her arms and sprawling a little bit more so that her leg stuck out from beneath the blanket. His lip thinned for a moment, his eyes focusing on a small black spot that was on the girls ankle. He frowned for a moment, then shook his head.

She likely just needed a bath.

The Tetan half turned his head, gazing towards Danger who stood in the hallway. His wife looked solemn, her lips thing and a hard set to her gaze. Alric wasn't entirely sure if she'd received bad news or if she was just thinking about the days events. He knew that she had taken part in the Dark Harvest Crisis, so the dead rising were nothing new to her. However, that didn't meant that the Tetan wasn't concerned about her, that was his job after all.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

"Double check it." Danger would tell Aeri, her voice low.

"I will expand my search beyond Dromund Kaas." the Zeltron would state, giving a small nod of agreement.

Danger mimicked that nod, her thumb skimming over the button that shut off the transmission. There was a faint trembling as she held the slim comm in her hand. Her green eyes fell down to it, and she tightened her grip. That was strange. A second ticked past before she shook her head. No, it wasn't honestly.

As the decades had passed, Danger became all too aware that mortality was all too real. Another orphan in the 'verse was nothing new. It was sadly, to be expected. A consequence of the endless battles and wars that ravaged this galaxy.

Turning to Alric, she gave a small shake of her head. That was all that could be said for now. Aeri may bring back news, but if she was honest, every second that ticked by only served to confirm the idea that little Myra had no where else to go.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

He bristled slightly. That shake of the head was more telling then one might think. he and Danger had known each other for decades, were closer than most. Simple actions, a shake of the head, the way she moved, the way her hair swayed, it was all telling a story. He frowned for a moment, then looked back down at the girl. What were they supposed to do?

It was odd.

Alric was a tycoon. He had owned business after business, some run successfully, some sold and liquidated. He had raised two twin daughters, girls that had by all accounts been complete hellions as they had grown up. Lily had constantly caused her sister to be angry at one thing or another and Rose....well Rose liked ot cause trouble just for her own amusement. They had never done anything really bad of course, they had been raised too well for that, but both of the twins had seen their fare share of trouble making.

He had always known what to do then, with the business, with his daughters, but now he was slightly lost. Oh he could raise this girl, he could take Danger and the two of them would see that this little girl had the best life possible, but was that the right thing to do? Did she have family? Did her parents have close friends?

Alric didn't know, and that worried him.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Their ship would crest the atmosphere of Etti VI. It gave a slight shudder as it entered atmo, thick clouds and smog would part as they flew down. Droplets of water would collect on the hull and several viewports. There was a storm brewing. Oddly fitting due to the circumstances that they found themselves in.

Etti VI, the former stronghold of the Corporate Sector Authority, had seen several changes in the centuries since the Gulag Outbreak. They had found a measure of freedom with the Levantine Sanctum, coming under the protection of several corporations. As the Silver Jedi and the Sanctum came into communion together, Etti VI became the headquarters of the new Trade Federation.

Danger was the treasurer there, a position she was able to handle from a distance at their home. Due to their proximity to Dromund Kaas, it made sense to come to Etti IV and utilize the vast network of advanced medical care and to rest. Both Myra Elspeth and Alric would need tending, and they could stay here in safety from whatever other perils they may be. The corporations and the Trade Federation had made sure that Etti VI was a fortress world in terms of defenses. While it lay at the edge of Sanctum territory, it was a bastion of defenses.

Their ship would touch down upon a landing pad, landing struts unfolding to perch upon it. Before long, the engines hum began to wane, and the loading ramp would lower to allow its inhabitants to exit.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Danger Arceneau"]

The little girl was still somehow asleep, laying on the sofa where Alric had left her.

She had awoken once during the journey, checked to make sure that Alric was still there, then gone back to sleep. He had placed a pillow gently beneath her and moved, still maintaining his line of sight in case she woke up, but the old man did need to stretch his leg. The injured tendons and muscles got worse when he didn't move at all, contracting and seizing into an immense knot of pain. He had to move in order to loosen them up, though doing so was a slow and painful process.

"I don't think she's slept in weeks." Alric whispered to Danger as his wife came to stand beside him, wrapping her arms about him to help him stand.

"Conditions weren't good on Dromund Kaas even before that incident." That was an understatement. "I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they'd been living in a cave."

Alric didn't look down on the little girls parents, nor did he mean to insult them. Dromund Kaas had been utterly annihilated by the actions of the Mandalorians, and the despite the best efforts of The Primeval and a few other governments the planet was still mostly a wasteland. It didn't help that the world was a monstrous depiction of life before the Mandalorians struck, long ago the Sith had twisted it into something not quite whole. He frowned for a moment, then looked at Danger.