Private The Yellow Brick House

[Eloise Dinn]

Eloise was overcome by a strange, alien feeling. Though they were master and apprentice, she wasn't especially close to Amani Serys . Yet they were attuned to each other enough that particularly strong emotions could be sensed between them. What Eloise picked up from her master now was anger, sadness... and absolute certainty. Whatever dire thing Amani had just done, she was convinced it was right.

"You said you knew the Chancellor, right? Does he stand a chance against the Queen?"

"The Chancellor is my master's husband," Eloise confirmed. "He's not a Jedi, but he is a Force User. He'll wipe the floor with her ass."

Which presented another problem. If Alicio Organa killed the Queen Mother, even in self-defense, it would likely be used as proof that the GA were tyrants, murdering a head of state because they disagreed with her leadership. Not a great look, but then maybe the Alliance deserved a little bad PR after their failure to deal with Hapes' problems years ago.

"I'm sorry I didn't mention her before. I think you two would've gotten along."

Eloise shrugged. Charlotte was dead, so there was no telling whether they would've been friendly or not. On that note, her thoughts turned to Corvin Strix , the Echani Jedi who had helped her evacuate the burning building. She had sort of abandoned the poor guy in her rush to rescue Diogo. Hopefully he had gotten out of there alive...

"Nah, I'm all yours. I like how you kiss too much."

"What the hell does that even mean? How can you kiss too much?" She stopped running and grabbed his arm, pulling him toward her. "We've only got one life to live. Better get all the kisses you can get, while you can get them." Without another word, she pressed her lips to his.

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

"The Chancellor is my master's husband," Eloise confirmed. "He's not a Jedi, but he is a Force User. He'll wipe the floor with her ass."

"Bad ass," he said, impressed. He was also surprised. "Didn't think that goth twink had it in him."

"What the hell does that even mean? How can you kiss too much?"

"I meant I like it too m—" he tried to amend, but El cut him off with a firm grip on his arm, pulling him enticingly close. His stomach flipped. Getting manhandled by a six-foot-plus woman was surprisingly exhilarating.

"We've only got one life to live. Better get all the kisses you can get, while you can get them."

Don't have to tell me twice. All of his swirling thoughts and unprocessed emotions melted away when she pressed her lips to his...

As their moment deepened, a sharp clink prematurely ended the snog sesh. Diogo's gaze dropped to see a grenade spinning beneath his feet. It beeped rapidly and aggressively. There was no time to assess the situation or determine the type of explosive. Operating solely on his protective instinct over Eloise, he shoved her with all his strength as the blast erupted.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"Bad ass. Didn't think that goth twink had it in him."

Eloise snorted, and the makeout sesh began. That is, until a grenade was tossed at their feet.

Diogo heroically shoved Eloise out of the way. Eloise had a similar protective instinct toward Diogo; she also shoved him out of harm’s way. The result was that both were pushed in opposite directions as the thermal detonator exploded, sending intense heat and shrapnel everywhere.

Thrown across the street, Eloise staggered to her feet. She wasn’t exactly unharmed, but for the time being she could afford to ignore her injuries. “Dio!” she shouted, using the Force to clear the smoke…

Diogo Talon​

 

[Diogo Talon]

Diogo would've died if not for Eloise. She saved him—again. She was on that guardian angel chit or somethin'.

Still, as the smoke cleared it was evident Dio was in bad shape. He took the brunt of the thermal detonator's explosives; shrapnel shredded his lower body; deep gashes punctured his arms and torso; portions of his hair were singed; he was covered in scrapes from the kinetic blast slamming him into the duracrete; and he may have cracked a rib or two.

Dio's enhanced regenerative abilities were hard at work, but it was slow going since his body was struggling with so many injuries all at once.

“Dio!”

Her voice cut through the ringing in his ears. El was alive. Good. Guardian angels weren't supposed to die on you.

Breathing was hard enough, never mind trying to shout across the street. All he could manage in reply was a flimsy smile that quirked the bloody edges of his mouth.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

A terrified Eloise ran to where Diogo lay, kneeling down on the pavement beside him. She quickly assessed the severity his injuries with the eye of a trained healer, her gaze eventually traveling up to his burnt face. Despite the agony he was no doubt in, he was cheesing her with a mouth full of blood.

"You're alive," she blurted, finally able to breathe again. "Holy fething shit..."

Before she could do anything to help him, a blaster bolt came arcing through the air toward her. Eloise's lightsaber was suddenly in her hand, igniting just in time to deflect the shot. And then she was leaping through the air, descending into a group of Hapan troops. They were cut down like stalks of wheat, her blade a scythe.

The severed head of the last soldier hit the ground. Before the rest of it could fall, Eloise had returned to Diogo's side. "I'm going to stop this bleeding," she said, pressing a hand to his chest where the worst of the gashes had nicked an artery. Power seeped into the wound from her hand, causing the gash to rapidly seal up.

It wasn't long before Eloise began to feel lightheaded, a combination of waning adrenaline, her own untreated injuries, and using the Force too much in such a short time. But she shook it off, forcing herself to stay alert. "I'll get you out of here and they'll fix you up..."

Lifting Diogo's body into the air with telekinesis, she floated him along beside her as she resumed their trek away from the fighting, determined to get them out of there alive.

Diogo Talon​