This Is Not Who You Are...

[Lief]

For a while she didn't say anything. Not even after he had said his piece, even after the question he asked lingered in the air between them, all she did was sit there, staring at him, as though his hand still held her chin aloft.

Though the flames had once again receded, there was quite an ashen tone to her skin and a haze in her eyes as she fought to keep off worse. His words ran over and over in her mind, to the steady beat of her heart, thumping and causing quite the headache. Truth be told she wanted nothing more than to find somewhere to rest, she had not expected the journey or what happened once she reached her destination to be so taxing.

But it was.

"I don't want you to give in to the Dark," she finally breathed, though there was exhaustion in her tone of voice, "I can't just stand by and let it consume you, Querido. Please, let me help you... You can do what you need to out here, you can run this place, do as you please, but when it comes to the Force... Please..."

Her voice broke, and she dropped her head til her gaze was fixed on the ground.

"Please don't let it consume you."

[member='Ar'ekk']

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk reached out for her hand and squeezed it tight, trying to give Jyn some relief despite him being the one completely consumed by pain and suffering. The whole ordeal was taxing and stressing for both and that was shown in this brief yet extensive "confrontation". A decision was already made in the young man's head, one that wouldn't be too difficult too take and that people who were under his wing would understand without revealing much of his true intentions. They didn't have to know. No one had to but himself and Jyn only.

"I will come with you, if that's what it takes. I'd never let darkness consume me because that would mean everything I worked for would be in vain. Including meeting you years ago, in Coruscant. Then our trip in the Red Dragon. I would feel cursed forever and that's not something I could live with."

Outside, the young warrior's armed thugs and security staff remained on stand by in case things erupted in the worst way possible but would stand down as soon as Ar'ekk instructed them to put their guns away. There would be no rushed escape, no shootout. Whatever was to be handled, it'd be fast and simple.

"I have to talk to my people before anything. What should I do?"

Her voice breaking up hurt him everytime she spoke, like a stab in the heart. It was a saddening thing to see, a person full of life be so devoted to save your skin once more. Was it love? The Force? Or just her heart following a hunch? He appreciated the fact that Jyn sacrificed everything, including her own life and well being for himself. That was something he would never be able to repay.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

Her hand tightened in his, and she exhaled the breath she had been holding.

"I'm so tired," she finally remarked, though it sounded more like a confession than anything, "I would like you to return with me to Aurum, so that I can help you fight off some of this corruption, please... But..." She shook her head, and slumped slightly, leaning toward him, "There's no rush."

While she did not like Nar Shaddaa, the thought of traveling again so soon was off putting. They both needed time to sit, to think, to let their emotions straighten back out again, before plunging back into the real world which lay beyond this casino.

"Is there somewhere I can rest?" she asked, her skin still bristling from the emotional static in the air, she hadn't had to fight off so much in a long time, years perhaps, it took every ounce of her strength to remain in check, or as close to in check as she could possibly be. "I'll try not to disturb you in your talks."

Her eyes had already begun to close by this point, her breathing becoming a little more relaxed. Honestly, she would have been quite happy to sleep where she knelt, if it came to that.

[member='Ar'ekk']

 

[Arekk]

He noticed that Jyn had drained all her energy during the entire ordeal and it was beginning to show her tiredness. For her own commodity, Ar'ekk lifted and carried her over to his comfortable chair that he was sitting on.

"Stay put. I will be outside and once everything's settled, I'm coming back for you. We're not staying here."

The Hawk's Den was simply a casino and not a complete hotel with many luxuries to offer. Despite all the wealth and power Ar'ekk managed to earn the past few months, his business expansions were not entirely done until that point. However, he owned a pretty decent apartment in a good side of the Smuggler's Moon Promenade that was near the richest part of the city where she could take Jyn for a good night's rest.

He walked out of the door and made sure that she was safe inside by putting a security code on the door so no one would able to enter without his own permission. Outside, an entire group of security staff armed to the teeth were expecting for Jyn to come out but instead found themselves aiming at their own boss.

"Put your karking guns down, will you? She's with me and if anyone touches her, they'll feel my wrath. Understood?" Everyone shook their heads positively as they were instructed by Ar'ekk to stand down and to continue their work around the establishment. One of his closest friends, not so much of a criminal and last person to have met the young warrior's Jedi Master in Sanctuary was Cheedo, that walked over to have a word with the man.

"What are you going to do now, Ar'ekk?" The Rodian inquired.

"I'm going to be delegating all tasks and operations to you personally. You'll be my spokeperson for The Hawk's Circle and do not let anyone tell you otherwise. You're in charge."

Ar'ekk replied back to his closest ally, finally putting a hiatus to his reign in Nar Shaddaa. He'd continue to run things but to a less "criminal" degree in an attempt to regain his humanity. Cheedo simply nodded and walked away from the balcony area, leaving it entirely empty.

After finish the conversation, he went back inside the private room to only find Jyn asleep in his chair that more than that it resembled a king's throne. Ar'ekk picked her up by the legs and carried Jyn on his arms and walked out of the premises through a reserved spot that was built for him to use which led directly to a personal vehicle of his.

By securing Jyn in the passenger's seat and himself taking control of the wheel to finally make way towards his apartment. Once they arrived to their destination and finally inside the apartment, Ar'ekk took her to his own bedroom, tucked her into his own bed and walked out of the room before leaving the room in complete darkness so Jyn's sleep wouldn't be disrupted.

Himself, of course, would be sleeping in the sofa that evening.

[member="Jyn Sol"]