Last Minute Checks and Balance [Day 6, Mid-Evening]

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

"Uhhh..." Vaya looked at the door. "Tap twice if you're done with your call?"

[Jenna Karath]

Another two taps, weaker, more unwilling to move than before.

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

"Taaaap twice if Vandil didn't manage to figure out a way to physically hurt you by remote?" It was only nine-tenths a joke, with all the sorcerous goings-on.

[Jenna Karath]

One loud thump against the ground, and then a follow up quiet one.

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

"I think that meant you'll live until we make planetfall, but thrash wildly if I'm wrong." She thought for a few moments. "Tap once if you want me to go away, twice if you want me to wait here for a while, and three times when you want me to come in."

[Jenna Karath]

There was a long pause, the sound of silence, and then a few taps, and a few more? The taps were getting closer up until the realization was that they were just some foot steps and at that point the door opened.

Jenna wiped away, with a sleeve, at her cheek once more and then walked past, her voice sounded off as she spoke, "I need to prepare, get my head in the game, and get to the controls. First, the refresher," she said each word as if it were being printed out of a machine.

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

"... sure." Vaya wasn't quite sure what to do or say, but Jenna didn't seem to be in the sort of crisis that needed eye on her every minute, so Vaya went to the console and started doing what she could to get the ship ready. Jenna would come to her when it was time.

[Jenna Karath]

Excusing herself to the refresher she quickly cleaned up, washed the dried tears off from her expression. Calmed her nerves with a cool splash of water. Reminded herself that she was yet still alive, despite the way it felt, and then sobered to the experience of life.

Walking out her face looked fresh but she still held the aura of a dead woman walking, at least she felt it holding heavily in her heart and shoulders. Made it hard to think about anything else at all.

Sliding back into the pilots chair she settled down into her seat, exhaled deeply, "Tididol is dead," she said, putting her hands to the controls she took the ship out of its rest in the gravitational drift of the planet.

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya was silent for a few moments, furiously trying to connect the dots. "I'm sorry, Jenna." She put a hand on her shoulder, in the awkward way of gestures heartfelt but unfamiliar. "Uh, do you want to talk about it in a general way right now, or a problem-solving way?" She congratulated herself on having the presence of mind to have caught herself before defaulting to the latter.

[Jenna Karath]

"Not sure there's going to be a way to solve it," she said, the ship started to rumble as they broke a bit back through the atmosphere of the planet and were being guided to their return trip.

"Just, more debt.. it was already a big ask, and now, I don't know. I'm stuck, and I thought I could taste freedom for a second," she said.

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya wasn’t particularly attached to space, or flying, or starships, but she did like having heartfelt conversations in a cockpit. It gave an excuse to avoid a lot of uncomfortable (for her) eye contact, while her antennapalps could help her seem (and be) an attentive listener.

Jenna hadn’t really answered her question about whether this was a listen and offer sympathy kind of talk, or a help me think through this problem one. “Well, there may not be a quick fix,” said Vaya, “but it’s a big galaxy. Bankor’s just one planet.”

[Jenna Karath]

"Vandil found my brother for me, a Jedi across the galaxy in a time when announcing yourself could have meant death for him," she said, she wasn't trying to be derisive but her voice was tired, she was tired. Everything, the whole thought of it running through and through her head again, it was starting to make her just feel tired.

Fear became ever present.

"It was stupid," she said, "it was just stupid." A pause, the beat of a heart. "I'm.. I'm glad you weren't there, Vaya. If you.. if you were," she shook her head, no time to have that thought as they sailed down through the air.

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya nodded, seeing the complete picture. She took a hand off the console and tapped her cheek, then noticed and stopped. "Do you think you're safe doing this thing tonight? She won't kill you once she has the spear?"

[Jenna Karath]

"She'll definitely kill me if she doesn't get the spear," she said, focusing on the controls for a moment before continuing, "and Petrus, and Xanna, and.. you, maybe, I don't.. I don't know how much she knows. I don't know how many people she knows I care about, who she'd target, but I know the few that she's certain to target if I don't get her that spear."

"So, I have to and I can't fail, there's no running from this one if the job goes south."

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

"Well, if she gets the spear..." Vaya trailed off. "She likes having you on a leash because you're good at what you do. But she can't hold on to you forever. Hell, odds are she'll be dead in a year. Not a lot of job security, gangsters." She blanched as she realized that might not be very comforting, and glanced at Jenna for the first time in a while.

[Jenna Karath]

"I don't know," she admitted, openly. Fear held her, heart and soul, she wasn't sure what to think but maybe that's cause she'd stopped thinking some time ago and just followed pure instinct through now. Focus seemed to be the only thing that kept her going, focus on the next step, the next task, when she thought of Vandil she sunk somewhere deep inside of herself now that seemed to have a sway, a hold over her.

"I just.. I don't know anymore."

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

"Well, you don't have to know, right now," said Vaya, realizing at last that maybe this wasn't a problem-solving conversation. "You don't have to do anything except land the ship. And then later, you'll do this thing for Vandil, which you can do because you're great at your job, and then after that we'll figure it out. We've got time." She considered another shoulder-touch, and after a moment's hesitation, went for it.

"Things are different than they were before, and for the better. You've got Petrus. You've got me. It'll be okay." The words felt awkward in her mouth, like trying to get the wrong-shaped puzzle pieces into the slots not meant for them. I wish Petrus were here.

[Jenna Karath]

"Maybe," she glanced to the side at the shoulder touch, perhaps her instinct was to think it was an attention grab more than something affectionate. Maybe she just wasn't thinking like she was used to, like she would have under normal circumstances.

Realizing this, with a deep sigh, "I'm sorry, let me just.. yea, I'll land this ship. We'll get off. Then.. I don't know, I'll get prepared, I'm going to need to for what's coming tonight. Need some time to think, maybe."

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya pulled back her hand. "Okay. Time to think is good. But I don't think I'm worried about tonight. You'll handle it, and it seems like Vandil likes having you on call. Just get to tomorrow, and we'll figure out a way from there." She smiled, trying to be the picture of calm, reassuring confidence.

[Jenna Karath]

"Thanks," she said, but it was still more hollow than usual. Without much more fanfare she'd bring them in, home, and relatively safe for whatever the next hour, day, or even week might bring.