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last_kalligIbani is at a corner booth in Milliways, examining a tactical map of the Kurost sector of the Mid-Rim, specifically the Nanth'ri system.
She's half in, half out of armor, a look worn by many commanders in many worlds and many times. A look that suggests that the Commander was either interrupted en route to sleep or has given up on it entirely.
She has a small stack of holopads set out on the table, listing various groups and their locations, most of them are crossed out. The two on top are for a Major Bessiker and the Sith Hiran Bessiker, his son.
She'd hoped she would never need to enter the Foundry again, but events have conspired against her.
Her stomach sinks as she recalls what she's fairly sure will be Major Bessiker's last message to her or to anyone, that a group of fanatical Jedi had taken the Foundry. She's checked again and again, and there is no one she can send, no one she can spare.
If she can't find an answer here, she'll be going alone into what the data tells her MUST be a trap.
(OOC: dialogue in italics is taken from/adapted from Ibani's canon.)
She's half in, half out of armor, a look worn by many commanders in many worlds and many times. A look that suggests that the Commander was either interrupted en route to sleep or has given up on it entirely.
She has a small stack of holopads set out on the table, listing various groups and their locations, most of them are crossed out. The two on top are for a Major Bessiker and the Sith Hiran Bessiker, his son.
She'd hoped she would never need to enter the Foundry again, but events have conspired against her.
Her stomach sinks as she recalls what she's fairly sure will be Major Bessiker's last message to her or to anyone, that a group of fanatical Jedi had taken the Foundry. She's checked again and again, and there is no one she can send, no one she can spare.
If she can't find an answer here, she'll be going alone into what the data tells her MUST be a trap.
(OOC: dialogue in italics is taken from/adapted from Ibani's canon.)
no subject
Date: 2020-08-08 01:30 pm (UTC)"Perfectly," Acina snarls back.
The Dark vanishes, as if it was never there, and Ibani lets go of the power holding Acina.
"Capital, I'm so glad we could resolve this little misunderstanding, aren't you?"
"Many things have been made clear, yes," Acina replies. The fear is there still, and the hatred, but Acina has damped it down, is regaining control of herself. "Since the situation seems to have been resolved, I shall leave matters in your capable hands."
Ibani bows slightly. "As you wish, Empress Acina." She does not take her eyes off of Acina until the Empress' shuttle is gone.
Then, she lets the illusion covering her armor go, takes off her helmet. She can just be Ibani now, for whatever that's worth.
She can't quite conceal her heartache from Ben she speaks. "I am sorry you had to see the monster Korriban made of me, Ben. For several reasons."
no subject
Date: 2020-08-08 01:41 pm (UTC)He says nothing about her regret, nothing about her actions, nothing about her threats or willingness to follow through on them. But nor does he offer compassion, reassurance, or love through the Force. It's just him, and he's there, in the physical sense.
"Is there anything still to do?"
no subject
Date: 2020-08-08 01:51 pm (UTC)She's not sure how to read his touch, his bare hand on her armor. She yanks the gauntlet off her right hand, reaches up to gently touch his face.
"No, we're done here. Hopefully for good this time." She smiles at him, but it's a sad smile. "Thank you, Ben, for everything, for what it's worth."
The sorrow in her heart is a great and terrible thing. She doesn't MEAN for him to see it, but she doesn't expect he'll ever want to see her again, after this.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-08 02:06 pm (UTC)He doesn't know how to tell her what he feels - wouldn't be able to tell her even if he wasn't hiding, because even then, for twenty or so years as a Jedi, he was so used to lying through the Force about what he was or wasn't feeling, he'd never be able to give her what she craves.
And now he's done with the lies, but his need to hide overrides everything else.
No one touches him like this anymore. No one touches him physically at all, really. Haven't for a long time.
His lips part as he breathes through his mouth, and he wonders how he's going to get through this without hurting her.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-08 02:21 pm (UTC)For Ibani, romantic love and sexual desire are both flowers that have only ever bloomed a handful of times in her life. Always together and always with friends she's had for years. The feelings have never been mutual, so she never said anything to them, what would have been the point?
But Ben is hard to read, always has been. And, well, she needs to know if he's even a FRIEND anymore.
"You're a hard man to read, Ben," she says quietly. "You could hate me, and I'm not sure you'd ever let it show."
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Date: 2020-08-08 02:30 pm (UTC)The word Jedi is meaningless right here and now, and not as applicable as he'd like it to be, but nevertheless.
"You should know by now that I would never hate you," he says warmly despite the smirk.
He could mean her specifically, but he's he's never found it difficult to let go of hate, in any direction.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-08 02:47 pm (UTC)"I suppose in some respects I'm a slow learner," she replies with self-deprecating humor. "I haven't had all that many friends, and none of them have ever seen that side of me, before."
"Korriban makes monsters, or corpses." And that might prompt Ben to remember what the Force showed him, on Manaan. "That side of me is the price I paid for my survival. I justified my continued existence with the possibility of becoming powerful enough to make things better than they were."
no subject
Date: 2020-08-08 03:16 pm (UTC)He covers her hand with his, lowers it slowly. "Come, let's get out of this place."
no subject
Date: 2020-08-08 03:20 pm (UTC)She flushes slightly, but keeps a hold of his hand. "Yes, let's get out here."