Open [Mon Cala] Surviving the Unsurvivable

[Siria Zale]

Spoiler: Music

These events occur after the devastation of Mon Cala
​

"Siria..." The voice came first, muffled but still familiar to the woman. When she was a child, her father had only spoken her name when things were serious. "Siria Zale..." She was in trouble. It was never something she chose to do that bothered the man. It was always how well she did it. It was always something Siria knew she could have done better.

"Siria!" The woman could see the man in her mind already looking with some expression of limited patience. She hadn't thought about lessons or training in ages. "A Zale doesn't give up so easily." The rest of her memory came to the front of her mind as she saw herself having been knocked down, opposite the aristocratic outfit paired with a vibrosword that was her father. Siria had her dueling weapon on the floor and inert. She had been disarmed again.

The blade was so heavy to swing.

"I said, get up." His voice echoed in her head. It was easier just to stay down. Then maybe it would all stop.

Her father took a step towards her. She tried saying his position in the family like it was a question. 'dad?' she mouthed, but in this dreamed memory it was as if her vocal cords were muted. "...fight..." The blurred vibrosword held in the man's hand rose over his head as his voice seemed to boom unnaturally with the weight of rolling thunder.

Siria awoke, soaked from head to toe in briny water. A fit of coughing and she nearly fell off of the piece of debris she was floating on top of. Ears nose, and eyes were waterlogged and took a moment to clear.

Looking around, the woman tried to make heads or tails of where she was and what had happened. The last thing she remembered was being in Dac City. The senator almost spoke to herself but it only lead to more coughing. Siria became aware of how thristy she was, how hungry, how tired. Maybe she would just rest her eyes a bit and let the currents take her.

The Senator of Tirahnn pushed those urges to the back of her mind. Somehow she had made it out of that hotel. The thing had gone tits up and before she knew it they were taking on water and separated. Aside from the clothes she had been wearing that day which were now much worse for wear, Siria was without any resources.

Her work and personal commlink were both in her pockets but turned out to be too soaked or damaged by the salt water. The datapad she carried was cracked and while it had a charge, the screen was useless. The remnants of what used to be the woman's family pendant was flash-welded to the chain it had been connected to. The clinking cold metal now grasped tightly in her hand. On her chest, where it had blocked a blaster bolt meant for her heart, now sat a sizable bruise making it even harder to breath than normal. Some of what had happened was coming back to her. But it would take time, and none of that would matter if she died of starvation or dehydration on Mon Cala. Everyone probably thought she was dead.

Pieces of wreckage and debris from a damaged ship lingered in the waves around her. The crests lessened with the passing of time but it would be a small respite for Siria. The woman had never been in this type of situation. She had no idea how to get out of this.

@vamp

 

[Lex Solus]

Amidst the utter, war-like chaos of the terrorist attack on Mon Cala, a Senator had gone missing. That was certainly not something to overlook, and there were billions of people relying on said Senator, so calling off the search--no matter how impossible--was not a choice. Truth be told, Lex was mostly here for the credits he'd been offered, but was glad to be helping out in any way he can after the needless devastation. His reputation as a Mandalorian preceded him; those paying him did not even care what his name was, only that he wore a beskar'gam and had a ship. That was all it took in the Galaxy these days, it seemed, and the gun-for-hire and bounty hunter economy was booming. This was a bit more delicate, but it certainly reminded the Solus of searching for a target that he had to apprehend or just take out.

His eyes surveyed the cerulean sea below, waves upon waves making him see double every once in a while, making him take a few moments to blink until his strained eyes could catch up. He'd been at it for a good few hours, but based on his assessment--her last known location, the circumstances around her disappearance and the basics like movements of the currents and speed of the wind for the past few days--he'd managed to triangulate an estimated location, and he was nearing those co-ordinates. He did sort of have skin in the game, since the Senator had distant Mandalorian relatives, and he would always help family--so long as they did not bow to sorcerers and warlords.

The rest of the search crew had given up and gone home for the day, but Lex refused to. He was never the type to give up on a job no matter how difficult, and the importance of the Senator only raised the stakes. He was thinking about something else as he searched, but was snapped out of his thoughts as he saw a few bits of what looked to be durasteel poking out over the horizon. Eyebrows raising, he shifted the stick and pressed a button, and his ship zoomed forward, repulsors working overtime and roaring over the waves. She would be able to hear him even from the moment he was just a small dot growing larger, sending waves in different directions away from him.

"Holy shit," he cried out, amazed that he had actually been spot on. "Holy shit, I'm good. Holy shit--I'm spectacular!"

He slowed down as he got closer, bringing the ship to a hover and then lowering it down into the waters. Lex activated the auto-pilot and set it to stay and got out of his seat, leaving his weapons behind but still kitted out in his second skin. The Mandalorian strode to the exit and tapped a button, and the door hissed open. He carefully hopped onto a long sheet of durasteel that seemed to have been part of some hull, and waved over to the woman.

"Senator!" he called out, making sure she heard and saw him. "Kad smiles upon you on this day!"

@Darasuum

 

[Siria Zale]

music shift
​

The shifting of waters and crashing of waves against one another became the constant sound for Siria as she had nothing but time. The sky gradually began to shift and the cool cloud cover made way for bright sunlight. The Senator had time to wonder how bad it would be for her to be stuck out in direct sunlight, especially with her complexion for an extended period of time.

The bright blue eyes looked to either side of her in the surrounding waters, the Senator was on the look out for something she could use to protect herself from the sun's rays. But in doing so she first heard the sound of an engine over winds. Looking around and scanning the horizon, it wasn't long before she saw the approaching shape of a ship.

The woman wobbled as she tried to stand, catching herself before waving both arms. "HEY!" She almost jumped up and down if not for risk of falling. "Over here!" The pilot seemed to notice her already because their repulsors and engines kicked up a mist as it hovered nearby.

​

"Yeah I don't feel so lucky." She said with a half hearted smile. In truth she was very glad to get the help. The Senator of Tirahnn held an arm up to keep the water from getting into her eyes. The appearance of her savior was that of a Mandalorian. It certainly gave her pause and one one in that type of livery but the details weren't clear. This hesitation, resulted in the woman misplacing a step while trying to meet her rescuer half way. Both of her shoes had evidently been lost as well and the nature of their environment left things fairly slippery. The young politician's bare feet slipped out from under her. The woman's upper body falling sideways. Her long white hair, still wet and clinging to her head, smacked into a partially submerged piece of bulkead and she immediately began to sink, unconscious, bleeding and drowning.

@vamp rolled a 1 on discord dice

 

[Lex Solus]

Like a ray of sunlight cutting through the smoke-filled aftermath of a battlefield, the Senator shined out through the sea, almost glowing in his eyes. Lex had done it. He had just hopped on a piece of the wreck and was about to lunge toward another when all hell broke loose.

He was mid-stride when it seemed that time slowed down and he watched her feet fly out from under her and her head slammed into the metal with a loud clang that made him cringe under the helmet. She collapsed and seemingly melted into the water, so Lex sighed and swung into action.

"For fuck's sake," he muttered, unbuckling a few clasps, his armor falling off piece by piece. He threw off his helmet, all in the briefest split second, and then charged across the broken hull in boots with long cargo pants and a white shirt that he tossed off his torso before he leaped into the water.

He opened his eyes after the impact, searching for the prone form of the Senator and noticing her sinking like a sack of rocks, her lithe frame somehow cutting through and down into the depths with alarming speed. Lex threw his entire body toward her, his arms pumping through the water. He laced his arms around her upper body and tugged the woman toward the surface, which was not very difficult. She was light, and with his help, she was up and breathing oxygen once more. Was she?

He felt her pulse, and it seemed she was still alive, even though her heart was beating slowly. Lex attempted CPR but to no avail. Panting from the sudden leap into action, he stood, the hull rocking steadily in the water. He picked her up and held her bridal-style, leaping from one piece to the other with exceptional care because it seemed the floor was that slippery. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He had a first aid kid on the ship and could probably stabilize her, and then what? Lex decided the best course of action was taking her to a hospital.

They, thankfully, reached the ship in one piece, and he entered, soaking wet and dripping from head to toe, the water plopping against the duraplast floor as though it were raining. He set her down on the leather couch in the main room, then turned and ruffled through a cupboard for that damn first aid kit. Lex got to work cleaning the wound and shaved a patch of her hair to more properly see the wound, which he hoped she wouldn't mind. After it was cleaned, he rubbed some bacta on it and patched it up with a bandage. Feeling her pulse again, he exhaled in relief. She'd live. She might be in a coma, but he'd managed to save her life, arguably for the second time that day.

"They don't make you Senator the most acrobatic," he mused aloud, raising himself off the couch and wrapping her up in a towel and moving back toward the exit of the ship. He lit a cigarra and hopped back outside, gathering his beskar'gam from where he'd left it, taking occasional puffs with the metal in his arms. Returning to the ship, he headed to the cockpit and got to tapping away, programming the auto-pilot to take them to the nearest medical center as he pulled the plates onto himself and latched them up.

@Darasuum

 

[Siria Zale]

Spoiler: Music

​

Siria's awareness of reality was gone as soon as her head hit the floating debris. The woman sunk into the depths of the water she had survived until this point by some miracle. The Mandalorian who had come to her aid dove in, pulling her from the dangerous drink.

Getting her to safety, the way she had fallen meant a significant portion of her hair would have been cut by the man. White locks were stained red until Lexin was able to staunch the flow. After clean up, it was clear her hair would need to be shaped up. It was literally the least of her worries. Even after she was stabilized, she wouldn't return to consciousness. Anything short of a bacta tank and time would result in the woman remaining as she was, if not worsening. Thankfully they seemed to be heading to one with haste.

The memory the Siria had been having earlier returned, with a few changes. The dream had returned to a few moments before she had woken up. The vibro blade that belonged to her sat on the ground just as it had before. Her personal weapon was of excellent craftsmanship but was not engraved or unique and did nothing to help her.

Hair tied up, her face was covered by her dueling mask. Her father stood opposite her with the humming weapon in hand. <"Are you accepting death? You're choosing to lose is that what your doing?"> The tone of judgement was felt in the core of her being. Both of the woman's hands balled into fists. When she was a child she didn't realize how intense the stakes could be. How dangerous the rest of the galaxy was and how much it would try to kill her.

<"'You can't beat me' Is that why you won't get up?"> The form of the man who had arbitrated her life paced around her as she looked towards the vibrosword. He spoke in different tongues as they fought, keeping her mind occupied and distracted. She knew the moment she moved towards it he would reengage her. The blue eyes behind her mask flicked to keep him in her peripheral vision.

<"Maybe you think I'll go easy on you because your my daughter."> Silence followed except for the echoed footsteps against the floor. "Never." She repeated the same sentiment she had that day. Her father had never taken things easy on her. A small murmur of approval at recognizing how harsh he was emanated from behind the mask.

Diving forward she would roll to grab her lost weapon in the next moment. The attacker's buzzing blade missed her barely. Fumbling with the weapon, it clattered before solidly entering the woman's grasp in a reverse grip. Not what she had hoped for but she would deal with it.

She turned to face her opponent knowing her father would follow it up with another strike. The blade activated in her hands, blurring and waited to block the downward chop that was sure to come. But none came.

Instead entire training hall was empty. No father, no family, servants, droids or anyone. She was alone.

@vamp

 

[Lex Solus]

Music​

"It ain't me!!! It ain't me!!!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, music blaring, both hands firmly on the yoke, a new cigarra lit in his mouth and billowing smoke up into the ventilation shaft. The ship zipped low over the waters, so low that he was sending huge waves rippling in every direction, probably disturbing several fish populations. "I AIN'T NO SENATOR'S SON!"

"It ain't me! It ain't me! I ain't no Senator's s--oh shit," he cut himself off mid-lyric as he realized that there was a Senator in the ship with him. The woman was still out cold, but he would have hated to make her have nightmares or something, so he lowered the volume and shook his head, sobering up.

"Reckless Badger, come in, over," a voice buzzed in the ship's comms.

"Reckless Badger, reporting in," he replied instantly. "I've found the Senator, but it seems she's a coma. Currently taking her to get medical care, stand by for status, over."

There was a brief silence as the reality of the situation sunk in for the man on the other side. "Roger that, Reckless Badger, over and out." It was always entertaining to hear non-Mandalorians use his callsign.

The ship had been flying over the open ocean for some time now, but according to the computer, they were close to their destination. He put it on auto-pilot and then went to check on the woman, who was still laying exactly how he'd left her. Lex checked her pulse yet again, and made sure he was breathing, and then headed back to the cockpit, where he took control and steered the craft onto a landing pad as the medical center grew into view. They landed with a little thud that rocked the ship, but he wasn't concerned about a pretty landing right now. Getting her medical attention was the most important thing.

The Mandalorian picked her up just like before and practically flew out of his ship, being swarmed by medical droids who were already waiting with a stretcher.

"That's Senator Siria Zale of Tihran right there," he declared to the one organic doctor there. "She slipped and hit her head on durasteel and has been out cold for some time. I administered basic first aid and patched her up with some bacta, but now it's all in your hands, Doc."

The man nodded, jotting down some notes on a clipboard. "Thank you. We will be returning with updates very soon."

@Darasuum

 

[Siria Zale]

Spoiler: Music

Time passed for Siria in her unconcious state with some dilation thought she still wasn't wholly aware of her state. The world she found herself in was that of her family's home on Tirahnn. Her sparing gear seemed to dissappear and be replaced with her modern clothes as she walked through the hallways, calling out for anyone to respond. But the mansion seemed to be completely vacant except for her. Even the droid cooks in the kitchen were absent. The emptiness of it all was unsettling to say the least

The reverberation and then muffled echo of a distant and slowed concert seemed reach her ears. The source couldn't be pinpointed though so she kept walking. A breeze swept past her, making her reflexively raise a hand to catch her hair. It had come down from its previous style as her outfit had changed.

"I...really hope I'm not dead..." She said outloud. If this was her afterlife, it could use some explaining. This time she heard her voice. But the lack of response wasn't comforting. "...a dream...that's what this is...or something worse." Siria knew she was just talking to herself at this point. Numerous concerns rose to the surface of her mind about how she was doing.

The clicking and clacking on marbled tile interrupted her thoughts. A droid, maybe someone in heals. The senator ran around the corner but was surprised to not see a droid or a person of living or organic matter. Instead, a four legged animal with dark claws stared back at her only a few meters away. It's fur was dark with strips of white along its back running from head to tail.

Siria froze where she was as she recognized the dire badger for what it was. It took a sniff and then a huff with its snout. Dropping to the ground it immediatly rolled over. Something about it seemed familiar. "your friendly huh?" She relaxed a little. Taking a step forward she would drop to a knee and scratch the dire badger's around the jaw and neck. Its tongue sticking out occasionally and licking her wrist like a puppy.

As quickly as it had seemed to want to get pets, the beast righted itself, nearly making Siria fall back due to its own size. The animal rolled over and began trotting down a hall away from the senator. It was the first thing she had seen in this place besides her imagined father. She needed to know what was going on. "Wait. Come back! Where are you going?" She took off after the quadruped hoping she wouldn't lose him.

@vamp