Ask The Best Laid Plans

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was not at all thrilled about being plunged into darkness again. However, this time he had time to mentally prepare and adjust. He began to descend down, his keen hearing already picking up the sloshing around to suggest that the basement was flooded. The half Sephi grimaced at the prospect. He even stopped to take his shoes and socks off, setting them at the corner of a higher level of the staircase. All of his shoes had to be custom made, and he couldn’t afford to have them ruined.

He kept descending down when he felt Jaikus move in and hook his right arm around him. The half Sephi paused momentarily, with Jaikus only being able to make out his faint profile turning to regard him. Without a word, Emryc reached over and pried Jaikus’ arm off. The gesture was hasty and would likely have come off as rude. There was a moment of pause before Emryc stepped around Jaikus to appear on the other side of him, casually placing the Marauder’s left arm around his own right instead.

“I’m left handed,” The half Sephi whispered simply before he kept walking. He could sense Jaikus’ fear almost tangibly through the Force. There was little doubt that trauma from Telos began to spike. If Emryc hadn’t compartmentalized everything, it likely would have impacted him the same way.

A few more steps and they were in complete darkness. Emryc closed his eyes and switched to Force Sight, making out all the individual infected scattered across the entire basement. He spoke telepathically through the Force, his voice echoing within Jaikus’ mind.

“Move only with me.”

With that, he eyed the infected. When they prepared to move, that was the only time Emryc took steps. This lined the splashing from their steps with that of the infected, making it impossible for them to distinguish any new sound. This made the approaching incredibly slow but it avoided drawing attention.

After a few steps, the half Sephi came to a dead stop suddenly. His entire form went stiff as he took in sight of something far ahead and in the corner. It was something more massive than anything he had seen before and its low growls could be heard even from here. The grotesque creature plodded along up ahead, venturing close to the generators. It paused for a moment and began to sniff before being distracted by some other infected splashing around.

Emryc spoke through the Force again.

“There is something big up ahead. We need to lure all the infected away with a noise to get to the generator,” Emryc explained as he looked at the generator, “The generator will be loud and cause a frenzy. We have to be prepared to run.”

With that, Emryc eyed the basement till he noticed a pipe hanging from the ceiling. He coiled the Force around it, yanking with all his might till it came loose and clattered to the ground and water with a lot of noise. The entire room erupted in a frenzy as all the infected rushed towards it. It was then that the massive infected charged as well, its heavy steps causing thunderous tremors throughout the entire floor.

Emryc bolted into a run at the same time, dragging Jaikus with him as he charged towards the generators. The half Sephi almost slipped a few times, the water levels deepening at some points. After a bit of a struggle, he finally made it to the generators, climbing a ladder to get to them. Emryc felt around till he found the chain to pull. He yanked with all his might.

Nothing happened.

The infected were beginning to quickly realize that the pipe was just a pipe. They had fallen over one another to get to it and were slowly peeling themselves off.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

The move to latch onto Emryc had been an almost instinctual one. Where Emryc was capable of compartmentalizing all that had happened, Jaikus was not so lucky – all the memories of that experience hitting him like a freighter. Most of all were the moments of terror spent on Telos, clinging to the Half-Sephi to guide him through the nightmare. Faced with a similar situation now, the Axxilan clung to the man with the same intensity as before. When Emryc momentarily broke contact, Jaikus couldn’t help but frown slightly. He remembered the distance that Emryc had purposefully placed around them in the aftermath of the experience – distances that felt like punishment more than what it was likely intended for. Perhaps clunging to the man now was a step-too-far.

Any such doubts were snuffed out as the half-Sephi rounded to the other side of him, voluntarily replacing the arm with his right – followed by the brief explanation. The unexpected move caught the Axxilan off-guard, causing Jaikus to flash a wide, toothy smile into the darkness. For once, he was almost grateful for the shroud of darkness – making it likely impossible for the half-Sephi to catch the stupid smile plastered across his face.

Unlike Emryc, who had heard the sloshing of water long before they reached the bottom of the stairs, Jaikus was entirely unaware until they were in it. His dress shoes – the last remaining item of his previous ensemble – sunk suddenly into the dirty water, soaking through his socks and filling the cavity around his feet. A distinct shudder ran up Jaikus’ spine, his jaw clenching with displeasure. Under normal circumstances, the man would’ve vocalized such with no lack of theatrics. For now, he simply exhaled sharply through his nostrils and carried on.

Minutes of slow, arduous moving through the basement passed, Jaikus paying close attention to follow the half-Sephi’s lead, only allowing his legs to slosh through the water in tandem with the movements of the infected – abruptly stopping when necessary.

When the half-Sephi’s telepathic voice rang out in the Axxilan’s mind for the second time, Jaikus did not vocalize a response, simply nodding into the darkness. While he did not protest, thoughts began to race a hundred miles an hour in his mind.

Something big?

What was something? More of the infected? Something else? After Telos, Jaikus wasn’t sure there could possibly be anything they would find here could be worse than what they’d already seen, but that wasn’t a theory he was particularly inclined to test.

When Emryc began running, Jaikus followed him closely – just barely avoiding slipping across the flooded ground and keeping pace with the larger man. He forced himself to ignore the sound of so many riled up unto a frenzy – all of the color draining from Jaikus’ face when he picked up on the thunderous, heavy steps of the larger infected. Forcing the sounds from his mind, Jaikus ran blindly until they reached the generator.

Bracing himself against the ladder, the Axxilan remained at the bottom while Emryc climbed. It was not until he heard that familiar sound of a chain pulling, followed by nothing but a short spluttering from the generator, that Jaikus could piece together what had happened. Desperation flashed across the Axxilans features as he began to understand just how vulnerable they were now. They had to sprint for the generator, crossing a large distance to reach their salvation. Even if the infected did not locate them right away, Jaikus knew they would not have that same opportunity again.

Blindly, the Axxilan thrust his palm outward and to the left of where he was standing, sending out a concussive wave of force energy into the darkness. He did not know what was in that direction, if anything at all, but hoped that whatever his blast collided with would generate enough noise to draw the attention of the infected away from the generator’s for precious seconds more.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Raw, unbridled panic began to set in. It was not something Emryc struggled with often, but it bubbled at the pit of his stomach all the same. The half Sephi pulled the chain and nothing happened. He had to work entirely based on Force sight and shapes - he couldn’t make out any of the writing or instructions. Jaikus blasting with the Force bought them some time, but it also allowed a brief moment to try something else. Emryc channeled the Force and a small flame appeared against his fingers. He held it far enough away to prevent any accidents, but close to where he could quickly read the instructions. He extinguished the flame almost at once to keep the infected from noticing.

He began to press a few buttons and pull a few levers. One of the levers required pumping it a few times and he relied on Jaikus to keep pulling moves on the other side to keep the infected distracted. There was a quiet humming from the lever locking into place. Emryc reached for the chain and yanked again.

This time, there was a great noise as the generators came to life. Lights slowly flickered and flashed till the entire basement was illuminated. It was then that the murky, brown and disgusting water was revealed to them. Along with Emryc’s perfectly manicured toes, of course.

The half Sephi quickly grasped a hold of Jaikus’ wrist to prevent him from making a run for it.

“We have to kill that thing. It can destroy the generators,” He pointed to the massive and grotesque creature that was angrily looking around for the source of the noise. The other infected cried out shrilly and began to rush over. The two Sith had a temporary advantage with the ladder, but it would be a matter of time before they were overwhelmed.

The half Sephi began by unleashing a massive wave with the Force to send the infected bodily backwards. He moved around to the generator, spotting the oil used to power it up. He quickly moved the lid and unplugged the nozzle for a moment, spilling some of it and spreading it on the water below. He plugged it back to the generator, turning and using inferno to ignite the oil.

Although the fire itself couldn’t kill the infected until it reached their heads, it worked to burn away at their bodies and immobilize them. It was then that the massive late stage infected barreled towards the generator, storming right through the lake of fire. The beast rammed against the platform at full speed, sending Emryc, and likely also Jaikus, toppling over from the impact.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Tense moments of panic passed by as Emryc struggled to get the generators operational, Jaikus now floundering in the darkness to keep that which he could not see at bay. The first concussive blast sent out by the Axxilan had collided against a cluster of unsuspecting infected, sending the creatures flying back bodily and splashing into the flooded ground some distance way. The maneuver was enough to draw some of the creatures away, their shrill screeches heard moving in direction of where he’d sent the blast. He repeated this same exercise several more times, until he began hear the generators come to life.

As the first of the lights flickered to life, Jaikus began to squint into the darkness, starting to see momentary flashes of what lie before them until the lights powered on entirely. Conveniently, he had been facing the exact spot in the room where the hulking monstrosity had been standing.

“Oh what the FUCK.”

Suddenly feeling the Half-Sephi grab his wrist, Jaikus scrambled the rest of the way up the platform – muck-slick shoes slipping and sliding across the surface before finally finding solid ground. Safely above the fray, citrine eyes wandered down to where he'd just been standing - taking in the full sight of that brown, murky water. A clear expression of disgust played across his face.

Only when Emryc spoke did Jaikus turned away from the flooded basement floor, staring at the half-Sephi with eyes full of terror and bewilderment, caught off guard by what had been said. Every fiber of Jaikus’ being wanted to book it back up the stairs and flee, and yet Emryc held him in place – forcing him to confront the situation head on. “Kill it with what!?” With Emryc’s lightsaber left behind and his own destroyed, Jaikus couldn’t help but think the kitchen knives they brandished now would be less than effective in accomplishing that goal.

His words were little more than a momentary venting of frustration, the Axxilan knowing full well that there was no way he was going to convince the half-Sephi against his chosen course of action. He could always leave the Emryc, of course. But as far as Jaikus was concerned, that wasn’t an option either.

With no alternative other than to fight, Jaikus begrudgingly began to follow suit as Emryc set the disgusting water below them ablaze. Reaching out with an open palm, sparks of violet and blue electricity erupted from the Axxilan’s fingertips – arching outward and skittering across the watery surface. Acting to conduct the current of electricity, the lighting snaked outward in all directions, coiling around the infected in its path. Like the inferno that Emryc had conjured, the lightning did not kill the approaching infected immediately - though it served to halt them in place while electricity cooked them from the inside out.

Jaikus had been focused entirely on his blast of lightning, he didn’t even see the late-stage infected charging toward them. The force of the impact was enough to send Jaikus flying off the platform like a ragdoll, the deadly current of electricity abruptly cut off as he tumbled, saving the pair of Sith from its lethal effects while also freeing the infected who had been immobilized.

Landing on his back in that disgusting brown water with a thud, Jaikus immediately forced himself back to his feet, drawing out that kitchen knife from before and holding it in a reverse grip, once more moving to stand beside Emryc. "This was a stupid fucking idea." Desperately – perhaps pointlessly – Jaikus flung the sharpened steel directly at the hulking monstrosity – aiming for appeared to be the creatures head.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc glared in Jaikus’ direction as he asked about killing it with what.

“Are you a Sith or not?!” The half Sephi hissed at the other man right before he did something...actually quite brilliant. Emryc watched with silent admiration as the Marauder channeled lightning through the water. The impact was actually more effective than his own efforts with the fire. Combined with both attacks, the vast majority of the infected were slowed down, though not quite dead yet.

Just when Emryc was sure they were gaining the upper hand, both men were tossed from the platform and into the deep section of the sewage water. Emryc clawed to the surface after a moment, having opened his mouth in surprise to his great dismay. He came up in complete disgust, coughing and sputtering as he fought the urge to vomit right there and add to the nasty soup they stood in. Emryc looked over at Jaikus as he voiced about this idea being stupid. As he looked at the other man - his hair matted to his face with brown water and the appropriately grumpy look on his face, Emryc couldn’t help but agree. Now they couldn’t use the fire or electricity tactics.

“I didn’t plan for this to happen,” Emryc gestured at their state of being. He moved to reach far too late as Jaikus tossed his knife uselessly at the giant beast that was still slamming into the platform. The knife bounced right off its head as if in slow motion. The two Sith watched in horror as it successfully caught its attention. It likely wouldn't have known where a Force attack was coming from, but now it definitely had a direction to go at.

“You fucking idiot,” Emryc hissed at Jaikus while still looking at the monster as it paused and slowly turned to look towards the direction of the incoming knife. It boggled his mind that Jaikus could be so brilliant and stupid at the same time, but he angrily decided the same likely applied to him as well. He turned and began to splash and run in the opposite direction to find better footing as the beast thundered behind them. Emryc finally found footing and turned around to channel the Force to coil around the monster and throw it back. The thing was on fire but it was taking far too long to do the job. Emryc used the Force to try and compress it around the beast while also holding it back. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a feral old lady in a floral print dress splashing her way towards him.

“Get the granny! GET THE GRANNY!” Emryc shouted at the top of his lungs, determined not to break his focus with the massive infected as the other infected began to creep towards him.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

As angry sparks of violet and blue erupted from his fingertips, Jaikus couldn’t help but flash the half-Sephi a shit eating grin - clearly satisfied that he’d silenced the condescending question about his merits as a Sith. To him, Lightning had seemed like a natural choice – the flooded nature of the basement causing the electricity to spiderweb outward and begin lancing into most of the infected. The pair of Sith could see as their decayed bodies twitched and convulsed from the shock, the very flesh that clung to their bodies cooking from the inside and starting to smoke.

It was a brilliant move on the Axxilan’s part, up until he was thrown from his perch.

Tumbling unceremoniously into the murky water below, by some miracle the Axxilan had managed to do something he usually found so difficult – he kept his mouth shut. Whereas Emryc had taken in a mouthful of the nasty soup, Jaikus remained tight lipped. Up until he breached the surface again.

“Are you FUCKING kidding me!?” Jaikus growled out in a mixture of pure rage and disgust, hair that was usually immaculately brushed into place now soaked and hanging down in front of his eyes.

Perhaps Jaikus’ genius came in waves, as the Axxilan had flung the blade at the monstrosity with full confidence. Even with the Force subtly adding strength behind the throw and causing it to spin like a buzzsaw, the blade bounced off like it was nothing, a sight that caused all the color to drain from Jaikus’ face. It didn’t actually occur to him that the faceless beast couldn’t actually see them until now.

Oh, fuck me.

Upon hearing the half-Sephi calling him an idiot, he turned to face the man – extending his arms outward. “I didn’t plan for that to happen either!” Jaikus snapped back with Emryc’s own words against him, catching the sight of the knife plopping down into the water out of his peripheral. While the blade hadn’t been effective against the monstrosity, it had more than sufficient to dispatch several lesser infected already. Maybe Emryc had a point, but Jaikus was sooner going to drink the water before he admitted it.

When Emryc began to splash and run in the opposite direction, Jaikus followed him. Unlike the half-Sephi however, who managed to keep his footing the entire way, Jaikus tripped as his foot caught against something beneath the water – causing him to fall face first into the water below. Speaking of drinking the water. This time, Jaikus’ mouth had been wide open.

Another incredibly angry screech erupted from the Axxilan as he surfaced above the murky water, momentarily thrashing in place before picking himself up and returning to the half-Sephi’s side. When Emryc began screeching wildly about a granny, Jaikus turned his head just in time to see the feral old woman in floral print barreling toward the man. This was the second time Emryc had an run-in with an infected old woman in less than an hour.

“What the fuck is it with you and older women!?”

The Axxilan extended a hand outward, coiling the Force around the dress-wearing infected – stopping her in place mere inches before she reached Emryc. Hoisting her high into the air, Jaikus then swiped his extended hand to the left, sending the screeching old woman to collide hard against a nearby wall. Her head split open like an egg as she made contact, a sickening crunch followed by low, guttural groans that filled the room.

Now levitating an entirely limp body, Jaikus sent the bloodied mass of floral print towards the lumbering monstrosity that Emryc struggled to hold in place – sending her flying in a crescent-shaped arc. While the granny-smack would likely have little effect in damaging the monstrosity, her limp body collided with the beast from the side – hoping that the new angle of attack would draw its attention in that direction, as opposed to where the pair of Sith were standing.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Since Emryc had caught up ahead and turned around to engage the monster, he had front row seats to Jaikus’ theatrics. He watched the man spectacularly trip a few times, flailing his arms and making the half Sephi wonder if he were drowning in a few inches of standing water. Emryc almost debated if he was going to have to abandon his attack to yank the moron out of the water. Mercifully he peeled himself out in time to engage the granny.

The Sith Lord continued to compress the Force around the beast. After all his efforts he managed to slightly cave in its chest. This did a grand total of nothing.

“Damn it,” Emryc growled to himself, exhaling as he felt himself beginning to grow tired, “What is this thing..” He continued his efforts.

The granny slap resulted in a wet thwack against the beast's ‘face’. Thankfully, it had the intended effect as the thing turned towards the other direction, heavy steps taking it that way for a moment. The half Sephi breathed a sigh of relief, seeing a small gap amidst the infected. He coiled the Force around the late stage infected’s legs, yanking harshly with all his might. This caused the thing to topple over onto its belly in the water. It splashed its arms and legs about helplessly.

“You two must be related,” Emryc stated dryly to Jaikus as he observed the display before his gaze flicked over to the platform with the generators again. He blasted out with the Force to repel the infected coming at them. This time he firmly grasped Jaikus by the wrist to prevent him from having any tripping mishaps on the short journey. Emryc darted back towards the platform, rushing to capitalize on the time while the beast was still flailing and down.

“Gogogo!” He bodily grabbed Jaikus by the hips and tossed him up against the ladder to quickly climb. Emryc followed suit, glancing back at the murky water once they were at the top. Electricity charged between his fingers as he looked at Jaikus.

“Together,” He nodded and raised his hands to time with the Marauder to unleash a massive chain lightning into the water. The result would be a massive explosion and electric wave that would take over the entire lake on the floor. The effects were tenfold with both of them channeling their strengths, the late stage infected bubbling and cracking as it flailed on the ground. It began to melt into the water and the ground.

Emryc stopped only once the beast finally stopped moving and the rest of the infected were either fused to the floor and unable to move or completely charred. The half Sephi stepped back against the wall and slid down to sit. He was exhausted, sweat and sewage water lining his entire body. His knees were folded up in front of him, his elbows resting on them. Silver gaze stared ahead in silence for a while. A disturbing realization dawned on him then.

“It’s transmitted by water,” He said quietly after a long moment, “We need to wait and see if we have it,” His tone was grim.

The water cracked and popped, making it clear they couldn’t leave yet either way.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

There was a clear sense of relief across Jaikus’ face as the granny-smack worked as intended, giving the pair of Sith a momentary reprieve from the barreling charge. While Emryc coiled the force around the beast’s legs, the Axxilan worked diligently to keep any lesser infected away from them. More than once, Jaikus had reached out with the Force as one of the creatures made a bee-line towards them, lifting it by the throat and sending it hurtling against a wall or to the other side of the room.

When Emryc finally managed to knock the creature of its feet, any opportunity for celebration was dashed by the particularly low-blow from the half-Sephi. Jaikus rolled his eyes at Emryc’s dry comment – trying very hard to resist the urge to smiling at the cleverness of it. “Everyone has an ugly relative.” With his wrist grabbed by the half-Sephi and his body practically drug across the room, Jaikus had no opportunity to make an equally clever quip in response, instead doing his best to keep up with the larger Sith’s strides. A small, high-pitched yelp escaped from him as Emryc grabbed Jaikus by his slender hips and threw him against the ladder – forcing him to climb and make it back to the platform from before.

Glancing down at the half-Sephi’s fingers as sparks began to form, Jaikus couldn’t help but feel some minor satisfaction seeing the man following his own example. “Together,” He repeated, both hands extended outward to the flooded surface below, rather than a single infected in particular.

Emryc would be able to feel as the energies began coalescing and building within, Axxilan, all the frustration and rage that had been generated by the disgusting situation now acting as kindling to the Dark Side. Timed in perfect unison with Emryc, Jaikus unleashed arching steams of lightning from his fingertips – violet and blue electricity melding together with that of the half-Seph – the ground cracking and hissing with lethal power as the combined strength of their channeled lightning succeeded in literally melting the infected where they stood.

When the beast stopped moving and the rest of the infected were dead, only then did Jaikus allow exhaustion to overtake him. The Axxilan staggered until he was pressed against a wall, his knees giving out beneath him as he slid down to his butt. Settling onto the floor of the platform, Jaikus’ chest rose and fell tiredly, still attempting to catch his breath. It was clear that the entire experience had taken just as much – or perhaps more – out of Jaikus as it had Emryc. For several long moments, he sat there in complete silence – relishing the moment of rest that they’d been afforded.

“It’s transmitted by water,”

Only then did the realization dawn upon Jaikus. When it did, it slammed into the Axxilan like a freighter at full speed – citrine eyes opening and turning wide with a panicked expression. He looked across the way to Emryc, desperately hoping that he’d misunderstood, but the half-Sephi’s grim tone spoke otherwise.

There was palpable terror painted across Jaikus’ face. It was the same fear that had been on full display in Telos all those weeks ago. Fear he had felt seeing those horrible, twisted monstrosities in the darkness. Fear he had felt seeing Raze looming above him, animalistic and bloodthirsty. Just as the specter of death had loomed over him on that frigid planet, the sickening realization that he may never leave this resort had begun to root itself deep into the Axxilan’s chest.

Where Emryc had managed to keep himself together through the experience, Jaikus’ emotions were clear across his face. His breath no longer betrayed his exhaustion but instead his anxiety – each exhale laced with an unmistakable shakiness. The Axxilan began to feel a stinging and wetness in his eyes, and as if on que, he forced himself to close them tightly while facing out towards nothing at all.

“I..” The Axxilan began after an exceptionally long pause, his tone entirely serious and devoid of his usual upbeat and cheery demeanor. “I... Refuse, to become that.” He gestured down to the masses of infected below them with a hand, eyes still tightly shut. It took all Jaikus had not to allow his voice to tremble – though that was rapidly beginning to fail. “If..” The words finally caught in his word, forcing him to pause and cut short what he’d originally meant to say. “..You will end it, before.”

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc often withdrew into himself when he was uncomfortable or afraid. He stared ahead in complete silence while Jaikus had his breakdown. The half Sephi didn’t look towards the other man, poised frigidly still as his demeanor grew colder. He could hear Jaikus’ voice breaking slightly as he spoke, while Emryc remained quiet. Slivers of yellow streaked through the silver gaze, but they disappeared as quickly as they appeared. For several moments it was as if Emryc hadn’t heard him.

“Why are you always so afraid?” The half Sephi’s baritone cut through the air sharply at last. He turned his head to gaze at Jaikus then, silvers piercing like icy daggers into the still moist citrines, “You chose the life of a Sith. You knew the risks. You knew the risks coming to an AMS planet. You knew the risks of…” He paused as he gritted his teeth, “...Of coming after me.”

Emryc looked ahead of himself again, shaking his head.

“Why the fuck do you have to be like this?” He exhaled in a defeated tone, repeating the words he had uttered to the man back on Telos. Back when he found Jaikus still beside him after he had lost control. It was difficult to discern if his rage was directed at the Marauder or himself. Emryc lowered his face against his hands, raking his fingers through his damp hair in silent frustration.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Long moments of silence passed after Emryc spoke, Jaikus having yet to open his eyes to the world or turn to face the half-Sephi. Even when the half-Sephi lashed out at him with barbed questions, it was difficult to tell if Jaikus had even heard him. While Jaikus remained silent verbally, through the Force, Emryc could feel the emotions ebbing off of him. Feelings of fear, grief and anger crashing and roiling within him, radiating like heat from a flame. On Telos, their deprivation from the Force had meant that Emryc had only been able to read the Axxilan so far as what he expressed externally. But now? With none of the mental blocks that the half-Sephi utilized, his silent anxiety was palpable.

After a long while, Jaikus finally opened his eyes to the world again – citrines eventually flicking from the wall to the half-Sephi. To Jaikus’ credit, he had managed to temper his panic significantly within those moments of quiet. The wetness in his eyes had remained exactly that, Jaikus having bitterly refused any tears to roll down his cheeks. The tremble in his breath remained for several more seconds before that too steadied with a final, shaky exhale.

The fact that Emryc had ignored his rather desperate plea did not go unnoticed, though the Axxilan did not force that issue. In light of everything that had happened over the past few weeks, Jaikus was confident that the half-Sephi would not allow him suffer as a mindless infected if the worst should occur.

Instead, Jaikus began to ponder the first question that Emryc had thrown at him. It was fair, considering his behavior, though still a question that sent a subtle spike of irritation through the man’s body. How could Emryc not be afraid? They had both seen what happened to those affected by AMS, and despite all of the shared power between them there was quite literally nothing either of them could do. The familiar sense of helplessness twisted knots in Jaikus’ stomach.

“Because I allow myself to be afraid."

It was not the theatrical, long-winded explanation that the half-Sephi was likely expecting, but it was an honest one. Where Emryc was capable of compartmentalizing and burying those emotions down beneath an icy veil, Jaikus allowed them to wash over him in full effect. That humanity that he so clung to – that which made fundamentally made Jaikus who he was - had been a double-edged sword, in that way. A weakness as much as it was something to admire.

Citrine eyes narrowed upon Emryc for a moment, regarding him carefully. “There has always been risk. The path I walk now, was a risk – though hardly a choice.” An interesting tidbit of information, but not a point Jaikus lingered on. “Coming to this dirty, disgusting planet, was a risk. Coming after you wasn’t a risk.”

“None of those things made me afraid. But knowing what very may soon become of us..” He exhaled. “I am not ashamed to admit that terrifies me.” When Emryc repeated the words he’d uttered to Jaikus on Telos, the Axxilan couldn’t help but smirk ever-so-slightly, his head tilting to the left. “I make no apologies for who I am.” He reiterated exactly what he had told the half-Sephi before, his defiant and unapologetic nature about himself as strong as it had been on Telos.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Because I allow myself to be afraid.

There was something strangely powerful about that statement that Emryc couldn’t quite understand. It was a statement he didn’t even feel bold enough to utter aloud, but Jaikus could so easily. The half Sephi felt strength return to the Marauder’s voice as he spoke, fully owning what he was experiencing. Emryc didn’t look at the other man, keeping his frosty gaze trained ahead as he pulled his hands away from his hair.

That single sentence echoed within the half Sephi’s psyche as he sat there in silence. He asked no other questions, and he didn’t engage the man in any other way. Moments ticked by with nothing but pin drop silence except for the low growls of some of the fused infected. After almost an hour, it was clear the two hadn’t been infected. Emryc looked down at his skin, noting the lack of the almost sickening pale tint that marked the first stages of infection. A glance towards Jaikus suggested he wasn’t impacted either.

Without a word, Emryc rose from where he was sitting, jumping down from the platform with a splash. He strode through the basement till he could find the fuse box terminals that brought power to the levels upstairs. He switched off relevant ones before moving on to the backup water pump. Within moments, there was running as well, though it would only last for about two days or so.

The half Sephi silently walked back up the stairs, pausing only to grab his still dry socks and shoes on his way up. Jaikus knew Emryc well enough by this point to tell he was simply being his quiet self instead of actively avoiding engaging. He worked methodically in silence, stopping by the guest shop again to pick up additional clothing before taking the stairs up towards the suites. Trying the local commlines only resulted in a PSA telling them to go to a compound.

Emryc purposely picked a rather high floor level to reduce the likelihood of infected. Though they ran into a few along the stairwell, the journey was otherwise unobstructed. The half Sephi found two suites side by side, using the Force to pull back the metal locks. He briefly turned towards Jaikus.

“I’ll see you in the morning, I guess,” He muttered quietly, his expression as difficult to read as ever. With that, Emryc stepped into his room and shut the door behind him. For a moment he exhaled and stared vacantly at nothing. Thoughts of everything began to creep into his mind at once, but he quickly slammed the door on that too.

With the backup water tank providing running water, Emryc quickly hopped into the shower to clean off. There was no hot water, but a shower was a stroke of luck, and he rapidly finished to conserve water. He grimaced briefly, realizing that Jaikus seemed the type to shower for hours and hours and completely use everything up. It took less than ten minutes for Emryc to completely freshen up and change into a hoodie and some basketball shorts he grabbed from the guest shop.

The half Sephi plopped down on the bed in front of the Holo, switching it on and grimacing as an alarm blared through it. It was a PSA telling everyone to immediately make their way to their nearest compound just like with the commlines. He moved over to rummage through some of the media cards left behind and popped one in that said ‘comedy’. The half Sephi sat down on the ground in front of the bed to watch, snacking on a granola bar. It was slapstick humor that didn’t invoke a single smile, the half Sephi watching with an entirely blank expression. If there was any sign that he had gone through severe trauma just earlier or he was terrified of their survival prospects, it certainly didn’t show just then. This was his way of coping.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

An hour would pass, and surprisingly Jaikus did not actively move to fill the silence between them. Instead he simply leaned his head back against the wall, once more closing his eyes to the world. At some point the man had begun quietly humming an unknown song to himself while waiting, repetitive enough to likely start to drive Emryc insane.

When it became abundantly clear that neither of them were infected, Jaikus rose to his feet and began to trail the half-Sephi back the way they came. Any glance back in his direction would reveal that Jaikus had maintained the same upbeat demeanor in which he was always known for, clearly undeterred by Emryc’s frosty silence. By this point he could recognize the difference between the half-Sephi’s typical stoic nature and when he was purposefully being ignored. The latter drove Jaikus insane, while the former had become a familiar, almost comforting constant from the man.

He worked in silent tandem with the half-Sephi as they brought power and water to the upper levels, succeeding in making the resort at least somewhat hospitable for the night. When the pair passed by the gift stop once more, Jaikus took the opportunity to properly rifle through the options available – being exceptionally picky, even now, with the items that he selected.

When the pair eventually made their way up to the parallel suits, Jaikus turned to face the half-Sephi, meeting the blank expression with a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Sleep well.” He resisted to the urge to make some inappropriate quip in the moment, instead passing through the door to his room and closing it behind him. Alone once again, the Axxilan made a bee-line straight for the showers.

Unsurprisingly, Jaikus took over double the time Emryc did to shower – meticulously scrubbing and washing with that little products his room had available. It was nothing short of a miracle that the Axxilan managed to get out in under forty minutes, quite literally only doing so out of necessity to conserve water. He spent another twenty minutes preening himself in front of the bathroom mirror, finger-combing his hair into place and changing into a pair of sweats and a high-necked tank-top which he’d pillaged from the guest shop.

Satisfied that he was about as clean as he was possibly going to get, he made his way back into the main part of the room. Plopping himself down onto the bed, the Axxilan immediately reached for the remote to the holo-screen on the wall, only to be met by the same blaring PSA as the Half-Sephi had. Switching it off, Jaikus then considered simply going to sleep. He was admittedly exhausted and could use the rest, but the notion was summarily dashed the moment his head hit the pillow. Even from the upper level of the resort, Jaikus could make out the unmistakable groan of the mindless infected above and below him, the sound of feet shuffling clumsily across the floor filling the room with a constant thud. It soon became the only thing the Axxilan could hear.

Eventually, Jaikus’ eyes settled upon the pile of clothes he’d carelessly tossed into a corner of the room, citrine’s fixating on the Rancor’s logo on the front of the shirt he’d been wearing. A dark brow arched inquisitively. He remembered the way Emryc had softened when he saw the logo, though for the life of him Jaikus couldn’t figure out why. It took him an embarrassingly long time to figure out that the shirt was referring to some variety of sports team, rather than the actual animal. Once he’d established that definitively, Jaikus sat up from the bed and began rifling through a stack of media cards until he stuck gold.

Ryloth Rancors vs. Gamorr Gundarks.

---​

Close to an hour of peace and quiet would pass for the half-Sephi, allowing him plenty of time to flip through the slapstick humor he was enjoying. Any sense of serenity he might've found was soon thereafter interrupted by a knock at the door, the rapping of knuckles thrice ringing out above the comedy. When – or if – Emryc opened the door, he would see Jaikus standing there with an entirely serious look on his face. Both arms were folded over his chest, though in his left he held the media card that he’d been watching – its title pointing out for the half-Sephi to read.

“I’ve spent the last hour watching this and I haven’t the slightest clue what is going on.”

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

At some point Emryc got bored of the comedy and switched to the only other option, some drama movie, while he used the hotel toiletries to brush and freshen up. Clearly this didn’t hold his attention as he was soon sprawled out on his too short bed with his legs extended beyond the edge and passed out. While he was normally a quiet sleeper, the sheer exhaustion caught up to him and he was actually quietly snoring. The movie kept playing in the background and he was sound asleep, entirely unbothered by any groaning or other nonsense noises outside.

His keen ears, however, picked up the sharp knocking immediately. Emryc bolted up, rubbing his eyes as he thought for a moment. At first he shrugged, deciding that it was probably an infected, and moved to lie back down. However, he remembered that infected didn’t knock…

The half Sephi opened the door after a few moments, blinking down at Jaikus. There was no hiding that Emryc was passed out just moments prior. Instead of the usual well put together and gelled, his hair was still slightly damp and mussed, strands messily falling over his forehead. He took note of Jaikus’ attire, internally impressed by the man’s ability to always somehow find flattering clothing even in the middle of a crisis. When he spoke, Emryc couldn’t help the half grin that appeared on his face as he casually rested an elbow against his doorway.

“What happened to ‘I allow myself to be afraid’?” He asked smugly, “You can just say you’re too porgshit to hang out in a room by yourself,” Emryc’s gaze flicked down as he swiped the datacard from Jaikus’ hand and turned to walk back into the room. He held the door open as he walked, allowing the other man to walk in behind him.

The Sith Lord stared at the datacard for the first time and his eyes widened, “No way, this is the 124 ABY game where Gav Torkin got his arm torn off and still managed to score a goal,” He said excitedly to himself, gaze flicking up at the Holo. By then, the three hour long movie switched to a very sappy romantic scene with the hero and heroine tearfully embracing. Emryc’s jaw tightened as he realized that Jaikus was likely assuming this was the kind of hot garbage the half Sephi watched, but there was no recovering from this. There was no explaining yourself when you had The Datapad projecting on your Holo.

Emryc said nothing about it, walking over to quickly switch out the datacards and pretending there wasn’t a sapfest happening on his Holo moments prior. He walked back towards the bed and plopped down watching with great interest as the game began. He knew full well that Jaikus had zero interest in Huttball, but he would always explain the game to anyone that asked.

“All right, there are usually three or four players on each side. You have your defense players called-” And the half Sephi rambled endlessly about the rules and mechanics. He even began to name maneuvers and strategy plays as they happened during the game. Through it all, his gaze never left the holo, and his eyes completely lit up. It was the most lively Jaikus would ever have seen him, his hands moving while he talked or pointed out a particularly gruesome play.

“Look look! That’s Torkin and he’s about to- YEAH!” Emryc cheered gleefully as the man was pummeled by a Rancor player.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

When Jaikus knocked on the door, he was expecting the half-Sephi to appear as his usually well put-together, stoic self. Instead, the Axxilan was greeted to the sight of Emryc in basketball shorts and a hoodie, his normally gelled hair messily strewn across his face. Citrine eyes widened slightly, taking in the sight before him. Jaikus wasn’t about to admit it, but the man’s current appearance was nothing short of adorable, enough to elicit a genuine smile from the man, having already started to stare by this point.

“Wakey-wakey.”

When Emryc accurately called him out on his inability to tough it alone, the Axxilan waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, don’t be smug.” Jaikus huffed defeatedly at the half-Sephi, passing through the doorway when held open for him. His eyes had narrowed slightly, but any attempt at being serious was rendered null and void by the hints of a smile tugging at his lips. “Can’t sleep with that groaning through the walls.” He murmured.

Entering the room, Jaikus’ attention was immediately drawn to what was being played on the Holo. Citrine eyes briefly flicked to Emryc with disbelief. “Maid in Theed? A classic. This is the part whe--” He stopped himself, deciding not to spoil what was a very important plotline. Likely much to the half-Sephi’s chagrin, this was precisely the type of cheesy, romantic garbage that Jaikus secretly enjoyed. Huttball be damned, the Axxilan would’ve been entirely satisfied if the man decided to finish the movie that was currently playing. Instead, the movie was quickly changed and the Huttball game was put on – the half-Sephi immediately starting to ramble on about the mechanics of the game with more enthusiasm than he was expecting.

To Jaikus’ credit, the man actually made an attempt to pay attention and watch the game – only looking slightly perturbed when one of the Gundark players was brutally maimed by the opposing team. Jaikus may have grown up in the Outer Rim, but he was about as accustomed to the game as any Coreworlder aristocrat. Any sense that he might’ve been growing bored was summarily dashed by the lively reactions from the half-Sephi. From the look Emryc gave when he saw that Rancor’s logo, Jaikus had assumed the man was a Hutball fan – but he clearly wasn’t expecting him to be so fanatical. It was a dramatic break from his usual icy demeanor, and it was something that Jaikus quietly decided that he enjoyed seeing up-close and personal.

When Emryc cheered gleefully, Jaikus couldn’t help but laugh – that wide, cheesy smile now plastered across his face once again. They had been wandering in the dark the first time it flashed across his features, but now the expression was painted across the Axxilan’s face for all to see. "How do they not run out of players by the end of the season?"

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc wasn’t the least bit surprised that Jaikus immediately knew the plot of the terrible movie that was playing before. He couldn’t switch it out for Huttball fast enough.

The half Sephi was excitedly watching the game, entirely oblivious to Jaikus finding entertainment from his out of character behavior. Huttball was one of the very few things that completely brought the normally frigid man to life, and it was a rare glimpse into the parts of him he often kept behind several layers of walls. Emryc heard Jaikus laugh out loud and his gaze flicked over for just a moment towards the other man. There was no imminent danger or complete darkness to distract away from it and the half Sephi found his eyes over in that direction longer than necessary. He quickly looked back at the game.

“Look - he’s got a missing arm and he’s about to - RIGHT THERE!” He cheered, pointing erratically towards Torkin managing to hoist the ball to toss it over the goal with a Rancor player clinging onto him. Emryc was a Rancors fan, but even he had to admire the determination shown by the Gundark player.

The half Sephi’s eyes were wide as he watched the game, hearing Jaikus’ question, “They do run out of players,” He explained as he briefly glanced at the grinning Axxilian, “The ones that can last for several seasons are legends because of it,” He looked back at the Holo. After a moment, his eyes flicked back to Jaikus who was still looking at him with that shit eating grin. Emryc stared at him vacantly before a single brow rose slightly in suspicion.

“You're not watching this, are you?"


@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

"Wait wait so who's been in it the longest? There is no way anyone has survived this more than a few seasons at best."

Minutes passes while Emryc gleefully continued to watch the game, the Axxilan still paying attention even if the bloody sport wasn’t exactly his cup of tea. Jaikus tried very hard to focus on watching the game the entire time, but that clearly was an effort that had begun to fail. To see the half-Sephi thoroughly enjoying himself – and being so openly expressive about it – was something that delighted the Axxilan more than he wanted to admit. For a few minutes, he’d forgotten all about the infected, Telos, and the terrible chance of survival they actually had – all of it fading away at the sound of the Huttball game and Emryc’s gleeful hooting. Jaikus wasn’t about to admit it aloud, but a silent note was made bring media-cards of games like this more often if they ever made it off this terrible planet.

He had taken to watching the man out of the corner of his eye while facing the Holo, that stupid smile never fading from his lips. That was, up until the moment Emryc turned from the game and proceeded to call him out on it.

Busted.

When Emryc questioned him with a raised brow, Jaikus immediately went wide eyed. In the well-lit space of the room, there was no possible chance of the Axxilan masking his reaction. As they had done in the past, his cheeks shifted from their tanned tone to a bright shade of vermillion, suddenly feeling like fire beneath his skin. Jaikus brought his fist up to his lips, now feeling the need to clear his throat with a cough.

“Of course I am.”

The Axxilan immediately glanced back at the Huttball game, just in time to see the Gundark’s score the winning goal of the game – quite literally stampeding over a rookie Rancor’s player in the process. The stadium immediately erupted into a chorus of fanatically cheering from one side and angry boos from the other. Even from the holo-feed, the pair could see that opposing fans had started to duke it out from the stands, proving the viewers to be just as brutal as the sport itself.

For a few seconds Jaikus made a concerted effort to not even look in the half-Sephi’s direction, suddenly very interested in the brawl in the stadium. It lasted all of fifteen seconds before the serious expression on his face cracked – his face contorting and lips twitching as they tugged upwards into a smile again. A valiant attempt to stifle the fit of embarrassed laughter that soon erupted from the man was made, but that took broke down almost was quickly as it was attempted.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc suddenly looked very displeased when Jaikus asked his question. He was silent for a few moments, appearing as if he hadn’t heard. When he spoke, the look of displeasure remained on his face as he grumbled, “Bom Trady..” He muttered almost under his breath, “However, there is more than enough empirical evidence to suggest that he has been sporting illegal cybernetics-” He glanced at Jaikus and paused, clearing his throat, “Yeah, Bom Trady has been in the longest.”

The half Sephi grumpily looked back at the game as if the topic was deeply offensive. Moments passed by before he had called Jaikus out. When the Axxilian fumbled his response and suddenly looked very attentively at the screen, Emryc said nothing. The Sith Lord followed his gaze, also watching the game as the Gundarks scored and ultimately won the game. The cameras panned over the crowds and the cheers, the datacard segment almost coming to an end.

“Strange,” Emryc remarked dryly in his normal monotone while his neutral face remained fixed ahead, “I don’t see anything here warranting the need for your face to resemble a blumfruit.”

A few more minutes and the video ended, leaving the Holo with hazy static. The half Sephi didn’t move to replace the datacard, calmly sitting there watching the static.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

If it had been Emryc’s intention to thoroughly render Jaikus incapable of response, the man had succeeded with flying colors. The Axxilan had begun to turn every shade of red on the spectrum, the warmth in his cheeks spreading to the rest of his face with vivid effect. In the well illuminated resort suite, there was absolutely no denying that the poor man had begun to resemble a sunburnt Gundark. The fit of laughter he’d been reduced to lasted far longer than it should have, Jaikus desperately bringing a hand up to his mouth in an attempt to both shield his face and try to stifle the noise. It had been enough to elicit one of those ridiculous snorts more than once.

He briefly looked over at Emryc, waving a hand toward the half-Sephi. “Well you’re not helping,” He managed to spit out as the laughter began to fade, very much aware that the man hadn’t done hardly a thing to contribute to his malfunction. How the man managed to reduce him to such a state still puzzled the Axxilan to no end.

Finally the Axxilan sprung back up to his feet, quickly making his way over to the stack of datacards before he melted any further into the floor. Even if he hardly been paying any attention to the damn thing, the background noise from the Holo did the job of managing to drown out the groaning of the infected nearby, something that the hazy static was now failing at entirely.

He squatted down with his back to Emryc, rifling through the stacks of datacards for a few minutes. He briefly considered slotting in one of the cheesy romance movies that he so enjoyed, spotting The Datapad nestled amongst the many options. While the half-Sephi had something similar playing when he walked into the room, Jaikus eventually settled for something significantly less sappy and admittedly more interesting to watch.

The Corellian Investigator.

Replacing the datapad and switching it over a channel, the hazy static was thereafter replaced with opening monologue of some pre-recorded episode of a crime-scene investigation show, this particular one seemingly about a serial killer terrorizing the streets of Taris. The Axxilan eventually made his way back to the edge of the bed, plopping down and taking a seat next to the half-Sephi. A few minutes of silence would pass between them, allowing the episode to well-and-truly behind before Jaikus finally said something.

“You’re hair looks nice that way.” He glanced over, a faint grin tugging at his lips.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc finally looked over to catch Jaikus turning multiple different shades of colors. This was probably not helped by the half Sephi completely blankly staring at the other man while he began to giggle. As his giggles progressed to full on laughter, it only escalated and that first snort happened. It was then that Emryc couldn’t keep a straight face, desperately biting the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning. And then another snort. The half Sephi couldn’t hold it back any longer as his face cracked into a full smile and he looked away. He brought a fist up to his lips to stifle the low chuckle.

“Your laugh..” He got out in between a few fake coughs, “Is so fucking stupid,” He said before that low baritone chuckle erupted against his fist, “It’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” Emryc coughed again, “You should...be put out to graze in a field,” The half Sephi lost it then, full on chuckling against his fist. It was a rare and genuine moment that very few alive had ever witnessed. Likely by now Jaikus was full on howling with plenty more snorting along the way, and it only made things escalate. The half Sephi actually squeezed his eyes shut and looked away to control himself, taking a few moments to reel himself back in and looking temporarily surprised at his own actions.

He turned his focus back to the static on the screen, internally alarmed but back to his default stoic face. He hardly noticed what Jaikus was doing, intently watching the static as if it were the most interesting thing ever. Emryc was silent the entire time as the Axxilian rifled through datacards and popped one in. He didn’t react immediately to Jaikus’ words, but he looked over after a moment like a bantha in the headlights. It took him a second to realize what the man had said. Emryc’s eyes narrowed slightly, mostly used to the man making quips or sarcastic commentary. He assumed the man was simply insulting him. His fingers combed through his hair to neatly put it into place as he silently focused back on the movie.

Emryc watched the movie in silence, his mind elsewhere entirely. Normally he was a terrible person to watch movies with - he had a habit of overanalyzing and critiquing them. This time, however, he appeared to be enthralled by it while his mind was wholly elsewhere.

Unbeknownst to both men just yet, a gathering of infected began to accumulate just outside the room very slowly and steadily.

@Altaris

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Leaning his head back against the edge of the bed, Jaikus allowed the fit of laughter fully overtake him – the embarrassment of being caught red-handed eventually fading and being forgotten. He paused momentarily in his fit of giggles and puffer-pig snorts, eyes widened at the sight of Emryc’s stoic demeanor begin to crack – shortly thereafter devolving into laughter of his own. It was a sound that completely shocked the Axxilan, a polar-opposite shift from Emryc’s usually icy exterior. It was a sound that delighted Jaikus more than he cared to admit.

“Stupid huh?” Jaikus wheezed, not quite catching his breath just yet. “And here I thought you liked the sound. And you didn’t even have to throw me into a lake this time.” He teased, flashing the half-Sephi another example of that stupid, cheesy grin when he spoke. For the briefest of moments, Emryc would almost see the emerald of the man's eyes pulse beneath the yellow.

The Axxilan’s choice of movie to succeed the Huttball game had been a shot in the dark – entirely unsure whether the half-Sephi would be bored out of his mind or if he’d actually find it an interesting watch. It was a genre Jaikus enjoyed within the seclusion of his penthouse apartment, though rarely did he have the opportunity to watch it alongside another person. Even if the other man wasn’t a fan, at the very least it was better than the static.

Settling back down and turning to look at the man beside him, Jaikus’ eyes narrowed slightly as Emryc immediately began fixing his hair when it was brought up, fingering it back into its usual style. “I’m serious,” He huffed defeatedly, shaking his head with a small chuckle. “It looks nice like that. Not so stiff.” It was a painfully ironic statement, given how much effort Jaikus himself had put into brushing his own wavy locks to perfection, leaving not a single hair out of place.

Turning his attention back to the Holo in front of them, Jaikus began to lean back into the edge of the bed. “I haven’t actually seen this episode. Don’t know if they actually caught the guy or not.” Minutes would pass, the silence not seeming to bother him one bit. By this point Jaikus was entirely comfortable with the half-Sephi’s taciturn nature, and he was still silently delighted by the man’s earlier laughter.

After a while, the Axxilan had finally begun to allow exhaustion to overtake him, crossing his arms over his chest and watching the movie with only half-lidded eyes. He barely heard the steady thumping against the locked door. A thumping that was progressively growing louder.

@Sreeya