Galaxy's Edge Space Bar (archive)

[Alic]

Alic looked at Kara and smiled. She wanted to do a very human thing and hug her. But she still kept her distance, not wanting her to be afraid.
<Kara.. You don't have to anymore.  No one will make you.> Turning her stalk eyes to the Hork Bajir, she glared. Then Alic told Kara privately, <If you don't want that thing back in your head, I will protect you.>

[Breekan1]

Breekan smiles at Keirdan. "Now, if you can just apply that logic to grapes and those of us with legs, we'll be in business." His smile dissolves into a concerned grimace as he sees Kara relieved of her captor. He wants to look away, startled to see someone quite so vulnerable, but worry keeps his eyes frozen in place. He nods along with Alic.

"Al's right. There's no way we're going to make you do something you don't want to like that. We're all here to help you."

[Chad32]

Jagill hissed in response to Alic's glaring. Though he wasn't really sure what to say. He didn't hate Yeerks by default. If anything, he hated Andalites more. He knew that Host and Yeerk could get along, and he didn't find anything odd about a Yeerk/Host relationship, over anything else. "Ardiss is a person too. Who will be her host, if not Kara?"

[Alic]

<You being a host is different when you're voluntary.> Alic was trying to choose her words very carefully. She had yeerk friends, and didn't want to say something that could come out wrong, which seemed to happen sometimes. She could be so clumsy with words.

<If Kara doesn't want to be a host,  and I would be shocked if she did seeing how terrified she is right now, then she won't. As far as Ardiss goes, I could care less if she finds another host. But she is not getting the girl back.> Alic was annoyed with Jagill. He would rather defend a yeerk who didn't give a damn for its "body" than for the host who deserved to make her own choices.

[Kit Cloudkicker]

Shal stands up and stares at Jagil. She moves to stand at Alic's side in an attempt to show that she would side with the Andalite if necessary. Keirdan smiles at Corliss, then Breekan. "I told you I don't like grapes. Why's that girl cryin'?" He asks before moving his face back near the container to continue his observation of the swimming Yeerks.

[Terenia]

"I...want...to...go. ..home..."

Heavy sobs cut through each word as she speaks, and she seems much younger than twenty-five at this moment.

[Breekan1]

"If Kara and her Yeerk can't work out an agreement, we can't just screw Kara over by default," Breekan argues. "At the very least, Kara is a completely innocent victim here. She should be treated as such. As for the one in the tank, well..." Breekan shrugs. "Maybe we can find a volunteer. I mean, if it comes to that, I could..." He glances at Shal and shakes his head, cutting himself off. "Look, it's prickly business. But Kara should be first priority."

His ears prick at Keirdan's question. He looks down, choosing his words carefully. "Not everybody gets along like Myitt and Tara do," he says gently. His expression turns glum. "Most don't. This makes people sad when it happens."

[Myitt]

"Hey," Tara says quietly, hugging Kara's shoulders, "hey, shh, man it's okay.  It's okay."  She feels an immense upwelling of pity for her, knowing full well what Kara's been forced to experience for so many years.  Not just the loss of control, her life, but also being forced to inflict pain upon so many people.  Ardiss' job was not a pleasant one, even less so for someone forced to watch, powerless to do anything about it.  

"I don't think this poor human will ever be able to make amends with the creature that destroyed her life," Corliss says faintly.  "But what are we going to do with Ardiss, then?  We don't have the resources to devote Kandrona to a single occupant pool, a prison, and she can't return to the Empire.  It would be better to kill her, quickly.  But honestly, I don't want any more deaths on my conscience than I can help." He sighs, running a hand through his unruly black hair, suddenly exhausted and frustrated at the thought.

"I could do it."  Tara shrugs.  "She could hang out in my head.  For a little while, anyway.  What's she going to do, replay all of my bad memories?  I think I've seen them all.  Even if she replays her bad memories, I've probably seen, experienced, things just as bad."  She winces, adjusting her bad arm, her left still half-hugging the trembling, sobbing human girl.

"Are you out of your mind?" Corliss says sharply.  "You know damn near everything I do about the base, our operatives...if you let her in your head, then she will have to die."

"Isn't she going to die anyway?" Tara retorts.  "At least she can defend herself, have a say in her fate."

"Defend herself?  Yeah, so she can bloody stab one of us with your 'ands?  Run off to the Empire with our coordinates?  Tara, I understand you're trying to make her understand, but...Yeerks like this, sometimes they're so far gone, they can't see any other way.  And when their only other choice is death, well, desperate people sometimes take desperate measures."

"Well what are we going to do with her?" Tara asks, frustrated, too.  "With both of them.  Jesus, this girl needs ****ing therapy, we can't just sit here debating her fate.  Someone get her a tissue for chrissakes...here, Kara, there's water if you want it..."

---

<Yes, you essentially...are an idiot,> says Myitt flatly.  <I doubt the room of hippies out there will let you back into your host.  I know I wouldn't.>  The word 'hippies' doesn't translate fully into their ultrasonic language, but the meaning is clear enough.  <I believe you have the option to stay here and eventually starve, go back to the Empire so they can make you eventually starve, or let one of us make things a lot quicker for you.  Or you can start playing nice with your host.  But I do not think the odds are very good that Kara will let you return.>  She senses Temrash near her.  <How much would you like to bet?  No, don't, the odds are terrible.>

[Alic]

Alic nodded at Shal, happy to have good friends at her side. She wished so much to comfort the human. She set her eyes on Tara. <Don't. Who knows what she would do with you. If she's going to die, then fine. But don't put her in your head.>
Alic shook her head sadly keeping Kara out now. <She does need help.. But if she goes back to Earth they'll only think she's crazy, or she'll end up in the same situation. >

[Breekan1]

Breekan holds up his hands. "Hey now, we can't go killing the Yeerk, either," he protests. "That's just... Well, I mean, she trusted you guys, yeah? I understand not being able to set her up with the host, but killing her seems like a major dick-" he glances down at Keirdan and clears his throat. "erm, Jerk move."

[Terenia]

Kara takes the water in a shaking, trembling hand and gulps, more of it ending up spilled down her shirt than in her mouth. She manages to slow her sobs down to a controlled gasping.

"Th-thanks..." she gasps, pushing her glass back towards the bartender and taking a few deep, shuddering breaths.



---

There is a long silence as Ardiss tries to keep her anger under control. She fails, <You are all traitors! You'll be caught and you'll be annihilated, every last one of you! I want out of this pool. I want my host back!>

[Myitt]

"We could help Kara recover," says Corliss.  "Shal's a medic, and you'd be surprised how many people really appreciate a little analytical relief from the stresses of living in the middle of arse-nowhere, space.  We have a couple of good doctors at the base.  Decent reconstructive surgery, too."  He smiles, shaking his head, amused at some memory in spite of the situation.

"Alic, what else are we going to do?  Just sit here and watch her die?  We don't have the ability to set up a voice-thought link, so she can't even do or say anything about it.  It's just...I can't do that."  Tara looks at the floor, knowing that there may be no other choice.  "Sympathy for the devil."  She glances up at Mar, almost subconsciously, and looks away, back toward Kara.

---

<Yes, here's the part where you yell and tell me how great the Empire is.  I think acceptance is next,> says Myitt thoughtfully.  <Well.  I'm sorry, Ardiss, but the only ones who can decide whether you get your host back or sit in this pool until the Kandrona generator fails are the people out there.  Yelling about it isn't going to change anything.>

[Breekan1]

"Can't one of us let her in, at least temporarily?" Breekan asks. "She could make her case, or at least tell us if she has any better ideas than starvation."

[Alic]

<I never promised anything.> Alic shrugs. <You all know what I would be more than willing to do. I guess I'm a jerk.> She wouldn't without her friends asking her to, but the temptation to grab the yeerk out of the slime was strong. If she could have been able to tell them all apart, she might have done it.

<Tara I am far more concerned what it would do while using you than I am for its life. Maybe we can think of something,> Alic glanced at Breekan. <It shouldn't be any of us. >

[Terenia]

Kara listens in relative silence, only the occasional sniffle or sob breaking through as she receives a second glass of water. She looks down at the water, holding the glass with both hands, and listens to the debate, her face blank.


---

For a moment Ardiss flails in silence, then, <No, but you can help me. You won't be in this pool forever, your pet human will return. You can tell them to return my host.>