Galaxy's Edge Space Bar

[Terenia]

Terenia reels, shocked by the sudden onslaught of information. She does not break contact with Corliss, eager to see why he decided to risk his life by defecting from the Empire. The experience is overwhelming, though. Not entirely unlike reading a host's mind, but at the same time completely different because she has no control over these memories. Corliss is the driver and she can only observe. It sends a stab of terror through her.


Zorish blinks, pushing his glass away. His expression, which had slowly been descending into anger, slowly deflates, leaving behind only sadness.

"The Empire will turn a blind eye as long as I am useful enough not to eliminate," he says, and clears his throat. The words sound false, even to him. "Unless someone actually directly accuses me of sympathizing with my host there will be no trial."

<<Zorish,>> Tamora demands, sounding petulant now. She doesn't have quite the level of ferocity as her sister, but she is tenacious in her own way.

<<You are making this difficult,>> Zorish complains, eyes tracking as he talks to her.

<<It's not like I can run away,>> his host points out. <<What more will it hurt? You've already told him pretty much everything.>>

<<Yes, it appears that I have,>> Zorish hiccups, starting slightly. <<Some Sub-Visser I am turning out to be, eh?>>

<<Please.>>

Zorish clears his throat again, looking distinctly uncomfortable with the words that are about to come out of his mouth. His nose wrinkles automatically in distaste at the idea. "My, uh," he coughs. "My host wishes to - to speak with you." He turns his gaze away, heat rising in his face. He senses that the words themselves are a terrible betrayal, and that makes him uneasy.

[RAFrukh]

Vogefac looked at Ewa, "I do not know. Actually...I just came from a conversation with friends that somehow ended up in my being left behind in the Bar..."

He looked out the door, but could not see Artemis and Parker.

He hmphed, "I have never been dismissed in a manner like that since my first day at the Military academy as a child..."

"My apologies for the intrusion, I will leave you know.", with that Vogefac rose and headed outside.

"Well - " Catie started and then he left.

"...well that was odd...", she turned to Ewa with a puzzled look.

[Myitt]

Corliss gently lets go of Terenia, exhausted from the sheer mental and emotional onslaught. 

<I'm sorry,> he murmurs hastily.  Then he turns and swims off.


Mike raises his black eyebrows, eyes wide.  "What, really?" he asks, skeptical.  "Tamora wants to talk to me?" He snorts.  "I know as well as you that you could just be acting."

[Terenia]

Terenia does not respond at first, still trying to sort out the slew of images and sensations that have suddenly been dumped into her brain.

<What do you mean, you're sorry?> she finally asks, her thought-speak voice shaken. <I...Corliss...> For maybe the first time in years her words are thick with sympathy. She lets out a small burst of echolocation and finds him, swimming close again. <You didn't have to show me all of that,> she says quietly.


"And what purpose would I have for such a folly?" Zorish snaps, his lip curling in revulsion. "What could I possibly gain from sitting here and pretending to be her? It's hardly going to change your opinion of me, human. It's hardly going to convince you to share more information."

[Myitt]

<That's why I'm sorry,> Corliss says flatly.  <I don't know what I was thinking.  I've...never exactly done that before.  Ever.> He laughs bitterly. <And as you could tell, there's good reason.>


Mike inspects the Sub-Visser for a long moment, regarding Tamora's flushed and pretty obviously drunk demeanor. 

What would Corliss do in this situation? he thinks.  You've got a drunk Imperial officer and his host, willing to spill...well, the proverbial beans, or whatever!

He clears his throat.  "All right, then," he says, his left hand relaxing away from his holster and going to his beer.  "Let's have a chat, Tamora."

[Terenia]

<No,> Terenia says slowly. <You didn't have to show me, but...I'm glad you did.> She brushes against him tentatively, trying to reassure him. <None of us have exactly had a good time of it in this war, have we?> she asks wryly. One of her palps entwines with his. <Thank you.>


Zorish hesitates, resisting the urge to stand up and stalk out. I probably wouldn't be able to walk straight anyways, he thinks inanely.

<<Do not make a fool of me, Tamora,>> Zorish warns. Tamora says nothing, but Zorish can sense her nervousness. With a heavy sigh, Zorish voluntarily relinquishes control of his host for the first time ever.

Immediately, Tamora grips the bar counter, almost keeling off of the stool. In addition to the sudden, unfamiliar rush of control she can now feel the full effects of the alcohol, most of which Zorish had been trying to keep at bay. She gasps for breath, adrenaline pumping into her system as she tries to make sense of the spinning room around her.

"Oh..." she murmurs, licking her lips a few times before croaking, "Water..."

[Myitt]

Corliss gently presses back against Terenia's body with his own.  <You're welcome,> he says, sounding a bit surprised.


Mike taps on the bar counter.  "Barkeep, a big jug of water, please."  He hastily adds, "Clean, you know. And two glasses."

He turns to Tamora.  "Are you going to make it?" he says with a little laugh, finding it awfully difficult to remind himself that this was Terenia's sister, not Terenia herself.

[Chad32]

Derrel wathed as Tamora seemed to have difficulty getting herself under control. It made him wonder if that was a usual effect of being a host. Then again, he hadn't noticed Serid or Mike stumble around when a Yeerk wasn't controlling them. <<I guess it all depends on how much practice you get from time to time.>> He thought idly.

[Terenia]

Terenia finds her spirits lifting, despite the fact that the memories are still sitting heavily in her mind. <You aren't going to suddenly change your mind about this when I cease to be slimy, are you?> she asks teasingly, hoping to cheer him up as well.


"Y-yeah," Tamora croaks, steadying herself. She blinks a few times, pulling her world back into focus. "Wow," she mutters, exhaling slowly. "I didn't think he would actually do it."

The bartender comes over with the jug of water and two glasses, which he reluctantly fills.Tamora immediately snatches one and tips it back, drinking deeply.

[Myitt]

<I don't know, slime is number one on my list of attraction factors,> Corliss replies wryly.  <I think we both know how Mike feels about you.  Surely he won't object.>


"Drink up, Zorish has been trying to drink you under a bloody table," Mike says, still smiling easily. 

[Terenia]

<No, I'm sure he won't,> Terenia says slowly. <I'm sure he'll be quite pleased. It would be a bit difficult for him to have a...a, uh...relationship,> she cringes slightly at the word, <with an unhosted Yeerk.>


Tamora finishes the glass and immediately pours a second, almost dropping the jar as she manipulates it with hands that are used to following the orders of another. She nearly empties this second glass before finally setting it down and sighing.

"That's...a little better," she says, giving Mike a slightly sheepish grin. "Zorish didn't mean to. He just...was frustrated and-"

<<Mind what you say, Tamora,>> Zorish pipes up. Tamora licks her lips. "Anyways," she murmurs. "Um. Hi." Now that she has the control that she begged so earnestly for she isn't exactly sure where to begin. It has been a long time since she engaged in casual conversation with anyone besides the Yeerk in her head.

[Myitt]

<Now there's an odd mental image,> Corliss jokes.  He hesitates for a moment.  <Terenia, can I ask you something personal?  About your family?>


"Hi," says Mike, leaning on his left arm and sipping beer with his free hand.  "What was it you wanted to tell me?"

[Terenia]

Terenia takes a second to deliberate before answering. She isn't particularly eager to talk about her family, especially considering recent events. But Corliss had shared his experiences with her.

<Yeah,> she says reluctantly. <What do you want to know?>


"Yeah, um," Tamora says, taking a deep breath and playing with the ends of her hair. She shifts nervously before her thoughts come out in a tumble. "I just...look, I know you probably don't understand. Or maybe you do. But, Zorish isn't a bad person. And he isn't a coward. He's doing what he can to protect me because he doesn't want to see me hurt again. He's the only person who has ever kept their promises to me; the only reason he even came here was to see if there was some way he could prevent my supposed death or whatever that stupid message was about. He's trying to protect me." The way she speaks about the Yeerk indicates more than friendship, more than admiration. She talks about Zorish the way someone might talk about their lover. With complete and total trust and confidence.

"He wouldn't stay in the Empire if it weren't what was best for me," she goes on, almost pleading with Mike to understand. Several times Zorish almost comes forward and takes control again, but he holds himself back.

[KitsuneMarie]

<<That, or how much they've had to drink,>> Illim smirks internally as he watches Tamora through Derrel's eyes. He takes over his host's lungs long enough to heave a sigh. <<So ready to get out of here. Wonder if Myitt and Tora are telling Reven to rescind my invitation...>> he murmurs, itching to give Myitt a call to find out. Considering how annoyed with him she already appeared to be, though, Illim holds off.


Serid reaches the Bar doors and enters, surveying the crowd before walking towards an empty booth on the other side of the room from Illim. He gives his former Yeerk a nod of acknowledgement.

[Chad32]

<<Yeah, it could just be that.>> Derrel said. <<I'm ready to leave too, but you know corliss isn't going to leave Terenia here alone. The base probably won't just send the info to your ship for us to leave without them, so we're stuck here. I wouldn't mention it too much because Corliss already wants to leave as soon as Yeerkly possible.>>

Derrel nodded back to Serid, kind of hoping he'd come over and talk but not wanting to go to him since he didn't.