Galaxy's Edge Space Bar

[Myitt]

Myitt shrugs, sipping the drink lightly. 

"I seem to recall capturing you, quite by mistake, with a little help from my friends," she says slowly, recalling the distant--and none too pleasant--events.  "You had infested a friend of ours and attempted to attack us.  You went crawling back to Tamora and were given the choice of a memory wipe and a ticket back to the Empire, or starvation.  Of course you took the ticket, but you didn't want Tamora to get hurt back at the home base, see.  You wanted to return alone.  So you left her, and we tried to decide whether to kill you or send you back."

Again she sips the drink.

"My host, Tara," she says, gesturing at her own chest, "wanted you to have a proper choice in your sentence, after you were helpless.  You were allowed to infest her, unbeknownst to me--I was in the pool at the time.  Then upon returning to my host, I believe I considered you too great a risk with the knowledge you had obtained."  She sips.  "I did what I had to do.  I took the safest route for my people.  Memory wipes are fickle at best."

[Terenia]

Zorish listens, his expression darkening as Myitt relays the story.

"I see," he says when she finishes, suddenly wishing that he had more alcohol. Tamora's head is buzzing in an irritating way that is difficult to ignore. "So you killed me, for the benefit of your fellow traitors, despite the fact that I had been told otherwise." He nods. "Not that I would expect honesty from you. After all," he grins nastily, "I am a Sub-Visser of the Yeerk Empire. Which means that I must be evil, does it not?"

He hugs his arms briefly, keeping his eyes locked on Myitt. He finds it is easier to concentrate that way. "Alright. Fine. So you killed me. What next? What of this body? Was she too great a risk as well?"

[Myitt]

"Your host body had no knowledge of our base's secrets, as far as I'm aware, and her destruction was entirely out of my hands," Myitt says coldly, taking a deep swig of liquor.

[Terenia]

Zorish peers at Myitt, perturbed.

"So, in summary," he says, sounding disgusted, "your host," he reaches out and presses two fingers to her shoulder, pushing ever so slightly, as though to confirm that Tara is real, "this human woman, was willing to give me my life whereas you, my own kind, snuffed it out without a second thought. And then, after that, you could not even manage to keep Tamora from harm, despite the fact that I desired her safety."

Zorish drops his gaze to the bar counter, fuming. "I have been a careful Yeerk," he says in a quiet, cold voice. "I have avoided battle and maintained an abhorently menial position within the Empire, rising to Sub-Visser only by happy accident. I have worked for years to ensure not only my safety, but the safety of this body during these tumultuous times. I protected her and you just-" his voice catches in his throat, startling him. When he raises his glare back to Myitt's face Tamora's eyes are shining. "-you destroyed it all, didn't you? Everything I've worked for, everything I have labored so meticulously to achieve, gone in an instant because of your precious, traitorous rebellion."

<<Are you -- are you crying?>> Tamora asks, stunned.

<<No,>> Zorish hisses. <<The redin must be reacting strangely with your body.>>

He swallows hard, trying to fight back the tears that are utterly alien to him.

[yunyun]

Citrus nodded. "Go ahead, no one else is with me. So which planet do you live on?" She asked, trying to start some sorta of conversation.

[Gaz]

Julian sat down with his drink in hand.

"I come from a planet called Eurydice. Though it's been a while since I was there last due to traveling around for competitions. Back at home I'm champion sword master."

[Myitt]

Myitt flinches when Zorish pokes at Tara's body, but as he keeps talking she watches with a strange sense of...what?  Guilt? Empathy?

Pity?

Finally she says, quietly, "If I could have saved your host, I would have." She snorts derisively, but her tone is still subdued.  "And no, I didn't kill you without a second thought.  I'm not some kind of monster."

[Terenia]

"Does it matter?" Zorish asks gruffly. "You killed me. Whether you were torn up about it or not is irrelevant." He inhales - a deep, shuddering sound.

"More importantly," he continues, his voice gaining strength, "you let my host die, and now harbor her murderer amongst your ranks. If you could not save my host you at the very least could have seen justice delivered to her murderer."

Almost casually, he reaches over, resting his hand gently on the butt of his Dracon, which is still lying on the bar counter. He does not lift the weapon, though. Not yet.

"Tell me why I should let you live," he says in almost a whisper.

[Myitt]

Myitt's eyes track to Zorish's Dracon and back to the Sub-Visser's familiar face.

She sighs heavily.  "Terenia killed her sister.  It nearly cost her the last of her sanity, and she wouldn't have joined us if I'd had my way."

The rebel looks down at the sawdust on the wooden floor, leaning a bit closer to her own weapon. 

"I won't let you kill me, or my host, without a fight."  She looks back up at Zorish, questioning.  Daring him to make the first move.

<<Myitt,>> Tara whispers, fear clutching her heart.  <<Jesus, I don't...>>  She hesitates.  <<Draw quickly, alright?>>

[Terenia]

"That doesn't answer my question," Zorish hisses, squeezing his eyes shut for a long moment to clear away the tears. "Tell me why you deserve to live, you dapsen murdering traitor."

[Myitt]

"Doesn't everyone deserve to live?" she says with a shrug.

The Dracon is in her hand, the dial clicked to stun, and she fires point blank at Tamora's chest.

[Terenia]

At such a close range there is no room for error, and no time for Zorish to respond.

The blast knocks Zorish and Tamora backwards, off of the barstool, and they land in an unceremonious heap on the sticky floor. Tamora's eyes are still open, but unfocused.

<<No! Dammit, Tamora, wake up!>> Zorish cries, his fury and despair replaced by sudden biting fear as he tries to force her body to respond. Their own Dracon lays forgotten on the counter, and Tamora's mind is silent.

[Myitt]

The hot backwash from the red laser's close range kicks Myitt back into the bar counter.

She grunts and finds her right arm and half of her right leg unresponsive, but manages to cling to the scratched shellac with a wild grope of her left arm.  The Dracon slips from her limp shooting hand and clatters to the sawdust floor.

A stab of pain shoots through her spine as she braces herself against the wood, and she sucks in a sharp breath.

<<Are we alive?>> Tara wonders dimly.

Myitt swallows and watches Zorish's prostrate form, her chest heaving.

[Terenia]

<<Tamora,>> Zorish says urgently. <<Tamora, you need to wake up now. Damn it, child, get up!>>

His struggling is useless, though; Tamora is completely absent, with no sign of regaining consciousness anytime soon. No matter how hard he tries, her body refuses to respond to his commands. After a few moments of struggling in vain he finally gives up and tries to assess how badly she might be injured. There is a dull throb at the back of Tamora's head where her head struck the floor, and her back is aching as well. Beyond that the damage does not seem to be too severe.

There is nothing else he can do but wait. Wait for Tamora to regain consciousness, or wait for Myitt to finish them off. Whichever comes first.

<<Tamora...>>

[Myitt]

With a rasping cough Myitt slides off of the bar stool, still clinging to the edge of the bar counter with her trembling left hand. 

Her right leg nearly buckles beneath her, and she scowls, wincing.

<<Now what?>> Tara demands angrily.  <<Am I supposed to just will the Dracon up from the floor?>>

"I'll think of something," Myitt mutters, glancing around the bar.  A firefight in this place didn't always draw much attention, which could be a benefit or a hindrance, depending on the circumstances.

Slowly, shakily, she limps towards Zorish, using the bar counter as a crutch and nearly tripping over her own bar stool.

She hisses a curse and regains her balance long enough to glare down at the Dracon, now beneath her feet. 

<<If you make me face-plant-->> Tara warns.

<<I'm trying to concentrate!>> Myitt snaps, cutting her off.