Room 424 [late evening]

[momslilassassin]

His headache had finally cleared up, so Ben was trying to catch up on his robotics work this evening.

Well, that was his story, anyway. It wasn't like he slept more than a few hours a night. The door was closed, though, so the sound didn't carry down the hall.

[OOC: For the girl.]

Comments

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri could tell sleep wasn't going to be happening tonight, and she really didn't want to freak Hurley out more than he probably already was by unloading on him; he'd be there for her, she knew, but his realm of experience in fights like this was completely different from hers.

So she headed down a floor and knocked on the door of the one person she knew was around who would understand better than anyone.

Not having to explain huge swaths of things was a definite bonus.

[momslilassassin]

Ben tilted his head at the sensation he was picking up in the Force, then got up and answered the door.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

[weetuskenraider]

"How's your head?" Tahiri asked, first off, guessing that he must have had a worse headache than she did. "There was a fight. Which is related to the headache I'm pretty sure you had."

[momslilassassin]

"Granddad involved by any chance?" Ben asked. "I could barely move today. I need to talk to him about keeping his emotions to himself."

He shook his head. "Not important. How are you?"

[weetuskenraider]

"He was in a mood," Tahiri said. "Which means, I'm guessing, one of the kidnapped people was his wife."

She took a step or two toward Ben, needing the proximity. "I'm just a little scratched up, no big deal. But one of these days I'll learn my lesson about going off by myself."

She probably wouldn't, not for a while.

[momslilassassin]

Ben reached for her hands. "He didn't pull the school down on top of our heads, so I guess he's not going to Vader out on us," he said grimly. "Why did you go off by yourself?"

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri squeezed his hands gently. "I sensed someone else out there. I wasn't counting on finding their leader."

[momslilassassin]

Ben hissed in a breath and pulled her further into the room. "How bad was it?"

[weetuskenraider]

"Depends on which one of us you're asking," Tahiri said, trying and failing at a smile. "It's over. Everyone from Fandom got out okay. But I won't be sleeping tonight, I can tell."

[momslilassassin]

"You can stay here," Ben said immediately, sitting down on the bed and projecting comfort through the Force toward her. "And I want to know what Tahiri thinks."

[weetuskenraider]

A little of the strain in her eyes dissipated, and she sat down beside him. "Tahiri really, really wishes Riina would stop trying to butt in right in the middle of a fight," she said. "Especially when someone is on their knees in front of me, practically ordering me to finish her off."

She paused, then volunteered, "Going philosophical on her was annoying too."

[momslilassassin]

Ben snorted humorlessly. "Start from the beginning," he said, reaching out to pull her against him.

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri leaned into him and let her eyes fall half closed. "Do you know how weird it is to have someone come up to you and say 'He loves you, child' right off? They thought their god sent them. Something about a prophesied victory."

[momslilassassin]

Ben winced. "Guess that prophecy was wrong," he said quietly, running his fingers along her arm. "And that is an extremely creepy way to say hello."

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri nodded. "I -- Riina -- went off on her about being a coward, for kidnapping people. She kept trying to take over . . . it came really, really close a few times."

[momslilassassin]

His grip on her tightened a little. "But you're still you," he said. "Does she just come out during combat situations?"

[weetuskenraider]

"It happens more then," Tahiri said, thinking back over a few of the more recent instances. "But sometimes someone will just say something that she just has to respond to. It's easier to stay in control then."

She took a deep breath. "She wanted to kill the queen right at that moment, when she was on the ground. It would have been almost like Mezhan Kwaad all over again."

[momslilassassin]

"I'll try not to provoke her," Ben replied softly. "Did you pull back?" he asked. "Did you give the queen another chance?"

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri nodded. "I couldn't just kill her like that. I knew she wasn't going to give up, but . . ."

[momslilassassin]

"You're not an assassin," Ben finished for her.

[weetuskenraider]

"No," she said, and reached out to put an arm around his waist. "And I wasn't about to give her that satisfaction. Either of them."

[momslilassassin]

He kissed the top of her head. "What happened next?"

[weetuskenraider]

"I started to walk away." It had been as much to avoid giving in as hoping Veranke would attack. "And she came after me, so . . ."

Tahiri looked up and smiled shakily at him. "Well, she ran into my lightsaber."

[momslilassassin]

Ben winced. "Been there."

[weetuskenraider]

"Oh. Right." Tahiri bit her lip. "Sorry."