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.]

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[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."

[momslilassassin]

"Not about me," Ben said softly. "How are you? Really."

[weetuskenraider]

"Getting better," she said after a moment to evaluate how she really was. "I just didn't really want to be alone right now, and Hurley wouldn't quite understand why that whole thing had me so shaken up. And I'm comfortable here."

That last statement had a few different meanings.

[momslilassassin]

Ben smiled. "You can stay as long as you like," he said. "Feeling a little more in control of you now?"

[weetuskenraider]

"Much," she assured him, shifting a little closer. "But I can't keep doing this every time it comes down to a fight."

[momslilassassin]

"We need to find a way to get her to be quiet," Ben replied.

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri made a soft noise of agreement. "Think we've got the best shot at that here in Fandom? And wait, 'we?'"

She wasn't objecting to that, really; the smile said as much.

[momslilassassin]

"If you want, we," Ben amended hastily. "But if you go home to talk to the healers about this, that might get...awkward."

[weetuskenraider]

"Just a little," Tahiri laughed. Laughing was good; it always made her feel a little more control of herself. "And I'm not complaining about that we, gundark."

[momslilassassin]

"I could wear a cunning mustache and call myself Neb," he said. "They'd never guess."