Hoth: Blood and Ice

[Luth Khalan]

Lutg ran her hand along the hull of the Nighthawk with a sigh. A long streak of blasted metal and carbon scoring now decorated the outside hull. Her fault, as the pilot, really. No skill with mechanics to help get it back into good order, either.

She was going to have to apologize to Syl. Maybe she could find some old parts to at least help repair it. Yeah... nit a bad idea.

With that, she turned and walked deeper into the hangar, looking around for just such a thing in this bare-bones place.

[Sylvain Torsin]

A short distance away Shyyyo stood near a pile of rubble and assorted waste that had occurred sometime long before they arrived.

With the ships that kept coming in there would need to be as much room as possible...

----

Force Fluff Moving Big Rocks and Stuff

[Luth Khalan]

"Makes you wonder what happened here in the past, doesn't it?" Luth noted as she sorted through the wreckage.

[Sylvain Torsin]

"Indeed. And why the beacons led us here..." He said as he continued his work.

"Thank you... By the way. Nightingale and I owe you our lives... Again."

[Luth Khalan]

"Yes... Why there were Sith and Republic distress beacons here..." She chewed her lip under her mask.

The comment about saving their lives again brought a soft chuckle. "I'll put it on your tab." After a moment, she paused before rising to her feet and looking toward him. "... Truth be told, though, without you, I would be facing everything-" She deliberately didn't state what... or who... everything was. "-alone. I don't feel like I've done nearly enough for you."

[Sylvain Torsin]

"Well at least there is some reciprocity there then." He said with a slight sense of warmth behind the masked voice.

"What are you facing now dear friend...?"

[Luth Khalan]

"Technically, nothing but positive by the Empire's standards, outside of the whole crash landing thing," she said, facing away from him. Her voice was quiet, but carried over to him. "I'm officially 'Lord Khalan' now."

[Sylvain Torsin]

"Somethings are unavoidable... Like what happened this morning." He said with a nod.

He then paused and said simply, "Congratulations."

Sylvain knew the two edged sword that was public recognition in the Empire. Knew it far better than most. He was happy that Luth had received the acknowledgment she deserved... but knew that it meant only more struggle for her in the future.

"A well-deserved promotion." He said warmly.

[Luth Khalan]

"Indeed, as he thoroughly reminded me. Nearly ten years as a perfect, unfailing servant of Darth Baras." There was no emotion to her voice. Perhaps it was something about that that had gotten to her about it. Some part of her wondered how her life had ended up where it did.

[Sylvain Torsin]

Sylvain respected the silence for several moments as Luth waxed contemplative.

"What does the new Lord wish to enact upon the galaxy now that she is so powerful?" He asked with a tone of playful mirth.

[Luth Khalan]

She chuckled at the idea. "That's a good question. I spent so much time just trying to survive and making sure the people I love survive that I don't know what to do with this. I'm at least good at that."

[Sylvain Torsin]

“Can that not serve as the basis for what you do going forward?” He asked to stimulate thought.

“How to expand that…”

[Luth Khalan]

"Well... I may not have friends on both sides of the galaxy anymore, but I do have people whose well being I care about," she mused, following the thought. "And access to a reasonably large intelligence and agent network."

She tapped her fingers on a piece of debris for a moment before moving it. "I guess I should try to rebuild the Republic side of it, to start with. It's not wise to act without information."

[Sylvain Torsin]

“Baras mentioned something about a purge of his assets… Is it that extensive a blow?” He asked.

[Luth Khalan]

"It's like a broken leg. It's not deadly, but you're not going to be functioning at the same level for a while," she replied, examining some scrap metal. "And it's best to get it treated sooner rather than later."

[Sylvain Torsin]

"Sounds like you have a place to start then... If we don't freeze to death in this infernal base." He replied.

[Luth Khalan]

"Yeah, not exactly swimsuit weather on Hoth." He can hear the grin in her voice.

[Sylvain Torsin]

“If only the pirates had been on Scarif.” He said with a playfully wistful voice.