Hoth: Blood and Ice

"I'm still here, aren't I?" She gave a weak response to Omandri's question. "Wasn't the first time. Might not be the last. Just left a scar."

Then another new voice showed up. Or well, a familiar one. The fact that Breela was asking if she was okay suggested to her that she hadn't foolishly wandered over to the Dark Side after all, the way she'd thought she might during Zhorrid's ritual. But it was hard to really tell with such things, and Layne was in no place to judge anyhow.

There was a deep breath as Breela arrived. Just when they were starting to make a breakthrough.

"Sure, I suppose." He got up from his chair and walked over to Breela. His face was still annoyed from his attempts at allegory being thrown against him, but it was probably looked like the usual look he would have given Breela anyway.

She wanted to run over to Laynes side, even though she knew Layne probably didn't want to talk to her. "Uh I..." She looks from Nudi to Layne with a mix of anxiety and sadness. Finally she sighs, "It'll... just be a minute. I don't want to upset the patient."

She'll lead Nudimsu a ways off into the hall. "I hate admitting this, but I need your help. Can you join me on a recce at some point today?

As he walked away with Breela, he looked back over at the room. "As I was telling that ingrate in there, one should never feel bad to have to admit they need help. So, I assuming you got a lead about your kids, then?"

"It's... a tad more complicated than that. But I'll explain more in transit. When are you available?"

"Give me a little bit to be prepared. We'll have to take the Rabbit on this one, since the Turtle is not Hoth proof yet. Plus a better chance not be seen. Just be sure to prepare for the weather; it'll be rather rough out there." He shrugged and thought for a few moments.

"Maybe a hour or so to prepare?"

"That works." She nods. She'll walk back to Layne's room. "Omandri, I may need you tomorrow. I'll message you the details." She turns to Layne. "I'm glad you're back safe. I still believe in you, and if you need me I'll come running." She rubs her neck awkwardly, "take care Layne."

Unless stopped
/exit

With that, Nudimsu returns to the Medical Bay, returning to his seat. "I swear, that cat woman..." Taking a deep breath, he looks at Layne and continues. "I assume she was one of those people who you tried to justify yourself to?"

She couldn't respond to Breela; and waited a fair bit until after she was sure she'd gone, to answer Nudi's question.

"They were all there, yes. It wasn't fair to do, but I made them be there for it anyway."

"Assuming 'they' means all the Jedi here." He considers it for a moment and shakes his head. "Well, hardly am the one to consider what is fair in such a situation, but at least you were up front with your intentions. If they are your compatriots, they deserve to know what you plan was. In return, if they are of any worth or value to you, you will be forgiven for your stupidity, even if you feel you do not deserve it." He shrugs and leans back a little.

"If they don't, well, I could always use another crew member when this is over with. I do not imagine 'Songbird' will be traveling with us for very long after we leave, so we need someone who can sing and make decent caf. Maybe do some work to help you do more of that scale balancing while teaching you how to rely on others some." A small pause comes as he considers the real possibility of it. "Not to mention the jobs we do would only improve if we have a name like yours on the roster."

"I was not up front. Not really," she said. He kept coming so close to the mark, only to be just slightly off, forcing her to correct him. Or maybe that was the point. His intent even.

"Not fully."

And then he made an insane offer.

"..."

The stunned silence hung in the air.

"...I don't sing."

He nods his head. "Ahh, yes. That sounds about right. Could be why they were upset with you now, then. Could also even show that you may have lacked trust in your plan, yourself."

There is a small pause again after she speaks. "A shame, really. Assuming the caf skills are not up to snuff either, then. Well, I suppose I could settle for a few hummed bars every now and again. The caf part can be taught over time; the machine is not that hard to operate, after all."

"Couldn't you just... get a droid, if the machine... is so simple to operate?"

Weirdly, the offer was enticing on some level. She might actually give it serious consideration depending on how things would go, later today.

His face looks rather annoyed that such a thing was even suggested. "No. No droids on my ship. They are unreliable and I would not risk such a important task on something that can fail at any moment."

There was a affirmed nod. "Well, you do not need to decide it now. Just know that if you do decide to join us, we consider ourselves a family." He paused. "Going to attempt another allegory, so prepare yourself mentally, please." He stopped talking for a moment to allow her to do so before he continued. "Durasay is like the dad...Songbird would be like the mom, who plans to leave the dad soon to go raise the daughter from her first husband...I would be the son...even though Durasay is from my cousin species...Hacha...be like the crazy uncle? Craw would be the alcoholic brother who never gets invited to family functions...Pipka is...the family dog...and I guess that would mean Lana would be the sister, but if I am the son, and she and I..."

There is a very long, awkward pause as he ponders this more. Could be a adopted sister, maybe...make it less strange...not uncommon for Chiss to marry those they've adopted into their family between the Houses, but would a human understand that? Likely not. Just forget it.

"Okay, maybe I am terrible at allegories." He sighs in frustration and leans back in his chair once again. "We rely on each other and try to be somewhat honest with one another in the process."

"Durasay? The Senator?"

Another name from the past.

"...I remember him. Stubborn old man. Kept secrets too, I think."

But then, who didn't? She certainly wasn't one to talk.

"Yes, of that, I have no doubt. I have several myself, in fact. I'm sure Pipka has several as well." Like how the hell does he expect me to allow that many goats on my ship... "Point is, we all will respect your privacy if you wish, and in return, just make sure it doesn't effect us. Exceptions do apply, but for the most part, that is how we do things."

She gave a deep sigh.

"...I'll consider it, at least. No promises."

"All I can ask for is that you do. At least you have somewhere to go if you end up with nowhere else to go." He nods in affirmation. "And I think the way you are now, it would be rather bad for you mentally to be stuck out in this galaxy without companions, should that be the end result today."

"Maybe, maybe not."

She gave a small shrug.

"I might *need* some time alone after today. I might not. I appreciate the offer either way."

"Offer stands if and when you wish to accept it." He looks over at the medical droids for extended period of time, wondering how they would be when they eventually fail or get jacked in. Rather messy affair.

"Well then, I think I've about paid my debt. Unless, of course, there is another topic you wish to chat about. I, apparently, have to go driving in about a hour in horrid weather to do recon on the pirates with Breela. Given the two options, I would much rather sit with you and discuss more about your feelings than sit in the snow listening to her talk about most topics. Any excuse you can think of to delay that experience is a welcome one." The tone is flat in his statement.

"...you'd rather listen to my self-pity than her talk about anything?"

She wasn't sure if she had the strength to distract herself from that self-pity more than she already had, but here she was, asking anyway.

"Breela talks to me because she enjoys trying to push me to an emotional reaction so she can feel satisfied with herself. Apparently, this is because she wishes to prove I have feelings. Rather insulted at the insinuation that do not have them, to be honest." There is a small huff in his voice. "You just have a lot of emotional damage from years of self-loathing, a small sense of survivors guilt, and I would suppose just a general sense of burnout, from what you have told me. Valid reasons to be emotional, in my opinion."

He paused for a moment. "Given the two options between being insulted for a hour or hearing you talk about your feelings, you would win out. At least that would be a productive use of my time."

"Hmm-mmm..."

It couldn't be her fight now.

"...I suppose she has her own things to deal with too."

"Yes, her childern." He sighs. "I am well aware I am being used as a outlet for her frustrations on this matter, which is why I do not stop her. Mostly because I need her stable enough to do the task she hired me to do; family is also a soft spot for me as well. That consideration, however, ends the moment they are safe."

Children. Legacies. Another person she'd scorned without fully understanding their situation.

She could only sigh at herself again.

"...Of course."