Hoth: Blood and Ice

[Layne Hoshin]

"You know what drove me to the Jedi. I'm sure I probably rubbed it into your face when I visited Alderaan."

She gave another sigh at that.

"Helping Gerald from what you and Zash had done to him, that's what started it. For the first time I could remember, I wasn't angry anymore. Even if only for a little while. I chased that feeling to the Jedi, and found it there. And then I chased the right to feel that way. Only I messed it up, and now I'm here."

[Zeno Thul]

"I figured that just drove you away from the Sith. But that makes sense," he says with a nod. He looks like he is thinking about something for a moment and then decides against it. Either she knows that Zash is near and chose not to do anything about it, or she has no clue and he doesn't need to reveal that to her with her current situation.

But that wondering if he should say something gave way to asking something related but not what he was holding back. "How did you put Gerald's wound to rest? It may need to be done to put Vitiate's wound to rest."

[Layne Hoshin]

"You're pinging my obsession again," she said, sad smile on her face.

"...We knew he could become a Wound. Zash and I, and the others. I thought they'd have prevented it, but maybe not."

She shrugged. "EIther way, I'm not sure there's anything that *can* be done. If he *is* a wound in the force, then for that wound to be healed he has to *want* to be redeemed. Even if he wants to be, which I doubt, does he really deserve it? And how could I possibly even agree to help anyhow? I'm about to be judged for a murder I committed in the foolish belief that I had to do it in order to stop *him*."

"I'm supposed to go up there and be punished, while *he* gets to just become one with the light and be forgiven? With everything that he's done? How can you even ask me that."

She sounded unsure. conflicted; all of the despair she'd seemingly rid of herself over the course of the day starting to flood right back in.

[Zeno Thul]

"I asked because I didn't know what it entailed. If it is a reprieve from his currently tortured existence then perhaps we should find a method of containment instead so he can live with the understanding that he earned his torment," Zeno says with a shrug.

"And also so that others can handle it so you can take the time to heal yourself without being involved. Just trust that others can handle it in your stead. Imagine how much better off the galaxy would be if I was destroyed in the process of eliminating that threat," he continues, chuckling at the thought.

[Layne Hoshin]

"...there's no reprieve. It is once and done. If he is healed, he will be gone forever and that's that."

[Zeno Thul]

"I mean, oblivion is a reprieve from eternal torment I would think. Reprieves need not be temporary. The reason I ask is so others can handle it rather than you. If that's not what you want or don't really know how to do so for him then we'll have to find some other way to contain or eliminate that power."

He looks at the toy and runs his thumb over the initials carved onto it.

"I... don't want you to feel like you have to do anything. I hope you don't feel that way. But someone will have to do something and I would like to help with it, or even be that person if nobody else will. My daughters live in this universe and I would give all of myself to keep them safe."

[Layne Hoshin]

"...It doesn't matter. He's dead. He's not going to be a problem anymore."

[Zeno Thul]

"I hope that's true. But being dead doesn't mean you aren't a problem anymore. Art, philosophy, martyrdom, and dead-man triggers are things though. It would be like him to leave a force dead-man trigger."

[Layne Hoshin]

"Everything coming is his doing," she said, "...but I don't think any of it can be stopped by laying him to rest."

She looked thoughtful for a moment.

"...Maybe, if it does become necessary... I'd like to do it. I think it'd bring me closure. But I can't go chasing after it. I can't."

[Zeno Thul]

"And I am hearing that Layne. That is why I'm suggesting you take the time to get yourself better and let others handle it. You put too much on yourself. There are other people that live in this galaxy that are invested in it surviving. Even Zash, the person that orchestrated the events that led to Gerald's suffering, wanted to do something about the emperor. I may be a jackass, but I'm one of the jackasses that has to live in this galaxy. And you are not well, so you should be focused on getting better rather than doing things that might kill or bring you trouble. You have to understand that being the one that teaches others is just as important as being the one that completes the mission, right?"

[Layne Hoshin]

"...no." She said, letting frustration shine through. "You are making things worse."

[Zeno Thul]

Zeno sighs. "Alright Layne," he says sighing as he stands.

"I seriously do hope you get better, but I'm not the one making things worse Layne. You are refusing to let people in to help handle issues that you say you can't chase after. But by pushing people out and keeping knowledge that can help others to yourself, you really are just chasing the problem by virtue of not allowing others to do so. The only people that want to see you suffer are the people you torture yourself for, and you are giving them what they want. It's heartbreaking for you to hurt your friends as they watch you hurting yourself."

He gives her a sad smile.

"I hope your trial goes better than you likely expect."

[Layne Hoshin]

"You think you're helping Zeno, but all you're doing is suggesting depriving myself of the closure you think I deserve."

[Zeno Thul]

Shaking his head, he disagrees. "You cannot get closure from anyone other than yourself. As you said yourself, you can't keep chasing it. If you can't let it go then you haven't stopped chasing it. Kind of like I'll never let this go. But it doesn't hurt me to continue chasing your well being so I can keep that up until I am dead."

He gives a soft exhale and a smile, "I will give you a break from me for now."

[Layne Hoshin]

She huffed in anger.

"I'm the one who told you he's dead and it's done Zeno. I put it behind me. You don't get to reopen the case, tell me what *you* think would bring me closure, and then also tell me I'm the only one who can give me closure. That's just you projecting your beliefs onto me."

"I don't *care* about the emperor anymore. Let him be stuck forever, for all I care. I am not chasing that down anymore. But *if* it became necessary, and *if* the opportunity came, then me granting him that peace when he so clearly *doesn't* deserve it, well..."

that'd be telling myself that *I* deserve it too. That'd be closure.

"...letting someone else make that choice would just be meaningless to me."

[Zeno Thul]

"He is definitely not gone, and it's not done, guaranteed. You said you can not chase it, and I support that. But if you don't share information on how to deal with such a threat then you are just making it so you have to chase it eventually. And people can be hurt in the meantime. You are making yourself the indispensable hero because you feel like you should be the only one to make that choice."

"You literally just said that it is meaningless to you to let someone else make the choice to end his threat which may well still consume all life in the galaxy. Think about that statement and ask yourself if you are giving up the chase you claim you are giving up. That's on you to figure out yourself. Be well Layne, and remember that I love you old friend."

To that he makes his way to the door.

[Layne Hoshin]

"That was true yesterday," she said.

Technically more like 20 days ago, but it only seemed like yesterday to her.

"Now? Now you don't know what you're talking about, Zeno."

[Zeno Thul]

He gives her a wave. "Remember you said that. Then when you realize the truth ask yourself how I knew," he says as a farewell before he makes his...

/Exit