A Grim Success

[GM Craig]

Mariah and Trax sat on Cali's shuttle, flying in silence. It had not gone well, in the end. Trax had gone in alone, with Mariah helping on the security systems. All had gone well, and Trax managed to get to Cali's cousin. It was when they were on their way out that things got rough.

Trax got pinned down by a group of Kothe guards. There was a grenade blast, and Trax became separated from Cali's cousin. More guards rushed in, laying down punnishing fire that even Trax's shiny armour Cali lent him was starting to weaken against. Cali's majordomo had given implied instructions...

"Cali cannot allow his cousin to be used against him, Trax. You understand?"

So Trax had made a choice.

Trax paused, lined up a shot and fired a plasma bolt through the cousin's brain.

Without that slowing him down, Trax made good on his escape.

Watching through the security system, Mariah had seen the whole thing.

So now they were on a shuttle heading back towards Cali's estate. You had not discussed what happened at all, but at least Trax was secure in the knowledge he had taken steps to free Mariah from her obligations to Cali. And perhaps opened up other options for himself.

[Trax]

Trax shifted uncomfortable and exhausted in his seat.  He had healed his wounds, but would still need some time to recover.  He looked down at his armor that lay by his feet.  There wasn't a square inch that didn't have blaster burns.  The objective had been attained.  That qualified as a success on some level at least.  He was quite sure Mariah wouldn't see it that way though.

[Keshani]

Mariah sat quietly, her arms folded in quite the stereotypical teenage pout, as far away from Trax as she could manage.

She was repulsed by what had happened, but felt drawn to Trax on some level, too. Afterall, he had done all of this with because of the debt she held to Cali, hadn't he?

Of course, she was starting to feel a *little* suspicious of that, as well. Why *was* Trax really doing all this? Were there...other...reasons? She didn't know, and she didn't really want to think about it. All she wanted to concentrate on right now was NOT talking to Trax (aside from shooting him glares that would quite possibly melt a pile of durasteel) and doing her best to get images of Cali's cousin being shot in cold blood out of her head.

[Trax]

[OOC: It wasn't cold blood, it was hot plasma ]

Trax caught numerous...unpleasant glances from Mariah.  He was unsure what she thought of him now.  Probably somewhere between cold blooded killer and psychopath he guessed.  'No good deed...'

He looked straight at the girl, "I did what had to be done.  It wasn't the way I wanted things to turn out, but I...we were out of options."

[Keshani]

"This was never your fight to begin with."

She could feel him looking at her but she didnt' return the glance, instead choosing to look out the side of the shuttle.

[Trax]

Trax sighed heavily.  He then closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat.

"This planet's fight with the Empire wasn't mine to begin with either, but here I am.  Sometimes you pick the fight, and sometimes the fight picks you."

Although it just so happened that Trax didn't exactly let this fight go for his own reasons.  Not that he didn't want to help Mariah out of her predicament.  She was stuck between breaking a promise...well, no longer being able to keep a promise, to Cali, as well as more than likely getting ousted by the rebels.  In his opinion, it was an error in judgement to confide in Niil.  But she didn't know Niil like Trax did.  Where Niil, and Jex for that matter, obviously insisted that she stop immmediately, if it would have been Trax alone she confided in he would have told her to keep quite and keep to her deal and look for a way to make it work in her favor.

On the other hand, that error in judgment had provided Trax the opportunity to get in with Cali.  A new land of opportunity and resources was now open to him.  Was it such a bad thing that he got something out of helping Mariah.  He didn't think so.  Besides the warm fuzzy feeling of helping a friend of course.  Trax let out a small chuckle.  Everyone always wanted something.  No one got anything for free or did anything out of the goodness of their heart.  There was always an angle.  Sometimes you just had to look a little harder to find it.

[Keshani]

She took a slow breath, trying to calm down. Regardless of the fact that he had totally taken things into his own hands and treated her like a child - making her totally useless and not in control of what was going on, he had still gotten her out of a situation that could have ended very badly otherwise.

"So I guess that means I'm in *your* debt, now..." she said softly

(OOC: Uh...yeah...I'm having a really difficult time remembering what has happened up to this point. Do we have those files saved somewhere?)

[Trax]

Trax opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling of the shuttle for a moment.  He shifted in his seat yet again and looked at Mariah and a smile escaped his lips.  It seems she already understood that nothing comes for free.  In her case however, without even knowing it, she had already returned the favor.

"Actually, no..." Trax paused for a few moments.  "You owe me nothing."

Trax sat in silent thought for a few more moments.  "Shortly after we had first met, I had asked you to do some equipment upgrades for me.  In return I told you I would be willing to provide you with my services should you ever need them.  Although in this case it's fairly apparent that you didn't want my services, that doesn't discount the fact that you did need them.

That being said, if you're willing to continue to offer me your exceptional technical abilities," it didn't hurt to throw in a compliment thought Trax, "when I need them, I'd be more than willing to continue to provide whatever services I can in return.  And I'll even make you this promise.  Next time, if you don't want my help, even thought it looks like you need it, I might even listen and stay out of it."

[Keshani]

A snort-like sound came from the direction she was facing, but she didn't respond other than that - just re-cross her arms over her chest and continued to stare out at the passing landscape.

But then, after what felt like a VERY long silence....

"So what happens now then?"

[Trax]

"That's up to you.  You owe nothing to Cali, nothing to the rebels, and nothing to me.  What you do and where you go from here, your free to choose for yourself."

[Keshani]

"But....I have no where else to go..." she said carefully. "And I kinda DO owe the rebels something. Only, if they find out WHY then I'd still be in a whole lotta trouble."

She kicked the bulkhead. "And Jex and Niil and maybe you wouldn't trust me anyway...."

[Trax]

"We can always talk to Cali if you want to stay there.  I'm sure something can be arranged.  If you want to head back to the rebels, that shouldn't be a problem either.  The only way rebel command is going to find out about what you did is if you, Niil, or Jex tells them.  As I recall, Niil and Jex agreed not to say anything if you stopped passing information back to Cali.

Hell, I'm probably going to be the one in deep with command.  Not returning when I said we would, refusing to return when ordered, being out of communication for some time now, sending them information on Imperial movements without revealing my source.  I think they'll be too busy focusing on me to worry about you.  Right now I have to wonder if I've traded my quarters in for a nice comfy cell."

Trax tried to stretch out the stiffness that was beginning to set in.

"I can't speak for Jex and Niil, but I trust you.  I have yet to see a reason not to.  And feeling like you owe someone something and actually owing them are two very different things."

[Keshani]

She looked at him a bit warily.

"You're going back though, aren't you?"

[Trax]

Trax shrugged.  "Sure, why not?"

[Keshani]

She kept looking at him, studying his face.

"Cali is a very powerful man." she said shrugging.