EP: Post-confrontation with Zash

[last_kallig]

Somehow, she got through the interrogation, got out of her armor and into her robes. But she can feel the numbness cracking, can feel the aftereffects of...everything starting to seep in. There's always a price for survival, always, always, and she needs to be somewhere SAFE to go to pieces.

She opens the door to Milliways, looking rather different to when she was last here. She looks like Hell, to put it bluntly, like she's been chronically ill for weeks, or months. Metaphysically, things are even worse, as she can still barely sense the Force and Darth Zash nearly succeeded at ripping her soul out of her body.

Comments

[moonandstar]

First to see her enter is Garyn. It doesn't take him long to notice that something has gone terribly wrong. Even apart from the obvious, the entire presence and energy that she normally exudes is no longer presence. He dashes to the front door and thrusts one arm around her shoulder.

"Ibani...what's happened?"

[last_kallig]

Ibani smiles when she notices him, which is only when he thrusts an arm around her shoulder, but there is a brittle edge to it.

She forces down a hysterical giggle at his question. "Long story. Bit busy down here for my tastes, upstairs?"

That is a blatant lie, as downstairs is nearly empty right now, but there is a tinge of desperation in her expression and Garyn can feel her shaking slightly. There is such a thing as PRIDE, and she's not going to go to pieces in public if she can help it!

[moonandstar]

Garyn nods grimly. "Yes, safer there. More private. Come with me."

He's seen things like this happen to more people than a mer his age should have. Whatever it is that's happened, he recognizes the reaction of a person who's witnessed more than they can bear and is about to break. He had hoped never to see it happen to Ibani.

He walks very closely beside her up the stairs, his arms half-wrapped around her.

Have to let her know she's not alone. I'm here. I'm never leaving.

[last_kallig]

She can't hear his thoughts right now, but she's visibly relieved as they go up the stairs.

She opens the door to her room, and will lock it behind them.

She struggles for a moment to say something, anything. "Found out what Zash wanted with the ritual," she begins. "Oh, Force, I found out what she wanted ME for, alright."

She laughs then, but it's the kind of broken laugh you get when the other option is 'scream'.

[moonandstar]

Garyn sits silent beside her, his face solemn and a hand still on her shoulder.

He doesn't say anything for a moment. He simply watches her with gentle eyes. When he does speak, he doesn't need to say much to say all he means, even if she can't read his mind right now.

"Tell me."

It's not a command. It's an assurance that he's there to listen.

[last_kallig]

She takes a deep breathe, leans in to him. Even this close she can hardly sense him at all in the Force, and she HATES that.

"She was dying, wore her body out, so the ritual was to get her a new one. MINE. From the beginning she was shaping me to be a vessel," Ibani spits that last word. "She wanted to take my body, my power, my identity, tear my soul from my flesh," she explains, rage and terror in her voice.

[moonandstar]

Garyn shuts his eyes. He'd been preparing himself to hear something bad. But it still makes him ache to hear it. And even now, knowing she survived, the thought of her succeeding chills him to the bone.

"Thank the gods she failed." His voice is trembling now, too.

He draws her closer.

"However it was you survived, you're here now, with me."

[last_kallig]

There is so much more she needs to explain, but it is all just too much!

She clings to Garyn like a rock in a storm and sobs out all the rage, the terror, and the horror of the past few hours.

[moonandstar]

Garyn is absolutely willing to be that rock for however long she needs him to be that for her. Even as he's fighting back tears himself.

[last_kallig]

It's a long time before she stops sobbing. She's still clinging to him when she finally speaks.

"I wasn't strong enough. I burned all the pain, the fear, the joy I'd ever felt, burned my life force itself and it was still not enough to stop her."

She scrubs at one arm as if to wipe off something vile. "She was all rot and terrible hunger in my mind, and I thought I would have to die to stop her."

She swallows, risks a glance up at his face. "I was going to die to stop her."

Her lips quirk up a bit in something that is almost a smile. "I'd forgotten that I had Khem Val with me."

[moonandstar]

Garyn's managed to avoid sobbing himself. But it's taken all his strength, and his eyes don't stay dry. He can't imagine what he'd do if she'd died. It would destroy him.

He blinks hard, the tears falling away from his eyes. His hands begin trembling.

"I hope he ate her alive."

[last_kallig]

Ibani cups his face in her hands, trying to soothe his hurt.

"Unfortunately he didn't, although I'm sure he wanted to," Ibani replies. "That's where things get....complicated." And is that an understatement.

"Zash's body is dead, but she's not gone. Khem Val got between her and I, and her spirit wound up inside his body instead of mine. At the moment, neither of them seem to have complete control over his body, and I've no idea how to get her spirit out of him."

[moonandstar]

Garyn's face can't turn white, exactly. But some of the color noticeably drains from it.

"She's in that body? What if she does gain control?"

He shuts his eyes again and exhales. Of course she's thought of this already. He's not helping by bringing this up. After a moment he leans into her, touching forehead to forehead.

"If you need my help with anything...if you need help destroying Khem Val, or whatever it is you need to do to stay safe..."

[childofrebellion]

Cassian's sitting at a table with some caf to warm up after a cold time watching someone when he sees Ibani and stands up to go over to her, "Ibani?"

[last_kallig]

"Cassian, good to see you," Ibani says. Her smile is sincere but brittle. "It's been, it's been quite the worst day in my life so far, if I'm being honest."

[childofrebellion]

"What do you need?" The smile worries him as he can't tell how she's been hurt.

[last_kallig]

"A relocation to the library might be wise," Ibani says, holding the brittle smile. "I'm not physically injured. The wounds are of a more metaphysical nature."

[childofrebellion]

"Then we'll go to the library," He doesn't know if she needs to be supported or not so he'll be close by if she does.

[last_kallig]

She doesn't need the support, but it's nice to have a friend close by. "How have you been?" she asks as they walk toward the library.

Both a genuine concern and an attempt to distract herself from what's just happened to her!

[childofrebellion]

"Fairly well, nothing major in the works,"

Just collecting intel and checking in on assets and those that might need to be taken out of the picture.

[last_kallig]

"I'm glad," she says, pleased. Once they reach the library, the smile fades.

"Found out what Darth Zash, my master, wanted me for," Ibani replies. "She tried to make me a vessel for her soul, tried to take EVERYTHING from me."

[childofrebellion]

"Kriff,"

Cassian finds it hard to fully comprehend how that would be possible but Ibani's alive and herself so it failed.

[last_kallig]

"Succinct summary of my feelings," Ibani says.

"So, other than nearly having my soul ripped out of my body, I'm fine. Also, she promoted me on anticipation of stealing my identity. So, that's a thing."

She laughs, but the sound isn't quite right to be fully genuine.

[childofrebellion]

"What happens now?" Promotion can be useful but what will be the consequences of what Darth Zash tried to do.

[last_kallig]

"Paperwork, probably. And administration, which of course I have no training in."

"And probably errand work for Darth Thanaton, but I'm used to running errands."