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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 3198900" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 415: Too LateThe bridge of the Stardust was soon empty save for Jyren, Marix, Tobias, and the two fleet marines who had accompanied them this far from the Araddon. The latter two, however, were being more or less completely ignored by the other three. Marix’s eyes were on Jyren, narrowed and managing a very piercing look that would likely have shot turbolaser bolts if they could have.    “You’re crossing a line.”    Jyren’s eyes met hers, holding the dangerous glare thanks to years of practice. He allowed silence to hold for a short moment before shaking his head, “It had to be done.”    The others in the room did not know what was being referred to, but that didn’t really matter. Jyren had used the Force to do something that he should not have done, and even if they didn’t know what, exactly, had happened, it was obvious that something odd had just occurred. The Captain and his crew had left far too easily and far too quickly.    [There was no other way.] he sent over the link, his ‘voice’ softer as he tried to push the images he had seen across the link to her.    Marix shook her head. [You are the one who has always told me that there is always another way. You are the one who has preached your idealistic view of the galaxy to me time and time again. And now you turn around and cross a line even I would never cross. You forced those people to leave...forced. That’s not like you at all.]    Hearing that, Jyren couldn’t help let out an audible sigh. After a moment to compose himself outwardly, he looked past the taller Marix to the two Fleet Marines, “Get out of here with the crew. Report back to the Admiral that this had to be done to save the most lives.”    The two marines looked to one another, and while they looked ready to protest for a moment, it passed. They nodded, saluted, and headed out. When the bridge door slid open again, Jyren could see the others that had been amassed there already moving, heading for escape pods or the turbolifts in hopes of reaching the hangar. They were listening. Good.    When the door slid shut again, he turned back to Marix and said firmly, “If this doesn’t happen the twins will die.”    It was a rather blunt statement, and while Marix could see the same thing he had thanks to the link, she knew very well that he was jumping to conclusions. It was possibly a correct conclusion, yes, but it was nothing he had seen for certain. Part of her wanted to hate how damned idiotic he could be when they were involved, but the rest of her completely understood...and kept to itself the fact that she would likely make the same kinds of stupid decisions to protect the twins.    In the next few moments that passed, Marix took in as much through the link as she could, quickly noting that Jyren was telling her what he was going to do through their link for a reason. He also took the time to morph back to his Alraxian form, now taller than her again, but back in a familiar body...which was an odd thought in its own right. But she took little notice of the physical change, as the majority of her focus was completely on the link...taking everything in and trying to find some way to fight the fact that he’d made up his mind and, like her, when it had come to that point it was usually far too late.    And so, she could only find one thing to ask, “Are you sure it will work?”    “Yes,” his answer was even and calm, and it was obvious that he meant it.    “Sure what will work?!” Tobias cut in, catching onto the fact that he was definitely missing something and knowing it was something fairly important.    The two other Alraxians, however, ignored him.    Marix, instead, took the time to walk closer to Jyren so that she could speak out loud, knowing it had a greater effect with him, while keeping her voice low enough that Tobias wouldn’t hear it. When she was close enough, she looked up to Jyren and asked quietly, “This is not just for the twins, though, is it?”    “No,” the response was just the same as before, but it was soon followed by Jyren’s usual tone that made him sound like the Jedi he’d always wanted to be, “You know they are first...but if we...if our people fall, then the Vong will have more forces to put on their main lines against the rest of the galaxy. If we hold them off here, we weaken them and can maybe help to turn the tides of all of this.”    All because of one ship...    Marix’s eyes darted over Jyren’s shoulder to the viewport. She could see the large, asteroid-like ship making its way from the main lines and towards them. It was so similar to what Jyren had seen, and she couldn’t help feel a chill because of it. One ship....just one ship.    When her eyes returned to Jyren, she found that she asked a question that had not had the decency to go to her brain before reaching her lips, “Are all of their lives worth ours?”    It was a terribly long half minute before Jyren answered that. He just looked down at her for most of it, and she saw something there that she’d never truly seen from him before. A cold determination that was...worrying, really. He’d been stubborn before, but this was something new, and, quite honestly, Marix simply didn’t know what to do. It didn’t help when he replied, “Yes...they are.”    And then it was plunged into silence again. Tobias stood farther back from them, staring and trying to remember how to read lips but failing miserably. He was intelligent enough not to move in closer to hear better, but also being driven crazy by the fact that something very important was happening, he was right there in front of it, and he had no idea in any hell what it was. Curiosity was very close to killing him.    Something else was closer to killing Marix, and after a moment, she simply shook her head again and growled under her breath, “Stop standing here and just do it before I stop you.”    She gave him no chance to respond, and quickly spun around, heading for Tobias and the exit to the bridge. But she only got one step before a tight grip suddenly latched onto her left arm. Her head spun back around to see Jyren had reached out to stop her, and while she knew she could easily get herself free, something about the look in his eyes stopped her.    Stopping fully, Marix turned around again to look him in the eyes. When she did, Jyren said softly, “Go as quickly as you can. Tell the twins that----“    ”They know,” she cut him off quickly, hating what he was about to say and not wanting to hear a word of it, “And I will do what I can.”    Marix then tugged her arm back, not with any strength, but simply as a sign for him to let go...but he didn’t. She saw the same look was still there, and forced her feet to stay planted for another while trying not to turn around and drag him off with her. His voice barely above a whisper, Jyren asked, “Do you trust me?”    Holding his gaze for a long time, Marix wondered how she should answer that. He should know. By the Force, if he didn’t know that after a decade then he likely never would. She wanted to claw him for something like that, as it was downright insulting....but another part of her mind stepped in before she could. It held her back and showed her what she needed to do here, despite the fact that it didn’t really make sense as to why she should.    And so, Marix nodded and replied, “I do...if this is the only way, then it is the only way. But you cannot do this without letting go.”    The last sentence meant more than she had expected it to. Even Marix found herself surprised by the words, though immediately she understood them. And at that, after only a few more seconds of simply looking down at her, Jyren let go of her arm. This time, though, Marix found herself reaching up and resting a hand on his cheek for a short moment. She managed to force a smile onto her face, and watched Jyren return it before gently kissing her hand.    And then she pulled back, allowing herself one last, very long, look at him before returning her hand to her side and turning around in one swift motion. This time, Jyren didn’t stop her from going. Marix headed straight to Tobias, and when she got close to him, after noting he, too, had morphed back to his Alraxian body, she said sternly, “Time to go, Toby.”    “What?!” he cried out mainly due to the fact that she grabbed his arm in much the same way Jyren had grabbed her’s...but with a stronger grip so that he wouldn’t be able to pull away, “But what about—“    ”Tobias,” Marix said in the same voice, this time louder, though, as she began to literally drag him to the door, “We are leaving.”    “No!” he yelled out, suddenly starting to understand what was going on. His eyes went wide and he attempted to wrench free of Marix’s grip, looking past her to where Jyren stood watching and trying his best to just stop her from doing this to him, “Let me go! I won’t leave him! We can’t!”    “Stop,” Jyren called, and Marix did, though she did not release Toby or even turn around to look back at Jyren.    Tobias’ eyes were on him, though, as he reached to his belt and detached the lightsaber from its place. For a second, Jyren simply looked down at the metal object, but it passed and he looked up to Tobias. In a quick motion, he tossed the lightsaber to the young Alraxian without saying a word.    Instinct meant that Tobias caught it with his free hand, but his mind caught up a moment later...which was also the same moment that Marix started moving again. He struggled and screamed as she pushed and dragged him to the door, but said nothing the whole time. Marix even ignored his claws digging into her arm to attempt to wrench himself free. She simply continued forward.    Jyren could not hear the hiss of the door opening through Tobias’ screaming, but he did hear it close. He heard the solid, metal bulkheads slide shut and then was left in silence. But he hadn’t moved...still standing and staring at the closed door.    He should have kissed her.    He should have told her that he loved her.    He should have said that he was sorry.    He should have begged her to stop him.    He should have done something.    No...no he just should have kissed her. Really kissed her. She would have hated it with Tobias right there, but he should have.    But he hadn’t.    He hadn’t done any of it, and now she was gone.    It was too late.    Too late for any of it.    Jyren nodded to himself and gave the door one last look before turning around to the viewport ahead of him. Seeing that the Vong ship had already broken past the New Republic fleet’s defenses and was nearly to the Stardust, Jyren went to the control consoles of the ship.</blockquote>

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