"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars." -Khalil Gibran
-Starkiller-
-Nar Shadaa-
Starkiller awoke to pain. He didn't know how long it had been since he was stabbed, but, by the Force, it felt like no time had passed. For a brief moment, the only memory he had was of the stabbing, but over the seconds his confusion cleared and he recalled the dream and all he saw. It was hazy at first, but he pushed himself through the webbings and came to clarity.
He opened his eyes and jumped up. A robot near him jumped in surprise and Starkiller looked around the room. He was... He had no idea where he was. Whether that swamp place was a dream, a vision, or something spiritual, he could grasp that it wasn't physical. It was disconnected. So the last 'physical' thing he could remember was being betrayed by Vader.
Was he still in Vader's clutches? Why was he in a lab?
Whether or not this place belonged to Vader or not would soon be revealed. He wasn't restrained, he wasn't held back, there was no armed guards, there was no camera. It was all very unusual. His first instinct was that this place wasn't Vader's, but then he couldn't trust anything with the man anymore.
The droid rushed out of the room.
Starkiller looked at himself. He was wearing a medical gown and had tubes running out of his arms. He followed the tubes up to the bags and read the medical stuff. It was really long words he didn't understand. He wasn't a doctor.
He snapped the tubes out of his arm, disregarding the drops of blood flowing down his arm, and climbed out of bed only to immediately collapsed onto the floor face first. Growling in aggravation, he struggled onto his hands and knees. His legs were asleep and useless weight. His arms shook with the effort.
Just how long had he been in that bed?
Starkiller struggled first to his knees, then in grabbing the bed, hauled himself to his feet and took one tentative step after another. Inch by inch he moved around the bed. The ants crawling all over his sleeping legs gave way to dull pain.
Starkiller made it to the door and glanced out. The place was filthy, dirty, dusty, dark, and otherwise not a nice place to be. The light on the ceiling flickered with age and cracks. There was a door at the far end of the hall with beams of light shooting out from under it.
Starkiller shut the door and looked around. He didn't see any shoes. He opened the door and found some of his old clothes hanging. He stood still a brief moment, listening, trying to see if anyone was coming. He heard nothing.
Starkiller struggled into his clothes as best he could considering his body was asleep and uncooperative. He sat on the bed while he worked his pants on, and jumped up. He had to grab his pants to keep them from falling off.
He had lost weight.
Starkiller growled to himself again, and worried about how long it had been. Just what had happened? Where was he? How long had he been there? There were so many questions and the little things were worrying him.
He left the room. His bare feet brushed through the rusty, oily floor mixed with dust and dirt. He came to the door and felt through the Force. He felt... one person. There were a lot of people around them in the distance. He heard voices from the other side of the door. The droid was alerting someone to the fact that Bendak was awake. Who was Bendak? Is that the name Vader had him under?
Through the slit in the door, Starkiller watched the man, a doctor judging from his apparel, order the droid to go alert Bendak's friends. Meanwhile, the man headed toward the door. Starkiller squeezed himself against the wall as the door flung open to meet his face. The doctor rushed down the hall.
Taking the opportunity, Starkiller slunk out. The room he first entered was a makeshift opperating room surrounded by a curtain, that then opened into an office. The man couldn't afford to separate the rooms it seemed. Starkiller hurried as quietly as he could in the direction the droid had gone. It was the best guess he had.
He glanced behind himself. He heard the doctor call out for Bendak and start slamming doors in the far back, but Starkiller was not up to being caught. He opened the door and tasted fresh air.
Well... as fresh as the environment could offer. The place was filthy, dirty, dark, and an oppressive atmosphere suffocated him. The people's mood for as far as he could see were either predatory or cautious of predators. Loud hover cars flew overhead. Bright lights from advertisement signs burned into his eyes. The world spun around him briefly and he struggled to stay upright. Looking one way or another, hastened by the nearing steps of the man he was escaping, Starkiller rushed into an alley and disappeared into the shadows.
Left to his own devices, Starkiller sat and mused. This place... just where the hell was he? How did he get here? He tried to come to an idea from what he saw and felt around him, but could not. This place could easily be Coruscant, but he didn't see the rounded skyscrapers associated with the pictures of Coruscant architecture.
Starkiller peered around the corner and watched the doctor's office. A thought occurred to him that whoever Bendak's friends were could be why he was here. If they were storm troopers, he would know it was Vader. If it was random strangers, then at least he could figure mercs.
To his surprise, the ones to rush down the street to the door was PROXY and Juno.
It was not quite what he expected, but still steeled his resolve. PROXY, as much as he cared for the droid that had been around him all his life, was still loyal to Vader. It was a part of its programming. Starkiller couldn't be mad or feel betrayed, it was part of the droid's nature. Juno was similar. She was a respected officer of the Empire, and therefore, another of Vader's pawns.
Starkiller turned around, but found he could not move. Not that he didn't want to, but his body didn't obey him. His legs didn't let him leave. No... his legs were fine. He didn't want to leave. Not yet. Not without answers.
-Everyone-
-Nar Shadaa-
Starkiller entered the room. Before anyone could react, he pulled Juno's pistol from her waist into his hand and pointed it at them.
"Bendak!" "Master!" Juno and PROXY yelled in surprise. The doctor had just been telling them that the patient was missing, but before they could react, he had come at them from behind.
Juno was happy at first to see him, but then the look in his eye stopped her. He was sweating, red in the face, and breathing heavily. He was pushing himself and getting a fever in the process. He was shaking and looking like he was in a lot of pain. But despite how much he could set back his own recovery, he didn't care.
She stared fearfully into his eyes. His eyes were crazed and angry. There was also a pain in them that made her feel that his unrivaled fury wasn't aimed at her, but that was hardly a welcoming realization while looking down the barrel of her own pistol.
She knew he was a powerful agent of Vader, but looking into his eyes, she realized this is what his enemies also had to look at. It was like looking into the eyes of a hungry tiger baring its teeth.
She backed up fearfully into the table behind her and felt her legs shake in terror.
PROXY didn't seem to register an emotional response at all. It was pleased to see its master and didn't care it was down the pistol's sights.
The doctor put his hands up, but otherwise did nothing. In this neighborhood, he was used to danger at the end of a pistol.
Starkiller did nothing but breathe for a bit. He struggled to stay conscious while the world blurred slightly. Through sheer strength of will alone, he held on to his anger and let his pain fuel him.
"Here is how this is going to work..." Starkiller huffed. "I am going to ask questions, and you three are going to answer... Liars get a bolt between the eyes." He stopped because he lost balance for a second. He fixed his aim. "First question: Where are we?"
"Nar Shaddaa." The doctor immediately answered.
Nar Shaddaa... Starkiller recalled. It was where he fought Jedi Master Rahm Kota.
The planet was Imperial controlled, but left to the Hutts to do as they wish so long as they paid homage. There was an Imperial station in orbit and a few bases, but they were there more for the sake of presence than to enforce law or authority.
Starkiller didn't know where on the star map they were, but he could guess they were on the border between the Hutt Cartel and Galactic Empire.
They were in striking distance of Executor.
"Second Question: From you," Starkiller motioned to PROXY with his pistol. "Who knows we are here?"
"There are many who know of us, but the information they have on us varies."
"Then explain it." Starkiller demanded. Again, the world blurred and he struggled to stay on his feet. He didn't notice his pistol arm start to lower on its own. He was more concerned with being awake.
"The Empire know the Rogue Shadow entered this system. Mrs. Eclipse removed the tracking device. We have walked the streets of this sector for some time now. You are known as 'Bendak Starkiller'." PROXY paused.
"Continue."
"Mrs. Eclipse has evaded notice of authority and has low paying jobs. I have evaded notice of authority and been present at your side. The doctor knows you as Bendak and has kept an eye on your recovery."
"So... no one knows we are here...?" Starkiller dropped the pistol in exhaustion.
"Correct. The probability of Imperial authority knowing of us is less than one percent. However, that chance has increased to ten percent if the doctor reveals this conversation to his superiors."
"Hey, hey, hey!" The doctor paled. "I'm just here to patch people up. I don't care if their criminals, storm troopers, girl scouts, or Wookies. So long as you don't get the Emperor himself stepping in my office, I won't breathe a word."
"I can't trust that." Starkiller answered. He struggled to raise his pistol hand again, but Juno grabbed his arm. He didn't have the strength to resist in his sickly state.
"He's had ample opportunity to hand us over, Bendak. If he was going to do it... he would have by now. Especially with you vulnerable for so long."
Starkiller and Juno stared into each other's eyes. She felt the full focus of his fury through his lowering eyelids, but held herself. She didn't go through six months of hell in this male-cesspool for Starkiller to go after the first person he sees. "That doctor, and us, are the only reasons you are alive right now..." Juno reminded him.
That had an effect on him. He looked away and stopped resisting. "Fine. Then, third question: How long was I out?"
"Six months." She answered.
Six months... That was a long time. Starkiller rolled that number around in his head.
Six months ago... he was betrayed. Juno was right. Six months was more than enough time for the doctor to have turned him over to Vader. If Vader knew about him, he would have come by now.
And it also shows how badly he was wounded. Starkiller could tell he was hurt. He slipped in and out of consciousness. His fever grew worse with each second he forced himself to stand. His stomach hurt like hell, and his spine was starting to tingle.
-Juno Eclipse-
-Nar Shadaa-
"So we're... safe..." Starkiller fainted. Juno grabbed him before he could collapse and held him up.
The doctor rushed over and touched his forehead. "He's burning up! Take him back to his room. Damn, brat! He aggravated his condition!"
Juno and him hauled Starkiller back to his room and laid him down. The doctor started setting up his equipment after Starkiller had disturbed it and prepared some shots and fluids.
"Va... der..." Starkiller mumbled.
The doctor inserted the needles into his veins and looked up to Juno. "Mrs. Eclipse. I don't care to know details, but I don't appreciate having my life endangered unnecessarily. Tell me this honesty: Are you three criminals?"
"I... I don't know." Juno answered. She looked down at the man in concern. "I know something went down with... our employer, but only he knows what. I was just a pilot passing through... Um. How long until he is able to be up and around?"
The doctor hummed to himself in thought. "When his fever passes he will be able to sit up in bed. He will need a week of mild-muscle stimulants. After that, he can leave."
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. You paid me and have helped around by keep the thieves off my back. If anything, you should be more worried about when he realizes your droid lied about your living conditions."
Juno frowned. That was a touchy subject with her. "I'm sure we will approach it when its time... for now, I'd rather not have him worry. I will see you tomorrow." She left.
True to the doctor's words, they had lied about their living conditions. Starkiller was so out of it, he didn't notice how ragged her clothing had become, how dusty and filthy the two of them were, or how Juno was substantiously thinner than before.
Six months in this place was difficult. Even more so when you have convictions to stand by. She had tried finding work as a waitress or cleaner some place, but the expectations for females dress code was... unbecoming.
There were other jobs. Jobs that paid well that she felt she could do. She could was a skilled pilot after all. But every job she could find was either already taken by a droid that was at a droid's minimum wage. (Since droids don't need to eat, just have repairs, their minimum wage is ten percent of an organics.) Or the job was taken by an indentured servant, basically a slave. Or it required information that was she was not comfortable providing yet.
Until Starkiller could wake up and explain to her what was going on and where they stood, she chose to be extremely cautious and not get into a position to be giving out anything on them. The last thing she needed was a blood sample, finger print, name, or photo landing on the holonet for the Imperial Shadow Agencies to grab a hold of.
That left her on the streets for six months and she sure as hell wasn't going to be a prostitute.
PROXY didn't have the same moral concerns she did and was able to resort to low level stealing and doing small-time jobs, such as being a taxi driver. PROXY could use its holographic hardware to go around without cause or concern. The only setback with it was fuel, which it stole by tapping into the electric wiring someplace. So what little credits it made was put into keeping the two of them going and paying for anything extra the doctor needed for Starkiller's care, which happened twice.
They were more or less hobos. The hobo Juno originally met took a liking to her and let the two of them to share his place, which was little more than a hole in the wall. PROXY observed at the alien had a crush on her. She felt a bit guilty taking advantage of it; but they needed a place to stay, and they helped around a little bit by keeping him from being molested or bullied.
In the end, it was a rough six months.
Juno found PROXY and they returned to the hole in the wall. In the corner was her cot, little more than a filthy blanket on the ground, and a candle they had scrounged up in a trash bin. On the opposite side of the hole was the owner's stuff. It wasn't that impressive. It was a collection of green credit chips. They were single credits, but she quickly came to learn he had an obsession with green chips. They weren't money to him... he liked licking them. They were shiny.
She tried explaining to him the monetary value of his green chips, and he just responded that they were shiny. He didn't get it.
Juno sat down on the sheet and took off her shirt. She bathed in a fountain with other homeless woman once a week, so she was at least remotely clean. She used her shirt to clean her pistol. Without a proper rag, or oil, it was the best she could do. The one thing they still owned was that pistol that kept them alive.
"Shall I go buy some bread, Mrs. Eclipse?" PROXY inquired.
"No. Not today. Save what few credits we do have for the muscle stimulants. I have a feeling it may cost extra... You may have to steal from those guards again to get it."
"I can steal bread too." The droid reminded her.
"I would rather have you stealing from scum with credits to spare than those without. If those gang members can afford bitches and poker every night, I'm sure they can do without periodically."
The droid nodded and disappeared into thin air with its holographic imaging. Juno returned to cleaning her pistol. It was something she did every morning and every evening to stay sane. Once she was done, she leaned back, closed her eyes, and sighed. She had been exhausted before, but this was different. This wasn't a quick sprint that left her breathless. This wasn't boot camp that left you sore. This wasn't a sickness that sapped at her energy. This was a long exhaustion born of malnutrition, disease, poor living conditions, and endless stress of surviving on this repulsive planet. "One more week..." She told herself.
-Starkiller-
-Nar Shadaa-
The week went by pretty quickly. Starkiller came in and out of consciousness for short intervals. He was apprised of his situation further, but there wasn't much else to discuss yet. Once the fever passed, the doctor applied muscle stimulants. Juno entered his room to find hundreds of needles sticking out of his body in acupuncture. Every needle had a small coating of the stimulant, and the insertion stimulated his nerve endings. The process woke up his bodies need for muscle that had degeneration in six months.
And you can lose a lot of weight and muscle in a week. Starkiller was even worse than Juno by the time the process started. Most of his muscle mass was gone and left him stickily.
For a week the needles were applied repeatedly with small doses of the stimulant, and the effect was immediate. The man with no muscle left had it growing again.
So when Starkiller finally was fully awake and lucid, he was ravenous. The lack of eating solid food and stimulants increasing his metabolism meant that they had to get a lot of protein and meats for him, but for now it had to be broth or rice. His stomach had shrunk and he couldn't process heavy food for a while.
"This sucks." He complained. "I hate rice."
"Would you rather I eat it?" Juno asked.
He eyed her. He hadn't realized yet just how bad things had been for everyone, but it didn't pass him that she looked as hungry as he was. He had never had rice before now, and he could say without a doubt he didn't like it. It was plain rice. The broth he could stand, and even like, but the rice was just disgusting.
"No... its fine." He grumbled.
She smiled tightly and put the spoon up to his mouth. The sight aggravated him, but he opened his mouth. With so many needles sticking out of him, he couldn't move. Doctor's orders.
He swallowed and glared at her. "This part sucks even more than the rice..."
"Yes, well. It's not been much of a picnic for the rest of us either." She put another spoonful in his mouth. Five spoonful's and two swallows of broth was all he was allowed with his stomach so far.
"Hm..." He muttered with his mouth chewing. He swallowed. "You still haven't told me how the last six months have gone. There are things you're not telling me. For one thing, your skin is turning yellow and you shake uncontrollably. That can't be right."
She didn't answer.
Starkiller rolled his eyes. "Go ahead and have the rest. Best that it doesn't spo-... wow." She had already eaten it . "Okay. I guess you were hungry... Come on, Juno. Don't eat my food in one gulp and tell me something isn't right."
He stared at her and she did her best to avoid his gaze, but he was persistent. It was one of the things she had come to learn about him. He was patient in a passive-aggressive way. When he wanted something, he stared until he got it. His blank, empty, waiting, patient gaze reminded her of Vader's oddly enough. Perhaps that is where he got it from. It was also intimidating most of the time, except this time. This time he looked concerned.
She finally relented. "Fine... you know the fact that humans can go an extended period of time without eating?"
He nodded slowly. "Eleven days without water. Thirty without food. Depending on the environment. I once went twenty-one days without food as part of my training."
"Yes... well..." She hesitated. She didn't know that about him. What kind of training involved starvation like that? Add that to the list of facts that painted a picture of Starkiller that scared her and gave her a feeling she had bit off more than she could chew with this assignment. "I came to learn how true that is. Two weeks. Almost on a regular basis."
Starkiller stared at her long and hard, this time processing the information instead of wanting her to do anything. His eyebrows had shot up in surprise when he heard and she couldn't look him in the eye. It felt shameful, almost like a weakness that she had to endure starvation off and on.
"Why?" He asked.
She shrugged. "When you sell a ship, goods, clothes, and... everything else for medicine, there isn't much left for other things. Such as dresses and polished boots." She joked, but it fell flat. He only stared at her harder. He clearly was not taking it well, but she wasn't sure why. He looked... angry.
"Why would you do that?" He demanded in a whisper.
"Why?" She responded dumbfounded. Her voice rose steadily. "Why?! Hey, unless you missed out on a few facts, here's a reminder! You had a hole in your gut, most of your bones broken, and let's not forget the kicker: you DIED on the operating table for a whole ten minutes! I'm sorry, but that's expensive!"
"I realize that." He said patiently. "But why would you not let me die?" She opened her mouth to argue, but he interrupted. "You could have easily have just left me and moved on and escaped back there. Instead, you grabbed me, took me here, and got me patched up. What can you possibly hope to gain from that?"
She jumped up, infuriated. "Excuse me?! Gain from that?! I'm sorry, but is it not the proper thing to just do what you can to help!? I didn't think about handing your body over to just graveskeeper for an extra credit when I saw you dangling in space, my first thought was 'Oh shit, a friend's in trouble!'"
"I didn't mean it like-!"
"There were storm troopers breathing down our damn necks, I was molested and preyed on by scum for months, and we honestly thought we were too late to save you despite us throwing away our damn lives to do it! I'm sorry, but the least I can hope to gain is some gratitude!" She slammed down the bowl and stormed out.
"Juno!" He yelled after her, but she didn't come back. "Damn woman..."
He looked at the bowl and remembered how hungrily she had eyed his own food and how quickly she ate. He considered her condition and concluded she had suffered greatly for him.
It's not like he wasn't grateful.
The only thing he couldn't figure out was why. Why would she go so far for him? She was just his pilot. She wasn't a friend. She had no real ties to him except shipping him around on a few missions. And as nice company as she was those times, he didn't see himself as being anything more than a package to deliver from her perspective.
There was no logical reason in his eyes to save, which perplexed him greatly. His freshly betrayed side screamed that she was using him for her own means, but he couldn't see the point in it. If she really was using him... then... why go so far?
She made no sense. At least PROXY he could figure as going by its programming.
The next day she didn't show up. It was PROXY this time, and it wasn't near as interesting to talk with.
The day after that he was discharged, and thereafter kicked out, of the doctor's office. Starkiller plucked the final needle out and pulled on his clothes. His entire body ached like someone was shoving iron in his skin, but he was better. Now he was able to move again, albeit tenderly.
Juno and PROXY waited for him outside. Juno didn't say a word to him, and he just rolled his eyes. PROXY led them to the place they were staying.
Starkiller gaped.
He wasn't much on showing emotion, and he was visibly stunned by the conditions he saw, which only made Juno madder out of embarrassment.
"What the actual hell?" Starkiller looked at the collection of single credits.
"Ah, yes. Our mutual roommate has an eccentric love for green credit chips." PROXY explained.
"Yeah, I can see that..." He extended his hand slowly.
"He likes to lick them." Juno said.
And his hand was promptly returned. That was not a subject he was going to get into with a ten foot pole. That was too weird. "Thanks for the warning."
With his help, they got a small fire going. Juno still hadn't talked to him, and Starkiller decided to let her brood. He would be able to express gratitude when she opens up again without hitting a wall.
But he did decide on at least one thing. Staring into the fire, Starkiller said, "Vader tried to kill me."
That broke the ice. "What?" Juno gasped. PROXY didn't say anything, but the sudden snap of its head showed surprise well enough.
Starkiller closed his eyes and remembered the events and the pain. He remembered the visions he saw. How Vader would turn on him again if he returned to Vader's side.
But... then he didn't know if he should or not. If he returned to Vader, he could fight him from under his own nose. If he didn't, Vader would go after him without compromise or warning should he ever be found out.
That's a dilemna he would leave for later. For now, perhaps just telling Juno about himself was what was needed. She knew nothing about him while he knew everything. It was only fair he returned the favor, now that their position was more... mutual.
"I was raised by Vader." Starkiller explained. He felt empty inside having to recall everything. "My parents died in the battle of Kashyyyk and Vader found me. He saved my life from his own men, killing them in the process, and gave me a purpose. For years I trained, endured physical and mental trauma, and grew strong for the singular purpose of becoming his tool. His weapon. His loyal dog. My life was his to use. My death was for his gain. As a weapon, it was my life job to bring his enemies to justice. PROXY was my primary training droid with the job to kill me if my skills ever lacked. Juno, you were assigned to me to secretly shuttle me to where my targets were, that I might kill them."
"Jedi..." She guessed.
Starkiller nodded numbly. "I'm not surprised you figured it out. Anyway..." He hesitated. "Vader's greatest plot was to eventually use me to kill Palpatine."
Juno gasped in horror. She looked at him in a new light. Before she was a little mad at him, and feeling useless for being out of the loop, but now she was terrified. "K-k-kill P-Palpatine?!" She whispered.
Again, he nodded. "Palpatine found out and gave Vader a choice. Kill me. Or we fight him." Starkiller tenderly probed his stomach. With his shirt raised, he could tell the shading of his new skin was different. The scar was evident. "His choice was obvious."
Juno could only stare at him in shock and horror.
Starkiller continued, "You were probably approached by the Stormtroopers for knowing too much about me, and for that I am sorry. If it is any consolation, if I had any idea what would happen, I would have ordered you to get out of there long before anything came down. I purposefully tried to keep you from being in a position to know too much... but unfortunately it didn't matter. Doesn't matter... not anymore."
"So... we're... criminals?" She tried to come to terms with it.
"No." Starkiller snapped. "I gave my loyalty, my life, and everything that I am to Vader, and he betrayed it. You served like a good soldier, and were betrayed as well. We are not criminals."
Juno tried to work it out and say something, but everytime it looked like she had put words together, she failed. She curled up in an angry ball. "Damnit... damnit. Damnit! damnitdamnitdamnitdamnit!" She cried. "I thought that once we know what had happened, we could fix it and get back to our lives. I put a lifelong career into the Imperial navy! I come from generations of loyal soldiers to the Republic!"
"Is that... why you saved me?" Starkiller wondered carefully.
"No!" She snapped at him. "I should be allowed to damn well wish for some hope in this hellhole, hope to be able to fix everything and get our lives back to where they belong, but I saved you because it was the right thing to do, and I'm not going to regret that."
He stared at her. Just because 'it was the right thing to do' never crossed his mind. That felt... alien to him. It was illogical. There was little to gain for it. It was... practically nothing but sentiment and loyalty.
'Loyalty...' He concluded to himself.
He had been betrayed by the man he had known his whole life only to find loyalty in a woman he had known for only a short time in small intervals. He found himself truly smiling for the first time since he had come to learn of the betrayal. "Thank you. Sorry about... earlier... and the time before that... with the gun." He looked away in embarrassment. "I wasn't very... lucid."
She smiled in thanks. "You're welcome. Now I can understand why you were acting irrational. It had to have felt like no time had passed."
'Not quite...' He thought but he said outloud, "I don't truly understand why you did it. 'doing the right thing' isn't something I'm used to. But I do understand loyalty. Thank you."
She seemed to accept that, but the mood was still heavy. "Now what shall we do, Master?" PROXY inquired.
"Now, PROXY, I suggest we sleep. Walking here left me tired, and I'm sure you two have a lot to sleep on."
Juno nodded with a deep frown. "I am fully capable of processing information while awake as well as asleep." PROXY aruged.
Starkiller chuckled. "I'm sure you can, but do it anyway."
"Very well." PROXY walked over to a corner and shut down.
Juno crawled onto the blanket and curled up in a ball. Starkiller glanced around for where he would sleep and... slowly came to realize how few places there were. 'Well, shit...' Starkiller slowly crawled over behind Juno and laid down with his back to her. She didn't argue.
"I am still mad..." She whispered.
"I know." He said just as quietly.
"My life is ruined... I will need time to process this, and a good portion of me wants to blame you."
He sighed. "For what it's worth, I am sorry you got involved. I cannot promise we will have stable lives again, but I can see how much you two have gone for me... and I will do everything I can to get us... out of this dump. Loyalty is everything to me, and you two have shown more than I could have ever hoped for when I believed I was alone. That means a lot to me."
They didn't say anything more that night.
