Chapter Six - Distraction

Adra stood stock-still, debating her next move. She closed down the lightsaber after a tense moment and then returned it to her utility belt. The General had stepped back, gripping the chair arm as he fell away. He groped blindly back, settling in the chair.

"I cannot believe you, Adra. I can't believe you're actually serious about a vaping Rebel flyboy," the General's stern voice broke the silence. She didn't reward him with a verbal fixing of what his mind didn't want to believe; instead she just glared at him. Face's hand on her shoulder did little to stifle her annoyed anger, as rage was radiating off him quite clearly through the Force.

Even though her gaze remained level in hatred at the General, Adra could sense the glare Face was giving the man. The Imperial, it seemed, could care less.

"Not only a Rebel flyboy, Adra, but you couldn't have the sense to stay out of the line of one who is on Admiral Daala's most wanted lists? I mean to say-"

Adra had intended to let the man get a bit farther before she cracked and figuratively spit fire at him. That accusation was enough. He knew he could get to her by putting Face down and she was letting it, acting exactly as he predicted she would. She didn't bother thinking of the 'shouldn't haves', but just activated her lightsaber under his chin for a second time in five minutes.

"Yes, General Tallon, I didn't have the sense. Like I didn't have the sense to kill you when I had the chance, both when I was nine and then again last week. But you never seemed to think that way. So let me add to your lists of accusations. One of my best friends is on Daala's most wanted lists for the same reason as me: we've both deserted the Imps, myself at age nine, Nicola at age seventeen. One of my other friends was tortured on the sithing Knight Hammer for over a month-"

"And she should've been after breaking into the Admiral's files," the General interrupted. It took all of her Jedi control to let him keep his head. Tyria didn't deserve what she got, not in any way, shape or form.

"No, she shouldn't have. If I end up on the Knight Hammer, or any other Star Destroyer for that matter, I hope you remember the emotionless remarks you've placed on Tyria's head and then in turn remember the judgment you're 'excellency' has passed not only on Tyria Tainer but on Adra Tallon, no edit that, Adra Loran as well."

That left the General dumbfounded. From the look he wore in the split second it appeared, Adra could safely draw the conclusion that the General had not even though about that. Not that she actually cared. Adra deactivated her lightsaber once more then abruptly shook Face's hand off her shoulder. Before either the General or the Commander could get something past their lips, she was out the door.

Face shot a hard glare at General Tallon, then followed his fiancé out.

* * * * *

Adra stormed out of the room, her hands shaking slightly. Her first steps in the hall nearly brought her into a wall, such was the power of what hit her through the Force. The only thing remotely like that feeling was when Darth Maul and his apprentice had broken through the mind barriers on the Knight Hammer...but that hadn't been so mind numbing as this. Careful not to allow those in the lounge to hear her steps falter, she continued on, her bearings returning after a moment.

It took her a few seconds, but then her mind was effectively mentally yelling at the Imperial General once more. If she hadn't left when she had, there wouldn't be a living General Tallon reporting back to Bastion. The fact that he said Tyria Tainer deserved what she got had been the last straw. Now only did he come to Coruscant to play his remarks against her, he then came to her base, the one place she called home, and played his remarks there. The fact that he had also pointed his finger, so to speak, at Face was enough to make her rethink what the Order would to in his case.

She slowed down as the lounge fell farther behind her and at once heard footsteps. She cast herself into the Force, looking around the entirety of Wraith squadron base. Cloud, Elix and Ryok were in the science lab, Jade was in her lair, Tyria was back in the computer room and Kell was digging out a bottle of lomin ale.

Behind her, she heard the steps getting louder on the hallway floor, but shrugged it off as Nicola. When the familiar presence of her friend's mind didn't touch her, however, she searched the Force for the being behind her, not bothering to stop.

As she hit the release, Adra was acutely aware of the presence and who it was behind her. Face followed her into her room, hitting the release again as he cleared the door frame. Adra continued on the kitchenette and grabbed a glass, filling it with water. She downed the glass's contents quickly to douse her parched throat that had come about in the mysterious hall incident, and then receded to the room Face was standing in. Adra raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him, stopping five paces from his point by the door.

"What?" The silence was broken by Adra's harsh voice. She saw his shoulders slump slightly and a wave of something like remorse came through the Force from him. Guiltily she realized she had snapped at him, just as she'd snapped at General Tallon. Her eyes, no doubt darkened by anger, filled with a saddened twinge. She shouldn't have snapped at him, shouldn't have just unloaded her annoyance on him. Face hadn't done anything wrong.

Adra's shoulders slumped in a similar fashion to what Face's had done moments before. Unconsciously she reached out a hand to his silent form, nowhere near reaching him. Five seconds and three of Face's long strides later and she felt his hand take hers, pulling her closer to him, turning her around so he was behind her as he did so.

She took a deep breath, her annoyance ebbing away. Face wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close. Adra put a hand over his, much happier in his presence than in that of General Tallon. Behind her, she heard him sigh, but didn't bother finding out what it was over.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you," her voice came spilling out.

She felt Face nod but was already falling back into her own thoughts. Only a mutter from him made her come back to a listening situation. Immediately she felt a bit bad for not listening the entire time, especially after she'd lost her temper on him.

"Hmm?" Adra didn't actually feel like talking, but rather would like to know what he was saying.

Face didn't seem upset that she hadn't heard. "Never mind. I was just muttering about the many blaster bolts I would like in that man from my blaster."

She couldn't help laughing at his comments; honestly, though, she could relate. She was thinking half of how many ways she could fillet the General, and half of how many ways she would fillet the General by lightsaber. Adra nodded in understanding. It wasn't as if they didn't have any equal terms in mind.

"You okay, Adra?" For some unknown reason, she heard concern laced in his voice.

She opened her mouth to respond, to assure him that she was indeed alright, but before even the first words had left her lips, a black plain of unconsciousness overtook her.