The Odd-Couple
--sparkvallen

Disclaimers: The same as on previous chapter headings... I only sort've own Rym as I created her. Pharinseaya is on loan as it were from Sapharin and anything SW-related belongs to George Lucas!

Chapter Four

"There's your answer!" Rym shouted over the wailing sirens and screaming, pushing people around her.

"Let's go," Pharinseaya yelled back. "We might be able to help with rescues!"

As the Jedi began to wind her way through the crowd of either fleeing or frozen dumb sentients, Rym hesitated. I never get involved... no way, no how. But this Jedi... she's gonna. And she's payin' me to be her guide or somethin'. What do I do?

Her hands bunched into fists, Svoby darted into the chaos after Pharinseaya, struggling against the sea of bodies to catch up with her.

The closer they came to the wreckage site, they had to cover their mouths with their sleeves to keep from inhaling air-borne debris. Rym strapped on her pair of safety goggles that she'd accidentally kept on her utility belt from the garage to help her eyes in the dust. Through the haze and ensuing chaos, she could see that the Jedi was also carrying goggles for a case like this.

Pharinseaya had made her way to what was going to be the central location for the rescue efforts, set up by Emergency Services. Rym stood awkwardly and nervously at her side as she caught an officer's attention.

"My name is Pharinseaya. I'm a Jedi Knight. My app... My associate and I would like to offer our services, anywhere we might be needed."

Rym noted that she was almost referred to as Pharinseaya's apprentice. Cold chills ran up and down her spine despite the warmth of the day and her own nervous energy. She didn't know if she was excited or frightened by the near mis-speak.

"...then thank the Force for you two," the officer was saying. "We're short-handed as it is and are trying to pull people from the sporting arena. But what matters most is you're here." He pointed them to the building schematic on the datapad on the hunk of duracrete turned into the makeshift workstation. "Here's a floor-by-floor plan of this wing of the casino. 'Course, now all twelve stories on this end o' the building are what you see before you."

Pharinseaya and Rym nodded.

"We're obviously gonna need people who can search and dig through what's left of the building here to rescue anyone who might've survived the blast. With your Jedi skills, I'm sure you can help find the living in there."

The Jedi Knight looked to the mechanic with a silent question.

"I can sense people," Rym whispered. "In fact, I feel their screamin' in my mind. Now." She shut her eyes as though that would block out the suffering she sensed.

Quickly, the Emergency Services offered added, "If you find anyone, comm. Beta345 and that'll bring the stretcher teams along. We've setup a makeshift infirmary over there—"He pointed down the block to a hastily built tent, then said, "—and for anyone who didn't make it... they're settin' up a morgue down the block the opposite way."

"May the Force be with you," Pharinseaya said to the officer before they turned to face the daunting task before them. "You OK, Rym?"

"I'm OK. Let's get doin'."

As far out as they were still from the blast area, the two women had only to climb around the chunks of duracrete and other building materials that had flown that far. They carefully navigated the rubble to get closer to the small band of crews that had already arrived to help.

Working in silence, Rym and Pharinseaya paired up initially, using their Force sense to locate a living victim of the explosion. Pharinseaya used her healing skills to assess the person as best she could and soothe their minds as Rym used her telekinetic strength to gingerly lift the heavy façade and durasteel beams away from the fallen.

The first whom they rescued was a tourist to Coronet City, a towering Wookiee whose limbs had been shattered when the steel came crashing down on him. Still somehow lucid despite his pain, the Wookiee growled his thanks to the Jedi pair. Given the nature of their assistance, many of the persons recovered assumed they were both Jedi. Rym had to block out their thanks altogether in order to keep working, so uncomfortable was she with the label.

Hours passed. Pharinseaya and Rym continued their back-breaking work until the younger woman's control of the Force began to waver.

"Let's take a break, Rym. Before we wear ourselves out."

"No. Too many people in there still," she argued. "I can't stop while they're hurtin' in there!"

"We'll go back to it, believe me," the Jedi urged. She drew on the Force slightly to add more persuasion.

Svoby hesitated. "Just for a moment then. Just for a moment."

As they made their way to the relief station, they were finally aware of how many rescue teams – both civilian and professional – had helped in the relief efforts. Rym was stunned to see so many of the locals involved in a way; most maintained the attitude she had of "not getting involved."

Canteens of water had been provided for the rescue workers. The two women sat down on a chunk of duracrete to relax for a moment and replenish their bodies with liquid.

"So, where might you've been today had I not shown up at Wingnut's?" Pharinseaya asked with a wink.

"Not here, I'll admit to that much..." She looked back and surveyed the damage. "Somebody hit the place with some real heavies... Wonder if it was to prove somethin' or what? Or if somebody was after somebody else... that happens a lot."

Pharinseaya nodded. She too wondered what the larger picture was with the tragedy. Looking at Rym, she thought that a direct compliment would make her uncomfortable. Instead, she said, "When we go back out, if you need a break from the TK, we can switch duties for a while. If you need."

"Nah, I'm 'right for now. It's what I'm best at anyway..." Svoby sighed. "Bothers me that there's so many people who got hurt who prolly had nothing to do with this at all."

"I know what you mean."

"I wonder if this's the mission Luke Skywalker thought you was gonna be on here?"

"It just might be..." she mused.

"Look. They're bringin' in spotlights so we can keep workin'," Rym noted, watching a crew guiding the repulsorsleds over the rough terrain. Can't believe my own ears at what I'm sayin'... Jedi's rubbing off on me...