♙Fact 2.5 ♙{video}

[heirtostay]

[Tenel Ka's face is pale and drawn, and although her tone is as flat as ever, it still conveys a vast amount of loss.]

Jacen Solo is dead. He was killed by Darth Malak in the course of a rescue mission to Korriban. [She pauses, closes her eyes for a moment] It is no one's fault but that of the Sith.

That is all.

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[slayerdom]

[ Buffy's eyes go wide, immediately brimming with bright tears. Disbelief colors her expression and she looks a little numbed to the truth before her. She doesn't respond at first, confusion trying to work its way through her face as she processes. No. No, he can't -- ]

But, he just ... [ Her heart twists, a dead weight sinking in her stomach. She'd barely had time to register he was gone. ] How do you know? There has to be some kind of mistake, Malak couldn't -- [ She has to believe Jacen is better than Malak. ]

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[heirtostay]

[Tenel Ka's flat tone breaks on the next two words, raw emotions threadind through her voice, making it harsher than she intends. She had felt him die, felt his sorrow and his love for her, felt that extinguish in the space of a heartbeat] There is no mistake.

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[slayerdom]

[ Buffy reaches up to cover her mouth with a hand, shutting her eyes and pushing back the sorrow. She lowers her hand and controls the tears for now -- she can cry later. Seeing Tenel Ka being just as hurt as her gets her priority, because other people come first. ]

He'll come back. Revan will bring him back, he has to.

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[heirtostay]

The likelihood that he will return is high, but it is not absolute. Revan 'has' to do nothing. [She's not being harsh of bitter, simply stating the facts. Tenel Ka has never been a believer in lying to oneself or others for the sake of comfort]

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[slayerdom]

So, what, you're just gonna -- gonna robot yourself out of caring if he comes back or not? Sound a little more detached. Please.

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[heirtostay]

[The reaction is instant; Tenel Ka stiffens, face twisting with a mixture of anger and hurt and loss all bound up into one as a crack echoes. The casing of the datapad has broken in her hand, throwing her face at an odd angle, although the actual tech is okay. The last time someone accused Tenel Ka of not caring for her loved ones, it was Jaina, and she very nearly got smacked in the face. A beat passes, before Tenel Ka manages to school her expression into something resembling calm, although she holds Buffy's gaze and her tone is back to being raw, torn]

I understand that his death has hurt you. I am, quite clearly, anything but detached from this situation, however. If my method of dealing with this does not meet your standards, I ask that this conversation ends now for both our sakes, before one of us causes the other more pain.

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[slayerdom]

[ And watch as Buffy is just ... Jaina reminiscent forever. She stares for a long moment, biting back comment, wrestling with guilt and frustration and the urge to take it out on Tenel Ka for being so impassive. Then, finally, she scowls. ]

Fine. [ And terminates the feed. ]