Callisto | Wednesday, Fandom Time

[flourish_or_perish]

After tracking the Red Tail to where Faye had parked, it was easy enough to start making the rounds to the local establishments where she might have gone.

Granted, it was absolutely freezing out and literally almost every person on this moon was a hostile criminal, so no one who was approached on the street was much help.

But eventually, they found their way to a bar with pink neon lighting and smoky jazz emanating from within. (Though, notably, the saxophonist was not here.)

Din and Grogu	Look, it wasn't Tatooine, so it had that going for it. Which was such a low bar, but look at Callisto clearing it with flying colors! The kid was bundled up with his own little coat and his own little hat while peaking out from Din's satchel. That detail meant nothing more than to fill people with joy over the image. "We can check with the bartender," he suggested.
Stark	Grogu in his little coat and hat was the only joy to be found here so it was a good thing he had them. "Do you think they'll help?" They'd gotten this far, and that was a good thing, but Stark was easily discouraged. Especially when he was cold and miserable to start with. "But yes. We should ask. Should I?" Stark could be a little pathetic at the bartender or maybe Din could be a little intimidating. One of those tactics might work, right?
Din and Grogu	Bad cop/anxious cop? Only if they got into hijinks that involved a high-speed chase of some sort. Or something exploded. "I can ask," Din assured him. "Just... look intimidating." In your adorable Wookie coat.
Stark	Something could explode. Everyone here was at least a little bit armed. Even Stark. "I'm not very good at intimidating," Stark muttered. Not unless he was really, really angry. The fluffy coat did not help with the lack of intimidation.
Din and Grogu	But it looked warm at least! "Worst they can do is stonewall us," Din said, leading the way to the bar. "Or pull a gun." Which would be annoying, but not that bad. You know. Said the guy wearing pure beskar armor.
Stark	It was warm but he really ought to have a hat to go with it. Like Grogu. "If they start shooting I'm staying behind you...no. I'm staying behind you now." Since Din had the armor and all.
Din and Grogu	Din just nodded like he'd totally expected that. "If it comes to that, make sure no one gets near the kid." WHO HE BROUGHT INTO THIS SITUATION TO BEGIN WITH. Then he rested a hand on the bar to hopefully get the bartender's attention without being threatening or anything just yet. Just a guy with another guy and a baby, looking for a woman. No big.
Bartender Man	And almost any other day, he'd be shit out of luck looking for a woman on Callisto. The bartender wandered over, cleaning a glass and seemingly totally unperturbed by their appearances. It helped a lot that the atmosphere wasn't great on Callisto, and between that and the veteran population, there was just a lot of masks and helmets and accessories around. "What can I get you?"
Stark	Stark, true to his word, was hovering behind Din's shoulder. "Maybe we should order something," he said quietly. "He might be more helpful, if we do." Stark tipped well. That also might help.
Din	"A drink for my friend here," Din said, putting down a few credits and holding some back like it could join the pile if he got the right answers here. "Whatever the local brew is. And some information if you have it."
Some Guy Who's Just Trying to Work, Here	This dude was a bartender on Callisto, okay? He was super used to this kind of thing. Casual about it, even. "Depends on the information," he replied, grabbing a bottle. You were getting whiskey on the rocks, Stark, 'cause that's what the locals drank.
Stark	"Thank you." Stark nodded to the bartender. Whiskey was fine. It might even help him make it through the rest of the day. "We're looking for someone." He was looking more anxious than intimidating here, Din. Sorry.
Din	Din exuded enough stoicism with the helmet to make up for it. With out it, it would just be two anxious cops and that would end badly. "A woman." Which, you know, he was kind of noticing was a rarity around here. "Might be going by Faye, might not be."
The Guy Tending Bar	"Purple hair, sneezy?" the bartender supplied, setting the whiskey down before them. "She was here a couple hours ago. Blew off my saxophonist and left on her own." And with every eye in the bar on her, but it wasn't his business what had happened to her when she'd left. Her own fault for coming here.
Stark	Stark perked up, nodding enthusiastically, at the mention of purple hair. He grabbed for the drink and took a large swallow before speaking. "You saw her! Purple hair, yes. Not usually sneezy." But it was cold. And she probably didn't have a coat. "Was she...is she alright?"
Din	Din dropped another of the credits--woolongs--whatever--on the bartop. "A direction would be appreciated. Or the location of anyone she interacted with." Because if this turned into a thing, he was going to get a tracking fob on her just in case.
Callisto's Best Bartender	"Gren lives in the blue building across the way," the bartender said, plucking up the cash and gesturing out the smoky window where, indeed, a particularly blue building could be seen on the skyline. "Like I said, she didn't seem interested, but he might know where she went." He paused, clearly debating how much information to give here, but added, "He left not long after she did. So did half the guys in the bar." So, you know. Prepare yourselves for what you might find. Ladies who looked like Faye didn't tend to do well around here.
Stark	The thought of Faye being followed by an unknown number of men was not a comforting one. Stark was now looking extremely anxious and not even slightly intimidating. Gulping down the rest of the whiskey didn't help. "We have to go," he said, grabbing at Din's arm.
Grogu and Din	Did Grogu need to make a distressed little cooing noise from that satchel? No. But there he was doing it anyway. Din would threaten the guy for that, but in a place like this? It wouldn't really work. So he nodded and pulled away to quickly get out of there and go find Faye in case the worst happened.
Stark	Grogu, that little noise wasn't helping Stark's state of mind. Nothing was going to help Stark's state of mind right now, save accomplishing what they'd come here to do. "Hurry," he said, not for the first time, heading in to the blue building the bartender had directed them to. He probably ought to be more cautious about this. He would have been if he hadn't been so worried. "Please. We need to find this Gren."
Din and Grogu	It helped that Din was there to do that for him at least! He was very good at being paranoid sometimes. Din looked around for anyone looking at them or following them before checking the door of the building. "She's going to be fine," he said, both for Stark and Grogu's sake.
Stark	Stark could be paranoid! Right now he was a little too focused on the idea that something terrible had already happened to Faye to worry that something terrible might happen to them. Prioritizing his anxieties! "She has to be. But...you don't know that. You can't know that."
Faye	Faye, as a matter of fact, was perfectly fine aside from a nasty headcold and the fact that her hands were bound behind her back with a pair of space handcuffs. Gren had at least left her in his bed, which was very nice of him even if she didn't think so. She'd been pissed about it for awhile after he'd left, before finally falling into an anxious, spiteful sleep. With sniffles.
Din	Well, Din had still pulled a blaster, just in case, as he stepped into the building to go looking for her. Though the sniffling was sort of a dead give away as to her location if you listened to that terrible bartender. "Faye?"
Stark	Having a weapon out was probably a good idea, and Stark somewhat reluctantly followed suit with the little pulse pistol he'd purchased from Faye one day. "Faye!" Calling out her name also seemed wise, yes, so he was going to follow along with that too.
Faye	Faye startled awake at the noise, twisting a little to try to see where it was coming from. That was weird. She almost thought she recognized both of those voices. Maybe it was a dream? There were a few ways she could respond. With gratitude, maybe, since if there were people here they could get her loose. Or maybe with fear, because if there were people here, she was pretty vulnerable. But she went with the most Faye response of all. "What?"
Din	Din holstered his blaster for that. "That's Faye," he said, tapping his helmet to cycle through for thermal imaging to find her so he could point in the right direction for Stark. "That way."
Stark	Stark, once pointed the right way, was rushing ahead and through the door. He'd wonder at it being unlocked at some point later, maybe. "Faye!" He stopped dead, staring, once he'd spotted her because he'd pictured much worse than finding her handcuffed to a bed. Not that this was a good way to find her. But it wasn't nearly as bad as he feared. "Are you hurt?"
Faye	Holy shit, it wasn't a dream. Faye shifted a little so she could see who was there, her hands still pinned behind her back. But no, that was Stark, and part of her was so glad to see him, and to see Din, and -- okay, guys, you totally shouldn't have brought the baby. Bad move there. This had all been such a mistake, but she was way too proud to admit that. Or that she regretted leaving. Even if it was going to be increasingly obvious that that was how she felt. "What are you doing here?" she asked, blinking blearily up at them. "No, I'm not hurt. Just handcuffed." In case they couldn't see.
Din and Grogu	"We're here to rescue you," Din said, totally not aware of anything that mirrored thus on any sort of Death Stars. Grogu was there because he liked adventure.
Stark	"You're sure you're not hurt? The bartender said you were followed and..." Stark let his voice trail off. The bartender had said that and Stark had been terrified by the implications. "You're alright? Is there a key? We need to get those off." His gun had disappeared somewhere inside that fluffy coat and his hands were twisting together as he walked around the room, looking for a key to those cuffs. Or something else that would serve to open the handcuffs.
Faye	"I think Gren left it in here somewhere," Faye noted, still a little stunned to see them. "What made you think I needed rescuing, anyway? I said not to come after me!" Clearly she was doing great, you guys. Just fine. And then she sneezed.
Din and Grogu	Where he went, the kid went! Din didn't say that was a dumb plan on her part, but he implied it via vague body language and also letting Stark rant while he pulled out a vibroblade to cut apart those cuffs.
Stark	"You left." Stark sounded hurt. He was. He was also, maybe, a little angry. The way he'd started pacing around the room might have been a clue. "You left and you didn't even give me a chance to say goodbye. And you took my phone." He had pictures on there, Faye! "And of course I came looking for you! Why did you think I wouldn't? You LEFT! And we didn't think you needed rescuing until we got here and we were worried! I was worried! And you did need help! You're here and you're handcuffed on a bed!" He was trying not to worry about the implications of that too much. She'd said she was alright.
Faye	You know what, Stark? This right here? All these emotions and the pacing and the way Faye wanted to help him calm down? This was why she hadn't wanted to say goodbye. Because now Faye was kind of upset to see him so upset, and -- see? Seeeeeee? This was why you didn't get attached to people! Because now she wanted to say something comforting and that sort of flew in the face of the whole 'leave before you get attached' thing, didn't it? The problem, of course, was that she had left it too long. And now she was very attached, no matter what she wanted to tell people. Or herself. "I still have your phone," she said after a moment, quietly. "It's in my pocket. And I would've gotten out of this eventually. Gren only cuffed me because I tried to shoot him." So reassuring!
Din and Grogu	Shoot this Gren fellow once found. Got it. Din sliced through the chain on the cuffs, at least letting her put her arms down for whatever was happening here. The dramatic reunion. "Running from your problems doesn't really work in the long run," he suggested as the kid made grabby hands for her. Ah, sage wisdom from a bounty hunter raised in a religious cult.
Stark	"What did he do to you?" Stark asked sharply. "Why did you shoot him? He didn't hurt you?" He wasn't making eye contact. That was difficult right now. "Here." He was shrugging out of his own coat to hold it out to her. "You're cold." So was he. But he had more clothes to start with.
Faye	"He didn't hurt me," Faye confirmed, and wow, that lack of eye contact hurt more than she would have expected it to. She took the coat, though, after rolling her shoulders a little, and held a hand out to wiggle her fingers at Grogu affectionately as she pulled the coat on. "And this isn't what it looks like, either." Not that she owed anyone any explanations, obviously. Or felt, like, at all guilty. Clearly not. "I was just trying to...get into a fight, that's all," she added after a moment, looking to Din. At least she couldn't tell if he wasn't making eye contact with her. "And I did, and then Gren got me out of it." Would Faye admit that she maybe had actually been in danger, there? Pshhhhhhhhhhhh.
Din and Grogu	So... no shooting Gren. Dank farrik. "Let's get you out of here before any other of that trouble can happen." Maybe give the lovebirds some privacy in the hold of the Razor Crest. With a tiny green child watching them creepily.
Stark	"Trying to get into a fight," Stark repeated. "That's... right. Fine." It wasn't fine, really. He wasn't fine either. "Why?" He glanced up, nodded to Din, then dropped his head again. "We should go. Back to the ship."
Faye	Faye drew the coat around herself in something of a defensive posture, because what could she really say? She didn't have a good answer, really, and the point had been that she was never going to have to give one. She was supposed to be able to just leave, and be sad on her own, and eventually get over how she had ever made friends or fallen in love with an alien on a little island on Earth. And instead they were here now, and the whole reason she'd shot at Gren was because of this. If Gren hadn't been kind, she wouldn't have tried to hurt him. "Because I'm a mess," she finally said, offering up a little shrug. "We have to get the Red Tail, too." Unless you two (three -- Grogu got a vote too) were going to trust her to fly back on her own, but Faye doubted it.
Din and Grogu	And wait for her to pull another runner and deal with Stark's sad, sad face? Nope. "We can tow it." The Razor Crest would go the space equivalent of 30 mph and strain while doing it, but...
Stark	The sad, sad face Stark was currently making while still avoiding looking Faye in the eye, Din? "Are... are we towing it back to your friend's ship?" He'd rather not do that. He didn't really want to leave her with Spike. He didn't want to leave her at all. "Or home? Are you coming back?" He sounded at least a little hopeful, in spite of himself, as he asked the question. But he was still looking mostly at the floor.
Faye	"What friend's ship?" Faye honestly didn't know what he was talking about at first, until she realized they'd probably actually traced her actual path. "Wait, you went to the Bebop? Ugh, no." She'd only gone back in the first place to rob them, after all. And definitely hadn't taken any time to ruffle Edward's hair or pet Ein or miss anyone. "We can go back to Fandom." If she said it like that, maybe it sounded like she didn't care what they did? Even if she was too tired and cold and sick to manage much of a poker face, so she looked pretty hopeful at the idea, anyway.
Din	"Then that's the plan," Din said, maybe sounding a little relieved because he was not equipped to cheer Stark up beyond maybe taking a shot at that Spike guy.
Stark	"We went to the Bebop," Stark confirmed. "Met your...friends. Jet and Edward helped. Told us where to look." And lent Stark a big fluffy coat! "Spike didn't." Because Spike was a jerk. And then because Stark was Stark and needed reassurance even when things had just been said, he dared a quick glance at Faye. "You'll really come back with us?"
Faye	"Yeah," she replied, meeting his eye evenly. "I didn't leave because I didn't like it there." It was complicated and weird! And, she could admit, had been a mistake. She sneezed again. "I don't think Gren's coming back, but we should probably go, anyway." And not just because she was super, super done with Callisto, okay? Just because she wanted to go.
Din	Uh huh. Sure. That sounded right. "Let's get out of here," Din agreed. Then kinda eyed Stark for a moment. "You'll be okay in the cold? You can borrow my cloak." It was a fucking cape, don't front.
Stark	"I..." Stark was tempted to refuse the offer of that sweet, flowy cape and claim he was fine but it was freezing outside, he really didn't like being cold, and he didn't really think anyone in this apartment would believe him anyway. "I would appreciate it. While we're outside. Thank you." "After you." He wasn't letting Faye out of his sight if he could help it.
Faye	Faye was a smidge too clever to believe that was chivalry rather than an effort to keep an eye on her. It still made her feel sort of warm and fuzzy -- as did seeing Din give Stark that sweet cape -- which had been the whole reason she'd taken off in the first place. So she stamped down on that feeling, trying to hide it away again as she wound her way through the apartment and led the way out.

Faye	Having found Faye and bundled her aboard the Razor Crest (while she sniffled and whined and bitched the whole time), it was time to go pick up the Red Tail, too. (Very much at Faye's insistence, of course. How else was she going to run away again without a vehicle?) She was laying across a seat in something that looked a lot like despair but was probably closer to 'exhaustion at still having to live,' when she spotted something out the window. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to the wreckage of a ship down below. "Someone's hurt." Not that she cared. Look at all the not caring she did all the time, everyone. Especially not about a new friend she might have just made.
Stark	Stark was still unsure if he wanted to yell, cry, or grab hold of Faye and refuse to let go for a week. Maybe all three at once. Being unsure, he'd been quiet so far, and watching her much more than than anything outside. He wouldn't have noticed the wreckage if she hadn't pointed it out. Now that she had though, he was getting up for a better look. "Oh. That looks... that looks bad. Do you know the ship?"
Din	If she was using this to pull a runner, he was seriously going to contemplate the carbon freeze. "I'll bring us down to check," Din said. Because he too had more concern for the wellbeing of strangers than a hardened bounty hunter should.
Faye	How dare you. How dare, Din. "I don't recognize the ship, no." Faye was peering out the window, drawing her -- Stark's, no wait, Jet's? -- coat around herself in an unconscious, self-comforting gesture as she looked down at the wreckage and spotted a man, flung far from the ship and laying in the snow. It shouldn't have been a surprise. She knew where he'd been headed, even if there was no sign of Vicious now. "But I think I recognize the pilot. That's Gren. Hurry."
Stark	"The man you shot at?" Stark asked. "Who handcuffed you, after he helped you?" There were some conflicted feelings here. "We should help him. If we can. He helped you." And also left her handcuffed in an unlocked apartment but they could discuss that later. Maybe.
Faye	"I shot at him because he was coming here," Faye insisted, getting a little more worried as she was able to see Gren better. There was blood in the snow. "He told me -- he knows someone I know. A bad guy. Better a bullet in the shoulder from me than to face down Vicious." Her stomach was twisting in knots, even as she shifted to look to the sky and scanned the horizon. "He's gone, but I was right. I knew it." To be fair, the man's name was 'Vicious.'
Stark	"You were trying to protect him." Stark's voice was soft and the statement was almost, but not quite a question. "I'll help if I can." He was just worried, as he looked down at the wreckage and the body in the snow, about what sort of help he'd be offering.
Din	Din brought the Crest down as gently as the ship ever could. So, a little bit of a shuddering stop. Then shoved his cloak back at Stark so he didn't freeze out there. "Don't have any bacta here--" Because that was just stupidly expensive for out on the rim, thanks. "--but I have a medkit in the weapon locker." Also, bold to assume they knew what bacta was.
Faye	Yeah, Faye had no idea. Faye might have even heard that word before, but still. Like she had committed it to memory? Please. But she did know where the weapon locker was, so she was hustling over to get that medkit. "Vicious is bad news." With a name like that? Who'd have ever seen that coming? "I don't -- I hope we aren't too late." And to Stark, more quietly, she added, "Gren was kind to me. He trusted me. He didn't have to, and -- yes, I was trying to protect him. Even if he didn't want it." Faye was a mess, and she'd potentially messed up everything between them just to see if she'd regret it (for those playing at home: yes), but she still had a heart. Gren had done a good job reminding her of it.
Stark	Stark had probably heard of bacta, at some point, but he wasn't really familiar. The medkit would almost certainly be more useful for him. He settled the sweet cape around his shoulders before holding out a hand to Faye for the medkit. "I'll help if I can," he said again. "We won't just leave him lying in the snow." Not when he was hurt and there was someone named Vicious potentially lurking about. "Do you... do you want to come out there? I can go. If you want to stay here."
Din and Grogu	Din was already holstering his Amban rifle to have their back in case anyone named Vicious showed up, assuming this was a group outing. And the kid seemed to think it was one too as he shuffled over to Faye to be carried like the precious cargo he was. Also so he could pat her gently until she felt less conflictedsadworried.
Faye	Faye still had her pistol holstered to her leg like always, though if she had been smart and a little less emotionally compromised, she would have reloaded it considering all the firing she'd done at Gren's walls. But given that Din was here with the rifle, and Stark was definitely going to be more useful with that medkit she passed over than Faye ever could be, she absolutely was going to kneel down to scoop up Grogu and carry him in the crook of her arm. The patting helped, even if she was very conflictedsadworried as she bossily got the door open and ran down that ramp towards the crashed ship. There might have been a little sliding involved. Faye was in too much of a hurry and too unused to ice to compensate all that well.
Gren	The crashed ship was a MONO craft, very similar to Faye's, and had dug a long trench in the snow before settling. Its only passenger -- a tall, thin man with waist-length black hair -- lay off to the side, facedown, clearly having fallen out of the pod once the ship was down. There were a few spatters of blood on the snow, but up close, the damage looked better than Faye, at least, had initially thought. She was still pushing Gren onto his back as soon as she got there, and was rewarded by a slow, unfocused blink of his eyes.
Stark	Stark was only a few steps behind Faye and knelt down in the snow on Gren's other side, pulling the cloak a little tighter around himself, once he reached him. "Faye brought us to help," he said quietly. "What happened?" Nothing good, that much was clear.
Gren	Gren looked from Faye to this new person, just with his eyes since his head was so heavy. "You got her out of the cuffs," he noted to stark with a little smile, his gaze drifting over towards Din in acknowledgement. He coughed, bringing a hand up to his mouth with some effort and coming away with blood. "I need to get to Titan." This was inevitable, now.
Stark	Under any other circumstances Stark would have had something to say about the handcuffs. Not now. "I wasn't going to leave her in them," he said, voice still quiet. "I'm not sure where Titan is, from here. Are you sure?" He looked over at Faye, giving a tiny shake of his head. He didn't think Gren was up for travel of any sort.
Din and Grogu	Ah, classic anime blood coughing. Din kept a watch on their location, scanning the horizon for anyone coming in or still in the area that could cause them some trouble. This was his skill set, okay? This right here. Grogu, meanwhile, was straining in Faye's arms to make grabby hands for the man. Because he had this, okay? He totally had this with his deus ex machina ass power that needed to be established for a the future to attempt to make any sense at all.
Faye	Faye was definitely inclined to agree that Gren wasn't up for travel, no, but she also understood why he wanted to go to Titan. Or at least, she understood how he was connected to that particular moon. She was biting her lower lip to try to suppress a well of emotion that had sprung up -- which was ridiculous, anyway. She'd only known Gren for a few hours. But, then, she hadn't exactly started this little adventure in a great headspace to begin with, either. "What's up, honey?" she asked when Grogu started to move for Gren. She opened up her arms, letting him out -- hey, if the little guy could give Gren something cute to look at in his last minutes, she was all for it. "Be careful, okay? He's hurt." That sniffle was because of her headcold, everyone. She was just stuffy. And not sad.
Gren	Gren, for his part, looked somewhat interested in this little...goblin creature. It almost moved like a baby or something. "I'm dying," he said simply, looking to Stark again since he'd asked. "I need to rest on Titan."
Faye	"One of Saturn's moons. He served there," Faye added, helpfully filling in any gaps. She didn't want Gren to have to, anyway. "There was a war.
Stark	"You are," Stark confirmed, placing a hand on Gren's shoulder very gently. "I'm sorry." At least he knew. And seemed to accept it. Sometimes that made the process easier. "I'll make sure you go where you need to." Titan and elsewhere.
Din and Grogu	Grogu continued to his grabby hands, clutching at Gren's sleeve and closing his eyes to do that space magic concentration face. "Hey," Din said once he noticed that. "Hey, hey, kid. No... that's not..." Gonna work here.
Gren	It was indeed not working, whatever was supposed to be happening, but Gren watched the little guy in faint interest all the same. Fainter by the second, in fact.
Faye	"What's he doing?" Faye asked softly, hesitantly reaching a hand out to Grogu and then, thinking better of it, pulling it back. She didn't want to interrupt his concentration, or -- whatever was happening here. "Is he -- you can fix him?" Don't get her hopes up.
Stark	"He's helping, I think," Stark said, giving Grogu a curious look. "Trying to. But I don't think it will work, little one." It was too late for that sort of help. He wished it weren't. "May I...I can help," he said, turning his full attention back to Gren. "I can't fix it. I'm sorry. I would, if I could. But I can make this easier, if you'll let me."
Grogu and Din	Grogu's ears drooped and he looked at each adult like maybe they could explain why it wouldn't work. Din let out a little sigh and nodded encouragingly at Stark like maybe that could at least be a good example to go by.
Gren	"How?" Gren asked Stark, curious and very quiet. "I don't need it to be easier, but I need to go to --"
Faye	"We'll get you to Titan," Faye interjected, reaching over to gather Grogu back into her lap. She'd wanted it to work, too, buddy. It wasn't fair. "Stark can help, though. If it has to happen." She looked over at Stark, unsure of what she was about to see, but clearly confident that he knew what to do, here. She didn't. She was incredibly out of her depth.
Stark	"We'll get you to Titan," Stark echoed. Somehow he didn't think Din would fight them on this. "But first I can help. That's what I'm for." He did know what to do here. This was, after all, his purpose. It had just been a long time since it had been necessary. "You can rest," he told Gren. He lifted his hand from the other man's shoulder so he could unbuckle his mask. He might regret, in a few minutes, putting the mask down in the snow. For right now he wanted his hands free. "Let me show you something." Surprise, Gren. No scars under there. Just a warm, golden light that was now falling across Gren's face and the hand Stark laid on his forehead.
Gren	To say that that was not what Gren had expected to see would be something of an understatement. But it was beautiful, at least. "What are you?" Gren breathed, as the grim acceptance of his death bloomed into something more like a sort of peace.
Stark	"Just someone who deals with death," Stark told him. "A Stykera. Someone from far away. Someone who can share a few thoughts to ease your way. A friend, for the moment. You seemed like you needed one." He was still speaking softly, hand still on Gren's head.
Gren	"I did need one." Gren could easily admit that; it was why he'd brought Faye home with him in the first place. Just for the company. Just because this had always been on the horizon, just a matter of time. "I do need one." Everything had hurt, but it was hurting less. Whether that was Stark's doing or just the passage of time was hard for Gren to say, but he was grateful nonetheless.
Stark	"I'll stay as long as you need," Stark promised. Yes, it was cold and he was kneeling in the snow and glowing on a strange moon where that sort of thing had almost certainly never been seen before but this was more important. "Just rest." Rest and maybe look at the calming memories Stark was happy to share.
Grogu	Always with the space magic here! Grogu gave him a little pat as well since it was all he could do to help. But it was an adorable pat at least.
Gren	It had definitely never been seen here before, but Gren certainly wasn't in a position to tell anyone anything. He was, instead, awash both in the glow and those soothing memories, and rest felt like both a command and a promise. "Thank you," he managed softly, his voice far away.
Faye	Faye was watching all of this with wide, uncertain eyes -- every instinct she had was resisting the idea that they should just be watching this instead of saving him, but...Stark knew what to do. She trusted that Stark knew how this needed to go, and in a way, even if it hurt, this was kind of beautiful. It didn't matter that she was kneeling in snow, or that she'd run away in the first place because she had been afraid of their connection -- she scooted a little closer to Stark, reaching over to lightly rest her hand on his arm. He was doing the right thing. She was here if he needed her. And thank you from her, too.
Stark	Stark did know how this needed to go. He also knew it was almost over. He had slid his free hand into Gren's at some point. Just another point of contact or a small source of comfort. "You're welcome," he told Gren, voice gone even quieter. "I'm glad I could help." He was also glad for the support from Faye. It was rare, having someone there for him during a moment like this. He would have to tell her that once things were finished here.
Gren	It was comforting, all of this. And while there was a poetry to Vicious being the one to take him down, there was also something to how Gren's life was ending with his hand in a glowing stranger's, with the girl who had been running away from something sitting nearby, looking more at home than she had all evening. She wasn't Julia, but she sort of reminded him of her. History didn't repeat itself, generally; it just rhymed. Thing were fading, going quiet around him. Gren shut his eyes, just breathing softly and giving himself over to the calm washing over him. After a moment, his breath stopped, and he was still.
Stark	Head bowed, Stark whispered something over Gren before moving. The language wouldn't be recognizable to anyone listening but it was clearly a prayer of some sort. Once that was finished and he'd let go of Gren's hand, laying it on his chest, he reached for his mask, wincing a little at how cold the metal had gotten and more when he started to put it back into place. "I'm sorry," he said, looking over at Faye.
Faye	Faye nodded, swiping a hand up over her eyes as she looked down at Gren. This was silly; she'd known the guy for a matter of hours. This was what she had wanted to avoid -- how dare he save her, and bring her home, and take care of her, and show her kindness and then go and die on her. But there would be time to be angry at Gren later; right now, she just moved a little closer to Stark, hesitant and shivering a little even if she was ignoring it. "That was amazing. Beautiful." It really had been.
Stark	"I was here and it was what he needed," Stark said simply. "It's what I'm for." He'd told you he was valuable once, Faye. That was part of why. "We'll make sure he gets to Titan, now?" He was shivering too now. The cloak helped but he was still underdressed for the cold and still in the snow. And his mask was very cold. It only made sense to put his arm around Faye. They were cold. And sad.
Faye	You were valuable for a lot of reasons, Stark. "Can we tow him to Titan?" Faye asked, turning to Din to ask and maybe leaning a little into Stark in the process. "I don't think his ship will make it on its own power, but we can maybe point him in the right direction? It isn't far." It was kind of far. But, you know, not that far for people with a spaceship.
Stark	"I don't mind a detour," Stark said, giving Din a questioning look. "Please?" He'd promised, Din.
Din	"We'll have to come back for your ship," Din said with a little nod at Faye. Because the Razor Crest could only do so much.
Faye	"S'fine," Faye said with a nod. As long as they did come back and get it, or she'd probably end up impulse-buying herself a plane ticket to somewhere in a week's time. "I'll cover the gas." With the money she'd stolen from the Bebop, so...Jet would cover the gas.
Stark	Stark nodded, satisfied that they were doing what Gren had asked. That was all they could do, now. "Good, good. He'll go where he's meant to then. We'll need to put him in the ship. I can do it."
Din	They would run out of gas at a plot critical moment, so it was all good. "Let's get you and the kid back in the ship," Din suggested to Faye. Then he could figure out towing this thing.

[again with the alphabet parade -- NFB, NFI, love that OOC! Preplayed with the fantastic thedadalorian and stykera, and warning for an NPC death. Adapted, taken apart and Frankensteined back together from Cowboy Bebop Session 13,'Jupiter Jazz Pt. II']