Project Boussh: End Pain
by Majick

Vickie strolled through the castle, Pash pointing out various areas where
the battle for the throne had been fought. As they approached the kitchen,
the smell of cooking assailed her nostrils, and she realised just how hungry
she had become. She explained it to Pash.
"They fed us," she said. "But only enough to keep us going."
"Standard for Imperial prisoners. Keeps you slow and weak, lessening the
chance of escape."
"And yet we escaped anyway," she said, with a victorious grin. Pash laughed
"The way I hear it, you had a little bit of luck with that."
"There is no luck," Vickie replied with a grin. "Only the Force . . ." she
tailed off.
"What is it?" Pash asked, taking her arms in his hands and staring down
into her eyes.
"Sithspawn . . . Mike, I forgot . . ."
"Mike? What about him?"
"What happened to him? I felt him get hurt, and then . . ." Tears filled
Vickie's eyes as she remembered the sheer pain she'd felt, even from
hundreds of miles away, even through an Ysalamiri Force shield.
"He was badly hurt," Pash replied, enfolding her in his arms. "He pulled
through, but it was touch and go for a time."
"But I can't feel him!" Vickie said. "Ever since he got the Force, I've
been able to feel where he was." She stared up at Pash, watching as he shook
his head gently.
"I don't know the details," he said. "I heard Corran saying that Mike had
lost his ability to access the Force when he stopped Eugor Atner from
turning us all into Josh."
"I don't understand," Vickie said.
"Josh was burned by a laser blast in New Hampshire, and Alison dubbed him
the Crispy Fried Aussie. Atner tried to crispy fry everyone on the island,
and Mike stopped him, but it burnt out his ability to use the Force."
"Oh no . . . Poor Mike. Do you know where he is?" she asked, pulling away
from Pash's embrace. He looked down at her for a few seconds, before
sighing.
"The last time I saw him was at breakfast. He was with Shalla Nelprin of
the Wraiths. They seem to have developed a relationship, of sorts . . ." He
left the rest of the sentence hanging unspoken, and she looked away from
him.
"I have to find him," she said. "Has anyone talked to him about what he's
gone through?"
"I . . ." Pash stopped. "I don't know. I assumed Corran or Sci would talk
to him." He blushed, remembering his last discussion with Mike, and how self
centred he must have seemed to the young Terran.
"What is it?" Vickie asked, catching the flush of his cheeks.
"Mike knows about us, well, about the way I feel about you."
"Oh," she said, pausing. She shook her head. "That doesn't matter now. I
have to go see him."
"I thought you wanted to eat," he said, a note of exasperation in his
voice.
"Some things are more important," she replied, sprinting off without
looking back.
Pash growled something unintelligible, and stalked off towards the
kitchens.

Mike and Shalla strolled down the steps from the battlements, holding
hands. Both, for some reason, were hungry again, and with the briefing for
the Admonitor assault due to begin in a short while, they felt it would be a
good idea to get something to eat. Approaching the kitchen, Shalla's ears
pricked when she heard running foot steps behind them. Spinning round, she
spotted the blur of movement that hit Mike in the back, and hugged him
ferociously.
Mike, for his part, was completely unaware of anything untoward until he
felt the impact in the small of his back. He staggered forward with a
"Whuphh" before standing upright again. Extricating himself from the death
grip the newcomer had on his waist, he turned around, and smiled a broad
grin of pure joy.
"Vickie!" he cried, sweeping his friend up in a hug of his own. "Thank God!
I thought something terrible might have happened to you!"
"I was with Wedge! What could possibly have happened to me?" she said, half
laughing, half crying. Then Mike's expression turned serious, as he realised
something *had* happened.
"Seriously, Vickie. Something's wrong. What is it?"
"I . . ." Vickie looked at Shalla, who smiled.
"I'll leave you two to it. I'll be in the kitchen, if you feel hungry after
your talk," she said, with a smile.
"Thank you," Mike said, setting Vickie down and taking Shalla's hand in
his. He kissed her hand keeping his eyes on hers, and smiled. "I'll be along
soon."
She wandered off, and Mike turned to face Vickie, who was smirking. He
locked eyes with her, and smiled grimly.
"I guess we need to talk."

They strolled on the castle's southernmost battlements, silence hanging
oppressively between them. Neither knew where to begin. Vickie decided to
give it a go.
"You and Pash have talked," she offered.
He turned to look at her, trying to catch her eye. She looked away, then
forced herself to look him in the eye, mustering a watery smile.
'Oh dear,' he thought.
"I hear you had a hell of an adventure while I wasn't around to look after
you," she said.
*Don't change the subject* he thought. She recoiled from the feeling of him
in her mind.
*You lost your Force access* she thought, her thoughts sounding very
confused
*I was never much of a telepath* he thought, a faint smile on his lips. *It
was always your power we used, I just tapped into it. I may not be able to
use the Force anymore, but it's like being locked out of your own home. You
still know where the window with the busted latch is*
*Fine* she thought, pouting. *I suppose you can't read my mind, though*
"No," he said. "I can read your face, your body language, and your tone of
voice, though. What happened between you and Pash?"
She sighed, slumping to the ground, leaning against the battlement wall as
she folded her legs into a meditational pose.
"We kissed a few minutes ago," she admitted.
"Oh. I thought so," he replied. He sat down opposite her, his long legs
stretching out towards her.
*How do you feel?* he asked, returning to telepathic communication
*A little guilty, but it doesn't matter. It was one kiss, and it won't
happen again*
"Good," he said with a smile. "Everyone makes mistakes, and the two of you
would have to be saints to ignore the feelings you have for each other." He
paused, before adding, with a smile, "You might want to make sure you don't
spend too much time alone, though."
"You mean make sure we don't slope off for a bout of nookie when we get to
the Admonitor?" she asked, a wide grin on her face
"Something like that," he said, his own grin just as broad. His grin faded.
"I wanted to apologise," he said.
"For what?" she asked, rubbing at her eye to get rid of a speck of dust.
Mike looked at her curiously, a nagging thought in his mind.
"Uh . . . For orderng you aboard the Red Home. I was out of line, and it
nearly killed you."
"Don't be. I'm glad you did, in a way," she said. Then she told Mike about
her fight with Erisi, and the two of them were soon rolling on the
battlements, laughing loudly.
"Oh God . . ." Vickie gasped, at last. She wiped her eyes, and again Mike's
mind nagged at him.
"Now we have that sorted," she said, her smile fading, "What happened with
you and the burning?"
"Oh!" he said, a little startled. "You mean you felt that?"
"Felt it?" she snorted. "If I'd felt it anymore, I'd be burned worse than
Josh."
"You mean you know about Josh too? Oy. . . Just don't go calling him
'Crispy' he really doesn't like it."
"Enough changing the subject," she said, firmly. "You've lost your ability
to use the Force. Who have you talked to about it?"
"No-one," he admitted, avoiding her stare. "I came out of the bacta tank
like a bear with a sore head, then alienated everyone by either yelling at
them, or catching them in the wave of practical jokes me and Elassar pulled.
On the plus side, I have some allies. Thayer Atner and Macavity seem to like
me. And with them on my side, Becki will probably forgive me at some point."
Vickie winced as she imagined what Mike and Elassar could do with an entire
castle at their disposal. She put the thought aside, and focussed her gaze
on him.
"Well, you haven't shouted at me, or covered me in syrup," she said. "I've
yet to be alienated by you. Talk to me."
He squirmed briefly, then gave in. "I tried not to use the Force too much.
Once I realised I wouldn't have it for long, that it was only on loan from
Corran."
He stopped. Vickie was staring at him, blankly. Mike ran over the events of
his operation in New Hampshire, and how the Ysalimiri effect had trapped
fragments of Corran's Force ability in Mike's mind.
"I see," Vickie said, slowly grasping the concept.
"Losing it. I knew. I'd prepared. But it was still like going into
hospital, knowing you're going to come out with one less limb then when you
went in. That's why I lost it with the others when I came out of the bacta
tank. They just didn't seem to care.
"The joke spree with Elassar was my way of getting them back. Reminding
them that I was still here." He smiled a rueful smile. "Childish and petty,
I know. But it worked, after a fashion."
"It seems to have worked with Shalla," Vickie said.
"Heh, yeah. As for the others, well, we'll see. I know everyone's got
things going on, and I can't expect to be top priority, but everyone crapped
themselves when Alison collapsed, and yet I got screamed at by Kristy.
You're the first person to check on me."
"Maybe they thought you were okay? I mean, the joke war doesn't sound like
the cry for attention of. . ." she stopped. "Of course it does. Silly me."
He grinned. "Partly. Partly, I'll admit, we got a kick out of it."
"Will you be okay?" she asked.
"Eventually," he said. He winked at her, "Until then, everyone else might
want to watch out. . . "