The Short Fic Weekly Challenge Thread!

[marissalf]

Replies!

 

I loved the girl talk with Kinka, Kaliyo, and Temple. Nice description of Orion's abs!

Thank you! The agent has a lot of serious moments, so I felt like she needed something fun (if somewhat embarrassing for her).

 

Marissalf - Both stories, totally devastating to Kinka and it really came across. I hope Kothe gets what's coming to him.

Yay, I’m glad that it came across! And I think I might actually pop over to the AU thread to continue it one of these days.

@marissalf You really bring out the frustration of being unable to talk.

Thank ya! I’m glad that came through.

Vector's companion dialogue in the context of the second one is eerie. That he has no clue what's coming.

I think that’s what made me saddest in writing it. He’s putting himself out there, feeling the waters, and then...things happen.

 

 

Comments!

 

Striges, Oh Rixik, so prepared for everything except for somebody else being one step ahead. That’s gotta be a blow to the ego.

 

Alaurin, Sand is seriously, ugh, but in this case it makes for a nice Mallay-Jorgan moment. I laughed at Jorgan’s attempts to distract himself

 

Irish, It must have been difficult for Gelt, trying to keep someone safe who does everything they shouldn’t do. And the story with Ucles just crushed me. It was wonderfully written and so grounded in a kind of pain and loss that’s tangible in any universe. *wanders off to find the tissues*

 

Lesaberisa, Great job all around, from the jolting action of the combat where everything Ayrs has seen in movies suddenly becomes very real to those sobering moments at the end. So glad you followed up with the Affection story, I needed a nice feel-good moment!

 

Bright, How awful for Vierce, having to be the one making the life or death decisions. It wouldn’t be easy to handle, even knowing that it really was for the greater good. And Wynston learning Basic...you’ve got to admire his determination.

 

Yoshi, I like that Aaran gets to do what he can to help long after the big conflicts have ended. You don't always have to fight the big battles to be effective.

 

[bright_ephemera]

A less doomful Family for Vierce. No game spoilers. 1600 words.

 

 

Chronology:

 

Health: Stranded on Hoth

Laws and Governance: Vierce and Elara kiss just before the end of Act 2 (retelling/canon-ified version of the older Best Day Ever)

Health: Vierce revives after his end of Act 2 wounds

Health/Confessions: Vierce gets moving after his end of Act 2 wounds

Weather: making out on Belsavis

A-77 Station

Fashion: Vierce takes Elara out to eat on Voss

Best Day Ever: Vierce and Elara finally get it on

Vierce takes Elara home to West Ford City (this story)

 

 

 

Story:

 

 

“Next time we get a couple of days free, I’d like you to meet Mama,” I said.

 

Elara smiled. “I did, once. Do you remember? While you were recovering on Coruscant.”

 

“Right.” Their mystery conversation before I interrupted them by waking up. “Just how long did you two have to talk to each other, anyway?”

 

“Several hours. We saw each other in the hospital in passing for several days before that – she waited with you for quite some time. But we only sat down to talk on that last day.”

 

“I guess I should be relieved.”

 

“I thought she was perfectly nice.”

 

“She had nothing but good things to say about you.” What little Mama had said when I asked, anyway; mostly she’d smirked in a knowing kind of way. “I’d like you to come home, to Kegled. I know she’d be glad to have you.”

 

*

 

I dropped the rest of the squad off at the District B base on Coruscant for, as Elara helpfully recited, Section Eighteen R&R. They could arrange their own rides home from Coruscant. Me, I was going to Kegled II. And so was Elara.

 

“I’d like to stop by the Galactic Market first,” she said once we had the ship to ourselves. “I have some things to pick up.”

 

“You’ve got nothing to worry about,” I said. “If it’s clothes, I’ll be wearing fatigues. They’ll be fine with you doing the same.”

 

Elara smiled a smile I couldn’t quite get a bead on. “Still. Is there any sort of thing your mother likes to have around the house? Decorations, or some edible trifle?”

 

“Uh…she likes candleglows, I guess. None of the ones with real fire, but the electrics. You don’t have to bring anything, Elara, she’ll be delighted just to have you.”

 

Elara gave that little smile again. “Understood, sir.”

 

She only took a couple of hours out and about on Coruscant before she got back to the ship. After that I set course and took us into hyperspace.

 

I wore my fatigues and kept my bag at my side while I guided the Thunderclap into West Ford City's spaceport. I didn't know the voices in traffic control these days, but that was all right. I was still coming home.

 

I swept up my bag and headed for the holo room. It was empty. "Elara?"

 

There was a little thump from the direction of her quarters, then silence for a few seconds, then her regular steady step.

 

And then she was in the holo room, with me. She was wearing a dress. I'd never seen her like that. Blue skirt skimming her hips, falling a little past her knees. Just enough heel to shape her legs. A round neck, modest as you please, but showing the hollow of her collarbone. Short sleeves, her arms strong and graceful beyond them.

 

She smiled up at me in that way she had when she was really pleased. "It isn't too much, is it?" she asked.

 

I wanted to forget our schedule and sweep her up then and there. "Elara, you're perfect. – I mean, that's fine." I cleared my throat. "That's perfectly fine."

 

We rented speeders at the spaceport and I led her along the familiar ways. It was a nice day, sunny and mild, and the bustle of the city was contented. Traffic at street level wasn’t bad, so the journey to the little house went quick.

 

Mama and Glend greeted us at the door. Glend, touched by age but with an air of sturdiness about him, greeted me with a firm handshake; Mama got a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and then she stepped past me to clasp Elara’s hands in both of her own.

 

“It’s wonderful to see you again,” said Mama, smiling ear to ear.

 

“I’m glad to see you as well, Mrs. Savins.”

 

Mama stepped aside to let Glend offer a handshake. “Miss – Lieutenant Dorne. Pleasure to meet you.”

 

Somewhere in the introductions Elara offered a little candleglow, shaped as a series of gold crystals. Mama exclaimed over it and, once we got inside, hurried to place it as a centerpiece to the table.

 

Both Elara and I offered to help in the kitchen; Mama shooed us both to our seats and bustled off alone. Someday I might get used to the guest treatment, but I wasn't quite there yet. Still, I sat like she told me to and spoke with Glend about the city, and then a bit about Havoc Squad, the things Mama already knew that Elara and I could fill in for Glend's benefit.

 

Once dinner was served we flipped back and forth between Army chatter and more talk of the city, its big events and recent changes. Elara followed along with genuine interest. And then, eventually, Glend got around to saying "Now, Lieutenant Dorne, do you mind me asking where you're originally from?"

 

I could tell Mama was looking worriedly in my direction, but I kept my attention on Elara. She and I had been over her background a bit on the few dates we'd managed to sneak in between assignments, and a bit more in our late-night talks. It was enough for me to feel at peace with it.

 

"I'm from Kaas City, on Dromund Kaas," she said calmly. "I lived there all my life until the time came for military service."

 

He was thoughtful for a moment, plainly trying to think up a lead that would draw her out without offending anybody. "I suppose it was Coruscant you came to after?"

 

"That's correct. I lived there for two years in their orientation program prior to moving out to the field."

 

"It must have been an experience. Do you have a favorite of the Republic worlds you've seen?"

 

She raised her eyebrows. "Of the planets with a standing government to call itself Republic? Coruscant, definitely. It's a beautiful planet, and the complexity of operations to support its populace is awe-inspiring."

 

He raised his bushy eyebrows ever so slightly. "You say 'standing government' like you've got favorite planets that don't have one."

 

"Well." She blushed. "I was thinking of Taris. That's where Vierce and I met."

 

"I hated Taris," I volunteered. "Of course, at the time I didn't know what I had."

 

Glend gave me a significant look. "Seems like we're always the last to know, eh?"

 

I raised a sympathetic glass to that. Glend met the toast; Mama and Elara just smiled.

 

"By the way," I added, "I liked Balmorra a little better." That was where I'd started getting my act together. When I started listening enough for Elara to talk some sense into me.

 

Her smile deepened. "Balmorra did have its advantages."

 

It went on, easily, naturally. I talked some and I listened more. There’s an elegance to her. Always was, though it could be easy to ignore when we were under fire all the time. Here on a world at peace she shone. I started supper thinking about what Mama would think of a woman like Elara; I ended it wondering why a woman like Elara thought so much of me.

 

After supper Mama shooed me away from clearing the table; again, she’d been doing that ever since I moved out. Anyway, conversation rolled along for some time before I started to run down.

 

When I mentioned sleep Mama said “Of course. The guest room is yours, and your old room’s free if need be – though the bed there hasn’t gotten any bigger.”

 

I hadn’t fit comfortably on my old bed for years; sometimes I wondered why she kept Kirsk’s and my old room like it was at all. It didn’t have to matter today. The guest room would do fine. The notion of sharing it was new, but it was right. “Thanks.” I took my bag and gestured to direct Elara to the guest room, then followed her in.

 

She pulled a clip out and shook her hair free, beaming at me all the while. “Your family is wonderful,” she said.

 

“And they like you.” I shut the door and walked over to touch the curve of her face, marveling that she was here in my home, the center of my memories. Here and happy. “I shouldn’t have gotten nervous.”

 

“Will you show me around the city tomorrow?”

 

“I’d love to. It’ll be good to check up on things.”

 

“Then it’s a plan.”

 

“All right then.”

 

She hugged me, smiling. And then suddenly the smile sank into upset. "Elara?" I said. "What is it?"

 

Her smile made a bit of an effort to fight back the other thing. “I…after I left the Empire, I never thought I would be welcomed into a home again. I never expected…” She took a deep breath and leaned into me. “Thank you,” she said softly, “for letting me into your life.”

 

I pressed my nose to her hair. The smell of our standard-issue soap mixed with something about her, that something I loved. “I can’t imagine not having you here.”

 

She turned her face up to mine and kissed me, her mouth full and tender, her tears giving way before my lightest touch. She belonged here, in my arms, and I in hers. I would give anything for her to know it too. I think she did.

 

I’ve never been so happy in my life.

 

 

 

Vierce may feel he’s lacking in the sophisticated polish department but I can’t imagine Elara would make that a disqualifier. The matching set of ethics and ideals is more important.

 

So he’s got ethics to offer, and his own prodigious loyalty, and also the tremendous but easily taken for granted boon of a welcoming, supportive family and community. Plus Kirsk, who is welcoming and supportive when it occurs to him to be.

 

I often find myself forgetting that Dorne probably doesn’t have a lot of friends, definitely has a nonexistent home life, and generally isn’t portrayed as having a replacement for her life in the Empire outside her work. So stuff like this is probably very rare for her.

 

And finally, whoops, I didn’t mean to have both a Glend and a Gend in my writing…my brain is a poor random-name generator. I’ve already published both names in earlier stories, so context will have to do: one is a human townsperson in the Vierce!verse and the other is a Mirialan Jedi in the Ruth!verse.

 

 

Edited May 22, 2013 by bright_ephemera

[Magdalane]

Prompt: Cross My Heart

Miriah and Magdalane

No spoilers, set in the timeline right after Magdalane gave Corso some love advice

 

 

Magdalane stumbled into the kitchen of her family home on Tython, looking warily around for the teapot. She was only home for a few days before she’d get her next diplomatic assignment. Ahh, she thought, there it is. She filled the pot and put the water on to heat, then sat to wait. She was in a quiet meditation when her youngest sister burst into the room, anger on her face.

 

“What in the kriffing void gave you the right to give my crew mate ideas on how to ‘court’ me?” Miriah almost shouted. Corso wouldn’t admit it, but she’d sent the Mantellian to pick her sister up, and when he’d returned, he was smoother, much more in tune with what she was thinking, than he’d ever been before. Mags had to be the answer, Miriah thought.

 

“So what if I did? Not that I’m confessing, of course. But so what? The man is deeply in love with you, Mir. He’s a good man, a genuine soul.” Magdalane calmly went about fixing her cup of tea, smiling to herself. She’d known Miriah would figure it out eventually, but hadn’t expected this level of reaction. She turned to her sister and shrugged. “He’s yours, Miriah, whether you realize it or not. And, by the level of fear I detect in you, you are just as in love with him but won’t admit it.”

 

“Leave the woo-woo force stuff at the door, Mags. I make those decisions, not you, not Corso Riggs!”

 

“So you’re denying you have feelings for a good man, for a change? You’re trying to make me think you don’t love him as much as he loves you? Do you?”

 

Miriah was caught by a memory then, of their time on Taris, and a night being locked in a room together, ostensibly to keep out the rakghouls. “Your last first time should be memorable”, he’d told her. And while that hadn’t happened yet, she could sense it was close, and she felt her insides heat at the thought.

 

“No, Mags, just…no” Miriah said, but she’d had to turn her head to keep Mags from seeing her blush, or detecting with the force just how much desire was coursing through her at the thought of Corso’s touch, his words. I miss him, she realized, and her blush spread.

 

Liar, Mags thought, smiling into her tea cup.

 

 

[Lesaberisa]

@ Bright. Needs a warning on that since I was smiling and melting into a puddle of goo in my cubicle, which is problematic if someone walks by. I'd also agree with your analysis re: Elara,

 

 

She may be a "Lawful Good" character but it's the "good" that matters more to her, I think. Someone like Vierce who's 'morally strong', values her for who she is and what she stands for while also being an overall good person (once he stops seeing her as an Imperial!) is exactly who she'd be attracted to I think (a good person being much more important than a 'proper' one). I think her proper/by the book side is a bit exaggerated because of (1) the abuses she saw in the Empire and (2) the need to protect herself from suspicion after defecting.

 

 

Character: Veresia (inquisitor)

Prompt: Changes/New Paths

Note: Minor SI spoilers

 

 

Korriban was a very different world than the others she had been sent to after Ithaca. Even as a captive, and then a slave, she could see how each of the worlds along her way were home to someone or something in the same way Ithaca had been her home too. Korriban was no one’s home, though. Korriban was a lair, a pit, a morass, the belly of the beast. On other worlds, monsters were only in stories that were told to scare children. On Korriban, the monster spoke Basic and called themselves Sith.

 

She remembered the stories her father had told her about the Sith, after mother was safely out of earshot and out of mind. Her father had lived his life for principles that were the antithesis of what the Sith stood for, but Veresia knew she didn’t have that luxury. To survive, to endure, she could not play the martyr. No, that will be Kory, the little girl inside her thought sadly. The path to the dark side was a treacherous one, especially dangerous to those who thought they could avoid the final plunge, but walk It she would. It would be dangerous at best, but she would never avenge her family, her friends and her home unless she was willing to risk herself.

 

It was no shame to admit that she was not strong enough to get the revenge she desired, or defend herself against the everyday evils of life in the Empire. She would need the Academy’s teaching just as much as she needed to fear it. The Jedi would never have accepted her even if they had a choice, she could only hope that the Sith would not recognize her for what she was. What she had been.

 

Veresia closed her eyes.

 

Faces and memories flashed before her. Her mother’s laugh after one of Ayrs’ jokes, Diomedes – serious as always – plotting his future once Ithaca joined the Republic, little Alyssia and her dreams of marrying a Prince Charming from the Core. She remembered them all as if they were still here with her, and in a way they were and always would be. In time, she would find those men again, not as a girl or even as a woman. As vengeance. For the lives they had stolen, the homes they had destroyed.

 

She dreamed about it almost every night, disturbing and wonderful all at the same time. Sometimes it was with a lightsaber, sometimes a fatal application of force lightning, sometimes a push of Force energy. Always, it was that grizzled old man with an eye patch that lay dead at her feet, his stupid laugh echoing foolishly even as he drew his last breaths. She had never learned his name or who he worked for, but she knew his face better than her own.

 

The shuttle was landing now, no time to distract herself with her fantasies any longer, and Kory would no doubt be ready to meet her and face whatever it was that lay ahead. For a moment, Veresia was frightened to her very core, not that she would be found out, but that she would fail. Even if her father had not been a Jedi, sh knew all too well the stories of the Force-users who teetered on the brink of darkness and were unable to resist. She did not want to lose herself to the same madness that had destroyed her life in the first place.

 

There is no other option. What must be done, must be done. Be strong. Stay strong. See this through. Have to take what you can from these monsters, then take from them what they took from you.

 

She buckled her utility belt across her waist. Not much use for it, really, just a standard vibrosword all the acolytes were assigned, a comm, a pair of medpacs, and other assorted survival gear that would no doubt be useful on Korriban. Her bag was empty apart from a few changes of underclothes and lighter garb to wear under the black robe that marked her as a new recruit at the academy. She hoped that the Sith would be too blind to notice that the majority of her baggage was not tangible.

 

There is only peace.

 

She had tried to use the Jedi Code to maintain her composure in moments of distress, like her father would have wanted her to, but it hadn’t worked, and still wasn’t. Relying on it in the belly of the beast seemed more suicidal than anything.

 

No, she would have to find her own equilibrium within herself, and with the people and world around her, and not rely on platitudes nad convenient wisdoms composed by beings writing from safely behind the walls of a Jedi temple.

 

The floor rocked slightly under her feet, settling quickly as the whine of the repulsors kicked in. Her stomach roiled like a summer storm back on Ithaca and her nerves were on edge. The other passangers – fellow slaves and formerly unimportant citizens of the Empire – began filing past her, heading for the airlock and ramp off the ship. Kory was last, like always. An endearing trait in a friend, a fatal one among the Sith.

 

“Hey! Veresia, are you ready? I can’t believe we’re here already, it’s a bit unnerving. I can’t believe I’m actually here.”

 

Veresia smiled uneasily, this was Korriban – not some school field trip. “I know, who knows what lies ahead, we must prepare ourselves to do what we must to succeed, to survive.” Kory wasn’t listening, never heard her warning. Not the first time, and not the last. Or, so Veresia hoped.

 

She glanced out over her friend’s shoulder and saw the other new initiates were already congregating around a tattooed man with a dangerous expression on his face. “You should proceed to the overseer, Kory, I left something in my quarters and will delayed a couple of minutes."

 

For a moment, Kory looked like she was going to protest, but then she turned with a flourish and marched towards the now nearly-complete group of acolytes. The overseer's anger was palpable, on his face and in the Force. Once Kory had reached the group, she made her way towards him, staggering for a moment when the heat and darkness of Korriban nearly overwhelmed her in a wave of unpleasantness.

 

“Slave. Slave!” The man was yelling at her now, the other acolytes turning to laugh or spear her with expressions of hatred or disdain. “Slave, why are you taking so long? Do you think yourself better than the rest, slave? Are you so special that you must make your own entrance apart from the others, slave?”

 

Veresia favored him with the imperious look of a Sith taking in a mere mortal, the same way a normal person might glance at an insect while pondering whether to squash it or not. For a moment, the man seemed flustered, then he regained his composure.

 

“No matter, slave. All of you, into the academy for your first sessions. I look forward to breaking you.” He paused, his eyes narrowing and focusing directly on her. “Especially you, slave.”

 

She walked past him. Unbent, unbowed, unbroken. I am no slave, I am Veresia Martell

 

 

Notes:

Last line is a shout out to the Martell name. She's now caught up to the game story (and Ayrs), and I'm leaning towards writing the bulkier/weighty stuff in a separate topic. We'll see!

 

 

Character; Malicineve (SW)

Prompt: First Impressions? Changing Impressions might be more accurate though

Notes/Trigger: As mentioned in my previous Malicineve short, she's kind of crazy and evil, so there's some unpleasantness to what she does. Also, minor SW spoilers.

 

 

The Twi’lek had asked me – yet again - to remove her shock collar as the shuttle landed at the Dromund Kaas spaceport. An amusing notion, and one easily quashed by a particularly lengthy application of the collar.

 

“Why do you persist in asking, slave? You belong to me, if I do not wish your collar removed, it never will be. Your life is mine.”

 

I noticed a surprising amount of defiance in her eyes, matched in her voice as well. “I’ve done what was asked for, so why not? You think I’ll run away, so I can be caught and have you flamebroil me like your master would?”

 

A fair point, I supposed, though not one that justified removing her collar. It…amused me, after all, and life was not worth living without its amusement. I ignored her and made my way towards the airlock. Darth Baras would be waiting, it would not do to start my apprenticeship on the wrong foot because I wasted time explaining myself to the likes of Vet-a Twi’lek slave.

 

We exited the ship, with her intelligently trailing behind me by a few steps to make it clear she understood her place in the galaxy. Instead of Baras, though, there was merely an older human in a pitiful uniform waiting for me. He was trembling. Excellent. I can feel his fear and turn it to my advantage.

 

“My lord.” He bowed so low he could kiss his own shoes. “Darth Baras wishes me to convey his respects and requests you meet him at his office in Kaas City. At your earliest convenience, my lord.”

 

He couldn’t meet me himself? How irritating. I thought on it for a moment, then reconsidered. No doubt his girth would have left him gasping from the effort of traveling so far, though.

 

“Very well.” The man did not leave, however, hovering like an irritating insect. “What do you want, slave?”

 

He was practically stammering now, and his fear was radiating in utterly exhilarating waves. I wondered if he had soiled himself yet. “M..my lord. I was as-asked to take you there myself. To prove my wor-worth to Darth Baras, my lord.”

 

I was already drawing my lightsaber as he was finishing his sentence. His eyes went wide as the red blade snapped into existence and he began blubbering. How delicious. “Your service is…no longer required.” I slashed downwards and his presence in the force faded away. Unfortunately, so did his most tantalizing emotions.

 

The Twi’lek was staring at me again, with that same look in her eyes she’d had after I had told her about my experiences growing up.

 

“Boy, just stepped foot on Dromund Kaas, and you’re already working on your body count. Is it some sort of competition among you Sith? If it is, I can get started on the banners and slogans. We can win this PR war.”

 

The anger I expected to feel never came. My lips opened and I betrayed myself with a loud laugh. The laughter sparked an even more bewildered look from her, probably matching the one on my own face.

 

I shut myself up and motioned for us to continue on to the speeder, not wanting to dwell on my...weakness... any further. Only, I did. She had been my possession for only a few weeks but I could feel myself growing…fond…of her, even finding her amusing at times. I shuddered. She was just a slave, an inferior alien one at that, her existence only continued at my prerogative. No matter if she was occasionally more than idle amusement, that was only natural. It didn't make her my friend.

 

I frowned at that word. Friend. An ugly word, it was. Sith did not have friends, merely enemies that would stab them from behind rather than in front.

 

Up on one of the parapets, a spaceport worker was cleaning one of the windows, dangling precariously above a rather lengthy fall. So precariously. I gave him a small, imperceptible, push with the Force. Screaming, flailing, uncomprehending, he fell from the building and plummeted towards the ground, landing on a fortuitously placed pillar.

 

Better.

 

 

Character: Amitia (JK)

Prompt: To Market, to Market

Notes: This story isn’t an author insert at all. Not at all, I swear. I'll get around to giving Amitia actual adventures at some point, too, since she's "me" (with force powers and weirder friends).

 

 

My hands were at my hips, and if my eyes had been lasers, not much of the delivery man's head would have been left intact..

 

“I didn’t want an Atmosphere Miniprobe, I wanted an authentic replica Revan mask. It’s a present for a friend, I asked specifically for it.”

 

He shook his head, irritating man that he was.

 

“That’s not how it works ma’am. If you read the fine print, it clearly reads that items may be substituted at random and that there is no guarantee that the packs you order will contain the specific item you want.”

 

I threw my hands up in despair.

 

“That’s absurd. What if all I get are more miniprobes? Or these singing jawagrams that I also received?”

 

He shrugged, turned, and left. I heard someone walk up behind me, then Doc’s voice.

 

“Hey, an Atmosphere Miniprobe, this is fantastic.”

 

I could have screamed.

 

 

Character: Ayrs(Trooper)

Prompt: I Love This Bar/Affection

 

 

It was getting late, I could tell from the minimal crowd left in the cantina, the fact Aric was lying passed out across another bench next to us, and the tingling feeling I had been getting from the ale was definitely not as strong as it was before. I was also not sure I could feel my legs any more. I’d promised Elara to watch myself but I’d needed it tonight. Needed to be brave.

 

I turned to my companion, the last of my faithful brood to remain with me.

 

“You ever feel like there’s like things you need to say but you just can’t so you don’t? Like you might say something and sometimes you almost do but then you don't end up saying anything at all? I mean like something important you need to say to someone who’s important to you and it’s important to say it to them but since it’s important you don’t want to because you’re afraid that it’s not important to them? You know what I mean?”

 

I slapped him on the back, but got no response, just a sore hand.

 

“It’s Sergeant Dorne – Elara – I think she’s great. Like, really great. You know, you’re kind of great too, but she’s like really great, at least I think so. She’s the nicest person I’ve ever met, never complains, always there when I need her, one of the best soldiers I've ever served with. And I've served with like....a lot of soldiers. Good hygiene, great grammar. Kind of like you, only like not you. I mean, no offense, you're lovely and all, but she’s the most beautiful thing in the galaxy. Makes the galaxy a better place. Should have seen it from the start, even on Taris, should have said something by now, but I was afraid. Gutless coward. I’m still afraid. So afraid.”

 

I sloshed some ale around in my mouth and stared at my mug, willing it to be full again, frustrated when it wasn’t. He didn’t say anything, so I figured that was an invitation to continue.

 

“When she looks at me, I feel like anything’s possible. Well, not anything, like I couldn’t imagine making old Garza actually fun to talk to, right?” I laughed loudly, irritating the people in the next booth but getting no reaction from either of my own compatriots. “When she smiles at me, I feel like I’m the luckiest guy in the galaxy. Stars, she makes me wish I was a better man.”

 

I was getting a little annoyed by the lack of feedback, but I kept going.

 

“I mean, I’m a nice guy right? I’m good-looking and I have all my teeth. Well, except the one I had pulled when I was fourteen, but that doesn’t count right?” Still nothing. “Good soldier, great penmanship. Not bad on the kloo. Plus, I’m funny. Like really funny. I think Elara likes funny guys right? I mean everybody likes funny guys. Except unfunny guys because they wish they were funny. But I’m funny, but I’m also afraid. Not of dying or anything, just real stuff.”

I cleared my throat, trying to regain focus.

 

“Real stuff, you know. Afraid I ain’t going to make my family proud. Afraid I’ll never be good enough for Elara. Afraid we ain’t gonna get it done for the Republic. And clowns. I mean, karking clowns. Terrifying.”

 

He started sliding towards the end of the bench, as if to get away from me. Strange, but I guess that was my cue to wrap up, which made me sad.

 

“Mostly I’m afraid of letting her down. I blew it with Rissa, blew it with Ariel. Always letting people down. Wasn’t there for Pop, wasn’t there for Mom. Wasn’t there for Dio or Ver or Ally. Wasn't there for Ariel or Cimon or Thane or anyone else back home. Wasn't there for Rissa when she needed me, needed us. Never there when I'm needed, don’t want to let anyone down any more, but especially not her. Not her.”

 

I sighed and slowly slid down and off the bench. The world was spinning like crazy, which I didn’t understand since Alderaan didn’t have groundquakes. Then, I carefully angled for the exit, motioning at the bartender to let him know the tab would be covered, and to make sure Aric got taken care of too.

 

I turned back to the table. “Good talk. Good talk. Glad we had it.” I gave him a thumbs up.

 

C2-N2 stared back, silent as always.

 

 

Notes/Chronology: (Minor trooper spoilers)

 

This, uh, “conversation” happens literally right before the end of Act 1. Then the act ends, Tavus is taken care of/XO named, etc, the previous Affection story (on this page) happens, and Act 2 gets underway.

 

Edited May 22, 2013 by Lesaberisa

[irishfino]

Replies!

 

Oh, Irish, ow

Right in the feels.

 

This, so much.

Kapow!

 

@irishfino, Geltie's litany of the steps to take to stay safe is heartbreaking. Because in the end, none of it really keeps you safe.

It highlights the futility of being involved with a Force sensitive when there are politics and rivalries afoot. No matter what, you're in danger. At home? In danger. In the refresher? In danger. With your lover? Super danger.

 

All the danger.

 

Irish, It must have been difficult for Gelt, trying to keep someone safe who does everything they shouldn’t do. And the story with Ucles just crushed me. It was wonderfully written and so grounded in a kind of pain and loss that’s tangible in any universe. *wanders off to find the tissues*

It was very difficult for him. He had hoped everything wouldn't be doom and gloom. Then he was reminded of the frailty of his position as a Darth and any relationship he enters into. Another Sith? Ambitions and murder attempts. A Force-blind? Pawn. Bad stuff to be Sith.

 

Ucles has had a very difficult time of it. When life gives you lemons, become a Bounty Hunter and shoot people in the face.

 

Thanks for reading everyone!

 

 

 

Story Time!

 

NotLP: Health, Life and Death

Characters: Geltie, Ucles, and Talos

 

Blind

 

 

She was dead. He knew that much. If it hadn’t been for the smell of ozone in the air, the smell of burned flesh would have tipped him off. And the way she screamed. Now it was silent outside of a slight sizzling to his left. He felt sick. He wished he knew where he was. He couldn’t recall how he had gotten to this place, how she had tied him up and kept him drugged until she was ready to dole out her punishment.

 

No one would find him here. He’d starve to death before he could work his way out of the bonds. His only defense, his lightning, was once again lost to him. He felt numb and sick at the same time. It was a weird mixture of needing to vomit, but being unable to.

 

He wished he could see. He needed to gather clues as to his location and try something, anything to get to a terminal of some sort to signal for help. For a time, he was convinced he was blindfolded. When he realized his eyelashes hit air and not cloth the pit in his stomach deepened.

 

Then he picked up the slight rise and fall of footsteps.

 

“Oh, dear,” said Talos.

 

Relief flooded through him. He didn’t care what brought Talos here or who, only that he was here. Only that his medic was here and he was safe. He could have cried.

 

***

 

“What’s the kid’s prognosis?” asked a voice. Male. No accent. Possibly Ucles, though he never seemed medically inclined.

 

“He’s been touch and go for the last day,” replied another voice. Male, Imperial dialect. It was likely to be Talos, his personal medic. “He had a large and varied amount of poison and sedative in his system. He has a few superficial cuts to his skin and a few deeper ones located primarily in his torso. There’s a particularly nasty one near his heart and it’s all I can do to ensure it isn’t worse than it looks. I’ve hesitated to call for a medical team because of his position, but it may no longer be an option.”

 

“Why’s that?”

 

“I can’t keep him going on my own.”

 

“All you had to do was ask, Talos. Mako’s damn near a doctor and I’ve got more experience than you’d think. Between the three of us, kid’ll live.”

 

“I can’t approve treatment from two non-certified –”

 

“It’s fine, Talos,” Gelt said. He was surprised at the amount of energy it took to say those three words.

 

“My Lord, you’re awake!” Talos squeaked happily.

 

“Not for long.”

 

“Oh, oh right. Right. Ucles and Mako want to help. Is that – is that alright?”

 

“Yes…”

 

He didn’t hear anything that made sense after that. Everything was distorted and stretched thin. He felt himself floating. He remembered drinking the poison Ergast offered him. He remembered the taste of bile and sewage. He remembered leaving his body for the strangest experience he had had up to that very moment.

 

He remembered the power then remembered nothing.

 

 

 

Notes:

 

 

There's more to the Geltie/Ucles connection that I haven't written yet. Can you guess what it is?

 

Probably.

 

Thanks for reading. ^_^

 

[irishfino]

NotLP: Life and Death

Character: Ucles

 

Nothing Else

 

 

Wish I could’ve been there. I would’ve given that b*tch what for. Would’ve left her alive long enough to find out what the hell she did, what the hell she used on him. Made her death slow.

 

At least she’s dead.

 

Kid might die, though. He’s not even trying. It’s like he’s given up. Mako thinks I only care because of the paycheck. Is that who she thinks I am?

 

Of course it is, she doesn’t know.

 

I can’t tell her. She’ll have a fit. Leave, I bet. She’s a good kid. He’s a good kid. They’re both good kids. We’ve got a good thing going here. I don’t want to ruin it.

 

No matter how much it hurts.

 

Still, I think she suspects something. She’s not very careful about covering up her tracks. Either that or I’m just damn good at finding them. She’s been in my things, too. Analyzing the steps I’ve gone through to get the stuff the kid wants.

 

I’ve asked her not to pry. Told her it’s none of her damn business and to leave it be.

 

She can’t.

 

If she’s not careful, my past will catch up to her. And it ain’t pretty.

 

Don’t matter much now. Gotta focus on the kid. If he goes everything was for nothing. Can’t live with that.

 

I study my face in the mirror one last time before heading back to the kid’s bedside. I’m old. I’m old as f**k. Life’s beaten the sh*t out of me. But the kid.

 

Kid’s got a chance. Kid’s got a life. Kid’s got power. Kid’s gotta live.

 

Ain’t nothin’ else at this point.

 

Kid’s gotta live.

 

I repeat that in my head as I take the chair next to his bed. His breaths are shallow, his skin is pale and clammy. I’m watching this kid die.

 

I feel something burning in the pit of my stomach.

 

Kid’s gotta live.

 

Ain’t nothin’ else at this point.

 

 

[Tatile]

Lesaberisa - A lot of unanswered questions in the first Ayrs fic, but to be honest, addressing those would have taken away from the rawness of it. - Veresia seems to understand what it is to hide among the Sith and how easy it is to succumb - I'd like to see more of her as she moves through the class story, it should prove interesting. Now, Malicineve, is an interesting response to Veresia - he comes across as someone who wants to be the all-encompassing, passionate and blood-thirsty Sith, but might actually fail at that being the totality of his life.

 

Bright - Love the bit about Basic, reminds a lot of English (you know of ghoti, right?). Also, I could kind of feel the awkwardness of Glend asking Elara about her past and, d'aww, her feeling welcomed.

 

Yoshi - Aaran is a surprisingly emotional seeming Jedi - is that due to his upbringing, presumably away from the masters of Tython?

 

Magdalane - Jedi make an awful habit out of meddling, rightly or wrongly. But at least with Jedi, they can tell more of someone's motivations...

 

More replies in a bit.

 

 

Alternative Perspectives

Lord Sylvia Vizloch

Rochester

 

 

 

"Why can't you just let me be happy, for one? In my entire, miserable life, can't I just have one, bright thing?"

 

"I do want you to be happy! All I've ever done is protect you and wish by the Force and Emperor that you be happy! I just don't want to see you hurt... again."

 

"He won't hurt me."

 

"He will. He is Sith."

 

"It'd be worth it, he's not like other Sith. He's not like you."

 

"It will never be worth the pain."

 

"You don't know that."

 

"I do. Trust me, I know pain and heartache. You're just a child."

 

"A child? I'm nearly thirty years old!"

 

"But you will never stop being my son!"

 

"You can't stop me, not from this. You can't keep me from him."

 

"I would never, you know that. I value your happiness above all else, but if he hurts you..."

 

"I know, and he won't. He'd never hurt me."

 

Sylvia sat down. She would need to meditate, to find an outlet for the emotions currently broiling inside her. Rochester left the room in silence. He was angry, but there was nothing she could do.

 

There is only passion.

 

They would burn up or fade away...

 

 

 

Because sometimes I want to experiment with my style, and by that I mean "I wrote the dialogue first and then couldn't come up with any action in between that wouldn't feel obtrusive or forced". Probably doesn't work, though.

Edited May 22, 2013 by Tatile

[YoshiRaphElan]

Yoshi - Aaran is a surprisingly emotional seeming Jedi - is that due to his upbringing, presumably away from the masters of Tython?

 

Well, yes. That, and the fact that his parents aren't all that good at the whole emotionless monk thing, anyway.

[alaurin]

Title: The Lauren Legacy

Characters: Mallayse-trooper and Bella-smuggler

Setting: Telos, XS Freighter, These events occur approximately 8 years before Bella and Mallay begin their class stories.

Spoilers: A minor reference to a mission on Hutta, but no others that I can think of

 

This 5 part series tells of an event that shaped Mallay and Bella into the people they are today. I split it into 5 parts, each with a different prompt, hopefully making it easier to read. There are some parts with violence and gore and I will put warnings on those. I hope you enjoy it.

 

Part 1: My First

 

 

 

It was quiet on the Rydel family farm. A small figure was approaching the house under the cover of darkness. Sixteen year old Belladonya was sneaking in in the middle of the night, having been out with Jackson, a smuggler she was sure she was in love with. Jackson was new to the area, but his good looks and exciting, adventurous tales quickly got Bella’s attention. Bella was a little surprised when he started paying attention to her. She was a beautiful girl, but Jackson was a bit older than she was and a lot more experienced. They were soon spending a lot of time together, or at least as much as they could without her parents knowing. Bella knew her parents wouldn’t like Jackson because of his profession and the fact that he was much older than her. Most of their time was spent on his freighter, in cantinas, or just walking in the beautiful parks. Bella was climbing into the window of her room when she heard a harsh whisper, “It’s about time you got home!” It was from her sister, Mallayse, who shared the bedroom with her. Bella heard a click and one of their lamps came on.

 

“Relax, Mallay, what is the big deal?” Bella asked quietly.

 

“The big deal is that one of these days, Mom and Dad are going to catch you sneaking out and I am going to get into trouble along with you.” Mallay replied, trying to keep her voice quiet despite her annoyance at her sister. She hated getting into trouble! “Dad had to go out on patrols tonight and you are lucky that he was in such a hurry that he didn’t come to check in on us.”

 

“Oh Mallay, it would be worth getting caught. I am soooo in love with Jackson!” Bella told her sister with a dramatic sigh. “I think he may be the one!”

 

Mallay rolled her deep blue eyes at this. Bella was known to be a little ‘boy crazy’ as their Mother liked to put it. “Didn’t you say that about Tegan Wynn last summer? At least Mom and Dad would have approved of him.”

 

“Yeah, well, Tegan was different…Jackson is so much more mature than the boys our age. Besides, I never wanted to give up my virginity to Tegan, “Bella started, “However, with Jackson….”

 

Mallay choaked, “You didn’t?!!”

 

“I did,” Bella laughed.

 

Mallay forgot her annoyance and replaced it with both curiosity and worry. “What was it like? I don’t think I will ever want a boy that much.”

 

“Well, he is a man, not a boy, and that makes a huge difference. It hurt the first time, but it was fun after that. He was very thorough!” Bella laughed, “Someday, sister dear, you will want to give it up to a man too. Then you will know exactly what I am talking about.”

 

Mallay wasn’t so sure about that. She was starting to notice boys, and have thoughts of kissing and boyfriends. However, she was extremely shy around boys and very self-conscious about her body. Unlike her, beautiful, well developed sister, Mallay was very thin and had only recently started to develop a more womanly figure. Unfortunately, like the rest of her frame, her breasts were shaping up to be small too. Bella and Mallay shared the same height, same deep auburn hair and light skin tone as their father, but that was it. Bella was slender, but had voluptuous curves. Mallay wished she would develop like that, but it didn’t look like that would happen.

 

“I don’t know Bella, I don’t think I am going to be the type that boys are going to fall over to be with.”

 

“Nonsense Mallay, you are cute, a little thin perhaps, but you are starting to develop. You just need to learn to dress a little better. Make use of what you got!” Bella assured her, amusement showing in her dark green eyes, “Besides, tomorrow is your fifteenth birthday, maybe you can wish for bigger breasts!” Bella laughed as she was hit with a pillow.

 

“Goodnight Mallay, love you!” Bella whispered, yawning.

 

“Love you too, sis, ‘night,” Mallay whispered back, turning off the light.

 

 

 

Part 2: Celebrations

 

 

 

The next morning, Bella and Mallay ran down the stairs to see their mother and sisters waiting. There was a cake and presents on the counter. Breakfast was on the table and the nine year old twins, Allissya and Roslynd were already eating. Four year old Kitannya was clapping at Mallay. Kit loved birthdays and any kind of celebration.

 

“I am a little surprised that you slept so late on your birthday, Mallay,” their Mother said, amused. She sobered a little, “I am sorry, but it looks like your father is going to be late getting home. We can have breakfast and wait for him. As soon as he gets home, we will do cake and presents, then I am sure he is going to need to go to bed. We can have a picnic the park this afternoon while he sleeps.”

 

Shortly after breakfast and many shouts of “happy birthday” to Mallay, it was time for Kit’s nap and Mom took her to her room to sleep. Lissa and Ros were watching kids shows on the HoloNet , singing and dancing during the songs. They were going to be beautiful girls. They weren’t identical, but close. They had white-blonde hair and golden skin like their mother, and the most striking silver eyes. Ros was a little bigger than Lissa. She was going to have a similar build to Bella and their mother whereas Lissa was going to be built more like Mallay. Mallay and Bella were chatting about boys, clothes, especially things Mallay could wear to enhance her tiny figure when Bella got a com call from Jackson. He was ready for her to meet him and bring him to meet her family. They had discussed bringing him to meet her family last night, but Bella was a little surprised he wanted to already. Mallay had met him already, during one of their walks in the park. Bella asked her Mom if that was ok and she gave permission, distracted. Bella hurried off, anxious for her family to meet the love of her life.

 

Sidra was starting to get really worried because Jonah still wasn’t home from patrols yet, but tried to keep it from the girls. They had a small farm, but Jonah also volunteered with the local law enforcement. There had been a few issues lately with pirates and the wildlife so the local law enforcement asked for volunteers to patrol during the night. Jonah volunteered, his military background a big asset. So far, there hadn’t been very much trouble. The wildlife was starting to move on and the pirates were inexperienced and easy to take care of. Still, it wasn’t like Jonah to be late, especially when it involved any kind of event related to the kids, Sidra thought as she looked out the window. He probably got wrapped up in talking about his old military days and will probably get here soon.

 

 

 

Part 3: Worst Day Ever **Warning: violence, mild gore, and intended rape**

 

 

 

Bella had been gone a short time and Sidra was watching for Jonah, and Bella now, her deep blue eyes shining with worry. She wasn’t too happy with this guy Bella was seeing and she was well aware that Bella had been sneaking out to meet him. She had hoped Jonah would get here so they could have a talk with Bella and this Jackson guy together. He was much too old for her and Sidra didn’t think Bella was ready for a serious relationship. She had married Jonah young and he was older than her nineteen years at the time, but Sidra was always more serious minded, much like Mallay, and Jonah was a good, hardworking man. He didn’t hesitate to retire from the military when they found out they were pregnant with Bella and they moved to his small farm here. They were happy for the most part, and loved their children. Sidra was sad that they didn’t have a son, but Jonah always reassured her that he was happy to be surrounded by so many beautiful girls. She patted her still flat stomach, maybe this time we will have a boy. They had yet to tell the girls about the pregnancy, having just found out themselves.

 

Lissa and Ros were still singing and dancing to their cartoons and Mallay was coming back downstairs from checking in on Kit when they heard shots fired outside. Sidra grabbed a small pistol from the drawer went to investigate, telling Mallay to watch over her sisters. Mallay, Lissa, and Ros went to the window in time to see their mother running toward two soldiers, her gun tucked in her belt behind her back. As the soldiers got closer, Mallay noticed two things, they were dragging someone with them and they were Imperial! A noise in the back of the house startled her and she knocked over the glass vase on the stand next to the window.

 

Sidra ran to the soldiers, also quickly noticing their uniforms. She saw that they had killed one of the farmhands and were dragging someone with them. As she got closer to them, she saw that they had Jonah!

 

“Now maybe you will start talking,” one of the soldiers said to Jonah, who was barely able to stand. “Otherwise, your family will pay the price.”

 

“Don’t know what…talking about,” Jonah grunted and was rewarded with a rifle stock to the ribs.

 

“Dad!” Bella screamed, having just arrived with Jackson. “What is happening here? Mom?” Bella looked at her parents, Dad looked like he had been tortured and Mom was definitely scared. Then the soldiers nodded in her direction and Bella felt a blaster touch her temple.

 

“Now, Agent Rydel, maybe you will start knowing what we are talking about. If you still don’t know, then you can watch your cute little girl here die!” Jackson sneered. Only it wasn’t Jackson’s voice as she knew it. It was Jackson’s voice with a heavy Imperial accent.

 

“Jackson?” Bella cried, “Why?” She could feel the tears starting as the shock and horror of that was happening hit her.

 

“Let me guess, you had fantasies of happily ever after. Well, sorry to disappoint, but that isn’t going to happen. I needed information about your family and to know your father’s routines. Thanks to you, I got what I needed,” he sneered at her, turning her to face him. “Sleeping with you was a bonus for me. After all, you are beautiful and as it turns out, very passionate. I was hoping to have you again, but plans got stepped up.”

 

Rage welled up in Bella and she could hear her mother crying softly. How could he use her like that?! She was crying openly now, angry at Jackson for duping her so badly, angry at herself for falling for him, scared of what would happen to all of them, and ashamed that it was all her fault.

 

“Awww, don’t cry sweetheart,” Jackson laughed, “It was nothing personal, just my job.”

 

Bella glared at him through her tears, noticing that he had relaxed his grip on the blaster. Rage boiled over in her and before any of them realized what was happening, she grabbed the vibroknife from his belt and stabbed him deep in the gut, spilling blood everywhere.

 

Things happened very fast after that. The soldiers let go of Jonah and brought their rifles up, Sidra grabbed her pistol and started firing at the soldiers. Jonah made a grab for one of the soldiers' weapons and was shot in the process. Bella grabbed the pistol Jackson dropped after she stabbed him and started shooting at the soldiers with her mother. In just moments, the soldiers were dead. Sidra rushed over to Jonah, Bella walked over to Jackson. She looked down at him as he lay there, blood pouring out of his stomach. She had never hated anyone as much as she hated him at that moment. He was going to die, but Bella wanted to watch it happen. He was shaking as Bella pointed the blaster at his face.

 

“Hey, it’s nothing personal,” Bella sneered as she charged up the blaster, “I just want to make sure you are dead.” With that, she shot him, point blank, in the face. She heard her mother sobbing and rushed over to where her father had fallen. Her mother was holding her father’s hand. Jonah looked at his wife and oldest daughter and whispered, “I love you all so much and I am so very sorry to have brought this on us. Bella, this isn’t your fault, always remember that. The blame is mine and mine alone.” He closed his eyes and took his last breath.

Sidra sobbed, holding her husband. Bella knelt by her father and cried, telling him how sorry she was. She called out for her sisters who were still in the house.

 

Mallay turned at the noise coming from the back of the house. She looked around for a weapon. She heard shouts outside, but was afraid to turn her back to whomever was inside the house. Two Imperial soldiers appeared in the doorway from the kitchen. Mallay positioned herself in front of Lissa and Ros as best she could with her small frame. The soldiers approached the girls carefully.

 

“No need to be scared little girls, we won’t hurt you,” one of the soldiers said, calmly.

 

Mallay was small for her age, so the soldiers probably thought she was only a year or 2 older than the twins. That was her advantage, they thought they were dealing with three scared children. They were scared, but Mallay had always been intelligent and quick to think on her feet. Also, despite her small size, Mallay was very athletic. Her father always told her that she might make a good soldier someday. Think Mallay, you need to keep your sisters safe, what can you do to make that happen. She felt Ros press a small object into her hand….it was a shard from the broken vase. Something clicked inside of her, she had a weapon. She assessed their surroundings, careful not to let her face show anything other than a scared child. Ok Mallay, use the shard, distract them, take one out if you can. That should be enough for Ros and Lissa to get outside. That will just leave you…and Kit! You have to take them both out, save Kit. Unfortunately, Kit was still in her room upstairs. Mallay hoped the soldiers didn’t know about her yet. She needed more than a quick distraction, she needed them out of commission long enough to get upstairs and get Kit. Weaknesses, what are their weaknesses? Both soldiers had their weapons holstered, they were wearing armor, but no helms, a weakness for her glass shard. If she was fast enough, she might be able to take one out before they can draw their weapons.

 

One of the solders crouched down, trying to appear soothing. “Why don’t you come with us so no one gets hurt,” he said soothingly. Right, Mallay thought, he isn’t fooling me, I heard the shouts and shots outside. Mallay could feel the adrenaline pumping through her. It’s now or never!

 

Mallay approached the crouching soldier, gripping the shard in her hand, hiding it as best as she could.

 

“That’s a good little girl,” he sneered, reaching out, “What do you have there?”

 

As he reached out for her, she ripped the shard across his throat and grabbed for his blaster. His partner was fast though, he grabbed Mallay before she could get the weapon.

 

“Oh, that was a bad little girl….maybe not such a little girl after all,” he laughed as he felt her developing chest. “You might be a little fun for us later! Maybe I will take a turn now and your little sisters can watch. I don’t mind younger girls at all.”

 

Mallay struggled as he started ripping at her shirt. All of the sudden he was thrown to the wall by an invisible force. As he started to get up, a tiny figurine was thrown at his head by the force. Mallay looked over at the twins, who were both crying.

 

“I know we are not supposed to do that, but he was hurting you,” Ros cried and Lissa nodded, tears in her big silver eyes.

 

“It’s ok,” Mallay reassured them, “They are bad men, you can use the force on them. You did a good thing.” Mallay assessed the room. Luckily, no shots were fired so hopefully they didn’t draw any attention. The soldier the twins had dealt with was unconscious, the other was lying in a pool of blood, dead. Mallay could hear Bella hollering for them and grabbed the rifle the solder dropped when he was thrown.

 

“You guys go to Bella, she wouldn’t holler for us if it wasn’t safe,” Mallay told the twins. “I will go upstairs and get Kit.”

 

Mallay went to Kit’s room to find her hiding under her bed, crying. “It’s ok sweetie,” Mallay soothed, “We will be ok, but have to get out of here right now.”

 

Mallay took Kit’s hand and led her baby sister through the house. They were heading to the front door when she heard the unconscious soldier coming to. She pointed the rifle at him. He looked at her, laughed, and said “Boom!” It was then Mallay noticed the remote in his hand. She picked Kit up and ran as hard as she could out the door. She only got a few feet when the house exploded. It knocked her down and she shielded Kit as best she could while she felt her back and left side of her face burning and shrapnel cutting into her. Another explosion and pain cut into the side of her face as a large piece of shrapnel stabbed near her eye. I am going to die! was the last thing she thought as blackness came.

 

 

 

Part 4: Family **warning, mild gore**

 

 

 

Mallay came to moments later. She felt blood running down the side of her face and couldn’t see out of her left eye. She felt Kit wiggling under her and tried to get up. She screamed as pain ripped through her with every movement. She felt Kit crawl out from her and then she vomited, nearly blacking out again. The next thing she knew, Bella and her mother were helping her up, crying. They were moving her away from the burning house over to where the twins sat with Kit, the three of them huddled together crying.

 

“Is Kit ok?” she whispered, hoarsely.

 

“Yes, she is fine thanks to you,” her mother told her gently as she helped her sit down. “You saved her life. She a few cuts, but minor.”

 

Mallay looked at Bella, “How bad is it?” she asked, knowing her sister wouldn’t keep anything from her. She needed to keep talking or she was going to black out again.

 

“Oh, Mallay, it is bad.” Bella admitted, tears in her eyes. “You have burns and shrapnel. Stay strong, we will get you help. You are going to be ok, I promise you.”

 

“I thought I heard Dad,” Mallay started

 

“They killed him,” Bella interrupted, “He died holding Mom’s hand. He said he was sorry and that he loved us very much,” she told her sister thickly.

 

“And Jackson?”

 

“I think he was an Imperial Agent, now he is dead,” Bella said flatly. She looked over at her sister and admitted, “He used me, I fell in love with him and he was just using me all along!”

 

“Not your fault, Bella. How could you possibly have known?” Mallay whispered, gasping as a fresh wave of pain hit her.

 

“Girls, we need to get out of here before more soldiers show up. I am assuming that plan A was to get the info your father had, but if that wasn’t possible, plan B was to destroy it and all of us,” Sidra told her children. “Bella, you come with me, the rest of you girls stay here, I need to grab some things from the tool shed.”

 

Sidra and Bella came back on speeders with a large travel case and a datapad. “This is what they were looking for. We don’t have time for me to fill you in, but your father was prepared for this at least and made sure I was as well. All we need to do now is to secure transport off planet. That will be the hard part, especially with Mallay so wounded."

 

“Mom, I have an idea,” Bella said. Bella told them that she had piloted Jackson’s ship a little and that since he was dead, it was theirs for the taking. It was at a launch pad not far from here. They wouldn’t need to be seen by very many people, just the crew taking care of Jackson’s freighter. It was their best way off planet.

 

“That is a good idea, Bella. I may not have liked you seeing that scum, but at least you learned to fly. That knowledge is going to save us,” Sidra admitted, hugging her daughter. “Bella, give your cloak to Mallay, we need to cover her up.” She turned to Mallay, tears filling her eyes as she took in the damage done to her. “We can just say that we are keeping you blinded because it is a birthday surprise. Will you be able to walk when we get to the launch pad if you have help?” Mallay nodded.

 

Sidra and Bella helped Mallay put the cloak on and get into one of the the speeders. Sidra climbed into the speeder with Mallay and Bella tucked Kit between them. She climbed in the other speeder with the twins and they set off for the launch pad.

 

When they arrived, there were very few people around. A stroke of luck, Sidra thought, Maybe we can make it to the ship without being stopped. They got out of their speeders and walked toward the ship, Sidra holding Kit, and Lissa’s hand, Bella and Ros supporting Mallay whose face was hidden under the hood of Bella’s cloak.

They made it to the ramp and were getting ready to board when an attendant stopped them. Bella smiled radiantly at him and explained that they were taking Mallay flying for her birthday and that Jackson should be along shortly. She slipped him a cred stick and asked if he could have the area ready for launch, they would like to take off as soon as Jackson arrived. The attendant, enthralled by Bella’s smile, pocked the cred stick and promised that they would be ready for launch momentarily.

 

They boarded the ship and Bella made for the cockpit. The C2 unit begged them not to damage anything saying that the master would punish him horribly. Bella told him that Jackson was dead and she was the new master for now. She assured the droid that she wasn’t going to punish him and asked for assistance in getting the ship ready for launch. Ros and Sidra took Mallay to the med bay and got her laying on her stomach on the bed. By then, the pain was so intense that she vomited again and cried. They would get her into the kolto tank as soon as they were in hyperspace. Bella came in and told them it was time to take off and she and Sidra headed into the cockpit while Lissa, Ros, and Kit went to the rec area. Bella managed with help from the droid and Sidra to get them launched, and off the planet without being stopped.

 

“Set course for Coruscant,” Sidra told her daughter. “That is where Jonah told me to take his things if something happened. When we arrive, we have to contact an Agent James O’Ryan.”

 

“I hope you plan to tell us what is going on at some point,” Bella snapped at her mother. “I know that I am to blame for letting Jackson into our lives, but he targeted me for a reason.”

 

“I promise, I will tell you the whole story, you and Mallay. I don’t think the twins and Kit need to know everything until they are older,” Sidra sighed. “For now, we need to focus on getting to Coruscant and getting Mallay medical attention.”

 

“I am sorry Mom, I didn’t mean to be angry, we are all in shock and worried about Mallay.” Bella set course and as soon as they were in hyperspace, Bella set some cartoons on the HoloNet for the kids in the rec room and her and her mother went to the med bay to see what they could do for Mallay.

 

Mallay’s condition was bad. She had finally succumbed to the pain and was unconscious. Sidra had a little medical training, but since she left school when she married Jonah, it wasn’t much. Thankfully, there was a kolto tank, Mallay was going to need it. Sidra instructed the C2 unit to start getting the tank ready.

 

“You need to see if you can find something to keep her sedated,” Sidra told Bella. “Removing her clothing alone is going to be painful for her, not to mention tending to her.”

 

The left side of Mallay’s back and face were burned badly and there was shrapnel embedded in as well. The worst was a large piece next to her left eye. Sidra was afraid to remove it, choosing to leave it in until they could get her to a real medic. The C2 unit got tank ready then Sidra had told him to keep an eye on the kids while she and Bella tended to Mallay. They cut away her clothes, leaving only her underwear on since the burns stopped just above her waist. They dug out the shrapnel carefully, leaving only the one by her eye. It had taken them 2 hours, but she was finally ready for the tank. They fitted the breathing mask over her eyes, nose and mouth, taking care not to bump the shrapnel. Bella fitted an earpiece on her right ear in case Mallay woke up, they would be able to talk to her. Sidra kissed her daughter and she and Bella lowered her into the tank. Stars, I hope we have done enough,I don’t know what else to do for her.

 

While in hyperspace to Coruscant, Sidra talked to Bella while they sat in the med bay watching over Mallay. She only recently found out that Jonah was former SIS. She knew he had been military, he was active when they met. She was only 19 at the time, but fell hard for him while he was on her home planet, Dantooine. After only a few months, he proposed and they married. She became pregnant with Bella soon after and Jonah retired from the military and they moved to Telos. A few months ago, he went to Nar Shaddaa. He was supposedly going to a memorial service for a squad mate. Instead, he had been called on for an assignment for the SIS. It involved a contact he had worked with years ago that refused to work with anyone else. She didn’t know any details of the mission since it was classified. Things went a little wrong and the contact was killed. Jonah got some sort of information, but was unable to take it to SIS, so he kept up his pretense that he was going to a service and returned home, with the information. He made contact with the SIS and hid everything in a hidden, underground compartment of the tool shed. He decided it was time to confide in her at that point in case something happened to him. She also decided to tell Bella that she found out a few days ago that she was pregnant.

 

After their talk, Bella and the twins took a tour of the ship. Sidra stayed in the med bay, watching over Mallay, and Kit was asleep on the bed in the Captain’s room. Bella had instructed the C2 unit to work on cleaning up the ship, starting with the sleeping areas. Apparently, Jackson wasn’t a very clean person….one of the many things that love had blinded her to, she had thought. To their surprise, they found cargo in the hold. Bella hadn’t expected to find any real cargo, since the smuggler persona was just a cover. She opened a crate and saw that it was spice and from what she read on the manifest, it was set to go to the Empire to be used to manufacture painkillers. Bella figured the Republic might be interested in it for the same purpose. They had some money, their father having stashed some in a secret account, but more wouldn’t hurt, especially since Mallay was going to need serious medical attention.

 

 

 

Part 5: Legacy **warning, mild gore**

 

 

 

By the time they reached Coruscant, Mallay’s vitals were bad. She was barely alive and wouldn’t be for much longer without medical attention. Worse, they were out of sedation meds, so she was in and out of consciousness for the last hour of the trip. They tried to reassure her as best they could, but she was in so much pain. Sidra contacted Agent O’Ryan and he promised to meet her at the spaceport. After hearing about Mallay’s injuries, he promised to bring a medic with him. She went back in to sit with Mallay, her small frame shaking in pain inside the tank. Sidra sang to her, calming lullabies she sang to them when they were little and something had scared them.

 

Alarms began sounding off as Agent O’Ryan and medic arrived. The medic introduced himself as Sargent Yung and rushed over to the kolto tank.

 

“She is dying, we need to get her out of the tank and change the kolto,” he told Sidra when he finished looking Mallay over. “I am going to call a couple of friends to come and help.” The medic made a call on his holo and got to work getting Mallay out of the tank, O’Ryan helping him.

 

“She has infection, a dangerous fever, and the shrapnel next to her eye needs to come out immediately,” Yung informed Sidra. He reached into his bag, took out an injector, and sedated her. He then ran scans and looked over her back where the burns were. He found a few more pieces of shrapnel that needed to come out and took care of them. When he finished up with her back, he put gel and a pad over it. With O'Ryan's help, they turned her over so he could work on her face. Just then, Mirialan and a Twi’lek showed up with a large case.

 

“I am Sargent Velo and this is Master Ny’laan,” the Mirialan told Sidra. Then he turned to Yung to confer. After a few minutes, they turned back to Sidra and Velo spoke again, “The case has supplies we need to repair her face. The shrapnel damaged her nerves on the side of her face and has made her blind. She will need a cybernetic implant. Luckily, we can save her eye so she won’t need a cybernetic eye patch. The implant will curve around her left eye from mid forehead to temple.” Sidra nodded and they got started.

 

“I am healer,” Master Ny’laan said. “I am going to use the force to heal her as best I can while they are working. May I touch her?”

 

Sidra nodded, tears falling. The jedi glowed brightly as he began to heal Mallay and the medics continued to work on her implant. Bella came in and out, checking in on the twins and Kit every so often. Sidra didn’t want them in the med bay in case Mallay didn’t make it. She stayed to watch over her sister while Sidra stepped out to speak with Agent O’Ryan.

 

After about 2 hours, they had done everything they could and Mallay was back in the tank, sedated. Mallay would have the cybernetic implant and burn scars on the left side of her face and back, but she would live. She would need to spend a few days in the tank. The medics made sure the ship had everything they would need for her and left her with instructions. Bella took Yung and Velo to the cargo and showed them the spice and the manifest. They confirmed that it could be used to medicine and agreed to buy it from her. She only took half of what they offered, saying the other half was payment for everything they did for her sister. Master Ny’laan refused payment, but asked to talk to Sidra before he left.

 

Sidra knew before he asked that Master Ny’laan sensed the force sensitivity in Lissa and Ros. She spoke up, “I don’t want to have them taken away from me, especially after everything that has happened,” Sidra admitted, tears in her eyes. “Jonah and I had talked about this when we started seeing them using the force about a year ago. We just didn’t want our children taken away from us. I suppose that is selfish, but…”

 

Master Ny’laan interrupted, assuring her that didn’t necessarily have to happen. “Where are you going after this?” he asked calmly.

 

“My family is originally from Dantooine, I am taking the girls to the small farm I was left by an aunt,” Sidra explained. “We will live there.”

 

“We have a small group of our order stationed on Dantooine. The girls could possibly study there when you get your family settled.” He told her. “However, they will eventually need to go to on to Coruscant or possibly Tython at some point when they are more advanced. That won’t happen for years though.”

 

Sidra was relieved to hear this and took the contact information for the Jedi Order on Dantooine. Master Ny’laan and the medics left then, after getting many thanks from Sidra and Bella. Agent O’Ryan turned to Sidra and spoke.

“Your husband was a good man and I feel bad for everything that has happened. I wish the SIS hadn’t involved him in this mission.”

 

“No one forced him, he wanted to help.” Sidra assured him, tears in her eyes once again.

 

He told her that he had looked the ship over to make sure there wasn’t anything on there that could endanger the family and said the ship was theirs to use or sell as they see fit. He also recommended that they change their family name, just to be safe. Sidra told him that was one of the things she and Jonah had discussed when he came clean about everything. They agreed that she and the kids would go back to her maiden name of Lauren. Agent O’Ryan gave her his contact info in case there was anything she needed and asked that she contact him when they reached their home on Dantooine.

 

After Agent O’Ryan left, Sidra and Bella went to the rec room where the twins and Kit were watching kids' shows. Sidra turned the HoloNet off and addressed her children. “I know we have all been through a lot and it will take us a long time to work through it. One positive thing we can look forward to is a new baby. I am pregnant and will be giving you a brother or sister in just a few months. Your father loved us all very much, but also loved the Republic. He made the choice to serve the Republic one last time. While he is no longer with us, his spirit lives on in all of you and in his unborn child. I know he would be proud of all of you today. Bella stopped an Imperial Agent from getting information they wanted. Mallay risked her life to save Lissa, Ros, and Kit. Lissa and Ros have a very special gift. They can use the force and used it to help Mallay. Kit was a brave girl and stayed hidden and quiet when faced with danger. Now we move on to our new home on Dantooine. I have a small farm there left to me by an aunt. When you are ready, Lissa and Ros, we will contact the Jedi there and you will be able to study with them. Your father and I agreed that if something like this happened, we would need to change our family name. It will take time, but you need to think of yourselves as Lauren instead of Rydel. Agent O’Ryan is going to fix our records. As for Mallay, she will be okay. She will have scars and a cybernetic implant, and will need to deal with those things when the time comes. For now, she will be in the kolto tank for a few days and we will keep her sedated. You can go see her if you would like, but you can’t touch anything. However, right now, we need to get the ship ready to travel again. I think we all need to go home. Please know this, I love you all and an here for you anytime you need. We are strongest together and even though we won't carry his name, we are your father’s legacy”

 

 

 

Ah, that is finished. Now to catch up on reading the stories posted in here these past few days.

Edited May 23, 2013 by alaurin

[alaurin]

Comments:

 

 

@Bright: The Jaxo decision is definitely a tough one. I didn't have the flirt options, being female, but they had friendship and a girls night out.

No, I thought. It makes perfect sense. The best bait is the stuff you don’t care about throwing away.

Sad and painfully true.

 

@Lesaberisa: A shocking AU for Arys, I am so glad you followed it up with the Elara moment.

 

@Magdalane: I love reading about Mags, Miriah, and Maura. I am glad that Mags gave Corso some advice, but I can just picture Miriah's reaction to learning about that.

 

@Tatile: You never stop being a Mom and if anyone ever hurts one of your babies....I can fully understand Sylvia's point of view in that.

 

more to come

 

 

 

Replies:

 

 

@Tatile:

Good thing Jorgan has a sense of humour or else that could have gone horribly wrong. Also, your Corso has brains. Poor Mallay, fighting evil Sith Lords and running from collapsing buildings is a totally different terror to spying on the hot guy

She would rather fight the Sith!

Also, sand D: If your couple were closer, that could have gone further, but I imagine it would have been stopped by the horrible, horrible, get-in-***********-everywhere sand.

It was very tempting to take that all the way, but I didn't think it was time yet.

 

@Bright:

@alaurin Huttball, Pod racing…..the BlasTech catalogue! had me giggling.

I once asked a friend what he did to keep control of his um, reactions, to a woman if he needed to. He said he thought about baseball so I took it in that direction and figured weapons would help too.

 

@Stirges:

@ alaurin: Jorgan's distractions, very funny. That ship needs a few cans of WD-40 maybe more than it needs a kolto tank.

Not a bad idea.

 

@YoshiRaphElan:

@ alaurin, that would be an awkward moment. Stupid sand.

I hate sand so Tatooine is one of my least favorite places because of that. At least it proved useful in giving Mallay a reason to ask Jorgan to undress her.

 

 

[bright_ephemera]

eeee, threadburst!

 

Replies:

 

And Wynston learning Basic...you’ve got to admire his determination.

Wynston's work ethic does manifest as more than running around flaunting his superior ethics...some things he did work hard for.

 

@ Bright. Needs a warning on that since I was smiling and melting into a puddle of goo in my cubicle, which is problematic if someone walks by.

^.^

 

@ I think her proper/by the book side is a bit exaggerated because of (1) the abuses she saw in the Empire and (2) the need to protect herself from suspicion after defecting.

Agreed. She has to work three times as hard to convince anybody she's Getting It Right and staying within the Republic's rules. And that may mean she comes on strong with the regulations, but...she has good reasons.

 

Bright - Love the bit about Basic, reminds a lot of English (you know of ghoti, right?). Also, I could kind of feel the awkwardness of Glend asking Elara about her past and, d'aww, her feeling welcomed.

"Ghoti pronounced fish" ('gh' as in 'enough', 'o' as in 'women', 'ti' as in 'motion') is such a fine example of why I don't understand why anybody would choose the pain of learning English as a second language. I'm hoping Basic is at least a little bit easier than that. Wynston isn't great with languages; he has to work for each new one his job requires fluency in.

 

As for Elara, she finally gets to have nice things. I think there's some inevitable "nobody's quite sure what is going to be comfortable to talk about" for a while, but for once there's no hostile intent on any side.

 

@Bright: The Jaxo decision is definitely a tough one. I didn't have the flirt options, being female, but they had friendship and a girls night out.

I wondered how they would handle that with female Troopers. Since there were two visits to her apartment for the male Trooper it seemed like that was a lot of conversation to be missing out on for a whole gender.

Interestingly, as another example of the mundane, human LS/DS scheme of the Trooper, sleeping with Jaxo after you've gotten into a romance with Elara nets you DS points. There is instead a conversation option to outright say "Um, I'm taken."

 

 

Comments:

 

@Yoshi, the canonical Jedi Knight is a tough act to follow. The crash down to "Aaran fought...training droids." was especially striking.

 

@Magdalane, I love that Miriah knew exactly who to blame for the shift in Corso's approach. Sisters. Can't live with 'em, wouldn't want to live without 'em.

 

@Lesaberisa, love the layout of your cast. Martell's house words fit very well. Malicineve's means of making herself feel better is oh so appropriate...if you're a Sith, anyway. There's no rational market setup like the Cartel crapshoot, but.......another miniprobe? And the Ayrs story progressing to that last line was ideal. He's a funny drunk in any case - I love his opening speech - but the last line topped off the mystery of who he was talking to just perfectly. I need a thesaurus or something, because I like pretty much all your pacing but "perfect" and "fitting" probably want a rest.

 

@irishfino, Nothing Else was done really, really well. That blunt internal monologue, the fixation on "Kid's gotta live," and, too, the decision not to dump all the relevant information into this one story. I like.

 

@Tatile, the pure-conversation format works. You made it easy to follow a natural-sounding pace/give and take. Sometimes a couple of establishing descriptive sentences serve to anchor the piece, but that's not strictly necessary. I thought the outro of her thoughts were fitting...I hate to think what she might take out on Broan the second Broan does something wrong.

 

@alaurin, such a raw series, but well handled, in my opinion. Bella and Mallay both get to demonstrate the independence befitting a player character, so to speak.

 

 

Edited May 23, 2013 by bright_ephemera

[Tatile]

Ahhh, so much to read.

 

Lesbarisa - The follies of buying random packs; I just cannot imagine that model working seriously in Meat Space. The bit with Ayrs and C2-N2 was a little sad, seems he's worried about talking to people about, but needs to talk to them anyway.

 

Irish - Poor Rylee and poor Gelt. At least it was Talos who found him, but I'm wondering how. Ucles... strong connection there and very angry about Rylee. It would be interesting to know more of her side.

Edited May 23, 2013 by Tatile

[bright_ephemera]

Brotherhood: Status Report for Vierce and Kirsk Savins. Set probably during Trooper Belsavis, around the Vierce/Dorne makeouts stage. (Yes, it seems I’m dating their entire relationship by which base they’ve made it to.) 450 words, no game spoilers.

 

 

 

“Big brother! I leave you alone for two seconds and you choose then to get your act together?”

 

I folded my arms and tried not to smile while I faced Kirsk over the holo. “Actually, I’m pretty sure you left me alone for eight months. Hi.”

 

He gestured impatiently. “Not the point. I was going to watch you swallow your pride here. I was giving it another few years at least.”

 

“Assuming we’re talking about Lieutenant Dorne, I wasn’t aware I needed permission to talk to her.”

 

“Fine. That’s great, I missed your epiphany. I can still say ‘I told you so.’”

 

“…But you didn’t.”

 

“Yes I did! I practically threw her at you on Balmorra!”

 

“You got arrested on Balmorra, Kirsk. I don’t think any of our conversations surrounding that incident had anything to do with Elara.”

 

“Really?” He frowned thoughtfully. “I could’ve sworn I mentioned it.” He perked up. “But you can’t argue that I gave you the assist on Nar Shaddaa. Remember? With her brother? I handed all credit for that operation to you just to give her the tiniest bit of evidence that you’re not a complete idiot.”

 

“That’s not the same as telling me so.”

 

“What matters is that I had the clue before you did. Stars, contrary much? How does she put up with you?”

 

He was still grinning, so I didn’t feel the need to worry. “She, unlike some people, appreciates my sparkling personality,” I said.

 

“Sparkling. Yeah, right.” He folded one arm across his chest and brought up his other hand to run his fingertips over the cybernetics at his temple. “Anyway, I meant to ask, you got out of your top-secret mauling okay? Mama says so, but with her I never know if you’re just putting on a tough face.”

 

“I healed up fine. Thanks for asking.”

 

“Hey, I do want you alive. The galaxy would be a much duller place without you.”

 

“Feeling’s mutual,” I fake-muttered. “So are you coming home to visit any time soon? You could irradiate Elara, Mama and me with your smugness all at once.”

 

“Thinking about it,” he said cheerfully. “I’ve got some minor things to settle first, but I’ll try. ’Til then, say hi to everyone for me.”

 

“Will do.”

 

“Oh – one more thing, as long as I've got you.” He got back to fiddling with his cybernetic arch. “The way things are now, you are…you know, happy, right?”

 

“Yeah.” No doubt there. “More’n I’ve got any right to be. Things are good. And she’s the best thing you could possibly have failed to notify me about.”

 

“Damn, brother.” His grin widened into a bright white smile. “I thought you’d never make it.”

 

 

 

 

It occurs to me that the final exchange could be construed as sexual, which I really didn't mean it to be. I can't think of a way to rephrase it that a) pleases me and b) sounds entirely 100% innocent to all ears. So whatever. The two of 'em know that they're talking about life satisfaction vs. brooding levels in general.

 

Or maybe it is both.

 

Edited May 23, 2013 by bright_ephemera

[irishfino]

Replies!

 

 

@irishfino, Nothing Else was done really, really well. That blunt internal monologue, the fixation on "Kid's gotta live," and, too, the decision not to dump all the relevant information into this one story. I like.

Thank you. Ucles is fairly blunt, but he didn’t get there overnight. There’s so much more to his story. I’m tempted to spin him and Gelt off into their own thread a little ahead of schedule.

 

Irish - Poor Rylee and poor Gelt. At least it was Talos who found him, but I'm wondering how. Ucles... strong connection there and very angry about Rylee. It would be interesting to know more of her side.

Talos is the best at putting clues together and is also magic. I also sort of imagine the connection between the Inquisitor and Khem is like a homing beacon. I may or may not be a little insane.

 

Ucles has a very strong connection to Gelt. He practically watched him grow up in the slave pits. I think I’ve written a little about it. I plan to get more into it whenever I spin this into its own thread. Soon ™.

 

Rylee will tell her side of things soon. Geltie is a Forcewalker.

 

I think I got everyone. Thanks for reading

 

 

 

Ze Story!

 

NotLP: Health, Discoveries

Characters: Ucles and Talos

 

Get Better, Dammit

 

 

Kid’s not getting any better. He crashed five times on the way back to Dromund Kaas. Five times. That ain’t normal and the void damned blood analysis is taking its sweet time. Annoying piece of machinery.

 

Talos is in a bit of a panic, but talking seems to help. So I talk to him. He’s an interesting fella, got a lot of smarts, pays attention to the tiny details. All around good guy and loyal Imperial. We sit in the little seating area in the kid’s room and he offers me a drink. If I wasn’t on duty, I’d already have a bottle in my hand.

 

Kid’s gotta live though. Ain’t nothin’ else matter.

 

“It was Khem who alerted me,” Talos says. His voice is quiet. He’s tired, I can tell. He won’t sleep when I tell him to. He’s too worried he’ll wake up and his Lord will be gone.

 

I know the feeling.

 

“They’re got a weird connection right?” I ask. Weird isn’t enough to describe the strangeness that encompasses that giant Force eating beast.

 

“I don’t understand the ins and outs of it myself,” he says. I bet the kid doesn’t get it either. “I had – I had noticed Rylee acting strangely since the incident with Ravage. I took care of her after my Lord’s assessment. Oh, right, Gelt. He insists – after all this time.” He breaks off into a nervous chuckle. It’s a little endearing, I won’t lie. He’s kind of adorable. That’s weird. An adorable man, but he’s – can’t stay mad at someone like that, he’s just so earnest.

 

I think lack of sleep is getting to me.

 

“I’m an archeologist,” he continues, “I’m trained to look for the smallest clues to the big prize. I noticed her talking to herself in a frenzied pace. She would wander the halls with no goal in mind. Her HoloNet searches grew darker, but nothing that screamed ‘Stop her now!’ I feel like a fool.”

 

“Nah, no need to feel a fool,” I say. He looks at me, stares right into my visor as if he can see through it to my eyes to detect deception. “Hindsight is the best, worst thing in the Galaxy. Hindsight slaps you in the face while screaming at you, telling you were a fool. Hindsight punches you in the gut while telling you, you were right all along. Hindsight is the most confusing and enlightening entity there is. And it’s all in the mind. What you did, what you think you should have done, what happened, and looking back – those things you cannot change. It’s too late. What happened, happened. Gotta move forward though. Gotta keep going. Gotta keep the kid alive. He has to live, Talos, and if you’re too busy focusing on what you should have seen or done, you’ll miss the present. You’ll screw something up and the kid’ll die. Can you live with that on your conscious?”

 

He drops his gaze. Reality is harsh. Call me hindsight, because I feel as if I sucker punched this poor bastard.

 

“Yes, I – well, no, I cannot live with that at all, but, yes, I understand your meaning,” he says at last. “I think – I think I will rest a while.”

 

“S’all good, Talos,” I say. “Mako and I ’ll keep watch.”

 

“Wake me,” he whispers urgently, “wake me if we are to lose him. Or if he crashes again. Or if he awakens. Please, please wake me.”

 

“I’ll give you a shout.”

 

He says his thanks and leaves for his bunk. I can feel his pain from here.

 

Or maybe I’m confusing it for my own.

 

 

[irishfino]

NotLP: Bad Memories

Character: Gelt

 

 

I See

 

 

Rylee. It was the only coherent thought in his head.

 

Rylee.

 

Then pain.

 

Rylee.

 

Then death.

 

Rylee.

 

He could breathe again.

 

Rylee.

 

She was finishing the job.

 

Rylee…

 

Rylee…

 

Rylee…

 

 

 

Notes:

 

 

Super short.

 

[irishfino]

Continuing the thread spam...

 

 

NotLP: Uninvited Guests

Character: Geltie

 

Come Back

 

 

She’s here. He can feel her in his mind.

 

“Hello,” she says. She’s as quiet and as shy as the day they met. He liked her near instantly.

 

“Hello,” he replies. He can’t see a damn thing it’s so dark, but he knows her voice. It’s her. It’s his Rylee. No. No, she’s not his any longer.

 

“I don’t regret what I did,” she says. Those words stab him in the chest. “I only regret I didn’t do it sooner.”

 

“I thought you were different, Rylee.” Is that his voice? It’s raw and low. He hasn’t cried, he isn’t crying. Why does it sound like he is?

 

“I thought I was too. Then Ravage – it’s your fault, you know. You brought me here. You took me away from the Cult, away from my home, and brought me to the capital of death in the Empire.”

 

“You were safe,” he says. He doesn’t raise his voice, he hasn’t the energy, but the hurt is there.

 

“I was never safe. I could never be safe. I didn’t belong. You knew, didn’t you? You knew I didn’t belong there with you, but you wanted me anyway. You were selfish. Now we’re both dead.”

 

“I’m not dead.” His voice is pleading. He doesn’t believe it.

 

“You will be soon.”

 

A flash of light. Pain burning in his chest.

 

Screams.

 

Then a voice.

 

“It’s alright.”

 

He doesn’t – it couldn’t be. If it was that meant his search – his search was futile.

 

“You’re –”

 

“Here, yes.”

 

“But that means you’re dead, too.”

 

“No. I’m not dead. Believe it or not, I’m not dead. Not after all this time.”

 

The voice is tired and regretful. He wonders why. The voice urges him to wake up, to fight, to push on. To do something other than lie there and take the abuse, to lie there and die.

 

“I don’t have it in me,” he says.

 

“You do. You have to live. You have to.”

 

“Why?”

 

“When you recognize my voice, you’ll understand. And I hope you’ll forgive me.” There’s a pause then the voice returns, soft and pleading. “Please come back. Please come back to me.”

 

Something clicks in his mind.

 

For him, he will fight through.

 

For him, he will return to the waking world.

 

For him, he will reunite their lost lives.

 

For him, he will live.

 

That’s all that matters.

 

He has to live.

 

 

[Lesaberisa]

Comments (because I should stop being anti-social in here!). Starting with Yoshi’s post on page 323 since I’m too lazy to go further back.

 

 

 

@Yoshi: I love seeing a look at the true ‘legacy’ of your characters, to see the impact they have on the galaxy at large, but also the people around them (especially their children, as in this case). Training droids are tough though, Aaran needs to give himself credit. Someone’s consular once died to them on Tython….

 

@Magdalane: Romantic Rakghoul encounters! And I love the banter, reminds me of my own sister

 

@Alaurin: In the same way I enjoyed Yoshi’s story for showing what our mark our characters might leave afterwards, I really enjoy backstories (no matter whether they’re happy or sad), and seeing how they frame how the character thinks and acts going forward.

 

@Tatile: I actually love the all-dialogue piece (and will respond to a couple of your points below)

 

@Irish: I really like Ucles’ interactions with the crew. And I love Talos! And I like Rylee, I wish I'd seen more of her on my inquisitor since she was the real brains behind my cult.

 

@Bright: Kirsk is the most adorable/endearing annoying brother ever.

 

 

Character: Amitia

Prompt: New Paths

Notes: Finally, something other than misadventures for my heroic knight! Class story spoilers. Hay’de is my friend’s consular, who he leveled alongside my knight.

 

 

Not for the first time, I wondered what Kira and I had gotten ourselves into. An honorable Sith seeking a duel for the codes to yet another Republic superweapon that never should have been dreamed of, let alone designed?

 

Master Kiwiiks had been badly wounded, but there had been no time to stabilize her; the Shock Drum was due to be set off at any time if I did not arrive at the coordinates Praven had provided. As much as my heart ached when I saw the pain on Kira’s face, duty came first. Tatooine had to be saved.

 

Praven. He was a curious one. Most Sith would have left the Shock Drum to go off, destroyed or removed the deactivation codes, and left the planet to be torn to pieces. Praven had not done that though, and I could not help but admire that thread of decency in the tapestry of Sith deceit and evil.

 

“Well, at least the view’s to die for,” Kira quipped as the cavern opened up into a plateau. “Course, it'll be him that's dying, since we've got a galaxy to save."

 

I could see Praven sitting cross-legged, a serene expression on his face. If it weren’t for the whole “destroying a planet” plan, he might have passed for a Jedi. That made me sad for a moment, but I didn’t know why. His eyes opened as I moved closer, and he lifted himself from the ground, slowly making his way towards me.

 

“Greetings, master Jedi. I am honored that you have accepted my invitation. As I stated during our communication, should you best me, the codes – and my life – are yours.”

 

That sad feeling I had was gnawing at me, so I decided to try something foolish. I waved my hand at him. “You want to give me the codes, peacefully.”

 

His eyes grew slightly cloudy, and for a moment I thought I might have caused some sort of brain injury. Then, in one elegant motion, he put a hand inside his robes, produced a datapad, and handed it to me with a flourish and an exaggerated bow. I had to suppress a nervous giggle.

 

“I can’t believe that worked.” It almost sounded like Kira was complaining. “I mean, how does it even make sense that you can mind trick a Sith lord?”

 

The Force must have agreed, because Praven’s eyes cleared, then turned quite angry. He stood back at his full height, over a foot taller than me. His rage was easy enough to sense but I was surprised to feel…disappointment? “I thought you were an honorable opponent, and provided you with an appropriate way to prove it. Now I see you are just a trickster, a hypocrite and a liar, like all the Jedi.” His lightsaber came to life and in a flash he was upon me, the red blade trying desperately to end me.

 

I backflipped out of the way and activated my own lightsaber, a solid purple line against his red. Kira followed suit, vaulting herself towards him while crying out, “Eat lightsaber, jerk.” I wasn’t sure I wanted him to, though.

 

“I was only tricking you to save your life. There is no sense in throwing it away in the service of evil. What honor is there in destroying a planet?”

 

He struck again, I parried. Kira moved around to position herself behind him. He feinted towards me, then Force Pushed her away. I could hear her growl in frustration as she picked herself off the ground, sand flying everywhere. I made a weak slash with my blade, but his red caught my purple easily enough, and pushed it back. His follow-up attack was wild. I dodged, then stabbed forward and caught him in the abdomen. I heard him grunt in pain.

 

“I am what I am. What I always will be. The Sith are my home, and I find my own place within them.” I saw stars as his boot crashed into my chin and he pirouetted to focus on Kira with the space he had gained for himself. “I am not proud of what some have done in our name, but can you say the Jedi are any different?”

 

Point. Sort of. Another slash from my blade caught him across the left shoulder, as he was too late to turn away from Kira.

 

“The Jedi are not without their problems. But what is punished in my order is a way of life for yours. You know this, I can feel your shame about the Shock Drum.” I could feel his anger dissipate slightly, though I could not quite sense what had taken its place. “You have a way out. Turn your back on the Sith, embrace the honor and justice you strive for even now, and join the Jedi. We forgive, we redeem, and we can help you find your place in the galaxy.”

 

I lowered my blade slightly to give him a moment to think, and motioned at Kira to do the same. He paused, as well.

 

“No, they would never have me. I am no fool, there is no place for a pureblood Sith in the Jedi Order, certainly not me.”

 

I had to end this quickly, one way or another. I no longer wanted him dead, but there would be no other end to this if the duel did not end quickly. It'd also be rather inconvenient to have the planet fall apart underneath us if the duel took too long to upload the deactivation codes. I made another motion at Kira, she nodded, and we moved in.

 

I feinted to Praven’s left, Kira to his right and from behind. He staggard backwards, unsure which way to face, so I swept his legs from under him with my own. He fell to the ground, hard, and made no move to get up, even with his lightsaber only a few feet away from his hand and in plain view. He was having some problems breathing, and he was bleeding from his wounds. I had to make this quick.

 

“Kill…me. It is the only way.”

 

I shook my head, and knelt next to him. I was no healer, but I used a Force technique Hay’de had taught me to ease his pain, and then looked him in the eyes and softened my voice. “I don’t want to kill you. I won’t unless you force me to. You are not an evil man, you could do so much more. Be so much more. The path of the Light Side is a hard one, but you have the strength to walk it. Don’t waste that chance.” I cupped his cheek gently in one hand. “Please.”

 

Any anger he had left in his eyes was gone, and he looked almost ashamed.

 

“I…I will do as you say. I still do not quite understand why you have shown me mercy but…I thank you for it. I will turn myself over to the Jedi Order and submit myself to their judgment. If…if you are correct about me I would be honored to serve alongside you. Very honored.”

 

I smiled at him and called for a pick up over the comm. One shuttle for Praven to Anchorhead, one for us back to Master Kiwiiks and the Shock Drum. Kira sidled over next to me with a questioning look on her face.

 

“He deserved a chance to be better,” was all I needed to say before she nodded in agreement.

 

“Well, boss, what secret superweapon do you think we’ll run into next? I’m getting the impression the Republic has a warehouse full of designs for these things or something.”

 

I giggled unabashedly at that. It certainly felt that way.

 

“Doom Tube?” She put forth.

 

“Extinction Ray?” Two can play at this game.

 

"Biosphere Bomb?"

 

“Galaxy Buster?" I was running out of ideas.

 

She made a face and rolled her eyes at that. “Death Star?

 

I rolled my eyes right back at her. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

 

 

Character: Ayrs

Prompt: Worst Day Ever

Title: Home

Notes: This is basically the “what actually happened” version of my What If? (where Ayrs doesn’t go to the Academy and dies on Ithaca when it is attacked). Mostly filling in some details and setting something up for later. Also, a completely gratuitous companion cameo (from another class).

 

 

I plopped down on the couch next to Rissa and wrapped my arm around her shoulder. The Drayens, everyone’s favorite drama about an organized crime family, would be coming up after the end of the news and I sure wasn’t going to miss it. Just have to get through the local news.

 

Colony world of Ithaca attacked yesterday, few survivors, more details at 11 after Coruscanti Idol.

 

One of the other cadets cautiously looked over at me. “Uh, Ayrs…you’re from Ithaca, aren’t you? From the scroll?” He looked uncomfortable.

 

I sat there, frozen in time. Didn’t feel Rissa frantically trying to reassure me, didn’t hear any of the awkward words from everyone else saying it’d be alright. Someone changed the channel to one of the major news channels and the pictures alone told me enough to know. There were bodies strewn in the streets of Penelope. My city. My home. My friends. My family.. I stared at the screen, knowing I didn’t need to see it but feeling like I had to anyway.

 

Ariel saved up her money to call you. You couldn’t even take five karking minutes out of your life to let her know you were still alive. That you still gave a damn. That she still meant something to you as a person.

 

I dropped my face into my hands. The normal crowd for The Drayens was dispersing, most of the other cadets quietly making their way to other places on campus to catch the show, a few hovering around me, well-meaning but doing nothing. Rissa was whispering things to me and trying to hold me, but I didn’t want to be held. I wanted to know that my family and friends were alive. That they were okay. That they knew I loved them.

 

Only one thing to do. I gently escaped from Rissa’s grasp, letting her know I’d be back, and sprinted towards the Communications Center. Didn’t have a slot coming free any time soon, unlikely that I’d be able to sneak in, but had to try. Had to know what happened. Had to hear my mother’s voice, see the stern look in her eyes.

 

There wasn’t much of a crowd, so I went up to one of the clerks, gesturing with my hands since I was out of breath, and couldn’t trust myself to speak even if I wasn’t.

 

“I can give you ten minutes...,” she began, but I was already pushing through to the terminal before she finished. I dialed home, cursing my fat fingers every time I had to correct a mistake and retype the account number. I could hear the clerk talking to someone over the comm, but I didn’t care. Nothing else mattered. Nothing.

 

And nothing was the response my call was getting too, not even static. It was as if the terminal wasn’t even there.

Just interference, had to be. Doesn’t mean anything, no way it could. Just have to find someone else to check in with. Only one person I could trust, Fillo, the old man who was the de facto mayor of Eurycleia, the small settlement outside of Penelope where we lived.

 

Connection. He looked surprised to see me.

 

“Ayrs, I…I don’t have any news.” Why was he stammering like that?. “I…I assume you’ve heard th-the news?”

I nodded. “I need to know, sir. I need…to see them. Find them, please, let them know I’m okay. Let me know they are.”

 

His eyes moved behind me, I was probably out of luck, out of time. “I…I’ll head right over to your farm, check in on them right away. You best find somewhere to wait, wi-will be about an hour.”

 

The clerk was coming for me now, so I disconnected, cut to my left, and made a break for it. Had to get off campus and find somewhere else with a Holonet connection. Probably get myself expelled for this, but I didn’t really give a damn. Focus. Leap that fence. Zig left at the crossing to avoid the patrol, zag right once you’re past it to avoid the search light. Move. Move. Move. Over the wall. Over it. Good. I ran like I never had before, ran like my life depended on it. Maybe it did.

 

After a good quarter-hour of running, I found a civilian Holonet café, and ducked into it. The owner looked surprised to see me, but I chalked that up to my fatigues and the hour. Ratty place, they’d never find me here. Not until I wanted to be at least. Only a blue Chagrian in uniform off to the side to keep me company, just the way I needed it. Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes into two hours. My heart ached and it hurt to breathe. Then came the beep. Incoming call.

 

“Ayrs.” Fillo began. I couldn’t tell if he was crying or it was distortion. Oh let it be distortion. Please, let it be distortion. It has to be distortion. It has to be. “Ayrs, I made it out to the farm. It’s…I’m sorry Ayrs. They’re all gone, nothing’s left. I…I don’t know what to say. People are still scattered, maybe they hid out in the swamps…”

 

There was a loud pounding in my ears as I closed the channel, and the world was getting blurry. Didn't matter, anyway. Didn’t need to hear any more to know. Deep down, I’d known from the start. The tears came freely. I wasn’t ashamed. This wasn’t like with Pop, where we were there for each other, to make it through the bad times as a family. There was nothing for me, now, and I wept like the scared little boy I was.

 

A tall shadow passed across me. I looked up to see the Chagrian looking down at me, his gaze mostly steady but a bit uncomfortable.

 

“Fideltin Rusk, Republic Infantry. I don’t know what you’re going through. I don’t expect you to tell me. You don't need to. You've got something worthwhile, academy wouldn’t take you otherwise. No matter what happened, you will find a way to overcome it and achieve your objectives. I guarantee it, one-hundred percent.” He put his hand on my shoulder, surprisingly gentle, and held on.

 

I didn’t believe him. He was wrong. I had no future to look forward to, and now I had lost my past.

 

I should have been there with them. For them. To whatever end. My friends, my family, my world. Should have died that day.

 

I would never forgive myself. I would never go home again.

 

 

Minor note:

 

 

I never warmed to Rusk, I know a lot of people didn’t, but I wanted someone to be there with Ayrs at the end and I figured the poor guy might have a more sympathetic side he doesn’t show in-game. Was originally go with Andronikos, but that’d be a bit too on the nose given that Ayrs’ sister is my Inq. Speaking of on-the-nose, the last little bit is, too. Apologies!

 

 

And since I think I've had enough of depressing Ayrs for a bit, here's the first appearance of my consular. She's a Mirialan.

 

Character: Olympia

Prompt: Affection

 

 

Qyzen was off investigating the Works, Felix was coordinating with Republic command, Zenith was presumably off plotting someone's overthrow. Tharan, on my advice, was holed up with Holiday, and Nadia was using our time off to explore Coruscant. I couldn't blame her - the planet was vibrant, alive. Full of people with hopes, dreams, lives ahead of them.

 

I did not mind the quiet or solitude; the small cafe was off the beaten path and let me relax, breathe. A simple coffee was more than enough for me,a lthough I wished Felix could be here too. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a tall man in a Republic uniform, dark hair and warm eyes, talking animatedly with his companion, a blonde with a crisp accent that I rarely heard in Republic space. No, more than a companion. I didn't need the Force to see it. It warmed my heart, all the same.

 

A droid, a model I didn't recognize, was making its way over to my table. It appeared to be holding a plush bantha in one of its arms. Felix?. It arrived, placing the bantha delicately on my table. Then. it spoke. In Felix's voice.

 

"Sweetheart, I trust this reaches you in good spirits. I just wanted to tell you that I love you, have always loved you, will always love you. You remind me that the galaxy is a wonderful place, even if it's hard to remember that sometimes. I can't wait for the day that we have our own family, little children to call our own and teach the ways of the Force to and about the Republic."

 

There was a pause.

 

"Oh, is this on audio? I thought this was text. Wait - "

 

It was good that no one could see me blushing.

 

The uniformed man gave me a goofy smile and a thumbs up, before his companion slapped his hand down. She smiled apologetically at me, and then kissed him.

 

I was happy when the waiter brought the check. And that Felix wasn't here for me to strangle him.

 

 

And finally, replies to a couple of posts.

 

 

 

@Tatile (severeal parts to this)

 

Re: the AU/What if?

 

 

If there are specific questions it raised, please share - I’ll probably follow up on it in the AU thread at some point and I might have missed potentially interesting stories without even realizing it. I left things a bit ‘rough’ because I figured Ayrs wouldn’t really know everything or be thinking of everything either, just trying to do what he could, even if he had to sacrifice himself to do so.

 

I had originally planned to kill Ayrs as part of an AU later in his story, but had a really hard time writing it, because I like writing him - his story (rising through the ranks, meeting and falling in love with Elara, making a new life for himself) is a happy one, even if individual moments aren't.

 

 

Re: Veresia/Malicineve

 

Initially I was going to have Malicineve be like she is in-game, where she’s just totally and irredeemably awful (she has like 2800 Dark Side points at level 20), but while that would work for occasional dark humor and villainy, I didn’t think it’d be interesting. I mean, maybe a few laughs at her cartoon villainy, but that doesn't realy add much, I don't think.

 

So I’m glad you liked seeing her (and Veresia) struggling with what they’re going through – Veresia had a warm and loving family but had it taken from her violently and is now in the belly of the beast. Malicineve was brought up to be a monster, but maybe there’s something more, etc.

 

Of course, there’s Quinn...

 

 

Re: Ayrs at the bar

 

Yeah I was trying to give Ayrs some sadness/vulnerability even when he’s drunk/being funny. I won’t say I write up a psychological profile of my characters, but I do have a general outline of what makes them tick and I based Start!Ayrs off of this quote from Sleepless in Seattle (don’t laugh ).

 

Well, I'm gonna get out of bed every morning... breathe in and out all day long. Then, after a while I won't have to remind myself to get out of bed every morning and breathe in and out... and, then after a while, I won't have to think about how I had it great and perfect for a while.

 

When his story starts, he has a lot of issues making connections with people because he’s afraid of getting hurt (having something happen to them, being driven apart, etc.) or afraid of letting them down (immense guilt over not being there with his family when his world was attacked). It's covered in more detail in my (shameless plug) Ayrs-specific thread

 

 

@ Bright

Re Ayrs and his Drinking Buddy

 

 

C2 is only there because Elara sent him there to see what happened to Ayrs/Aric, maybe we’ll see the burgeoning Ayrs/C2 bromance put to the test if the droid can’t keep his mouth shut.

 

Ayrs doesn't like droids much so I'm sure *cough* 4X will be involved in some shenanigans as well

 

 

 

In general: someone PMed me about Ayrs talking to his mom in the What If – he didn’t, he was in shock/hallucinating it. In no universe/permutation of the story does he ever get to say goodbye to his family, which (understandably) really bothers him.

Edited May 24, 2013 by Lesaberisa

[marissalf]

Wow, so much to read today! I hope I don’t miss anybody.

 

 

Lesaberisa, I enjoyed all of these, especially Amitia’s Market and Arys’ I Love This Bar. To Market perfectly captures the frustration and absurdity a character would feel over the, ahem, fine print of the market. And drunken Arys is vulnerable and funny. His Worst Day Ever was just heartbreaking.

 

Bright, It’s nice that Vierce’s family is accepting of Elara, given her background. I’d imagine there’d be some families that wouldn’t be, at least at first. Also, as somebody who’s probably missed some of Vierce’s story (being a bit late to the game and all), I appreciated the links to other pertinent entries. Very handy!

 

Irish, I love that these characters are crossing paths, and it never crossed my mind that they would. <3 this story so much.

 

Magdalane, Sisters...sometimes they know us better than we’d like to admit. And resisting the urge to meddle is so hard when you know you’re right

 

Tatile, I like the style of your Alternative Perspectives, and I don’t feel like it was missing anything by being purely conversational. Although Rochester is understandably upset, you can sympathize with Sylvia. Being Sith and knowing their nature, it would be worrisome for your kid to get involved with that, even if you end up being completely wrong.

 

Alaurin, This was an intense series, and I like the glimpse we get of Bella and Mallay’s life with their family. You get a good idea of what their childhood was like and how their personalities developed.

 

 

Story! Cross My Heart with Kinka and Keeper. Agent spoilers ahead.

Takes place between Act I & II

Note (spoilers here, too):

 

Some context: This is the point of the story where the agent gets injected with the IX serum, leading to the mind control and events of Act II.

 

 

“Come in, Cipher.”

 

Keeper was hunched over a datapad, brow furrowed in frustration. It was nothing new. That look hadn’t left his face since Kinka first met him, and she assumed the Dark Council was once again making his life miserable in some way or another. They were never satisfied, it seemed, even with the victory in dismantling a galaxy-wide terror network and bringing down a rogue Sith lord. But she knew enough of Sith nature from her mother that their perpetual disappointment wasn’t a surprise anymore.

 

“I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon,” she said, trying not to sound too annoyed. But truthfully, Kinka was more than a little miffed that she’d been called back from leave after only a couple of weeks. She had designs on doing a little traveling —for fun this time — when Watcher Two’s holo told her to report to Intelligence headquarters.

 

Keeper looked up at his young agent, studying her face half a beat longer than would be considered normal, his expression one she couldn’t place. He seemed unnaturally distressed, probably wondering if facing down Jadus had gotten to her somehow. But the concern left his face quickly as soon as he got down to business.

 

“Your next mission is still in the planning stages, but we need to have you inoculated against some of the toxins you may come in contact with. The list is still preliminary, but these are a few of the places you may be sent, along with the known dangers.”

 

Kinka looked over the long list on the datapad: Sebiris, Quesh, Taris, a few others she was unfamiliar with. “Mmm, toxic atmosphere, chemical-ridden lakes. Sounds lovely. You sure there’s nothing with a beach?” Keeper was unamused, but he was used to the sarcasm by now.

 

“We’ll be in contact with more details in about a month. Until then, report in for the shots. And agent,” he said quietly, that concerned expression returning once more, “Quesh in particular is a nasty place, but it could prove invaluable in the very near future. Remember that.”

 

[Icerose]

Thank you for the kind words, and encourgement.

 

Back to Corellia, and Rose/Fiona. This one take place after the third part of the trooper arc, before the assault on the Bastion. Word of warning, minor spoilers, but this can have some people have strong reaction to it.

 

Title: No apologies Needed

Prompt: Xenobiology, Apologies

 

 

 

 

Corellia, Gen. Garza's office, before the Bastion assault

 

"Good Job, Major. The Corellians aren't happy about the loss of the Lucky Lancer, but we got forward units of the 53rd Paragonian Space Assault into the battle behind the Empire's main lines. Soon, we will be ready for the assault on the Bastion, so I want you and your team to be ready for it."

 

Rose nodded, "We are ready for it, General."

 

"No time like the present, Sir" said an enthusiastic Jorgan.

 

Garza shook her head, "As much as I would like to do that, we need more intell on what is happening in and around the Bastion. SIS and Corsec hasn't gotten all the information yet, so you got some down time to log. Which brings me to something I want to talk to you about, Major."

 

"What's this all about, General?" said a puzzled Rose. Out of the corner of her eye, Aric seemed to be shaking his head. *What did he know about Garza was talking about?*

 

"Is it true that you assaulted a man in the Krazee Kora Bar and Grill?" asked Garza sternly.

 

"I didn't assault any man in the bar, General" a very befuddled Rose answered.

 

"Major, I think the General is referring to the incident with your friend's medical officer." answered the bemused Cathar.

 

"Him? Doc? I didn't assault him."

 

"So what does breaking his nose, and knocking him into the ground constitute, Major? Foreplay?" said a very irate Garza.

 

It took all of Aric's self-control not to fall down laughing at this exchange.

 

"Major, you will go down to the Jedi Field Commander's starship, and apologize to her, her crew and especially to her medical officer, Doctor Archibal Kimble." She shifted slightly to Aric. "You will accompany her, Captain, and make sure this happens. Then you both will report to me before you go on liberty. Dismissed."

 

Both Rose and Aric saluted, and quickly left the office and building. When they finally hit the outside air of Corellia they both exhaled. They looked at one another and busted out belly laughs at the absurdity of what was said.

 

"I can not believe she just said foreplay. and with a straight face. I wish i could have recorded that." laughed Aric.

 

"I know. I don't think that would have happened if we planned it." she was holding her belly, using a wall to hold herself up.

 

A minute later, as both were catching their breathes, it dawned on Rose she would actually have to apologize to Doc.

 

"Why in all the force-forsaken people do i have to apologize to Doc? If i had shot him, all the females of this galaxy would make a monument to me for saving them from his advances." she quipped.

 

"Because like all people like him, he has friends with access to the right ears." he smirked.

 

"Fiona would never use back channel's to ask me to do that. She would actually march Doc to our ship and make him apologize to me." replied a rather upset Rose.

 

"I don't think this came your friend, Rose." answered a thoughtful Cathar. "I'm thinking that your friend's team reported to the Jedi council and they saw his nose in bandage. Then was told about the altercation, then reported that to Garza. After all, who else has the General on holo listing?"

 

Rose sighed at this, she really didn't want to do this, but if either her or Aric was getting time off before the assault, she needed to do it. "I guess its time to say 'im sorry' to that scum sucking Hutt lover."

 

Aric nodded affirmativley "No time like the present."

 

"I'm sorry you got dragged into this"

 

"What are friends for" answered Aric. An awkward silence happened between the two soilders.

 

"I shouldn't have said that." apologized Aric.

 

"Don't apologize for THAT, Aric" answered Rose. "How were we supposed to know that was going to happen? What did the doctor say, 1 in 200?"

 

"Still, I am sorry. Never realized that could happen or we wouldn't have.."

 

"Explored our romance?" Sighed Rose. She blew out some hair out of her face. Aric knew this was a sign, usually she's trying to keep her cool. Since the tried to consumate thier relationship, they have been on eggshells over what happened. A silence envolped them as the walked to the rocket tram. Thankfully for them, they were the only ones getting on this particular one, back to the spaceport where thier and Fiona's ship was docked. They got on it, the doors shut, and it slowly accelerated to the spaceport. She put her head on his shoulder pad.

 

"1 in 200, that you would have that particular ability. Only the old nobility of the Cathar still has that. I knew you were special, but this takes the cake." mused a tired Rose.

 

"You know, surgery is...."

 

"No! More like mutilation for either of us. How long would the recovery process be? Months maybe. HQ will not let that happen." answered Rose. "I hate this, Aric, still it's the right thing for us, and for the squad."

 

"I know, 3 years since Ord Mantell. To think that I would have fallen in love with that snot nosed rookie that thought she was Havoc squad material, and let it end because I have a gene that my ancestors did their best to keep, so they can ensure no one else can come after them and question the bloodline of the offspring. The galaxy is a wierd place." an exasperated Aric spoke.

 

"Yeah, that hard assed Lt that thought he was a drill instructor, stationed on a backwater world, turned out to be a confortible pillow." Rose smiled at that thought. "So you got the paperwork all done on your end?"

 

"Just waiting for the Corellia business to end, then the transfer request will be entered. Garza already gave her blessings. I am going to get command of another special operations squad, with the ability to choose a few of my crew." answered Aric.

 

"Who are you taking?" the very comfortible red haired female asked.

 

"4x for sure, since you got HK-51. Probably Vik, too" That answer got Rose's attention as she sat up and looked into Aric's eyes.

 

"You are seroius?" as she looked into the green eyes of her XO and former lover. "I thougth you hated Vik."

 

"Because he does get things done, and is the best explosive expert in the Army. since I'm starting a new squad for the ground up, I want someone that I know can handle the job, and i know thier tendencies. Despite his moral compass, I do know his MO and can deal with it."

 

"Did you know Elara's brother, Alexi is going through advanced infanrty training as we speak. Might be a good idea to see if you can nab him. Always good to know the enemies tendencies and MO's, and since he was part of thier black ops division, it make you life easier."

 

Aric smiled at this. He knew that Elara and Rose were close friends, and really didn't want to answer to Elara what actaully happened between Rose and Aric relationship. "Good Idea, I do hope he isn't a stickler for regs like his sister is."

 

Rose frowned on that. "You know full well, why she does that. Not like you haven't spouted off reg to me, either."

 

The rocket tram slowed to the stop of the spaceport, they both stood up and prepared to leave the tram. The doors opened, and Aric was the first to leave the tram, or so he thought. Halfway through the second step, Rose caught his arm, pulled him back and around to face her. Then they kissed and embraced right there. It didn't matter to either of them, there was alot of people on the catwalk waiting to get on. For a moment, they were a couple in love, not two soliders in a warzone, not a Human female and a Cathar male trying to get over the disappointment of what life dealt them. Just a couple in love. No apologies needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes after Corellia, This version of Havoc squad will cease to exist. However, these two squad will be in very close contact with one another. Breakdown will be Rose, Elara, and Yuun, in Havoc Squad, with Aric, 4X, and Vik in the other Squad. I already have the rough idea for who replace the missing members of Havoc squad, fleshing them out in my head is taking time.

 

[bright_ephemera]

Prompt day!

 

Week of 5/24/2013

The Droids You're Looking For - One of the hallmarks of the Star Wars universe is the presence of droids: astromech, protocol, combat, and more. Write about the droids that support (our hinder) your characters.

 

And, as ever,

Night of the Living Prompt: Keep on using any prompt you like! Check out the list at http://www.swtor.com/community/showpost.php?p=5223753&postcount=1675.

Featured NotLP: Culture Shock. The galaxy is a big place, and it's home to a wide variety of different cultures and species. It's not easy working with someone who may look similar to you, but comes from a radically different culture - not to mention being friends or even spouses with them.

Edited May 25, 2013 by bright_ephemera

[bright_ephemera]

A Turning Points for eleven-year-old Wynston, circa 5 BTC (fifteen years before the class line). 1300 words, no game spoilers.

 

 

 

Renn'yssla'kleoni's family moved alongside that of the Chiss who would call himself Wynston's, from the mines of Rentor to the factories of Atalan VII. It was Nyss who gave Wynston's first time, and second, and many others; Nyss who waited for him after his shift to offer a cool drink and affectionate companionship; Nyss who put up with his fixations on learning Basic and putting himself through some education, who learned alongside him so they could spend more time together.

 

And with all the enthusiasm of adolescent youth he loved her, her perpetually conspiratorial air, her dark curls, her body while she matured and explored with him. She was smart, playful, intoxicatingly sensual. Perfect.

 

Which was why it made no sense that one afternoon, when she came to the door after his work day to watch subtitled holovids like usual, he realized he didn't want to return to her arms. It was the stupidest gut feeling. He just didn't want to be held by her.

 

He decided to push through it. "Hello," he said automatically, smiling the way he knew he was supposed to smile. It felt odd, like his face resisted the familiar motion.

 

"Hey." She kissed him; with an effort he leaned into the contact instead of shying away. Act normal, he told himself. Play it natural until you've sorted out what's wrong.

 

So he returned to the couch and let her settle into the crook of his arm. Her weight was unwelcome at some instinctive level he couldn't control, but he laid his hand over hers and let her relax into him. Convince her everything was fine. He couldn't quite pay attention to the holovid, and the conversation running between the two of them, while he gave it all the warmth he could, was a little less lively than usual.

 

Over dinner he felt hyperaware of the space between them, the little cues and responses that meant he was engaged and interested and...in love. Like he was supposed to be. He knew enough to fool her. Any moment now his feelings would catch up. He spoke little and watched lots. Nyss seemed so...plain, all of a sudden. Just a girl, no prettier than most, with messy black hair and an anxious way of leaning forward all the time. He turned over her features, her eyes, her mouth, her skin, and found nothing that was really special.

 

He shook himself. Strange feeling, but it would pass.

 

After dinner he made for the door, and Nyss followed after. "Kicking me out?" she said cheerfully.

 

"I'm getting pretty tired," he said, stepping backward before she could get too close. "I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

 

She smiled her silly-looking smile. "See you then."

 

“Love you.” He hoped the words would ring true, would reassure them both. But they sounded empty.

 

She didn’t seem to notice. “Love you, too.”

 

He stayed up late reviewing the evening, wondering. It had gone like any number of evenings had since they'd moved to this planet, since they'd come together. He was just...tired of it. All at once. Not to say it had been bad; in the past, evenings just like this had been fun. But now he was bored.

 

People didn't just get bored with love. He knew that. What had he seen in her? It must still be there; she hadn't changed. He didn’t feel any different himself, apart from this disturbing new distance. That wasn’t his fault. So what was the problem? The question coiled up in his stomach and waited; he had no answer for it.

 

The next morning Wynston met Nyss at their usual spot on the road to the factory. Wynston had a sinking feeling when he saw her; she looked...ordinary. Ordinary and expectant. Dread slowed his steps; she waited for him, and he knew she took for granted that he would show up

 

She caught sight of him and beamed, trotting up to meet him. “Morning,” she said.

 

"Hello," he said, still trying hard to sound normal.

 

She kissed him then fell back, holding his hand, and grinned. "We're running early. You want we should stop by the droid storage?" That was their usual haunt for time alone; the droids themselves were all out around the factory at this time of day, leaving some perfectly good unsupervised spaces.

 

All he had to do was agree, and let her assumptions fill in the emotion of the morning. He was pretty sure it would work: she had every reason to expect that he was as he always was, that he cared like he was supposed to. She would be none the wiser. All he had to do was go through the motions – perfectly enjoyable motions – and let her fill in the rest.

 

"I don't want to do this anymore," he blurted.

 

Nyss blinked slowly. "What?"

 

"Nyss, I’m sorry, but I'd rather..." The comprehension on her face was growing around something else, something he'd never seen directed at himself in earnest before. Anger. "I don't...that is, I..." Idiot. Why hadn't he lined up what to say earlier? Why couldn't he just resummon the enthusiasm for her that he'd had two days ago? He was supposed to feel something toward her…but he wanted out. He needed out. "I think we should..." Take some time apart? Take a lot of time apart? "not...be together. That's all."

 

"And how did this come up?" she said in a quiet lethal tone.

 

"It isn't...it isn't anything you did, all right? I just want some time…away."

 

She clenched her jaw, hard. "And what about me? Don't I get a say?"

 

What could she say that would make him feel what he should feel for her? "It's nothing to do with you, I promise, this is me. Please don't–"

 

"When exactly did you decide on this anyway? I love you! Maybe you could've mentioned something we could fix before you went off dumping me?"

 

He had no explanation for her. "I know it's sudden, but this is just...it's...what I need. For now–"

 

Her slap nearly knocked him over. "Shut up! Shut up, shut up!" The last was more sob than words. She shoved past him and sped away, back toward the living complex. He stood, stunned, until she was out of sight.

 

Then he went to work. He had nowhere else to go.

 

His thoughts kept on racing, trying to make sense of the abruptness with which she had fallen out of that glow. Was this love? Just something that turned off one day? It had seemed like it; he'd gotten the signs and motions right, even felt it for a while. And it had been wonderful. It had been. Just...not anymore.

 

Something about the situation struck him as monstrously unfair, and he was pretty sure it wasn't him. All right, so maybe he could have lied to keep from upsetting her; maybe he should have suppressed his own wishes until he had a firmer grip on the situation, until he knew what to do. He didn't want to hurt her. That he had the power to hurt her, and badly, he had just demonstrated, but he hadn’t exactly meant to gather that power and it disturbed him to think that he could have held onto it if he'd just shut up and played to her expectations.

 

They'd genuinely enjoyed it for a while. That had to count for something. It was just that the ending needed work.

 

He wanted to leave. He'd always talked about running away with her; those plans could easily be cut down to one, and now more than ever he wanted to act on them. He didn't want to face Nyss's feelings and he couldn't be the one to comfort her anyway. Better to make a clean break. Better to leave this lousy planet, just like he'd dreamed since the day he'd arrived.

 

 

 

 

Ew…it’s broken and I don’t want it anymore…awkward…yuck. This is where young Wynston discovers that his capacity for attachment has limits. It burns out. He walks away. He does it to lovers. He’s done it to friends. He’ll do it to his family; within two months of this scene he’ll be on his way. He won't try for a serious commitment again, not for anything short of the abstract Empire. He may learn loyalty in time, but it won't be to another individual. With individuals he'll always be chasing the high of his first time and he'll always be running away before it goes anywhere, before it breaks like it did with Nyss.

 

*cough* I mean, picking up ladies is a fun pastime with no meaning outside the pleasantness of the act. Now let's move along, there's nothing to see here and there's work to do elsewhere.

 

It is always surprising, I think, to realize that one is no longer in love. The process is rarely as abrupt as this, but…sooner or later the realization sinks in, and it’s a strange prospect.

 

 

Edited November 22, 2013 by bright_ephemera

[bright_ephemera]

@irishfino,

He drops his gaze. Reality is harsh. Call me hindsight, because I feel as if I sucker punched this poor bastard.

I love this line. Geltie's confusion in the other pieces is palpable, but maintains emotional momentum.

 

@Lesa, I love the exchange at the end of the Praven piece. Because how dumb a name is that, right? Ayrs' rush to gather information is painfully realistic...but Rusk, even unknowing, was really the right person to be there afterward. Olympia's embarrassment had me grinning like an idiot.

 

@marissalf,

when Keeper opens the car door and says we're going for a trip, it'll be fun and there'll be doggy treats after, don't believe him. But I do adore the hint he drops there.

 

 

@Icerose, it aches to think of Jorgan and Rose's disappointment. However, I've gotta say, irate Garza is the best Garza.

Edited May 25, 2013 by bright_ephemera

[YoshiRaphElan]

Prompt - The Droids You're Looking For

Title - A Friend to Rely On

Class - Jedi Knight

Minor spoilers

 

 

Aaran sat cross-legged in the home he'd built for himself. It...wasn't glorious. It had taken him nearly a month to build it, all by himself, using nothing but his hands, the Force, and his lightsaber to move the wood and other materials he needed to build it. It certainly wasn't House Organa.

 

But it was home.

 

Over there, in the corner, was his sleeping mat, a small, tidy thing which was seldom used, because he either spent his nights meditating or out hunting ex-assassins or thieves. To his right was a small table with two chairs; one for him and one for a guest...if he ever had any. Behind him was a small cooler he'd asked his parents to send. It was stocked with what food and drink he needed to survive, plus a little extra, just in case of the aforementioned guests. His refresher was a hole in the ground outside.

 

And then, the last piece that made it home was...

 

Deet-beep!

 

Aaran grinned. Ah, there he was now. Stepping out of the hut, he saw the droid approaching, beeping in excitement and carrying a pile of firewood. Aaran nodded to him. Just as he was the son of famed Jedi, this droid was the product of master-minding between Aaran's father's droid, T7-O1, and Aaran's second cousin's friend Tharan Cedrax's hologram replica, Holiday.

 

"Put the wood under the window, Tate," he said.

 

"Tate" was short for T8-H4, the droid's real name. But "Tee-Eight" felt too impersonal, so Aaran had come up with a suitable replacement name. Tate it was.

 

Beep-boop! Tate replied happily.

 

He placed the firewood under the window, near the pit Aaran had built for a campfire. Then he rolled over to Aaran and beeped a question.

 

"No, I haven't been out today," Aaran said. "The Force hasn't given me an inclination of danger."

 

Dreet.

 

"Well, yeah I...guess I should do something other than sit on the floor all day." He laughed. "You're right, Tate. Tell you what, bring up Combat Protocol Aurek. I could use some exercise."

 

Tate beeped happily and activated a hologram of three combat droids. Aaran drew his lightsaber, its green light washing over the hut, and lunged.

 

 

 

The idea of T7 and Holiday having a kid was too good to pass up.

 

[alaurin]

I think I finally got caught up on my reading!

 

Comments:

 

 

 

@Bright:

around the Vierce/Dorne makeouts stage. (Yes, it seems I’m dating their entire relationship by which base they’ve made it to.)

As a hopeless romantic, I wholeheartedly support this. Also, I absolutely adore Kirsk! I get warm fuzzies anytime he makes an appearence in Vierce's life.

 

@Lesaberisa:

“Well, boss, what secret superweapon do you think we’ll run into next? I’m getting the impression the Republic has a warehouse full of designs for these things or something.”

 

I giggled unabashedly at that. It certainly felt that way.

 

“Doom Tube?” She put forth.

 

“Extinction Ray?” Two can play at this game.

 

"Biosphere Bomb?"

 

“Galaxy Buster?" I was running out of ideas.

 

She made a face and rolled her eyes at that. “Death Star?

 

I rolled my eyes right back at her. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

This made me giggle a lot! Also, your consular, Olympia...that would be so embarassing, but awwww.

 

@Marissalf: I have often wondered about a possible relationship between Keeper and the female agent. Sure he is a bit older, but the tension is there. I get the feeling he cares about her, but is very careful not to let it show.

 

@Icerose: It made me sad to see Jorgan and Rose end that way, I could feel their disappointment. Very well done indeed.

 

@Irishfino: Sorry it has taken me so long to comment on your work. I wanted the chance to read the Geltie/Ucles pieces together. I often wondered, when I had leveled my Inquisitor, whatever happened with my cult on Nar Shaddaa. I was thrilled to see you give Rylee a part of your story, even if she ended up the way she did. You have done a great job with Ucles, his determination that "kids gotta live" really shines through. I think I figured out the connection, but I think there are a couple of stories that I have missed, so I plan to go back and find them. Also, I really like Ucles' interaction with Telos. I always thought he was adorable!

 

Hope I didn't miss anyone!

 

 

 

Replies:

 

 

@Bright:

@alaurin, such a raw series, but well handled, in my opinion. Bella and Mallay both get to demonstrate the independence befitting a player character, so to speak.

Thanks, it was tough to write. I was never good at writing sad stuff, but I needed to get it out since that event has a deep impact on both of them....well, the whole family really, but so far, i am just writing about them.

 

@Lesaberisa:

@Alaurin: In the same way I enjoyed Yoshi’s story for showing what our mark our characters might leave afterwards, I really enjoy backstories (no matter whether they’re happy or sad), and seeing how they frame how the character thinks and acts going forward.

This event definitely will come into play in future stories with them which is why I knew I needed to get it done before writing much more of their present lives.

 

@Marissalf:

Alaurin, This was an intense series, and I like the glimpse we get of Bella and Mallay’s life with their family. You get a good idea of what their childhood was like and how their personalities developed.

Thanks! I wanted to show that they did have a happy childhood and are a very close family. That will never change.

 

 

 

Now for something a little more lighthearted...

 

Title: Delicate Cycle Only

Prompt: The Droids You're Looking For

Characters: Mallayse-trooper, and companions

Setting: Thunderclap

Spoilers: Nar Shaddaa trooper spoiler

 

 

 

Lieutenant Mallayse Lauren had just boarded her ship with the newest member of Havoc Squad, prototype war droid M1-4X, and was about to head to the main level when she heard her medic speak.

 

“Well, it isn’t mine,” Dorne said, “I don’t have anything lacy like that and well, um, judging from what is left of it, that would be too small for me.”

 

Puzzled at that, Mallay climbed the stairs to the main level of the ship and saw, much to her horror, Jorgan holding up one of her bras!

 

“Sergeant Jorgan! What in the void are you doing with that?!!” Mallay cried as she snatched ber bra from his hand. She could feel the blush creeping up her face.

 

“Hey, easy there sir. It was stuck to one of my shirts,” he replied. “I just found it and was asking Dorne if it was hers since it definitely didn’t belong to me!”

 

Dorne actually giggled at that, “I would think not Sergeant, pale purple isn’t a good color for you. Besides, I don’t think it would fit.”

 

“Wow Dorne, you made a joke! I didn’t know you had it in you!” Jorgan laughed. “Well played!”

 

“I am so glad you two think this is funny!” Mallay hissed, still feeling embarrassed by Jorgan in possession of her bra. It was then that she noticed the damage to it and her embarrassment was forgotten. “Stars, what happened to it?! It is completely ruined!”

 

“Well, like I said, it was stuck to one of my shirts so it probably got mixed in with the last batch of laundry. I had a whole stack of stuff on my bunk, so C2 probably did laundry while we were finishing up on Nar Shaddaa.”

 

“Dammit!” Mallay yelled, running into her quarters. Sure enough, there was a stack of freshly clean clothes on her bed. Among the clean clothes, was her bras and panties, most of which were ruined. Her lacy undergarments required gentile care in washing, something she told the C2 unit several times. After the last time he ruined one of her bras, she started keeping her underthings in a separate pile under her bed, figuring she would start washing them herself. Apparently, C2 found her stash.

 

She came out of her quarters yelling for the ship’s protocol droid.

 

“Yes master Mallay?” C2 asked as he walked in. “I see we have a new crew member and I was just introducing myself. Did you need something?”

 

“Did you find the pile of bras and panties under my bed?” Mallay asked.

 

“Well yes master, I was cleaning all of the sleeping quarters earlier when I found them under your bed. Since I was also doing laundry, I put your stuff in with the rest. I was a little puzzled at why that stuff was under your bed instead of in your hamper.”

 

“I had that stuff under my bed because I was going to wash it myself. I told you before, you have to be very gentle with ladies’ underthings.” She explained.

 

“I was gentle master, I very gently picked them up and very gently set them on top if the rest of the laundry in the washer. Is something wrong?”

 

“Yes!” Mallay held up her ruined bra, “Most of my underwear is ruined now and this one was my favorite.”

 

“Oh, I am terribly sorry. I tried to be gentle with your underclothing as you had asked.”

 

Mallay heard stifled laughter and looked over at Dorne and Jorgan who were trying, unsuccessfully, not to laugh. She glared at them and turned to C2, “From now on, please don’t touch any clothing under my bed. I'll get a basket that fits under my bed for it. You'll be able to slide the basket from under my bed when cleaning, just do not ever, ever, ever wash anything inside that basket!”

 

“How will it get clean then, master?” C2 asked.

 

“I will wash it myself.”

 

“You shouldn’t have to do that, master! I will learn to be even more gentle, I promise.”

 

“I really can’t afford the learning process,” Mallay retorted, then calmed down a little. She knew C2 only thought of pleasing others and was really trying to help. “Honestly, I don’t mind washing my stuff at all,” she assured him.

 

“I feel so awful. I have never had any trouble with master Aric’s or master Elara’s underclothing. I don’t understand why yours gives me so much trouble!” C2 pondered.

 

Mallay looked over at Dorne and Jorgan who were openly laughing now and smirked, “well I guess master Aric’s big boy panties are much tougher than mine and I'll bet that master Elara wears that hideous regulation underwear that nothing could ruin.”

 

“Men don’t wear panties,” Jorgan snorted.

 

“They aren’t really that bad…are they?” Dorne asked.

 

“Yes, yes they are,” Mallay told her as she tossed her ruined bra in the trash and headed for the exit.

 

“Where are you going?” Jorgan asked.

 

“Shopping, since we haven’t left Nar Shaddaa yet.”

 

“What about contacting Garza for debriefing?” he asked, surprised that his CO would make Garza wait. She usually takes care of that right away.

 

“Well, Sergeant Jorgan, I am down to two bras and three pairs of panties, including what I am wearing right now. That is definitely not going to be enough. So at this time, getting new underwear is more important to me than contacting General Garza.”

 

“Well sir,” Jorgan gave her a wicked grin, “The lacy purple one was really nice, you should get another one of those.” He laughed as he watched the blush creep up her face.

 

“Sir,” Dorne started, “Can I go with you?”

 

“Absolutely Elara!” Mallay grinned, “It would be an honor to welcome you to the world of non-regulation underwear! Just make sure to keep it away from C2!!”

 

 

 

Note:

 

 

All of the Lauren girls have a fondness for pretty bras and panties. I figure there must be some equivalent to Victoria's Secret in the Star Wars universe. If not, there should be!

 

 

Edited November 18, 2013 by alaurin

[Tatile]

C2 needs an upgrade, and fast. Also, if I didn't know better, I'd swear he was being a sarcastic git about being "gentle" with the lacy things.

 

(I tie my bras in pillow cases. Too many horror stories...)