From Brute to Silly: the Life of Ald

[Damask_Rose]

I'll tell you what I think after Lokin reads the datapad...

[Soteirian]

Fino,

 

I was intrigued by the Rakghoul twist. I was interested to see if Ald's love for Quinn is strong enough to get through this, and if Quinn's love for Ald would allow him to hold on to that last shred of humanity.

 

I do agree that Raghoul!Quinn forever is not gonna fly. However, I thought there would be ways to fix this. Loken is, technically, still a Rakghoul, but he's sentient and in total control of himself. And it appears that being a Rakghoul did not prevent him from romance, anyways. As long as Quinn is in total control of the situation and able to change back to full human form at will, it would seem that there can be a way to move forward with Ald/Quinn relationship.

 

Or, there is the route of an eventual cure. Republics side of the Taris story has a side plot of recreating the Rakghoul serum. This has been done 2 times before, and the Republic heroes were on their way to make it happen the 3rd time. Perhaps this wookiepedia entry can help inspire some ideas?

 

In any case, your stories are always interesting, and I have enjoyed each and every one of them. I know whatever direction you take it'll be great.

Edited January 21, 2013 by Soteirian

[irishfino]

Fino,

 

I was intrigued by the Rakghoul twist. I was interested to see if Ald's love for Quinn is strong enough to get through this, and if Quinn's love for Ald would allow him to hold on to that last shred of humanity.

 

I do agree that Raghoul!Quinn forever is not gonna fly. However, I thought there would be ways to fix this. Loken is, technically, still a Rakghoul, but he's sentient and in total control of himself. And it appears that being a Rakghoul did not prevent him from romance, anyways. As long as Quinn is in total control of the situation and able to change back to full human form at will, it would seem that there can be a way to move forward with Ald/Quinn relationship.

 

Or, there is the route of an eventual cure. Republics side of the Taris story has a side plot of recreating the Rakghoul serum. This has been done 2 times before, and the Republic heroes were on their way to make it happen the 3rd time. Perhaps this wookiepedia entry can help inspire some ideas?

 

In any case, your stories are always interesting, and I have enjoyed each and every one of them. I know whatever direction you take it'll be great.

 

You bring up a lot of good points. I think I'll take that post down and sleep on it.

 

[flails]

[Soteirian]

You bring up a lot of good points. I think I'll take that post down and sleep on it.

 

Looking forward to the next chapter.

Edited January 21, 2013 by Soteirian

[irishfino]

Reposted with a few edits at the end. Couldn't sleep, had to fix this.

 

 

Boundless Cruelty

 

 

 

The transport vessel was abandoned. Looked like it had been for years. Malavai walked forward, looking for something. Searching. It called back to the Transponder Station and Ald drew his sabers. A flash of light, a shout of surprise and pain, something jabbed into his neck. An injection. Black.

 

Blood splatter. Rage. Haze. Click. Loose. Kill. Blood. Running. Running. Dark void.

 

Talking. Someone was talking. Hazy. Wake up, they said. Come back, they said. I’m here, they said. Black.

 

***

 

Ald woke up lying on his back. He opened his eyes to a strange ceiling.

 

“Cipher, he has awakened!” said a male voice.

 

Cipher? Ald looked around. His vision was blurred, but he made out a kolto tank and another bed. He heard someone enter the room and extended his senses to determine who it was. He was met with a cold, dark void.

 

“Hello, nephew,” said a female voice. “It’s your Aunt Aldriana. We intercepted a distress call from the vessel you were on.” She walked to the bed and smiled down at him.

 

“You’re a Cipher?” was Ald’s first question. Then more. More questions. All the questions. He frowned when Aldriana snickered quietly.

 

“Slow down, dear Wrath,” she said gently. “What’s left of your crew is fine.”

 

Grief stabbed at Ald’s heart. Malavai was gone. Turned into some form of creature and on Taris with Driana and Lokin and wait. Ald blinked rapidly, trying to regain his bearings.

 

“Malavai?” Ald asked quietly. He tried to sit up and nearly vomited from a sudden wave of dizziness.

 

“Do stay down, lad,” came that male voice again. “Doctor Eckard Lokin, at your service, my Lord.”

 

“Lokin… you helped Malavai when he was a rakghoul.”

 

“Oh, dear,” Lokin murmured quietly. He bustled around a bit then came to Ald’s side and pried his lids open further. He flashed a penlight in his eyes, first right, then left. “Pupil reflex is still slow. Quite the cocktail! You’ll be up and running at full in no time, Master Wrath.”

 

“What’s happened, where’s Malavai?” Ald asked. He was quickly working himself into a panic. He reached out to the Force and was smacked with a wall of cold and a pit in his stomach. He quickly turned away from Lokin and vomited over the other side of the bed.

 

“Your Captain is alive and well!” Lokin said excitedly. “The good Lieutenant knew enough field medicine to stop the major bleeding. He’ll need a new right lung, but he’s fine and alive.”

 

“What about the virus? The – the rakghoul? Taris…” Ald flopped onto his back and groaned.

 

“You’ve been out of it for quite some time, my Lord. About three days. In that time, you’ve likely heard me speaking of my research into rakghouls. I’ve also taken the liberty of liberating the Captain of a few cells from that nasty little wound he has on his side.”

 

“He’s alive?” Hope slipped into his voice. Oh, stars, please. Please let this have been a dream. A nightmare. A drug-induced bloody panic of epic proportions.

 

“Yes, and he left you a message on your datapad. An explanation, I should hope.”

 

Lokin disappeared from sight for a few moments then returned, datapad in hand.

 

“Shall I read it to you, my Lord?” Lokin asked.

 

Ald made a noise of agreement. He still felt off. He reached to the Force again and was slapped with a hand of cold. Bitter, angry cold. He relaxed and tried to listen. He found himself drifting off again. Drifting back into that moment in time where everything seemed to go wrong.

 

As things slid into place it all felt… convenient. Too convenient.

 

Ald woke up in a cold sweat, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. He heard the groan of shifting metal, the drip of water nearby. He smelled the stench of Taris, of death, of Rakghoul. The mind was a cruel thing.

 

So very cruel.

Edited January 21, 2013 by irishfino

[Soteirian]

Oh man! You really know how to pull that punch, don't you?

It's amazing how a few words changes the entire story.

[MilaniGrey]

It was all a dreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeam!

 

*quotes self because still relevant*

[Syart]

 

You owe me a clean desk! I just choked on my coffee at Vette going totally crazy (hell hath no fury like a woman scorned) and the resultant disaster, then spilled it when Quinn turned into a zombie/rakghoul! It's a good job there's hardly anyone in work today (snow), it might be hard to explain what I was doing

 

Other than that, bloody brilliant, and I'm so pleased to see another view of Lokin

[Tatile]

Fino, I missed the first version, but you went reverse dream sequence on us! You're pure evil (in a good way).

 

Please more. Happy Ald and happy Quinn

[iamthehoyden]

I had managed to catch a brief glimpse of the original version of that, and I have to say, the 'this is all a dream' version really reduced the impact of it all. This version is much more powerful. It'll be harder to write, I'm sure, but you've kept the oomph there.

 

(I can't believe I'm actually hoping for a happy ending for Quinn...gah, Fino, stop making redeemable Quinns!)

[Vesaniae]

Oh, I like this. The emotional impact here is huge, and so very very cruel...utterly delightful.

[irishfino]

Oh man! You really know how to pull that punch, don't you?

It's amazing how a few words changes the entire story.

It only seems like I know what I'm doing, lol. Though I am glad that last paragraph had enough punch to it to erase what I had nearly done. Oh, writing, why are you so evil?

 

*quotes self because still relevant*

Dreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeam.

 

 

You owe me a clean desk! I just choked on my coffee at Vette going totally crazy (hell hath no fury like a woman scorned) and the resultant disaster, then spilled it when Quinn turned into a zombie/rakghoul! It's a good job there's hardly anyone in work today (snow), it might be hard to explain what I was doing

 

Other than that, bloody brilliant, and I'm so pleased to see another view of Lokin

Disclaimer: Writer is not responsible for destroyed property cause by drink spills, spit takes, or cups flung into the computer screen. Read at your own risk.

 

In all seriousness, I'm glad I was able to elicit such a variety of responses from you! [May or may not be enjoying this a little too much]

 

Fino, I missed the first version, but you went reverse dream sequence on us! You're pure evil (in a good way).

 

Please more. Happy Ald and happy Quinn

The first version was exactly the same, but the Ald dreaming part wasn't there so you didn't miss much.

 

I had managed to catch a brief glimpse of the original version of that, and I have to say, the 'this is all a dream' version really reduced the impact of it all. This version is much more powerful. It'll be harder to write, I'm sure, but you've kept the oomph there.

 

(I can't believe I'm actually hoping for a happy ending for Quinn...gah, Fino, stop making redeemable Quinns!)

I'm so glad I fixed it. That whole last bit bothered me so much I couldn't sleep until I fixed it. Oh, brain, you so silly.

 

As for Quinn, MUAHAHAHAHAAH! I wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin! I am the greatest!! [victory pose!]

 

Oh, I like this. The emotional impact here is huge, and so very very cruel...utterly delightful.

I'm so mean to poor Ald and Quinn. MuahahahaHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAAAH!!!

 

 

Thanks for reading everyone!!

Edited January 21, 2013 by irishfino

[irishfino]

Salt the Earth

 

 

 

Hunting always had a way of soothing him. In the jungle, it was purely survival, but here, in this moment, it was familiar and relaxing. He tried not to think of the dream. He tried not to think of reality. He tried not to think of anything outside of the thrill of the hunt. Excitement thrummed in his ears. This is what he needed. This is what called to him.

 

He returned to the burned out building with the butchered meat of a Nexu in his satchel. A few choice cuts, the meatiest and bloodiest he could manage. What he didn’t take he left for the wildlife to finish off. He heard the screech of Bogstalkers and the howls of Ferrazid hounds as the two creatures fought over the scraps.

 

Malavai was up and moving around when Ald arrived. He was agitated and pacing. Driana and Lokin were nowhere in sight, likely researching. Hopefully researching.

 

“I’ve returned,” Ald announced.

 

Malavai turned to him with those strangely glowing eyes and bared his teeth. This action surprised Ald. Was he losing Malavai so quickly?

 

“Malavai,” Ald said stiffly. That seemed to relax him. “I’ve brought you more food.”

 

“Flesh?” Malavai asked, tilting his head to the side.

 

His voice sent a shiver down Ald’s spine. So unnatural. The knot in his throat was back. He nodded and slowly approached the creature. He handed a fresh, warm chunk of bloody meat to Malavai and watched with morbid fascination as the creature tore into the meat all teeth and nails and tearing.

 

“Fresh,” Malavai said after he finished his meal. “Appreciated.”

 

Ald only nodded.

 

“Ah, you’ve returned!” Lokin said lightly.

 

Ald turned toward Lokin’s voice and waited. Waited for the old man to speak. Waited for the old man to give him hope or dash it. Waited for the old man to hand down the kill order.

 

“I have good news and bad news,” Lokin said. Ald could tell he was currently in doctor mode. Seeing patients, not people. Seeing experiments, not people. “There is a cure for the rakghoul plague here on Taris. Our dear friends in the Republic have managed to cobble together a recent cure for the Tarisian variant. That’s the good news.”

 

Ald’s heart fell into his stomach. “What’s the bad news?”

 

“What has infected your Captain is a mutated variant not found on Taris.”

 

“That’s it then?” Ald asked thickly. No, don’t breakdown. Stay calm. Stars above, stay calm.

 

“If I can get my hands on what the Republic has, I can create a serum to combat his strain, but I need a healthy test subject to infect. I suggest a Republic soldier. One is likely to carry the serum we need and would make a rather nice subject. Two Bogstalkers, one blaster bolt, as it were.”

 

“No,” Ald said quickly. “I’ll get the serum, but you will not use a Republic test subject.”

 

“I need a subject lad and the Republic won’t miss them,” Lokin argued.

 

Ald looked to Malavai. He had been listening, watching, cleaning his bloody fingers.

 

“I will be the subject.”

 

“My Lord?” Lokin queried.

 

Ald turned to Lokin, his eyes hard, his mouth set into a frown. He was being selfish, saving one man, covering up the mess at the hospital. If this could not be cured, if Malavai was doomed to the life of a Rakghoul then, dammit, he would follow him.

 

“Are you hard of hearing in your old age, doctor?” Ald asked, his tone clipped and sparking with rage.

 

“No, my Lord, certainly not,” Lokin replied. “I will… make the arrangements then. Bring me that serum as soon as possible.”

 

Lokin turned then and left them alone in this creaking, cracking, groaning room. Ald looked back to Malavai. His head was tilted to the side as if he was listening for something. Or perhaps it was confusion. He didn’t really talk much. Ald wondered if the disease was progressing faster now that it was unleashed. He took a step toward Malavai. The man bared his teeth and growled. He was losing it.

 

“Malavai,” Ald said quietly.

 

The creature pounced, tackling him to the floor. Ald heard a gun charge in the distance and saw a laser beam align itself with Malavai’s temple.

 

“Come back,” Ald begged softly. “Malavai, please, I know you’re in there. Come back.” A sob tore itself from his throat. “Please, come back.”

 

His teeth still bared, Malavai growled his words. “Containment. Cage. Can’t control.”

 

“Aldriana!” Ald shouted. “Prepare a holding cell.”

 

***

 

Finding a Republic soldier wasn’t difficult. It was so easy it was almost laughable. Finding the damn serum was the trick. He had tried asking nicely. Of course, the soldiers immediately opened fire and destroyed their vials. He killed them and moved to another group. He tracked a group of five soldiers through the marshes then picked off the straggler. A woman. He grabbed her from behind and pushed her to the ground, using his weight to hold her in place.

 

“If you’re going to do it, do it,” she said bravely.

 

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Ald murmured quietly.

 

“A man attacking a woman from behind with no intent to harm?” she scoffed.

 

“If I wanted you dead, you would be.”

 

She stiffened and wisely shut her mouth.

 

“There’s a serum to treat the rakghoul plague. All I need is one vial. You’ll leave with your life and me with my cure.”

 

“Seems too easy.”

 

“I am a man of my word,” Ald said firmly. “I will let you up. You will turn to me, you will put the vial in my hands, and you will leave. You will not follow me, you will not try to find me, you will leave with your life and I will leave with my cure.”

 

She nodded swiftly. Ald quickly let her up and held out his hand. True to her word, the soldier stood, turned, fished in a pouch on her belt, and handed him a vial.

 

“You don’t look infected,” she said calmly. She wasn’t calm, Ald could tell, but appearances were everything.

 

“I’m not,” Ald replied.

 

“Someone you care about?”

 

Ald nodded silently.

 

“Didn’t know Sith knew love.”

 

“All creatures do.” With that, he left her to stare after him and wonder what happened to a Sith that made him care about another person.

 

***

 

Ald returned to their little hidey hole in the Tarisian marshes, gave Lokin the serum, submitted to an injection of the infection plaguing Malavai, and went to Malavai’s cell. It was a cage, a barred one. He hadn’t seen one of these before, must have been old tech from before the bombardment. If that could even be called technology. Malavai was back to pacing, but now he was slightly hunched over. He was turning. How much longer? Hours, days, weeks, months? How much longer until he needed to be put down? How much longer until the end?

 

“Malavai?” Ald asked quietly.

 

The creature turned then and slammed into the cage bars, pressing its face between two bars and gnashing its teeth. Its arms reached and clawed for Ald and he stepped back. The injection site on his shoulder began to burn. It wouldn’t be long now. Ald moved to one of the beds and laid down. He stared at the strange ceiling above him and hoped that Lokin knew what he was doing.

 

***

 

Something stabbed him in the neck and jolted him awake. He reached for his sabers or, at least, tried to. His limbs were heavy and unresponsive.

 

“It’s alright, lad, it’s Doctor Lokin,” Lokin murmured quietly. “You incubated the plague quite well. I was able to manipulate the anti-bodies your body created into a serum. I’ve dosed you with both the Republic version and this version just in case. We had to sedate your Captain in order to treat him, but he’s resting now.”

 

“How long has it been?” Ald rasped. His throat was dry and his stomach rumbled. At least a day.

 

“Three days. Longest case of rakghoul incubation I have ever encountered.”

 

“Malavai?”

 

“He’ll be fine, lad, I promise.”

 

***

 

Aldriana was glad Ald was unconscious when the creature they were treating began howling and screaming in pain. It was restrained to a bed, but it was trying its damnedest to get off, to get up, to lash out and kill what was hurting him. Lokin was as calm as ever, chatting with the creature, telling it stories of his time as a Rakghoul. The transformation back to human was always painful and the aches and pains lasted at least a day, for the creature perhaps longer. Perhaps the pain would always be there, but it was a damn sight better than being an uncontrollable beast, yes? Oh, yes, oh, yes it was. His placating words didn’t seem to have an effect on the creature, more beast than man by this point. Lokin talked anyway, perhaps to keep himself calm, perhaps to impart knowledge into the man that was fighting underneath the beast. Perhaps to impart hope into an utterly hopeless situation.

 

She watched silently as the creature stilled and stopped its foul screeching.

 

“Captain?” Lokin hedged.

 

The creature turned its head toward Lokin and stared for a few moments. Progress! Glorious progress. Lokin very nearly danced. He did start humming and there was a little more bounce to his step than usual, but no outright dancing.

 

“Am I dreaming?” the creature asked. No. The man asked. The Captain.

 

“I’m afraid not,” Lokin said somberly.

 

“Ald?”

 

“Is recovering. His health is teetering a bit, but he will regain consciousness in a few days.” Lokin smiled down at the Captain. “The lad voluntarily took a dose of rakghoul plague to assist with the development of the serum to cure you. Luckily for you both, the serum needed little modification to be viable for treating you. Also luckily for the two of you, I know a lot about rakghoul and treating the disease.”

 

The glow in his white eyes dimmed a little. Over the next few days, his irises and pupils would darken to their normal color, while his skin slowly turned back to its normal paleness. He still craved raw meat, but a lightly seared steak was just as good. It brought comfort to Lokin and Aldriana and he didn’t mind the taste anymore. He did mind the pain. That wound of his, that festering damn thing was always painful, but now he felt as if the thing covered his body. In a way it had covered him from head to toe and now his body was recovering.

 

By the third day, the pain had lessened to a constant, yet dull ache similar to the flu. The wound in his side had healed, but the site remained a strange grey color. Lokin wasn’t sure if the skin would ever return to its natural hue, but that didn’t really matter anymore. He was as normal as normal could get after such an encounter and damned if he was going to complain about a little discoloration.

 

Malavai sat by Ald’s bed and waited for him to wake up. Willed him to wake up. He wanted to hold him. He wanted to sweep the man into his arms and spin around until he was so dizzy they fell to the ground, laughing and trying not to vomit. He wasn’t strong enough yet, but soon he would be and he would sweep Ald off his feet and run away from this place. Speed through the marshes to the ship, get off this planet and head somewhere nice. Ignore the war for just a little while. Relax. Breathe.

 

“Malavai?” Ald asked quietly.

 

He blinked and focused his eyes on Ald. “I am here, my Lord.”

 

Ald’s face screwed up as he sobbed. His voice. Oh, stars, his voice was back to normal. He looked normal. Oh, please, oh, please, don’t be a dream. Malavai was there at his side, comforting him, wiping away tears, murmuring gentle encouraging words.

 

“You’re awake, my Lord,” Malavai murmured gently. “And so I am. The nightmare is over.”

 

Ald sobbed harder and rolled toward him. He buried his face in Malavai stomach and wrapped his arms around his waist. He was warm. He was so warm and solid and there and stars he missed this. He missed him. He hated seeing him in pain. He hated hearing his shouts. He hated feeling his pain through the Force. He could feel him now. Whole. Warm. Here. Ald sobbed and was grateful for Malavai’s comforting. He was grateful for another chance.

 

The nightmare was over and they were whole.

 

 

 

Notes:

 

 

Thanks for putting up with my shenanigans. I felt as if I had written myself into a corner and couldn't get out. There was lots of flailing involved, but, in the end, I'm glad I went back and changed the piece before this. I hope this made sense, lol.

 

Edited January 21, 2013 by irishfino

[Tatile]

Oh.

 

That was just...

 

*sniffle*

 

They're so in love.

 

(I need happy tears emote - lots.)

Edited January 21, 2013 by Tatile

[Vesaniae]

D'awwwww. I do love teary reunions.

[irishfino]

Oh.

 

That was just...

 

*sniffle*

 

They're so in love.

 

(I need happy tears emote - lots.)

Ald loves Malavai more than he could ever express. And Malavai loves Ald (and finally told him) more than he could ever express. They're rather sappy and it's a bit weird. And adorable. Weirdoarble.

 

D'awwwww. I do love teary reunions.

Heeheee, you would.

 

 

Thanks for reading everyone!!

[irishfino]

Hunger

 

 

Ald was very tired and, when he was awake, he was very clingy. Malavai had only seen him like this one other time: when he had the Corellian flu. Ald had been rather adamant that he didn’t get sick even when it was rather obvious he was ill. He continued to deny being sick through coughing, sneezing, abnormal sleeping habits, soreness, and grumpiness until Malavai offered to take care of him personally. The shift in attitude was rather hilarious.

 

“No point in hovering over him, lad,” Lokin said as he entered the substitute medbay.

 

“You are entitled to your opinion, Doctor Lokin,” Malavai said stiffly. He didn’t want to leave Ald’s side. He had promised he wouldn’t. He knew Ald wouldn’t have liked him taking his promise quite so literally, but he had to make sure this wasn’t a dream or the afterlife or whatever. He wanted this to be reality and, for now at least, it was.

 

“His fever is unlikely to break for a few days,” Lokin said conversationally. Malavai could hear him moving around in cabinets and drawers as he looked for something. “How are you feeling, by the way?”

 

“Tired, sore, disoriented,” Malavai listed. He turned to Lokin and jumped. That thing was Lokin, right? Without a blaster and with Ald sleeping, he was defenseless if this creature just so happened to be a very angry Rakghoul.

 

“Calm down, lad,” the hulking beast said with a slight laugh.

 

“You can talk!?”

 

“Of course!” Lokin said with a laugh. It was Lokin, right? "I can sense your fear in this form, you know? It’s quite interesting what you can feel, smell, taste when you’re a different person. When you’re a beast, an animal, something that runs on pure instinct. It’s amazing.”

 

“You can control this?” Malavai asked, astonished and scared in the same breath.

 

“I can, yes. Part of an experiment you see and, well, I was the best test subject available at the time.”

 

“You willingly – why would you ever – what is wrong with you?”

 

The creature laughed then hunched over and growled. Malavai jumped from his seat and placed himself between the creature and Ald as much as he could. But the creature never charged forward, instead its muscles bulged, its body quivered, its whole form began to shift and change into something more… human. It took seconds, but it felt like hours to Malavai as he watched, slightly panicked and thinking at speeds that turned his brain to mush. Malavai swiftly turned around when Lokin’s nude body came into focus. He heard the doctor chuckle.

 

“My transformation into a Rakghoul was both complete and voluntary,” Lokin said conversationally. He smiled at Malavai when he turned around. “There are side-effects, however. Cravings for one. You may find yourself craving flesh of any kind. Most notably, the flesh of those around you. As time goes on, this should lessen, but your case is so unique I cannot say whether it will fully disappear or be a part of your life until the day you die. It’s rather easy to manage as the taste of cooked meat no longer disturbs you. As for Master Ald, he will be feverish and sore for at least a week. Similar to the flu, if he’s ever had it. But, he will recover and he will suffer no side-effects. The two of you shall evermore be immune to the Rakghoul plague on Taris and its Balmorran counterpart. I’ve created a few extra vials for you to administer to your crew and will give you those before you depart. Any questions for me?”

 

“The cure itself, what will you do with the formula?”

 

Lokin chuckled. “Worried I’ll cut you out of the profits?”

 

“Worried you’ll try to bankrupt the Empire by charging for something that would give us an edge on Balmorra,” Malavai replied briskly.

 

“Don’t forget Taris!”

 

Malavai bared his teeth and growled quietly.

 

“Oh, my, you’re still a bit… beastly, aren’t you? That should wear off soon!”

 

Malavai quickly composed himself and turned his back to Lokin. No one needed to see him like this, not even the man who had cured him.

 

“I require privacy,” he said stiffly. He bent over and picked up the satchel next to him. Nexu meat.

 

“Of course, lad, of course.”

 

He didn’t bother turning to ensure Lokin left. He picked out a bite sized chunk of meat, still fresh and bloody, and popped it into his mouth. He was both delighted and sickened by the way the creature’s blood slid down the back of his throat. It sated him. It disgusted him. It balanced him. He hated how much he enjoyed it. He hated the beast within.

 

Above all, he hated putting Ald in such a position. He could never repay such a gift. Ald would never try to collect, but it was there.

 

And he hated it.

Edited January 22, 2013 by irishfino

[iamthehoyden]

Salt the Earth

That was good stuff. The sacrifice and risk involved, how far Ald was willing to go. Quinn's reaction to waking back up. Good stuff (Also, you really got Lokin's voice down.)

 

Hunger

“You willingly – why would you ever – what is wrong with you?”

Lol, ah yes, Lokin's little...uh...issue.

Also, the idea of Quinn being a little less controlled, a little more "beastly" as Lokin says is interesting.

[Jenovan]

Just mainlined this in a sitting and not regretting it a bit. Ald is a fascinating character -- so Sith and yet so silly at times -- and I _love_ the way you write Quinn. Brilliant stuff. I'll be over here camping out for more.

[irishfino]

Salt the Earth

That was good stuff. The sacrifice and risk involved, how far Ald was willing to go. Quinn's reaction to waking back up. Good stuff (Also, you really got Lokin's voice down.)

 

Hunger

“You willingly – why would you ever – what is wrong with you?”

Lol, ah yes, Lokin's little...uh...issue.

Also, the idea of Quinn being a little less controlled, a little more "beastly" as Lokin says is interesting.

I'm glad I got Lokin's voice down. My agent hasn't had the time or means to buy his love, so I had to look up most of his conversations on youtube, lol.

 

Just mainlined this in a sitting and not regretting it a bit. Ald is a fascinating character -- so Sith and yet so silly at times -- and I _love_ the way you write Quinn. Brilliant stuff. I'll be over here camping out for more.

Ald maintains a strange balance of levity and Sithiness that confuses just about everyone around him. It's a bit hilarious to put him in various situations with Quinn just to see what happens. Shenanigans. Just. All the shenanigans.

 

As for Quinn, I'm glad you like how I portray him. He's a right bother to pin down and keep (mostly) in character. He has his moments, lol.

 

 

Thanks for reading everyone!!

[irishfino]

Containing the Beast

 

 

Ald was up and moving a day later, still feverish and tired, but rather insistent that he move. That he stand. That he breathe. He was awake. He could tell. When he reached to the Force it reached back, circling first around his toes, then his ankles, his knees, his thighs, his waist, his fingers, his wrists, his elbows, his chest and shoulders, then, at long last, his head. It gave him clarity. It gave him focus. It gave him reason to keep pushing. Malavai, however, was still out of sorts and still acting strangely. He wondered if the changes he saw in Malavai would be permanent. He wondered if they could be lessened. He wondered if they could be dealt with. For him, Ald would have turned into a great slavering beast, insatiable in its bloodlust and brutality. Perhaps he would have become a Nekghoul due to his sensitivity. It didn’t matter now, not when Malavai was on the mend. Not when Malavai was here, uncaged and in control. Not when the chaos and uncertainty Vette had both wittingly and unwittingly unleashed was finally dulling to a scuffle.

 

Vette.

 

That foul creature. That poor fool. He hadn’t had the time to think, to grieve, to rage. He had been too focused on keeping Malavai alive to bother entertaining such morbid thoughts. Thoughts of death. Thoughts of rage. Thoughts of loss. He hated her. He hated what she had become. He hated that he drove her to such extremes. He hated losing her. She had been with him the longest. Through her chirping and annoyances, she always had his back. She loved him. Perhaps the timing had simply been off. He was fresh from his trials, eager to prove himself in the greater galaxy. Eager to serve the Sith and the Imperials, to bring some sort of harmony between the two castes. And, if he were brutally honest, she really wasn’t his type. She was mouthy and sarcastic, charming in her own way, but it was all a mask to hide from whatever pained her. Still, he considered her a close friend and confidant. It was his undoing. But he needed the balance, he needed her and, in his weakness, he told her everything. In his weakness, he held her close and whispered sweet nothings into her ear until she was putty in his arms. In his weakness, he took her into his bed and claimed her for himself. In his weakness, he failed.

 

Ald rolled from the dingy cot he was lying on and stood, stretching his muscles and rolling his joints as he walked to what could be called a living area. He never paid much attention to the details of this room. He would blame his fever were it not for the fact that he simply didn’t care about anything, but Malavai. The man was by his side the moment he entered the room. He was admonishing him about something. Getting out of bed too soon, getting out of bed while feverish, getting out of bed period. He chuckled as Malavai led him to a chair and helped him sit down. He couldn’t help the goofy grin spreading across his face nor could he hide the love in his eyes. Malavai blushed while continuing his speech on properly caring for a sick Sith Lord, which included staying in bed and no activities, don’t even ask, I know you would. He laughed quietly. Malavai knew him so well. He loved him. So very, very much.

 

“-I love you, Ald, but you are my patient right now and I do not make exceptions, are we clear?” Malavai asked stiffly.

 

Ald blinked then grinned. “I tuned you out until I heard ‘I love you’,” he said lightly.

 

Malavai face palmed. “My Lord,” he paused and sighed. “Very well. I will repeat myself. I need you to stay in bed unless you are getting up to relieve yourself. Aldriana is here if you need assistance. Just shout and she will come. You need to rest and stay in bed. Meals will be brought to you, but you must stay in bed.” He shook his head. “Please, stay in bed. I will return shortly.”

 

“Where are you going?” Ald asked.

 

“Hunting,” Malavai stated simply.

 

Ald frowned. “I want to come.”

 

“You are too sick and this – Ald you – let me start over.” Malavai closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled. When he felt calm enough, he opened his eyes and focused his stare on Ald. “Doctor Lokin knows what being a Rakghoul and being a man entails. While I am unlikely to develop his tendency to turn into a hulking beast, there are still… side-effects to nearly becoming one. You have already done so much for me. Please, please rest.”

 

“For you,” Ald said quietly.

 

“For both of us,” Malavai said firmly. “I will return shortly.”

 

“Be careful.”

 

“I always am, my Lord.”

 

***

 

Hunting with Lokin had been a strangely enlightening experience. The man knew Taris well and, for the most part, the Rakghoul left him alone. Lokin, in his human form, was very mild mannered and calm. In his Rakghoul form, while controlled, he was a monster. He was all claws and teeth and howling as he chased and terrorized his prey. Malavai was mesmerized. And scared. Is this what he would have become? This – this hulking monstrosity ruled by instinct and primal rage. He watched as Lokin tore into a Nexu and was dismayed by the splattering of blood so close to his person. Until he smelled it. His nostrils flared as the stench of blood and death filled the air surrounding him. He shuddered and took a step forward. He wanted to kill. He wanted to tear, to shred. To devour. He felt different. He could feel the pulse of the planet in his feet. He could feel his blood pumping to every extremity. He could hear his synapses firing. He felt different. He felt alive. He was no longer a reluctant participant in the hunt. He was unleashed. More beast than man. More man than most. He gave in to instinct, to desire. To the thrill of the hunt. And it satisfied him. Wholly.

 

***

 

Ald could smell the blood on him when he returned. It was no surprise, really. He was covered from head to toe in blood and gore from his prey. It was a Nexu when the hunt started, it was a smear of crushed bones and flayed meat by the end of it. He seemed more at home covered in blood with his hunger sated than he ever had reviewing census data.

 

“How did your hunt go?” Ald asked the bloodied man before him.

 

“Quite well, my Lord,” Malavai replied.

 

“You seem satisfied.”

 

“I am, though a shower wouldn’t be remiss.”

 

“Did it help?” Ald asked quietly.

 

“Immensely, my Lord,” Malavai replied, a slight shudder in his voice. “Immensely.”

 

“I’m glad.”

 

Malavai bowed slightly. “I will return in a few moments, my Lord. The desire to make myself presentable to polite company is overwhelming.”

 

“Go, then. We can talk when you return,” Ald said with a smile.

 

“As you decree, my Lord.”

 

When Ald was sure he was alone, he jumped from his seat and ran to his supply pack. He pulled out his datapad then ran back to his seat before anyone noticed. The extra effort tired him, but it would be worth it once he had everything arranged. He had never doubted his purpose in life, but, for the first time in a long time, he was happy he had been more brute than man for a significant portion of his life. The rewards had been boundless and, even now, he could draw upon his experiences to help those around him.

 

He couldn’t wait to be on the hunt again. And with Malavai in tow, nothing would stop them. He was only sad he couldn’t be more excited. As his lids grew heavy, he smiled. Things could only move forward from here.

 

 

 

Notes:

 

 

It's four thirty in the morning and the servers are about to go offline for maintenance, but my body would not allow me to sleep until I satisfied my urge to write. Even still, it's urging me on, its siren song drawing me ever forward into an aching void of tiredness.

 

So sleepy, but must - write - more.

 

[Vesaniae]

Love the paragraph about Vette. There's a lot of emotion there, and it comes across really well.

[iamthehoyden]

I agree with Ves, that paragraph on Vette was good. He had to deal with that eventually (and may yet again in the future) - his role in her...trying to come up with the right word...I'd say fall to the dark side if she were Force-sensitive, ah well, let's go with that...fall to the dark side.

[Tatile]

Ald at some point has to address the fact that he used her, both before and after Quinn, without regard to her feelings or state of mind.

 

Vette suffered from Quinn's betrayal not only for herself but for Ald as well. It's a shame, really. Ald comes across as devoutly selfless to Quinn, but in a way that sacrifice is a selfishness in itself.

[irishfino]

Love the paragraph about Vette. There's a lot of emotion there, and it comes across really well.

Why thank you! Ald is surprisingly emotional. Ya know, for a Sith Lord, lol.

 

I agree with Ves, that paragraph on Vette was good. He had to deal with that eventually (and may yet again in the future) - his role in her...trying to come up with the right word...I'd say fall to the dark side if she were Force-sensitive, ah well, let's go with that...fall to the dark side.

He still has a lot to deal with when it comes to Vette and what they did to each other: him using her and her striking out at what he loved. In the end, they were both very Sith-y.

 

Ald at some point has to address the fact that he used her, both before and after Quinn, without regard to her feelings or state of mind.

 

Vette suffered from Quinn's betrayal not only for herself but for Ald as well. It's a shame, really. Ald comes across as devoutly selfless to Quinn, but in a way that sacrifice is a selfishness in itself.

Ald knows and will get a hand from a rather unlikely candidate when dealing with his internal fallout.

 

 

Thanks for reading everyone!!

Edited January 24, 2013 by irishfino