Defiant Devotion

[JennyFlynn]

37: Welcome to Raider’s Cove.

 

 

While eyeing the odd bird like creature, Me’ghan smirked and licked her lips “Oh I don’t know… the feathers could present a problem but if we pluck those and suspend him over a fire he might make for a delicious meal.”

 

She playfully elbowed Arielle and winked “What do you say, Captain?”

 

Behind them Lord Scourge simply rolled his eyes while Malavai Quinn maintained a calm posture and scanned the area to see if anybody was watching them. For some reason the people of Rishi believed Arielle to be the fearsome Captain of a pirate gang named The Red Hulls, no doubt an elaborate ruse in Quinn’s opinion and Me’ghan had quickly caught on as she played her part.

 

Arielle folded her arms and feigned a yawn “Oh I don’t know, I’ve never really had an appetite for his kind. I’d prefer something a little more, meaty.”

 

The Rishii named Qaraah swallowed hard and gave her a wide eyed look “We’re all friends here, right? No need for massacres or cannibalism here.”

 

“Uh well except for Gorro I guess” he scratched behind his head “He’s been saying you’d show up and that he’d love to take you on. But he doesn’t speak for the rest of us!”

 

“And where can I find this Gorro?” Arielle tried her hardest to sound menacing as Me’ghan bit back a chuckle.

 

“The cantina, probably. He hangs out there a lot!” Qaraah pointed up ahead “They serve good food there, no need to eat anyone!”

 

Lord Scourge snarled at the peculiar Rishii as they walked on and Me’ghan finally started to giggle.

 

“Wow. Whoever’s behind this sure gave you one hell of a reputation Eliza.”

 

Arielle laughed “Yeah, can’t wait to meet this Gorro” her eyes fell on one of the boutiques nearby “Should we dress the part?”

 

“No.” Lord Scourge and Quinn cried out almost in unison.

 

“That means yes.” Me’ghan wriggled her brows and dragged Arielle along inside.

 

Twenty minutes later they both re-emerged in a brand new getup. A dark brown leather tricorn hat sat atop Arielle’s head while she wore a thin white tunic she’d tied together just above her bellybutton and dark brown leather buccaneer pants with black laced up boots on her feet. Me’ghan wore a similar ensemble though without the hat and whereas Arielle’s getup was in white and brown, hers was fully black with a burgundy red top instead.

 

Lord Scourge glared at Arielle and shook his head though half a smile curled around the corner of his mouth “Really?”

 

“Hey mind the attitude” she grinned as they carried on towards the cantina “I’m your Captain now, remember? Be nice and I might throw you an arm or a leg later on.”

 

“And here I thought you were my apprentice.”

 

“You’ve been training?” Quinn cut in as they turned onto the boardwalk.

 

“A little yeah. I managed to light a candle the other day, with my powers… but then I also set one of my plants on fire which spread to the drapes so it needs a little work.”

 

“I may have something that could help you.” he offered “Some of your grandfather’s old belongings. I’m not sure what exactly, it’s all inside a chest we can’t seem to open but perhaps you can.”

 

“I’ll get it to you when we’re done here.”

 

“Thanks.” Arielle smiled while they reached the cantina “Alright, let’s find this Gorro.”

 

As it turned out the rodian named Gorro and two of his friends were already awaiting Arielle’s arrival and stuck firmly to their belief she was a cannibalistic pirate Captain, eventually giving her no other choice but to end him when he drew his weapons on her and the others. He’d given them little else to go on but the cantina’s owner Kareena suggested Kai Zykken, leader of a local gang, may have been responsible for setting Gorro on their path and so the foursome took off again to track Kai Zykken down by interrogating several members of his crew.

 

“It would be nice if one of these scoundrels gave up a location.” Arielle huffed as she elbowed one of the men in his face and knocked him out.

 

“Yeah this is getting tiresome” Me’ghan agreed and looked around until she spotted a half drunken man stumble out of the cantina they’d visited “wait here.”

 

“Oi that’s me rum that is give it back you foul woman!” the man protested as Me’ghan snatched the bottle of booze he carried from his hand and rolled her eyes.

 

“Tell me where I can find your boss first.”

 

He gave her a blank stare as he made continued attempts to take the bottle back from her and it wasn’t until she mentioned Zykken by name that the man seemed to even understand who she meant.

 

“Zykken’s in the warehouse over there” he pointed over her shoulder and when Me’ghan looked behind her, he quickly took the bottle back and muttered “stupid wench.”

 

Me’ghan spun back to him and had half a mind to kill him on the spot but he already stumbled away again so she decided he wasn’t worth the bother. Instead she called Arielle, Quinn and Lord Scourge over and the four of them headed towards the warehouse.

 

For some reason Kai Zykken seemed under the impression he owed the Red Hulls some credits, credits he couldn’t afford to pay them which was why he’d hired Gorro to finish the crew off. While nervously trying to come up with ways of saving his own hide, Zykken eventually proposed that rather than paying them what he owed, he’d tell them who tipped him off on their arrival and Arielle accepted only to hear that the scrawny man before them had the message on his datapad, one they’d have to go retrieve themselves.

 

“Why do I get the feeling that someone out there is having a terribly amusing time at our expense as we run around here following one ridiculous lead after another?” Lord Scourge growled as Arielle pulled Zykken’s datapad from the lockbox.

 

“You’re probably right.”

 

She handed the pad over to Quinn who connected it to a nearby holoterminal and as they watched the message Kai Zykken had received, Arielle and Me’ghan gave each other a knowing look.

 

“Lana.” they both called out.

 

“Are you sure?” Quinn frowned.

 

“Definitely. That wave of her hand as she spoke with Zykken is a dead giveaway for any Force user.” Arielle nodded.

 

“And I recognized her eyes too—Lana does have a knack for wearing far too much eyeliner.” Me’ghan smirked “Which means Theron is likely the one who hacked my ship’s computer system and entered the coordinates for Rishi.”

 

“But why such an elaborate ruse? Why not just invite us here the way they have before?” Quinn wondered.

 

“Beats me” Me’ghan shrugged “Agents and their undercover stuff I guess. We’ll find out when we find them.”

 

“They’re not far from here…” Arielle mused sensing Lana’s signature as she reached out through the Force.

 

“Good. I tire of these games, let’s go.” Lord Scourge grunted.

 

They soon reached a quieter section of Raider’s Cove and Arielle inclined her head towards a near hidden entrance door in the far back but before they were able to take another step further an angry looking Whiphid approached demanding retribution for his lost brother Gorro. Lord Scourge quickly made work of him and sent the beaten and bruised creature on his way to let other locals know not to mess with the Red Hulls any further.

 

“Theron!” Arielle waved enthusiastically as he and Lana appeared to welcome them.

 

She rushed over and flung herself into his arms before wrapping Lana into a kind embrace as well “I’m so glad to see you both, I’ve been worried ever since I woke up on Manaan and found you gone!”

 

“It’s good to see you up and about again as well Arielle.” Lana favored her with a gentle smile.

 

“Eliza.” she corrected.

 

“That’s new.” Theron noted as he hugged her once more and then welcomed the other three “Let’s get inside, there’s a lot we need to tell all of you.”

 

Once within the safe house and away from prying eyes and ears, Lana and Theron began filling the other four in on everything they’d gone through since going into hiding.

 

“We need to go after the pirates that run things on Rishi—the Nova Blades. They butcher entire starship crews and enslave anyone on Rishi who stands in their way. And now we’ve learned that they’re working with the Revanites.” Theron began to explain.

 

“The Nova Blades are being sent to attack trade lanes in very specific areas. They’ve gradually remapped quite a bit of stellar traffic, it’s all very strange.” Lana added as she poured everyone a glass of ice cold water.

 

“Sorry, it’s the best we’ve got for now.” she apologized for the cheap drinks.

 

“You’re fine” Me’ghan waved her apology off with a smile “So do we know what exactly they’re up to?”

 

“Not yet and that’s where all of you, the Red Hulls, come into play.” Theron sat back in his chair with a satisfied grin.

 

“Ah now I see” Quinn thought carefully “A cover of pirate rivalry so we won’t fall under the Revanites’ suspicions.”

 

“Correct.”

 

“You couldn’t have just called me and said ‘hey when you get here, pretend to be a pirate’?” Arielle laughed “And cannibalism, really?”

 

“We needed you, all of you, to sell it which you did masterfully.” Lana pointed out “The cannibalism though, that part was Jakarro’s idea. He decided you needed a fearsome signature move.”

 

“Of course he did.”

 

“Where’s our favorite fleabag anyways?” Me’ghan asked as she looked around the small home.

 

“Running some errands and getting us new supplies… we’re out of basically everything.” Theron got up “Where will the four of you be staying?”

 

“Uh” Arielle eyed the rest of the group “I don’t think we expected to be here for long, we may have to look into a nearby hotel.”

 

“Alright well, why don’t you guys go ahead and get things sorted out and we’ll meet back here in two hours to go over the mission details.”

 

Arielle thought for a moment “Actually… I was hoping you and I could talk first, privately?”

 

“Sure.” Theron nodded “Let’s go for a walk then.”

[Lunafox]

Yay! A new chapter to read on this grim rainy day we're having here. And Rishi is the perfect cure for that.

 

 

The cannibal jokes never get old do they lol. I'm enjoying the friendship developing between Me'ghan and Eliza/Arielle.

Also liked how they picked up on Lana from the message, it wasn't quite the mystery Bioware intended was it? I loved the crack about her eyeliner. I just think it's funny, all this cloak and dagger stuff, only for them to come out and meet in broad daylight. It's like, 'Arielle...I don't think they heard you on the next island', when she sees Theron

 

I can also see Jakarro suggested the bit about the cannibals. Fearsome signature indeed I'm looking forward to the next part and Arielle's chat with Theron. ^^ Thanks for the lovely read.

 

[JennyFlynn]

 

 

The cannibal jokes never get old do they lol. I'm enjoying the friendship developing between Me'ghan and Eliza/Arielle.

Also liked how they picked up on Lana from the message, it wasn't quite the mystery Bioware intended was it? I loved the crack about her eyeliner. I just think it's funny, all this cloak and dagger stuff, only for them to come out and meet in broad daylight. It's like, 'Arielle...I don't think they heard you on the next island', when she sees Theron

 

 

 

Lol! I love Rishi. It's unfortunate that it's mostly generic for all classes compared to the original story arcs but I still get SO excited whenever one of my characters reaches that point in game. I still love the cannibal jokes, I seriously frowned and then laughed hard the first time I did that but there is some silliness too yeah. I mean obviously I was expecting them to reappear at some point so it really wasn't hard to figure out who these mysterious leads were leading to and when my fiance and I reached the point of seeing the message on Zykken's datapad, I actually said to him "That's Lana haha. Look at the eyes and thick eyeliner".. figured I'd sneak that in lol. And you're right.. I mean on the Republic side at least you go inside the safehouse first and meet them there but if you're Imperial, they meet you outside like okay wth haha.

 

 

Thanks.

[MishaCantu]

Yes, grey and rainy here also. Nice to think of the warmth of Rishi on this gloomy day.

 

 

I had to laugh when Me'ghan mentioned Lana's eyeliner, it is so true. I found that whole pirate thing a little silly but it was a lighter side to the story and Kai Zykken is such a dweeb. Scourge, just being over the whole thing and wanting it to end is so like him. And of course, Theron. Can't go wrong with Quinn, Scourge and Theron in the same chapter. Looking forward to his and Arielle's discussion.

 

[JennyFlynn]

Yes, grey and rainy here also. Nice to think of the warmth of Rishi on this gloomy day.

 

 

I had to laugh when Me'ghan mentioned Lana's eyeliner, it is so true. I found that whole pirate thing a little silly but it was a lighter side to the story and Kai Zykken is such a dweeb. Scourge, just being over the whole thing and wanting it to end is so like him. And of course, Theron. Can't go wrong with Quinn, Scourge and Theron in the same chapter. Looking forward to his and Arielle's discussion.

 

Lol I *loved* the pirate thing on Rishi and fully embraced it. Actually told my fiance to wait up cos I had to go find a new outfit to continue questing in... I wouldn't have minded staying there longer but I guess that's a combination of the planet's look itself as well as the enjoyment I had working with Theron. Still want a Rishi Stronghold.

 

Thanks for the feedback Misha.

[JennyFlynn]

38: Heirlooms.

 

Arielle held her breath as she watched Theron’s face, inspecting it closely for any hint as to how he felt but he gave away nothing and she could feel herself growing more insecure.

 

“Please, say something, anything. Get mad if that’s what you’re feeling…” she finally sighed after minutes of silence.

 

He clasped her hand and led her down a small and obscured path leading towards the shore and sat down on one of the boulders by the waterside.

 

“I’m not mad. At least not with you and I’m not surprised either Ari—Eliza. I’m worried.” Theron said at last as he invited her to sit beside him “The Empire is no joke and if Satele’s deception hurt you this bad, how will you survive among the Sith who do nothing but lie and manipulate?”

 

“It’s different.”

 

Arielle removed her tricorn hat and ran her hands through her hair to get some volume back into her locks “With the Sith I can pretty much count on it, I know that but Satele? I looked up to her, I wanted to be just like her, she once meant a lot to me and for a long time she was the closest thing I had to a parent…”

 

“To be betrayed by someone like that, someone you’ve trusted all your life, who you’d trust with your life… that’s what hurts and what makes it different. You know?”

 

Theron nodded as his expression turned into a sad frown “It’s an odd thing for me but I’m going to miss you.”

 

“Why is that odd?” Arielle gave him a quizzical look.

 

“I’m a loner and workaholic. I don’t do friendships normally… I have one best friend and that’s it. And you’re…”

 

She giggled at the way he fumbled with his words suddenly “A pain in your as.s?”

 

“No” Theron chuckled “No it’s just, we haven’t known each other for that long but…”

 

“That hardly matters” she shrugged “at least not to me. I know I tend to cling on to people quickly but with you it’s like…”

 

“Yes?”

 

Arielle playfully nudged his arm with her fist “Well I’ve just felt at ease with you from the start and I consider you my friend… heck in a way you’re almost like a brother to me.”

 

Theron gave her an awkward laugh “Right, yeah no of course that’s, that’s exactly what I meant to say too.”

 

“I just didn’t want to sound presumptuous or anything…” he rubbed his forehead and fiddled with his implants.

 

“Don’t be silly” her smile was genuine as she gave him a sideways glance “So you really don’t have any other friends? What about you and Lana, you must have been close over the past few weeks?”

 

“Too close for comfort at times” he snorted “I mean no offense but at the end of the day she’s still Sith and I sleep with one eye open.”

 

“Sensible I suppose, I can’t say I fully trust her either…” Arielle pondered her train of thoughts “Well what about women then? Or men perhaps. You know, someone special? Surely there’s been someone in your life at one point or another, you’re not exactly bad looking. No damsels in distress during some super spy mission?”

 

Theron laughed loudly and shook his head “Women, but no I leave the damsels to my best friend. I’m not really the dating and relationship sort… had a few dates here and there in the past but nothing serious and this job does complicate things.”

 

“Ah well” Arielle rose to her feet and put her hat back on “Maybe some day you know? I’m sure out there in the galaxy there’s at least one woman who’s perfect for you and when you meet her, none of the other stuff like work will even matter.”

 

“Maybe.” he stared up at the twinkle in her eyes.

 

“I mean, I used to think relationships were fine for others but never for me and then… well Scourge came along and now look at me. I couldn’t be happier.”

 

“Right.” Theron got up and looked away back towards the path they’d walked earlier “Speaking of which, we should probably head back to the safehouse.”

 

Arielle linked her arm with his and beamed as she squinted against the sunlight “You know, maybe we can set up a secure channel to keep in touch when all this is over? I don’t know how it would work in the long run but…”

 

“We can try.” Theron agreed.

 

“So you’re really not mad or hating me right now?”

 

“I’m just going to miss you… and don’t take this the wrong way but I’m also going to make sure I have a rescue plan ready for you incase things don’t work out in the Empire.”

 

Arielle grinned “I can accept that.”

 

 

—————————————————————————————————

 

 

“They seem close. That doesn’t make you uncomfortable?” Quinn inclined his head towards Arielle and Theron in the distance as he appeared next to Lord Scourge.

 

“I trust her.”

 

“Yeah,” Me’ghan joined them as well “but do you trust him?”

 

“Never.” Lord Scourge smirked “But I trust in his desire to stay alive.”

 

He turned back inside the safehouse and eyed the large dufflebag Quinn had brought “Is that the stuff you brought for Eliza? There’s some serious dark power emanating from whatever’s inside.”

 

“Me’ghan said the same… I should still give it to her though, right? Do you think she can handle it?”

 

“She’ll be fine. She’s been doing a lot better, almost as though making a choice was the key to balance.”

 

“So how exactly will she be joining the Empire? Last I heard the Council wanted her dead and Scourge is considered a traitor, no offense.” Lana smiled as she overheard their conversation and couldn’t help her curiosity.

 

“We don’t know yet. Eliza said she wants to focus on this business with the Revanites first but I’ve considered speaking to the Council on her behalf…” Me’ghan admitted.

 

“Vowrawn wouldn’t be too happy though, at first but I think he’s smart enough to understand her value.” she added.

 

“Whose value?” Arielle asked as she and Theron walked in.

 

“Yours, to the Empire once the time is right.”

 

“Well they can either accept me or I’ll just burn the place to the ground.” Arielle joked but she was met with serious frowns instead “Kidding. Mostly. It’s always an unintentional possibility.”

 

“Speaking of which, maybe this will help.” Quinn pulled the dufflebag he’d brought up onto the table.

 

The locked chest they pulled from the bag opened the moment Arielle’s fingertips touched the lid and it sprung up to reveal the treasures hidden inside.

 

In the left back corner sat a small cube which radiated a red glow and had an unfamiliar design carved into its sides while in front of the cube there sat a stack of leather bound journals with yellowing pages. The box itself was lined with a purple crisp velvet and filling out the rest of its contents were two ornate lightsaber hilts—both golden with intricate etchings of rising fires along the handle while on the upper ring they held a single flame gem.

 

Me’ghan let out a low whistle “Those look fancy and expensive.”

 

“They’re his…” Arielle took both hilts into her hands and ignited the blades.

 

A vibrant humming sounded as the energy from the crystals within released and emitted two long and fierce looking blades, red at their core with a orange like outer glow.

 

“They’re beautiful.”

 

“How do they feel to you?” Lord Scourge frowned curiously.

 

“Perfect, almost as if they’re a natural part of me.”

 

Theron, feeling like the odd one out as all the Force users and even Quinn seemed fully captivated by the sabers, sat back with furrowed brows and glanced down at the other objects within the chest “Is that a holocron?”

 

“I believe so, yes.” Lana felt tempted to reach out and pick it up but decided against it as a strong sense of darkness oozed from the cube.

 

Arielle disengaged the blades and clipped them onto her belt, replacing her old ones which she stuffed into the dufflebag and then she reached for the cube as well. She was about to pick it up when Lord Scourge snatched her wrist and shook his head at her.

 

“Don’t. We have no idea what it contains or what you might unleash.”

 

“True. You should probably read through the journals first, see what they have to say.” Me’ghan nodded.

 

“Right” Arielle shook her head slightly as if trying to shake the connection she felt to the item and quickly closed the lid of the chest again “Well that’s going to have to wait then.”

 

“Theron, why don’t you tell us what you have in mind for our next move here against the Nova Blades?”

 

Both Lana and Theron divulged the rest of their plan to first solidify the Red Hulls’ claim as a rival gang to the Nova Blades by disrupting several of their holdings, including a nearby supply cache and once they’d worked out the finer details, Arielle, Lord Scourge, Me’ghan and Quinn set on their way to cause further chaos and mayhem for the Revanites’ business partners.

 

While Jakarro and Deefour waited in their Freighter above the planet, Arielle and the others were to mark several supply crates for them to bomb, all the while fighting off any Nova Blade that patrolled the camp.

 

“Duck!” Arielle hollered at Lord Scourge who crouched down immediately as two lightsabers flew over his head slicing up the pirate that had come up behind him before circling straight back into her hands.

 

“Proceed!”

 

He briefly smirked at her overly enthused behavior before head butting the scrawny pirate that had been pummeling his fists against Lord Scourge’s chest for the past minute.

 

“Really?” he sighed as the little man dropped to the ground instantly.

 

“Alright I think that’s all of them.” Me’ghan noted as she joined them and sheathed her lightsabers.

 

“Light ‘em up boys!” she contacted Jakarro via her comms as the four of them dove for cover.

 

Arielle just barely hid behind a set of rocks as they watched the camp go up in flames, causing any remaining Nova Blade to run out of hiding and make their quick escape.

 

“Time to call home and see what else they’ve got planned.”

 

Lord Scourge watched her quietly as she called in to Lana and Theron who urged them to visit one of the nearby slave camps and free as many people as they could.

 

“All in a day’s work for a noble former Jedi, yes?” Lana teased before disconnecting.

 

Arielle groaned at the quip and shook her head "Alright guys, one more stop I guess before we call it a day."

[MishaCantu]

 

Do I sense a little tension between Theron and Eliza? I do love his bumbling nature when out of his comfort zone. I, personally, do not see her doing well in the empire, but that remains to be seen. Holocrons usually hide terrible power, it will be interesting to see the contents of this one.

 

Very nice chapter. I did love Scourge's remark that he didn't trust Theron but he trusted his desire to live. Anyway, well done.

 

 

Looking forward to see where this goes.

[Lunafox]

Very nice!

 

 

Loved the chat between Theron and Arielle and I agree with Misha's observation that there was definitely some tension there.

 

Loved the line from Scourge too about Theron. I also enjoyed that Scourge and Me'ghan are watching out for her and protected her from the holocron, cause you never know what those things will do or unleash. Quinn as always is delicious.

 

I'm looking forward to the next part!

 

[JennyFlynn]

Do I sense a little tension between Theron and Eliza? I do love his bumbling nature when out of his comfort zone. I, personally, do not see her doing well in the empire, but that remains to be seen. Holocrons usually hide terrible power, it will be interesting to see the contents of this one.

 

Very nice chapter. I did love Scourge's remark that he didn't trust Theron but he trusted his desire to live. Anyway, well done.

 

 

Looking forward to see where this goes.

Yeah, there does appear to be a little tension and misunderstanding between them as to who they are to each other, or want to be. Getting her to fit in with the Empire is going to be challenging, for me as the author at least, but I will try and embrace it best I can and hopefully she will too.

 

Very nice!

 

 

Loved the chat between Theron and Arielle and I agree with Misha's observation that there was definitely some tension there.

 

Loved the line from Scourge too about Theron. I also enjoyed that Scourge and Me'ghan are watching out for her and protected her from the holocron, cause you never know what those things will do or unleash. Quinn as always is delicious.

 

I'm looking forward to the next part!

Nope, holocrons can be dangerous and I need to do some homework on them but Arielle sometimes tends to act before she thinks so it is good she has others looking out for her too lol.

 

Gonna have to consider when I fully switch her to Eliza in writing, don't wanna confuse readers but I feel the two name thing has been around for long enough now that it won't throw people off?

 

Thank you both!

[Lunafox]

Yeah, there does appear to be a little tension and misunderstanding between them as to who they are to each other, or want to be. Getting her to fit in with the Empire is going to be challenging, for me as the author at least, but I will try and embrace it best I can and hopefully she will too.

 

 

Nope, holocrons can be dangerous and I need to do some homework on them but Arielle sometimes tends to act before she thinks so it is good she has others looking out for her too lol.

 

Gonna have to consider when I fully switch her to Eliza in writing, don't wanna confuse readers but I feel the two name thing has been around for long enough now that it won't throw people off?

 

Thank you both!

 

 

I think you're safe to switch out the names, readers are clever and will pick up on it just fine. ^^

[JennyFlynn]

A/N; As of this Chapter Arielle will be referred to almost only as Eliza, barring the occasional old friends and acquaintances with a stubborn streak.

 

 

 

39: Suspicious Activity.

 

The Rishi moon slowly faded into the distance as it made way for Rish, the smoldering hot and fiercely bright sun that returned daylight to the planet below. Violet, red and orange rays pierced through a mantle of royal and light blue skies while one final cool breeze swept across the surface.

 

Eliza smiled to herself as she sat in a deck chair sipping her morning caf while her feet rested on the balcony railings. One of the journals left to her by her grandfather rested in her lap and she quietly flipped through the pages trying to find any possible information on the holocron when a sudden thud nearby broke her focus. She sat up and glanced over the balcony just in time to see Me’ghan run down the boardwalk with her speeder in hand before starting the engines once she got away from the hotel and Eliza frowned.

 

Without really giving it a second thought and driven by curiosity over Me’ghan’s seemingly odd behavior, Eliza glanced over her shoulder at a still sleeping Lord Scourge while slipping into her sandals and then she leapt over the balcony railings as well. She landed right in the seat of her Aratech Rose parked down below and went in pursuit of her new friend, her family, all the while keeping a safe distance.

 

Several minutes later after driving across the boardwalk headed back for Raider’s Cove, Me’ghan brought her speeder to a halt outside what appeared to be another safehouse and after taking a moment to scour her surroundings the brunette disappeared inside.

 

“What are you up to Meg, you look nervous…” Eliza wondered to herself as she disengaged her own speeder and approached the building on foot instead.

 

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Me’ghan but in the short time she’d known her, Me’ghan had always been rather direct and honest in everything and Eliza couldn’t help but feel concerned over the fact that whatever she was up to now was so secretive not even Quinn knew because otherwise surely, Me’ghan wouldn’t have felt the need to sneak out during dawn.

 

“My good Wrath, you look as beautiful and radiant as ever. How many Jedi have you slain today?”

 

Eliza furrowed her brows as she overheard words spoken by a male with a very distinct Imperial accent, his tone of voice appealing though a little honeyed and she felt her curiosity being tickled further. She snuck inside the building’s entrance and then hid around the corner of a section that lead into the main room, keeping herself out of sight from its occupants.

 

“We meet again, Vowrawn. It’s good to see you.” she heard Me’ghan say and Eliza cringed.

 

“Kriff, Vowrawn. Can’t let him see me here.”

 

She considered leaving, making herself scarce so Me’ghan wouldn’t get into trouble and she herself wouldn’t have to face a man she’d angered in the past but before she even finished her train of thoughts, Eliza found herself staring up into a pair of orange-red eyes.

 

“Well now, this is a pleasant surprise.” a smirk curled around Darth Vowrawn’s lips as he spoke in amused tones.

 

“Eliza? What are you doing here?” Me’ghan appeared behind the Pureblood Sith.

 

“I uh…” Eliza’s hands slid down to her weapons slowly as she backed away from Darth Vowrawn “saw you sneak off and followed…”

 

Even if she’d wanted to explain more, Darth Vowrawn didn’t let her as he’d followed her movement closely and snatched her wrist with one hand while the other swiftly pulled one of the lightsaber hilts she’d reached for from her belt. He turned the object over in his hand as his eyes widened and he seemed to recognize its design instantly.

 

“This doesn’t belong to you Jedi…”

 

He took her arm in a more gentle way than she’d expected and he urged her inside the room before sitting her down in one of the chairs and turning towards Me’ghan “Would you care to explain what this Jedi is doing here carrying the weapons of one of our own? And why does it seem like you know each other?”

 

“Surely you haven’t overlooked the fact she was responsible for the assault on Korriban and threatened my nephew?”

 

Eliza opened her mouth to answer his questions but Darth Vowrawn gestured for her silence.

 

“Her name is Eliza and she’s no longer a Jedi, in a way she never was. She’s Malavai’s niece, and mine, and those lightsabers were left for her by her grandfather.”

 

“Impossible.” Darth Vowrawn shook his head as he once more studied the hilt he held “Darth Pyralis, the former owner of these blades, left behind only a son when he passed and that child had no affinity with the Force.”

 

“But that child's daughter does…” Eliza breathed quietly.

 

“Prove it.” Darth Vowrawn challenged her as he handed the lightsaber hilt back “If you are who you say you are then only you can activate these weapons.”

 

That was news to Eliza but hardly enough to throw her off as she took a firm hold of the two handles and stood up, igniting the blades with ease.

 

The silence that followed grew thick until Darth Vowrawn began to laugh and clapped his hands together “Wonderful!”

 

“Oh but this means you really are Sith and you possess the gift, don’t you? Why were you with the Jedi? You are the one known as the Hero of Tython are you not?”

 

Eliza sighed and sheathed her blades as she gave him a brief rundown of her personal history, a story she already tired of telling but the man before her seemed eager to know more and with each detail she gave his smile grew into a wider grin.

 

“Amazing…” Vowrawn exclaimed after a few minutes “The Jedi’s greatest champion of the past decade, the Hero of Tython, is Sith!”

 

“Oh I’d love to hear more about this because my mind’s buzzing with questions but I’m afraid I have no time for this now.” he continued and reminded himself of why he was on Rishi in the first place.

 

Darth Vowrawn thought for a moment and Eliza could feel him reaching out to her trying to read her intentions and mind “I ought to send you away, what I’m about to share is quite serious and sensitive information but…”

 

Her identity hardly concerned him now, nor did her actions in the past. He'd sensed the truth in her words while certain pieces of an interesting and new puzzle fell into place for him.

 

“Perhaps, given your history in this particular matter, this could be as important to you as it is to the Wrath. Very well, listen closely.”

 

Darth Vowrawn began to explain the reason for their meeting, discoveries he’d made recently regarding the Sith Emperor and Eliza initially rolled her eyes. It wasn’t until he spoke of his belief the Emperor was in fact still alive that he suddenly had her full attention while he informed Me’ghan of the spy droids that watched her every move in secret. He presented her with a device and instructions on its use to help her uncover her foes.

 

“There is more I’d offer you but not until I’m certain we’re alone.”

 

“I can go.” Eliza suggested.

 

“You’re not the one who concerns me Eliza. In fact, I feel immensely intrigued by your story. Your grandfather was an interesting man and I’d love to know more but another time perhaps.”

 

He turned back to Me’ghan “I will remain on Rishi as long as I can. Good hunting Wrath.”

 

“He’s, different.” Eliza muttered to Me’ghan as they took their leave of him.

 

“Mm, he’s one of the better ones. Vowrawn and Marr are the only Dark Council members I actually like and mostly trust, who I get along with. I used to get along with Darth Nox just fine too, we had a few things in common but as you know she’s no longer around.”

 

“Right. And the others?”

 

“Don’t really know the others too well aside from Darth Ravage.”

 

“Who’s he?”

 

“Ravage is… he has his moments but he’s quite temperamental too. He’s the one to watch out for if you’re ever unfortunate enough to meet the Dark Council. He’ll either kill you on the spot for your reputation as an enemy to the Empire or, if his past girlfriends are any indication...” Me’ghan chuckled.

 

“Yes?” Eliza frowned.

 

“Well rumors say redheads are his weakness. He and Nox used to have a serious love-hate relationship going on and you do resemble her in some ways. Charm him enough and you may change his mind should he call for your execution.”

 

“Uh, yeah, pass.”

 

Me’ghan laughed again “You know if I can get this spy droid thing dealt with quickly, we may be able to sit down and talk to Vowrawn some more. He could be your way in if you play your cards right and if that’s still what you want?”

 

“I do.” Eliza engaged her speeder “Mind if I tag along? It’ll be easier with the two of us and if this does involve the Emperor I’d like to find out more too.”

 

Me’ghan nodded with a smile “Let’s go then.”

 

 

——————————————————————————

 

 

They returned two hours later and Me’ghan instantly sensed something amiss the moment she stepped off her speeder “Wait out here, whoever’s inside now isn’t Vowrawn…”

 

Eliza agreed and while Me’ghan disappeared inside, she walked off to a quiet spot and pulled her comm device from her pocket. The indicator light flashed furiously and she cussed herself for not making contact with Lord Scourge or Quinn earlier, realizing they’d be up and awake by now and likely worried.

 

“Hey, just letting you know I’m alright and so is Meg… we had something to take care of and I’ll explain later, promise.” she spoke into the device as it connected her with Lord Scourge.

 

“We’ve been up and down the boardwalk and Raider’s Cove several times in the past hour, do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?”

 

“I’m sorry it was rather sudden and unexpected…”

 

“We’ll talk about this later, just get back here as soon as you can.”

 

He disconnected the line abruptly and Eliza knew she was in trouble.

 

“Curiouser and curiouser.”

 

Eliza spun around and caught Darth Vowrawn winking her over a little further away from the safehouse and clearly having overheard her conversation.

 

“What is?”

 

“You… and the former Wrath. I’ve spent a long time trying to unravel the mysteries surrounding him and to this day had little success… what keeps him at your side through all this?”

 

“Why aren’t you inside meeting with Meg?” Eliza ignored his question as the two snuck around the back and hid from plain sight.

 

“There’s a presence inside I’ve been working hard to avoid, as you’ll learn soon enough.”

 

Darth Vowrawn looked her over with a smile that rather unnerved Eliza “You know I’ve spent months trying to track you down? I had so many wonderful ways to torture you in mind and now…”

 

“Tell me, if you’ve left the Jedi then where will you go next? Could our Empire be so lucky?”

 

“Lucky?” Eliza raised a brow.

 

“Mm you’d make a valuable asset given your history, your skills and your heritage. Of course there is the minor issue of all the crimes you’ve committed against the Empire and my fellow councilmen wouldn’t be so easily swayed but I do like a challenge.” he wondered out loud and spoke mostly to himself as he considered everything carefully.

 

“Unfortunately I’m afraid I can’t help you right now… there’s other matters I must deal with first but maybe…”

 

“What are you running from?” the question escaped Eliza’s lips and Vowrawn laughed.

 

“All in good time Eliza.” he clasped her shoulders and forced eye contact “Listen. Have the Wrath contact Marr to help you, he’s more level headed than most, assuming you wish to join our Empire.”

 

“I do but why can’t you—”

 

“I cannot explain right now there’s no time. Tell her I will be in touch soon and to watch her back and you… Oh I do hope to be back by the time you set foot within the Citadel, I imagine it’ll be quite entertaining.”

 

“Eliza?” Eliza heard Me’ghan calling out to her and spun around.

 

“They’re finished, I must go now.”

 

“But…”

 

Any further words died off before ever reaching her lips as he’d already vanished from sight leaving a startled and wholly confused Eliza behind.

 

“There you are!” Me’ghan sighed with relief as Eliza re-emerged from behind the structure.

 

“Sorry I… who did you meet with in there?”

 

“A servant of the Emperor himself, I have a bad feeling about this Eliza, really bad.” Me’ghan started her speeder “Let’s get back to the hotel first and we’ll discuss everything there.”

 

 

 

A/N pt 2; I think Vowrawn's quickly becoming the bane of my existence, though I enjoy him tremendously, as I can't do him even nearly as well as a certain someone else I know but I hope the read was enjoyable nonetheless.

[Eiter]

Still reading, still entertained, and your Vowrawn is perfectly fine. He must be tough to write, but I hear him here.

 

Not much else to add, just thought I'd announce my presense.

[JennyFlynn]

Still reading, still entertained, and your Vowrawn is perfectly fine. He must be tough to write, but I hear him here.

 

Not much else to add, just thought I'd announce my presense.

Hey! Happy to hear from you, always nice to know someone's reading and thank you for the kind words!

[Lunafox]

Vowrawn makes everything more fun, doesn't he? He was just fine! I really enjoyed the chapter and boy oh boy it doesn't sound like Scourge is very happy with Eliza at the moment. Someone has some 'splainin' to do!

 

I like that Me'ghan and Eliza are getting closer, their relationship is developing nicely. I look forward to the next bits, and I also enjoyed the little aside about Ravage. ^^

Edited January 8, 2017 by Lunafox

[MishaCantu]

I heard Vowrawn plain and clear, his sense of glee came through just fine, I can see the wheels turning already, I just wonder what his big secret is.

 

Scourge is not a happy camper at the moment, ha, it is good to make him worry from time to time, keeps him on his toes.

 

And a servant of the emperor on Rishi, I wonder what old evil britches is up to now.

[JennyFlynn]

Phew, I'm glad Vowrawn came across alright. He makes me nervous as hell and I literally found myself just sitting back staring at the page for hours while having multiple arguments with myself, or perhaps with him. That and I had to hit the brakes on my inner-self to make sure Eliza didn't jump his bones. I'm going to have to conquer him, Marr, Ravage and others eventually which will likely be the hardest thing to do. I'm terrified that I don't have what it takes to do Sith, the Empire and those characters especially, well. That I'll ruin them so I've kinda worked myself into a bind lol. When I started this I had no idea where I was going and only spared half a thought for the possibility she may switch her allegiances to the Empire, which brings all those notorious and delicious Sith into play... yikes.

 

And Scourge is mad but that's okay, he'll get over it.

 

Thank you both, as always!

[Foxfirerose]

Phew, I'm glad Vowrawn came across alright. He makes me nervous as hell and I literally found myself just sitting back staring at the page for hours while having multiple arguments with myself, or perhaps with him. That and I had to hit the brakes on my inner-self to make sure Eliza didn't jump his bones. I'm going to have to conquer him, Marr, Ravage and others eventually which will likely be the hardest thing to do. I'm terrified that I don't have what it takes to do Sith, the Empire and those characters especially, well. That I'll ruin them so I've kinda worked myself into a bind lol. When I started this I had no idea where I was going and only spared half a thought for the possibility she may switch her allegiances to the Empire, which brings all those notorious and delicious Sith into play... yikes.

 

And Scourge is mad but that's okay, he'll get over it.

 

Thank you both, as always!

 

Hey now.....I thought your Vowrawn was great too! For a lady with sooo much talent it amazes me that you would worry that much about him and the others you mentioned too. However, maybe that's what being talented is:) Luna and Misha could relate more with you on that, I'm the "no-talent" one here LOL.

 

And btw, I find the idea of Scourge being mad at Eliza delicious..........you KNOW how that will end up;-)

Can't wait for your next chapter!

[JennyFlynn]

Hey now.....I thought your Vowrawn was great too! For a lady with sooo much talent it amazes me that you would worry that much about him and the others you mentioned too. However, maybe that's what being talented is:) Luna and Misha could relate more with you on that, I'm the "no-talent" one here LOL.

 

And btw, I find the idea of Scourge being mad at Eliza delicious..........you KNOW how that will end up;-)

Can't wait for your next chapter!

 

Haha thank you for that, I do really appreciate hearing it! I think for me, and perhaps Misha and Luna too it's just a case of me being my own worst critic. Everyone's response can contain praise and appreciation but I as a writer will always still doubt. "Did I convey this idea/thought properly, did they understand this reference, why did no one comment on this particular section or this line when it was my personal favorite in the whole chapter?" Silly thoughts like that you know? I think in many ways the perspective of the writer towards their own material is different than it is for the reader.

 

And how it will end up we'll see but I will say that for me personally... angry Scourge is a sexy Scourge.

[Lunafox]

Haha thank you for that, I do really appreciate hearing it! I think for me, and perhaps Misha and Luna too it's just a case of me being my own worst critic. Everyone's response can contain praise and appreciation but I as a writer will always still doubt. "Did I convey this idea/thought properly, did they understand this reference, why did no one comment on this particular section or this line when it was my personal favorite in the whole chapter?" Silly thoughts like that you know? I think in many ways the perspective of the writer towards their own material is different than it is for the reader.

 

And how it will end up we'll see but I will say that for me personally... angry Scourge is a sexy Scourge.

 

This is true, we are all our own worst critics. First step, silence the critic, then get to it. ^^ Mmmm, angry Scourge.

[MishaCantu]

This is true, we are all our own worst critics. First step, silence the critic, then get to it. ^^ Mmmm, angry Scourge.

 

That is so true, sometimes I just have to tell my critical self to s.t.f.u and get back to writing. And I will see your Angry Scourge and raise you one, or maybe too.

[JennyFlynn]

A/N;

Things do get a little rough handed towards the end of the chapter, not sure it requires a trigger warning or not but just a heads up in advance though I promise no character does anything they don't actually want to do.

 

 

 

40: Trouble in Paradise?

 

The Sith Emperor was returning. It wasn’t a rumor, not a hopeful musing spouted by his supporters—he would return and when he did, all stars would die. That was the message Eliza and Me’ghan had received from the Opticrons, the spy droids who’d been keeping the new Wrath under surveillance this entire time. How much had the droids seen? What did they know of her life now and the people in it?

 

“They’ve likely seen myself and Eliza in your presence, it would not be hard for the Hand to deduce you’ve now learned the truth of their Master’s nature and ambition.” Lord Scourge pointed out.

 

Eliza looked his way as he mentioned her name but he kept his gaze averted, refusing to even speak with her.

 

“I’m aware which is why I’m surprised they even let me go, that they didn’t haul me back to the fortress.”

 

Me’ghan took Quinn’s hand and squeezed it gently. She was uneasy and a part of her was afraid—for herself, for him, for Eliza and even for Lord Scourge knowing the latter two especially would likely be at the top of the Emperor’s sh.itlist.

 

“Servant One basically confirmed his return though it wasn’t the reason he’d come to Rishi, he wasn’t here for me or for us. I fear Darth Vowrawn’s endless quest for knowledge and information may have landed him in serious hot waters this time.”

 

“He’s on the run?”

 

Me’ghan gave Eliza a nod “He’s committed crimes against the Hand. He sought to learn their secrets and interrogated one of the Servants—they won’t stop hunting him now.”

 

“Perhaps we ought to do the same. Leave, hide, go under the radar.” Quinn sighed with a pained look on his face.

 

“It’s not heroic but what chance would we have against the Emperor? We’d all presumed him to be dead, Eliza defeated him but now as it turns out, that still wasn’t enough.”

 

Eliza got up from her seat and turned towards the windows overlooking the Rishi boardwalk, her arms wrapped firmly around herself “I failed.”

 

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

 

“I know it’s not uncle, but it’s true.” she tried to smile, she tried to add some levity to her tone of voice but her heart was heavy.

 

“In an odd twist of luck though, the Sith Emperor’s ambitions are bigger than all of us. He won’t waste his time seeking vengeance against Scourge or myself, he won’t fight too hard reeling his new Wrath in. If all this is true then he’s been alive but severely weakened this entire time and he’ll be looking to start another ritual first to regain his strength and power.”

 

Lord Scourge finally glanced her way and though all he could see was her back, her slumped shoulders, he could hear through her words that the first of her tears had fallen down her cheeks.

 

“Eliza’s right. He won’t come for us until it’s too late, until he’s too powerful to stop.”

 

Eliza swallowed hard “He will lie in wait as he has been. His servants will prepare for his return, they will help fuel his ritual and countless of lives will be lost. The blood they will spill, the blood he will spill will be on my hands too this time.”

 

Her hardened knuckles brushed roughly against her cheeks and she wiped away her tears before turning back to face the others “We should wrap this Revanite business up fast before they do anything that’ll unintentionally help advance Vitiate’s plans.”

 

“Unless that’s exactly what Revan has in mind.” Lord Scourge offered. “The Sith Emperor always has been his biggest adversary and when I told him on Rakata Prime that the Emperor had been defeated already, he did say I was wrong.”

 

Lord Scourge pushed his chair back and headed for the door “If he’s doing this to bring the Emperor out of hiding then we have no time to waste.”

 

The short ride back to the safe house was quiet and tension filled and even as they all gathered with Lana and Theron who informed them on the next step in their plan, few words were spoken. Theron had instantly noticed Eliza had been crying and assumed the guilty party was the man who’d stayed back leaning against the far wall rather than sit down with them.

 

“It’s time for you all to head over to the Nova Blades’ main base of operations, an old starship called the Aggressor. Their leader Margok should be there as well and once you defeat him and his men, you can get Theron access to their systems so we can have a look at their data. Hopefully some of it will tell us what the Revanites need those hyperspace routes for.”

 

Lana furrowed her brows at Theron when none of them responded and he shrugged.

 

“Did something happen between yesterday and now?” he asked as he looked at Eliza directly.

 

She faked a reassuring smile “No. Nothing.”

 

Lord Scourge scoffed underneath his breath but said not a word and Eliza turned in her seat.

 

“Did you have something to add, my Lord?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

“That’s what I said.”

 

“No. Nothing? Is that what this is to you? And I’m not talking about the Emperor right now.”

 

“Oh I know,” she rolled her eyes “you’re still pissy because you woke up to find me gone but I’ve already apologized for that Scourge.”

 

“That doesn’t mean I no longer get to be angry—you acted foolishly and could have been in serious trouble.”

 

“I’m not a child and I’m not incompetent. I saw something that made me worry, that left me uneasy and I acted and I don’t need you holding my damned hand each time I walk out the door!”

 

“Damn you Eliza!” he snapped and punched his fist into the wall “You put yourself at risk in so many ways! What if Meg had walked you both into a trap set up by the Nova Blades or Revanites? What if Vowrawn had been any other Sith Lord and attacked you? What if Servant One had seen you and decided to bring his Master back a trophy! You could be right back locked up in his fortress all over again!”

 

“You could have been kidnapped, you could have been tortured, you could have been lying dead in a ditch somewhere! Both of you and none of us would have ever known about it!”

 

“Oh please don’t be so dramatic.” Eliza rolled her eyes at him again.

 

“Dramatic? Being concerned for you, worrying about you is dramatic now? Fine.”

 

Lord Scourge shook his head in disbelief and walked off “Screw you.”

 

Quinn got out of his seat too late to stop Eliza from chasing after him.

 

“Well screw you too Scourge!” she yelled angrily as they headed outside “What do you want from me huh?! Fine yes I should have called you sooner, I should have left a note but there wasn’t any time!”

 

Onlookers frowned at them and exchanged curious glances while back inside the safe house, Me’ghan took a moment to explain the situation to Theron and Lana.

 

“Oh just quit trying to defend yourself and instead ask yourself how you would have felt if I’d disappeared like that!”

 

He pointed the finger at her as he backed her into the corner wall “You would have been worried sick, you would have cursed me to hell and back for making you fear the worst and yet you have the audacity now to call me dramatic? Well excuse me for caring whether you live or die!”

 

“It wasn’t that bad!” Eliza exclaimed as she shoved him aside “Sure the news we uncovered is concerning to say the least but nothing happened! I am fine!”

 

“And I know that now but I didn’t at the time! I had no clue!”

 

“But now you do so get over it already.”

 

Lord Scourge glowered at her for a moment and then turned around and climbed onto their speeder “Jump on, we have work to do.”

 

Eliza cussed to herself and grudgingly got onto the seat behind him, her arms wrapping around his middle though she had half a mind to punch him instead. She called out to Quinn and Me’ghan who rushed outside and joined them for another silent ride towards the other side of the island where they’d find the Aggressor and the Nova Blades’ leader.

 

Me’ghan nuzzled into her husband’s back as they rode several meters behind Lord Scourge and Eliza.

 

“Are you mad at me in the way he’s mad at her?” she whispered to his ear.

 

“No, but you gave me quite a scare. Next time at least leave a note and if you can’t provide details just write down ‘Wrath business’ and I’ll take the hint, alright?”

 

“Mm sounds fair” Me’ghan smiled “I love you.”

 

The Nova Blades who patrolled outside their main base never saw the foursome coming. Both Eliza and Lord Scourge revelled in their anger towards each other and took their fury out on every single pirate they could find cutting down one after the other until none were left and Eliza headed for the entrance to slice their system and establish contact with Theron.

 

Margok, the Nova Blades’ leader, made a small appearance as she fiddled with the communicator and challenged her to do her worst.

 

“You can count on it, you won’t be getting out of here alive.” she hissed.

 

“They’ve got live slicers in there managing network security on the fly. I can’t do anything until they’re offline.” Theron informed them.

 

“Then I’ll take them out too.”

 

They made their way inside, splitting up to divide their forces. Lord Scourge and Eliza went after the slicers while Quinn and Me’ghan took out the rest of the Nova Blades patrolling the base. They blew up remaining supply caches as well limiting the pirates’ resources and crippling their attempts to regroup and rebuild.

 

Eliza and Lord Scourge simultaneously ran their blades through the same person, the last survivor in the area all the while keeping their eyes on each other instead.

 

“We’re going to find Margok.” Me’ghan told them over their comms.

 

“We’ll be right behind you…” Eliza sighed with her eyes still on Lord Scourge.

 

“Sure, we’ll give you some privacy.” Me’ghan disconnected her earpiece same as Quinn and they both left the couple to deal with their issues.

 

Eliza retracted her weapons and grabbed Lord Scourge by the arm when he turned to leave “Are you going to stay mad at me all day?”

 

“Perhaps.”

 

She scoffed “And tomorrow?”

 

“Maybe.”

 

“I see. Guess I’d best book myself a separate room then when we get back to the hotel.”

 

Lord Scourge blocked her way as she tried to push past him “You wouldn’t dare leave my side again after this morning…”

 

“No? Try me.” Eliza threatened “I won’t sit back and let you huff and puff at me for the rest of the day. You want to stay mad, fine, enjoy it but you can do so without me. Give me a call when you’re done.”

 

She tried to shove him out of the way once more but he grabbed both her arms and pushed her back into the room instead “You’re infuriating.”

 

“And you’re an as.s now let me go.”

 

“No.”

 

Lord Scourge roughly brushed his mouth upon hers, his hands grabbing her as.s and he lift her onto one of the security desks that stood in the back room. Eliza cussed against his lips and pushed back. She slapped him in the face once and then grabbed him by the collar of his jacket.

 

“You can’t fu.ck your way out of this one Scourge.” she snarled as his fingertips undid the buckle of her belt.

 

“Oh do shut up.” Lord Scourge playfully swatted a flat hand against her backside and smirked, licking his lips.

 

He tugged on the zipper of her leather pants next and in one fluid motion yanked them down her hips and thighs while Eliza kicked off her boots. The buttons of her shirt popped off and scattered across the room as he tore the flimsy clothing article open and eagerly reached for her exposed breasts.

 

“Make me.” she challenged with a devious glint in her eyes.

 

Verbal protests aside, Eliza hungered for him as much as he did for her and she did secretly enjoy these grand finales to their arguments. Her hands swiftly freed him from his tightening trousers and she snaked her legs around his middle to pull him in towards her own longing.

 

Lord Scourge urged her down flat on her back against the desk and sought to claim her lips once more. Eliza mirrored his smirk and welcomed his tongue, a soft and eager moan escaping her but suddenly their lustful encounter was interrupted.

 

A loud and clattering sort of sound rang through their ears followed by a high pitched beep.

 

Someone coughed nervously and then Lana’s voice called out to them both “Uhh… forgive the awkward interruption but, you two do realize your earpieces have been active this entire time…?”

 

Lana could hear them both snicker and laugh on the other side until their commlinks went dead and she glanced at the earpiece that lay on the table before her, shattered by its owner who’d stormed off.

[Lunafox]

Whew boy! *fans self*

Lovely chapter! I truly enjoyed the argument and the 'grand finale' to it. I do love it when Scourge gets 'tough' And I think the very definition of embarrassment is forgetting your comlink on during a moment like that one lol. I enjoyed the imagery and the dialogue. Good stuff! Looking forward to more!

[Foxfirerose]

Wow......*grabs another fan for herself*

 

Looks like we all got what we were expecting from our lovely Lord Scourge:D

 

Lana could hear them both snicker and laugh on the other side until their commlinks went dead and she glanced at the earpiece that lay on the table before her, shattered by its owner who’d stormed off.

 

But, um....who was the owner of the shattered earpiece that stormed off? Sounds like I missed something somewhere again:confused:

[Lunafox]

Wow......*grabs another fan for herself*

 

Looks like we all got what we were expecting from our lovely Lord Scourge:D

 

Lana could hear them both snicker and laugh on the other side until their commlinks went dead and she glanced at the earpiece that lay on the table before her, shattered by its owner who’d stormed off.

 

But, um....who was the owner of the shattered earpiece that stormed off? Sounds like I missed something somewhere again:confused:

 

 

I'm guessing it's Theron. To run the mission he'd have to be privy to what is going on, so he'd have his earpiece on and tuned in. I see him as having stayed with Lana...so that's why she'd be seeing his broken earpiece cause he's not a happy boy...as evidenced previously Theron likes Eliza too.

 

[Foxfirerose]

Ahhhh.....thanks Luna, I thought of Theron but didn't remember him liking Eliza in this story. I think I'm reading too many Theron and/or Scourge fanfics over at AO3 LOL. So you can imagine why I get confused easily.....so many stories, ........so little time.