The Sanctuary of Regret

[Lunafox]

Just caught up with this story - nicely done.

 

Thanks, Paul I'm really happy that you're enjoying it. Thanks for reading and for the comment, I appreciate it.

[MayhemofChaonus]

My my, Lia is gathering quite the harem! lol

 

In all seriousness I'm starting to really enjoy your interpretation of KOTFE Luna. Despite my mild distaste for what I consider to be "excessive drama" you have a way of making the relationships and interactions between the characters real enough that it hooks me emotionally.

 

I wonder if Valkorian knows Tulak Hord is knocking about in there too, or perhaps they've decided to "share" Lia? I do love a good mystery!

 

P.S. so did Lia used to be the Hero of Tython until the end of Chapter 2 of the Knight story and then instead of doing Chapter 3 of the Knight story she became the Emperor's Wrath and did Chapter 3 of the Warrior's story? Just curious.

Edited September 26, 2017 by MayhemofChaonus

[Lunafox]

My my, Lia is gathering quite the harem! lol

 

In all seriousness I'm starting to really enjoy your interpretation of KOTFE Luna. Despite my mild distaste for what I consider to be "excessive drama" you have a way of making the relationships and interactions between the characters real enough that it hooks me emotionally.

 

I wonder if Valkorian knows Tulak Hord is knocking about in there too, or perhaps they've decided to "share" Lia? I do love a good mystery!

 

P.S. so did Lia used to be the Hero of Tython until the end of Chapter 2 of the Knight story and then instead of doing Chapter 3 of the Knight story she became the Emperor's Wrath and did Chapter 3 of the Warrior's story? Just curious.

 

It seems like it, but I'd like to think it'll be interesting in how it all works out.

 

I'm glad that you're enjoying the relationships between the characters, I do strive to make thinks as realistic in that way as possible. At this point in time there seems to be a lot of drama, just because it's a heavy time for Liatrix (for all the characters really, because they're being oppressed), there is a lot to deal with and I don't think it would be realistic for her to be able to just wish everything aside and be lighthearted and such, even though I enjoy writing more cheerful stuff.

 

As for our resident ghosts I think they're quite aware of each other...like two chess players where Lia's psyche is both board and pieces, so I think over time, I think we'll see some machinations arise between them. None of them, including Lia are into sharing lol.

 

And no, Liatrix was the Hero of Tython and she did 'slay' the Emperor at the end of chapter three; she was a full on Jedi until circumstances in The Foundation of All Desire drove her to the dark side. That said, she was always dark, but so long as the Republic got the results they wanted, they weren't going to quibble. She was never the Emperor's Wrath, that was formerly Scourge...and later another character, as portrayed by my SW. I did however make Liatrix the Emperor's Will for a time, while she was captured by the Empire during the JK story.

 

Thanks for reading and for the comment, I appreciate it.

Edited September 26, 2017 by Lunafox

[MishaCantu]

Ha, good old Darmas P. I always imagine him talking in that long, slow, Savannah drawl. Nice contact if you can find the knife up his sleeve and the ace tucked into his boot, or vice versa, either works.

 

Wartime is hard on relationships, depending on the motives, philosophical mores and the foundation in which they were built. I expect Lana and Jonas have had more than a few rocky spots. I suspect there will be icing on that cake at some point, but whether sweet or rancid remains to be seen.

 

Tulak and Valky, and I'm sure neither wants to play nice and share. This should be an interesting battle between two expert puppet masters and poor Lia caught in the middle. We know what Valky's agenda is, but what is Hord's? And what is the price? Plans within plans.

 

Oddly, this involvement really only works with the JK story. The emperor's long standing obsession with the JK and Tulak's bloodline ties, via your story, with Lia. With any other class, Valky could jump ship and move on to another body, but his history with the JK would preclude such a decision.

 

Anyway, looking forward to the next.

[Lunafox]

Ha, good old Darmas P. I always imagine him talking in that long, slow, Savannah drawl. Nice contact if you can find the knife up his sleeve and the ace tucked into his boot, or vice versa, either works.

 

Wartime is hard on relationships, depending on the motives, philosophical mores and the foundation in which they were built. I expect Lana and Jonas have had more than a few rocky spots. I suspect there will be icing on that cake at some point, but whether sweet or rancid remains to be seen.

 

Tulak and Valky, and I'm sure neither wants to play nice and share. This should be an interesting battle between two expert puppet masters and poor Lia caught in the middle. We know what Valky's agenda is, but what is Hord's? And what is the price? Plans within plans.

 

Oddly, this involvement really only works with the JK story. The emperor's long standing obsession with the JK and Tulak's bloodline ties, via your story, with Lia. With any other class, Valky could jump ship and move on to another body, but his history with the JK would preclude such a decision.

 

Anyway, looking forward to the next.

 

Darmas, yes, he's a slippery one. Even so, I've always enjoyed him

 

And you're right, Lana and Jonas have had many rough points in their marriage and it doesn't appear to get any easier...they're so different really.

 

Tulak and Valky concern me, they're both so bloody sharp lol. I hope I can do them and their machinations justice. Like I said in another post, they're expert chessplayers the both of them, and I'm actually kind of curious/worried where it will all end up myself.

 

I agree, the Outlander tale does work best with the Jedi Knight. Other force users could work as well, but JK is optimal. Valk is slippery too, I could see him doing all sorts of things if it suited his purpose.

 

Thanks for reading and for commenting, your insights are always appreciated! <3

[Lunafox]

The Sanctuary of Regret

 

Chapter Seven

 

Asylum smelled like the inside of a slave transport. The yeasty stench of sweat and urine hung in the air, along with traces of cheap liquor and even cheaper blaster cartridges. The foggy atmosphere from the gas giant below was dense enough to hide the port but had the unfortunate side effect of trapping fumes and didn’t allow much in the way of fresh air circulation.

 

The shadowport didn’t lack for pirates, but it did lack the charm of a Port Nowhere or Rishi. The floating refuge was little more than a series of durasteel boxes fused together by bridges and platforms. There were no real or neon palm trees to brighten the landscape and no ramshackle towns to relax in. The refuge was utilitarian to a fault, designed solely to accommodate black market trade and those looking to escape the brutal fist of Zakuulan authority.

 

Senya entered a passcode into the keypad securing a deserted warehouse located on the easternmost corner of Asylum. The door clattered upward and jerked to a halt just high enough to allow Senya, Liatrix, and HK inside.

The women crossed the threshold first, HK trailing a couple of meters behind with his rifle laid casually over his arm. The droid’s orange eyes flared, but before he could protest, he crumbled under an electromagnetic pulse.

 

Liatrix whirled on Senya. “You’d better not be responsible—it won’t end well for you if you are.”

 

“The droid can’t be a part of what must happen here. You’re free to go whenever you like, but if you want the help of my people, you’ll stay and hear them out.”

 

Liatrix’s thumb grazed the activation switch on her lightsaber. Senya had fried HK, possibly beyond repair—trusting her was a risk. There was no telling what the former knight had in store.

 

Something in the older woman’s eyes had troubled Liatrix ever since their first meeting—as if she’d seen them in another face, but the connection refused to form. The notion lingered like a forgotten word on the tip of the tongue.

Cutting Senya down was an option in light of what she’d pulled and yet Liatrix couldn’t deny her curiosity. An old adage murmured warnings from the corner of her mind.

 

Curiosity killed the Manka cat…

 

Valkorion manifested at Liatrix’s side and strolled alongside her like an old friend. “We’ve come all this way, let us see where it leads,” he whispered conspiratorially.

 

Though the setup reeked of a trap, curiosity over-ruled her first impulses. She glanced up at Valkorion and quickened her pace to catch up to Senya. “Who are these people of yours? More knights?”

 

“No, they’re Scions—visionaries who can see into the past and future. They believe in fate and act according to their visions. The Scions and the knights once protected Zakuul together, but the Scions no longer serve Arcann. Whether they choose to serve you, remains to be seen.”

 

Liatrix strode further into the dimly lit warehouse and a robed silhouette emerged a few meters ahead of her, backlit by a pale white light just bright enough to obscure the source.

 

A crusty male voice came from the robed figure. “The Force whispers to us of fate—but you are a void. We must determine what role you will play in Arcann’s downfall. Come closer, let me see you.”

 

Liatrix strode toward the man and recognized him immediately. He had eyes the colour of pale moons, sharp enough to cut through his wilted visage and his brows were locked together from a lifetime of squinting through time.

 

He kept his distance and raised his hands to keep her at bay. “That’s far enough.” His eyes shifted as if he were reading her face like a book, but the frustrated twitch of his mouth suggested whatever was written on those pages was done in an ink he couldn’t see.

 

“I remember you. You’re the soothsayer Arcann was bickering with before my father was murdered.”

 

“Yes. Even in shackles, you dared to challenge him. His encounter with you left him unsettled. It worried him then and worries him still. I am Heskal.”

 

“What do you want from me?”

 

The Scion stepped aside to reveal the source of light behind him—a ghostly image of Arcann with his saber drawn. “You seek to remove him from the Eternal Throne. He stole years of your life, but he stole far more from the rest of us. His destiny is to fall, that much we have foreseen, but his fate remains unclear. When he’s at your mercy, what will you do?”

 

“His fate is to die on my blade. There will be no mercy. See if you can find that in your crystal ball.”

 

Senya stepped in front of her to face Heskal. “He will not escape justice for the lives he’s taken.”

 

“A thousand Scions lie dead because of him. Blood demands blood, do you not agree?” Heskal roared. “Answer me!”

 

Liatrix took a few steps back to put distance between them. Valkorion appeared by her side, “They question her devotion to them because they cannot see it. Ask yourself why.”

 

“She’s hesitating because Arcann means something to her. There’s something off about her, it’s been bothering me for a while.” Liatrix mumbled under her breath. “Why is she protecting him?”

 

Valkorion chuckled, the sound low and dangerous and she suspected he already knew the answer.

 

Senya sidestepped Heskal’s demand for vengeance and her evasiveness irritated the Scion. An army of Scions emerged from the dark perimeter. What was an ordinary warehouse became an arena. Lightsaber after lightsaber ignited to frame the oval with a red glow.

 

“If you are not with us, you stand against the tides of destiny! Arcann and Vaylin must die,” Heskal challenged.

 

“And they will,” Liatrix replied. “They sentenced themselves to death the day my father died. They will fall and with them, the Eternal Empire.”

 

Senya ignited her blade and Liatrix glared at her.

 

Heskal’s eyes glowed like white-hot beacons. “She tied her fate to yours when she agreed to bring you here. Fate must not remain uncertain.” Despite her ready saber, Heskal backhanded Senya hard enough to drop her.

 

Arcann’s image vanished in a fog and Heskal stormed toward Liatrix, his army of Scions at his back. “I will know your fate, even if I have to cut you open to see it.”

 

Heskal’s lightsaber came alive and Liatrix ignited hers to block the impact of his blow, but the impact never came. He stood before her, lightsaber poised to strike, but was caught in time’s web along with his army.

 

Valkorion loomed over her. “His argument with you is pointless and destructive. I can end this with no further bloodshed, but you must accept the gift of my power.”

 

“I’m getting bored of this. Offer accepted.”

 

“As you wish,” Valkorion drawled. He strode forward, his essence vanishing within her.

 

Liatrix flung her arms out, fingers splayed as Valkorion’s power surged through her. Purple tinged smoke roiled around her body, building in force and speed like a tempest to lift her off her feet. Splinters of lightning leapt between her upturned palms and her eyes glowed violet.

 

The web holding the Scions frayed. Time resumed. Heskal’s saber came down, slicing through empty air instead of gnashing against Liatrix’s blade. The blazing light in his eyes faltered and returned to normal. His eyes held a tinge of blue in them and in that moment his brooding gave way to confusion and a vulnerability she didn’t expect to see in the soothsayer.

 

His mouth fell open and his eyes grew wider still as if an epiphany had struck him. He stared at her face, the words finally taking shape in a mad stream—page after page filled by destiny’s scribe and Heskal understood.

 

Liatrix released the volley of lightning building between her hands and Heskal swung his blade to block the incoming bolt. His lightsaber splintered in his hands and the resultant wave threw him and his army off their feet. Pieces of his unspooled weapon rolled and bounced between them like pearls tumbling free from a broken necklace.

 

She advanced on him and the Scion slowly pushed himself to a stand. He held his hands up in surrender. Liatrix leveled the tip of her lightsaber against his chest.

 

“Tell me, Heskal, have you foreseen the moment of your own death?” Liatrix purred.

 

Senya flipped to her feet. “Don’t kill him, please,” she pleaded. “We need the Scions.”

 

“Like a hole in the head,” Liatrix snarled. “Bet you didn’t see that coming, did you?”

 

Heskal shook his head. “Not until this very moment.”

 

Liatrix sneered. “I didn’t think so. I have no use for any of you.”

 

The Scion army recovered quickly. “The blood of Tyth flows through you,” their commander began. “Don’t make us spill it.”

 

Liatrix sensed several others behind her—allies, not Scions. Her lip edged up at the corner.

 

“Stand down! Now!” Lana bellowed and stormed across the warehouse with Koth at her side.

 

“Tora found HK wandering around damaged and confused,” Koth said. “Figured you might need an assist.”

 

The hulking pirate, Lem, and HK arrived next and then Tora, the mangy engineer Liatrix had freed earlier. Three more of Koth’s pirate crew fell in behind them, pistols at the ready.

 

Liatrix backed away from Heskal and moved closer to her allies. “I suggest you do as she says. Your lives mean nothing to me. Surrender, or they open fire.”

 

Heskal nodded and his army retracted their weapons. “Every moment, even this one is predestined. Everyone here played the part fate demanded of them. I ask you this one last question: What future do you see for this galaxy, once Arcann is gone?”

 

“I’ve sacrificed my entire life, protecting and rescuing this galaxy. Maybe if I ran things, I wouldn’t need to run myself ragged. I might actually get to have a life.”

 

Valkorion whispered in her ear, “He will not stand in your way.”

 

“I know now what it was blinding us to the future,” Heskal announced. “Our Immortal Emperor lives—within you.”

 

Liatrix shifted her gaze like a Sabacc cheat caught with an Idiot’s array up her sleeve. “You’re raving mad! You’re a lunatic, nothing more than a seedy fortune teller. Your Emperor…is dead,” she stammered. “I would know, I killed him. Remember?”

 

Heskal stood taller. “Valkorion’s spirit lives within you. Behold, the Dragon of Zakuul! We rush to your service, great one.”

 

The Scions knelt like servants to their monarch.

 

“No! That’s not possible…” Lana blurted. “You should’ve told me. You had ample opportunity. Why didn’t you say anything? I deserved to know.”

 

“Why? So you could start digging around in my skull like you wanted to do to Master Surro? That’s not going to happen.”

 

Liatrix brandished her lightsaber and frowned. “Stay back, all of you.” She pointed the blade at them in warning and took several steps backward to put distance between them. “Don’t come any closer, I’m warning you. You saw what I can do.”

 

“Our time here has given me insight,” Heskal said quietly. “You will destroy the Eternal throne but many will suffer and die before that victory.”

 

“Your problem. Not mine. I don’t believe in fate anymore,” Liatrix growled and took several more steps back toward the exit.

 

“It’s your destiny!” Heskal insisted.

 

“It doesn’t matter, none of it matters, we’ve won,” Koth announced. “If Emperor Valkorion lives inside this Outlander, there’s hope for Zakuul. There’s hope for all of us.”

 

Liatrix shook her head incredulously. “Don’t you get it? You’re food. You’re all food for him—and just like a herd of nerfs grazing in a field, you’re oblivious! He’s devoured trillions to fuel his immortality—and you think he’s a great guy.” She laughed ruefully. “Commandant Iven was right.”

 

Koth shrugged for an explanation but didn’t get one.

 

Lana approached Liatrix cautiously, patting the air in a gesture of calm. “She’s right. The Emperor is a threat to all life everywhere. We need to figure out how to separate you from him.”

 

“Good luck with that. It’s more complicated than you think. We’re done here.” She shot a look at Heskal. “Join or don’t. I don’t care—but stay the hell out of my way. I’m leaving.”

Liatrix backed away and as she was about to bolt, Senya called out.

 

“Wait—there is one more truth that must be told. I withheld the true reason I pledged myself to you in this trial. I wanted to understand the person who would kill Arcann and Vaylin—my son and daughter.” Tears filled her eyes and she bowed her head.

 

Valkorion laughed and clapped his hands together. “She told. How delightful.” Something like mirth lit his eyes and Liatrix glared at him.

 

“You could’ve told me that!” Her gaze locked with Lana’s briefly and then she fled.

 

“Don’t let her get away! Zakuul needs her!” Koth shouted and started to give chase.

 

“No, Koth. Let her go,” Lana said, catching his elbow. “There are things she needs to work out first. She needs time and we have much to discuss.”

 

Liatrix bolted headlong out of the building and squinted against the bright light outside. She hopped the railing to the level below and zigzagged through the crowds of refugees and pirates to get to the docks.

 

A fuelling droid drifted away from a shuttle it had just filled and she leapt high to clear a stack of shipping crates waiting to be loaded on board. The shuttle, named the Sky Princess II, was compact but appeared capable of long-distance travel.

 

Liatrix strode past the droids tending the vessel and crept up the boarding ramp to find the craft mercifully empty, save for the easily dispatched service droid, an old Two-Vee model.

 

She dropped into the state-of-the-art cockpit and flicked a line of overhead switches to retract the docking clamps. The star chart bloomed from the center console, casting a pale green glow over the console. The ship rose slowly enough to earn the attention of the owner.

 

The surly pirate drew his blaster and aimed for the thrusters to handicap the ship. “D’you have any idea who I am? When I catch you, I’m gonna break your teeth,” he roared, shaking his fists.

 

Quinn emerged from the Gravestone to complete the refuel and resupply of the ship. The pirate’s harsh gravelly voice carried across the din as he swore a blue streak and let off another round of blaster fire after his ship. Quinn glanced up at the sporty shuttle cutting through the foggy atmosphere and frowned, but quickly dismissed it.

 

Liatrix rolled the vessel to dodge the incoming shots and sped off. “Damn this thing can move,” she marveled, as the pale blue atmosphere of the gas giant gave way to space. “Navicomputer—set a course for the Esstran sector…”

 

Lana, Koth and the others descended the shipping dock where the Gravestone was docked. Security droids and a small crowd had formed on the neighboring dock.

 

“Looks like we missed some excitement,” Koth mumbled. “Tora…you wanna double check the exhaust manifold, I don’t think it’s hooked up to the converter properly.”

 

“On it,” Tora barked.

 

Quinn glanced up from his datapad. “It appears someone stole that pirate’s shuttle—no doubt an everyday occurrence in a place like this.” His gaze panned over the group. “Were there complications?”

 

Lana nodded. “You could say that. We have a lot to discuss—when you’re finished here, kindly join us inside. We need to decide our next steps.”

 

“Should we not wait for Darth Incarnal—I trust she will be along shortly?”

 

“No, I’m afraid not,” Lana began. “I think she may have been the one who commandeered that shuttle.”

 

“My lord?”

 

“It’s complicated, I’ll explain inside.”

 

“Of course, my lord. The Gravestone has been cleaned, stocked and re-fueled. When Tora completes her inspection, we’re ready for take-off.”

 

“Good work,” Lana murmured and started up the ramp into the belly of the ship. The bickering had already begun by the time she reached the bridge.

 

Koth threw his arms up. “You should’ve told us. You’ve been lying this whole time!”

 

“I’m not denying what Arcann and Vaylin have become. I will find a way to stop their bloodshed,” Senya argued.

 

“How could you not see this coming?”

 

“Valkorion and I never agreed on how to raise the children and when I decided to leave, they chose him. I couldn’t force them to leave their father.”

 

“Huh. You give us this whole ‘woe is me’ story and expect us to trust you? You expect us to take your word for it?”

 

“Ask him yourself—if or when we find the Outlander. I never expected her to cut and run.”

 

“We need to get her back. We need Valkorion back. He wasn’t fixated on war,” Koth said.

 

“Valkorion is a world devourer, but I do agree that we need to find Liatrix, the sooner the better,” Lana added. “But where to start looking?”

 

“I’m gonna check on Tora. We’d better get moving.” Koth shot a glare at Senya as he pushed past her.

 

“I’ll be somewhere—meditating,” Senya snapped.

 

Quinn took his station on the bridge. “I think I know where she may have gone.”

 

Lana glanced up. “Any insight you have would be helpful, Major.”

 

“Dromund Fels.”

 

“You think she’s gone to the site—where Scourge’s settlement was?”

 

“It’s understandable, that she would wish to see it for herself. If our positions were reversed, that’s what I would do.”

 

“I think you may be right. When we get the all-clear from Koth, set a course for Dromund Fels.”

 

“As you wish, my lord.”

 

 

Whorls of electric blue engulfed the Sky Princess II and Liatrix relaxed into the cushy captain’s chair. Something poked into her outer thigh and she shifted to retrieve a leatheris folder. “Let’s see who you belong to…Hmph—Andronikos Revel. Well, Captain Revel, you do have good taste in ships.”

 

Valkorion manifested in the space between the captain and co-pilot’s chairs. “You’re wasting time. I fail to understand why you’ve chosen to abandon your destiny.”

 

“You couldn’t have mentioned Senya was the mother of your children? Liatrix snapped. “You could’ve at least told me that much.”

 

“I did urge you to think and for a moment, I thought you might’ve guessed the truth. I wanted to see what she would do. Ultimately she chose to put her faith in you.”

 

“No—you’re wrong. That wasn’t faith. She wants to save Arcann and Vaylin. I don’t. She thinks by ingratiating herself to me, that I’ll spare them. It’s not faith driving her—it’s a mother’s love.”

 

“How cynical of you, but if that’s what you choose to believe, I cannot stop you.”

 

“Let’s talk about things we can stop—like you keeping secrets from me.”

 

“It appears you’ve been keeping a few of your own. After all these years, I finally understand how your father was able to oblige me—defy me. I assigned one insurmountable task after another and yet he always succeeded. Survived the unsurvivable. It confounded me for years. Now I know the truth.”

 

“You were a fool to kill him. He would’ve moved worlds and galaxies for the Empire.”

 

Valkorion chuckled. “Now I know where you get your bravado—and how you were able to challenge me as no other has.”

 

“Yeah, about that. Next time you decide to chow down on every living thing in sight, be careful who you invite to the feast, huh?”

 

“Interesting. And here I thought the two of you had some sort of understanding.”

 

“He’s a nuisance I could do without and you woke him up. Thanks for that,” Liatrix said snidely.

 

“Instead of chiding me, you might try asking for my guidance.”

 

“Like you’re going to tell me how to get rid of him. What’s to stop me from doing the same to you? Trust me, I’d like nothing more than to shut you both up—for good.”

 

“We both know that I am no mere ghost. And unlike Hord, I’m here to see you succeed. Can he make such a boast? I’ve always given you the choice, have I not? We share a mutual respect.”

 

“Right,” she drawled. “So what would you suggest I do?”

 

“Long ago—a Lord Erghast attempted the ritual Hord perfected. He failed, but he discovered how to bind ghosts instead.”

 

“And you’re implying that anything bound, can be unbound?”

 

“Precisely.”

 

“I’ll think about it,” Liatrix muttered nonchalantly. “We’re dropping out of hyperspace and I want to be alone.”

 

“Don’t think too long—destiny waits for no one.” Valkorion’s voice hung in the air after he vanished.

 

The craft stuttered as it emerged into the Esstran sector, home to the Dromund system. She peered through the viewport as the craft approached the dusty world. The ship sank into a medial orbit and a sizeable crater came into view. Her fingers dug into the armrests until her knuckles turned white and she sprang out of the chair.

 

A vision of the Eternal Fleet flashed before her eyes, its cutting rays wounding the planet while she slumbered. An echo of the lives lost rippled through her and she reached out for the back of the chair to steady herself. She closed her eyes to clear her mind and when her vertigo faded, she bolted from the cockpit to the ship’s tiny quarters.

 

The pirate owned a wide variety of extreme climate gear, including a set of coarsely woven tan and cream desert robes. She wrapped the turban like cowl around her head and pulled up the gauzy neckerchief over her mouth and nose.

 

The bright interior lights turned the viewport into a mirror and she stared at the robed being staring back at her. The sight compelled her to ignite the saber Lana had given her during their escape from Zakuul.

 

The vibrant blue lightsaber paired with the rough tawny robes carried her back in time. She could almost hear the younglings with their practice sabers, their giggles seeding tears in her eyes. She retracted the borrowed saber. “That’s not who you are—it never was.”

 

She returned to the bridge and took the Sky Princess II through the dust-filled atmosphere and landed several meters from the edge of the crater.

 

The winds whipped her robes and she tugged her goggles over her eyes as she disembarked.

 

Dust sifted over her boots with each step she took toward the crater. The surface was cooler than she remembered—much cooler. She shuffled alongside the perimeter of the maw and paused to look up at the muted sun. Decades would pass before the sun’s rays would fully warm Dromund Fels again.

 

The cliffs beyond the crater rose up like a scar and by the amount of rubble and sift at the base, the blast had no doubt bred groundquakes and aftershocks for weeks after Arcann’s attack.

 

Her robes shivered over her body as she walked, the wind feeding her momentum. It wasn’t so long ago Scourge had brought her here. She remembered the broken down house, his mother’s upturned cooking pot and his father’s desiccated corpse and the day they’d buried it. All of these things had defied the centuries only to be destroyed by Arcann’s tantrum.

 

Scourge had called this place home and like his family’s enduring relics, he too was gone. Nothing remained, save for dust and bits of sand fused into glass. She knelt and scooped up a handful of the russet sand.

 

Arcann destroyed everything he touched and what he couldn’t destroy he preserved, perhaps relying on time to do what he couldn’t.

 

Her jaw clenched until her back teeth gritted and her hand closed into a fist around the dirt. She stared into the abyss. She expected to cry but no tears came and she wondered if she’d finally exhausted the supply. Perhaps she had finally cried enough and that time was past.

 

How like Heskal she was at this moment—peering into a void, searching it for meaning and finding none. Fate had given the old man the answers he sought. Her answers would be harder to find.

 

The sun sank below the horizon and plunged the world into a sandy twilight. Dust wafted across the beams of Sky Princess II’s forward floodlights and the wind turned cold with the impending night. Whispers from the darker recesses of the world hissed their summons but she refused to indulge them.

 

“I won’t be a slave to destiny,” she muttered.

 

The thrusters of a descending vessel whipped the sand and dust into a series of whirlwinds. The behemoth darkened the horizon until a large searchlight blazed to life and panned over the surface.

 

Liatrix remained by the edge of the crater even as a set of footfalls crunched toward her. She didn’t need to turn around to know who approached.

 

Lana stood beside her and both women stared into the seemingly bottomless maw for a long time.

 

“How did you know where to find me?” Liatrix said, finally breaking the silence.

 

“Major Quinn—he thought you might require the finality.”

 

“He was right.”

 

Lana held her hand up to shield her eyes. “I understand why you left.”

 

“Do you?”

 

“I can see how it would be overwhelming—the Scions aren’t exactly subtle and if this proves anything it’s that secrets aren’t healthy—for any of us. You shouldn’t be dealing with Valkorion alone.”

 

“That’s not why I left. I left because I refuse to believe that fate or destiny control my life. I control my life. Not you, not anyone else and if you can’t trust in that, then I guess this is goodbye.”

 

“Nothing about this is ideal—but I trust the sincerity of your vengeance. Will you return to us?”

 

Liatrix nodded. “It’s not as if I have anything better to do.”

 

“Promise me one thing—you will tell me if Valkorion proves too much to handle?”

 

“It’s not him that worries me—but yes, I’ll tell you—so long as you don’t lobotomize me in my sleep. Deal?”

 

“Deal.”

 

“Let me reactivate the Sky Princess’s service droid—and set the autopilot back to Asylum. Captain Revel was pretty pi.ssed.”

 

“Andronikos Revel?”

 

“Yeah, how did you know?”

 

“He was once involved with Darth Nox.”

 

Liatrix quirked a brow. “I wonder whatever happened to her—if she’s still alive.”

 

“Oh, she’s very much alive, she took over the Empire after Acina—she’s Empress Nox now.”

 

“Nox? What about Ravage and Vowrawn, Mortis?

 

“Ravage is dead.”

 

“Can’t say I’ll miss him. Whatever happened, I hope it was painful.”

 

“Regrettably, I don’t know all the details, but I do know that Vowrawn and Nox were present when it happened. I suspect they had a role to play. Mortis continues to serve as Minister of Law and Justice."

 

“Then we should go home.”

 

“We can’t. Arcann has monitoring stations orbiting key worlds including Korriban and Dromund Kaas. He’ll be searching for you and Imperial space is the first place he’ll look—which is why we shouldn’t linger.”

 

Liatrix clutched the dirt in her fist more tightly. “If we’re going to reclaim the galaxy, we need to do so in secret—and we’ll need a base of operations.”

 

“Agreed.”

 

((to be continued…))

Edited November 5, 2017 by Lunafox

[Diviciacus]

Hey Lunafox! Sorry I've been slow with this! Hasn't been a great week >.> I was hoping to get it out before chapter 7 hit shelves but apparently no dice

 

Anyway, commentary for Chapter Six! woo!

 

Sextum Caput

 

 

-Rumor volat, as the saying goes

-Aww, Koth is like a derpy puppy when he sleeps! Socyute!

-Really, Lana? Really? “You know what the problem is with you Knights? You’re never taught to properly channel your anger.” SAYS THE SITH WHO TOLD HER HUSBAND TO GO SPACE HIMSELF AT SOME POINT.

-Hehehe, I remember Balkar decking Doc in that tribunal!

-My but Lana and Balkar are a dysfunctional couple. Neither is really listening to the other and it’s painful to read

-Darmas Pollaran is such a sh.it. Why him? Alternatively; why is he not dead? I’m pretty sure your smuggler from way back in The Well of Undying was a pretty dark character.

-I also appreciate the Marr reference in why he got canned.

-For someone wearing at least two IV’s, Liatrix is certainly rolling around a lot in her bed.

-This sounds awfully famili- No! Bad! Bad Tulak Hord! *waps with newspaper*

-I enjoy how you tie your narratives together through self-reference. All the more bittersweet that it also suggests this may be a swan song.

-I find it all the more intriguing that essentially Hord through the Force is intentionally doing what Liatrix does to people through biology accidentally.

-And the most insidious lie contains a grain of truth.

-I love that absolutely fluid transition from Tulak Hord creeping to wakefulness.

-I want to feel sympathetic for Quinn here, but he’s acting to Liatrix just as he does to a female Warrior and then I think of what happens and I’m just unable.

-Ahh Senya, foreshadowing her sudden but inevitable betrayal. *waves dinosaur toys around*

-Always alone. Not a commentary against you but… everyone in KOT_ is always like “I need to meet someone alone.” As if the contact is going to suddenly balk because the freaking savior of the galaxy might come to the meeting too.

-The Gravestone would have looked better if it wasn’t so inexplicably asymmetrical.

 

 

[Lunafox]

Hiya My answers in blue. ^^

 

Hey Lunafox! Sorry I've been slow with this! Hasn't been a great week >.> I was hoping to get it out before chapter 7 hit shelves but apparently no dice

 

Hey Divi! It's okay, I'm happy to see your comments whenever you're able to do them,

they're always welcome. I'm sorry it wasn't a great week for you. I gathered you were having a time of it because of what you said on your story's thread. Hopefully, things will get better soon. ^^

 

Anyway, commentary for Chapter Six! woo!

 

Sextum Caput

 

 

-Rumor volat, as the saying goes

-Aww, Koth is like a derpy puppy when he sleeps! Socyute!

-Really, Lana? Really? “You know what the problem is with you Knights? You’re never taught to properly channel your anger.” SAYS THE SITH WHO TOLD HER HUSBAND TO GO SPACE HIMSELF AT SOME POINT. I kind of thought that would be funny, because everyone at some point says something like that when they're very angry. I suppose Lana channelled her anger in that she told him to get spaced lol

-Hehehe, I remember Balkar decking Doc in that tribunal! I really enjoyed that fight myself Doc and Balkar...they definitely have a history of wanting to punch each other out. I'm not sure how much that has changed over time lol.

-My but Lana and Balkar are a dysfunctional couple. Neither is really listening to the other and it’s painful to read

The oppression and war have been very stressful on them...they always had challenges,

given their personalities and who they are, it's very much a case of opposites attracting, and that would've been tough enough. The war made it A LOT worse.

 

-Darmas Pollaran is such a sh.it. Why him? Alternatively; why is he not dead? I’m pretty sure your smuggler from way back in The Well of Undying was a pretty dark character. Mr. Pollaran can be quite charming in his own way and yes he can also be a bastard as we've seen in game in my stories. The fact that he's alive is interesting, I suspect Gwanshoo shot him and either he survived like the roach he is, or she just shot him to hurt him, not kill him. Anything is possible, she's dark, she's crazy, but she did have a thing for the man at one point.

-I also appreciate the Marr reference in why he got canned. I figured it would be nice to toss that bit of history in there.

-For someone wearing at least two IV’s, Liatrix is certainly rolling around a lot in her bed. I got the idea for this from my mother when she was in the hospital...she'd flop and end up tearing her IVs out,

she was just too restless. Thankfully she's not having to have those right now.

-This sounds awfully famili- No! Bad! Bad Tulak Hord! *waps with newspaper* LOL,

you're spanking him like the bad dawg that he is lol.

-I enjoy how you tie your narratives together through self-reference. All the more bittersweet that it also suggests this may be a swan song. Thanks It does seem a bit sad and final doesn't it. I do like to link together the stuff I do in some little way.

-I find it all the more intriguing that essentially Hord through the Force is intentionally doing what Liatrix does to people through biology accidentally. I hadn't considered that but now that you mention it,

it is kind of neat.

-And the most insidious lie contains a grain of truth. True enough.

-I love that absolutely fluid transition from Tulak Hord creeping to wakefulness. Thanks I got so used to wafting in out of reality, dreams, pasts and present during Marr, that I'd like to think I've really improved in that regard.

-I want to feel sympathetic for Quinn here, but he’s acting to Liatrix just as he does to a female Warrior and then I think of what happens and I’m just unable. I see Quinn as being quite professional around her, well, much like he was with SW, true enough. I think he's still quite loyal to his wife whereever she may be,

but there is that whole confusing thing of conflicting feelings cropping up.

-Ahh Senya, foreshadowing her sudden but inevitable betrayal. *waves dinosaur toys around*Those dino toys were cute. I actually felt sorry for little Vaylin and could identify with her.

And then she turned into a b*tch lol.

-Always alone. Not a commentary against you but… everyone in KOT_ is always like “I need to meet someone alone.” As if the contact is going to suddenly balk because the freaking savior of the galaxy might come to the meeting too. That's true lol. Aloneness is a thing isn't it.

-The Gravestone would have looked better if it wasn’t so inexplicably asymmetrical. The Gravestone...urgh. Ugly damn ship. Asymmetrical and hideous, it's almost like a marriage between a 'flea' and a 'sandcrawler'. Not sure what they were thinking with that, but YUCK. As always, thanks for reading and taking the time to comment. I hope your week goes better and that you enjoy Chapter Seven! ^^

 

Edited October 1, 2017 by Lunafox

[Foxfirerose]

Oops I forgot I hadn't commented yet on chapter 6 and now chapter 7 caught up with me:) I am still here and still very much enjoying your unique version of this story. It seems like Liaseph's personality is becoming even more forceful and fierce going forward, and I like it. I think it's hugely funny that the ship she "borrowed" was owned by Andronikos Revel! Also interesting that Quinn is now in danger of being too close to those pheromones......all of this should prove to be interesting indeed! Looking forward to the next chapter as always:)

[Lunafox]

Oops I forgot I hadn't commented yet on chapter 6 and now chapter 7 caught up with me:) I am still here and still very much enjoying your unique version of this story. It seems like Liaseph's personality is becoming even more forceful and fierce going forward, and I like it. I think it's hugely funny that the ship she "borrowed" was owned by Andronikos Revel! Also interesting that Quinn is now in danger of being too close to those pheromones......all of this should prove to be interesting indeed! Looking forward to the next chapter as always:)

 

Well, I'm glad you're still with me here and still enjoying the story Liatrix is working through her grief, she was always an outwardly strong person, inwardly, not so much, but I think she's getting better and will come into her own without so many important external forces exerting their expectations on her. I thought that would be kind of funny to see Revel and see him when his ship was stolen lol. Er...borrowed really, he'll get it back lol. Quinn might have a struggle ahead.

 

Thanks for reading and for commenting. It means a lot.

[Foxfirerose]

Oh goody, I love nothing more than a good Quinn struggle LOL. Love that guy way too much!

[Lunafox]

Oh goody, I love nothing more than a good Quinn struggle LOL. Love that guy way too much!

 

Then you should come and spend time in the Quinnmancer thread We all love him way too much over there!

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=912514

[MishaCantu]

Destiny is not undone by force of will but by missteps and stumbles. Don't know why that came into my head reading this chapter, but it somehow fit.

 

Fitting that Liatrix went back to Dromund Fels, proof is in the eye of the beholder, as they say. I actually quite love Nikki Revel and her 'borrowing' his ship was priceless.

 

So, Nox is empress, Vowrawn probably works best behind the scenes anyway. I hope to see them at some point. Ravage is dead, I'll actually miss him just a bit but don't tell anyone.

 

The scions were never fully realized in game, makes me wonder what, if anything, you will do with them.

 

So, off to Odessen then? A very enjoyable chapter.

 

 

A note about Quinn and Liatrix's pheromones. He, being the brilliant, orderly minded man he is, may fall under her spell but I believe will question why. Perhaps he will be the one to confront and cure her of this malady, if one would consider it to be such a thing. I suspect that if anyone can, it would be him, but he may have to pay a piper or two along the way.

 

[Lunafox]

Destiny is not undone by force of will but by missteps and stumbles. Don't know why that came into my head reading this chapter, but it somehow fit.

 

Fitting that Liatrix went back to Dromund Fels, proof is in the eye of the beholder, as they say. I actually quite love Nikki Revel and her 'borrowing' his ship was priceless.

 

So, Nox is empress, Vowrawn probably works best behind the scenes anyway. I hope to see them at some point. Ravage is dead, I'll actually miss him just a bit but don't tell anyone.

 

The scions were never fully realized in game, makes me wonder what, if anything, you will do with them.

 

So, off to Odessen then? A very enjoyable chapter.

 

 

 

A note about Quinn and Liatrix's pheromones. He, being the brilliant, orderly minded man he is, may fall under her spell but I believe will question why. Perhaps he will be the one to confront and cure her of this malady, if one would consider it to be such a thing. I suspect that if anyone can, it would be him, but he may have to pay a piper or two along the way.

 

You know you're right, it does fit. If it was all a matter of stubbornness and will, things would be brilliant for Liatrix lol.

I figure seeing is believing, it's hard to accept something when you haven't been able to see it, especially to understand the magnitude of what was done. It's a step to get over grief.

 

I thought it would be fun to bump into someone that doesn't really figure prominently just to get a bead on what they're doing during this time and Nikki popped into mind.

 

I'm glad you're asking and curious about them, as they do actually happen to figure in the next chapter I hope they've retained their charm lol. Honestly, I'll miss Ravage too. He was a piece of work lol. I would've preferred not to kill him, but there was just no way he was getting out alive after all he'd done.

 

As for the Scions...we'll have to see, I don't really see them in a prominent role, but that could change further into the story...where I am right now, they don't really figure in things too much.

 

Odessen will be soon, won't be the next one, the week after. Thanks for reading and for your lovely comment, I do appreciate it. ^^

 

 

And yes, I could see Quinn being a factor in things where her unknown 'super power' comes in lol.

 

Edited October 3, 2017 by Lunafox

[frauzet]

A very enjoyable read!

I like the many small details you added, like Lia wondering about Senya's eyes. And of course I immediately recognized the name of the ship Lia stole. I <3 Andronikos!

With your hints in the other responses I'm looking forward to the next chapter even more.

[Lunafox]

A very enjoyable read!

I like the many small details you added, like Lia wondering about Senya's eyes. And of course I immediately recognized the name of the ship Lia stole. I <3 Andronikos!

With your hints in the other responses I'm looking forward to the next chapter even more.

 

Thanks! I'm so happy you enjoyed it.

 

I wondered how many people would recognize the Sky Princess II Our dear pirate will get his ship back, but I imagine he'll be securing far better from now on lol.

 

I do hope you'll enjoy next Saturday's. I'm excited about it, so I hope it will be well received. ^^

[Lunafox]

The Sanctuary of Regret

 

Chapter Eight

 

 

Empress Nox stood before the empty cage and pouted. She traced the aurodium-plated bars with a gleaming red talon and sighed. A pair of hands alighted on her shoulders, fingertips playing over her collar bones so lightly she shivered.

 

“My dear,” Vowrawn crooned against her ear, “still missing your favorite pet?”

 

She thumbed the engraved tag dangling off the spiked beast collar in her left hand. “He was a good pet. I shall miss his whimpering and drooling and how he insisted on being called Supreme Commander.”

 

“Oh, that pitiful bluster I could’ve done without, but,” he kissed her throat, “it always amused me how he liked to watch us. I think it excited him.”

 

Nox laughed and tossed the beast collar into the cage. “Oh, it did. Do you know, I once caught him trying to burp the worm when he thought he was alone? Of course, there was only one thing to be done when I discovered that…”

 

“I remember,” he said, cackling. “You’re positively fiendish and I do adore you for it.” He kissed her exposed shoulder. “I’m surprised you didn’t burn it off. I expected the maker would’ve been more generous with a brute his size…”

 

“Disappointing wasn’t it?” Nox laughed and wiggled her pinky finger at him.

 

“Ah, such memories—perhaps it was a mistake to sell him back to the Republic after all. He was almost a member of our twisted little family at that point.”

 

Nox picked at her nails with her thumb. “Still, it tickles me to no end that his ransom rebuilt our Citadel well beyond our expectations. And do you know my favorite part of it all?”

 

“I would think the solid aurodium monument of you? I daresay my sculptors outdid themselves.”

 

“It’s divine, but better still—the riots. Coruscant is practically eating itself alive,” she clapped her hands together with glee. “With what they paid us, they could’ve fed and rehomed millions. Do you think he’ll keep the piercings?”

 

“Oh, he’d be a fool not to, my dear, they gave him much-needed character. But let us not lament. What’s done is done. Perhaps it’s time I found you a new pet.”

 

“My birthday is coming up.” Nox turned in his arms and fluttered her lashes at him. “And I have given the idea a great deal of thought.”

 

“Have you a name chosen already?”

 

“I think ‘Not-Jace’ has a lovely ring to it.”

 

“I approve—it honours the old boy and sets a standard for the new pet to aspire to.”

 

“How is it that we’re always in such perfect agreement, you and I?” She asked, tracing squiggles over his chest with the tip of her fingernail.

 

Vowrawn took her hand and pressed a kiss to her bejeweled knuckles. “Because our black little hearts beat as one.”

 

“You always know just what to say, my Emperor.”

 

“Sssh. Only when we’re alone,” Vowrawn’s gaze strayed toward the door.

 

A timid knock fell on the door to their bedchambers and two loud breaths followed as if whoever on the other side was working up the nerve to enter.

 

“Come!” Vowrawn called out.

 

A powder blue Twi’lek male crept in, bowing profusely as he approached.

 

“Ta’lin,” Nox frowned and checked her chrono. “My manicure isn’t due for another three hours. Leave us.”

 

“But, Empress, there is a Sith demanding to see you at once. He will not leave.”

 

“Well, you should’ve made him leave. Why do we even keep you around? Nox snapped.

 

“Because I can colour between the lines?” Ta’lin offered.

 

“You impudent little worm,” Nox growled and Vowrawn clasped her shoulder. “Remind me to electrocute him later,” she mumbled over her shoulder at Vowrawn. “Who is this Sith, Ta’lin? Who would have the nerve to demand so much?”

 

“I-I don’t know. H-he looks like he crawled out of a Sarlacc.” The Twi’lek jerked his head nervously.

 

Vowrawn folded his arms. “Did you think to ask his name, m’boy?”

 

The Twi’lek’s lekku twitched. “He said it was—Scurvy? Or maybe it was Scrounge? No Scour. Definitely Scour. Or…maybe was it Scourge? I can’t remember, please don’t hurt me.” He threw himself to his knees and clasped his hands penitently.

 

Vowrawn whispered behind his hand to Nox. “Do you think further electrocutions wise? There wasn’t much between those lekku, to begin with.”

 

Nox pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. “Perhaps you’re right,” she conceded. “Do you really think it could be Scourge?”

 

Vowrawn twirled his chin tendril thoughtfully. “There’s only one way to know for certain, my dear. Ta’lin, m’boy, fetch some food and drink for our guest and inform him, that we will be along to meet him presently.”

 

The Twi’lek scrambled to his feet and bowed profusely the entire way out of their chamber, never once turning his back to them while in their presence. The door thumped to a close and Nox paced, her thumbnail digging into her full lower lip. “What if it is him?”

 

Vowrawn’s mouth curled diabolically at the corners. “Then perhaps we will be one step closer to solving my little problem at last.”

 

“The Hand has been after you for years. It amazes me they didn’t arrest you on Zakuul.”

 

“Ah, my dear, it was well worth the gamble. His children know nothing of his power base. They have all the finesse of rabid gundarks in a spice den. All that matters to them is the throne and their fleet and while formidable, cunning has always proven deadlier than might.”

 

“It’s not just those blasted Zakuulans that worry me. We both know it’s only a matter of time before Jadus makes a play for all we’ve built. The last thing I want to hear is his blather about the democratization of fear. ‘Only I am eternal, blah, blah, blah, yawn,’” she mocked.

 

“No need to worry my little vixen. Even Jadus has his weaknesses.”

 

“If you say so.”

 

“Do I detect a hint of doubt?”

 

“No Veles, not doubt—more like worry that your luck will run out.”

 

“So serious suddenly,” he kissed the tips of her fingers and pressed her hands to his heart. “I never rely on luck, only my wits, my dear. If lady luck wishes to join me, wonderful, but she is a fickle mistress. I prefer more reliable company.”

 

“So what will you do?”

 

“I think it’s time I made amends—and how better to apologize than with a gift?”

 

Nox’s brow arched into a sharp point. “Do you think it will be enough? She turned on them and they blame you for it.”

 

“Pah,” he smiled and waved her off. “It’ll be enough to get inside and that’s all I need.”

 

“Why stop with entry? Why not become The Hand?”

 

Vowrawn beamed impishly. “It seems we’re of one mind.”

 

“Just don’t forget that rest of you belongs to me.”

 

“Never fear, you’ll always have dibs on the best part.”

 

She slipped her hand into his robe and smiled. “There it is,” she purred. “The gift that keeps on giving. Are you certain it’s worth the risk?”

 

“My beloved Feravai, if not for our trusty Wrath, I would not be standing here today with my most entertaining attribute in your loving hands. I take my debts seriously—a lesson I learned from our old friend—I do miss him—immeasurably.”

 

“I know.” She flicked the tiny bell adorning his length and smirked. “The Wrath of Old and the Wrath of New—which do you suppose would win in a cage match?”

 

“Hmm, an interesting conundrum, my dear. He has the advantage of size and experience, but I believe her to be the more ruthless.”

 

“I’m not sure it was wise to turn away that handsome captain of hers…”

 

“Astute as Quinn is, he would only get himself killed. The Hand wouldn’t suffer his scrutiny, nor can we afford to have him underfoot—and if anything were to go wrong, well, suffice it to say, it would be best kept secret.”

 

“I agree.” She gave the adornment another flick and smiled at the tinkling sound before pulling her hand out of his tented robes. “I suppose we should go see if it’s really him.”

 

“One moment, I wouldn’t want him thinking I’m quite this excited to see him,” Vowrawn looked down and chuckled.

 

 

Scourge glared at the Twi’lek servant. Ta’lin opened his mouth but a squeak was all that came out. The goblets and dishes of fruit and cold meats on the tray between Ta’lin’s hands clinked as if a minor tremor shook the palatial apartment. The Twi’lek cleared his throat in an attempt to regain his composure, but when his nerves deserted him completely, he abandoned the tray of refreshments on the low table and fled.

 

“Hmph,” Scourge snorted, his lip twitching up smugly.

 

As tempting as the food and drink were, Scourge turned his back to it and strayed toward the glass wall overlooking Kaas City. The last time he’d seen the city it was little more than a smoldering pile of debris. The elegant buildings had resembled broken teeth, the streets held more craters than pavers and the Citadel was no more than a few girders drowning in a muddy hole.

 

Scourge marveled at the change wrought over the last five and half years. The Citadel was a gleaming monster of obsidian glass and durasteel, its uppermost spire piercing the cloud cover.

 

The architecture was more Zakuulan in style than he cared for, but it was impressive none-the-less. Lightning reflected on the glass face, turning the edifice a violent shade of purple. The ‘broken teeth’ from years past were capped with onyx and gleaming paved roads wet with rain linked the districts. The jungle loomed on the outskirts just as he remembered. He had underestimated Nox. She had rebuilt the city to exceed its former glory and managed to retain enough spoils to feather her own nest.

 

“If you’re quite finished terrifying my manservant, I thought perhaps we might talk.” Nox began good-naturedly as she descended the stairs.

 

Scourge didn’t turn around. He sensed another behind her—Vowrawn. They stood in silent unity at the base of the stairs and when he focussed on their reflections he saw them exchange calculating glances.

 

“Scourge, old boy? I must say you’re looking quite well for a dead man.”

 

“Returning from the dead—this is nothing short of a miracle. I think I speak for both Vowrawn and myself when I say we’re gratified that you survived the attack on Dromund Fels.”

 

Nox draped herself across the twisted sculpture that served as her throne. A serving droid clattered into the reception room and set about serving wine for each of them.

 

“We’d lost hope when the Reclamation Service survey found nothing. How were you able to leave Fels?” Vowrawn asked.

 

Scourge kept his back to them and stared out at the city.

 

“Are you all right, old friend? You were never loquacious, but you must admit this is an extreme, even for you.”

 

Scourge threw back his hood. A diagonal scar cut across his left eye and another bridged his chin. His eyes had turned a deeper shade of red and his frame bulged with even more muscles than either Nox or Vowrawn remembered. His robes were caked with sand, the material cracked like parched soil. He cut a terrifying figure and the hardness etched on his face was more terrifying still. Ta’lin wasn’t wrong—he did look as though he’d emerged from a Sarlacc pit—not as a half-digested carcass, but a victor, one capable of tearing the toothy maw apart with his bare hands.

 

Nox’s eyes widened. If she was taken back by the ferocity of his appearance, she hid it quickly behind a shiv-like smile. Her fingernails clicked against the bulb of her glass.

 

Scourge eyed the proffered glass the droid held out to him until the automaton backed away slowly, looking for all the world like he was tempted to down the libation himself. Vowrawn rescued the spare wine glass from the droid and kept it for himself.

 

“Clearly subjugation agrees with you,” Scourge began, his tone icy. “Perhaps it was a mistake to come here after all. I did not come here to fraternize with Zakuulan collaborators.”

 

“Hardly,” Nox spat and stood to pace the room, wine in hand, her gown swishing as she moved. “You would call me a collaborator when I’ve triumphed in the face of adversity? What would you have me do? Govern as Acina did? She had no love for the Empire. She was decadent and useless, as I’m sure you’ll remember.”

 

Scourge’s eyes were set in a hardened glare that never wavered. “I remember a frivolous woman obsessed with finery and hedonism—not unlike you.”

 

Nox laughed coolly. “I’ve been underestimated my entire life—I’ve grown rather accustomed to it. I don’t mind.” Her smile was as sharp and the pale grey eyes that marked her muddied pureblood heritage were just as keen.

 

Vowrawn threw back his wine in a single gulp and took a softer tone than Nox. “War has hardened us all, my friend. We merely hide it better than most, but make no mistake, each day that passes, is a day closer to the Eternal Empire’s demise. You came here for a reason. Speak it. I remind you—you are among friends.”

 

Nox circled Scourge and swirled her drink. “By the look of you…you’ve nothing but the robes on your back and the saber at your hip,” she began. “I’m not unsympathetic—the war has cost all of us. I was almost killed during the first Star Fortress attack. I survived—our child, not yet born, was not so fortunate. I will not risk my heart again until this is finished.”

 

Scourge dropped his gaze and fixed on the intricate mosaic at his feet.

 

Vowrawn drifted closer to Nox and claimed her hand. “As I said, you’re not alone. What can we do?”

 

“I would not have come if I had no need of allies. I will see Zakuul fall, but I require a ship and armor.”

 

“Your zeal is admirable, my friend, but we are under restriction. I’m amazed you weren’t shot out of the sky. You never did mention how you managed to get here.”

 

“How I came to be here is irrelevant. It’s past. My only focus is the future and the end of Zakuul.”

 

“Mmm, I see. Zakuulan restrictions won’t stop us, but it does complicate matters and there is a small matter I need to attend—I could use your assistance if you’re willing.”

 

Scourge folded his arms. “I’m listening.”

 

“An old friend of mine—your successor actually—is being held by the Emperor’s Hand. Perhaps you’ve met Darth Fernal?”

 

“I thought she was dead,” Scourge muttered.

 

Vowrawn kissed Nox’s hand and released it. “A hazard during wartime to be sure. And yet on occasion, those lost, return, just as you have today.”

 

“How can you be certain she’s still alive?”

 

“You know these people as well as I do, I’m sure. She is one of our most potent warriors—they would not waste such a commodity.”

 

“You know more than you’re telling me,” Scourge hissed.

 

“My sources indicate she was plucked from battle by—the Opticrons before her ship was destroyed. The Opticrons are droids created from modern and ancient technologies. They have stealth abilities second to none. If the legends are true, our Emperor forged them on a world called Iokath.”

 

“How did you learn of them?”

 

“Several years ago, just prior to my brief sojourn on Rishi, I learned of their existence. They were created to observe Darth Fernal.”

 

“You mean spy on her.”

 

“Precisely, my friend. I suspect after your betrayal, our Emperor decided to brook no chances with your successor. Of course, I took it upon myself to warn her that she was being watched. She and her young captain seemed none-too-pleased,” Vowrawn smirked.

 

“I imagine the footage must’ve been quite entertaining,” Nox oozed and raised her glass in a mock toast. “I had business on Rishi as well—it would seem our dear Emperor was in possession of some rather marvelous toys.”

 

Scourge twisted the ring adorning his left chin tendril. “You hope to gain access to their stronghold—presumably where Darth Fernal and these devices you mentioned are located.”

 

“That is the gist of it, yes. And it is my belief, they’re located on Nathema—a world, I understand that only a handful of people are aware of—most of them dead, regrettably—most, except for you. I trust you remember the way?”

 

Scourge paced and turned back to the window. Rivulets of rain snaked down the panes. “This technology, I trust could be turned against Zakuul?”

 

“My friend, just the stealth capabilities alone would be worth the risk, but there is a great deal more, I’m certain of it. The cache of intelligence and technology would be of immeasurable value.”

 

“Can we count on you?” Nox prodded.

 

“It seems we have an agreement,” Scourge said.

 

“Then it’s settled. It will take us some time—to arrange a deep space vessel—and of course to be smuggled off-world to rendezvous with it. I suggest you relax and take advantage of our hospitality while the arrangements are made.”

 

“The ship shouldn’t be an issue—I know just the man for the job,” Nox purred.

 

Vowrawn lifted a brow. “Your pet pirate?”

 

“My pet pirate,” she nodded and laughed. “Just don’t let him hear you call him that—I assume you’re still fond of your teeth. But a smuggler…any thoughts?”

 

“I may be able to assist on that score,” Scourge said. “If the Voidhound lives, perhaps she and her associates will help. I had occasion to meet her several years ago when she was still known as Captain Gwanshoo. I trust her past crimes will be overlooked by the Empire?”

 

“During wartime, forgiving potential allies their past indiscretions is a must, my friend. After all the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

 

“Exactly. The Voidwolf—who?” Nox crooned. “Why…I’ve forgotten already.”

 

((to be continued…))

 

A/N:

I decided to give Vowrawn a first name, something more intimate...Veles. (So my Nox and Vowrawn are Feravai and Veles.)

 

Edited October 7, 2017 by Lunafox

[MayhemofChaonus]

My god Luna you've outdone yourself! Reading this was...embarrassing for me. I was giggling like a 12-year old schoolgirl almost the whole way through. I enjoyed both Nox and Vowrawn as a pairing and as individual characters immensely.

 

Nox redesigning the citadel...I'm betting it looks like something out a fantasy movie now based on your description of the decor, and I also am thoroughly enjoying how you are taking the various plot points and literary devices used in the official Zakuul expansions and using them to craft a more delectable story.

 

I hate always writing glowing reviews of fellow authors because I feel like it makes me look like a mindless worshipful sycophant but damn...you just do your fanfictions so well I feel like it would be a crime to ignore the good parts and nitpick about the little things!

[Foxfirerose]

An excellent and "giggle-worthy" chapter *laughs* Your sense of humor in writing Nox and Vowrawn is outstanding. I think I kept a grin on my face the whole time I was reading. I must agree, you -have- outdone yourself;-)

 

Looking forward very much to more of this!

[Lunafox]

My god Luna you've outdone yourself! Reading this was...embarrassing for me. I was giggling like a 12-year old schoolgirl almost the whole way through. I enjoyed both Nox and Vowrawn as a pairing and as individual characters immensely.

 

Nox redesigning the citadel...I'm betting it looks like something out a fantasy movie now based on your description of the decor, and I also am thoroughly enjoying how you are taking the various plot points and literary devices used in the official Zakuul expansions and using them to craft a more delectable story.

 

I hate always writing glowing reviews of fellow authors because I feel like it makes me look like a mindless worshipful sycophant but damn...you just do your fanfictions so well I feel like it would be a crime to ignore the good parts and nitpick about the little things!

 

Well thank you, Mayhem! You've made my day. I'm thrilled that you enjoyed it and found it funny...I don't consider myself very good at writing 'funny' because I have a weird sense of humour. What I think is funny doesn't always translate lol. So you've made me very happy. Nox and Vowrawn practically write themselves, put those two in a room and who knows what will happen lol. I'm also happy that you like how I'm weaving in existing elements.

 

Don't feel that way about leaving positive reviews. I'm actually really happy that you did like it and tell me so, I was kind of down most of the weekend for various reasons. So thanks again for making my day.

 

 

An excellent and "giggle-worthy" chapter *laughs* Your sense of humor in writing Nox and Vowrawn is outstanding. I think I kept a grin on my face the whole time I was reading. I must agree, you -have- outdone yourself;-)

 

Looking forward very much to more of this!

 

Thanks! I'm glad you found it funny, like I said, my sense of humour may not always translate, I get weird looks in real life lol. Nox and Vowrawn are fun to write for. I thrilled that you're looking forward to more, I just hope I don't disappoint because it's not always going to be funny...but hopefully it'll be a bit of everything and I do prefer to write more dramatic stuff...but it can't rain all the time, as they say in The Crow.

[MishaCantu]

Nox and Vowrawn, what a delicious soup of snark, innuendo and outright prurient bliss. Both hedonists without shame or regret, I do love your take on them. You may not do humor often, but you do it well when the mood strikes. Bravo.

 

Glad you revisited Scourge here, I had started to wonder what he's been up to. It both worries and delights me that he's going to throw his lot in with the deviants of the galaxy, strange bedfellows, as they say. I suspect that paths will diverge eventually but for now, they are in agreement and singular in the ultimate goal.

 

I truly enjoyed this chapter with more than a few chuckles along the way. Jace has come to a whole different light with getting a hand on the situation, so to speak. He'll have nightmares for years, lol, or at least, unbidden dreams.

 

Who knew that Vowrawn still had enough juice to father a child, that was a bit of a kicker, unless it was Nikki Revel's, I'm sure Nox would never tell.

 

Can't wait for the next. Great job. Oh, now I can't get that damned song 'Ring my Bell' by Anita Ward out of head, thanks a bunch.

Edited October 10, 2017 by MishaCantu

[Lunafox]

Nox and Vowrawn, what a delicious soup of snark, innuendo and outright prurient bliss. Both hedonists without shame or regret, I do love your take on them. You may not do humor often, but you do it well when the mood strikes. Bravo.

 

Glad you revisited Scourge here, I had started to wonder what he's been up to. It both worries and delights me that he's going to throw his lot in with the deviants of the galaxy, strange bedfellows, as they say. I suspect that paths will diverge eventually but for now, they are in agreement and singular in the ultimate goal.

 

I truly enjoyed this chapter with more than a few chuckles along the way. Jace has come to a whole different light with getting a hand on the situation, so to speak. He'll have nightmares for years, lol, or at least, unbidden dreams.

 

Who knew that Vowrawn still had enough juice to father a child, that was a bit of a kicker, unless it was Nikki Revel's, I'm sure Nox would never tell.

 

Can't wait for the next. Great job. Oh, now I can't get that damned song 'Ring my Bell' by Anita Ward out of head, thanks a bunch.

 

*is tickled* Thank you! I'm so glad you love them. They're are completely devilish lol. Two peas in a pod. Scourge had a hard time getting off Fels, it's not like it has a lot going on. No one knows yet how exactly he managed to get off. I may leave that a mystery, or not ;D But as you say, strange bedfellows indeed.

 

Poor Jace, I almost felt bad writing that. Almost. And then I remember what an ungodly s.ob he was in Foundation and figured he had it coming. I'm a bit glad that the game showed him up to be what I've always suspected about him. That bit on Iokath, made my day, it basically showed that he did indeed have dark tendencies and was quite capable of what he did to Liatrix and the Littlebean. I felt a bit vindicated there, where Jace was concerned, considering the heat I took for what I did at that time. He will indeed suffer from nightmares and unbidden dreams of every sort.

 

It's quite possible as Sith that Vowrawn might have enough juice to father a kid at his age. Maybe. Picasso and Charlie Chaplin managed it in their 70's as mere humans I would have you know my dear Nox is standing over my shoulder glowering at you over her nightcap...and of course true to her horrid nature, she says to me..."And how do you know it wasn't Jace's?" Not that I think it is...but...she's horrid lol (and yes I'm probably a little crazy, but hey, if Lestat is chilling out with Anne Rice...I'd have to say Nox is his equivalent for me.)

 

And that song is perfect. Now it's stuck in my head and Nox is like..."You can ring my beeellllllllll, ring my bell...."

[Lunafox]

The Sanctuary of Regret

 

Chapter Nine

 

 

Spoiling a pristine world in order to wage war seemed wrong somehow—wrong, but necessary.

 

Over the last six weeks, the base on Odessen had evolved from a cluster of tents to an efficient, mostly subterranean headquarters peopled by volunteers and former Imperial and Republic forces, many of whom Liatrix remembered from her time on Yavin.

 

The lush evergreen forests, craggy cliffs, and turbulent rivers reminded her of Tython, but the similarities ended with the landscape. Tython was a world dedicated to the light, but Odessen interpreted the Force differently—like a double helix—equal and entwined with neither side overruling the other. The world offered balance and with the balance came a serenity Liatrix had never felt before. Except today. Today was different and she didn't know why.

 

The final set of ion cannon cupolas were being airlifted into place, shuttles smuggling supplies and equipment came and went. Every day the Alliance base expanded and the possibility of destroying the Eternal Empire became more real.

 

The Alliance kept Liatrix from dwelling on her vow against destiny, but today, it felt as if destiny had had enough of her stubbornness and was about to lower the boom and remind her who’s in charge.

 

She leaned against the railing of the loading dock and took in the majesty of the spruce filled valley below. A thin sheen of sweat coated her palms, making them slippery against the metal. Every nerve ending and synapse tingled and fired. Worst of all, her stomach felt like it was full of butterflies drowning in cortisol.

 

A mild charge hung in the air like after a thunderstorm. It was fresh and filled with an undercurrent of anticipation. The sun felt good on her skin and she breathed in the sweet pungent air and closed her eyes.

 

A shuttle set down on the landing pad behind her. The hydraulics lowering the ramp released a steamy swishing sound and were followed by the confident footfalls of the latest arrival.

 

Liatrix’s eyes snapped open. Her breath caught. She turned around slowly, finally understanding the reason for her jitters.

 

Theron Shan sauntered toward her. In five years he’d barely changed, save for a few silvery wisps peppering his sideburns. Same broad shoulders; same serious gaze; and the same sculpted landscape under his fitted trousers.

 

Her cheeks burned and she smoothed her hands over the black leatheris jerkin she wore.

She’d often thought about the moment she might see him again and now that it had arrived, everything she’d imagined evaporated, leaving her speechless and shaky.

 

“I like what you’ve done with the place,” he drawled.

 

He spoke calmly enough that his greeting might’ve been rehearsed—or maybe she no longer mattered enough to scramble his nerves. She feared the latter.

 

“Theron…” Even as she said his name, her heart fluttered like a herd of Quivry gazelles and she had to remind herself to smile.

 

“It’s been a long five years.”

 

“Yeah.” She looked up at him, searching his eyes. “I was starting to think you were avoiding me. I thought we’d cross paths sooner than this.”

 

“Had a few loose ends to take care of first. Something wrong? You seem nervous.”

 

“—A little. We didn’t exactly part on the best terms.”

 

“Your husband did try to kill me.”

 

She averted her gaze against the bitterness she sensed in his tone.

 

“In all fairness, you did crash our wedding.”

 

“Not on purpose. You know that.”

 

“When I didn’t hear from you, I thought he’d succeeded.”

 

“You did?”

 

“Of course I did. And he let me believe you were dead—for months.”

 

“For what it’s worth, I thought I’d lost you that night on Dromund Kaas. I did lose you that night…” He corrected.

 

“You made it abundantly clear to me on Coruscant that we couldn’t be together.”

 

“You killed the Supreme Chancellor.” His gaze remained fixed on her as resolutely as his hands weighed on his hips. “Not that I had any love for Saresh, but you made a choice. You didn’t think it through. You didn’t think about what it would do to us. Did you really expect I could just throw everything away and run off with you to the Empire after that? That’s a thing with you—you don’t think before you act. And some of what you’ve done—can’t be undone.”

 

She dropped her gaze, knowing that he was referring to Satele. “You did come back though.”

 

“You know why.”

 

“I can’t change what I did—but I’d do it again to protect my father.”

 

“And that didn’t work out so well for any of us, now did it.” Theron raked his hand through his hair. “This is getting us nowhere.”

 

“I wrote to you. You never answered.”

 

“I couldn’t. It’s a long story and by the time I found out you hadn’t died—you had. Or so we thought.”

 

“You know about the children?”

 

He nodded. “I feel—responsible.”

 

“Don’t.”

 

“I wish I could’ve held him, even once.”

 

“He looked like you,” she said wistfully. “I blame myself. I thought we were invincible—that we’d take care of Vitiate and everything would go back to normal. I was wrong. I lost everything.”

 

“So did I.”

 

“I never wanted any of that to be the last we ever said to each other.”

 

“But it was—for a long time.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Look—there’s a lot we need to go over—the others are waiting inside—but I have something to show you first—”

 

As if on cue, her old corvette swooped down to land in the canyon.

 

“Tora says it needs work—but I thought you might want it back.”

 

“Don’t take this the wrong way—I appreciate the gesture—but it’s full of ghosts and I have enough on my mind.”

 

“Lana told me about what you’re going through—with the Emperor—sharing real estate with you.”

 

“Then you’ll understand.”

 

“Understand what?”

 

“Why I have to keep my distance.” The words came out colder than she intended and she wondered if she actually said them, or if Valkorion had somehow influenced them.

 

“That was never going to be a problem, Commander.”

 

“You said there’s a meeting? I’ll be along shortly. Dismissed.”

 

She regretted the authority in her tone the moment she spoke the command. He didn’t linger and made his way inside the base without looking back. He was always so damn stoic.

 

I wish it didn’t have to be this way. The ice in his voice hurt. Even the worst imagining of their reunion wasn’t as cold as the reality. She stared down at the sprawling tree-lined valley below to collect herself. Tears threatened, but she pushed away the reason for them. She held her breath until the heat in her eyes cleared.

 

Valkorion appeared beside her. “You can’t afford any distractions. Destroying my children is all that matters. Your destiny eclipses anything he could ever offer.”

 

She glared at Valkorion and her hands tightened into fists. Without saying a word, she stalked into the base.

 

*

 

Lana, Koth, Senya, Quinn, and Theron stood in silence around the vast table dominating the war room.

 

“Commander, it’s good to see you. Now that you’re here, we can begin,” Lana said.

 

“Let’s get down to it, shall we? Liatrix folded her arms and positioned herself between Quinn and Lana and as far from Theron as she could manage. “What do you have for us?”

 

Theron leaned against the support pilaster. “The Eternal Empire has positioned battle stations, we call Star Fortresses over every major world in all sectors. For the time being, they’re monitoring activity on each world, but our sensor readings indicate they are equipped to do a lot more than that, but we need to learn more about them before we can devise a strike.”

 

“We need to get the Gravestone fully operational and in peak condition first. Has there been anything further from Tee-Seven? Surely you must have heard something more by now?” Liatrix asked.

 

“As a matter of fact, Commander, Tee-Seven contacted us no less than two hours ago. We now know the exact location of this Lady of Sorrows,” Lana said.

 

Koth straightened and paced before the line of monitors tracking the space above Odessen. “If she’s got the schematics for the Gravestone, it would be a huge help to get ‘er battle ready.”

 

“The Lady of Sorrows is located in the heart of the old world—Breaktown,” Senya said.

 

“In an area, the locals call ‘The Razor,” Lana added.

 

“Anything we need to know about it? Things to watch for?” Liatrix asked.

 

“Thieves and thugs, scum of every sort. It’s a haven for criminals—it’s the underbelly of Zakuul’s underbelly—and I know it all too well.”

 

Liatrix nodded. “Then you’re with me—and Lana. We need to get Tee-Seven back and see what we can get out of this Lady of Sorrows. We get in, get out fast. I don’t want to linger. Theron, learn all you can about these Star Fortresses and assemble a flight crew. We’ll get started on them after we’ve dealt with this.”

 

“Understood,” Theron barked and turned back to his monitors.

 

“I know the old world pretty well m’self,” Koth announced. “I could take you in.”

 

“All right, then that’s the plan. Major Quinn—you should come too. In case anyone gets hurt.”

 

“Yes, my lord, I’ll pick up my med kit and await you on the shuttle.”

 

“I’m looking forward to seeing what this Lady of Sorrows has to say—and what it’ll cost us. I don’t imagine this kind of information will come cheap,” Liatrix said.

 

“There are no deals to be made with this kind of people,” Senya said.

 

Koth scowled. “Hey, it’s easy for you to look down your nose at them, but these people need our help, not our scorn.”

Senya met his stare. “They’re criminals. They’re beyond help.”

 

“Once Arcann is gone, I’m sure they’ll be happier for it. Let’s move,” Liatrix barked and left the war room without looking back.

 

*

 

Lost in their own thoughts, the reconnaissance team barely spoke on the way to Zakuul. The planet loomed ahead in the viewport, clusters of light in the darkness indicating where populations were concentrated—the capital, a veritable beacon summoning them to the surface.

 

“I’m taking us in now,” Koth announced as he took the shuttle down in a swooping trajectory toward the city’s fringes.

 

A thick grey brume coiled over the lower levels of the capital, making it look like the city was sprouting out of a cloud. Koth grinned. “We couldn’t have picked a better night for this—less likely to be spotted in this fog.”

 

The shuttle slowed and the landing ramp extended into a tunnel. Liatrix leaned over the com, “Is that a sewer?”

 

“Hey, you said you wanted to fraternize with the Breaktown folks. This is the best way in. I doubt any knights will be patrolling the filtration plant,” Koth said, shooting a barbed glance at Senya.

 

Senya scoffed. “For once you’re not wrong—we ran patrols, but never stayed long. For criminals, they police themselves well enough—the Heralds of Zildrog see to that mostly.”

 

Liatrix studied the map projected over the com station. “These Heralds, are they going to be a problem?”

 

“Nothing we can’t handle, but we should remain on our guard, Commander.”

 

“I think that goes without saying.”

 

Lana straightened. “It would seem this is our stop.”

 

“We’ll hang close unless anything happens,” Koth said.

 

“Good luck, my lords,” Quinn said.

 

“Thank you, Major. Lana, Senya, shall we?” Liatrix’s right hand opened and closed as she disembarked. Her nose wrinkled. “Helluva welcome. This place could stand some Alderaanian nectar. Shame ID-V8 isn’t here.”

 

“Who?” Senya asked.

 

“My old ship’s droid. He liked to drown everything in perfume and keep the cushions fluffed.”

 

“You’ll get used to the smell soon enough,” Senya reassured.

 

Vines dangled from the grates above and a constant ‘drip drip’ noise made it feel more like a cave than sewer pipe. Inside the treatment plant, the way forward consisted of suspended metal catwalks. The facility was deserted save for a few fuzzy vermin that scattered when the trio neared.

 

Senya beamed, seemingly enchanted by the dismal setting. At times she would even hum and sing. “This is a piece of Zakuul’s history—the first attempt Valkorion made to realize his vision of a grand society.”

 

“I’d say it was a failed attempt,” Liatrix said dismissively, “But I’d like to know more about you and Valkorian, your relationship.”

 

“It wasn’t some epic whirlwind romance. We met when I joined his elite guard. You could say, I was opinionated—and he seemed to appreciate that,” she said with a smile. “He was bold, innovative, confident.”

 

“I can understand why you’d find those qualities attractive. You had a lot in common.”

 

“You’re flattering me,” she chuckled. “But yes, we had much in common and we were…happy for a time.”

 

“What changed that?” Lana asked.

 

“The children—Thexan and Arcann needed their father, but no matter what I did, they didn’t want me and he didn’t want them. He barely spoke—it was like he became another person—distant, detached. And then there was Vaylin—she was troubled from the start and a danger to everyone around her.”

 

Liatrix stopped. “What did you do?”

 

“What could I do? I confronted Valkorion, told him his children needed help. His solution was to ignore the boys and to lock Vaylin’s powers away, along with who she was. She wasn’t always a monster—but that’s what she became. I couldn’t watch, I tried to take them and leave, but they wouldn’t come with me. They called me weak, so I left.”

 

“You left them?” Liatrix snapped, her face twisting with contempt. “You were the only one who cared about them and you left? What kind of a mother does that?”

 

“I heard you left yours.”

 

“Not because I wanted to. I did it to protect them. There was a war, that your family started. It’s because of them, that my family is dead and I can’t wait to repay the favour.”

 

“Please—this is getting out of hand. We need to continue,” Lana said quietly.

 

“Then let’s go,” Liatrix growled and moved ahead. “How much further?”

 

“Not far, according to these coordinates, Tee-Seven provided. I imagine he’ll rendezvous with us shortly.”

 

Senya peered over Lana’s shoulder. “We can reach The Razor faster if we keep to the eastern passageways. Less likely to be spotted too.”

 

“Let’s hope you’re right. The sooner we get out of here, the better.”

 

The corridors were mostly deserted, with the exception of a vagrant rummaging through the dumpsters and a drunk sprawled out and snoring at the end of the hall.

 

“It’s almost too quiet,” Senya muttered. “I don’t like it.”

 

“For once—we don’t have to do something the hard way,” Liatrix said. “I like the quiet. Even if it is unnerving.”

“According to my sensors, there’s a door ahead—three meters.” Lana shut the device and clipped it back onto her belt.

 

Before they could reach the entry panel, the door groaned and rolled to one side. Tee-Seven chirped and rolled forward to meet them.

 

“Oh, it’s you.” Liatrix exhaled her relief. “I’m glad to see you’re safe. The Lady of Sorrows is on this level?”

 

The astromech whirred and beeped. “Mission=accomplished. T-7 moving on to secondary objectives. You + T-7 = meet on Gravestone later. You + Lana + Senya = Good luck.”

 

“You too.”

 

The droid gave a final whistle and rolled away.

 

“According to him, the elevator to her penthouse is just up ahead.” Liatrix started for the elevator. Lana caught her arm.

 

“It feels like a trap, why are there no guards down here?”

 

“Because it would attract attention—people might wonder what they’re guarding.”

 

Senya nodded. “I agree with the Commander—it would draw attention and we’ve never come this close to the Lady of Sorrows before.”

 

“Looks like the elevator is locked down—care to do the honours, Lana?”

 

“I should be able to manage it without triggering any alarms.” Lana set about slicing into the elevator’s control pad. A moment later, the doors swished open. “I’m getting rather good at that.”

 

“We’ll pat ourselves on the back once we’re back home. Drinks are on me,” Liatrix said, stepping onto the glassed-in platform.

 

Lana followed, but the moment she stepped inside, the doors swished shut, leaving Senya on the outside. The older woman’s ice blue eyes grew wild and she slammed her fists against the outside of the elevator enclosure hard enough to crack the glass.

 

“I thought you said you’d gotten good at slicing?” Liatrix muttered.

 

“I take it back.” The elevator picked up speed and Lana looked up. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

 

“Close your eyes and put your hands on your knees. It’ll pass. But get ready to jump, I don’t think it’s gonna stop.”

 

“Understood, Commander.” Lana stooped and after a moment the motion sickness passed. “It actually worked.”

 

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Liatrix grumbled.

 

The durasteel shaft and the lights illuminating each level became a blur. The elevator chugged like a speeding freight train and the lights inside flashed red. A warning blared through the compartment. “Warning! The device has exceeded safe velocity. Collision imminent.”

 

“How long before it crashes?” Liatrix barked at the system.

 

“Collision detected in three…two…one—”

 

“Lana! Jump!” Liatrix leapt toward the dizzying light ahead and tumbled into the vestibule of the penthouse apartment. Not a second later, Lana collided with her and both leapt to their feet. They stood back to back, lightsabers in hand at the same instant.

 

They strode forward cautiously. The entrance hall widened into a spacious living area, with luxurious but minimal furnishings. A trio of black-robbed figures lay prone on the floor, electricity still lancing through their corpses. The stench of charred flesh wafted through the penthouse.

 

An ominous looking pistol-grey droid, with black and gold accent coverings, stood before them, orange eyes blazing. The droids features were elegantly pointed into almost aquatic looking fins and the body seemed an exaggeration of an antique protocol droid.

 

“A droid?” Liatrix hissed incredulously.

 

“That’s no ordinary droid, Commander,” Lana’s eyes narrowed and her weapon growled to life. “That’s Scorpio.”

 

((to be continued…))

Edited November 5, 2017 by Lunafox

[frauzet]

Another enjoyable read, thank you!

I love the comparisons of worlds at the start. For one because they are very fitting and second because they are a subtle reminder of everything that's happened in the past.

The reencounter with Theron is a painful one. Well done! Lia isn't good in forgiving other's it seems. And Theron isn't the one to come begging, even if he were able to forgive her.

Lia's conversation with Senya portrays Lia's trait consitently. Senya shouldn't expect sympathy there.

That's one neat powder keg you're building.

Looking forward to the next part.

[Lunafox]

Another enjoyable read, thank you!

I love the comparisons of worlds at the start. For one because they are very fitting and second because they are a subtle reminder of everything that's happened in the past.

The reencounter with Theron is a painful one. Well done! Lia isn't good in forgiving other's it seems. And Theron isn't the one to come begging, even if he were able to forgive her.

Lia's conversation with Senya portrays Lia's trait consitently. Senya shouldn't expect sympathy there.

That's one neat powder keg you're building.

Looking forward to the next part.

 

Glad you enjoyed it! <3

 

The reunion was painful and tense, and I'm glad I managed to get that across. Had to really fight hard against the desire to smoosh them together and say 'now kiss!' lol. But they have things to work through and time didn't necessarily make the heart grow fonder...it gave the heart time to think, so hopefully what happens with them will be interesting. Both of them can be quite willful.

 

Next week...yeah, that should be fun. Hopefully. Thanks for reading and commenting! ^^

Edited October 16, 2017 by Lunafox