Defying Destiny

[JennyFlynn]

Well, hot damn...

 

 

Nothing quite like a little workout with something extra on the side, or bottom or top, but who quibbles over position? Not really surprised that Eliza got back with Ravage, he is a reliable outlet for what the body needs and sometimes it's just that simple. It's like they belong to some 'mutual users society', I just wonder when Ravage will tire of the game. And will his pick up his toys and go home or try to destroy the playpen out of spite?

 

There is no shortage of victims here either by choice or happenstance. It is unfortunate that during wartime vision is often so short-sighted because everything calls for immediacy. Theron has memory and blunders of the past to fuel his emotions, Eliza has current loss and 'what might have been' to fuel hers, Ravage has desire and futile dreams to fuel his and Nyssa is rather caught in the maelstrom created by everyone around her. Solutions in such a volatile time are often brutal and there is always collateral damage.

 

 

Looking forward to the next installment.

Sometimes it is just that simple, you're right--sex isn't always about love or any such feelings though it can lead down a dangerous slope. Nothing new for Eliza really but I'd say her previous uhm, 'mutual users' partners was a little safer than Ravage now. As much as he may have agreed not to push, I think it'll always mean more to him.

 

I absolutely loved the second part of your comment, you're spot on in your assessment. It's actually such a beautiful way of describing the situation that I've got little to add other than thank you for your words and keen observations. I do feel bad for Nyssa and a little guilty as 'the author' lol.

 

Thank you so much for your words and feedback.

[JennyFlynn]

:: Chapter Twelve ::

 

 

“I’ve just received some intel on this Outlander persona that I’m sure will interest you,” Lana began when she had everyone gathered in the war room beneath the base, “I spoke with a survivor of the crash, someone who was aboard Darth Marr’s ship at the time.”

 

“I didn’t know there were survivors.” Eliza frowned and sipped her caf.

 

“Only a handful managed to get into an escape pod before the ship went down but they never made it back home—they’re on Asylum, a shadowport here in Wild Space,” Lana explained. “The man I spoke to, Ralo, used to serve in the Republic Army and was part of Satele’s envoy joining Darth Marr’s expedition.

 

“He told me of a Jedi who boarded Marr’s flagship just as the assault began—Kira Carsen—which would explain why we’ve not been able to locate her in the past few years.”

 

Eliza’s eyes widened in surprise and she near spat her caf out. “Kira?! Are you sure?”

 

“That’s your former padawan, right?” Me’ghan asked her and she nodded.

 

Lana circled the holo-terminal and pulled up what little information she had on Kira. “I am not one hundred percent sure no, but it would make sense. Someone worth the Emperor’s attention must have been there as well the day Darth Marr and Lord Scourge were captured and killed. Someone capable of ending Valkorion’s life and worth keeping imprisoned.

 

“We know Kira was a former Child of the Emperor and though many troops were lost that day, she is the only Jedi who went missing, of whom we still don’t know what happened. I have tried to access the Republic’s database to scan for any reports but came up empty.”

 

Theron, who’d quietly listened but kept himself in the background, turned to his data-console and got to work.

 

“Would Regina not have spotted her there?” Lord Cytharat asked next.

 

“Not necessarily. From what she told me, after Valkorion struck Darth Marr and Lord Scourge down, Vaylin barged into the throne room and dismissed everyone. Save for Arcann and this Outlander, nobody knows the details of what transpired afterward or even how exactly Valkorion met his end.”

 

“Perhaps he died trying to save your friends from Arc—” Koth began but he shut up the second he noticed the fierce scowl on Lana’s face.

 

It was too late though and Eliza turned on him with an incredulous look. “Excuse me? Save my friends? He killed my husband and he killed my great uncle! The only one Vitiate, Valkorion, would ever save is himself! What’s wrong with you?!”

 

“I’m sorry.” Koth sighed but then he carried on, “Look I know all of you believe Emperor Valkorion to be this monstrous Vitiate you always speak of but he was a benevolent and good ruler. Under his leadership, Zakuul really prospered and we lived good, peaceful lives.”

 

Me’ghan and Eliza exchanged a look of utter confusion, glanced Lana’s way and then back to Koth. Aside from Lana, no one in the room had quite realized just how devoted Koth felt towards Valkorion, and that his experience growing up on Zakuul gave him a wholly different opinion of the former Sith Emperor.

 

“Mr. Vortena, respectfully, either keep your opinions on Valkorion to yourself from now on or leave this meeting immediately,” Malavai said politely as he could manage before either his wife or Eliza could blow up on Koth.

 

“Sorry…” Koth mumbled once again.

 

“Here,” Theron called out having found a report in the SIS database, “Kira Carsen was reported missing by Dr. Archiban Kimble following the Eternal Fleet’s assault on Darth Marr’s flagship. Like Eliza, Kira received and answered Darth Marr’s call for assistance after he claimed to have located the Sith Emperor.

 

“Upon arrival in Wild Space, Darth Marr’s flagship was already under attack and Kira boarded the vessel while sending Doc to return to Coruscant and gather reinforcements. It was the last time anyone’s seen her or heard from her.”

 

Eliza joined Theron, paying him no mind beyond professional courtesy, while she read the information for herself. “And Doc? Has there been any word on him since then?”

 

“A couple of arrests—one for threatening Saresh, one for attempting to steal a starship and one for disorderly conduct. An anonymous source bailed him out and he hasn’t been heard from since,” Theron read out loud.

 

“He was likely fighting tooth and nail trying to get back to Wild Space, to his wife. I know I would have.” Malavai deduced and looked Me’ghan’s way, grateful for the fact he never had to.

 

“Poor guy…” Nyssa lamented.

 

Eliza wrapped her arms around herself and paced, trying to piece everything together. “Okay so, what you say makes sense but for all we know, this Outlander could be one of the dozens of soldiers who were aboard that flagship instead. Whoever killed Valkorion could have simply shot him, they aren’t necessarily a Force user.”

 

“True,” Lana admitted, “but I don’t think Valkorion would have bothered to save and capture your average soldier—he wouldn’t have cared.”

 

“She has a point,” Praven agreed, “as his former Child, Kira would have held as much value to Valkorion as Lord Scourge did.”

 

“That’s fair. Well, say this Outlander is Kira, where is she now? Imprisoned you said?” Eliza turned back to Lana.

 

“We suspect so. Rumors are Arcann did not execute his father’s assassin.”

 

“I know my way around the Spire, I could get you in.” Koth raised his voice rather timidly and did not dare look at anyone other than Lana.

 

“If all this is true,” Vowrawn spoke up at last, “you won’t find her in an ordinary cell. Arcann enjoys his trophies, submits any prisoner of importance to carbonite freezing and keeps them in his vault. He gave me a tour once, no doubt to show me where I’d end up if I ever incurred his wrath.

 

“It’s original, I’ll give him that,” he added with a hint of admiration, only for enjoying the thought of putting his own foes on display in such a fashion.

 

“Only a fool would leave a threat to his power, alive,” Ravage scoffed.

 

“Oh come now Ravage, I’ve known you to keep a toy or two for your own amusement.” Vowrawn grinned with a twinkle in his eyes. “It’s the one thing I actually appreciate about you.”

 

“Never for long and only those so weakened they no longer pose a threat.”

 

Theron scoffed. “Of course.”

 

Ravage raised a brow. “Of course what, Agent Shan?”

 

“I’m just not surprised you lack the guts and guile to face someone who’s—”

 

“Okayyy…” Me’ghan cut in, “let’s cool it with the testosterone flying around here and focus on what actually matters.”

 

“Right. Kira. So, will we be paying a visit to the Spire?” Eliza pulled up a holo-projection of the Spire in Zakuul and observed it closely. “Can we get in there?”

 

“Getting in won’t be too difficult—locating the vault and escaping with Kira, or whoever this Outlander turns out to be, that’s the hard part.” Lana joined her at the terminal.

 

“Do we have a layout, schematics?”

 

“No, but I can acquire those once we’re on Zakuul,” Theron said, “I can’t slice their systems from this location. At least not yet.”

 

“Pity. I guess those shiny little implants of yours are no match for Zakuul’s technology huh?” Ravage sneered and Eliza threw him a stern glare.

 

“Button it unless you have something useful to add!”

 

“I can get you there. There’s a blind spot in the Spire that Zakuul patrols tend to overlook, it has a terminal you can slice into and it’ll help us sneak in undetected.” Koth offered once more.

 

“Good, thank you.” Eliza faked a smile. She still didn’t appreciate his pro-Valkorion stance but she’d take his knowledge and assistance where Zakuul was concerned.

 

“I should come with you,” Nyssa spoke up, “there’s no telling the injuries Kira may have sustained all those years ago or what the carbonite process has done to her physically.”

 

“We both should,” Malavai pointed out, “not just for Kira but in case the operation doesn’t go quite according to plan. Once you break her out, no doubt the alarms will draw all troops and every Knight in the Spire to your location.”

 

“We’ll go with two teams of four,” Eliza started forming a plan, “Koth, you’ll pilot. Theron, Nyssa, and Meg, you’ll stay with Koth. Malavai, Ravage, and Lana will head into the Spire with me. Praven and Cytharat, you have the base here, keep an eye on things.”

 

“And what will I do?” Vowrawn gave a playful pout though truthfully, he would rather not be in the thick of it. “Just stand here looking glorious and inspiring, encouraging the hard labors of others? I am quite skilled at such things.”

 

“Go home,” Ravage suggested though his intonation made it sound like an order.

 

“He’s right.” Eliza gave a gentle smile. “You should return to Dromund Kaas before Acina notices you missing and you risk your position.”

 

They spent the next hour planning everything into careful detail, pouring over their options and trying to account for any mishaps. Nyssa and Malavai debated the physical state Kira might be in and compiled a list of medical supplies they’d need to bring. When all was said and done, Eliza excused herself and returned to the base upstairs to see Vowrawn off on his trip back to Dromund Kaas.

 

“Remember your promise to me,” Vowrawn told her and held her close. He tipped her chin up and kissed her lips in a friendly gesture turned habit and then took Darius aside.

 

“And you, you listen to her, you hear me?” he began a lecture and Eliza suppressed a gentle chuckle when she overheard him cover everything from fighting to girls.

 

Once finished, Darius marched back inside seemingly annoyed with his uncle’s preaching. Eliza and Vowrawn said goodbye one last time and she watched as his ship take off into the atmosphere before it vanished from sight.

 

“Is there a reason you put me with Theron’s group instead of with Malavai?” Me’ghan caught up with her and asked.

 

“I need you to keep Koth, Theron, and Nyssa safe in case they’re spotted and it didn’t seem like a good idea to pair them up with Ravage.”

 

“Fair point.”

 

“Malavai has more combat experience than Nyssa does so he’s the logical choice inside the Spire and next to Koth, Lana knows Zakuul better than the rest of us, I need her with me,” Eliza explained further while she and Me’ghan walked toward Koth’s ship.

 

“Hey I don’t mind, I was just curious.” Me’ghan smiled. “Did uh, something happen? Things seemed tense earlier.”

 

“Hrm, kind of,” Eliza gave a brief recap of what happened in the cantina the previous night.

 

“Wow, I can’t believe he said that.”

 

Eliza rolled her shoulders in a shrug, masking the pain in her heart. “Yeah, well, it’s… his problem. We have bigger things to be concerned about right now.”

 

They reached Koth’s ship and boarded, strapping in next to everyone else who already awaited them and took off for Zakuul. In order to combat the tense silence during the flight, Eliza went over their plan several more times suggesting various things that could go wrong and build contingency plans around potential issues.

 

By the time they landed, all knew their role and what to watch out for. Eliza and her group entered the Spire while Theron began slicing into the systems, copying every schematic he found and guiding them through the endless maze.

 

“Hold. There’s a patrol headed your way from the left side.”

 

“Then they die.” Ravage gritted his teeth but Eliza held him back.

 

“Don’t. You’ll only alert them to our presence that much sooner.” She dragged him away and out of sight, holding her breath until the patrol passed them.

 

“You’re clear. Take a left and follow it all the way down until you spot the utility panel, then turn right.”

 

Cautiously, and far too slowly to Ravage’s liking, they proceeded down the corridors and took the elevator up to the next floor where Arcann’s vault was located. They quickly discovered there was a ten-minute interval between each patrol and Lana relayed anything deemed significant to Theron and the others in case they’d ever have a reason to return here.

 

“We should just kill them all now, save ourselves the trouble later on,” Ravage muttered, aching for a decent fight.

 

“Oh you’re impossible.” Eliza glanced over her shoulder and shook her head at him.

 

It was only a minor distraction but enough for her to blindly turn the corner and come face to face with two Knights of Zakuul.

 

“Intruders!” one of them yelled out instantly and reached for his comms.

 

Malavai tucked into a roll and dove aside to avoid hitting Eliza, then fired. His shots hit the Knight’s gauntlet, causing no injury but damaging his communications device instead and Ravage jumped forward with his lightsaber active. In one fluid swing, he slid the blade between the Knight’s helmet and chest armor while Eliza leaped for the second Knight.

 

“What’s going on?” Theron asked, hearing the turmoil through his earpiece.

 

“Just a bit of fun, Agent Shan,” Ravage said in a smirk, feeling far more in his element now.

 

“Theron,” Eliza panted while trading blows with the other Knight, “is there a way for you to see what frequency these guys use for their communications and disrupt the signal?”

 

“No, not through this panel.”

 

“Another disappointment.” Ravage couldn’t help himself but Theron wisely chose to ignore him.

 

While Eliza had the Knight distracted, Lana came up from behind and seized the opportunity to end him by cutting straight through his armor and piercing his heart. Eliza gave her a smile.

 

“Are you okay?” Malavai checked on her, surprised she’d taken so long to kill the Knight and worried she was somehow injured.

 

“Yeah, fine, I was just taking my time observing their fighting techniques—it’s pretty basic, almost disappointing.”

 

“I’m sure Arcann would love to hear that,” Lana noted.

 

Eliza grinned and sheathed her blades. “Do you think I should send him an evaluation report once we’re finished here?”

 

“The dead bodies will speak for themselves.”

 

“Bodies we should hide to avoid making our presence known.” Malavai clipped his blaster back onto his belt and took one of the Knight’s by the ankles. “Behind that door over there.” He indicated toward what appeared to be a storage room.

 

“Theron, is it clear?” Eliza checked.

 

“Yeah, room’s empty but you need to hurry before the next patrol arrives.”

 

Together, the four of them dragged the bodies inside the storage area and Eliza quickly confiscated the one communicator that hadn’t been destroyed, as well as the lightsaber pike one of the Knights had wielded.

 

“For Kira, doubt they locked her in with her weapons,” she answered the questioning look Ravage gave her, “and now we can eavesdrop on their frequency.”

 

“Hm always thinking on your feet, just one of the many things I love about you,” he flirted, quite deliberately but Eliza paid him no mind.

 

They turned back towards the corridor and hurried on to the next section. A large pair of double doors sat between them and the vault and Theron got to work overriding the security access. The doors hissed open and the four of them looked on in awe when they saw the vast collection of people frozen in carbonite.

 

“Okay… not what I’d expected,” Eliza said in surprise, “just how many impressive enemies does this guy have?”

 

“How do we know which one contains your old padawan?” Ravage inspected the nearest panel he could find to see if any of them were marked. “I’m not seeing a plaque that screams ‘Outlander’.”

 

“Is there any further information in the database, Theron?” Lana asked.

 

“None, sorry.”

 

“Can you try and sense her, Eliza?” Malavai offered up a suggestion.

 

“Perhaps…” Eliza closed her eyes and focused.

 

She cleared her mind best as she could and reached out through the Force, recalling Kira, trying to sense her essence. There was nothing but a void and Eliza began walking around, slowly and letting her hand slide across every single carbonite panel that hung on the wall.

 

Minutes passed and Malavai took it upon himself to guard the entrance with Ravage while Lana followed Eliza, taking her free hand and lending her support to strengthen Eliza’s connection to the Force.

 

Something faint and distant called out to Eliza. It was much like Kira’s essence but had a sense of foreboding about it as though something tried to chase her away instead—as though Kira wasn’t alone. She stopped by the panel where the feeling was strongest and without touching it she knew.

 

“It’s her, this one.”

 

Ravage turned back into the room. “Are you sure?”

 

“I am. I can feel her calling me.” Eliza inspected the security display attached to the panel. “How do we get it open?”

 

“Like this.” Ravage drove his lightsaber into the display without thought, causing Eliza to fret and panic as she shoved him aside.

 

“Ravage what the—” she started to yell at him when she heard a faint hissing.

 

Before her, the panel activated and began its defrosting process, slowly revealing the woman locked inside. A short lock of bright, ginger hair fell over the woman’s face and Eliza sighed with relief, recognizing her former padawan instantly.

 

“Oh, Kira…”

 

Kira appeared unconscious as the process continued and once done, she slumped forward, nearly falling but Eliza caught her in time. She knelt down, holding Kira on her lap and in her arms.

 

“Malavai she’s, so cold. Did you bring any heating pads?”

 

“No, there were none at the base,” he admitted.

 

“It’s okay, it’s alright…” Eliza said in gentle tones, “I’ve got this.”

 

In a rare opportunity to do good with it, Eliza focused inward and called upon the gift her family possessed. She held Kira close, cautiously radiating warmth into her friend’s body. Rather than harness hatred as she would normally, she turned her heart and thoughts to the love she held for Kira, all the memories they shared and slowly, color returned to Kira’s face. Her eyes fluttered open and her hand reached up to touch Eliza’s cheek.

 

Then, unexpectedly, a massive purple blast erupted from Kira’s body and forced the two friends apart. Kira was thrown back toward the carbonite holding she’d just been freed from, colliding with the panel and slipping back into oblivion while Eliza was thrown all the way to the entrance. The sickening sound of bones breaking rang through the vault when her body slammed into the side of the door and she fell to the raster floor with a loud thud.

 

“No…” she croaked out, her eyes wide with panic and then she lost consciousness, involuntarily surrendering to an endless darkness.

 

 

♥

[Lunafox]

Wonderful chapter!

 

Interesting twist having Kira be the one in Carbonite. I enjoyed the rescue mission, and the way you handled the planning for it. It makes me wonder who or what else they might find in Arcann's vault.

 

I can see at some point Theron and Ravage will come to blows. I am a bit amazed that everyone is relatively civilized here considering how things were left in the last chapter. Have Theron and Eliza resolved their issue? Have Nyssa and Theron sorted things? Has there been time for any of that to happen? I'm curious about what might have been said between everyone, from the business in the last chapter. I look forward to see what you make of all that.

 

Loved the chapter and the descriptions, especially the part about the 'rastor floor', which I'd never heard before. I love finding little bits like that. There's little I haven't heard of, so it's a treat to discover something new in terms of description. Well done!

[JennyFlynn]

Wonderful chapter!

 

Interesting twist having Kira be the one in Carbonite. I enjoyed the rescue mission, and the way you handled the planning for it. It makes me wonder who or what else they might find in Arcann's vault.

 

I can see at some point Theron and Ravage will come to blows. I am a bit amazed that everyone is relatively civilized here considering how things were left in the last chapter. Have Theron and Eliza resolved their issue? Have Nyssa and Theron sorted things? Has there been time for any of that to happen? I'm curious about what might have been said between everyone, from the business in the last chapter. I look forward to see what you make of all that.

 

Loved the chapter and the descriptions, especially the part about the 'rastor floor', which I'd never heard before. I love finding little bits like that. There's little I haven't heard of, so it's a treat to discover something new in terms of description. Well done!

Yep, Kira is the Outlander which was ages of uhm'ing and ah'ing on my part before deciding but I hope it worked as an unexpected surprise.

 

This is basically the very next morning. After the previous chapter, everyone turned in for the night and not much else was said on the 'drama', for now. There's been no time to sit yet and focus on personal matters with Lana's briefing taking priority so right now they're all just doing what must be done, putting up best they can and the necessary talks will follow as this plays out. There are some snarks here and there but for the most part, they seem to be behaving. At least for now.

 

Yeah so, the raster floor, I didn't even Google to check. It's just the first description that came to mind for slatted floor I suppose. It may be entirely wrong, but it sounded right in my head so... it's uh, from my personal dictionary.

 

Thank you for the comment, I hope you had a nice night. ♥

[MishaCantu]

Exciting chapter.

 

 

Making plans is always a fun way to pass the time, but it has to be done. I see the snark between Theron and Ravage continues, though it could be worse I suppose. I do see them coming to blows or at least a very heated argument eventually. Koth just can't help getting on people's nerves with his hero worship of Valkorian, lol.

 

Actually, Kira does make sense as the Outlander with that whole 'children of the emperor' thing that has plagued her for almost all of her life. Scourge would be the other. I'm actually happy you made the choice you did.

 

Very astute to put Theron and Nyssa together, not just plan wise, but to avoid further entanglements at this juncture.

 

Some snippets of fighting, and a good point for Eliza to make use of the battle to evaluate her opponents.

 

Lovely and interesting use of Eliza's particular power to remove the chill from Kira. I enjoyed that very much.

 

And, then, the cliffhanger. Gah!

 

 

Most interested to see the outcome. Good work.

[JennyFlynn]

Exciting chapter.

 

 

Making plans is always a fun way to pass the time, but it has to be done. I see the snark between Theron and Ravage continues, though it could be worse I suppose. I do see them coming to blows or at least a very heated argument eventually. Koth just can't help getting on people's nerves with his hero worship of Valkorian, lol.

 

Actually, Kira does make sense as the Outlander with that whole 'children of the emperor' thing that has plagued her for almost all of her life. Scourge would be the other. I'm actually happy you made the choice you did.

 

Very astute to put Theron and Nyssa together, not just plan wise, but to avoid further entanglements at this juncture.

 

Some snippets of fighting, and a good point for Eliza to make use of the battle to evaluate her opponents.

 

Lovely and interesting use of Eliza's particular power to remove the chill from Kira. I enjoyed that very much.

 

And, then, the cliffhanger. Gah!

 

 

Most interested to see the outcome. Good work.

Koth, pff. If I could twist it to happen without being utterly ridiculous I'd have his precious Valkorion shove him out of an airlock, bye Felicia!

 

I'm so happy you think Kira makes sense! And what you say is exactly why I made the decision as a future chapter will show, so glad you caught onto that already--I'd worried it was a move that might be considered lame or far-fetched. This is only the beginning though, bigger things are at play and I do hope you'll enjoy.

 

Yeah, there was no way Eliza was going to have the 'happy' couple run alongside her in this mission. Strategically she has plenty reason not to but also on a personal level I think she was glad it worked out this way. She kept her cool and focused on the mission for now but a part of her is absolutely furious with Theron, it would have been too big of a distraction possibly.

 

Thank you for the kind words and encouragement!

[JennyFlynn]

:: Chapter Thirteen ::

 

 

Delicate blades of grass tickled the palm of her hand and in the distance, she heard laughter. Childlike and pure, from a memory, while the sweetest of voices called out to her and a shadow created by the figure sat between her and the tender sun, fell over her face.

 

“Eliiizaaa… come on now, haven’t I waited long enough for you already?”

 

It rang familiar but she couldn’t quite place it and in the absence of sight, her eyes still straining to adjust to her surroundings, she had little to go on.

 

“Alright, sure, I’ll just sit here while you waste time on a beauty sleep,” the voice teased, light-heartedly and now Eliza recognized it at last.

 

“Kira?” Her eyelids fluttered and she looked up.

 

“Finally.” Kira’s eyes shone brightly and her smile was unwavering. “I wasn’t sure if you’d ever hear me call out to you.”

 

They fell into each other’s embrace and Eliza sighed out, “Oh I’ve missed you, I thought I’d lost you.”

 

“I’ve missed you, Eliza…” Kira beamed and a small chuckle escaped her. “Or Arielle—it’s still so odd and foreign using your true name.”

 

Eliza chuckled too and nodded, tender fingers stroking her friend’s hair. “You’ve let it grow out, it suits you,” she commented, “What uh, where are we…”

 

“Home, of course, where it all began, on Tython.”

 

“Tython… how?”

 

Slowly, and while taking in her environment, Eliza rose up with Kira’s help. The childlike laughter she’d heard came from a group of padawans out in the courtyard training with Master Kiwiiks—same as they had the day Kira became Eliza’s padawan. The Jedi Temple as she knew it stood proud and strong, untouched, unbroken and like a guardian watching over all.

 

It warmed Eliza’s heart and a single tear ran down the corner of her eye. “Kira… how, why are we here?” she asked, realizing they stood in a memory rather than anywhere near Zakuul.

 

Was this death and the afterlife, had they both become one with the Force?

 

“This is my sanctuary, I’ve been here for the past four years—it’s the only place where he can’t touch me.”

 

“He?”

 

“The Sith Emperor.”

 

The two friends linked arms and walked, their bare feet stepping across the meadow and the grass tickling their toes.

 

“He survived, somehow,” a somber tone rang heavy in Kira’s voice, “I wasn’t strong enough.”

 

“Is he still out there? Where do I find him?”

 

“No, he is in here, or… was, until you came along.” Kira tapped the tip of her index finger to the side of her head and smiled, more wryly this time. “He knew you’d come, we both did I suppose…”

 

“What is this? I don’t understand.”

 

“We don’t have much time but you’ll learn soon, I just had to see you one last time and warn you.”

 

A path of sand, dirt, and gravel led them down to the creek, Eliza’s favorite spot and for one peaceful second both women breathed in the beauty, listening to the babbling water gushing along the stony path.

 

“One last time…?” None of it made sense to Eliza and worriedly, she clasped both Kira’s hands in her own. “What’s going on, warn me about what?”

 

“You can’t trust him. No matter what he says or what he promises, you cannot trust him, Eliza, not ever and under no circumstances.”

 

“You mean the Emperor?”

 

Kira nodded and cast a wistful glance behind her friend, watching darkened clouds draw near. Watching the golden light of the sun over the mountains dim and the color of their world fade. She embraced her former Master, closer than she ever had in life and whispered.

 

“I’m so sorry, I thought we’d have more time but my energy is waning, I can’t hold on.”

 

“Kira?” Panic now resonated in her voice. “What’s happening, where are you going?”

 

“This is the end of the road for me but remember, I love you, so much and I thank you for all you’ve taught me, for being a part of my life. We’ll see each other again, one day.”

 

Slowly, just as the water had ebbed down the creek, so evaporated the beauty and luster of their surroundings making way for a grim and cold design. It disquieted Eliza even further, especially once her former padawan’s touch left her and her image disappeared into the oncoming darkness.

 

“Kira!”

 

“Always remember and before I go, you must know, Lord Scourge, he…”

 

Deafening silence stole away her words and the last thing Eliza saw was a pair of blue eyes swallowed whole as Kira vanished completely, leaving her to stand alone on a now ashen wasteland.

 

“Kira!” she called out a second time but only heard her own voice echo back.

 

“Please, come back, I don’t understand and I need you! I have so many questions and I love you too,” she confessed to the void that fenced her in now, shouting in desperation.

 

Everywhere she looked was an endless darkness, a barren land shrouded in a haze of death and decay. The air cold, dry, sharp in her throat when she inhaled and suffocating. Eliza felt her heart heavy in her chest, her body aching from invisible wounds and she dizzied, her mind fogging up. Her knees buckled, begging her to let go until she collapsed and submitted to the will of a force beyond her comprehension.

 

 

—————————————————

 

 

“Eliza!” Malavai rushed over and knelt at her side.

 

A sliver of blood dripped down the corner of her mouth and her body lay at an unusual angle. She was unresponsive and Malavai brought out his hand-held medical scanner to get a reading on her injuries.

 

“What the hell was that!” Ravage bristled, anger and confusion clouding his concern. “Is this what happens when she uses her family’s gift?!”

 

“No, it’s not,” said Malavai who’d witnessed those particular consequences before, “this is something else entirely.

 

“She’s fractured her spine and dislocated her shoulder. She’s bleeding internally and one of her pupils is dilated. We need a medevac.”

 

“I don’t think Arcann will feel inclined to—”

 

“Major Quinn!” Lana called out and interrupted Ravage. She sat at Kira’s side and checked her vitals, holding the frail ginger in her lap. “I’m losing her! She’s barely breathing and her heart rate is dropping fast!”

 

“Meg and I are on our way!” Nyssa announced through their communicators, “Koth, see if you can bring the ship up closer to the vault!”

 

“On it!”

 

Malavai pulled a stim from his medkit along with an injection to combat hibernation sickness and he ran over to Lana. “Try this,” he told her while he ran the scanner down Kira’s body.

 

“Forget about her!” Ravage shouted, “Eliza needs you here!”

 

“Eliza would never forgive us if we let Kira die!” Lana yelled back at him.

 

“And if Eliza dies I will kill that little ginger bi.tch myself! This is her fault!” he bellowed with more fury than he’d shown in a long time.

 

Fast paced footsteps clanked against the slatted floor and drew near while the alarm suddenly began to wail. Skytroopers poured into the corridor, lead by two Knights who charged Ravage immediately—they’d been discovered and Ravage jumped to defend himself and Eliza.

 

“The Outlander belongs to Emperor Arcann!” the Knight declared, his staff drawn and he went for the attack.

 

Red and yellow sparks spat out when their blades clashed and Ravage kept the Knight’s weapon hooked while his free hand reached out, snapping the neck of one of the Skytroopers. Plasma bolts, fired by Malavai, raced past his body and took another two-some of Skytroopers out while Lana did what she could to guard Eliza and Kira.

 

“You might want to hurry,” she told Me’ghan and Nyssa.

 

“Almost there!” Me’ghan panted, out of breath.

 

A roar filled with pure rage escaped Ravage and using nothing but his raw power, he knocked all his assailants to the far back of the corridor. “I have waited years to get my hands on you Eternal fu.cks, bring it!” he sneered furiously.

 

“Requesting immediate assistance in sector 5, the vault!” one of the Skytroopers was heard calling out but in the next second, she collapsed, falling to one of Malavai’s shots.

 

Ravage somersaulted over the pile of Skytroopers and took the Knight in a Force-hold, slamming him up against the ceiling and into both sides of the corridor before letting him drop to the floor. He dashed forward to drive his blade into the Knight and end him but Me’ghan came running around the corner and beat him to it.

 

The second Knight gave chase, his sights set on Me’ghan but in a surprising twist, Nyssa knocked him out using the hover-stretcher she’d brought. She stood proudly, just for a second and watched Ravage bury his lightsaber into the Knight’s chest.

 

“Nice timing, let’s go!” Ravage urged Nyssa and Me’ghan towards the vault.

 

“Shan,” he barked into his earpiece, “get those doors closed, now!”

 

“Trying…” There was a hint of panic in Theron’s voice while he worked the terminal. “Got it!”

 

Ravage, as the last one left in the corridor managed to dive inside just as the doors hissed shut behind him.

 

“She’s not looking too good.” Nyssa activated the hover-stretcher and brought it down next to Eliza. “Koth where are you?”

 

“Right outside but this is going to take some serious firepower, get to the far right of the room.”

 

Gingerly, Nyssa and Malavai lift Eliza onto the stretcher while Ravage, despite the fact he blamed her for all of this, took Kira in his arms and everyone moved away. Several explosions echoed through the vault and the back wall came crumbling down, revealing Koth’s ship. He brought the vessel closer and lowered the boarding ramp over the rubble.

 

“We need to hurry,” he informed them, “my scanners are picking up various fighters headed our way.”

 

While Malavai, with Me’ghan’s help, did what he could to stabilize Eliza and lift her into the portable kolto tank aboard the ship, Nyssa tended to Kira with increasing concern—her vitals were near undetectable by now and her odds looked grim. Koth dipped down to pick Theron up a few levels below and hauled as.s to get them all out of there.

 

“Eliza! Is she—” Theron began the second he boarded and Malavai shook his head.

 

“No, she’s alive for now though my scans are showing the most unusual brain activity. Everything seems to be concentrated in one specific area of her mind, almost as if she’s trapped in there and it’s preventing her from regaining consciousness.”

 

Lana assisted Nyssa as the latter tried all she could to save Kira’s life. “Will she make it?”

 

 

—————————————————

 

 

Hours passed, or perhaps weeks, months even—Eliza wasn’t sure as time didn’t seem to exist where she was now. She finally came to and spat out the gravel she tasted on her lips. Her body still ached but not quite as bad as before and she managed to push herself up.

 

“Kira?” she asked once more in vain and sighed at the silence that followed, “where am I?”

 

“She’s gone beyond our reach now.” A voice came at last and an elderly man in regal robes appeared next to her. Eliza had never seen him before but his presence was unmistakable.

 

“Vitiate…”

 

“Valkorion,” he corrected, “but yes.”

 

He circled her, prowling like a jungle cat intimidating its prey. “I’m surprised it took you this long to come, to find her.”

 

Eliza shook her head and took her lightsabers in hand, hissing with anger. “What did you do to her?!”

 

“A part of me never left her, you know?” He glanced down at her blades and smiled. “Sure, she believed she’d severed our link, defeated me but like you, she would never truly be free of me.

 

“A small opening, the tiniest remnant of myself left inside her mind was all I needed to save myself when she struck me down—my Child would become my next vessel instead.”

 

“Vessel? Is she…”

 

Valkorion let his fingers play over the edge of her blade, taunting that she could not harm him that way. “Dead? Yes.”

 

“Monster!” Eliza spat out and drove her lightsaber straight through him but all he did was laugh. Maniacally and delighting in her anger.

 

“Your former padawan died years ago—her mind was no match for my own. I pushed her out and since then I’ve done all I could to preserve her body, waiting for a rescue. Waiting, for you.”

 

“But I just—”

 

“Saw her? Yes. A fragment, an echo of her essence lying in wait, desperate to warn and protect you one last time.

 

“You were meant to walk into my throne room and kneel before me, you know? Not her. Our final confrontation, at last, as prophesied but by some curiosity, I was faced with your padawan instead. I did as I had to, to ensure our paths would cross once more.”

 

Tears sprung to Eliza’s eyes while she was teased by an inescapable sense of guilt, the weight of Kira’s fate heavy on her heart. She lunged at him again, ignoring her own pain but with small, elegant waves of his hand he kept her at bay and smiled.

 

“Nathema! Ziost!” she yelled in furious accusation, looking to trade further blows, “You killed my husband and Darth Marr, who was a better leader than you ever were! You killed Kira!”

 

A fierce scream left her throat and in vain, she lashed out at him again. “You had my grandfather killed, my father! You took away everything that ever mattered to me—fight me, coward!”

 

They danced around each other until Valkorion grew bored and threw her back with a powerful blast. Her head lulled forward when she collided with a boulder embedded into the landscape and it took her a few seconds to regain her senses.

 

“Are you quite finished?” he drawled.

 

“Where are we?” Eliza demanded when she rose back up, trying to understand how he could hurt her while she could barely touch him.

 

“Inside your mind,” Valkorion began to explain, “When you used your gift trying to warm her body, you exposed yourself to me and allowed me to transfer my essence into your subconsciousness.”

 

He smirked. “Did Tamas never warn you about using your gift against me?”

 

“He…” Her voice trailed off when she recalled her grandfather’s words, ‘The Emperor will try and trick you into using the gift against him as well but you mustn't, ever.’

 

“You tricked me!” Eliza snapped though her voice softened, washed out by the shame she felt now. How foolish she’d been.

 

“Mm yes. When I sensed your presence within the vault, I knew the time had come. I did what I could to keep the body’s temperature low, only hoping you’d be desperate enough to use the gift to save your friend.

 

“Curious, isn’t it?” He taunted and carried on, “Because of that gift, you are destined to bring about my undoing and yet, it is that same gift which has put us in this position now.”

 

Eliza pursed her lips and turned away, casting her gaze out over the crumbled landscape that stretched for miles, further than the eye could see.

 

“You no longer believe in your destiny,” Valkorion observed after a moment of silence.

 

She shrugged and wrapped her arms firmly around herself. “What’s the point? I was destined to kill you but I failed, three times over. Scourge and I were meant to be together for years to come but he’s dead because you killed him and now I’m… what? Stuck in my own mind, with you? Am I dead?”

 

Eliza turned back around when another thought struck her. “Have you taken over my body? Am I your new Voice?”

 

“Not quite. Your mind is too powerful for me to possess, I cannot act without your permission.” He stood next to her and gestured his hand before them both, drawing up a frozen image in the distance, one of her friends and family—the people who’d accompanied her to Zakuul.

 

“Right now, the lesser beings you surround yourself with are working hard to save your life and soon, we must wake and return to them.”

 

“We?”

 

Valkorion nodded. “You and I must work together now to stop my children.”

 

“Your children? Arcann and Vaylin?”

 

The landscape before them made way for a new setting, leaving Eliza dizzy as the gravel beneath her feet transformed into a smooth, shiny marble floor and the walls of Zakuul’s throne room erected all around them. Up on the throne sat Arcann, sulking and drumming his fingers idly on his armrest while Vaylin paced in front of the steps leading up to his seat of power.

 

“They abuse their power.” Valkorion indicated at the two and Eliza picked up on a faint hint of bitterness in his voice. “We must deal with my errant son, and daughter before they ruin everything.”

 

Eliza scoffed, “I’m not their mother—do they even have one, or are these two the result of one of your many alchemical experiments?”

 

Valkorion lowered his eyes. He turned away and one would almost think sorrow lingered in his voice. “I made a mistake, I let her go.”

 

“Lucky her.”

 

When he said nothing further, ignoring her snide remark, Eliza continued. “Why should I help you, after all you have done? This is all your fault and Kira warned me—”

 

“My children are dangerous and they lack discipline! They’ve already conquered and enslaved most of the galaxy, as you know, and it will take both of us to stop them. Do not underestimate their power or the further damage they can inflict.”

 

“Since when do you care about the galaxy?” Eliza folded her arms and quirked a brow. “There was a time where you sought to annihilate every planet in existence.”

 

Once more, he declined to answer her question, changing the subject to further his own agenda. “You are the only one ever to match my power, to match my will to survive. We must stand together now to unseat my children and then, you must take the throne for yourself.”

 

Eliza gave him an incredulous look and began laughing, miserably and paradoxical to every other emotion she experienced, through the sheer ridiculousness of her situation.

 

“Okay, now I’m convinced. I mean, I thought I was losing my mind here but now I know—it’s you and your madness, and I’m trapped inside of it, along for a ride on the crazy train.”

 

Valkorion stared at her, unimpressed, and waited for her chuckles to subside.

 

“Oh, you’re serious?” she brought out when she saw the look on his face, “I’m not going to help you do anything. I will take Arcann down, and Vaylin, get justice for my husband, Kira, and Darth Marr but that’s it. I won’t sit on any throne and I will definitely not work with you to achieve any of it.

 

“You can just let me wake up now and be on your way, Vitiate,” she venomously spat his name out.

 

He said nothing at first but stood before her within seconds. His hand closed around her throat, choking her slowly as he lifted her up and Eliza sputtered.

 

“You’ll change your mind before all this is over,” he threatened.

 

Eliza grunted, her hands clawing at his trying to pry his fingers away. “Never! So just get it over with and kill me now!”

 

“Foolish child! I’m not killing you,” Valkorion hissed, “we’re being reborn.”

 

 

—————————————————

 

 

The monitoring equipment hooked up to Eliza’s kolto tank began beeping erratically, causing Malavai to rush over and take a reading of her vitals.

 

“What’s going on?!” Me’ghan worried, looking over his shoulder.

 

“I don’t—”

 

Eliza’s flat hand slapped against the glass once and balled into a fist and her eyes sprung open, displaying pure shock.

 

“She’s waking up!” Malavai panicked in surprise. “How is she waking up?! And her injuries, they’re, healed?!”

 

Nyssa came running, hearing the commotion and catching his last comment, she turned to the panel on the side of the kolto tank immediately. She began the draining sequence while Me’ghan gestured for Eliza to remain calm. Once the kolto solution left the tank, Nyssa activated the harness holding Eliza and pulled her up slowly.

 

“Move!” Ravage barked and once lifted from the tank, he cradled Eliza in his arms like a child while removing the harness. He carried her over to the makeshift bed they’d prepared and sat her down.

 

“Vitiate… Kira…” Her voice rasped while Ravage wrapped her up in a warm, fuzzy towel. “Valkorion…”

 

“Shh, easy now.” He dried her off and helped her into a bathrobe next. “Calm down, take a deep breath.”

 

Eliza’s bottom lip trembled and she found solace in his embrace, shivering though she was no longer cold. Her breathing evened out and now that she was once more in the presence of her friends and loved ones, she wondered if she’d simply imagined everything.

 

Her hope, however, was quickly shattered when the voice she loathed more than anything, spoke within her mind, ‘I suggest you keep this between us. They would not understand and you would lose their trust.’

 

Nyssa handed her a glass of water and sat down, using her hand-held medical scanner to take another reading and once she finished, she frowned at Malavai.

 

“She’s completely healed,” she whispered, showing him the readout, “how is that possible? The fracture in her spine, her concussion, the internal bleeding, it’s like they were never there.”

 

‘A gift, to you.’ Valkorion smiled before Eliza’s eyes, for only her to see and retreated to the far reaches of her mind where she could scarcely sense his presence.

 

“Valkorion,” Eliza answered Nyssa’s confusion and ignored the advice he’d given her, “He’s in my head, and he must have used his power to heal me. He wants us to work together.”

 

By now, Koth, Theron, and Lana had entered the medbay as well and exchanged curious, worried looks upon her confession.

 

“You mean, Vitiate?” Lana asked.

 

Eliza nodded, sipped her water and began sharing everything she’d experienced while she was unconscious, from the moment she’d used her gift on Kira.

 

“So, he’s taken possession of you, as he did years ago?” Ravage tried to understand.

 

“We could shock you like we did for those on Ziost, that seemed to work, temporarily,” Theron offered but Eliza shook her head.

 

“No, it’s not like that. It’s… he said he needs my permission to act, wants us to work together. Wants me to cooperate with him, to let him help me claim the Eternal throne.”

 

Koth was the only one to smile upon hearing her story and clapped his hands together. “Well, that’s wonderful news! The Commander and Emperor Valkorion teaming up to save the galaxy, hah!”

 

Malavai said nothing to his ignorant comment but smacked him over the head instead.

 

“There is nothing wonderful about this Koth,” Lana said with deep concern, “nothing at all.”

 

Eliza looked at Ravage and though she could see in his eyes that he felt disturbed by everything she’d told them, he smiled too and only pulled her closer. “We’ll figure this out, I promise.”

 

“Kira…” Eliza swallowed hard and chewed on her bottom lip. “He spoke the truth, didn’t he? She’s gone…”

 

Nyssa’s brows furrowed in sadness. “She is. We tried all we could but we couldn’t save her. It was almost as if she’d died already, long before she was freed.”

 

“Valkorion said she’s been dead for years… We’ll give her a proper burial on Odessen.” Eliza decided, ignoring the aching in her heart. “And then I’m taking the fight to Arcann—it’s time to reunite him with his father.”

 

 

 

♥

Edited December 11, 2017 by JennyFlynn

[Foxfirerose]

Oh you sneaky, sneaky little girl!

 

 

You said Kira was the Outlander, but it was going to be Eliza all along! Very clever!

 

But my most favorite part of this chapter is Malavai smacking Koth over the head! ROFL that visual is priceless!

 

 

Can't wait for more of this!

[MishaCantu]

Sniffles

 

 

A lovely way to begin the chapter. Happier times with someone Eliza trusts, all so seemingly normal and then, the warning about Vitiate, an apology for not staying and almost information about Scourge. Poignant and heartbreaking at the same time. I especially liked the part where Kira reveals that Tython has been her refuge for years.

 

Stellar twist that Eliza's force gift was also the opening Valky needed. Very nicely done. That whole, supplanting someone from their own body, hollowing them out, still gives me the creeps. To think that Kira has been dead inside for so long and to set this up, to lure Eliza to him, was equally evil.

 

Ravage comes through again, and good on Quinn to bonk Koth on the head for being an a.sshat.

 

 

Brilliant chapter, excited to see what's next.

[Lunafox]

Poignant, sad and meaningful.

 

 

I loved the reunion between Eliza and Kira, it was nice that they had those moments together, it's always sad when someone close dies, but sadder still if you never got the chance to say to them what you wanted and vice versa. I'm glad they had that moment between them, it's a very Kira thing to do, to cling like that to help her friend.

 

I enjoyed the twist of Valkorion using Kira to piggyback himself to Eliza. I liked the foreshadowing that Eliza mustn't use her gifts against the Emperor, lest she fall victim to him herself.

 

Ravage, I think I'll feel bad for him in a way when/if things don't work out for him and Eliza, he does seem to cherish her a great deal. One sided love makes me a little sad. And Koth, my gods, he's a clueless idiot lol. He was a disappointment in the game, a nicely rendered character, nice voice...and then they go and make him a Valky fanboi. Urgh. He got far less than he deserves, but a thwap on the noggin will have to do lol. Lovely chapter, I really enjoyed the feelings and twists. ^^

 

[JennyFlynn]

Oh you sneaky, sneaky little girl!

 

 

You said Kira was the Outlander, but it was going to be Eliza all along! Very clever!

 

But my most favorite part of this chapter is Malavai smacking Koth over the head! ROFL that visual is priceless!

 

 

Can't wait for more of this!

Haha! I have some nice visuals too of Malavai smacking Koth, it's good.

 

Kira was the Outlander. At the start of this, I debated a lot with myself on how I wanted to approach KOTFE, or rather navigate Eliza through it while keeping her backstory in mind. I liked the challenge of turning Eliza into the one left behind while Scourge and others went missing and there was also the matter of Cyara. In my opinion, the events in the throne room and the carbon freezing would have led to a miscarriage, I even wrote the prologue for it but eventually decided that wasn't what I wanted. So instead I had Eliza 'saved' by Scourge and then needed a new Outlander, someone with a connection to the Emperor, someone of meaning, and find a way to work things from Defiant Devotion (such as her grandfather's warning), into it. All of which leads to Kira.

 

Selfishly, it also spares me from having to refer to Eliza as 'the Outlander' at every turn (which I hate, Commander is bad enough) and stopped me having to deal with the entire escape from Zakuul/Swamps/Asylum etc. while freeing up those occurrences to be used in an alternative way. Just a bit of reasoning behind the how and why.

 

Thank you for responding here Fox!

 

Sniffles

 

 

A lovely way to begin the chapter. Happier times with someone Eliza trusts, all so seemingly normal and then, the warning about Vitiate, an apology for not staying and almost information about Scourge. Poignant and heartbreaking at the same time. I especially liked the part where Kira reveals that Tython has been her refuge for years.

 

Stellar twist that Eliza's force gift was also the opening Valky needed. Very nicely done. That whole, supplanting someone from their own body, hollowing them out, still gives me the creeps. To think that Kira has been dead inside for so long and to set this up, to lure Eliza to him, was equally evil.

 

Ravage comes through again, and good on Quinn to bonk Koth on the head for being an a.sshat.

 

 

Brilliant chapter, excited to see what's next.

*hands over a tissue* As I explained to Fox, it had to happen this way, in my view and approach to the story. Originally I had the chapter written as such that Eliza wakes up in the 'dead/imaginary' world with Valkorion immediately and wrongly believes herself to once again be in the Force realm with her grandfather but at the last minute I realized that would be a great disservice to Kira and their friendship. I'm glad I rewrote it this way, to give them that final moment together and it made sense to me that while Vitiate was trying to drown Kira out completely so he'd have full control, she'd seek sanctuary in one of her happiest memories--Tython, the day she became Eliza's padawan.

 

Vitiate is definitely a crafty one, and cruelly so. His confrontation with Eliza was denied to him by Scourge's actions so with the events as they transpired, Kira was his only other option for survival. And no doubt he enjoyed making her suffer, the Child who broke free of him, though obviously not entirely.

 

Lol, though it was just one line, Quinn's kind of a hero to me simply for smacking Koth like that. Thank you for the lovely comments, I'm thrilled you enjoyed it!

 

Poignant, sad and meaningful.

 

 

I loved the reunion between Eliza and Kira, it was nice that they had those moments together, it's always sad when someone close dies, but sadder still if you never got the chance to say to them what you wanted and vice versa. I'm glad they had that moment between them, it's a very Kira thing to do, to cling like that to help her friend.

 

I enjoyed the twist of Valkorion using Kira to piggyback himself to Eliza. I liked the foreshadowing that Eliza mustn't use her gifts against the Emperor, lest she fall victim to him herself.

 

Ravage, I think I'll feel bad for him in a way when/if things don't work out for him and Eliza, he does seem to cherish her a great deal. One sided love makes me a little sad. And Koth, my gods, he's a clueless idiot lol. He was a disappointment in the game, a nicely rendered character, nice voice...and then they go and make him a Valky fanboi. Urgh. He got far less than he deserves, but a thwap on the noggin will have to do lol. Lovely chapter, I really enjoyed the feelings and twists. ^^

I feel rather satisfied having given them that final moment together as well. It was needed and the right approach--it would have been terrible for Kira to just be a namedrop and basically dead on arrival without any dialogue between the two or some form of goodbye. Kira definitely deserved more than that.

 

Thank you, I'm glad the twist panned out. I'd always intended for Valkorion to get to Eliza at some point, just had to work out the how and mesh it with the previous story to make sure it worked. Which, I feel it did, and now we can start some "awesome" Eliza going nuts with the bloody Emperor yapping in her head, yay? Lol.

 

Ravage does. No matter his faults, his poor behavior, his feelings for Eliza are the one genuine thing right now, he truly cares about her deeply. Which yes, is a little sad because no matter where they go next, what they might end up sharing, I don't ever see her loving him in return to such a degree. Some feelings, perhaps even love, yes, but never up to the level where he's at himself.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read and feedback, I enjoyed your words and reaction.

[JennyFlynn]

A/N; Posting a few hours ahead of schedule though technically, it IS Friday where I live.

 

 

:: Chapter Fourteen ::

 

 

A soft, blue light lit up the side of his face not covered in scars, or concealed by a mask, as the boy Prince turned Emperor only paid half a mind to the man addressing him via holo. His good eye narrowed on the Anomid scientist but his thoughts took him elsewhere.

 

Someone, soon to be dead, had dared break into his vault to free and take the Outlander, his most prized possession. The only one to know what had transpired between him and his father and Arcann could not be certain of the confessions made by the Outlander to her rescuers. Who knew what now, and who might be plotting against him?

 

Arcann decided to interrupt the endless droning of the scientist, “And how fares father’s little pet project?”

 

“Oh, well, we’re making decent progress though, fine tuning the correct dosage free of side effects is still a challenge—judging by the screams, it often comes paired with much pain and torment still.

 

“Fortunately, the test subject your father sent has proven quite resilient. The heart stopped only once and last week’s third degree burns have already healed. A remarkable specimen I must say, so robust, rare, unique among his kind.”

 

“Hmph, very well. Get on with it,” Arcann snarled.

 

“Yes, of course, Emperor Arcann.” The scientist’s holo-image bowed its head and disappeared.

 

A low, mechanical sounding sigh escaped Arcann and once again his thoughts took him to the Outlander, or rather, her rescuers and he began replaying the surveillance footage for the hundredth time. He paused it, as he always did, on the moment where the red-haired woman in black had taken the younger ginger in her arms and a flash of purple energy had exploded between the two.

 

“Who are you, what did you do?” he muttered to himself.

 

“Staring at pictures of your girlfriend again?” Vaylin teased when she marched into the throne room, “do you miss her that much, dear brother?”

 

He switched the footage off. “The Outlander knew our secret, Vaylin.”

 

“Yes, yes, I know and now there’s a chance all of Zakuul will find out what you did. Oh the shame!” she made a dramatic exclaim and cackled.

 

“Do you bring any news?”

 

“Hmm no. The Knights lost their trail shortly after leaving Zakuul but don’t worry, I personally saw to their punishment.”

 

Vaylin floated the recording device into her hand and toyed with it, turning it back on. “What do you suppose that big flash of light was?”

 

“I’m not sure…” Arcann mused, “but, I sensed father’s essence in the vault afterward.”

 

“Father? Well, he did always love his tricks. Do you suppose he’s survived somehow?”

 

“Perhaps…”

 

“And do we know yet who this mystery woman of yours is?”

 

“No, but I have ordered both the Republic and the Empire to run her image through their database and report back. We’ll know, soon, and then the hunt begins.”

 

 

——————————————————————

 

 

“That was a beautiful service, I didn’t realize Jedi upheld their own funeral traditions.” Nyssa lamented when she and Theron returned to their room.

 

“They do.” His thoughts took him back to the day they’d buried Master Zho. “It’s rare they allow a Force-blind, or anyone not Jedi, to observe the ceremony but I would say this was a unique situation, in Kira’s honor.”

 

“Eliza’s kept rather brave in all this…”

 

“Mm.”

 

Nyssa blew out a silent sigh and watched him while he sat down behind his desk and plugged his datapad into the console to run his daily scan of Republic records for anything noteworthy.

 

“Theron… can we talk, please?” she asked, at last, gathering what little courage she had to address those things that had been bothering her.

 

The more she’d thought about it over the past days, the more she’d begun to question their marriage. Or rather, her husband’s commitment to their marriage. He hadn’t been himself and though she hadn’t wanted to see it at first, blaming the accident instead, in truth he hadn’t been himself since the day they’d arrived on Rishi.

 

She recalled the moment he’d woken up and asked for Eliza. Nyssa had told herself it was merely because Eliza had saved him, Eliza’s face had been the last he’d seen but now she doubted, strongly. She became more convinced something else was at play and reminded herself of the many occasions where she’d caught him staring at Eliza, smiling for Eliza while ignoring her and a part of her felt foolish for ever having thought he was merely happy to have his friend back.

 

‘The one who got away,’ Jonas’ words had begun plaguing her once again and she saw the truth of it now, each time Eliza and Theron were in the same room.

 

“Yeah, sure,” he mumbled, his eyes glued to the screen in front of him.

 

“Are you still in love with Eliza?” Nyssa took the direct approach, seeing no point in beating around the bush.

 

Theron froze. His jaw stiffened and he swallowed hard, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks and suddenly looking like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

 

Instinct urged him to say no, to deny the mere possibility while telling himself he was sparing her feelings but he knew Nyssa deserved better than that. He knew she was no fool and the fact she asked him this now, meant she already knew the answer.

 

“Yes,” he admitted though he did not turn to look at her.

 

Nyssa closed her eyes, her arms wrapping around herself and she clutched her elbows, nodding. “Will you ever get over her?”

 

“I thought I was…” It sounded like a lame excuse but for him, it was the truth.

 

“Until you saw her again,” Nyssa finished the sentence for him. “What about me, do you love me?”

 

Now, he finally spun around and looked at her, a hint of surprise in his eyes. “I do, of course I do.”

 

“But it’s not enough?”

 

“It’s… again, I thought it was. I married you because I do love you, I have loved you all this time.”

 

A wry chuckle escaped Nyssa and she sat down on her side of their bed. “I had to ask you, Theron. Not once, not twice but three times over did I propose before you finally said yes. That alone should have clued me in.

 

“I fooled myself into thinking you were just one of those loner guys terrified of commitment or making it official. That you had cold feet throughout our entire relationship and just needed a little push but now I know—you never got over her.”

 

She sunk her face into the palms of her hands and fought hard to keep her tears and anger at bay.

 

“I never wanted this to happen, Nyssa. When you and I met I honestly fell for you. Perhaps not right away but over time, with each date, each moment spent together, my feelings for you became more intense,” he tried to explain. “And Eliza…

 

“I thought I’d gotten over her. As time went by, I thought of her less and less and I was happy with our relationship, with what you and I had built.”

 

“You’re not anymore though, are you?” Nyssa asked, “The past weeks you’ve been distant, cold. Absent minded. Half the time you don’t even seem to notice me and these fits of jealousy… I’ve never seen you like that before.”

 

“I’m sorry.” Theron walked over and went to sit down beside her.

 

Nyssa, however, jumped away fast as if the bed itself had caught fire and she needed to save herself. Protect herself, now, from him and his touch, from the look in his eyes.

 

He sighed. “I’ve been agonizing over this for weeks trying to figure out what I feel, how I feel. Trying to figure out what to say and do. I don’t want to hurt you, ever.”

 

“You already have.”

 

“I know, and I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t,” Nyssa said and waved him off, “don’t apologize to me now Theron. Just tell me one thing, I have to know—has anything happened between you two, since seeing her again on Rishi?”

 

“No. We haven’t, no. The only thing… I almost kissed her a few weeks ago but she pulled away and left, and that’s it. I haven’t cheated on you.”

 

“Oh, but you have.” Misery and sorrow now rang clear in Nyssa’s voice. “Emotionally, and in your heart, you have.

 

“You know, I almost would have preferred it if you’d just slept with her without actually harboring any feelings for her? Almost.”

 

Nyssa paced in a circle, rolling her shoulders every so often and blowing out deep breaths while Theron sat in silence. He wanted to apologize but she’d told him not to. He wanted to explain but every word sounded like a pathetic excuse in his own mind, a way of shirking the responsibility for his own part in all this.

 

“My sister just moved to Corellia,” Nyssa said at last, “their Medical Center is in dire need of nurses. They’re even offering advancement courses for free, on top of a regular pay.”

 

“That sounds worthwhile.” Theron already sensed where she was going with this and she confirmed it seconds later.

 

“I think I’m going to go stay with her for a while.” She turned around and looked at him. “There’s no hope for us, is there? You’ll always love her more, no matter what we do?”

 

He closed his eyes and nodded. “I will, and you deserve better.”

 

“Does she know?”

 

“No, I don’t think so.”

 

“And if she doesn’t feel the same way?”

 

“I don’t know if she does, or doesn’t, but it doesn’t matter Nyssa, not where you and I are concerned.”

 

“No,” Nyssa confirmed, her heart heavy, “No, it doesn’t. You’re right, I do deserve better than this, than to be stuck in a marriage, alone. I’ll file for a divorce when I get to Corellia.”

 

‘Stuck in a marriage alone,’ the comment stung Theron but he knew it was deserved. “I will slice into your records and alter your status so you’re no longer listed as a traitor. Get you a clean slate.”

 

“Stars…” Nyssa had forgotten all about the reason they’d fled Coruscant in the first place. “Yes, that’d be helpful.”

 

“I uh,” she said next and pulled a bag out from under the bed to start packing, “I’ll see if I can bunk with Jenna for the next few nights until I leave.”

 

“Right, of course. Or I can leave if you’d prefer.” He stood uncomfortably, unsure of what to do next.

 

A part of him wanted to hold her and comfort her while another part of him still ached to apologize further. He didn’t know whether to stay or go and in case of the latter, he had no idea how to say goodbye.

 

Nyssa packed at record speed, though, and by the time Theron had wrestled through the duality of his thoughts, she already stood at the door.

 

“Stay, you’ve got your workstation here and… I’d rather be with a friend right now.” She gave him a melancholic smile and disappeared.

 

She clutched her bag as though her life depended on it and hurried along the corridors, resenting the fact the majority of living quarters were built at the other end of the complex. Nyssa fought to keep a brave face and stormed through the cantina, desperate to reach Jenna’s room.

 

 

————————————————————————

 

 

“Alright, Koth, what is it?” Eliza had granted his request for an audience in the war room and only hoped he’d not again start singing Valkorion’s praises.

 

“During our escape from Zakuul, my scanners picked up on something and since then, I’ve done a little diggin’,” he started explaining and pulled up a projection model of a massive looking starship, “this, is the Gravestone!”

 

“It’s ugly.”

 

Lana smiled. “Let him finish.”

 

“Sorry. Okay, the Gravestone, and?” Eliza forced herself to show interest.

 

“The Gravestone is a massive, and ancient, warship. The only ship to ever go up against the Eternal Fleet and win,” Koth said excitedly, “I mean, people have been searching for this thing for years and most believed it to be a myth! But there she is, sitting idle in the Endless Swamp!”

 

“The only ship to ever win? You’ve got my attention, what do you want to do?”

 

“I want to head out to the Endless Swamp and see this baby with my own eyes, check on her condition, see if she can be fixed. The Gravestone would be a huge asset to the Alliance, I’m sure of it.”

 

Eliza grinned at Lana and teased, “Looks like your boyfriend found himself a mistress.”

 

“Can you be serious?” Lana didn’t appear all that amused.

 

“Sorry, again,” she apologized, “Have your pick of a team, Koth. At the very least we should find out if this ship still has any use, I suppose.”

 

“I don’t need a team, Commander, just your permission. Havoc Squad is still out in the Swamps dealing with refugees, I’d ask their assistance.”

 

“That works. You have my approval but keep in touch and let me know the state of this Gravestone.” Eliza nodded. “Are you going with him, Lana?”

 

“Yes, I will be, if you can spare me for a few days?”

 

“Yeah, sure. We should be fine here unless Valkorion manages to take over my physical being after all and decides to use my powers to burn the whole base down,” she deadpanned and once more met Lana’s scowl.

 

“Okay, fine, not funny, I know.”

 

“Perhaps I shouldn’t leave…” Lana began but Eliza waved her off.

 

“No, go, we’ll be fine honestly.”

 

In truth, she’d prefer having fewer people around right now, fewer people fussing over her. Between the unwelcome guest in her mind, Kira’s death and all her personal struggles, she felt suffocated. The only thing their constant concern did was make it harder on her to stay brave, laugh, joke and wear a smile for armor.

 

Eliza made a few notes on her datapad before turning to the elevator and heading back upstairs. She stopped by the cantina and picked up a tray for dinner but Ravage snuck up behind her and snatched it away.

 

“Hey!”

 

“Not tonight, I’ve got something far better for you.”

 

She quirked a brow in amusement, letting her eyes travel down his body and he smirked when he noticed. “No, not that. Come.”

 

“Pity,” Eliza teased and followed him to her room and out onto the balcony, finding the last thing she’d ever expected.

 

Before her stood a small, circular dining table and two chairs, both done up with fancy cloth and drapery. A vase with a single malreaux rose sat in the center of the table and small string lights ran along the balcony railings. To the side was a dining cart, keeping their meal warm and while the sight awoke some flutters in her heart, she frowned too.

 

“You… did all this, for me?”

 

“No, I thought the Sleens down below might appreciate a three-course dinner.” He rolled his eyes and pulled out a chair for her. “Yes for you.”

 

“Ravage… I thought we’d agreed, no romance.”

 

“Will you shut up and just let me spoil you? Sit.”

 

Her lips pursed and she clearly hesitated.

 

“Please.”

 

Eliza swallowed a sigh and grimaced, pushing her doubt aside to accept his offer while Ravage poured out two glasses of wine and sat down opposite Eliza. She observed him, curiously, taking the smallest of sips of her wine while letting her mind wander.

 

“So, did you cook for me as well?”

 

“Mm no, but I oversaw every detail as the cook prepared your favorite, does that count?”

 

She chuckled. “Yeah, it counts.”

 

“Are you hungry?”

 

“Just a bit.”

 

Ravage got back up and brought the dining cart closer, serving up dinner. “What did Vortena want?”

 

“Oh, his scanners picked up on some old warship said to have been the only ship to ever win against the Eternal Fleet. He wants to go check it out so I’m letting him.”

 

“That easy huh?”

 

“Well, it gets him out of our hair for a few days and that alone makes it worthwhile.” Eliza grinned and looked down at her plate. “This is, amazing, thank you.”

 

“Try it,” he encouraged, “I still need to let the cook know whether he gets to keep his head or not.”

 

“You’d kill a man simply because he overcooked my steak?” She cut into the meat and sampled it. “It’s good, very good,” she added and took another sip of her wine.

 

Ravage sat back, paying little mind to his dinner and focusing more on her enjoyment. A tiny droplet of Alderaanian red lingered on her bottom lip and it took all his restraint not to lean over the table and kiss it away. He longed for her, felt it ache in every fiber of his being.

 

“You’re staring,” Eliza pointed out when she caught him.

 

“Can you blame me?”

 

The question hung between them but she didn’t answer. Instead, she dabbed her mouth with her napkin and got up, her fingers gliding over the balcony railings as she took to admiring the view.

 

Far in the distance, she could see one of Odessen’s waterfalls sparkle as it reflected the moon’s light. A gentle breeze carried the faintest sounds of rushing water and nightlife creatures all the way to where she stood and Ravage’s arms wrapped around her middle when he came up behind her.

 

“You’re making this very hard on me,” she confessed, resting her head back on his shoulder.

 

A devious smirk curled his lips and he pressed into her, making her aware of the arousal she’d stirred. “Likewise.”

 

“Wining and dining me, taking care of me and my daughter,” she carried on, trying to ignore what she felt both from him and within herself.

 

His lips found the nape of her neck and his hand traveled down her stomach, dipping down the front of her leatheris pants until he found her sweet spot.

 

“... Saving my, mmm… life…” She gasped and closed her eyes, quickly growing wanting under his touch.

 

It wasn’t just his touch though that got her weak in the knees right now—it was everything. She felt he’d changed, ever since their argument after leaving Tython. He’d grown kinder, to her, and more supportive than he’d ever been. He’d opened up in a way she would never have expected and while none of it was enough to steal her heart, her affections towards him had grown.

 

“Making you scream,” he countered in a whisper, his teeth nipping at her earlobe while he ran his other hand up inside her shirt to cup one of her breasts.

 

“T-take… me… inside…” A moan escaped her lips and she struggled to utter anything coherent now.

 

Ravage spun her around and while they exchanged feverish kisses, he began urging her toward the bed leaving a trail of clothing articles in their wake. Desperate sighs and cries of pleasure escaped into the quiet night, and silken sheets crinkled underneath their lustful exchange. Her fingernails clawed at his back while he devoured her lips and dominated her desires, laying claim to every inch of her body until they were both sated and spent.

 

Following the standard she’d set, Ravage withdrew after several minutes of lingering in her embrace, recovering his strength. To his surprise, however, Eliza took his hand before he got up and smiled, a fluster of delight still warm on her cheeks.

 

“Markus…” she spoke his true name for the first time in all the years they’d known each other, “stay.”

 

 

♥

[Lunafox]

Fascinating chapter

 

 

Interesting that you brought in Arcann and Vaylin to see where their minds are at. I can see Arcann looks worried about how much Kira might have passed on before her death. I imagine they'll be quite surprised to see that dear ol' dad hopped bodies.

 

I felt badly for Nyssa in the next segment, but I really can't fault her for wanting to get things out into the open, deal with them and do something about it. The worst sort of limbo is uncertainty and that cautious hovering that people do when they're on the verge of breaking up. It's sad to watch and sadder to experience. I'm glad that Nyssa has some opportunities and someone she close she can stay with. Also in this section I enjoyed the mention of Jedi funerals and customs and what was done for Master Zho.

 

I reckon now that Theron is free, Ravage is going to feel the heat now. He's pulling out all the stops and when it proves inadequate, I suspect he'll be quite upset and difficult to deal with.

 

Also fascinating was the test subject in the asylum...I think I have a pretty good idea of who that is. Great chapter, a real joy to read.

Edited December 15, 2017 by Lunafox

[Foxfirerose]

Fascinating chapter indeed:)

 

 

Sooooo.......our resident Anomid scientist has a new test subject. I think I just might know who that is and I'm very curious to see if you confirm that soon:)

 

As far as Nyssa and Theron....well it had to happen. It's good that you didn't make it a long drawn out misery for them and got it all out in the open so soon. I'm also glad that Nyssa has a good opportunity waiting for her as well as a good friend nearby.

 

Ravage is being so sweet it's almost breaking my heart knowing what is bound to happen. Or likely to happen.....but Eliza using his first name for the first time at the end was.....interesting:) Is it possible things aren't as cut and dried as we all seem to think? Plus there's still that mysterious test subject....*claps hand over mouth* Oops.....

 

 

Great chapter, I loved it!

[MishaCantu]

Puzzle pieces, coming together or falling apart.

 

 

Great opening with Arcann and the scientist. I think I can guess who the test subject is.

 

The discussion between Theron and Nyssa had to happen and better sooner than later. Theron likely loved her, but not enough, and no woman wants to feel like a consolation prize. Good for her for leaving, this was one hurdle I don't think the marriage would have survived. And, I'm glad you didn't draw out this angst longer than necessary.

 

As for Ravage, he's doing the whole flies with honey routine, and for now, it's working. But he also is just a consolation prize. And if Theron decides to visit Eliza or sees Ravage leave the next morning? Oh, I see a bad moon rising.

 

 

Great chapter. Looking forward to the next.

Edited December 15, 2017 by MishaCantu

[JennyFlynn]

Fascinating chapter

 

 

Interesting that you brought in Arcann and Vaylin to see where their minds are at. I can see Arcann looks worried about how much Kira might have passed on before her death. I imagine they'll be quite surprised to see that dear ol' dad hopped bodies.

 

I felt badly for Nyssa in the next segment, but I really can't fault her for wanting to get things out into the open, deal with them and do something about it. The worst sort of limbo is uncertainty and that cautious hovering that people do when they're on the verge of breaking up. It's sad to watch and sadder to experience. I'm glad that Nyssa has some opportunities and someone she close she can stay with. Also in this section I enjoyed the mention of Jedi funerals and customs and what was done for Master Zho.

 

I reckon now that Theron is free, Ravage is going to feel the heat now. He's pulling out all the stops and when it proves inadequate, I suspect he'll be quite upset and difficult to deal with.

 

Also fascinating was the test subject in the asylum...I think I have a pretty good idea of who that is. Great chapter, a real joy to read.

It was about time for the terrible twosome to make an appearance in the story now that we've been to Zakuul and stuff and they do serve their purpose story wise.

 

I feel bad for Nyssa too, and have been, so this really needed to be dealt with now that everyone's back on Odessen. To let this drag on would be insulting to her I think which is why I had her take the reigns and approach the subject head on. It's sad but it had to happen.

 

Jedi funerals, yeah, I do imagine they have their own tradition for when one of their own dies, despite their "There is no death" gibberish. It's just an idea I wanted to plant, I'm glad you liked it.

 

I have absolutely no idea who this test subject might be. Thank you for reading and feedbacking!! ♥

 

Fascinating chapter indeed:)

 

 

Sooooo.......our resident Anomid scientist has a new test subject. I think I just might know who that is and I'm very curious to see if you confirm that soon:)

 

As far as Nyssa and Theron....well it had to happen. It's good that you didn't make it a long drawn out misery for them and got it all out in the open so soon. I'm also glad that Nyssa has a good opportunity waiting for her as well as a good friend nearby.

 

Ravage is being so sweet it's almost breaking my heart knowing what is bound to happen. Or likely to happen.....but Eliza using his first name for the first time at the end was.....interesting:) Is it possible things aren't as cut and dried as we all seem to think? Plus there's still that mysterious test subject....*claps hand over mouth* Oops.....

 

 

Great chapter, I loved it!

Yeah, that Anomid scientist, odd fella, wonder what he's up to?

 

I couldn't drag the Nyssa and Theron thing out beyond this. I feared doing so would leave her looking weak and pathetic and I couldn't do that to her now that she was starting to catch on. I had to make her confront him, it was the best thing, sad as it is.

 

Ravage is being very sweet and melt-worthy right now and it's starting to get to Eliza as well. As the chapter said, none of it is enough to steal her heart but her affections towards him have grown, also demonstrated by, as you pointed out, her finally using his first name. Will it be enough though to keep her by his side?

 

Thank you for the lovely comment.

 

Puzzle pieces, coming together or falling apart.

 

 

Great opening with Arcann and the scientist. I think I can guess who the test subject is.

 

The discussion between Theron and Nyssa had to happen and better sooner than later. Theron likely loved her, but not enough, and no woman wants to feel like a consolation prize. Good for her for leaving, this was one hurdle I don't think the marriage would have survived. And, I'm glad you didn't draw out this angst longer than necessary.

 

As for Ravage, he's doing the whole flies with honey routine, and for now, it's working. But he also is just a consolation prize. And if Theron decides to visit Eliza or sees Ravage leave the next morning? Oh, I see a bad moon rising.

 

 

Great chapter. Looking forward to the next.

Theron did and does love her but no, not enough, not anymore and Nyssa deserves better. I didn't want her looking too weak or pathetic so it had to be her starting the confrontation, and her deciding to divorce and leave rather than plea with him to work it out. She knows this isn't something that can be fixed.

 

It'll all depend on what Theron does next. Is he going to rush to Eliza's side immediately and if he does, will she listen? They're still at odds following his little drunken outburst while Ravage is busy woo'ing her left and right, not entirely unsuccessfully either. Much of it will come down to whoever has the courage to open up first and share the shape of their heart.

 

Arcann and the scientist... well, he needs his hobbies, right? Thank you for the feedback and lovely comment. ♥

[JennyFlynn]

Trigger warning: This chapter involves depictions of sexual abuse towards the latter half of the second segment—nothing overly graphic or too detailed but the tone is clearly set.

 

 

:: Chapter Fifteen ::

 

If there was ever a time Theron might consider there was wisdom in the Jedi Order dogma, their rule against attachments, it was now as he found himself in a hell of his own making. Guilt ripped at his soul and stung in his heart—guilt towards the woman he’d made his vows of marriage to and guilt towards the best friend he could never stop loving, who he’d hurt with remarks he still hadn’t apologized for.

 

His state of mind, weary and dispirited, showed on his otherwise handsome features. Dark circles lined his creased and baggy eyes and the hand he rubbed down his jaw was pric.ked by a light stubble. His hair, usually modeled in a modest mohawk, now spiked in all directions, messy and unruly and he eyed a few shades paler—it was clear he had barely slept a wink that night.

 

In a split second of temptation, he’d almost rushed to the room next to his, to Eliza, to tell her everything until he remembered the look of devastation in her eyes the night he’d snapped. At the time he’d been too drunk to fully realize the implications he’d made but once sober, the image haunted him. Her eyes, furious yet filled with pain and through them he’d seen her heart break at the expense of his poor words.

 

Without knowing what to say, how to make things right with his best friend or tell her everything he’d kept in his heart, he’d stayed hidden in his room instead, letting his mind drift to his soon to be ex-wife.

 

His stomach churned, he hated what he’d done to her. Each time she’d proposed to him he’d doubted, his mind turning to Eliza, reviving foolish hopes he’d clung to despite knowing better—that alone should have been a clear enough sign for him not to go through with it and yet he’d said yes, at last. Convincing himself he just needed to decide to move on, that taking that final step would be the change he needed to move forward.

 

Of course, his mother’s discouragement hadn’t helped. In fact, it had done the opposite and Theron now scolded himself wondering if his own need to defy her at every turn had influenced his poor decision.

 

‘She’s a lovely girl, Theron, truly, but I don’t see a future for the two of you—you’ll be miserable and come to regret this,’ Satele had voiced her opinion in private following the lunch Theron and Nyssa had with her.

 

Now, as a new day broke and he lay in bed still rummaging through his own thoughts, he loathed realizing just how right she’d been. An agitated groan escaped him and he flung his legs out of bed, forcing himself up to shower and dress. Whether he liked it or not, there was currently no end to the work lined up for everyone on Odessen but in a way, he felt grateful too—it would keep him plenty busy and if lucky, away from both women he didn’t dare face.

 

For the next two hours, he sat pouring over the somewhat sloppy and incomplete profiles Lana had compiled of every person currently part of their alliance. He corrected what he could and checked Republic records next to read up on the prisoners Praven had intended to free weeks ago. Once he finished compiling a folder with their information for Eliza, he sliced into Nyssa’s Republic records to give her the clean slate he’d promised her, it was the least he could do for her now.

 

‘Nyssa Kenzik-Shan, status, married,’ the records read and Theron let out a sigh, glancing at the wedding band he still wore, “I really am sorry Nyssa…”

 

With a heavy heart, he removed the ring and tucked it into one of the drawers under his desk, then wrapped up adjusting Nyssa’s paperwork, deleting every trace of her actions aiding the alliance. When he was done, and after hearing his stomach growl, he finally got up and escaped the quiet privacy of his room to venture out to the cantina for an early lunch.

 

He turned his nose up at the supply of energy puddings and ration bars offered and made a mental note those should be kept as reserves in case of emergency, then settled for a bowl of mixed fruits and some toast. He poured himself a large caf and disappeared into the far corner, to a table obscured by the jukebox and out of sight from most of the cantina’s visitors.

 

“Yes, it is a perfect replica, every detail quite as the original, can’t tell the difference.”

 

Theron quirked a brow, overhearing and recognizing Ravage’s voice. He couldn’t see the man anywhere though and instead leaned into the direction from whence his words came, somewhere behind him and around the corner.

 

“The agreed amount has been deposited into your account and remember, do not breathe a word of this to anyone if you value your life and that of your family.”

 

“Of course, Darth Ravage,” a voice crackled over what Theron presumed to be a holo-call, “I would take this to my grave, my Lord.”

 

He heard Ravage growl, dangerously so, “Do not contact me again,” and then there was silence.

 

Realizing the call had ended, Theron quickly slipped back into a far less conspicuous position, just in time as Ravage turned the corner and entered the cantina via the side entrance. The two caught each other’s eye, briefly, and Ravage gave a snarl before he marched off.

 

‘Scheming bastard, what have you been up to now?’ Theron wondered and he considered the ways in which he might be able to trace the call the Sith had just made.

 

He didn’t get too far into his plans. With an eye still on Ravage, he caught Eliza entering the cantina next and his heart nearly dropped when the Sith moved in to kiss her. To his surprise, however, she turned away, rejecting the rather public gesture of affection. Theron observed them exchanging a few quick words, Ravage’s scowl increasing and then the man walked off while Eliza secured herself a lunch tray.

 

She turned inside, greeting several other people with a smile until she spotted Theron and froze in her tracks. Her smile disappeared, her eyes looked down and she seemed to contemplate leaving. It stung him, more than he could say but it also made him realize he desperately needed to apologize and work things out with her.

 

Decidedly, he took his tray and got up to approach her. “Do you think we can talk, please, privately?”

 

“I uh…” her voice wavered and he watched as she chewed on the inside of her lip, considering his request, “Yeah, I suppose, over there should be private enough.” She indicated to the back room and he followed.

 

Eliza closed the privacy doors and sat down in the semi-circle booth, her eyes trained on the plate of food before her and it reminded Theron of one of their earliest interactions on Tython. Back then she hadn’t cared much for him either, wrapped up in the dissent with her crew, her arguments with Satele and her concerns for Lord Scourge after their return from Makeb—it felt like a lifetime ago now.

 

“What is it, Theron?”

 

“I’m sorry, so very sorry for the things I said the other night, I shouldn’t have. Your love life it’s… not really any of my business.”

 

“You’re right, it’s not,” her response was curt.

 

“No… so, anyways, I’m sorry.”

 

“Okay then.”

 

But it wasn’t okay, at all, and her body language made it quite clear. She looked tense, her cup of caf clutched between her hands so firmly she was close to crushing it. Her jaw clenched and she stared dead ahead, into nothing while small, staggered exhales escaped her pursed lips.

 

“It’s not though, is it?” he asked to confirm and scooted closer.

 

“No, it’s not,” she admitted in deep thought, “nothing is okay…” Her voice rang heavy with all the things she didn’t and couldn’t say.

 

His words still stung and the implications he’d made, that she’d perceived, left her to feel she was dirty and immoral in his eyes. She felt judged, harshly, and it didn’t sit well with her.

 

“Talk to me?”

 

“Hrm…” she sipped her caf and a miserable smile curled her lips.

 

“You know, Vowrawn he uh… yeah, we indulged in some passionate exchanges years ago. I was single at the time, I don’t think that’s so wrong but it ended and since then he’s just been a close friend, a reliable one, almost like family but nothing more.

 

“And Cytharat? He’s my cousin. Second cousin if you’d like to get technical so there’s that and I’m not sure just how depraved you think I am but no, never.”

 

He stared at her, his mouth agape and he felt completely flummoxed, not to mention stupid. “I don’t think you’re depraved at all and I’m… sorry, I had no idea…”

 

“No, you didn’t but that’s not even the worst part.” She sat back, leaving her lunch untouched and putting her caf down.

 

“You made me feel guilty, vile for trying to move on with my life. For trying to have something in my life, even if it isn’t love, just to feel alive for a fleeting moment. Trying to fill just the tiniest fraction of the void my dead husband left behind. How dare you?

 

“You, of all people and…” she paused, swallowing hard and a single tear rolled down her cheek when she looked at him, when she felt her heart ache, “the sad thing is, Theron, despite what you may think, what you’ve implied, you’re the only person I… who I…”

 

The words caught in her throat held there by fear of admitting to the depth of her feelings for him. Held by the aching and exasperation she felt and the frustrating knowledge her words wouldn’t make a difference now nor did she have the right to express them after all this time—not while he had moved on and was happily married.

 

“The only person you, what?” he tried gently and met her eyes.

 

‘The only man I love just as much as I love Scourge,’ the painful truth screamed in her head but she couldn’t tell him. “Nothing, forget it, I have to go.”

 

Eliza got up and tried to push her feelings down as deep as they would go. “I should check if Lana and Koth made it to the Swamp okay and I need to do research, figure out how to get this as.shole out of my head.”

 

“Please don’t leave like this,” he pleaded, getting up as well in an attempt to stop her, “I know you’re holding something back, what is it?”

 

“Theron I can’t,” she sighed out, her hand on the door handle but he spun her around and trapped her between himself and the exit, “just let me be.”

 

“There isn’t anything in this galaxy that you cannot tell me.”

 

She shook her head and gently pushed him away, now quickly opening the door to escape his presence.

 

“You’re wrong— there are too many things I cannot tell you.” Eliza gave him a contrite smile while another tear left her cheek. “I forgive you, we’re okay but now I have to go.”

 

“Eliza!” he called out but too late and she’d already rushed from his side, disappeared into the cantina’s crowd before she vanished completely.

 

Theron stood perplexed, at a loss for words or understanding. His thoughts raced while his feet carried him back to the privacy of his own room where he slumped down behind his workstation.

 

Why would she ever think she couldn’t tell him the things weighing on her mind? Had they grown that estranged, had he just hurt her so deeply that she no longer trusted him?

 

‘Or perhaps I just no longer matter to her. After all, she walked away when I tried to kiss her, cut me off when I tried telling her that I love her and sent me away to Odessen ahead of herself… looking to be rid of me…’

 

The thoughts tormented him and it felt like an invisible claw gripped his heart, squeezing hard, setting off an aching that sickened his stomach.

 

‘In fact, lately she seems to be avoiding me at every turn and she always walks away… she did years ago after telling me she didn’t love me enough to stay… I’m such a fool.’

 

 

————————————————————

 

 

“Enjoyed your private lunch with Agent Pretty Boy?” Ravage drawled when Eliza returned to her own room where he lay back in bed reading a book.

 

“Oh do shut up,” she snipped, still brushing her tears away.

 

He peered over the edge of his book, noting the distress in her voice and frowned. “What happened?”

 

“Don’t ask and can you please like, go to your own room? I want to be alone.”

 

“I’m not letting you send me away just because you’re mad at that Republic piece of sh.it.” He closed the book and put it aside. “What did he do this time?”

 

“Nothing. He apologized for the other night and then, nothing, it doesn’t matter.”

 

Frustrated and on edge still, she pushed the balcony doors open and sat on a single chair outside with her datapad. There was no way Ravage was leaving and she knew it but she’d be damned if she was going to entertain his questions on this matter—this was her struggle and hers alone.

 

Ever since Theron had appeared back in her life, and by his sheer presence alone reminded her of how much she loved him, she’d been wracked by guilt and misery. Longing for him while she knew it was pointless, pining over him and feeling guilty about it toward Lord Scourge—the husband she had still hoped to reunite with and was now forced to mourn.

 

Each day she spent in a tug of war between her grief over Lord Scourge and her continued, still blossoming love for Theron. It was maddening and only the tip of the iceberg in contrast to everything else she had to deal with.

 

“You need to get over him.” Ravage stood behind her and made it clear he knew exactly what plagued her.

 

She muttered, “Trying to.”

 

“He’s married, Eliza, it’s never going to happen.”

 

“I know and I said I’m trying!”

 

Ravage took the empty seat next to her, sitting sideways and he leaned in. “Have you considered sending him and Nyssa elsewhere? Perhaps to team up with that other SIS pri.ck, Balkar?”

 

“Out of sight, out of mind? Tried that, it didn’t last.”

 

“You seemed happier, less burdened until we arrived here.”

 

A sigh escaped her lips as she finally caught on to his true concerns and she put her datapad down.

 

“Markus, we’re not a couple and you won’t lose me to him because you don’t have me. Besides, he’s married, as you pointed out.”

 

“Yes, I know, we’re not a couple,” he growled quietly and echoed her statement while he turned back in his seat.

 

His knuckles cracked when he strained and flexed his hand a few times, casting his scowl over the landscape ahead of them, trying to hold the resentment he felt back.

 

“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, after all, you and I,” she said.

 

Ravage’s balled fist slammed down on the armrest of his chair and his anger rose to the surface. “Damn you!

 

“When will you open your eyes and see what you and I could have together?! You’ve been happier again in the past weeks, we have been happier, isn’t that enough, isn’t that what you want and need?”

 

“Of course it is but things arent that black and white!” she yelled in return and got up, “I’m not in love with you!”

 

“No, you’re in love with that as.shole who’s done nothing but upset and hurt you ever since he came back into your life!”

 

‘I never should have suggested Beniko send him to Rishi,’ Ravage scolded himself and his displeasure grew.

 

“Do you think I want to feel this way?! I can’t stop! I spend every single day in hell! In love with him while I know damn well he’s married! Seeing this fu.cking ring on my finger,” Eliza shouted and held her hand up, showing off her wedding band, “and feeling my heart break!”

 

Tears sprung into her eyes all over again while she carried on, “Feeling I’m betraying Scourge by still loving the same man I loved years ago which led to our break up back then, to me hurting him! And now he’s dead and I’m splitting the time I should spend mourning him, in favor of my never-ending love for Theron! I hate it!”

 

Ravage let out a deep groan and shook his head. “Then send him away, for your own good because this is destroying you!”

 

“It won’t change anything between you and me,” she argued sullenly and dealt another blow to the hopes he cherished.

 

The chair he’d sat in tumbled back when he got up abruptly and snatched her arm, snarling in an almost threatening way, “Send him away, Eliza, for your own sake and for his because if I catch you shedding so much as one more tear for that bastard, I’ll end him!”

 

She was quick but he was faster and caught her wrist before she could slap him. “And threats like that are exactly why I could never truly love you! What the hell is wrong with you, where do you come off even saying such things?!” she accused.

 

“Because I love you and I am sick to death of watching you wallow in misery because of Theron fu.cking Shan!

 

“Because I think deep down you love me too and we were doing good without him! I saw it in your eyes last night when we made love, it was different from all previous times!”

 

“You’re wrong!”

 

“Am I?” He pulled her flush against himself and kissed her hard, wasting no time to slip his tongue into her mouth while ignoring her protests.

 

The temper he’d tamed for so long in favor of winning her affections, unleashed and consumed him. Without another thought or care for anything but his own desires, he dragged her inside where he wiped the desk clean of all its clutter and turned her around, facing her away. He ripped the front of her shirt open, his hands eagerly kneading her breasts and then he forced her to bend over, down against the flat surface of the desk.

 

“Let me remind you, prove it to you, make you feel it,” he growled and twisted one arm behind her back.

 

His sudden aggression startled Eliza, paralyzing her until reality kicked in and she screamed, “Ravage stop! Don’t!”

 

This wasn’t like any other time where they’d fought and settled their arguments in lust driven ways and every part of her protested fiercely, struggling against his weight and strength to get away. “Get off, please, not like this!”

 

He ignored her every word, keeping her pinned while his free hand hiked up her skirt and tore her underwear down in one fluid motion. “You’ll see I’m right, that you belong with me, that you need me!”

 

His lips and teeth grazed her shoulder, up to her neck while he leaned over her and she heard the rustling of his robes, his belt coming off and dread set in. She fought to free her arm, to push his body off but his hold was far stronger and Eliza balled her fists.

 

Despair and panic welled up inside of her while she felt his hand wedge between her thighs, prying them apart and she realized she had only seconds left before it would be too late. Raw fury, awoken by the horror of her situation, took her in its grasp and surged through her veins. Her dark gift clawing at her skin and building up until she released a ferocious scream.

 

“ENOUGH!”

 

The darkness she’d learned to command did her bidding and formed a protective shell around her before it erupted into flames, knocking Ravage back with the force of her rage. He was thrown, far, to the opposite end of her room where he slammed into the wall and sunk down. One side of his face burned, agonizingly, touched by her fire and the scent of scorched flesh hit his nostrils.

 

The sudden turn of events quickly snapped him back to his senses, to the reality of what he’d done and he rose up. He touched his cheek which seared still and his eyes widened with shock, with onsetting fear when Eliza approached, cloaked in a tenebrous veil.

 

“Eliza no! I’m so—”

 

“Save it!” she hissed, closing the distance between them while she took him in a Force-grasp and pinned him up against the wall, an invisible claw closing around his throat, “Don’t you ever, ever, look at me or touch me again!”

 

Tears covered her cheeks but her hatred was relentless and she refused to break, seething with rage. She felt her skin hot, her essence thirst for blood while the power coursing through her chanted ‘kill, kill’ with each crackling in her fingertips. All she wanted now was to make him pay, to punish him for laying a hand on her, sickened by what he’d tried to do while she’d finally grown to trust him and came to care about him.

 

Their fight and her screams had drawn the attention of those nearby, especially in the next room over and Theron came bursting through the door believing her to be in trouble.

 

“Eliza are you—” he called out, worriedly but stopped in his tracks when he saw her.

 

She stood shaken and disheveled, her top torn apart and the back of her skirt still half bunched up in an odd fashion. Behind her, he spotted the mess on the floor and the toppled chair laying by her desk and Theron immediately understood the gravity of the situation.

 

Ravage squirmed and pleaded while his vision grew dark, blurry, and he felt the suffocation set in, “Please!”

 

“Shut up!” she spat out though her arm grew heavy and she wavered, slowly crumbling under the weight of her upset and the toll her use of power took on her physique.

 

She couldn’t last much longer, not like this and Theron realized quickly what it might do to her if she pushed herself too far. He knew the stories of her family, the risk if she carried on but what scared him more was Valkorion inside her mind, the fear he’d abuse her weakened state if she were to fall.

 

Without wasting another second, he put himself between the two of them and faced Ravage. He balled a fist and swung it hard into Ravage’s burned jaw before he fired off a small dart from his wrist cuff and watched the Sith lose consciousness, just as Eliza’s hold on him weakened and Ravage sank back to the floor where he passed out.

 

 

♥

[Foxfirerose]

 

Oh my, so very much angst, both for Theron and Eliza:( It was good they could talk, although much was left unresolved. And what was that "exact replica" Ravage was overheard talking about? In any case, he's already ruined all the nice things he did for Eliza before.....whatever could he have been thinking to assault her like that!? The man definitely has too much passion for his own good.

 

Thank goodness Theron was nearby and could come to the rescue......but geeze, what a cliffhanger! This story is really getting quite addictive!

 

 

I really can't wait for the next chapter!!!!

[Lunafox]

Very gripping.

 

 

I liked that you explored Theron's thinking and memories, and what Satele had said about them after that infamous lunch they'd had together. I can completely see Theron beating himself up about the pain that he's caused and his regret that he got with Nyssa, knowing that he really had no business with her, that he was just settling.

 

The chat between Eliza and Theron was delightfully awkward as it should be, but it got both of them thinking and I'm curious how Eliza will react once she learns that Theron and Nyssa are history. It's interesting that only half the truth was given, Eliza's half basically. Theron's reveals are yet to come.

 

Powerful scene between Ravage and Eliza. I chuckle a bit at Ravage, he does have a propensity for 'taking women by force from behind over tables'. I'm just glad that Eliza, unlike my Liaseph (in Marr), was able to fight him off, and it made sense given that Eliza is a force user. It makes sense to the character that Ravage is, that he would want to exert his dominance and anger over a seemingly helpless, or weaker party. In that sense, Ravage has always struck me as a bit cowardly. I doubt he'd be so bold and brazen with a more powerful adversary. I enjoyed the scene a great deal.

 

I'm glad Theron arrived and I look forward to the discussion/confrontation they'll have in the wake of all of this awfulness and of course, what will become of Ravage.

Riveting stuff! Looking forward to the next.

Edited December 19, 2017 by Lunafox

[MishaCantu]

Things come to a head, in more ways than one.

 

 

That's Theron, taking the weight of everything on his shoulders. No, he should not have married Nyssa, but lessons learned for both of them. And, of course, he would think that Eliza rebuffing him was his fault, that's just how he is. Miscommunication is a b.itch, and the eventual light of truth is blinding. Big of Satele to tell him that it wouldn't last, surprising actually.

 

What's with the 'replica?' What indeed was Ravage up to?

 

And Ravage's outburst, he can only play nice for so long, I guess, or at least while he thinks he is winning. Sorry, but the assault on Eliza does not prove love, it proves obsession, a much different animal often confused in intent. Glad he bit off more than he could chew although how he reacts now should be quite telling.

 

Theron gets to play hero, and a cliffhanger, of sorts.

 

 

Well written and paced. Looking forward to the next.

[JennyFlynn]

Oh my, so very much angst, both for Theron and Eliza:( It was good they could talk, although much was left unresolved. And what was that "exact replica" Ravage was overheard talking about? In any case, he's already ruined all the nice things he did for Eliza before.....whatever could he have been thinking to assault her like that!? The man definitely has too much passion for his own good.

 

Thank goodness Theron was nearby and could come to the rescue......but geeze, what a cliffhanger! This story is really getting quite addictive!

 

 

I really can't wait for the next chapter!!!!

It's not an easy time for either of them, with both of them afraid and believing it's useless to admit their true feelings to the other.

 

Ravage... who knows what he's up to? He has most definitely ruined everything he worked so hard to achieve, in one moment of passion and utter frustration. It's just the man he is, I believe.

 

Thank you for reading!

 

Very gripping.

 

 

I liked that you explored Theron's thinking and memories, and what Satele had said about them after that infamous lunch they'd had together. I can completely see Theron beating himself up about the pain that he's caused and his regret that he got with Nyssa, knowing that he really had no business with her, that he was just settling.

 

The chat between Eliza and Theron was delightfully awkward as it should be, but it got both of them thinking and I'm curious how Eliza will react once she learns that Theron and Nyssa are history. It's interesting that only half the truth was given, Eliza's half basically. Theron's reveals are yet to come.

 

Powerful scene between Ravage and Eliza. I chuckle a bit at Ravage, he does have a propensity for 'taking women by force from behind over tables'. I'm just glad that Eliza, unlike my Liaseph (in Marr), was able to fight him off, and it made sense given that Eliza is a force user. It makes sense to the character that Ravage is, that he would want to exert his dominance and anger over a seemingly helpless, or weaker party. In that sense, Ravage has always struck me as a bit cowardly. I doubt he'd be so bold and brazen with a more powerful adversary. I enjoyed the scene a great deal.

 

I'm glad Theron arrived and I look forward to the discussion/confrontation they'll have in the wake of all of this awfulness and of course, what will become of Ravage.

Riveting stuff! Looking forward to the next.

They both still keep secrets from each other. Eliza believes she has no right to tell him and mess with his marriage for no good reason while he obviously first had some amends to make and he doesn't think she's interested anyway which makes admitting your feelings kind of daunting.

 

Balancing the incident with Ravage was a bit tricky to 'get right' because as you say, Eliza has Force powers and fighting him off would be an easier feat for her even if restrained from doing so physically. It does seem very fitting for him and I don't think he'd expected her to fight back, or that he even realized what he was actually doing. I think Ravage believed she'd cave, give in to primal urges and feel unable to resist his touch which wasn't the case this time.

 

I'm glad Theron arrived too, which was another point I was somewhat uncertain of. I wanted him to appear, be there for her yet I didn't want him to be the hero. She had to fight Ravage off herself and save herself, which she did, and all Theron is trying to save her from now is herself, which I feel is the right way.

 

Thank you so much for your feedback and for your advice and help this week when I faced my dilemmas and insecurities about this chapter. ♥

 

Things come to a head, in more ways than one.

 

 

That's Theron, taking the weight of everything on his shoulders. No, he should not have married Nyssa, but lessons learned for both of them. And, of course, he would think that Eliza rebuffing him was his fault, that's just how he is. Miscommunication is a b.itch, and the eventual light of truth is blinding. Big of Satele to tell him that it wouldn't last, surprising actually.

 

What's with the 'replica?' What indeed was Ravage up to?

 

And Ravage's outburst, he can only play nice for so long, I guess, or at least while he thinks he is winning. Sorry, but the assault on Eliza does not prove love, it proves obsession, a much different animal often confused in intent. Glad he bit off more than he could chew although how he reacts now should be quite telling.

 

Theron gets to play hero, and a cliffhanger, of sorts.

 

 

Well written and paced. Looking forward to the next.

I wanted to approach the start from Theron's point of view, dig into his mind a little and see what he's going through in all of this. It felt very him to be struggling as he does and carry the weight of it all on his shoulders. Satele... back on Yavin she promised Eliza she'd be a better mother to Theron, I think in her way she's trying to be, warning him even if he doesn't want to hear it and detached as she may be, I believe she realized fully well Eliza was still in her son's heart.

 

Ravage and the replica, just keep it in mind, it'll come back. Yes, he lost it, quite fed up with this constant tug of war, so close to his goals only to be turned away again and he snapped. I do think he believed that once he got going, put his hands on her, she'd give in as she has on occasion in the past but he went too far this time and misjudged the situation, letting his own desires drive him and not really caring any other way. He won't recover from that, no matter where it goes next.

 

Theron to the rescue indeed. I wanted him involved yet not as the one to save her initially, I wanted her to do that herself while he saved her from herself and the consequences of using her gift.

 

Thank you for reading and leaving feedback, and for your encouragement in going through with taking things in this direction, it helped a lot.

[JennyFlynn]

:: Chapter Sixteen ::

 

 

Everything around Eliza drowned out while she stood as a numb and dazed witness. Within seconds of Ravage’s collapse, Theron had retrieved a vest from her wardrobe and wrapped it around her to help her cover up while he gingerly adjusted her skirt and she’d let him, barely moving an inch.

 

The commotion coming from her room had drawn the attention of others in the left wing of the complex and Lord Cytharat, with Praven’s help, cuffed an unconscious Ravage before they carried him off to lockup at Theron’s instructions. Curious eyes, from several nameless faces gathered outside the room, peered inside but Theron quickly shut the door after scolding them, telling them to get on with their work.

 

He turned back to Eliza and slowly, afraid of startling her or causing her further distress, sat her down in bed before getting her a glass of water. She still said nothing, devastated and in shock but with a trembling hand she accepted the glass and sipped.

 

Nearly an hour of silence went by while Theron sat in a separate chair at her bedside. Deep down he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms, let her know she was okay now and safe but he feared causing her panic by invading her personal space.

 

“It’s my own fault you know,” she said at long last and put the now empty glass down, “I let him get close, too close and I knew better, I knew he had a dark side, a temper.”

 

Theron looked at her with sorrow in his eyes and he shook his head. “No. This wasn’t your fault, this is all on him.”

 

“I was warned, wasn’t I?” Eliza slipped from bed and dug through her wardrobe for a pair of pajama bottoms and a t-shirt.

 

“Meg warned me long before I even met him. Cytharat told me oftentimes to be careful but I thought I knew better. That I knew a side of him they didn’t and thought I could handle him.”

 

She disappeared into the refresher to get changed. A few bruises shaped like finger and thumbprints sat on one of her wrists and she let out a deep sigh—it was as though she could still feel his grip, an echo of his touch everywhere. She removed the torn shirt and trashed it instantly, not wanting to see it ever again and she did the same with everything else she’d worn save for the vest Theron had fetched for her.

 

When she returned, Theron was no longer in his seat and for a second her heart sank until she spotted him stood by the desk where he was preoccupied putting everything back into place. He glanced over his shoulder and met her meager smile.

 

“Thank you…” she said.

 

He nodded and pushed the toppled chair back under her desk. “Is there anything I can do or get for you? Do you need Quinn for uh… were you injured or anything?”

 

Fatigued, she climbed back into bed and wrapped the satin sheets around herself like a cocoon. “No. Just some bruising but he didn’t… he, I stopped him before… you know,” she answered the one thing he didn’t know how to ask.

 

“Good…” He let out a small sigh and fiddled with his implants.

 

“Listen, this really isn’t your fault. You tried to see the better man in him, gave him a chance and he failed you. That’s on him, please don’t blame yourself.”

 

“He was getting to me,” her confession came in a whisper heavy with shame, “getting to my heart. I wasn’t in love with him but… I’m so stupid.”

 

Theron sat back down by her side and took her hand. “What happened, if you don’t mind my asking?”

 

“We argued, sort of… There was something we didn’t quite agree on and it led me to tell him he and I will never be a couple, that I just don’t love him and, I mean he knew all those things but it took a bad turn this time.”

 

A frown came over her while she tried to recall everything. Some moments were so perfectly clear and she worried she’d never be able to banish the memories while others were muddled, leaving her uncertain about what actually happened.

 

“Did I kill him?”

 

“No. I used one of my tranq-darts on him and he’s sleeping it off in lockup,” Theron reminded her, “do you want to?”

 

“Kill him? Yes. No… maybe, I don’t, I can’t decide that right now.”

 

In a way, it all felt so unreal to her like a bad dream holding her at its climax and she didn’t fully exist in either world. She was exhausted, mentally and physically and surprised her abuse of power, of her family’s gift, hadn’t taken a greater toll.

 

“Theron? Will you sit here and stay while I…” she started but then sighed and shook her head, “no, sorry. I’m sure Nyssa’s wondering where you are.”

 

“I can stay, for as long as you need me to,” he assured her though he decided against telling her why—this wasn’t the time to discuss his own problems, “She won’t mind, trust me.”

 

She accepted his words easily, too tired to raise any questions. “Thank you… I think I’d like to take a nap but…”

 

There was clear hesitation, something she wanted but didn’t know how to ask for while she looked around somewhat lost and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

 

He smiled tenderly and squeezed her hand. “I’ll be here, I promise you. Do you want me to…” he indicated at the spot next to her and Eliza nodded, relieved.

 

“Please.”

 

Theron kicked his shoes off and climbed into bed on the other side, settling in next to her but on top of the covers and he pulled her into his arms.

 

“Just close your eyes and sleep, I’ve got you, you’re safe,” he whispered to her while he rocked her, his hand massaging her back.

 

It took some time but eventually, she drifted off, finding shelter in his embrace and peace in his presence. He looked at her, sound asleep while she occasionally muttered something incoherent and he felt his heart melt—he could easily spend the rest of his life like this, holding her, watching her sleep and being at her side though without the events that lead to this moment.

 

‘I love you,’ he confessed, only within the sanctuary of his own mind. It was too soon and he couldn’t tell her yet, not while she dealt with this and not before telling her about his upcoming divorce. He also doubted, a part of him believing it would be insensitive and disrespectful to Nyssa to move on while they were still legally married and that was assuming Eliza even held any interest in him.

 

‘A relationship is probably the last thing on her mind right now…’ he considered, just as he felt her arms snake around him more firmly, her head nuzzled into his chest and further murmurs escaped her.

 

“I love you too,” were the words she uttered out while still completely dazed and lost to the world.

 

His brows knitted together and he inspected her face, whispering quietly, “Eliza?” but no further response came.

 

Had she meant it and answered his thoughts? Or perhaps she was simply dreaming, that was the more likely case and of someone else, not him. It left him confused, however, and he cursed the hope blossoming in his heart.

 

‘I’ll ask her, another time…’

 

Theron closed his eyes, fighting off the perturbation her words had awoken within and while he focused on her gentle breathing, the calm beating of her heart, he sank into a world of dreams himself.

 

 

—————————————————————

 

 

“I’ll kill him,” was Malavai’s first reaction when he heard what had happened. One hand balled into a fist, whitening his knuckles and in an uncharacteristic display of anger, he punched the holo-terminal they stood around.

 

Everyone within their inner circle had gathered the next morning while Eliza, and mostly Theron, explained what had happened and why Ravage was now in lockup. It had been difficult for her to talk about, the words often getting caught in her throat and she hugged her uncle who held her and kissed the top of her head.

 

“I was aching to, trust me,” Lord Cytharat related and felt Praven’s comforting arm slip around his shoulder.

 

Eliza gave a wry smile. “And I almost did but for now, I don’t want anyone going near him. Give him his rations, the bare minimum we can spare but otherwise leave him be until I’m ready to talk to him myself.”

 

“Are you going to keep him here?” asked Me’ghan.

 

“I think that’s best. I’d considered having Vowrawn pick him up next time he visits these parts, and have him deliver Ravage to Acina but… he knows too much and he has a vengeful spirit—we can’t risk it.”

 

“Can we at least castrate him or cut off both hands?” Nyssa suggested, though in a sympathizing manner and half a smirk curled Eliza’s lips.

 

“Maybe.” She slipped from Malavai’s embrace and changed the subject, unwilling to dwell on the previous night for another second.

 

“Now, I received a transmission from Lana this morning, that former Knight she’s been trying to get in touch with finally got back to her and is currently on Asylum hoping for a meeting.

 

“Lana herself is caught up in the Swamps, apparently the Gravestone needs a lot of repairs and she’s asked me to go meet this…” Eliza paused and checked her notes, “Senya in person. I need volunteers to accompany me.”

 

“I’ll come,” Praven said and raised his hand, almost at the same time Lord Cytharat did and the two smiled at one another.

 

“I will too,” Nyssa added, deciding she’d like to aid the team one last time before she’d announce her departure.

 

Eliza put their names down and then looked at her uncle. “Will you and Meg stay here to keep an eye on the trash?”

 

Malavai nodded.

 

“Good. Let’s try to be ready in two standard hours and Nyssa, bring what medical supplies we can spare for the refugees. Might as well check up on them while we’re there.”

 

She dismissed everyone, save for Nyssa who she stopped at the elevators.

 

“I just wanted to thank you for being so understanding and allowing Theron to keep me company last night. It wasn’t my intention to monopolize his time so much,” Eliza expressed her gratitude, hugging a confused Nyssa who in turn glanced over Eliza’s shoulder at Theron.

 

The regretful and pained look on his face said enough and she quickly surmised he hadn’t told the truth yet—a thing she understood given the circumstances and though it hurt her, she played along for now.

 

“Of course, you shouldn’t have to deal with this alone,” she said bravely, “will you be okay, do you need anything?”

 

“Maybe a pill that stops me from making foolish decisions?”

 

Nyssa chuckled and they stepped into the elevator, a very quiet Theron following behind. “If I ever find one, you’ll be the first to know.”

 

Their company was only somewhat awkward and Theron’s gaze bounced rapidly between the two women, feeling a certain unease that didn’t seem to affect either of them. He’d worried what Nyssa might say to Eliza, expecting some anger but the truth was, Nyssa didn’t blame her. She felt the sting of jealousy, a level of resentment but she knew sensibly that her failed marriage wasn’t Eliza’s fault and couldn’t bring herself to lash out the way others in her shoes might.

 

“I’m sorry about that,” Theron told Nyssa once Eliza excused herself, “I’m not really sure when or how to… I mean, do you even want anyone to know or…? Well, I guess sooner or later…” he uttered clumsily without really knowing how to handle the situation.

 

Nyssa shrugged, leaning away from him and already preparing to walk off. “It’s alright. I had actually thought you’d run to tell her but… well let’s just get this Asylum stuff over with first and once I’ve made all the arrangements to leave we’ll tell people I guess?

 

“Is that okay with you? I don’t really want to make a big deal of things but I suppose once I leave they’ll want to know why.”

 

“Yeah, no, that’s, I’m okay with that.”

 

She nodded and drifted towards the direction of Jenna’s room. “Cool, okay, well I’ll see you later then.”

 

“Right, yes, I’ll…” he started but she’d already left leaving him to scratch the back of his head and sigh out—he’d rarely felt this out of his depth in knowing what to say and do.

 

They all regrouped two hours later and Eliza had brought an unexpected guest—Darius.

 

“It sounds dull, Eliza,” he muttered and shuffle-stomped his feet up the boarding ramp, “refugees and some stupid Knight? Why do we even care about her?”

 

A chuckle escaped Praven when he overheard and the grin he gave Eliza spoke volumes—he’d more than had his share of Darius’ protests and recalcitrant attitude.

 

“Well, first of all,” she began to explain while climbing into the pilot’s seat aboard the Vanora, “some of those refugees are surviving members of our Empire and they might know things we do not. The same goes for Senya, she may have intel we can use.

 

“Second,” she added and got to the more difficult part of trying to exert her authority over him though she loathed it, “it’s ‘my Lord’, or ‘Master’, or ‘Darth Seraphine’. You’re my apprentice now and you’d do well to remember your place.”

 

“Yeah but… you’re also like, my aunt, you dated my uncle,” Darius carried on, trying and testing her.

 

An inaudible groan escaped her and she tried not to smile. “I don’t care, the same rules apply. Darth Marr was my great uncle and I never called him by his first name.”

 

“Pah. Fine, my Lord,” Darius folded his arms and disappeared to the common area, bumping into Lord Cytharat along the way who sat down in the co-pilot’s seat and smirked.

 

“Not bad, I heard he’s a handful.”

 

“Yeah, I believe it.”

 

“I’m glad you’re keeping with Sith traditions even though we’re far away from the Empire we once knew.”

 

“It matters to me still and one day we’ll go back, when all this is over. He needs to be ready and I made Vowrawn a promise, he’d expect no less of me.

 

“Acting like the tough Master though and laying ground rules… pff. Kira never gave me much trouble but then again, I suppose the Jedi ways were different.” She entered the coordinates for Asylum and they took off.

 

“Oh you can do it and Darius is quite fond of you, protective even. Caught him lingering near Ravage’s cell earlier, in a span of ten minutes he’d threatened to kill him at least six times.”

 

“I know, Vette told me, why do you think I decided to bring him with us? The last thing we need now is Darius losing his temper, trying something stupid and in the process accidentally letting Ravage escape, or he’ll get himself killed.”

 

A rush of tranquility settled over her troubled heart and mind when vast space stretched out before them, bringing a smile to her face and Eliza switched to autopilot while she sat back in her seat and put her feet up. Lord Cytharat observed her closely and though he didn’t wish to bring up any further unpleasant topics, he had his own worries that needed appeasement.

 

“Theron, he uh, he said you were exhausted yesterday following the incident, slept for over twelve hours? I also noticed the heavy burns on Ravage’s face and his hands… you used the gift but it didn’t, you never lost consciousness?”

 

“No, I didn’t. Came close to it and honestly, it should have taken more out of me, it usually does when I use it against living beings to that extent…”

 

He frowned. “Could Valkorion have anything to do with that? Have you heard from him?”

 

“Not since we got back from Zakuul and, I don’t know if he could have but it is a reason for concern. It helped but, even his good intentions are dangerous, you know?”

 

“But why would he suppress the usual consequences of your gift?”

 

A shrug rolled along her shoulders and she blew out a sigh. “Who knows? Losing me to some weird Force realm inside my mind probably doesn’t suit his agenda.”

 

“Hrm.” Lord Cytharat ran a hand along his jaw, stroking one of his tendrils while he lost himself in deep thought.

 

Rarely was anything done without good reason, even less so where it concerned the former Sith Emperor and it left him uneasy. “Has your research yielded an answer yet, on how to banish him from your mind?”

 

“No. I went over every single thing Scourge ever told me about him, every word we wrote down and every text we’ve ever uncovered but there’s nothing so far.”

 

He reached over and took her hand. “We’ll find a way to rid you of his presence. Can he hear us right now?”

 

“I’m really not sure. I don’t sense his presence but that doesn’t mean he isn’t lurking. I’m just trying not to think about it too much or be overly aware, I’d go mad.

 

“How are you and Praven doing?” she brought up next having caught their minor affectionate touches and smiles.

 

A toothy grin, bright enough to light up the room crossed his face. “Very well. We’re not really making a spectacle of it or advertising our relationship openly, just quietly enjoying each other.

 

“He’s… the most wonderful man. Intelligent, witty, calm, serious but with a good sense of humor at the appropriate moments, and often so unexpected it makes me love him even more.”

 

She chuckled feeling the love and joy emanate from her cousin. “I’m so happy for you, both of you even. You deserve this so much.”

 

“I probably shouldn’t ask about your love life?”

 

Eliza shrugged again. “There’s nothing to say, really. The only man who’s shown me any interest in recent years… well, that didn’t turn out so great and the one I love… stars, just falling asleep in his arms last night…” her voice drifted off as she remembered how wondrous it had felt.

 

“But, he’s married. I keep telling myself that and I need to… just let it go, you know? Focus all my energy on defeating Arcann and the Eternal Fleet so we can go home and reclaim the Empire. So I can be with my daughter again.”

 

Idly and soon lost in her own thoughts she twirled Lord Scourge’s wedding band, the one they’d retrieved from Regina and that these days hung down her cleavage on a necklace, between her fingers. “She’s the love of my life now…”

 

 

♥

[JennyFlynn]

So, apparently it's NOT Friday yet and I'm a day early, oops? I'm leaving the chapter up regardless, I feel weird pulling it down now so... uh, happy holidays I guess?

[Foxfirerose]

So, apparently it's NOT Friday yet and I'm a day early, oops? I'm leaving the chapter up regardless, I feel weird pulling it down now so... uh, happy holidays I guess?

 

Yay, new chapter early! Happy holidays to you too......umm...it's Friday somewhere isn't it?;-)

 

 

I was touched at how respectful and considerate Theron was with Eliza, and on behalf of Nyssa, too. A lot of men would have spilled the beans immediately when Eliza worried about how Nyssa might feel about him staying all night with her. Even if it did create a situation that was a bit awkward later, I like that it let Nyssa know he'd kept quiet as well. It added a little dignity in a situation where dignity is very hard to find.

 

Looking forward to seeing Eliza and Theron together again after they both know the truth:)

 

 

Thanks for another great chapter:)

[JennyFlynn]

Yay, new chapter early! Happy holidays to you too......umm...it's Friday somewhere isn't it?;-)

 

 

I was touched at how respectful and considerate Theron was with Eliza, and on behalf of Nyssa, too. A lot of men would have spilled the beans immediately when Eliza worried about how Nyssa might feel about him staying all night with her. Even if it did create a situation that was a bit awkward later, I like that it let Nyssa know he'd kept quiet as well. It added a little dignity in a situation where dignity is very hard to find.

 

Looking forward to seeing Eliza and Theron together again after they both know the truth:)

 

 

Thanks for another great chapter:)

Yeah, it was probably Friday in Australia or something lol. Thing was, my fiance had been making some noise about working late yesterday to wrap up in time for the holidays which gave me an end of the week/Friday vibe and, derp, haha.

 

Thank you. I felt the aftermath following the Ravage incident had to be handled just right--not too heavy or depressing while still acknowledging it in a respectful way but not dragging it out so much it becomes a strong overtone in the story. I think Theron handled it right and he's not the self-involved kind who'll pounce and go "Yeah so I'm single again".

 

It's all a little tricksy to juggle as this situation evolves while trying to maintain everyone's dignity, I want to do right by Nyssa as well so. Thank you for the feedback and happy holidays!