10 BTC – 21 years before the confirmation of the Wrath

Dromund Kaas


"I'm supposed to leave no trace of my having ever been here, you know."

Colran rested his head at his wife's side and nuzzled the swell of her belly. "Oops," he said.

"'Oops'? How do you think this makes me feel? I was going to perfect the Empire and then vanish like a good Cipher. No muss, no fuss. Then you show up, and next thing I know there's a baby."

"Next thing, five years and several long thoughtful conversations later. One or the other. Don't blame this on me, 'Lara, I was Jedi-ing. I was going to perfect myself and then fade away like a good Jedi until you corrupted me."

"Well, you got corrupted in the most disruptive way possible. My whole plan, always, was just me and my work. Nothing traceable, certainly not a child. That was the career outlook at twenty. And twenty-five. And thirty."

"Thirty?" he murmured. "You didn't suspect anything then?" He had met her by then.

She looked down and smiled as she stroked his black hair. "I wasn't sure," she said. "A baby, Cole. This is tremendous. We'll have to arrange the future she'll be running around in, you know. I've been trying to think of house-y upbringing-y things, but I didn't really have any special family traditions growing up. Did you?"

"Well…I have an ancient and venerable Sith legacy, carried through every generation to date, of murdering, backstabbing, and doing unspeakably vile Force rituals in pursuit of ultimate power."

"Oh. Maybe we should raise her like me, then."

"Let's."

Dolarra rested a moment longer before stirring and pulling at Colran's arms. He obligingly shifted up to kiss her and lay his head by hers. "It takes courage, darling," she told him solemnly. "Facing the world we've got and saying we're going to make something of it for our child."

He smiled wryly. "No one on this side of the fence has ever accused me of courage before."

"You married me, Cole. You're brave." She smiled back, her blue eyes locked on his grey. "In fact you are exactly the kind of man I would choose to be my baby's father."

"Well, that works out very nicely, then." His long pale face got anxious. "Unless there's something you have to tell me?"

She giggled. "I love you."

"And I love you." He kissed her. "And it is far, far, far too late for you to disappear without a trace, no matter what your career plan says."

Dolarra interlaced her fingers with his. "You're right," she said happily. "I guess it is."