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The Short Fic Weekly Challenge Thread!


elliotcat

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Well after reading through the most of the prompts and having been on a rather incredible creative streak this week, I have decided to post for my first time in this thread!

 

Prompt: Family

 

It's a bit long as well. Got kinda carried away.

 

No spoilers.

 

Characters: Hadock (BH) Armond (Trooper)

 

 

 

 

 

Hadock sat in a secluded corner of a dark and dingy bar on Nar Shaddaa,nervously sliding his glass filled with some godawful concoction Torian had recommended with much enthusiasm. To Hadock however it tasted something along the lines of bantha fodder left to sour for weeks on end, then ran through the insides of a rancor for that added foul after taste.

 

Several minutes elapsed as he continued sliding his glass around out of sheer boredom who ever this business contact was he was incredibly displeased with their tardiness, as his displeasure grew the glass slid quicker and quicker between his hands.

 

"Oh stop it!" Growled a slightly aggravated Mako as she grew fed up with Hadock and set a hand on top of the glass mid slide stopping it.

 

Hadock looked across the table at his wife "What? Does that bother you?" he said with a grin, his cybernetic eye scrutinizing every detail of their surroundings, searching for any odd movements from the shady crowd.

 

"Only as much as waiting for hours for our mystery contact." she responded taking the drink glass and sliding it well out of Hadocks reach. "You sure know how to pick these jobs." she spoke with heavy sarcasm .

 

"Well if it were up to you we would have retired off of our paycheck from that job on Corellia." he joked

 

The pairs conversation continued on as the hours passed and the bar's patrons eventually begun to file out as the owner started to close shop for the day, leaving just Hadock and Mako as the only remaining patrons. Just as he had sealed up the last of his precious corellian brandy a hulking man ,clad in Republic trooper armor, strode through the door.

 

"Barkeep!" The man growled out in a harsh voice. "I was supposed to meet a bounty hunter in here kinda looks like this" he grumbled as he pulled out a picture of and showed the barkeeper.

 

"No! I've seen no man who look's like that you go now!" the owner said grumpily as he collected any valuables left on any of the tables depositing them into his pockets.

 

The trooper slowly walked towards the man, inspecting the bar slowly he saw a young woman sitting in a booth talking to someone. "Wait, before I go can you tell me who that woman is over there" he pointed directly at Mako.

 

"No you go now! Bar closed! Go home!" the short fat man responded as he angrily waddled towards the trooper. "Listen here maggot! I am commander Amond Stratos of the Republic army and you will answer my questions!"

 

Hadock had been listening intently to the oddly familiar voice when he heard a name he had never wanted to hear again, that of his brother., he jumped up and turned to see the barkeeper being thrown out of the bar as he answered.

 

"You no tell Grimzak what to do in Grimzak's place of business!" a loud crash followed as Armond threw a bar stool out the door after the Rodian.

 

Hadock walked towards his brother pulling his long black hair back up into a pony tail as his brother removed his helmet.b The two met in the middle of the bar eyes locked. Armond stood several inches taller than Hadock, minus that and Hadocks array of cybernetic implants, the two were almost identical.

 

"Miss me my favorite brother?! Armond said trying to lighten his brothers mood he knew that there was a intense amount of hostility and rage dwelling just beneath the surface of Hadocks cool and collected facade.

 

"With every shot so far brother." Hadock hissed. "What in the world do you think you are doing coming here looking for me after what you pulled on Hutta?"

 

Armond stood silent for a few moments gathering his thoughts "Listen if I would have know it was you and your men...."

 

Hadock bristled with rage reaching down gripping his blaster pistol. "If you would have know it was me you would have still killed every single one of those men without hesitation!" Every word Hadock spoke was filled with anger.

 

The only thing keeping him from pulling his blaster out of it's holster was the sudden firm grip of Mako's hand on his shoulder as she attempted to not let the situation escalate to bloodshed " Hear him out. If he makes any wrong move We'll kill him" Mako said coldly

 

"They were... You were all traitors... But that's not why I'm here Hadock."

 

Armond slowly reached into his back pack pulled out a small holo recorder and set it on the counter. An image of an old man with short silver hair dressed in some of the finest garb money could afford. The man in the holo was none other than Hadock and Armond's father.

 

"You may need to sit down brother"

 

Hadock did as his brother suggested sitting on the stool directly in front of the holo recording, listening intently as Mako kept an eye on Armond

 

"Son... If you are hearing this message... Then I have died... As you know one cannot live forever no matter how much money and fame they have. But this is beside the point my prodigal son... Now I know you and your brother have never been on the best of terms, but I ask... No I beg of you... For our family's sake Hadock, make amends with each other. Please son. And remember, I love you...

 

The holo then flickered off leaving utter silence in the bar.

 

"So... That's it then..."

 

Hadock muttered as he stood up from the bar stool turning to his brother still keeping his calm facade.

 

"What do you mean? Brother, he's dead. It was his final wish that we make amends so that we can lead the family onward in his absence."

 

"If the old man would have cared so much about that then he would have reached out sooner! Not now to try soothing and repairing a broken family! It is far to late to make amends my brother and you should consider yourself lucky that I do not blast you to shreds right now"

 

Hadock walked over to Mako, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her towards the door he stopped just before crossing the threshold.

 

"You know that the next time I see you I'll kill you right?" Armond said coldly

 

"This is your only chance. You walk out right now and you will never see redemption. I will never forgive you if you turn your back on the family right now."

 

"I don't want redemption, I don't want the family!" Hadock retorted storming out of the bar, Mako in tow.

 

Hadock quaked with emotions as he rushed towards his ship. All the while his brother stood silently in the bar staring out at the bustling streets at his brother, who soon blended into the teeming crowds of Nar Shaddaa, disappearing for the time being.

 

 

I eagerly await any and all comments and critiques!

 

Note:

 

 

I felt as this was a good point to start for these two. Future posts will delve further into the backstory of the two up until this point.

 

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Fino, I think you have Talos's voice nailed. And it's adorable.

 

"Miss me my favorite brother?! Armond said trying to lighten his brothers mood he knew that there was a intense amount of hostility and rage dwelling just beneath the surface of Hadocks cool and collected facade.

 

"With every shot so far brother." Hadock hissed.

 

Ah, brotherly love. Welcome to the thread, icecreampants! These guys clearly share a history. Very uncomfortably.

 

 

Now, here's a story placed immediately after the Vierce's previous Communication Breakdown; this installment doesn't have game spoilers, the actual mission setting is made up. A beefy 3400 words...I couldn't find a good place to split it.

 

 

The speeder drive out to the day's mission was long and quiet. Finally Dorne and I made it to the run-down facility where our target comm station was supposed to be. It wasn't really a building; it had been part of a dreadnought or something before the Battle of Hoth crashed the ship into the side of a mountain. All in all not the friendliest place, but I figured the only real trouble was the cold.

 

We had just about finished up our business wrecking the comm console when we both heard some rumbling building up from outside and uphill. Dorne looked to me. "Rockslide?"

 

"Don't know. Let's move."

 

That was when the ragged ceiling started to give way.

 

I would've expected light to come in, but there was nothing but roaring and falling darkness. No way could we get clear of the hull in time. Instead I looked around for the corner with the best-looking support beams in place, ones that might not fall with the rest. I rushed toward Dorne, pointing the way we should both go, and she nodded and ran for it. I angled to cover her – not even sure why, it's not like I could do much against an avalanche – but we were both making good time.

 

Not good enough. A thick rush of snow slammed through the ceiling and fell in a shriek of crushing metal. I heard her cry out. I dove to grab her waist – better not think about the choking snow that rumbled and spiked the air around her, just move – and pulled to get her clear. When I was sure we had some shelter I let her go. She knelt, gasping loudly when she hit the floor.

 

The roaring quieted down. The trapped bubble felt big, but it was pitch dark. "Dorne?" I said, tugging my face mask away to free up both eyes and mouth. "You all right?"

 

"Negative, sir." Her voice was strained.

 

I pulled out a hand lamp and lit it. And then sort of wished I hadn't.

 

Dorne was on hands and knees struggling away from the snowy, metal-laced debris; she left something dark behind. She collapsed once clear and rolled to her back. In the harsh light of the hand lamp I saw a long dark red line angling from her side under one arm clear down to her hip and a little of the front of her thigh. Something had laid that whole stretch open and it was bleeding fast.

 

"Damn." I dropped the lamp with just enough care to see that it was more or less shining Dorne's way; then I went for the pack tangled over one of her arms. "Let's patch this up."

 

She pulled her own mask down, then got to peeling bits of her cut clothes away from the wound. "I can't see any debris in the wound from here. If you find anything, rinse it out if you can." She started struggling to pull off her coat as she spoke.

 

"Let me help." I hurried around and knelt to prop her up against me while helping ease her coat off. The section from side to over one hip was slashed through, and soaking at that.

 

Body armor came next; I heard her gasp in pain when she shifted its hard panels to pull the vest off. I backed off a little when she started pulling the wet cloth away from her thermal shirt. "I'll break out the bandages," I said, laying her coat out behind her. She would need a proper blanket under her soon to avoid losing heat through the floor. And another on top if she really had to have the shirt out of the way. And the smell of blood in here made me near sick, though I don't know how much of that was just my own panic.

 

I knelt over her and adjusted the lamp to cast some light on the dark stain cutting down her body. It glistened some. I'd lost people like this before. I couldn't be seeing it on her. No way. "All right," I said, a little unsteadily, tearing open a roll of bandages. "I've done a little first aid before but my trauma certification is a few nevers out of date."

 

"Sterile gloves are the first step."

 

"Won't fit. Guaranteed." My hands were too big for any standard-issue sterile gloves in a normal humanoid-suited medkit. I took off my outer and possibly dirty gloves and poked through her pack for an antibiotic spray anyway. Don't know how much good it did getting sprayed on my glove linings, but I guess it was something before I got to work.

 

She reached for her pack and I handed it over, then got back to the business of making sure there was pressure along the length of that wound. The kit didn't have nearly enough bandages. "Take out your camp blanket," I instructed while I worked. "Better move you onto it."

 

"Acknowledged," she said briskly. She was loading up a syringe. Probably stims, or something made to control the bleeding. Smart. I should've thought of it.

 

Best bandaging material we had left was the thermal weave currently plastered to Dorne's torso with her own blood, or the same stuff currently on me. She needed the coverage more. Coat, off. Armor, off. Shirt, move faster, if this had been an artery she'd already be dead, move it. We switched off briefly, her handing me the blanket from her pack to shake out, me handing her the still-warm shirt to start tying around her.

 

"I'll call for help as soon as you're settled," I said. "Cold's more important. And stopping the blood loss."

 

"Agreed." She was done with the stim and was now adjusting her own bandages. "This is…" her voice faltered for half a second and then came back – "not good, but it should stabilize soon. What will very quickly become the greater danger is the cold."

 

I spread out her blanket near the back wall of the space, then half carried her over and onto it. I could practically hear her teeth squeaking from the jaw-clenching she did while we moved, but soon enough she was settled. I folded some of her cut and bloodied clothes into a kind of nest around her. "Lay back," I said. "All you have to do is rest. And tell me what else you're going to need."

 

"One more stim," she said. I nodded and tucked my coat around her, then took her medkit back to find what she was after. "Vial labeled SG-08, analgesic shot. Inject directly into my arm."

 

"Got it," I muttered.

 

"After that help me with the chem heat packs in my boots. We'll be needing them if we're to be here any length of time."

 

I was still working on the medkit. While I did that, she finished fiddling with the chem heat activation in her gloves, then she pulled out her holo and started hitting buttons. Stim ready; I peeled aside a bit more of her shirt and gave her the shot.

 

The holo crackled and went back to sleep. "No signal," Dorne reported, and tried again.

 

It finally occurred to me to take a look around. The room was about half filled; it didn't feel too enclosed in here. Just dark. The comm console we had sabotaged was completely buried. My hand lamp wasn't nearly up to the job of lighting the room; it made a sickly-light circle around me and Dorne. No sound but for the two of us, no hint of light from the mass of snow and ice that had closed in here.

 

I'd better get back to being useful. "Let me see your boot." I took hold of the boot she offered and felt along the inner edge to activate the emergency chem heat pack build into the lining. "Now the other." She obliged. "All right. Blood's still spreading," I said, looking helplessly at the bloodied shirt bound to her. "You going to need synthplasma or something? You have any?"

 

"You haven't ever performed that procedure, have you, Captain?"

 

"If you need it I can do it. Just tell me where to start."

 

I followed her instructions, starting with bringing up the hand lamp to hunt for a usable vein. Not something I did to other people much. But I went on, trying not to think about the amount of blood she'd already lost. Synthplasma bag to tube, squeeze all air out of the tubing and needle apparatus, inject slowly, as evenly as I could. As soon as that was emptied I pulled my blanket out of my pack and spread it over her. It made for another layer of insulation.

 

The holo she was holding flicked into static. We both snapped our attention to it. "Havoc Aurek to Base," Dorne said firmly. The static just fuzzed, blipped, and vanished again.

 

Depending on the weather we both knew it might be hours before we got so much as the hope of a working comm link. She tried again. Again, the holo static flickered and died.

 

The room was quiet.

 

"I guess…" I didn't want to say we were just going to wait. She needed medical attention, not a lesson in patience. "I guess…now we…?"

 

"Now we wait," she said.

 

I took a look at the dark ruined mass of snow and metal. "I could try shooting free."

 

"Don't. The firing reaction will deplete what little oxygen we have in here. If that pack is too thick to shoot through, we'll asphyxiate ourselves trying."

 

"All right. How about punching?" I meant it, too. I could quite move a lot of mass when I had to.

 

"While the exercise may keep you warm, we don't know whether it will trigger further collapse. It should only be considered as a last resort."

 

"I don't see a whole lot of other resorts here."

 

"We can wait a few hours for help to come. If the heat packs are nearing the end of their use we'll reevaluate the situation."

 

I guess I didn't have anything else to recommend.

 

"Sir," she said, "if you could come stay under the covers. My body temperature won't be maintaining its level for long in these conditions. The additional warmth will help."

 

I swallowed. "I'd rather not crowd you."

 

"This isn't the time to be shy, sir."

 

She was right. Leaving her there to freeze alone wasn't really an option. So I lifted the edge of the blanket and settled in, resting on my side beside her. I didn't touch her. "How can you be so calm about this?"

 

"Panic wouldn't help. You're acting calmly enough yourself."

 

"No, believe me, I'm panicking."

 

Dorne rolled to her side to face me. Our eyes met. Maybe I said too much in the moment they did.

 

I edged closer, anyway, and stretched out one arm for her to rest her head on. I was careful not to hit her darkened bandages as I resettled my coat over both of us and then pulled the blanket over our heads to finish the little bubble of warmth. I wrapped my free arm around her. Under the thin shirt she had left she was shivering. She shrank close and pressed her forehead to my chest. "Talk to me," she said. Her voice shook a little.

 

"What?"

 

"Multiple studies indicate that it's helpful to focus on listening to a human voice when attempting to stay awake." Of course she would be citing sources at a time like this. "And you…just talk, sir. Please."

 

"What about?"

 

"Anything."

 

"All right. I will. Don't worry. You'll be fine." I pulled off my bloodstained glove lining and set it aside; I would kick off its chem pack when Dorne's ran low. Then I touched her cheek. It wasn't as warm as it ought to be. "This all right?" I asked when I laid my palm full against her face, fighting the cold of her with one open hand.

 

She nodded, just barely enough for me to feel.

 

"Good. Then why don't I narrate getting us out of here." I fished out my holo again, passed it to the hand whose arm was trapped under Dorne's head. "There's some secondary comm channels you can unlock if you have to." Not my specialty, but you pick things up over time. "If the standard-issue unit here can get something in the lower bands we might be able to punch through these walls, at least enough to send our coordinates. I would know just how to unlock it on, say, Imperial standard issue as of five years ago, but..." I was working while I spoke, keeping my arms around her while I fiddled with the holo. "I guess that'd make two of us. Not so useful now. – There, that's the tech's menu, finally. Now I just need to find the lowest frequency it'll let us talk at. Probably won't get visuals on the channel but it can push a distress call with coords." I flicked through the last few keystrokes. No answer. I tried just sending the emergency signal, skipping any attempt at two-way chatter. It might work. It had to work. Then I set the holo back on the ground and wrapped my arms more closely around Dorne, resting one hand against her cheek. "Stay with me," I said. "They've probably already figured out we're missing; they'll get on the signal right away. We're not that far out, they'll find us."

 

She didn't answer. She nodded a tiny bit against my chest again, though, as if to tell me she was still listening.

 

She couldn't leave me here alone. I couldn't be buried by myself and I sure as hell couldn't be losing her like I'd lost comrades before. "You do not have permission to fade out, Sergeant," I said roughly.

 

She nodded. "Yes, sir."

 

"All right. Just so we're clear."

 

"Sir?"

 

"Yes?"

 

"If help should fail to arrive in time…"

 

"It won't." I hugged her tighter, and forget what anybody thought of it. "Nothing's going to happen, Dorne."

 

"Captain. Listen to me. If help does not arrive in time. Please, let my brother know that I love him. And that I'm proud of him."

 

I still wanted to argue. "Okay," I said instead. "I'll look out for him, all right? I…I hear hopping the fence isn't easy, Aleksei shouldn't have to handle it on his own." I wanted to say more, but this wasn't the time, not when I didn't have any right to talk in the first place. So instead I held her.

 

"Thank you," she said, very softly. "I can't stay awake much longer. Keep warm. Extremities, too." She was starting to slur her words. I listened over the roaring in my ears, straining to catch every syllable. "If there's more blood apply pressure and bandage over, don't remove the existing bindings. The heat packs are rated for twelve hours. With luck help will arrive by then. If it doesn't, just keep yourself warm at all costs."

 

"You'll be okay."

 

"Understood, sir."

 

"I mean it. I won't let anything happen to you." I looked around the inside of the sad little blanket shelter we'd made. Too little, too late, it looked like. "You'll be all right."

 

She sighed a little and leaned into me. We waited. I couldn't make myself take a breath without making sure she took one first. If I were to lose her now…no. No matter how long you live and no matter what happens, watching friends die never gets easier. "Dorne, don't do this to me. It doesn't end like this." Not now, before anything was settled.

 

She didn't say anything. She just pulled off her heated gloves and twisted a bit, gasping with the effort, to tuck them behind her back. I tensed all over when she ran up the one thin undershirt I had left, her icy hands flat against my skin; I tensed, but her effort was such a blind burrowing instinct I didn't have the heart to push her away. Instead I fitted my arm more securely around her and bent my trapped arm around so I could slip a hand in to cradle the side of her neck. She kept her ear and an angle of her face pressed against me. It was enough for me to feel her forehead scrunching up. "You are warm after all," she whispered.

 

"Damn straight," I said, hoping that it would help. "Stay with me. We'll…we'll go someplace warmer after this, as soon as our stint here is done. All right? I'd just as soon not go as far as Tatooine, but we can vote. If three or more squad members are crazy we might end up there. Otherwise I could take you all to Kegled. It's summer in West Ford City right now. It gets warm. Drive an hour out of town, there's nothing but grass and sun and the biggest sky you've ever seen. It's pretty much the opposite of hunkering down in a pitch-black box at thirty below zero. Um." I cast about for something to say. She seemed to stop breathing as soon as I stopped talking. "Hey. It's all right." She relaxed again at the sound of my voice. "I could show you around the botanical gardens north of town. They lost some ground during the occupation, and now the city's closed in around it, but it's still an impressive place. There's some museums I bet you'd like, too."

 

I kept on babbling. It was sort of nice to think about home. Not nice enough to let me forget that the tiny-seeming woman in my arms was shivering nonstop, though. Not nice enough to take the fear away.

 

After a while my throat was starting to hurt. I fell silent. This time Dorne didn't react.

 

"Dorne?" I ran my thumb across her frighteningly cool cheek. "Elara?"

 

Nothing.

 

I clamped down on the panic. I curled as best I could around her, trying to close out the cold. I felt and listened to her shallow breathing like my own life depended on it. I waited.

 

My fatigue vanished in one hard jolt when the holo at my fingertips beeped. Fast as I could I grabbed and answered it. No visuals, but there was a voice. "zz – to Havoc Aurek, zzzou copy?"

 

"Havoc Aurek here," I said loudly. "Requesting immediate assistance, medevac required."

 

"One inc-zz." The voice under all that crackling distortion was probably Jorgan. "We have a lock on your loc-zzzk, will need to dig out. Get clear."

 

"Already there." I shifted under the covers, gathered Dorne in my arms and got ready to move should the rescue tunneling collapse anything as far back as us. I tried to focus on the walls and the eventual rumble of outside equipment, focus on anything but the fact that Dorne wasn't stirring.

 

I heard the digging equipment only seconds before something fell loose from the landslide wall. A building roar, ice scattering in every direction, and then a big drill broke though. It knocked a man-sized opening and then pulled back, letting Jorgan, Vik, and a blinding light in.

 

I stood up, keeping Dorne close. "She's hurt. I'm fine. Let's move."

 

If they were talking I wasn't really listening. Dorne's shallow breaths were the only things that mattered. I carried her straight past them and the others waiting outside to the waiting door of a little snowhopper that could get her back to base. "Yuun," I said, "go on with her." He was the lightest of us; he could keep things in order without straining the hopper's limited engines. Me, I'd better go with the ground crew. No matter how much I wanted to stay with her. She would be okay. As long as she was okay, everything else could wait.

 

"Sir." I turned away from the departing hopper to find Jorgan offering a coat. I stared at it blankly for a second before my body reminded me that I was standing there with little more than a blood-smeared undershirt above the waist.

 

It was cold out. Huh.

 

"Thanks," I said. I took the coat and put it on, twisting to stare after the departing medevac hopper all the while. She was okay. She was going to be okay.

 

"Speeders this way, sir," said Jorgan, pointing. "Let's get back to base."

 

 

Notes:

 

 

Call this one Health. For some reason I can't write a straight-up "Must snuggle for warmth!" story. Nope, I need some kind of desperate reason for it. And of course that means they're not talking about feelings. They're just doing what they have to do to keep the situation under control. And I may be the least romantic person who ever spent her days writing love stories.

 

 

Edited by bright_ephemera
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Hoyden - I still find it really weird the Crae and Skari ended up together, maybe I should have read your other thread XD Still, adorable in that sort-of hide-in-the-woods-the-world-is-dangerous way. Little Lonny's going to grow up into the best killer this galaxy has (n)ever seen.

 

Bright - Vierce being infinitely uncomfortable around Dorne for a multitude of reasons and yet still trying to be polite and nice to her is adorable. He's such a nice guy (and I mean that, he's lovely.)

 

Irish - it does not matter how big and scary your Sith are, they love their Imperials <3 And I totally agree the Talos should have been a romance option (for both genders), I want a tea party on the Fury! - And now dancing? Oh Talos, you are too adorable for words.

 

MrTwo - How dreadful to wake up from such a wonderful dream to... that. Poor guy :(

 

Marissalf - Welcome to the thread! The introduction of your Agent is fantastic - I very rarely read about that incident on Corellia, whether it be about the before or afters. I have to agree with Bright, the emotions in the piece came over very clearly, particularly the fear of failure.

 

Now I go back to reading before more commenting. Of course Bright had to post while I was making this reply P:

Edited by Tatile
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Haha, I wreck all posting and indexing with my ninja posts!

 

I'm going to say this borders on Law and Governance for Vierce. 1000 words. No game spoilers.

 

 

The remains of Havoc Squad got the last pieces of Yuun's assignment and turned it in to Command. The higher-ups were pretty excited about it. I was just worried about Dorne. She had taken the last few days in kolto; they didn't let her out and about until we were just about ready to leave Hoth.

 

When they did let her up I might possibly have run over one of the maintenance droids in my hurry to get to the base's medlab. I didn't care. She was there.

 

When I got into the examination room I stopped short, reminding myself that sweeping her up in my arms was exactly the thing I shouldn't be doing. So…just look. It was a relief to see her up and awake. She was wearing regular fatigues. Standing straight as ever, no sign of favoring either leg. Good.

 

I looked at her. She looked at me.

 

"Sergeant," I said, trying not to notice how pretty her ponytail looked. Stars, I was just happy to see her in one piece. She seemed pale – had she always been this pale? "You all right?"

 

"Oh," she said. "Yes, sir. I expect to be fully ready to return to duty tomorrow morning."

 

"Don't push yourself."

 

"I'm fine, sir."

 

"Good to hear it. It's never fun getting put in kolto."

 

"Yes, I can't say I enjoy the experience." Her brow crinkled up a little and she took a few seconds coming up with something to say. "It did, however, give me some time to think."

 

"Oh?" I'd been trying not to.

 

"I had…a question. Permission to speak freely, sir?"

 

"Of course."

 

A smile sidled onto her face and took its time fading back into her regular earnest expression. "That ordeal threw certain matters into conspicuous relief." She shifted from foot to foot. "There and elsewhere you have helped me more than anyone I've ever met. Serving with you has been a great honor. I have to admit, I've…grown fond of you." She turned those green eyes on me with an intensity that shut out everything else in the world. "And unless I'm mistaken, I do have some reason to believe that...you feel the same?"

 

"We can't," I said, my voice sounding a little higher than normal. "That's just the near-death experience talking, Dorne."

 

"You mean the one where you acted instantly to stabilize the situation, we worked as a team to bring things under control, and you made certain every step of the way that I had both every resource and every reassurance available? That near-death experience?"

 

My mouth was dry all of a sudden. "I'd do that for any of my people."

 

"I know. That's one of the things I admire you for. But…you did evidence more concern for me than you might for most. And I think this started before then."

 

"I'm not starting anything. We're not. Even if we wanted to, which would make no sense because you've got no reason at all to forgive me for all the stupid things I put you through, and..."

 

"Sir?" She arched an eyebrow, her expression guarded but curious. "You have put some thought into this."

 

"No," I said. "Dorne, there's six different reasons we can't even before I get to the non-life-ruining ones and two of 'em I can't figure a way around and…No." I shook my head doggedly. "I never thought about it."

 

Both her eyebrows were up now. "That sounds like a very detailed analysis for an idea you've never considered, sir." She sounded slyly happy about it.

 

"You do remember me making your life miserable, on purpose, for months, right?" Reason number four.

 

"I seem to recall we had resolved your objections to my existence. Since our discussion on Balmorra we've been on fairly friendly terms, barring your mysterious new shyness."

 

"Too friendly." My mistake. "I'm your CO. Biggest red flag imaginable, right there." Reason number one.

 

She didn't even blink. "Sir, if you were going to abuse your authority over me for any kind of personal reason, you would have done so by now."

 

"…Fair point. But you of all people have got to know that…well, that anything…would break every rule in the book."

 

"I am aware that Personnel Code Section Two discourages romantic relationships between personnel, particularly commanding officers. But…" her voice slowed a little…"our records suggest that we are both experienced at navigating complex situations. And Personnel Code Section One does encourage personnel to spend time together socially. Correlations between interpersonal compatibility and unit performance are strongly positive."

 

"Huh," I said weakly. "That was one of the ones I couldn't see a way around."

 

She just smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Really, sir, all I wanted to ask is whether you feel the same toward me as I do toward you."

 

"I…" Yes. If she was really crazy enough to like me. "I don'…" I couldn't force the lie out, and I couldn't in good conscience tell the truth.

 

So, genius that I am, I kissed her instead.

 

The second she ran her hands up my arms and pushed up to meet me I knew that the words didn't matter; this was where I was meant to be. This, her, her mouth, the way she fitted her whole self against me, the way I couldn't tell which of us was hungrier. I knew right then and there that I was hers. No matter what else happened, no matter what anyone else thought, and no matter what rules or plans the two of us might have had, I was hers.

 

About a thousand years went by too fast before she backed off a tiny bit to give me the most radiant smile I'd ever seen. "We should probably finish your list for completeness' sake, sir," she said in a soft lilting voice. "What were your other objections?"

 

I looked into her eyes; they were green as springtime, bright as summer. If there were other thoughts around they didn't matter. "I forget."

 

 

 

 

 

The character's whole tagline is "I don't forget." Oops.

 

It's only taken them seven author-time months since their first scene together! This serves as canon replacement for Vierce's earlier kiss scene now that I actually have context for their relationship to date.

 

 

Edited by bright_ephemera
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As another lurker who regularly reads these stories (especially when bored/having a bad day at work!), just wanted to also add that I love seeing people's takes on various characters. I've been working on some stuff for my inqusitor but unfortunately don't have the time (or writing chops ;)) to have done much with it so far.

 

That said, I must admit that I have a particular soft spot for Vierce/Elara since Elara's my favorite companion in the game (and one of my favorite Bioware characters ever) and they make a super cute couple and having them finally together gives me warm fuzzy feelings :)

Edited by Lesaberisa
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Haha, I wreck all posting and indexing with my ninja posts!

 

Wreck all the indexes forever, just keep writing.

 

Eeeeeee I swoon Vierce/Elara <3. I love both versions of the first kiss but the context of this one is so lovely. Her teasing him about

"That sounds like a very detailed analysis for an idea you've never considered, sir."

<3

 

The descriptions were great, I appreciated how they didn't just magic patch everything together with infinite medbox of healing and the comm didn't work, of course.

 

As to the un-romanticness of life-saving snuggles, it was entirely romantic (except to Vierce, he was 100% professional and not having any feelings I'm sure). I thought the whole thing was sweet, I was still on the edge of my seat even though I was pretty sure she would survive.

 

To summarize: Eeeeeeeeeeeeee.

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Bright, I wuv you and I wuv Vierce and I wuv Dorne and I wuv Vierce and Dorne together and it's nice to see them start together like and... *wibble*

 

I'm not sure a more coherent response will be available at any point :/

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Iamthehoyden: After reading the full Crae fic, reading these aftermath stories is fun and enlightening.

Yay! :) Crae's addictive enough to me that stories about him will probably continue to pop up.

 

Hoyden, Lonny, that poor child...she's going to have the most messed-up ideas of how the world works.

Haha! Yeah, her and her brother (who can sleep through anything) no doubt would have some very interesting playground conversations.

 

@iamthehoyden Crae is still so very scary... and delicious. Daddy Crae is actually kind of terrifying because I know there's nothing he wouldn't do. Also, welcome back!

Thank you! It's good to be back :) Still busy around here, but I'm finding a minute here and there. And yes, Daddy Crae has no real limits in terms of what he's willing to do to keep his kids safe. It's probably a very good that he respects Skari enough to listen to her lol.

 

 

Hoyden - I still find it really weird the Crae and Skari ended up together, maybe I should have read your other thread XD Still, adorable in that sort-of hide-in-the-woods-the-world-is-dangerous way. Little Lonny's going to grow up into the best killer this galaxy has (n)ever seen.

Lol, you probably should (not that I'm plugging my own writing...I'm totally plugging my own writing). If you start here (http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=576155&page=7), it'll start about where the posts from the Short Fic thread ended. There were only a couple posts left, but a few big plot twists left to go ;)

 

*hides eyes from other responses* I need to go reeeeead!!! There are V/E stories in here, I sees them!!

 

...*continues reading binge*...

 

Mags - (To Market, To Market) Soooo funny!! Chocolate is srs bznz :D

 

bright - (Discoveries, Vierce)

"Elara Dorne is an attractive woman. I don't have the words to describe my horror the day I realized that." Snort. Wheeze. May die of laughter, here, no really, it's okay...I'm sure I'll recover. Awesome. Just awesome.

 

kabe - (To Market, To Market - Rook) Awww, the wet-behind-the-ears agent. Can't wait to see what Rook's like :)

 

Yoshi - (To Market) This was pretty funny, lol. The CM at work :p

 

bright - (Alternate Perspectives - Elara) She's so sweet and earnest. I love her :)

 

Selentar - (Enemies, Rivals, and Nemeses) Interesting plotline, curious to see more!

 

fino - (Myths and Legends) Oh dear goodness, Ald's mother...there are so many ways this reunion could turn out!

 

bright - (Myths, Legends, and Heroes - Wynston) I always find it interesting given how practical Wynston is, the antipathy he feels for his home world. It reminds me of people who leave a small podunk town for the big city and would like to forget they were ever anywhere else.

 

Elliotcat - You're back!! Yay!!! (Alternate Perspectives) I LOVE this!! What an awesome background for that character :) Love it!

 

Tatile - (Affection) I love the way these two's relationship has built. Nothing comes easy for them, but they work at it. Seriously love it. (Also, Stion'n/Zdinne and Jaci sounds hilarious.)

 

bright - (Communication Breakdown) Stupidest grin ever. On my face. For this entire story.

 

fino - (To Market, To Market - Talos) Omg, how cute is this!! *hugs all the geeky companions*

 

Tatile - (Loneliness) Fetish Imperial uniforms...*intrigued*

 

Mrtwo - (Kouhun's dream) The juxstoposition of his love for his wife and his current situation - just mmph. Ouch ouch and ouch.

 

Marissalf - Welcome to the thread! (Worst Day Ever) *whimper* I love Vector and this was just such a great mix of really-bad-situation and omg-how-awesome-is-he. Good stuff :)

 

fino - (Your Song - Talos and Aldria) Ack these two are so cute!! :D

 

icecreampants - (Family) That first paragraph - the description of that drink was vivid enough that I actually found myself making the most awful face. Seriously, it's probably a good thing there wasn't a mirror around. The interaction between the two brothers was really interesting, curious to see more.

 

bright - (Health) V/E snow...ajosshofiwwjwfowehfwh...they're just so d'aww and eek and I love them both. I mean, I'm totally crushing on Vierce (Vierce in undershirt, hello), but Elara's so sweet, ack I love them.

 

bright - (Law and Governance) ...and I don't have proper words because I love this so much...*agrees with Tatile*

 

Caught up!!! And look at how many awesome stories there were!! And new people!! And lurkers!! (You guys scare me a little, I always forget more people actually read this than post, lol, but thank you!!)

*looks at her subscription list* One thread down, a dozen to go :D

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Spam spam spam spam...I mean, To Market, To Market, in the Nalenne!verse after NDOW's main plot ends. Spoiler for the Sith Warrior's endgame title. 400 words.

 

 

 

"I demand to speak to your supervisor. The Empire will not stand for its officers to be treated this way."

 

The burly Houk guard glared through the prison cell's forcefield. "Talk to the Hutt, 'cause the Houk ain't listening."

 

"If nothing else," pressed the black-haired officer, "confinement with this...individual...must constitute some kind of war crime."

 

"I'm getting the worse of this deal, my friend," said the dark-eyed dandy lounging against the far wall. His voice had a thick nasal quality at the moment.

 

"Shut up," said the officer. He was making a show of not minding his swollen black eye.

 

A Nikto in a mishmash of clothing and armor entered. He was carrying a datapad. He conferred in low voices with the Houk guard, then turned to the two men in the cell.

 

"Very well. You two are charged with disturbing the peace during Drooga the Hutt's nap time. You first." He pointed at the uniformed Imperial. "Name?"

 

"Malavai Quinn, captain, second grade. I demand that–"

 

"And you?" The Nikto pointed to the dandy.

 

"Just call me...the Skip Tracer." Doc delivered the title with a broad sweeping gesture.

 

Quinn scoffed. "He goes by the alias Doc when he's suffering from slightly lesser delusions of grandeur," he informed the Nikto.

 

"Skip Tracer's the new handle," Doc said breezily. "I did some favors for another Hutt of my acquaintance, cleaned up certain matters, and, just look at that, I have a new title to sport!"

 

"You're an imbecile," said Quinn. "When the Emperor's Wrath arrives she will –"

 

"Have another catastrophic temper tantrum?" suggested Doc.

 

"Ahem," said the Nikto. "Skip Tracer, then?"

 

"The Skip Tracer," said Doc.

 

"Just change it back to Doc," said Quinn.

 

The Nikto looked from one to the other. "The Skip Tracer formerly known as Doc?"

 

Quinn winced. Doc beamed. "Ooh, I like the sound of that!"

 

"I can ensure that you don't escape any catastrophic temper tantrum that occurs," muttered Quinn.

 

"You're just sad you'll never be anything snazzier than Captain."

 

"I should have skipped straight to shooting you rather than giving you the bloody nose you so richly deserve, Doc."

 

"You should ask your lady friend for a title rather than running around giving heroes bloody noses, Captain. Just think about it."

 

 

 

P.S. I really am psyched about having managed to get Vierce and Elara on the same page. I like having them alive and together. So, squee! I'm glad you're enjoying :) :)

Edited by bright_ephemera
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As to the un-romanticness of life-saving snuggles, it was entirely romantic (except to Vierce, he was 100% professional and not having any feelings I'm sure). I thought the whole thing was sweet, I was still on the edge of my seat even though I was pretty sure she would survive.

 

I seriously considered bumping her off here as another What If?, which is why I didn't name the prompt at the start of the story. Then I realized I'm not that sadistic.

 

As for professionalism, there were no hands. When Nic says it she's lying through her teeth, or else just too blacked-out to remember; when Vierce says there were no hands, there really were none. <3

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Bright, do I even want to know how that occurred, or why Doc seems to be so blase about the Wrath?

 

Quinn and Doc have a sort of a standing grudge in No Death, Only Wrath:

 

They knew each other by reputation on Balmorra: the hated Bastard of Sobrik and the nigh-constant security intrusion Doctor "I'm too fabulous to have a real name."

 

The first time they met in NDOW Quinn was dead, Nalenne was outgunned, and the Jedi Knight Rho would've gotten the better of her during her temper flareup if the local staff hadn't intervened. She totally failed to kill anybody in this process. Not exactly scary stuff.

 

The second time they met (or at least were in the same room; they had no direct conversation) Quinn was still dead, Nalenne was still outgunned, she was making a truly idiotic attack, and furthermore she flipped from "rage machine" to "full surrender" and back to "wait, never mind, grr" in the space of about five minutes, during which time she totally failed to kill anybody.

 

So as long as Rho is somewhere in the neighborhood, Doc doesn't feel Nalenne is that scary. If fast talking won't appease her he can still keep her and her infamous temper talking/ranting/distracted/whatevered long enough for Rho to arrive.

 

 

I don't know what context brought both Doc and Quinn to Drooga's territory at the same time for the Market story. Doc being delighted about his title just hopped to mind and it rolled from there.

Edited by bright_ephemera
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@Bright, I honestly thought Elara was going to die and all the tension and build-up would be for nothing, guess I read too much George R.R. Martin. I'm glad they finally resolved their frustrating emotional conflict. I enjoyed your Quinn-Doc piece as well, two of my favorite SWTOR original characters and you got their voices down to an art.

 

The prompt here can be Discovery from a certain point of view, but truthfully I write first and find a prompt afterwards so they aren't always entirely accurate. I'll try to fix this in the future.

 

 

“Twenty thousand.”

 

The purple Rodian trilled with laughter at Kouhun’s price offer.

 

Rizantos sighed deeply and motioned for Kouhun to step aside. “Look, my friend here isn’t very experienced in these matters, but I’ve been bargaining since I left Sullust. Would thirteen thousand be a more accurate sum?”

 

The way the Rodian nodded eagerly at the newly suggested offer made Kouhun think Rizz might just not have any idea how much the speeder they were selling was worth.

 

He frowned deeply as they slowly paced down the shuttle boarding ramp into the Tatooine hangar, complete with miscellaneous technical objects and various odors.

 

“What’s up?” Rizz asked as they watched the Rodian inspecting his new vehicle from over their shoulders.

 

“I’m quite sure we could’ve got more for that speeder, Rizantos. It had been quite heavily upgraded.”

 

“Look, big guy, I’ve been bargaining since I left Sull-“

 

“I’ve heard.” Kouhun interjected flatly.

 

“Anyway, trust me. I know this planet like the back of my hand. We’ll be rolling in credits soon enough, and then that thirteen thousand won’t matter at all.”

 

“And what is this grand scheme of yours?” Kouhun asked in a disinterested tone.

 

“Now, now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. With thirteen thousand creds we can find a decent apartment in Anchorhead and then I'll tell you."

 

“I thought we were on Tatooine?” the Rattataki inquired confusedly.

 

Rizz sighed. Clearly, geography was not Kouhun’s strong suit.

 

“Anchorhead is the city we just landed in, smart guy.” he corrected.

 

“In my colony I never had any need to know about this horrible place.” Kouhun replied depressedly.

 

“Yeah, well, I never planned on going here either.”

 

Kouhun stopped mid-step so suddenly that Rizz almost tripped trying to stay back with him. The hulking alien turned around and stared into the Sullustan’s black, wet, orb shaped eyes.

 

“You have never actually been to Tatooine?” his voice seethed quietly through his teeth like hot steam through a grate. He liked to call it his "teacher voice."

 

"Well-" Rizz squeaked out fearfully.

 

“I’m done.” The Rattataki said simply and veered off towards the nearby elevator.

 

“Big guy, wait! We can sort this out...” Rizz yelled futilely after his retreating form, running forwards a few steps towards the lift.

 

No response was heard, only the loud sound of a half-functional elevator lifting towards its destination.

 

Rizz stared blankly at the far metal wall as he contemplated his situation. His mind then focused on one individual fact that sent him soaring for the elevator as fast as his short legs could take him.

 

Kouhun had the credits.

 

 

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Comment time!

 

 

Bright: excuse me while I daww myself into oblivion over Vierce and Elara.

 

iamthehoyden: I absolutely love Crae as the borderline psychotic father figure, good stuff.

 

Mrtwo: I truly enjoy the dynamic between Rizz and Kouhun really interested to see where they go from here.

 

 

 

Now while i finish mulling over the next story involving Hadock and Armond have a short story involving Hadock and Mako

 

Prompt: The Morning after

 

no bh storyline spoilers (as far as I know)

 

 

Hadock's head pounded as he awoke in his bed. Every small noise that the ship normally made was seemingly amplified sounding like a stampede of rancors trashing a wookies fine china shop.

 

He opened his eye,slowly reaching up to the side of his head gently pressing a button to activate his cybernetic one.

 

He looked around his room which was in a more disarrayed state than normal with random articles of women's clothing dangling from odd places like the mirror and lamps.

 

"What happened in here?" He said aloud fairly certain that he was alone in his room.

 

"Oh nothing remarkable. I promise big guy" a woman said in a chirpy voice from around the corner

 

Hadock's eye widened realizing who it was as he turned seeing Mako at the door. She wasn't just standing there, She was standing there in some of his lounge wear with a tray loaded down with an assortment of teas and breakfast foods.

 

He slowly hid his face in his palms as he slowly mumbled. "What exactly happened Mako? Last I remember Torian handed me some drink that reaked of the insides of a krayt dragon when we were celebrating our big bounty."

 

He scowled as he let out a sudden large belch. "Must of tasted like it too"

 

Mako blushed as she entered the room carefully placing the tray on the nightstand and pouring Hadock a glass of fragrant herbal tea. She carefully held out the glass in offering to Hadock as she also grabbed an assortment of pills she had placed on the tray down in the galley.

 

"Take this it'll get rid of that nasty headache." she said in an almost motherly tone, one different than the one she used when Hadock would return from a mission with cut's and scrapes lining most of his body.

 

"This isn't telling me exactly what happened." Hadock groaned as he leaned forward. Even moving hurt his head.

 

"Well I was hoping you would remember it as well as I did...." Mako blushed even deeper her cheeks redder than the sheets Hadock had wrapped around him.

 

"You mean..." Hadock almost spurted out his tea and the pills as he saw her reaction.

 

"Mhmm you were... Persuasive. Abnormally so. You can't blame a girl once you give her that ooey gooey melty look you have" By this time Mako was shaking as she recalled the events of the prior night.

 

Hadock very quietly sunk down in his bed. Relations with anyone on his ship, especially Mako, was an incredibly bad idea by his standards. He wanted to keep as professional an atmosphere as he could. But now that had all been thrown out the airlock into the nearest black hole.

 

"I'm sorry" Mako welled up. She knew Hadock had wanted as professional environment as possible, but he was dreamy and she was easily swooned.

 

"No, no it's alright..." He sighed sliding a hand over to comfort her as he tried to find the words inside his storming mind.

 

"I should have said no really, but you were going out of your way to prove that you had interest in me" She gripped his hand tightly the tears drying from her eyes

 

"Oh really?" Hadock laghed he had intended to keep his feelings about Mako bottled up inside for the rest of their time together. But alcohol had a knack for throwing several hydrospanners into his plans.

 

"Totally. You were determined to tell Torian and Gault how they shouldn't make any moves on me because and I quote"

 

A playful expression came over Hadocks face as she tried her very best to impersonate a drunken Hadock

 

"You weres goings to smash their ugly faces togethers and throw them outs the airlocks" she giggled heavily as she finished her impersonation

 

"You're kidding right?" Hadock stared at Mako wide eyed knowing the ridicule he would face from the others if he had actually said that.

 

Mako beamed her eyes filled with their usual playfulness. "Of course!"

 

"Now tell me what really happened."

 

Well after you drank several of Torians concotions you played pazaak with us until the others went to bed. Then well... You were really sweet. You told me how pretty I was and how I made you happy whenever I was around."

 

Mako was practically giddy as she paused to take a drink of her tea.

 

"Then... I kissed you and we sort of... Well made it up here. As you can see it was a very chaotic process." she grinned pointing out the door at a wrecked railing and a strand of now broken lights hanging down over the door way.

 

Hadock thought to himself quietly as a now enthused Mako slid ever closer to him. He wasn't quite sure what he wanted now. For some reason he felt more at ease now that everything was out of the way.

 

"Listen, before we get anymore serious then we already have let's give it a few days to sit and see how we feel about it then."

 

"I can live with that. Right after this" Mako said as she slid closer to Hadock. Slowly and gently she leaned her head onto his chest., her hand tracing every scar along the way as it searched for his to hold.

 

"This isn't giving it a few more days." He chuckled as he slowly ran his fingers through her hair.

 

"You're complaining? Need I bring up more about last night?!" she threatened.

 

He smiled content with the way things were at least for the time being.

 

"I think that can wait."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you guys enjoy this one as well!

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Here's another entry in Tessa's universe, this time going backwards in the timeline. Takes place before the game, and as such contains no game spoilers. I'll set this to a NotLP - New Paths.

 

 

 

Kaas City, Dromund Kaas

8 ATC

 

 

“What do you mean, you’re leaving?” Tessa demanded, hands on her hips.

 

James Iriath regarded his sixteen-year-old daughter with a small sigh. When she was angry, she seemed to fill the entire tiny apartment with her presence. He had grown accustomed to dealing with the moods of an adolescent Sith, however. “I told you, Tessa,” he said calmly, “I’ve been transferred to Imperial Intelligence.”

 

She scowled. “Why?”

 

“I didn’t ask,” Iriath said coolly. “It wasn’t my place.”

 

She continued to glare at him for a moment, then stomped over to the couch and sat down with as much furious dignity as possible. “When are you going?” she demanded, not looking at him.

 

Iriath massaged his temples; he’d been hoping that she would take the news better than this. “Tomorrow.” He hesitated, not wanting to rile her up again, but she needed to know… “The advanced training program takes two years. You probably won’t see me before that time is up.”

 

Tessa’s head snapped around to stare at him. “Two years?”

 

He nodded. “Because of my experience, I get to skip the basic training, but there are still quite a few things I’ll need to learn.”

 

“I don’t understand it,” Tessa said angrily. “You’ve been in the military for over twenty years, you’re a major with commendations and—and things, and now they’re just going to throw all that away and make you some Intelligence nothing?”

 

“I suppose that’s one way of looking at it—”

 

“It’s the only way of looking at it,” she snapped. “You earned your position, and they’re taking it from you. It’s not right. It’s not fair.”

 

Iriath walked over to the couch and sat down beside her. She scooted away from him until she fetched up against the couch’s arm.

 

“You’re thinking like a Sith,” he told her gently. “I can’t operate under the same principles that you do. I have to do what I’m told, no matter how nonsensical those orders may seem. I’m sure that there is a perfectly logical explanation for this turn of events.”

 

Tessa looked down at her lap, clenching her hands together until her knuckles turned white. “People die in Intelligence training,” she said tonelessly.

 

“Yes.”

 

“And—and operatives,” she continued in a too-steady voice. “They disappear all the time, and no one—” she swallowed hard, “—no one ever knows what happens to them—”

 

“My prior career was not without its dangers,” Iriath pointed out. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder; she flinched, but didn’t try to dislodge him. “I can’t promise that I’ll be safe. But I will do everything in my power to survive. For you.”

 

“If I lose you, I won’t have anyone,” she whispered.

 

“You’re not going to lose me,” he said firmly.

 

A droplet of water splashed against the back of her hand. “I don’t want you to go away,” she muttered.

 

“I’ve been gone for long stretches of time before—”

 

“Not since the Treaty,” Tessa protested. “And not for this long.” Another droplet joined the first.

 

Iriath sighed softly and pulled her into his arms. She offered no resistance, nestling against his chest as she started to cry silently.

 

He wasn’t sure how to comfort her, so he sat there and held her without saying a word. Lynore would have known what to do, but he would have to manage alone. He had always had to manage alone.

 

After a few minutes, Tessa’s quiet sniffles gradually faded away. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “It’s just…this is so sudden…”

 

Iriath tightened his hug. “You don’t have to apologize, sweetheart.”

 

“I don’t want to upset you,” she mumbled. “If you’re happy about this…”

 

“I don’t have an opinion,” he said blandly. “My opinion doesn’t matter.”

 

“I don’t understand how you can be like that.”

 

“Of course not. You’re Sith. You don’t have to be like that. Which reminds me…” Iriath pulled off his left glove and removed his wedding ring, then pressed it into her hand. She instinctively closed her fingers around the smooth metal.

 

“I won’t be able to wear this during training,” he told her, “so I want you to keep it for me.”

 

Tessa clutched the ring against her chest like a talisman. “I wish Mama were here.”

 

Iriath closed his eyes. “So do I, Tessa. So do I.”

 

“Do you miss her?” she asked after a long moment of silence. He opened his eyes to find her regarding him inquisitively.

 

“More than you can imagine,” he admitted.

 

“Do you—do you think she would be proud of me?”

 

It wasn’t the first time she had asked that question. “Yes,” Iriath said. “I know she would.”

 

“When I practice saber forms, I imagine that I’m fighting the Jedi who killed her,” Tessa said softly. “And I imagine that I’ll kill him, someday.”

 

“Stay strong, and I have no doubt that you will.”

 

She frowned. “You stay strong too, Dad. You know what they say about Intelligence.”

 

Iriath smiled thinly. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be all right.”

 

Tessa bit her lip, clenching her hand around the ring. “Just—come back, all right?”

 

He looked her in the eyes, eyes that were the same shade of pale green as his own. “I will. I promise.”

 

 

Notes:

I love Imperial family dynamics. :D

 

Random bits of clarifying information:

- Lynore is the name of Tessa's mother. She is deceased, and has been since Tessa was quite young.

- It was revealed in a previous piece that Lynore was a Sith.

- Iriath is going to be the Agent of his universe. Yes, a secret agent with the first name James. It was unintentional, I swear.

 

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Fino, I think you have Talos's voice nailed. And it's adorable.

Yaaaaaaay! That was my biggest concern with writing about him. And he's staying adorable. Double yay!

 

Irish - it does not matter how big and scary your Sith are, they love their Imperials <3 And I totally agree the Talos should have been a romance option (for both genders), I want a tea party on the Fury! - And now dancing? Oh Talos, you are too adorable for words.

I think even my Trooper loves her (former) Imperial, lol. They... might be biased by me. Just a little. Heehee.

 

A tea party, you say? Ahahah, I totally just pictured Khem sipping daintily on tea while Talos gives him lessons on manners. Note to self: Write that. XD

 

fino - (Myths and Legends) Oh dear goodness, Ald's mother...there are so many ways this reunion could turn out!

 

fino - (To Market, To Market - Talos) Omg, how cute is this!! *hugs all the geeky companions*

 

fino - (Your Song - Talos and Aldria) Ack these two are so cute!! :D

Ald was going to encounter her sooner or later, I could never decide when. His vacation seemed like a good time, since things have been smooth sailing for him and Malavai for quite some time now. >.> <.< Gotta have a little drama every once in a while, lol.

 

I love Talos. Just. So much. He's so adorable and enthusiastic and just... OMG WHY CAN'T I ROMANCE THIS ADORABLE MAN!?

 

 

 

And, now, the story:

 

NotLP: Affection

Characters: Aldria and Talos

 

Circle Her Three Times To Protect Her

 

 

“I’ve seen you making the googly eyes toward our Sith Lord,” Andronikos said.

 

It was very much like the pirate to come barging into the hold during his off time. Well, with the pirate, it was always his off time. Talos huffed a small sigh and removed his goggles.

 

“Do you need something, Andronikos?” Talos asked, looking at the tan man in the doorway. He was leaning against the frame, his arms crossed and a smirk on his lips.

 

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed when you think no one is looking.”

 

“I have no idea what you mean, Andronikos. My relationship with Aldria is professional.” And it would always be just that.

 

“Really?” Andronikos asked, his lips twisting up further. “Then I might have a chance.”

 

With that Andronikos left Talos to his work, but the poor man could no longer focus. Aldria had never talked about the pirate that way before. He had asked, of course, out of curiosity and nothing more and she had made it rather clear that the pirate was always… interested, but she wasn’t. He was an excellent finder of rare artifacts if she asked him, but he never seemed to enjoy the find as much as she did. All that knowledge, all that power, all that history.

 

Oh, what was he thinking? Such foolish thoughts. There was work to be done, discoveries to be made, history to be unearthed. They were partners in that. Not romantic partners, but history partners. Partners in the business of discovering the past and revealing it to the populace at large. Yes. Partners in history.

 

And that was all.

 

***

 

“I did what you asked, Sith,” Andronikos said, stepping into Aldria’s private quarters.

 

She smiled from the bed and pointed toward a cabinet. “The Corellian Whiskey is all yours, dearest pirate,” she said, grinning at him.

 

Andronikos walked to the cabinet and opened it. True to her word the whiskey was here. He grabbed it and tried not to clutch it to his chest to protect it.

 

“You leave this unlocked?” he asked.

 

“No,” Aldria chuckled. “Just the once and just for you.”

 

“You’re lucky you’re cute.”

 

“Hah!”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled as he left. Crazy Sith.

 

***

 

“It’s just a small trinket, my Lord,” Talos said quietly.

 

Aldria seemed happy with her gift if the wide smile on her face was any indication. And it likely was. She continued smiling at him as she worked to put it on. With only half a second’s pause, he moved around to her back and joined the clasps of the necklace. She turned to him, still smiling as if his gift were the greatest thing to ever happen, and placed her hand over the charm on the necklace. It was a simple charm, a circle within a circle within a circle. Three circles joined down the middle by a small bar of metal. He thought it suited her rather well.

 

“Thank you, Talos,” she said softly. “I love it.”

 

“There’s a myth with the symbol, if you would like to hear it,” he offered.

 

“Please share,” she replied enthusiastically.

 

“Well, it’s kind of funny, really. There was a man named Talos who would circle the town he was protecting three times each day as he patrolled the area for vagabonds and rapscallions. I thought, perhaps, if I gave you something similar, it would protect you in ways I cannot.”

 

“Thank you,” she said softly. “It’s a wonderful sentiment and a wonderful gift.”

 

He kept a small part of the story to himself. And, as she kissed his cheek and went on with her day, he felt a little guilty.

 

After all, protection from pirates was a serious matter.

 

 

 

 

Notes:

 

 

Wikipedia might not be the best source, but the Talos bit comes from here. Silly Talos, you might be a little jealous.

 

Edited by irishfino
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@Bright, I honestly thought Elara was going to die and all the tension and build-up would be for nothing, guess I read too much George R.R. Martin. I'm glad they finally resolved their frustrating emotional conflict. I enjoyed your Quinn-Doc piece as well, two of my favorite SWTOR original characters and you got their voices down to an art.

 

Thanks on both counts! I'd been struggling to figure out how Vierce would come to like Elara as much as I do for, well, months. As for Doc and Quinn, I feel there's so much untapped potential in the fact that they were both active on Balmorra at the same time...I like to imagine they clash horribly any time they end up in the same room.

 

Don't worry about writing a story then picking a prompt; I think a ton of us do that. Anything that gets us more stories. :D

 

The prompt Rizz stared blankly at the far metal wall as he contemplated his situation. His mind then focused on one individual fact that sent him soaring for the elevator as fast as his short legs could take him.

 

Kouhun had the credits.

 

 

Comedy. I love it.

 

@icecreampants, I was ready to cringe and be miserable at the blackout condition, but I'm glad it ended up working for both of them.

 

@Ves, ugh, Imperial role selection: It's always done by other people, and cold people at that.

 

@irishfino, I was so intrigued when I first encountered the story of the bronze guardian Talos. I like what you do with it here.

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So, Vierce. I'm going to skip the actual events of the Act 2 finale, because I'm lazy like that. Immediately after the Law and Governance entry, as in "holocall interrupts their makeout" immediately, Vierce and Elara get the call to move. Havoc Squad does its Havoc Squad thing, and, naturally, they triumph. Vierce picks up a few weeks later with this Health entry. I'm not sure any of the actual text spoils Trooper quests. 700 words.

 

 

 

I hate waking up in kolto.

 

For one thing, it means either I or one of my comrades screwed up. Or, worse, that we got hit by something too big for all of us. None of those reasons is a good thing.

 

For another, it's embarrassing exposure in an uncomfortable wet environment. I don't swim. I usually don't wander around in my underclothes. It's just miserable.

 

And, finally, floating in kolto means I'm no good to anybody.

 

I found the tank-wall button that would summon assistance. A droid showed up within seconds.

 

"Sir," it said in a flat metal voice, "it's good to see you awake. I have orders to notify the staff when you wake up. Is there anything you require immediately?"

 

The mask over my face let me talk in an uncomfortable muffled kind of way. "No. Staff is good."

 

The droid left and shortly after that a skinny little doctor showed up. "Well, well, captain," he said, "welcome back to the land of the living! How are you feeling?"

 

"Drugged silly," I reported. "Have you guys been keeping me under?"

 

"Yes, as a matter of fact. You kept thrashing out of natural sleep."

 

"How long?"

 

"Twenty-two days."

 

"What?"

 

"Your mission did its level best to shoot the entire contents of your skin out. You were lucky to get out alive."

 

The mission that'd gotten me shot up badly enough to wind up here. "My people. Havoc Squad. Lieutenant Jorgan. They're okay?"

 

"So far as I know. We didn't check anyone else in with you. Actually, I believe you have several messages left by a Lieutenant Aric Jorgan." He did something or other with a datapad. "We're going to need to keep you for several more weeks while you finish healing up. You'll need some physical therapy to get back into the game."

 

"I think I like days better than weeks for that plan."

 

"I think you don't get a choice, captain. You were almost dead when you got here, and that you were only doing that well thanks to some of the finest field cleanup work I've ever seen."

 

Dorne. "Just sign me out of here as soon as you figure I can walk in a straight line. I'll handle the rest."

 

He laughed an annoying indulgent laugh. "First things first. I'll leave your queued messages here, We can let you up for now; there's a console over to your left where you can view your messages. After that I suggest you get some more rest."

 

Not like I was likely to be allowed to do anything else any time soon. "All right. Thanks, doc."

 

*

 

I dried off, put on the fatigues they'd provided, then sat down to bring up the first of the saved holo messages.

 

Jorgan's image came up. "Sir. Mission accomplished and everyone's in one piece. Excepting yourself." Good man, getting what mattered out of the way immediately.

 

What followed was a string of short status updates about the job, with the occasional gruff statement of how he would prefer for me to be back in command signing stacks of paperwork. When I was through with Jorgan's updates I made sure the fatigues the medcenter had given me were more or less presentable, then called him directly.

 

He stared at me for a long second before either of us talked. Then, with a controlled evenness and a dry edge, "Savins. Just when I thought I was going to get to keep the captain's chair."

 

"Jorgan. That was your great plan? Get the Imps to kill me so you could take over? Pure spite would keep me alive. You should've tried a runaway bullet tram or plague or, I dunno, something original."

 

"Figured you would want to go out in glory, sir."

 

"Ah, well, that was thoughtful of you. Better luck next time."

 

"Counting on it. So, you coming off your cushy R&R any time soon?"

 

"They want to see me jump through some hoops first. I'll clear it as soon as I can."

 

"Good. I've got more requisition forms than I can physically sign in a year piled up. Dorne's been itching for something to do, and when she wants something to do somehow it translates to her CO's inbox getting stacked half a klick high."

 

I felt a twinge at having worried her, but...of course the response would be paperwork. "You don't need to tell me that. So, what else have you guys been up to?"

 

 

Edited by bright_ephemera
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Vesaniae - oh that was sad :( Imperial social dynamics are a PLUNGER*, aren't they?

 

Irish - What is Aldria's game between those two? Is she trying to get Talos to make the first move? Also, Talos is as adorable as ever and that gift would so be something he would do <3

 

Bright - Vierce being angry at kolto? Strangely appropriate :p As is Dorne's reaction; I should imagine that might be a learned response from being in the Imperial Military.

 

*I was going to say something else, but it's apparently a bad word. The stars system just annoys me though.

Edited by Tatile
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Replies!

 

@irishfino, I was so intrigued when I first encountered the story of the bronze guardian Talos. I like what you do with it here.

:D. This makes me happy. :D

 

Irish - What is Aldria's game between those two? Is she trying to get Talos to make the first move? Also, Talos is as adorable as ever and that gift would so be something he would do <3

Aldria is trying to gauge how far Talos' interests in her go. She may or may not have had a crush on Talos the moment she met the adorable man. Not unlike some people. >.> <.< (Meeeeeeeee!)

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

Story!

 

Prompt: NotLP: Celebrations

Characters: Aldria and Talos

 

Entomb These Moments

 

 

Talos considered himself a thoughtful man. Well, he was told he was a thoughtful man and, so, he thought himself thoughtful. Whether or not it was actually true was a matter of opinion it seemed, but his alleged thoughtfulness helped do little things.

 

He thought, however foolishly, that this nondescript tomb was the best place to spring his surprise. Aldria was sitting on a rock studying a scan of a series of glyphs that details a curse or a trap. Or both, really, considering the tomb belonged to a Sith Lord whose name had yet to be found undamaged. They would find out the tomb’s owner soon enough, first a small break.

 

He made his way to Aldria and held his hands out. “Surprise!” he said cheerfully.

 

Aldria looked up and spotted the small cake cupped in his hands. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting in terms of a reaction. Reserved joy, maybe. But the rage that twisted her face was completely unexpected. Her reaction turned physical when she slapped the cake from his hands. He gasped and took a few steps back. Definitely not in her usual spectrum of reactions.

 

“How dare you?” she hissed quietly. She was on her feet and in front of him in half a second. “Who do you think you are?”

 

“I – I – it was just a cake, my Lord,” Talos stuttered. “It’s your birthday, isn’t it?”

 

She deflated at that and looked away. Perhaps surprises were not something she enjoyed. Or, perhaps, she hated her birthday. She had been so insistent that he not pay her back for his birthday gift, the only way he thought to sneak past that ruling was to give her a little surprise on her birthday. He shouldn’t have ignored her desire. He slouched a little and frowned at her.

 

“I’m sorry, my Lord, I thought – never mind what I thought. I’ve insulted you. I should get back to work,” he said quietly.

 

Before he returned to his work, he cleaned up the ruined cake. No sense in compromising the integrity of the tomb with his botched surprise. Yes, surprises like this were not appreciated. No more birthday surprises and, perhaps, no surprises at all.

 

He sighed quietly as he picked up more bits of cake. What was he doing? He didn’t know. Stars, he didn’t know at all. Time to stop whatever it was he thought he was doing. When he finished with the mess he left the tomb, found a nice, clear spot, and tossed the remains of the cake onto the ground. A sad frown marred his features and tears pr*ckled the corners of his eyes as he drew his blaster and obliterated any evidence that there had been cake. Containment or destruction was the Reclamation Service’s way. And destruction was likely to please his insulted Lord. He trudged back into the tomb and was sure to stay out of her way. She had gone back to reading in his absence and he was glad for that.

 

For what he would argue was the first time, he no longer felt like studying the tomb. He didn’t want to know about the dead Sith this tomb belonged to. He didn’t want to uncover any history. He wanted to bury something here. He wanted to leave a bit of his own history here to rest with the Sith entombed here. He wanted to leave a mark other than discovery. He wanted to leave a scar. And that troubled him greatly.

 

 

 

 

Notes:

 

 

Poor Talos. He has no idea what he's doing or what he's feeling. Wheeeee!

 

Edited by irishfino
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Prompt: Song/Disguises

 

Featuring - Irrissa, IA with Vector and Lokin

 

No spoilers

 

 

Vector's personal holo chimed softly. He stepped into an alcove to take the call. The Promenade was always a noisy place. He was not surprised when the image of Lokin appeared.

 

“Vector, I trust your meetings went well?”

 

Vector was not surprised that the good doctor knew what he had been doing. He simply accepted that he knew things and was just glad they were on the same team. The two men had a growing respect that was developing into a friendship.

 

“Very well, thank you Doctor. We do believe we have obtained information that may benefit us both.”

 

“Excellent. There is something you need to see. Meet me here” The call disconnected and a small beep on the datapad indicated that the coordinates had uploaded.

 

Vector studied the coordinates with a slight frown. He didn't recognize the area. He went to the Taxi stand and supplied them to the attendant droid.

 

“Are you certain these are the correct coordinates master? This is not a particularly safe area.”

 

Again that didn't surprise Vector at all. He assured the droid that was his desired destination and entered the taxi.

 

Garish neon blinked from every side on the throughway, trash lay in dirty heaps in every corner, junkies with dull eyes wandered about,one behind a crate seemingly heaving his guts out. A tired looking pudgy Twilek shouted out a halfhearted proposition as he strode by. He just shook his head and kept walking. Thugs assessed the tall man but his confident stride,the odd solid black eyes and the electrostaff slung across his back made them turn their attention elsewhere.

 

He stopped in front of an entrance to a grimy establishment where there was a poster advertising a singer who was there for a one night performance, the picture of a voluptuous looking blonde woman. Checking his datapad again he confirmed he was at the right place. Another attempt by the doctor to introduce him to alternative music he surmised. As if Vector's thought had summoned him Lokin seemed to materialize at his side. Taking Vector's elbow he guided him through the door into the club with a nod at the grimy Houk bouncer standing there.

 

They moved through a crowded hallway that snaked around so he could not see into the main room. The air inside was hazy with smoke and there was the normal murmur of voices. Overriding it all though, was a sultry voice that cut through the ambient noise, crooning a song.

 

Vector stopped entranced.

 

The music moved then into a more upbeat tempo accompanied by tinkling keyboard. The next song shifted to a slow ballad that Vector recognized from one of the outer rim worlds he had visited. He felt the voice caress him like the finest Denibrian star-silk

 

They slowly pressed into the crowd working their way into the main room. Lokin caught the eye of a tall humanoid who apparently worked there, He easily parted the throng and escorted the two men to a table not far from the small stage. To Vector's normal sight he would have said he had never seen the shapely woman on the stage,her blonde hair elaborately styled,her dress,not exposing much skin but cut to emphasize her curves. As he studied her,he realized he was seeing an aura he was familiar with. Lokin just smiled knowingly at Vector's dawning recognition of the singer. That was the moment Vector fell in love.

 

When the show was over the bouncers cleared the club, and the two men headed backstage. Lokin headed unerringly to a plain door and with a single knock on the door he and Vector entered,closing the door behind them.

 

Without turning around she sat at the dressing table and continued to remove her disguise. Brushing her dark hair, she wryly said,”I shouldn't be surprised you found me out Lokin though I am surprised you took so long.” He just grinned wolfishly at her.

 

“Agent” Vector said slowly”You never cease to surprise us”

 

 

 

I am not overly pleased with this, it wasn't coming together as I wanted it to in my head. I had pictured a scene with Vector stepping up to singing with her something like this (

) But this whole piece was inspired by my love of Blues and Jazz and the lovely ladies with the awesome voices that sing in that genre - lol welcome to my odd thought process

 

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bright - Quinn and Doc in the Nalenne!verse will never not be funny :D

 

As for professionalism, there were no hands. When Nic says it she's lying through her teeth, or else just too blacked-out to remember; when Vierce says there were no hands, there really were none. <3

That's because Vierce is a damn good guy and wonderful and amazing and...ok, I'll stop crushing on your OC now :o

 

Mrtwo - (Discovery) Kouhun and Rizz are such a mix-match, it's awesome :)

 

icecreampants - (Morning After) Oh, the awkward! Lol, too funny!

 

Ves - (New Paths) Poor Tess, the typical Imperial and the Sith are soooo different in how they move through life. Explains why she has a soft spot for Imperial military too :)

 

fino - (Affection) Talos's gift was...crap I need a thesaurus cause I keep using cute and adorable when writing responses to these Aldria/Talos stories. Aldria doing some relatively benevolent scheming - nice :)

 

bright - (Health) I love Vierce and Jorgan's interactions. They're such...guys. Lol!

 

fino - (Celebrations) Goodness, that's quite an unexpected reaction there. Poor Talos :(

 

Rissa - (Song/Disguises) I loved this :) The atmosphere and Vector's reaction and everything!

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@fino D:

 

@Irrissa I have a devastating weakness for lounge singers. <3

 

Now, before the prompt changes I have one more Myths and Legends, this one for Colran Niral, Ruth's father. About 700 words, no game spoilers.

 

 

 

21 BTC

Nar Shaddaa

 

"Of course Force ghosts exist." Colran was sitting at lunch with Gend, Xar, and Iroth. "Half the great Sith – great by Sith standards, anyway – have left some of their own consciousness impressed on the Force when they fell. You can feel the focus of Dark Side energy just walking through their tombs."

 

"But nothing jumps out and starts talking to you," Gend said, and the other two laughed.

 

"I've never seen it," admitted Colran, and his embarrassment at their laughter was somewhat lessened by his relief to this day that he had never been asked to venture into those tombs. "I'm just saying, these are sacred stories for a reason and I think it's more than propaganda. Freedon Nadd corrupted both Exar Kun and other weaker minds to the Dark Side long after his body died. Sith don't become one with the Force but all our stories indicate that someof them leashed the Force into oneness with them."

 

"Colran," came Master Zauvien's high voice from a few paces away. "Come here."

 

Colran obeyed quickly. Zauvien didn't mete out punishments, but over time he had become eager to follow her orders anyway. Strange, that penalties didn't have to be involved. He found himself wanting to measure up in her eyes, even when she was being difficult about points of philosophy or daily life that he didn't see any sense in.

 

She looked concerned. "I overheard you talking," she said. "I hope you understand that these are dangerous stories, Colran. They come from a very toxic culture."

 

"I think everybody knows that."

 

"Not everybody. Sith live by them as though they were truisms. Jedi do not."

 

She always did worry about the distinction. Even when it should be obvious he wasn't running some kind of Sith recruitment scam. "I understand. But it's still important for us to know what went wrong about the ancient Sith, right? I mean, how do we avoid repeating what they did if we never pay attention to what they did?"

 

Zauvien regarded him in silence for a long moment, then nodded. "Those are valuable lessons that require extremely cautious attention and study," she said. "You're wise to acknowledge that such study must be undertaken with great care." She folded her arms and her expression lightened a little. "I can speak to the archivist if you are interested in recording these things. I can listen as well and we'll see what good we can derive from the Sith legends. Is that something you'd be willing to do?"

 

"Yes, Master Zauvien." He owed them that much, especially if they really knew as little Sith lore as Xar and the others did. "I'd love to."

 

"Good. Now, go back to your friends." She smiled. "Force Studies at seven, I expect to see you there." She met his bow with a nod and went on her regal way.

 

Colran headed back to the table. "She get mad about Freedon Nadd?" asked Gend.

 

"I'm not supposed to be corrupting you with Sith memories," Colran said lightly. "She said I should help her record this stuff for the archives."

 

"So you can corrupt everybody for ages to come," said velvet-voiced Xar. " Sometimes I wonder about her planning skills."

 

"Don't. Zauvien is the best master I could ask for."

 

"She's all right. I'm just really glad you get some time in your busy schedule for normal people. If it's corruption she's scared of, I've got some legends that'd make her head-tails curl."

 

"Oh, my stars, don't get her started," said Iroth, turning to face Colran. "Mirialans are freaks. Every story they have is terrifying." Gend the Mirialan was maintaining a very bad innocent face upon listening to this; Xar the Mirialan just laughed.

 

"Now you've got me curious," said Colran. Iroth made an exaggerated cut-throat gesture, which did not stop anybody.

 

Xar laughed again and stood. "Sorry, but I've gotta run for now." She met Colran's eye. "Catch me later, I might show you a thing or two." Her green eyes sparkled, and then she left.

 

 

 

 

So this was entirely about folklore and then - Xar? Xar, what are you doing? You hussy, stop that. You took over the last one, too, don't think I didn't notice!

 

*sigh* Teenagers. What am I supposed to do with 'em?

 

Edited by bright_ephemera
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Week of 3/29/2013

Hide and Seek - Sometimes our characters need to find something they just don't have. Sometimes they need to keep something hidden from somebody else. Write about a time your character was hiding, seeking, hidden, or sought.

 

And, as ever,

Night of the Living Prompt: Keep on using any prompt you like! Check out the list at http://www.swtor.com/community/showpost.php?p=5223753&postcount=1675.

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Hide and Seek - Imperial Agent endgame spoilers

 

 

 

Imperial Agent

 

Merok grunted as he sat up from under the desk and promptly slammed his head into it. Hard. He let out a word in the Chiss language, Cheunh, that would have made any of the Aristocras in the royal court faint. Even the manly ones.

 

He sighed and pulled himself out from under the desk. Temple looked down at him, eyebrow raised. Clearly, she'd heard his exclamation.

 

"That wasn't very nice," she observed. "What did the desk do to you?"

 

"It got in the way," Merok grumbled.

 

"What are you doing on the floor?"

 

"Looking for something."

 

"What something?"

 

"The...thingie."

 

"Define thingie," she said, annoyed.

 

He sighed. "The remote detonator for the stash of explosives in our cargo hold."

 

She paled visibly. "You mean we're on a ship with a psychopathic killing droid and a deranged Ratattaki, and we've lost a remote detonator. For bombs. That are currently in our ship. Where they could blow us all. To. Smithereens."

 

"Well. Yes."

 

She sighed. "Oh, boy."

 

"We need to find it before Kaliyo does, or she might try it out just to see where the bombs are. Or for all we know she might know full well where they are and detonate them just to get back at me for defecting to the Republic."

 

They scrambled about the ship for the next hour, searching every nook and cranny for that thing, even going so far as searching Lokin's refresher. They hated searching Lokin's refresher.

 

"Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy." All the expletives had gone away now. He was just afraid. His skin had gone a shade of green that was healthy for a Mirialan but suggested imminent cardiac arrest for a Chiss. "We're in trouble."

 

"Think, Merok," Raina said. "Where did you see it last?"

 

"In my quarters, by my desk, which is why I searched there first. Scorpio was walking into the room to speak with me and I didn't want her to see it..."

 

"So the last place you saw it was in the presence of a droid who has vowed to kill you."

 

The green of his skin darkened to the shade of Hutta's water. He shoved his hands in his pockets.

 

"Oh. Here it is."

 

He pulled the device from his pocket, the safety still on.

 

Raina glared blaster bolts at him. "You...you..."

 

The green faded back to a healthy blue. "All is well."

 

"All is not well, you stupid, forgetful–"

 

He threw himself on her, embracing her in a passionate kiss. Her protests faded and she kissed back. As she did, he slipped the detonator into its proper place on his combat vest.

 

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