In which a challenge is completed...

“Have you reconsidered my offer?” Athra asked after a long day of chasing Quinn through the ship.

“Not only have I not reconsidered, I’ve put out feelers for a coach on my own,” he answered haughtily.

“Oh, really?” she purred.

“Yes…”

“Who’s responded?”

“Well, no one. Apparently, I’m a bear to work with and my current coach is making that known. Honestly, I thought the entirety of the Empire knew how dedicated I am to the job.”

“You’re not that important,” Athra said lightly.

Quinn pouted.

“I can talk to Pierce if you want.”

“No, please no. A thousand times no. Don’t make me write you a memorandum with ‘no’ written a thousand times. I will do it.”

“Don’t threaten me with such violence,” she said dramatically.

He smiled a small smile.

“And who says ‘memorandum’ instead of memo?”

“I do,” he said stiffly.

“Obviously.”

“I’d honestly consider Pierce if he weren’t so… explosive,” he said grudgingly.

“He doesn’t have a bad temper. It takes a lot to get him going,” said Athra.

“That’s not what I mean,” Quinn said stiffly. “He likes to blow things up. A lot. I fear for my players with him in charge.”

“He doesn’t blow up those he works with.”

“How do you know that?” he asked stiffly.

“He’s yet to blow you up and he hated you the moment he laid eyes on you,” she said lightly.

Quinn grumbled a curse under his breath. “I will take it under advisement.”

“Challenge completed,” she said cheekily.

“It wasn’t a challenge,” he mumbled bitterly.

“Whatever, I win.”

“Sex on the holoterminal?”

“Sex on the holoterminal!”

“I’ll get a blanket.”

Notes:

In which the bases are loaded...

“That was amazing!” Quinn said excitedly. “Did you see that play!?”

“Yes,” Athra said quietly. “Utterly amazing.”

Quinn was standing with his face nearly pressed to the glass of the owner’s skybox as he watched the game with his usual calculating eye. He was practically dancing in place as his team scored. It pleased her to see him so happy, even if Hutt ball was boring at the best of times. She did like the skybox they were currently in. And the alcohol. All of the alcohol.

“They haven’t played like this in years!” Quinn spouted happily.

“Come sit down,” Athra said, patting the seat next to her.

“In a minute,” he said dismissively. Athra sighed quietly and sipped her wine. At least he was happy.

After the game, which ended in the rarest of victories for the Frog-Dogs, Quinn and Athra were down in the locker room speaking with the team. Well, Quinn was in the locker room. Athra was forced to stay outside. She grumbled a bit, arguing that the team was “good material” for later. Quinn nearly blindfolded her.

“Well, what’cha think?” Pierce asked proudly.

“I must admit I am surprised,” Quinn said evenly.

“Your last team manager was an idiot. Anyone with half a brain could see that.”

Quinn sighed quietly. “I gave him the job as a favor to my sister.”

“You have a sister?”

“Yes, is that so strange?” Quinn said stiffly.

“Would’ve figured your parents would’ve stopped having sex all together after you were born,” Pierce said lightly.

“I wish they had,” Quinn muttered. “I walked in on them once. It was horrible.”

Pierce arched a brow.

“They thought we were all gone to the Academy even though I had sent fifteen different memorandums to them letting them know we were going on a break soon.” Quinn paused then shuddered at the thought.

“That… was way too much information,” Pierce grumbled.

Quinn blinked as he remembered who he was speaking to. “Ah, yes,” he said uncomfortably.

“And who says ‘memorandum’?”

“Why do people keep asking me that? The answer is quite obvious.” Quinn shook his head slightly. “Anyway, you’ve managed to turn around my team quickly. Dare I ask how?”

“Nothin’ works like puttin’ the fear into people,” Pierce chuckled.

Quinn rubbed at his temples. “Please tell me you did not threaten them with explosives.”

“Not so much threaten as put them in their uniforms.”

Quinn stared at him blankly.

“What? No reprimand?” Pierce asked gruffly.

“No, I just won a bet with Athra,” Quinn said lightly. Then he grinned. “I intend to collect.”

“I’ll tell the rest of the crew to stay away,” Pierce grumbled.

“Yes, please do. We’ve already traumatized Jaesa,” Quinn said absently.

“And Vette.”

“I gave her fair warning,” Quinn said stiffly. “I doubt she’ll make the same mistake twice.”

“Fair enough.”

Notes:

“Oh Quinnie-poo,” Athra said in sing-song as she entered the bridge.

Waaglblarg. Haven't heard "Quinnie-poo" since poor fangirl Eanelinea wandered off. Could've gone another few decades without hearing it, but... Poor guy.

Quinn blinked slowly at her. “You’ve been conditioning me to tell the truth whenever I have tea. That’s diabolical.” He paused for a moment. “I have never been more in love with you than I am at this very moment.”

Still giggling from this specifically, even three posts later? Oh, yes.

... She did like the skybox they were currently in. And the alcohol. All of the alcohol. ...

Why does everyone make the Wrath an alcoholic?

Oh, right...Quinn. He does that to people.

(EDIT: Wow. "Everything?" I wasn't awake when I typed that.)

Waaglblarg. Haven't heard "Quinnie-poo" since poor fangirl Eanelinea wandered off. Could've gone another few decades without hearing it, but... Poor guy.

 

Quinn blinked slowly at her. “You’ve been conditioning me to tell the truth whenever I have tea. That’s diabolical.” He paused for a moment. “I have never been more in love with you than I am at this very moment.”

Still giggling from this specifically, even three posts later? Oh, yes.

I figured that horrible nickname would be a fun way to torment him. I had briefly considered using -chan, but that was just too weird for me... lol.

Sometimes I feel I really get into Quinn's head. Most times I'm destroying the things in Quinn's head, but some quotes just fit... lol

Why does everyone make the Wrath an alcoholic?

 

Oh, right...Quinn. He does that to people.

 

(EDIT: Wow. "Everything?" I wasn't awake when I typed that.)

Because alcohol is awesome. And... yeah probably Quinn's fault too.

Cross-posted from the Short Story thread. There will be more because my brain is pumping out all sorts of stuff for this universe.

He was lucky to be alive, that he knew. He appreciated the fact that he was alive and mostly undamaged, but he would rather be dead. That way, he wouldn’t be sitting in his old quarters with a box of his things and Athra’s wedding band in the palm of his hand. He knew it wasn’t right to try to kill her on Baras’s order, but Baras… Baras had his way of getting things done. He used people and discarded them as soon as they were used up. He hadn’t even bothered to contact Quinn to ensure the deed was done. He obviously had little faith in his pawn. As they sped toward Corellia, he wondered what he could do to change Athra’s mind. Apologizing seemed pointless as his words meant nothing to her any more. He had vowed to be by her side to the end, to protect her, to love her and he had broken at least one of those. Two in her eyes.

When they landed on Corellia, she nearly left him on the ship. He could do far more damage if left alone, she reasoned, it was best to take him along with the others. He was their medical officer as well so it only made sense. She didn’t feel weird without him by her side at all. Not at all.

Their first few firefights were uneventful. Standard Republic idiots shooting at the first Imp they saw. She wasn’t prepared for battle droids. The Transponder Station was still fresh on her mind and she froze. She could see Quinn standing between the droids he summoned, spouting some nonsense about being able to kill her with his super awesome Sith killing droids. Her hesitation left her wide open for attack. The droid leveled its cannon on her and aimed. She stared, her eyes unseeing.

“My Lord!” Quinn shouted from behind her. She was vaguely aware of his presence. She blinked slowly as the droid charged its cannon.

“Athra!” he shouted. She still didn’t move. It was now or never. He aimed carefully, but quickly, and let off a rapid series of bolts. It was just enough to shift the droid’s aim to the ground next to its original target. Athra snapped out of her trance in that instant and shifted her focus to Quinn. He was motioning wildly, trying to get her to move away from the droid or attack or something. She just blinked and stared.

The droid recovered quickly and panic briefly slipped through Quinn’s calm mind. He had to protect her. He ran from the relative safety of cover to the still-stunned Athra. He pulled her out of the way just as the droid’s arm swung down to slap her. It caught him on the shoulder and sent him flying. He hit the ground at speed, tumbling and rolling violently.

Athra watched him bounce and tumble and fall with wide eyes. Then he stopped tumbling. He stopped moving all together. The droid clanked off after the downed Captain fully intent on finishing what it started. She watched the droid shoot the Captain with its grappling hook and flinched when he shouted in pain. The droid brought the Captain in close to ensure the shot would be fatal.

The droid armed its cannon once more and aimed. Quinn closed his eyes and waited for Mistress Death to claim him.

“Get away from my husband you son of a b*tch!” Athra growled angrily.

Quinn’s eyes popped open in time to see Athra’s sabers slice through the droid effortlessly. He fell to the ground in a heap and scrambled to move away from the falling droid pieces. He stared at her with wide eyes. Had he heard her correctly?

“Husband?” he asked quietly.

“Didn’t you know I married that droid?” she answered blithely.

He chuckled lightly then winced and coughed.

“You’re hurt,” she said gently.

“Just a punctured lung, nothing serious,” he said stiffly.

She laughed quietly and knelt down next to him. She unbuttoned his jacket swiftly, the buttons all too familiar to her, and pulled it down his arms. He was careful to keep his gaze anywhere, but on her. He wanted so badly to pull her to him and hold her. Just hold her and tell her how sorry he was. In his current condition, that would be a bad idea. He shifted uncomfortably as she poked and prodded at his ribs. At least three were broken and one had pierced his right lung. He flinched visibly when she found the gold chain hanging around his neck and pulled it from under his shirt.

“My ring,” she said quietly.

“Yes,” he said softly.

He continued staring at the ground in shame when an idea entered his head. Why not try apologizing? It was worth a shot anyway. Worst thing she could do would be to kill him outright. Or was that the best thing she could do?

“I’m sorry, Athra,” he said quietly.

“Why did you do it?” she asked tonelessly.

“Because I’m an idiot.”

“That’s obvious,” she said lightly.

He flicked his eyes to hers. “Doesn’t make it any less true,” he said quietly.

“True.”

“I know there’s nothing I can say that will even begin to fix the ruins of our marriage and the flaming wreckage that is the trust between us, but I hope, with time, my actions can begin the process.” He paused for a moment and watched as Athra’s gaze softened a tad. “I do still love you.”

“You’re an idiot,” she said quietly.

“I hear that’s what love does to you,” he said lightly. “Athra…”

She loved the way he said her name. She smiled briefly then pulled his face to hers. Their kiss was tentative and unsure, but it was hopeful. She pulled away from him and smiled a teasing smile.

“Well, there is one way you can make it up to me,” she said suggestively.

“Oh?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Oh, yes,” she purred.

“After we take care of business here and destroy Baras for good?”

“You do know how to ruin a mood, don’t you?” she pouted.

“I excel at all things,” he said stiffly.

“Oh, I’m counting on it,” she said, waggling her eyebrows.

“I have my work cut out for me, don’t I?” he asked stiffly.

“But the payoff is worth it,” she purred.

He grinned. The payoff was worth it indeed.

Notes:

He tried to make good on making it up to her as soon as he was patched up. Athra probably would have laughed if he wasn’t hurt. And if he didn’t let his mouth get ahead of his brain in the heat of the moment.

“We don’t have to do this now,” she said quietly. She preferred if they didn’t do it now. A doctor could walk in at any moment and he was still hurt.

“It’s fine,” he said stubbornly.

“No, it’s not. You’re not fully healed yet.”

“It will be a few days,” he said quietly. He tugged insistently on the clasps of her armor. “It’s fine.”

“How about we start anew after I kill Baras?”

“Now works better.”

He continued tugging at her armor stubbornly. He was making little headway. Perhaps it was the pain killer in his system. He wanted to get back on her good side and quickly. So quickly he wasn’t thinking clearly, which could have been another side effect to the pain killer floating around his blood stream. Perhaps he was a little more doped up than he thought.

“Do you not think I can defeat Baras in a timely manner?” she asked evenly.

“I have considered every possible outcome,” he answered quietly. “Help me with your armor, won’t you?”

“You don’t think I can kill him, do you?” she asked tonelessly.

He looked at her and blinked. Where did that come from?

“You don’t!” she hissed angrily.

“My silence isn’t an agreement with that statement,” he said stiffly.

“No, your silence means you’re thinking it over. You don’t have faith in me.”

“I never said that.”

“It was implied,” she said harshly.

He sighed and backed away from her. Perhaps it was a bit too soon to try to fix the bridges he’d destroyed with giant droids. Damn droids. Damn Baras. Damn his cowardice.

“You’re right,” he said quietly. She drew herself up to her full height and prepared to punch him in the throat. “I am injured and it is in my best interests to forgo any attempt at wooing you.”

She still really wanted to punch him in the throat.

“It’s probably best if we don’t talk for a while as well,” he finished quietly.

“I couldn’t agree more.”

He cleared his throat. “Right then.”

Athra pushed past him, grumbling expletives on her way out. She still really, really wanted to punch him in the throat.

Their time on Corellia dragged along as slowly as possible without actually stopping time. Quinn and Athra avoided each other as much as possible, only talking when strictly necessary. It amazed Quinn when he noticed just how little he needed to speak with Athra and how little the change seemed to affect her. She was already laughing and joking with Vette while he just stood there, staring at the ground or the sky or his datapad.

While fiddling with his datapad, he checked his inbox and found a fairly recent document, sent only hours ago, addressed to him labeled “Imperial and Sith Relations”. He opened it and scanned the document then paled. That’s why she was so happy. She had divorced him without his knowledge. He thought they would eventually talk about the status of their marriage before making any decisions. Now there was no marriage to discuss. Is this what it felt like when someone went behind your back and destroyed everything you built together? He saved a copy of the message as a reminder of this feeling, this hopeless feeling roiling deep in the pit of his stomach.

He looked over his shoulder and found Athra chatting animatedly with Vette, recreating the moves of their last battle. He turned to them and watched with a blank face. She looked happy. That was good. Athra must have felt him staring because she turned his attention to him for a brief moment. He caught her eye and nodded. Message received. She nodded back then resumed her conversation with Vette. He turned and wandered off, not really sure of where he was going, but he was sure he had to get away.

Athra watched him go from the corner of her eye. It was for the best. She thought so anyway. Vette caught onto the tension quickly and followed her line of sight to the retreating Captain. So something had happened. She knew it!

“What did Captain Stiff-in-the-Britches do this time?” Vette asked lightly.

“Oh, nothing,” Athra said blithely. “Tried to kill me on Baras’ order. You know, the uzhe*.”

Vette blinked then her jaw dropped. “He what!?” she yelled.

Athra slapped her forehead. She wasn’t going to inform the crew until later. After they had defeated Baras and unit cohesion could collapse without affecting their efficiency in battle.

“Damn it, I lost a bet to Pierce!” Vette grumped.

“Which one?” Pierce asked, suddenly appearing behind Athra.

Athra jumped and spun around, her hands already reaching for her sabers. Pierce threw up his hands in surrender.

“Uh, the… uh…” Vette stuttered.

“The one where Quinn stabs me in the back and tries to kill me on Baras’ order,” Athra replied tonelessly.

Pierce sighed. “You know, that wasn’t a bet I really wanted to win.”

“So I don’t have to pay?” Vette asked happily.

“Hell no, you’re payin’, babe.”

“Damn.”

“Hello, heartbroken over here!” Athra said loudly.

“Sorry, sorry!” piped Vette. “So, what happened? Spill all the details!”

Athra rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She hated that she was the only person surprised by Quinn’s actions. How blinded was she?

EDIT:

Notes:

“So you divorced him just like that?” Vette asked in disbelief.

“Yes,” Athra answered firmly.

“Wow.”

“That’s just not right, my Lord,” Pierce said gruffly.

“He tried to kill me! He shot at me! He missed! But he shot at me!” Athra said angrily, waving her arms for no reason.

Vette and Pierce had gotten used to her strange mannerisms and her ways of dealing with things. When she was too excited, or defensive, she waved her arms in weird ways.

“Did he at least give a reason?” Vette asked curiously.

“Are you on his side!?” Athra asked angrily.

“No one is taking his side,” Pierce said calmly, “but it’s not like you to just do something without thinking it through first.”

“He went behind my back and tried to kill me even after everything we’ve been through. We were married for stars’ sake!”

“Then you went behind his back and divorced him without fully hearing him out,” Vette reasoned.

“You’re supposed to hate him unconditionally, not be rational!” Athra pouted.

“I’m all for hating Captain Fussypants,” Vette said happily. “But this just isn’t you, the whole Sithy go-behind-someone’s-back-and-stab-them-in-the-neck.”

Athra pouted harder.

“Plus, didn’t you chase after him for months despite his reluctance to start anything?” asked Vette.

“Well, yes, but –”

“And didn’t he ask for a transfer at some point and you straight up denied him without listening to his reasons?” asked Vette.

“Yes, but –”

“And when you finally got to fu–”

“Okay I get it!” Athra interrupted hastily.

“Everything alright, my Lord?” said Quinn’s voice.

Athra jumped at his sudden appearance, Vette pretended to be incredibly interested in the ground and Pierce, well Pierce cold-cocked the Captain. Athra gasped in shock and Vette chuckled as Quinn fell to the ground, stiff as a board.

“Pierce!” Athra squeaked.

“Had to be done,” Pierce said gruffly.

Pierce walked off and dragged Vette with him despite the Twi’lek’s insistence that she had to be by her friend’s side to make sure everything was okay. Pierce wasn’t buying it and continued dragging Vette to a nearby building.

Athra looked at Quinn’s prone body and sighed. Now they had to talk. She walked to him and knelt near his head. His nose was bleeding and his eyes were open, but he kept his focus on the sky.

“I thought we were going to talk about this,” Quinn said quietly.

“I thought you would never betray me,” Athra quipped.

Quinn sighed quietly. “It’s not that simple. It was never that simple.”

“Well, here’s your chance to explain.”

Quinn flicked his eyes to hers and blinked. His nose really hurt and his eyes were watering. From being punched. He wasn’t crying. Oh, screw it, he was crying. His face hurt, his head hurt, his heart hurt and he was crying.

“Baras didn’t give the order until we went to Voss. He knew the Voice was trapped there,” Quinn explained quietly. “During my last conversation with him before Voss he… he noticed my ring. I usually took it off when I spoke with him, but it slipped my mind. The closer we got to the Voice, the more threats he levied until he broke me.”

“What threat broke you?” Athra asked quietly.

“He said he would kill you,” Quinn said thickly. “He argued that I could give you an easy death; a quick and relatively painless death. I was trying to protect you, but I was also trying to kill you. It didn’t make sense then and it doesn’t make sense now.”

“Why didn't you just tell me?”

“I was scared. How many Sith Lords would keep someone alive that was plotting against them? Not just Sith Lords, but a scorned wife at that. I let my fear override my sense of self until I had convinced myself it was the best alternative.”

“You’re an idiot,” Athra said quietly.

“I know. And my idiocy has ruined everything. I’ll file for a transfer once we’re done here.”

“No.”

“It’s for the best,” Quinn said quietly.

“I said we would start anew after I kill Baras and I meant it.”

“You divorced me; I don’t see how we can come back from that.”

“Well,” Athra said quietly, “I didn’t legally divorce you.”

Quinn blinked slowly.

“I may have forged an official letter and sent it to you,” she said blithely.

Quinn stared at her with a blank face then chuckled quietly.

“We will have to go through counseling though,” Athra said, waggling her finger in Quinn’s face.

“Wonderful,” he said stiffly.

Notes:

“ Quick Quinn Quotes: Couples' Counseling!

That sounds awesome.

“What threat broke you?” Athra asked quietly.

 

“He said he would kill you,” Quinn said thickly. “He argued that I could give you an easy death; a quick and relatively painless death. I was trying to protect you, but I was also trying to kill you. It didn’t make sense then and it doesn’t make sense now.”

 

Notes:

 

 

This was going to be longer, but my brain actually let me cut out unnecessary stuff and set-up for some more fun Quick Quinn Quotes: Couples' Counseling!

This is pretty much the most sympathetic explanation for Quinn's actions that I've been able to think of as well.

Couples Counselling sounds like it will be an incredible read!

Athra jumped at his sudden appearance, Vette pretended to be incredibly interested in the ground and Pierce, well Pierce cold-cocked the Captain. Athra gasped in shock and Vette chuckled as Quinn fell to the ground, stiff as a board.

 

“Pierce!” Athra squeaked.

 

“Had to be done,” Pierce said gruffly.

<3 Pierce

quinn blinked slowly at her. “you’ve been conditioning me to tell the truth whenever i have tea. That’s diabolical.” he paused for a moment. “i have never been more in love with you than i am at this very moment.”

.

awesome!!!!

That sounds awesome.

Oh, it will be. It will be!

This is pretty much the most sympathetic explanation for Quinn's actions that I've been able to think of as well.

 

Couples Counselling sounds like it will be an incredible read!

It can work both ways too, if Quinn and the male!Warrior are friends.

Couples Counseling is going to be great.

<3 Pierce

Well, it had to be done.

awesome!!!!

In which a Darth is named...

Counseling between an Imperial and a Sith wasn’t as rare as Quinn had originally thought. In fact, a quick search on the holonet brought at least fifteen thousand valid results. And some results that promised to increase his size to that of a Rancor. He would have clicked the link to find out what it meant by “size” if Athra hadn’t been there to describe, in horrendous detail, what that meant.

“That’s disgusting,” Quinn muttered.

“People fall for it all the time,” Athra chuckled.

“You’d only be able to have sex with a Rancor. No woman in her right mind would let that near her…” he broke off and shuddered violently.

“You’d be surprised.”

Quinn fixed her with a wide eyed stare. Surely she didn’t want him to… oh, stars, no. Had she been with someone who was…?

“Not me,” she said evenly.

“Thank the stars,” Quinn muttered happily.

Athra slapped him on the shoulder. He smiled teasingly and went back to the first few results.

“I could always call my sister,” Quinn said with a sigh. He hated calling his sister.

“Wait,” Athra said quietly. “You have a sister?”

“Yes?”

“Is she Force sensitive?”

“Yes, I believe she’s on the Dark Council now.”

“Oh, stars, is your sister Darth Nox?”

“Yes,” Quinn said quietly. “Has she threatened you?”

“No, but she’s made some snide remarks I didn’t fully understand until just now. Are all you Quinns insufferable jacka*ses?”

“I’m afraid so,” Quinn chuckled lightly. “We have our mother’s disposition.”

“Your poor father,” Athra muttered sympathetically.

“Don’t feel sorry for him, he’s the Paragon of Protocol.” He paused for a moment. “I hope to be like him someday.”

“Oh, for the love of the stars, no. You’re stiff enough as it is.”

He grinned toothily. “Anyway, she sought counseling after a failed romance with a pirate. I warned her he would get clingy, but apparently I didn’t ‘understand the normal male mind’.” He turned back to his search and grinned. “I rather enjoyed rubbing that in her face,” he said haughtily.

“And she didn’t lightning your face until you died?” Athra asked lightly.

“She’s forbidden from hurting me with her Force powers. Father has ways of finding out if she does. He’s a sneaky bastard.”

“You know, I don’t think I’ve met your parents.”

“Really? It’s almost as if that was entirely by design,” Quinn muttered thoughtfully.

Athra glared at him. He pretended not to notice and continued searching through the results.

“When do I get to meet them?” Athra asked firmly.

“Hopefully never,” Quinn said stiffly. He felt Athra’s glare burrowing into the side of his face. “They’re often away on assignment. Whenever they’re occupying the Estate at the same time…” Quinn stopped talking and shuddered. “It’s best to just stay away.”

“So that’s where you got it from,” Athra chuckled.

Quinn winced and shuddered at the same time.

“Never say that again,” he said, turning a little green. “I may vomit.”

“If she broke up with the pirate guy, why did she need counseling for couples?” Athra asked smartly.

“Shortly thereafter she became involved with Talos Drellik,” he explained stiffly.

“That nerdy little archeologist?”

“They share intellectual interests. They both love Sith artifacts. They’re both dedicated to understanding and discovering more artifacts. She doesn’t mind a bit of spelunking every once in a great while and she enjoys the happy squeal he releases when they discover a tomb together. Honestly, I told her before he was a wonderful match, but she was insistent she wanted to stick with the pirate.”

“You played matchmaker?” Athra asked in disbelief.

“I excel at all things,” he said stiffly.

“You’re not great at killing assassination targets,” she scoffed.

“I killed Broysc perfectly fine.”

“That’s not who I meant.”

“I know what you meant,” Quinn said quietly. “I’ll call my sister.”

“You still didn’t explain why they needed counseling. They sound perfect.”

“He has the habit of making archeology puns while in the bedroom,” Quinn chuckled.

“How do you know about that?” Athra asked, arching a brow.

“That pirate moaned about it in his holoblog. Father nearly killed him.” Quinn smirked. “It was rather funny.”

“You’re a jacka*s.”

Quinn simply grinned and pulled out his personal holocom. “She may not answer.”

After two rings she answered and glared at the caller.

“Hello, brother,” Nox hissed.

“Hello, sister. How is dear Talos?” Quinn asked evenly.

“Shut your face and state your business,” she said impatiently.

“How can I state my business if I shut my face, as you put it?”

“I’m going to send someone to kill you.”

“Yes, yes,” Quinn said dismissively. “I need a favor.”

“No,” she said shortly.

“I recently tried to kill my wife.”

“Really? Did you fail? Do you want me to finish her off? That will cost you dearly, brother.”

“Do shut up,” Quinn snapped. He coughed to regain his composure. “We wish to repair our marriage and I would like the name of the counselor you used when you and Talos had your overblown tiff.”

“It wasn’t ‘overblown’!” Nox said angrily. “Who says ‘I can’t wait to excavate your tomb’ in reference to…” she stopped and huffed angrily. “Never mind!”

“Thank you,” Quinn said stiffly.

“Anyway, we went to someone Darth Ravage recommended. He was terrible. Tried to have me kill Talos. I wouldn’t recommend him.”

“Why in the Galaxy would you listen to Ravage?”

“I really wanted Talos to stop with the puns,” Nox said stiffly.

“Fair enough. Who did you go to, to get him to stop?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” she said offhandedly.

“Please? I really need your help,” Quinn said, his voice pleading but his face blank.

“Oh, I do love it when you beg.”

“Quinn…”

“Don’t call me that, I hate that name! Who names their kid Quinn Quinn?”

“Parents who really hate you?” Quinn supplied helpfully.

“Tell me again why I should help you?” Nox asked casually.

“Because you’re fond of me?”

Nox snorted in a very unladylike manner.

“I’ll talk to Talos about the puns,” he bargained.

“Who’s to say that hasn’t been resolved?” Nox asked testily.

“I have it on good authority he still says those kinds of things and I have a feeling I know why. I will talk to him if you give up the name.”

“Oh, fine,” Nox sighed. “I’ll send you the contact information.”

“I’ll speak to Talos.”

“You better!” she hissed then disappeared as she cut their link.

“Well, that was fun,” Quinn said quietly.

“How do you know he still makes the puns?” Athra asked quietly.

“I didn’t,” he replied stiffly.

“You’re a jacka*s.”

He grinned toothily.

Notes:

“Quinn…”

 

“Don’t call me that, I hate that name! Who names their kid Quinn Quinn?”

 

I laughed hysterically at this bit.

Hey, who's this person who has my name?

Shoo, you.

Not until someone explains to me what the hell is going on.

It's another story, Nox.

...oh. Well, I'm still the best Nox around!

*sigh* You really can't go saying those things in another person's story thread. It's not polite.

Since when have I ever given a damn about being polite?

Ok, I walked right into that one.

Love the thought of Quinn's sister being Darth Nox. Although it's a bizarre coincidence--my Quinn is actually (distantly) related to my Nox, on his mother's side. I never mention this in the story, but it's been there in my head. Funny how these things work!

 

 

 

 

“I excel at all things,” he said stiffly.

 

“You’re not great at killing assassination targets,” she scoffed.

 

 

....................................

 

“How do you know he still makes the puns?” Athra asked quietly.

 

“I didn’t,” he replied stiffly.

 

“You’re a jacka*s.”

 

He grinned toothily.

 

 

Could kiss you for those - I'm still grinning like a wolf

In which is Darth is named...

 

He grinned toothily. “Anyway, she sought counseling after a failed romance with a pirate. I warned her he would get clingy, but apparently I didn’t ‘understand the normal male mind’.” He turned back to his search and grinned. “I rather enjoyed rubbing that in her face,” he said haughtily.

Haha! Not gonna lie, I was merciless to Andronikos when he started getting attached...

“You know, I don’t think I’ve met your parents.”

 

“Really? It’s almost as if that was entirely by design,” Quinn muttered thoughtfully.

This, just...this.

I laughed hysterically at this bit.

 

Hey, who's this person who has my name?

Shoo, you.

Not until someone explains to me what the hell is going on.

It's another story, Nox.

...oh. Well, I'm still the best Nox around!

*sigh* You really can't go saying those things in another person's story thread. It's not polite.

Since when have I ever given a damn about being polite?

Ok, I walked right into that one.

 

Love the thought of Quinn's sister being Darth Nox. Although it's a bizarre coincidence--my Quinn is actually (distantly) related to my Nox, on his mother's side. I never mention this in the story, but it's been there in my head. Funny how these things work!

Okay, that's weird, because I was going to make the Force sensitivity come from his mother's genetic line.

Get out of my head you!

Could kiss you for those - I'm still grinning like a wolf

Haha! Not gonna lie, I was merciless to Andronikos when he started getting attached...

 

“You know, I don’t think I’ve met your parents.”

 

“Really? It’s almost as if that was entirely by design,” Quinn muttered thoughtfully.

 

This, just...this.

Andronikos doesn't seem like a guy who would get attached, then, suddenly CLING FACTOR FIVE.

Thanks for reading everyone!

This one has a minor spoiler for the IA. Or maybe a major one? Iunno, I spoilered it.

In which a man returns from the Black Screen of Doom...

“Why did I agree to this?” Quinn grumped as they waited for the elevator to arrive on their designated floor.

Athra grinned next to him. He was so cute when he was frustrated. She decided to tease him a little. She turned to him, pressed a finger to his chest, and backed him into a corner. He swallowed roughly. He hadn’t been this close to her in weeks. She was wearing that perfume he liked. He swallowed a whimper and stared at her with wide eyes. She grinned. Tease.

“You agreed to this because you love me,” she purred.

“Yes,” he said quietly. He swallowed when she pressed herself into him.

“Is that a blaster in your pocket?” she teased.

“Of a sort,” he said lowly.

“Is it armed?”

“Very much so.”

“Can I pull the trigger?” she asked lowly.

Quinn whimpered and closed his eyes. It had been far too long since he had touched her. Just a little… ding! The elevator dinged as they arrived on the appropriate floor. Athra pouted then turned and exited the lift. Quinn subtly adjusted his trousers and followed her. He hoped this wouldn’t take too long, he really wanted to get to work on reconciling.

The trip to the counselor’s office was fairly uneventful. They made their way to the check-in desk and found an angry Ravage harassing the secretary.

“I want my money back!” Ravage growled at the secretary.

“I can’t give you your money back because you don’t like the advice you received,” the secretary responded tonelessly.

“I’m not ‘pining for another man’s woman’!” Ravage growled through clenched teeth.

“That’s between you and your counselor. Feel free to take it up with him.”

Ravage turned pale at the suggestion. “No, that’s not necessary.” Then he turned and ran. Quinn blinked slowly. What had they gotten into?

“Hello there, who are you here to see?” the secretary asked happily.

“Was that Darth Ravage?” Athra asked with a chuckle.

“Yes.”

“Oh, this is too good,” Athra said with a laugh.

“What are your names?” the secretary asked, ignoring Athra’s grin.

“Captain Malavai Quinn and the Emperor’s Wrath, Lord Athra.”

The secretary played with her screen a bit then blanched. That couldn’t be right, he wasn’t in Imperial space and… oh… oh dear he was. And he brought his wife with him.

“Have a seat over there,” the secretary said tonelessly, gesturing to a cluster of chairs in the middle of the room. “He’ll be with you shortly.”

They followed her hand and sat in a pair of seats next to each other. Athra really hated waiting in a doctor’s office for anything. That’s why she had a medic on hand, no wait, no fuss, just straight to the healing. The wait was mercifully short. The secretary quietly lead them to the room they were to meet their chosen counselor. Athra arched a brow when the woman took off at quickly as possible while maintaining as much dignity as she could muster. The door slid open quietly and the two slipped into the room. The room was small, but warm and inviting. Athra walked to the couch and sat with a small “ooph”. She patted the cushion next to her and grinned at Quinn. He walked to her slowly and sat down stiffly, his feet flat on the floor and his back ramrod straight. He never relaxed for a moment. A side door to the room opened and in stepped their counselor.

“For the love of the Emperor,” Quinn muttered quietly.

“Darth Jadus!?” Athra exclaimed.

“My Lord…” Quinn said with an edge of warning in his voice.

“It is fine, Imperial,” Jadus sighed. “Lucky for you, I am well versed on Imperial and Sith relations.”

“You tricked some poor woman into marrying you?” Athra snickered.

The color drained from Quinn’s face.

“I married your sister,” Jadus said tonelessly.

Athra blinked. Jadus chuckled behind his mask.

“You bastard!” Athra hissed quietly.

Jadus chuckled again.

“Wait, where is she? She dropped off the radar for a while there,” Athra asked evenly.

“She is at home with our children,” Jadus replied tonelessly.

Athra nearly fainted.

EDIT:

Notes:

“Darth Jadus!?” Athra exclaimed.

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

...*cough*...

I look forward to seeing where this goes.

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Also, it appears to be Darth Jadus week. I have a thing of my own coming up later...

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT

That is all.

Edit: Okay, to be a little more clear here... I love Jadus, I think he's awesome. Can't wait to see where this goes!

I lost it at the bit with Ravage. Must re-read the whole thing because I was too busy shrieking "whaaaat" and cackling maniacally to actually absorb any of it.

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

 

...*cough*...

 

I look forward to seeing where this goes.

 

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

 

Also, it appears to be Darth Jadus week. I have a thing of my own coming up later...

Heeheee, I didn't realize Jadus was a much beloved character. I do love his voice actor though, he was a wonderful choice and he does Jadus so well.

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT

 

 

 

That is all.

Edit: Okay, to be a little more clear here... I love Jadus, I think he's awesome. Can't wait to see where this goes!

I lost it at the bit with Ravage. Must re-read the whole thing because I was too busy shrieking "whaaaat" and cackling maniacally to actually absorb any of it.

I threw in the Ravage bit just for you. Heeheee. Still shipping your Ravage/Nox.

Thanks for reading everyone!

In which Jadus knows all...

“Let us get started with introductions,” Jadus said tonelessly.

Quinn shifted slightly in his seat and cleared his throat. “I am Captain Malavai Quinn and this is my wife, the Emperor’s Wrath, Lord Athra,” he said stiffly.

“Yes, I know this,” said Jadus.

“Then why did you ask?” Athra asked testily.

“I didn’t ask. He offered the information at the suggestion of introductions.”

Athra glared at Jadus. She could feel him smirking behind his stupid helmet.

“Tell me the situation that drove you into counseling,” said Jadus.

“I tried to kill Athra after Darth Baras threatened to make her last moments as painful as possible,” Quinn said tonelessly.

“No other reason?” asked Jadus.

“Of course not,” Quinn replied stiffly.

“Interesting,” said Jadus. He picked up a screen from his desk and input information in silence. “What was your response to this development, Athra?”

“I punched him few times, sent him a fake divorce decree, then suggested counseling when I noticed he wore my wedding band on a necklace,” Athra said evenly.

“Is the necklace significant in any other way?” asked Jadus.

“No,” Athra replied.

“Actually,” Quinn interjected, “you purchased it for me while I was busy thwarting your advances.”

“You kept that?” she asked quietly.

“Of course,” he said evenly. “It was a gift from my commander and the woman I was pretending I had no interest in. I’ve actually had it on since you gave it to me.”

“Aww, that’s sweet. A little weird, but sweet.”

Quinn huffed and crossed his arms. Jadus quietly entered more information into the device in his hand.

“How long has it been since you have engaged in intercourse?” Jadus asked tonelessly.

“Six weeks, four days, thirteen hours, and forty seven minutes,” Quinn answered stiffly.

“You’ve been keeping track?” Athra asked quietly.

“For one of two reasons.”

“What are those reasons?” asked Jadus.

“It’s fairly easy to remember,” Quinn said stiffly.

Athra blinked at him then snapped her fingers as she remembered. “That’s right; we made it in the lift on the way there!”

“On the way to where?” asked Jadus.

“The Transponder relay room,” Quinn answered tonelessly.

“Amazing,” said Jadus as he entered more information into his device.

“What is?”

“You had sex with a woman mere moments before trying to kill her,” Jadus answered tonelessly.

“It was longer than a few moments,” Quinn said stiffly.

“Do you have issues with performance?” Jadus asked tonelessly.

Quinn started then stuttered out a jumbled bunch of nonsense before snapping his mouth shut and turning his head away from Jadus’ blank mask. Athra snickered quietly.

“I wouldn’t laugh, Madam Wrath,” Jadus said tonelessly. “You were easily distracted and lured into a trap by the distracter.”

Athra stopped snickering and glowered. “You rhymed that on purpose, didn’t you?” she asked angrily. She felt his smirk and frowned as hard as possible.

“I do a great many things on purpose,” said Jadus.

“How did you get free anyway?” Athra asked evenly.

“These sessions are not about me, they are about you and your failing marriage,” Jadus replied tonelessly.

“Weren’t we working on introductions?” Athra retorted.

Jadus made a noise similar to a sigh and set his recording device down. “Very well. I am Jadus. I am a counselor. I have no hobbies as the Dark Council fears the thing I truly enjoy doing. I have a wife and two children and little free time. I also have extremely little patience for games.”

“You should get used to playing games, what with the two kids and all,” Athra said lightly.

“You are Lord Athra Quinn, the Emperor’s Wrath. Formerly the apprentice to Darth Baras before you killed him to prove your status as Wrath against his claims of being the Voice. You secretly enjoy watching Hutt ball games and you are terrible at Dejarik and will knock over the board when you are losing. You have no children and are currently married to a Force-blind Imperial named Malavai Quinn. Unfortunately, my information on Malavai Quinn is limited due to his family make-up. I do know that his mother is Force-sensitive, his father is a Force-blind, and his sister is Darth Nox,” droned Jadus.

“You changed your name?” Quinn asked Athra quietly.

Athra blushed a deep red, but said nothing.

“That makes me feel worse,” Quinn muttered.

“Wait, your mother is Force sensitive?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that?”

“I don’t speak of my family often,” he replied stiffly.

“Are there trust issues in the relationship?” asked Jadus.

“There weren’t before, there certainly are now,” Athra answered bitterly.

“Interesting,” said Jadus. He went back to wordlessly imputing data into the small screen on his desk.

“What are you doing?” Athra asked with a snip in her tone.

“Crossword,” Jadus answered tonelessly.

“This isn’t helpful in the slightest!” Athra huffed angrily.

“You have developed trust issues because of the events on the Transponder Station and are conflicted by your emotional attachment to Malavai Quinn and subsequent anger at his actions. You feel he betrayed your trust, he feels as if he was protecting you in some small way from Baras’ power. The conflict arises from your perception that Malavai Quinn was another Imperial under you who served you completely. You began a romantic liaison with him after he protested greatly due to the conflict of interest. His loyalties remained unchanged, even through marriage. This you feel is a great slight against you personally and not an echoing of the Sith way or Imperial teachings,” Jadus droned.

“How do you know all this?” Athra asked tonelessly.

“I am Jadus, I know a great many things.” He leaned back in his chair and played with the screen in his hand. “It’s also on this counseling questionnaire your husband filled out prior to your arrival here.”

Athra turned to Quinn, her eyes blazing.

“I asked for your input and you told me to handle it,” Quinn said quietly.

“Jacka*s.”

Notes:

Heeheee, I didn't realize Jadus was a much beloved character. I do love his voice actor though, he was a wonderful choice and he does Jadus so well.

This this this. Jadus is very high on the list of Vesaniae's Favorite TOR Voices. Somewhere below Quinn and Vector. From what I've read on the forums, I didn't think a lot of people liked Jadus? *shrug* Maybe I was wrong.

I threw in the Ravage bit just for you. Heeheee. Still shipping your Ravage/Nox.

I KNEW IT!

I'm rather nervous about this one. I'm not sure if I was able to capture Jadus well and I was surprised at the Jadus lovin' goin' on in this thread, lol.

I think that given the...rather unusual premise...of the scene, Jadus and everyone else is going to naturally be a bit OOC. I didn't spot any glaring instances of OOC here, and the last paragraph in particular felt pretty spot-on. Jadus, like Quinn has a tendency to monologue a bit, and you definitely got that subtle air of superiority.

An example of Jadus' lines from the ch1 finale, copied from my screenshots of the chat logs of that scene:

I'd say your characterization is pretty good, especially considering the bizarre circumstances of the scene.

On another note though...would you terribly mind if I offered some constructive criticism?

The conflict arises from your perception that Malavai Quinn was another Imperial under you who served you completely. You began a romantic liaison with him after he protested greatly due to the conflict of interest. His loyalties remained unchanged, even through marriage.

Normally I just read fanfics and don't comment; however, this compelled me to say something.

First off, this is a great story. There are many great stories here, but I especially like the light and playful tone you have managed to keep while keeping the story interesting and entertaining. I've enjoyed it very much.

I think you hit the nail in the head right there. I think many of the F!SW who romanced and felt betrayed by Quinn failed to recognize that technically there was no betrayal, because Quinn's loyalties never changed. I tend to draw the comparison with who I root for during the Olympics: I came to the US when I was 12 and have been here since. I love US and I consider it my home. However, my root is my motherland. So during the Olympics, I root for both the US and my motherland when they are not playing against each other. However, when they play against each other, I root for my motherland. I am sad if US loses, but I don't feel that I betrayed US by rooting for my motherland. I tend to think this is the thinking process behind Quinn as well. It's not that the SW was not important to him, but Baras had the priority, and rightfully so. Baras was there for Quinn first. He helped Quinn for a duration much longer than the SW did. And his support was probably a lot more crucial (Quinn was doing OK on Balmorra when the SW showed up. However, his life was probably in danger when Baras stepped in after Druckenwell.). Who should have the priority should never have been a question.

There seems to be an expectation that Quinn should serve the F!SW completely and unconditionally. However, carefully examining the story progress I am not sure the F!SW deserved that unconditional loyalty. Sure she cared about him and supported his personal ventures, but she was quite selfish and inconsiderate when it came to his feelings. I'm not just talking about how she approached their relationship, but especially her thoughtlessness on how her conflict with Baras affected Quinn. She knew Quinn owed Baras his career. She knew Quinn was loyal and idolized Baras. When Quinn asked "so it's true? You've been chosen as the Emperor's Wrath. And we now fight against Darth Baras.", his tone was very clear that he was deeply troubled. Yet the F!SW simply declared that her old master was now her new enemy, and made zero effort to sympathize, or showed any interest in understanding, what Quinn must be feeling. She just expected Quinn to be 100% OK with it.

Sad thing is, that was clearly what Baras thought as well: he also expected Quinn's complete and unconditional loyalty. Although it was never shown, it was clearly implied that Baras never considered, or perhaps simply didn't care, the possibility that Quinn may not be OK with killing the SW. At the end of the day, I feel what the betryal revealed was not Quinn's failure as a human being, but the Siths' (both of them).

Personally I don't see Quinn being any less loyal or less trustworthy than other SW companions. The other companions were never put into such difficult situation that tests the boundary of their integrity to such extreme. In fact, none of them had been put in any situation of conflict interest. Personally I would not have bet that they would have fared any better had they been put into similar situation.