They’d fled. One by one most of those once leading the Dark Council had gathered what they could and left for private holdings far removed from Kaas City and Imperial space. Darth Marr, the strongest of them, had fallen and with him had the heart and courage of the Empire. Like a grieving widow who could no longer stand upon her own feet in the face of her losses, Kaas City had crumbled and fallen further with each passing day. Plumes of smoke still drew dark shrouds over the capital and explosive fires persisted throughout the endless rain that fell.

 

It had been near six months since the Eternal Fleet invaded to lay siege and still with each day the city grew more sepulchral, captivated by death and by destruction. Only a handful of those who’d remained in power continued their valiant efforts throughout this new war but not today.

 

Just beyond the reaches of Kaas City most had gathered at the Ignis estate, one of the few remaining structures which had thus far escaped demolition. Anxious footsteps paced the hallways as piercing and heart wrenching screams resounded through the mansion.

 

“Come on Eliza, push!” demanded Me’ghan as she sat behind the young woman in labor. Her arms reached over Eliza’s and she held her hands trying all she could to provide support and strength.

 

It wasn’t much use. Endless tears streamed down Eliza’s face and she’d begun to hyperventilate—panicked she’d gone into labor sooner than expected and heartbroken at not having her husband by her side.

 

“I need him, I need Scourge… I have to, I need him, I need him now Meg I do, I can’t…” she cried out in between very shallow and uneven breaths. “She’s early Meg, I’m not… I can’t, not… not ready.”

 

Another scream tore through the bedroom while Me’ghan and Eliza’s physician, Dr. Ana Lumish, exchanged concerned glances. If Eliza remained this way they’d have to switch to an alternative birthing plan—the woman wasn’t making a single effort to push and it appeared she just wasn’t strong enough.

 

Lights flickered and furnishings shook with each distressed sob that escaped Eliza’s lips. Every scream sending chills through marrow and bone of those residing in the mansion and anxiously waiting. Out in the hallway, Malavai Quinn paced nervously while Lana, Ravage, and Vowrawn exchanged looks of increasing worry.

 

“Enough of this!”

 

The endless cries of his niece became too much to bear and before he could be stopped, Malavai had his hand on the doorknob and stormed inside. Eliza lay obscured but he wouldn’t have noticed regardless. All he saw was the fear in her eyes, the panic written all over her pale and sweaty face and for a moment he saw his sister once more. Never before had Eliza looked more like her mother than she did now and never before had Malavai been more afraid for her than he was now.

 

“I can’t do it Malavai! She’s early, I’m not ready, I need James, please Malavai…” the echoed cries of long ago ripped through his mind as time froze.

 

How could life be so cruel? How could history be repeating itself? To him, it felt like only yesterday he sat in a room quite like this one as his beloved sister went into early labor. Alone, without her love, her husband by her side and needing him more than ever. And now the same fate had befallen Eliza.

 

Malavai shook the thoughts and memories from his mind and as if by instinct, quickly found himself taking Me’ghan’s place behind Eliza. He embraced her, his calm hands taking her trembling ones and he softly began singing to her a tune from the past. A soothing melody from her childhood, reliving brighter days and to his relief, Eliza’s ragged breaths settled steadily.

 

“Shh shh there, that’s a good girl Eliza…” he sighed, whispering to her ear as Dr. Lumish gave him an encouraging nod. “Now, push.”

 

 

Edited April 28, 2018 by JennyFlynn

Hey! A surprise! Something new for me to read, awesome. Glad to see you're back at it and what a dramatic way to get the ball rolling. You set quite the scene and something of a mystery too. Poor Malavai, this must be very difficult for him. You really conveyed his worry well. I look forward to more from Eliza, Me'ghan, Malavai, Scourge and the gang.

Hey! A surprise! Something new for me to read, awesome. Glad to see you're back at it and what a dramatic way to get the ball rolling. You set quite the scene and something of a mystery too. Poor Malavai, this must be very difficult for him. You really conveyed his worry well. I look forward to more from Eliza, Me'ghan, Malavai, Scourge and the gang.

 

I figured it was about time and it was actually reading your new story that helped me a great deal. It revived my love for reading and writing fan fiction and helped me decide which of the two plots I'd been toying with to go for. So thank you for being as inspiring as ever, and for being such a loyal reader, I appreciate it. ♥

 

 

“Mommy mommy mommyyyy!!” the three-year-old toddler bounced up and down atop her mother’s bed, pulling back the covers and prodding the sleeping woman repeatedly. “Wakes up!”

 

A small groan escaped Eliza and she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She sat up, pulling the sheets high to her chest and then took her bounding daughter in her arms and sat her on her lap. The little girl brushed her mother’s hair aside and kissed her cheek before flinging her arms around her neck.

 

“Mm morning sweetheart.” Eliza breathed in her daughter’s scent and smiled gently. “I thought uncle Malavai and aunty Meg were taking you and Selene to breakfast today?”

 

“Shelene was mean!” the girl cried out. “First she tooks my doll and then! Thens she’s say uncle Vowawn is my real daddy because I looks like him!” an overly dramatic exclaim came next.

 

Eliza let out a sigh and prepared to ease her daughter’s concerns. Before she could though, the little girl released her and her ridged brows furrowed. Something else, or rather someone else had caught her attention and she eyed the man snoring and asleep next to her mother.

 

“Mommy? Dids uncle Markus have bad dreams like I do sometimes?” she frowned in innocence. “Is that why he sleeps in your bed?”

 

Cyara reached over climbing across the bed to the other side where she faced up close to her ‘uncle Markus’ and inspected his expression. “He not look happy mommy,” she whispered to her mother.

 

“Does he ever?” Eliza shook her head and beckoned her daughter over while she got out of bed and drew a black shimmering robe around herself. “Come on, let him sleep…”

 

Underneath her calm exterior, she was mortified. She had insisted last night that he had to go back to his own room, protect their secret and yet somehow they’d both fallen asleep—sated and exhausted. She could only pray her daughter wouldn’t bring it up again, least of all in the presence of others, and she took the little girl by the hand before sneaking out of her bedroom.

 

“Of course you ran to get your mommy!” huffed Selena, demonstratively placing her hands on her hips and yet half hiding behind Malavai Quinn too.

 

Malavai and Eliza gave each other a tired smile. Ever since Cyara and Selena had learned to walk and talk they’d been in each other’s hair on a daily basis, often more than once per day. Both girls demanded to be the constant center of attention, not just with their own parents but the entire household.

 

“I’m sorry,” Malavai apologized, “she overheard Meg and I discuss how nice it is that Cyara has Darth Vowrawn as her hold-father and, she ran with it.” he let out a deep sigh and reprimanded his daughter next.

 

“It’s fine, really.” Eliza looked at Selena and beckoned her over too while she knelt down by the two toddlers.

 

“Now listen, both of you. Darth Vowrawn is Cyara’s hold-father, kind of like an uncle. However, this man…” she took a holograph of Lord Scourge from the side table. “This man, Lord Scourge, is Cyara’s father. I know he and Vowrawn look alike because they’re both Purebloods, but he’s her daddy.”

 

“But he’s never here!” Selene protested stubbornly and pulled a face at Lord Scourge’s picture.

 

An unwelcome lump formed in Eliza’s throat and a sadness fell over her, something that didn’t go unnoticed to Malavai. He approached and took both children by the hand.

 

“I will handle this,” he promised his niece knowing fully well how much she still struggled with this subject. “Why don’t you head back upstairs while Meg and I take the girls out as planned?”

 

She nodded gratefully. “Thank you.” She leaned in to kiss his cheek before hugging her daughter and running back upstairs.

 

Before entering her bedroom she took a deep breath and tried to shake the sudden sorrow from her bones and nerves. The amount of time which had passed since she last saw Lord Scourge did nothing to ease her heartache and he was still embedded in her heart and soul. Eliza let out another deep sigh and straightened out her robe and hair before re-entering her bedchambers.

 

“Ravage wake up!” She hissed and yanked the sheets back, annoyed to find he was still sleeping and had been oblivious to her daughter’s interruption. “Seriously!”

 

A few quiet grumbles escaped him and blindly his hand searched for the bedcovers to pull them back up but Eliza wouldn’t allow it. She pulled them down all the way to the foot end and gave him a fierce glare. “Get up!”

 

“Shh come back to bed…” he groaned grabbing her arm when she tried shoving him and for a man still half asleep, he was surprisingly strong. With little effort, he pulled her down and not a second later his lips found hers.

 

“Damnit… Ravage…” Eliza protested, slapping his hands away and muttering to his lips.

 

“I told you to call me Markus.”

 

“I’d really rather not. It’s bad enough you’ve got Cyara saying it.”

 

His attempts to wrap her in his arms failed when Eliza freed herself from his hold and got back up. “Didn’t I tell you not to fall asleep here? She saw you, just as I feared she might.”

 

“Oh come on, she adores me.”

 

“She’s polite and a sweet kid, even towards as.sholes.”

 

That last remark stung Ravage more deeply than he’d allow himself to admit in that moment but he got the hint and at last crawled out of bed. “I see. Well then, I won’t keep you, Darth Seraphine.”

 

The gentle scoff escaping Eliza didn’t fall on deaf ears but Ravage straightened his shoulders and averted his eyes as he sat up and began gathering yesterday’s clothing off the floor.

 

It was all part of a curious routine they’d fallen into over the past few months. They’d bicker and argue only to end the night in a lust filled exchange but come morning she’d reject him all over again and send him from her room and presence, vowing it would not happen again. At least, not until the next time.

 

Before he reached the door, Ravage spun around for one more glance at the woman who’d become so adept at stomping on his heart. “One day Seraphine… one day you’ll want more, need more than this…” he gestured her way and to himself, “thing we have but I won’t wait forever.”

 

“Good, please don’t.” she snipped not making any effort to look his way and barely raising her voice to an audible level.

 

A few seconds later the door slammed announcing his departure and Eliza let out a deep sigh. The silken robes slid down her shoulders as she made way to the bathroom, for her morning shower to wash the shame away. Ravage wasn’t entirely wrong—she did want and need more than what they had, just not with him. Never with him.

 

Surely as the water trickled down her body, so did the tears down her cheeks. It didn’t matter how much time had passed, how many years had followed since she last looked into his eyes or felt his lips upon her own. Her pain remained as fierce, her love as strong and her aching missing of him just as unbearable.

 

“Scourge…”

 

 

 

 

Heavy alarms howled through the hallways of the Achlys and Darth Marr’s voice was but a distorted echo in her ears. Eliza held Lord Scourge’s hand clutched in her own as both fought off the invaders, the Skytroopers boarding the vessel.

 

“Meet… engine room…”

 

The pair gave each other a look as the orders were spoken and Eliza used Scourge’s body to push herself off and lunge towards a new wave of troopers. Side by side, back to back and hand in hand they battled their way towards the elevators.

 

“They just keep coming!” panted Eliza as her lightsaber cut another enemy down. “Who are these guys?”

 

“His new army, they must be.” Lord Scourge observed.

 

“But how? Ziost wasn’t all that long ago, how did he…”

 

“Vitiate always had plans in motion, and plans within plans. For all we know he’s been amassing these forces for decades.”

 

“We need to get a warning out. The Dark Council, the Republic, they need to be put on high alert immediately and we need reinforcements.”

 

Several more troopers fell to the ground as the couple stood in a brief moment of victory and Lord Scourge ushered his wife into the nearby medbay. “We do. You need to get back and warn them, now.”

 

“What?” the first glimmer of panic flashed in her eyes. “No, not without you!”

 

His hand fell down to caress over her belly, to adore the fragile new life growing within her. “One of us has to make it out of here Eliza and it must be you. You can’t be here if this is where everything comes to a head.”

 

“No! This is exactly where I must be. Don’t you remember Revan’s words, my destiny? If this is the end, if this is what all our trials have led to, I have to be here and I will not leave your side, ever!”

 

“You must.”

 

Lord Scourge drew her into his arms and quickly found her lips. He had never been more determined than he was in this moment and though he had spent his life following a vision, trusting in fate, he would now gladly defy destiny to assure the safety of his wife and unborn child. He’d pay any price.

 

“Scourge… I can’t, not without you and Marr, please…”

 

Eliza had been so caught up in the rueful look within Lord Scourge’s eyes, the taste of his lips, his love that she never saw the syringe in his hand. She didn’t notice the injection until it was too late and her surroundings began to blur. Until the love of her life became shrouded in darkness and he vanished from sight as her eyes shut.

 

 

 

 

Her eyes burned from the constant stream of tears. Not a day went by where she didn’t re-play each second of her last moment with him, always and forever wishing she could go back and change the outcome.

 

Eliza finished her shower and dressed for the day, ready to carry on the pretense she was fine and well—it was about all she could do these days and for her daughter’s sake, she’d have to at least appear strong. She applied a small touch of makeup to mask her puffed eyes and stained cheeks. With a simple wave of her hand, the balcony doors flew open and a cool morning breeze carried in the smell of the ocean that surrounded the compound.

 

“My Lord?” there was a gentle knock followed by a creaking as the door fell open and a demure brunette appeared. “You have a visitor.”

 

“Lilah, how many more times must I ask you to call me Eliza?”

 

“It’s improper my Lord, I am but a humble servant.” the girl argued, her head bowed and her eyes glued to the floor.

 

Silently and only to herself, Eliza scoffed and cursed Ravage for bringing his personal slaves to their hideout. “Very well. Who is it?”

 

“He would not say, my Lord, only that he is an associate of Miss Beniko.”

 

“Hrm. Show him to the parlor, I will be down in just a moment.”

 

“Yes my Lord.” Lilah bowed her head once more and backed out of the room.

 

Ten minutes later Eliza found herself quietly observing the tall and slender Pureblood who seemed wholly preoccupied studying the contents of her bookshelf. His nimble fingers traced the backs of each volume, followed by the occasional approving nod. His sleek black hair was combed back. Golden jewelry decorated his ears and nose and his posture was that of one born into a noble family.

 

“See anything you like?”

 

Glowing yellowish eyes looked her way and the Sith honored her presence with a courteous bow. “Darth Seraphine. It is an honor to meet you at last.”

 

“I might be inclined to share those same sentiments if I had the slightest clue as to who you are.”

 

A smile curled his lips. “Of course, apologies. I am Lord Cytharat.”

 

“Ah, the Minister of Intelligence.”

 

Lord Cytharat paused for a second as he considered his current predicament but decided that would be something to discuss at a later time. “Only while Minister Beniko remains absent in favor of other endeavors.”

 

“Right. And what brings you to Rishi my Lord?”

 

“News about the Eternal Empire and a status update from Minister Beniko.”

 

Eliza nodded and motioned for him to take a seat while she called upon Lilah to bring in refreshments. “You’re one of… us?”

 

“I am.” Lord Cytharat confirmed, helping himself to an iced tea and bite-sized sandwich. “I have been from the start.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“It was Darth Marr who gave me my second chance after my former Master, Darth Malgus, betrayed the Empire. If not for him I wouldn’t be alive today. I owe Darth Marr everything and I will go to any length to see his death avenged.”

 

She clacked her tongue and eyed him curiously. “I do hope you’re not equally passionate about bringing Malgus’ killer to justice…”

 

Another smile graced his otherwise stoic face. “I know it was you and you did the Empire a great service, even as Jedi. I have no qualms with you Darth Seraphine.”

 

“Good. Now tell me, what news do you bring?”

 

“Minister Beniko has successfully embedded herself within a group of Zakuulan rebels and made contact with potential allies. She’s investigating rumors about a certain Outlander.”

 

“Outlander?”

 

“Someone said not to be from Zakuul but rather one of our own. The details vary and some believe this Outlander is nothing but a ghost, a scare tactic made up by Arcann to keep the people of Zakuul on his side.”

 

A spark of hope settled within her heart and for a second, Eliza’s eyes lit up. “What else do you know of this Outlander?”

 

“Only that he or she is responsible for Valkor—Vitiate’s death, or so Arcann claims. Minister Beniko has not been able to verify any of the rumors and over the years the stories about this Outlander have taken on proportions of a myth…” Lord Cytharat looked her way and had no trouble discerning where her mind was at. “My Lord…”

 

“Oh I know,” Eliza nodded, “it’s highly unlikely and for all we know this Outlander is indeed a myth but…”

 

“You cannot help but hope?”

 

The somber smile on her face answered that question for him but it also told him not to push further—this wasn’t a subject she wished to touch on any more than they already had and Eliza quickly moved the conversation along.

 

“So, these potential allies Lana’s found, what do you know of them?”

 

“One of them is a pilot, a deserter from the Eternal Empire’s military. Minister Beniko believes he’d make for a valuable asset given his contacts and knowledge of Zakuul.”

 

“A deserter huh? Could be useful. Anyone else?”

 

“A former knight of Zakuul though she’s yet to establish contact.”

 

Eliza nodded. “And what of Vowrawn, has he learned anything new since his last visit to Zakuul?”

 

“I’m afraid not my Lord, they keep him under close guard at all times.”

 

“It’s as if they know him.” Ravage remarked when he sauntered into the parlor and sat himself down next to Eliza. He attempted to drape an arm around her shoulder while throwing a meaningful look in Lord Cytharat’s direction but Eliza was quick to slip from his reach.

 

“Yes well though that’s usually wise where Vowrawn’s concerned, it’s not really doing us any favors in this case.”

 

A low growl formed in Ravage’s throat, irked by Eliza’s blatant rejection but he would not let it get to him. Instead, he turned his attention fully to their guest, the unwanted man sat in their parlor. “Now tell us Lord Cytharat, why did you really come all the way out here? And don’t say it’s to bring us new information—a simple holo-call would have sufficed.”

 

To his surprise, Lord Cytharat nodded. “You’re right my Lord, there is an ulterior motive behind my visit.”

 

Eliza, who’d just about opened her mouth to reprimand Ravage for his rude question, now turned to Lord Cytharat instead and furrowed her brows. “Which is what?”

 

“A few weeks ago I sent a reconnaissance team to check out the Star Fortress on Alderaan. Things did not go as planned and my team was captured and killed. Arcann claimed their actions to be an act of war, in violation of the treaty and demanded my head. My past as a known associate of the traitor Malgus was brought up as well and Empress Acina called for my arrest—I had no choice but to flee Dromund Kaas.”

 

“So you came here?”

 

“Not at first. I commandeered an X-70B Phantom and set course for Nar Shaddaa where I contacted Minister Beniko. She recommended I join you here, to continue aiding our cause from the shadows. Naturally, I had to ditch the Phantom in case of trackers as I’m sure the Empire would be looking for me but luckily I ran into a Cathar who was more than eager to get his hands on an Imperial vessel. I traded the Phantom for his BT-7 Thunderclap and made my way here after loading up on supplies.”

 

Ravage scoffed. “Then you’re not actually still the Minister of Intelligence. What of Beniko, has she received any backlash for your foolish errors?”

 

“No. She managed to convince Empress Acina I was acting alone and she was just as shocked and disappointed with my actions, with my jeopardizing the treaty. She made apologies for her ‘error in judgment’ though of course now Intelligence has been placed under new leadership altogether.”

 

“Damnit.” Eliza sighed and shook her head. “Having an inside man in Intelligence has been beneficial over the past few years.”

 

“Oh, you still have that inside man.” Lord Cytharat grinned knowingly. “Darth Vowrawn is now in charge.”

 

A chuckle of relief escaped Eliza. “Of course he is. Well, that’s fortunate.”

 

“Indeed.” Ravage felt less than impressed with these developments. “I assume you intend to stay on Rishi? We have some contacts in Raider’s Cove, I’m certain we can find you suitable accommodations there.”

 

“Oh don’t be ridiculous Ravage.” Eliza rolled her eyes at him and then smiled at Lord Cytharat. “You’re more than welcome here at the compound. We’ve got plenty of room and it’s important we all stick together.”

 

“I would appreciate it, my Lord, if—”

 

“Eliza. Call me Eliza, please.”

 

“Eliza, thank you. If your other… housemates approve?” Lord Cytharat glanced at Ravage whose scowl just intensified at the mere idea of the Pureblood sticking around.

 

“I have no doubt they will. Come, I will show you to the guestrooms.”

 

Together, Lord Cytharat and Eliza headed upstairs bringing his luggage along with them while Ravage quickly disappeared into his office. He didn’t trust their new guest for even a second and established an encrypted connection into the Empire’s database—if there was something shady to be found in the man’s records, he’d have his hands on it before the day was over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 19, 2017 by JennyFlynn

Another engaging read, thanks!

 

 

 

Nice to see you are writing again. Welcome back.

 

 

 

Another engaging read, thanks!

 

 

Nice to see Ravage again and interesting to see that he and Eliza ended up sort of together. It seems to me that he feels a great deal more than she does for him. In a way, I feel bad for him, and in other ways, I don't, because he's such crusty jerk lol. But it would seem that for the time being they're getting what they need from each other.

 

The children were amusing too. The little tykes are quite clever and usually see more than the adults would intend for them to see. I liked the remark about Vowrawn being Cyara's real father. I'm glad Eliza set them straight.

 

I really enjoyed the arrival of Lord Cytharat and look forward to see what part he'll play. I really like the departure from the game story that's shaping up. He was always an interesting character, so this should be good fun, I'm thinking.

 

Also the flashback was fascinating and telling and I look forward to seeing how this will unfold. I think I have an idea of who the Outlander is, and it's wonderful. Keep up the great work!

 

Thank you Luna. I had always toyed with the idea of "sort of" with Ravage, hence laying a bit of foundation for it in DD without actually going there yet and the timing for it works better now with the sequel. He IS a crusty jerk and a grouch, a big ole meanie and yet he's one of those characters I enjoy so thoroughly lol.

 

I'm really pleased with Cytharat. First of all he saves me from having to have Lana around for the moment and I like the idea of him having a life and presence post Makeb. He makes me happy.

 

Yeah the Outlander... funny my mind's actually not fully made up there yet, there's two contenders so we'll see where I land. Either way I hope it'll be interested and I liked the idea of it NOT being my player character/Eliza.

 

 

Nice to see you are writing again. Welcome back.

 

 

Quite a grim picture of DK with the prologue. Malavai's reliving of his own tragedy with the birth of Eliza's child and Eliza's need for Scourge to be there was quite touching.

 

I guess children can be cruel, no matter what galaxy they live in and they often see things they shouldn't. And Ravage does get around although it seems he's on the short end of the stick where Eliza's feelings are concerned. Cytharat was an unexpected nicety, I always thought he was a bit of a wasted character in game. They could have done so much more with him. Ravage may be surprised what he finds out if you keep Cytharat in character.

 

And, I wonder who that Outlander can be. Tall, red and handsome perhaps? If so, imagine the talks he and the emperor could have considering what went before.

 

Happy you are not sticking with the regular story line, this should be infinitely more entertaining.

Thank you Brenda! Yeah, the tone for the prologue was supposed to be pretty grim, glad it translated. The kids... I currently find them tricky to write. I know little of kids, or having them and actually had to Google "can 3 year olds talk?" but hey, it's fun and I hope they don't become too unbelievable.

 

Lord Cytharat is a wonderful character. I'm still a bit disappointed BW did not bring him over to KOTFE/KOTET but I guess the whole "may or may not be dead" complicated matters there. Still, I'm taking the reins here and doing what I want so.

 

As for the Outlander... well see my comment to Luna, you may or may not be correct but if you are... yeah, imagine the 'head' conversations lol.

 

 

Thank you both so much for your feedback, as always it's so appreciated!

 

After sharing what little news he had, Lord Cytharat with Eliza’s help took up residence in one of the guestrooms of their luxurious Rishi hideout—a former Medcenter they’d fixed up and remodeled over the years. Big enough to offer a total of ten bedrooms, six bathrooms, a grand kitchen and a smaller kitchen, a dining hall, the parlor downstairs and a lavishly decorated living area. Most bedrooms had their own little balcony overlooking the island upon which the compound sat, far removed from Raider’s Cove and only accessible by water or a small shuttle.

 

“If you don’t mind my asking, how is it you all came to be here and why this planet?”

 

Eliza glanced up while making the bed with a fresh set of linens. “It’s remote. Far from the Eternal Empire and our Empire’s purview—you won’t find Skytroopers or Star Fortresses in this sector of space.”

 

“Plus you know, I’d been here before and still had some old contacts. One of the locals who helped us back then knew of this abandoned complex so he lead us here after we arrived.”

 

“You’ve been here all this time? Minister Beniko… Lana has always remained very tight-lipped about you and everyone else.” Lord Cytharat wiped a few shelves clean and began unpacking his personal belongings. “All I knew was you were all in hiding and working with us.”

 

“We’ve been here for little over three years now. Shortly after my daughter was born we packed up and left Dromund Kaas.”

 

“May I ask why? I heard rumors you challenged Acina for the title of Empress but lost the duel.”

 

Eliza laughed. “Had the duel ever taken place, I wouldn’t have lost, trust me. But a dear friend dissuaded me, convinced me I’d be better off fighting the Eternal Empire far removed from the limelight. I also had my daughter to think about then—I couldn’t risk her growing up without either of her parents as I did.”

 

“Understandable.”

 

“You uh…” she eyed the heavy clothing and armor he unpacked. “Might want to shop for something with lighter materials. The temperatures here run quite high.”

 

Lord Cytharat nodded and sat on the edge of the bed she’d just made. “I packed what I owned fast as I could without knowing where I’d end up.”

 

“I’ll show you around town and the shops later on if you like…” Eliza paused and sat down as well, observing the Sith once more.

 

“You know, I don’t actually know a thing about you. Except for your name. Did you leave any family behind on Dromund Kaas, is there anyone who might be joining you here? How did you come to work with Lana?”

 

“Right. I suppose it’s my turn to answer some questions.”

 

“Seems only fair, you’ve been asking me plenty.”

 

Though he tended to keep everything about himself and his life close to his chest, she had a point. He’d been asking her plenty and new questions continued to burn on his tongue so it was only right he answered hers in return.

 

“My parents and sister left for Athiss mere days before the Eternal Fleet lay siege to Kaas City—they’re safe. My partner fled as well, left me behind with nothing but a simple note to comfort me. Upon hearing of Darth Marr’s death… well, I suppose self-preservation outweighed the love I believed us to share.”

 

“I’m sorry to hear it.” Eliza gave a sympathetic smile. “Were you together long?”

 

“A few months. We met shortly after he ascended to the Dark Council.” Lord Cytharat kept his eyes on Eliza—there were still those who frowned upon same-gender relationships and to his disappointment, her brows furrowed too. It wasn’t until she spoke up that he realized she did so for an entirely different reason.

 

“Hrm joined the Dark Council a few months prior to Darth Marr’s passing… so that means you were seeing Darth Dionys?” she’d gone over the math in her head.

 

Lord Cytharat nodded, a part of him still weary for any signs of judgment but Eliza reached over and placed her hand over his. “I’m sorry he wasn’t the man you no doubt hoped he’d be. I’m also relieved to hear your family is safe but please know if Athiss is ever in any danger, they’re more than welcome here.”

 

“Thank you my L—Eliza.”

 

“Of course. Now, may I ask how you came to work with Darth Marr?”

 

“Oh, that is a long—”

 

Hurried footsteps both great and small came stampeding up the stairs causing Lord Cytharat to fall quiet. Several doors outside in the hallway were opened and shut again before the one leading into his guestroom flew open and two overly excited toddlers came rushing in.

 

“Mommy it’s trueee!” Selene called out as she spotted Lord Cytharat. “He’s in here with Liza!”

 

Cyara ran over to her mother, jumping onto the bed creating a brand new mess with the sand she’d carried in under her shoes. She found the safety of her mother’s arms and lap quickly and yet, inched forward as well to inspect the strange man.

 

“You looks like mes, are you in my family too? Dids you know my daddy?”

 

Lord Cytharat opened his mouth to answer but Me’ghan poked her head into the room next. “Oh wow, it really is you. I haven’t seen you since Makeb!” she beamed, picking Selene up in her arms.

 

“Makeb?” Eliza frowned. “You two know each other?”

 

“We do, as I was about to tell you.” Lord Cytharat got up and bowed to Me’ghan. “My Lord.”

 

“We’re way past that, call me Meg. It’s wonderful to see you again and by the looks of it you really did make a full recovery yes?”

 

“Full recovery?” another frown wrinkled Eliza’s face.

 

Cyara looked back and forth between the adults, mimicking her mother’s frown and then folded her arms in a huff. “Hellooos I asked the questions firsts okay?”

 

Eliza hugged her daughter close and kissed her forehead. “You did sweetheart and I promise we will answer all of your questions soon.”

 

“But why not nows?”

 

“Because right now you and Selene should go and wash your hands so you can help Lilah in the kitchen. Didn’t she promise to bake cookies with you both?” Me’ghan reminded Cyara and put Selene down.

 

“Oh yeaah! Les go Shelene, last one theres is a slimy Hutts!”

 

Lord Cytharat bit back a smile when the two little girls hurried out of the room so fast it would appear they’d already forgotten all about him. “Motherhood suits you,” he told Me’ghan.

 

“Thank you.” she nodded. “You know I received a copy of your initial medical report from Katha Niar way back when but that was the last I ever heard of you. Where have you been?”

 

“As I told Eliza, it’s a long story but one I’m more than happy to share.”

 

“I’d like to hear about Makeb first.” Eliza cut in. “I had no idea you were there as well.”

 

“No, but I knew you were. I saw you and… your team there. You were engaged in a fight with Darth Nox. I was too far away to interfere and busy running surveillance.”

 

He sat down once more and began telling Eliza about the work he’d done under Darth Malgus. How the latter’s betrayal had impacted his career and threatened his life until Darth Marr stepped up and offered him a chance to redeem himself. To make amends for his former Master’s crimes and prove his loyalty to the Empire and Dark Council. Along with Me’ghan, Lord Cytharat also explained what his role on Makeb had been. How he’d gotten injured and if it hadn’t been for Malavai Quinn’s medical skills and quick thinking, he’d have died there.

 

“I spent a few weeks recovering from my injuries before I returned to Makeb to oversee extraction of the Isotope-5. After, I began traveling the galaxy on orders of Darth Marr. We’d hoped to find a way of synthesizing the isotope’s properties to begin mass production of our own but the substance proved too unstable.”

 

Lord Cytharat poured out a glass of water from the carafe on his bedside table and sipped. “I returned to Dromund Kaas to inform Darth Marr of my findings but as it turned out, we’d missed each other by just a few hours. He’d taken his fleet to venture out into Wild Space.

 

“I felt his passing a week later, as most Sith did. I rushed to find Tarek… Darth Dionys, eager to offer my services in helping avenge Darth Marr’s death but all I found was a note.” he sighed gently and shook his head as he began to quote, “Had to leave, they’ll be coming for us next. We’re all on our own now. Sorry. Be well, love you.”

 

Eliza and Me’ghan exchanged a glance and Me’ghan rolled her eyes. “Coward.”

 

“Why didn’t you come to us back then?” Eliza wondered.

 

“I tried. Lana informed me you were unwilling to receive any visitors or even speak to anyone so instead, I confided in her. She promised to contact me once you had a plan of action, which she did.”

 

“Oh… yes, sorry I…”

 

“It’s understandable. Losing one’s Master can be difficult.”

 

“Darth Marr wasn’t just my Master. He—” Eliza had wanted to explain but she was rudely interrupted.

 

“Darth Seraphine?” Darth Ravage appeared in the doorway and cleared his throat. “Do you have a moment?”

 

She silenced the small groan inside of her and nodded. “Sure. Uh Meg, why don’t you fill Lord Cytharat in on everything and then show him the command center downstairs?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Eliza practically marched Darth Ravage out of the room and headed straight for his office. “Right, what is it?” she demanded once they were alone.

 

“Lord Cytharat. I ran a background check on him and—”

 

“Of course you did.”

 

“Eliza he has known associations with the traitor Darth Malgus.” Ravage showed her the records he’d retrieved from Intelligence’s database. “Look!”

 

Instead of paying any attention to the documents, Eliza just glared clearly unimpressed with Ravage’s discovery. “I know. He told me. Anything else?”

 

“He nearly botched our operations on Makeb!”

 

“No, he nearly died for the cause.”

 

“He was having secret dealings with Darth Dionys!” Ravage pulled up a holograph of the two Sith caught in very close quarters.

 

“No, those two were in a relationship.”

 

That seemed to halt Ravage’s rant for a split second while he stared at her in disbelief. Still, the snippet of news did little to discourage his true concerns about their new guest and he stubbornly carried on.

 

“He could be working for Acina! It wouldn’t be the first time he’s aligned himself with a false leader!”

 

“Oh give it up Ravage!” Eliza cried out as he continued to try and discredit Lord Cytharat at each turn. “I know what you’re doing and you’re wasting your time. Lord Cytharat is one of us now and he is here to stay, end of discussion!”

 

Ravage scowled and seized her arm when she turned to walk away. “I am trying to protect you! Protect Cyara, all of us and this entire operation!” his eyes burned into Eliza’s. “You’re still too quick to trust, too callous!”

 

“No! I am trusting my instincts and my former Master! Darth Marr saw something in him and gave him a second chance which I will honor in his stead!”

 

“And where did Marr’s infinite wisdom get him huh?” Ravage snarled and he was punished for it not a second later when Eliza’s flat hand struck him swiftly across the face.

 

“How dare you!” she spat furiously. “I know what this is! You and your stupid jealousy but get this Ravage—Lord Cytharat poses no threat because there is nothing to threaten! Especially not after this!”

 

Eliza tore her arm free of his grasp and shoved him for good measure before storming out of his office, all the while cursing herself. For years she’d kept him at a distance, spurned his advances. How could she have been so foolish as to finally let him in, get close, knowing the kind of man he is?

 

‘No more!’ she vowed to herself.

 

For the next few hours, as a way of escaping her own mind, Eliza busied herself clearing out the patio at last. Several weeks back a tropical storm had wrought havoc on the place scattering leafs, sand, dirt, twigs and the likes everywhere. Now the mess provided her ample distraction and once finished, Eliza decided the beauty of the day and ocean view were inviting enough to enjoy lunch outside.

 

“Yous never answerded my questions. Are you my family, did you knows my daddy? Are you a Prudeblood too Mr. Cyfarat?”

 

Cyara still felt immensely intrigued by their new visitor and had taken up a seat next to him, spending time carefully inspecting every inch of Lord Cytharat’s face while completely neglecting her sandwich and applesauce.

 

Eliza smiled. “Pureblood sweetheart and please, eat your lunch first before you start interrogating him?”

 

“Sorry, mom.” Cyara gave a sheepish grin and picked up her spoon as if she were about to start eating at last. She also continued to stare at the man next to her and couldn’t help herself.“But are you Mr?”

 

“I’m afraid I never got to meet your father in person and we are not related. I am a Pureblood, however, much like yourself.” he nodded when it became evident the toddler wasn’t going to stop asking despite her mother’s stern looks.

 

“And what’s that mean? Why are we’s called Purebloods?”

 

“Because your kinds thinks they better than humans, purer, but you’re not reallies you know?” Selene butt into the conversation as she spooned around her yogurt. “You kinds is actually worser, Uncle Ravage saids so!”

 

Both Eliza and Me’ghan shot Ravage a glare while Malavai groaned internally. Cyara’s spoon clattered against her plate when she dropped it before pouting at her mother. “That’s not trues is it mom?”

 

“No, of course, it’s not.” Eliza gave her daughter a reassuring smile though her eyes shot daggers at Ravage. “No one is better or worse than the other. We’re all the same and don’t forget, you are part human yourself Cyara, you’ve got the best of both species and of both your father and me.”

 

The little girl nodded, easily accepting the words of her mother and turned back to Lord Cytharat. “Mommy saids you’ll be staying heres with us.”

 

“For as long as she will allow me to, yes.”

 

“Forevers!” Cyara decided. “But there are rules Mr. Cyfarat. Always brush your teeths before bed!”

 

“Ands you must clean up after yourself, don’ts leave no toys lying around! Specially not in the hallways because then my daddy could steps on it and it hurts his foot!” Selene added unwilling to let Cyara steal all of Lord Cytharat’s attention.

 

“Also bedtime stories! Shelene and I’s take turns picking the story we wants to hear and the big peoples rotate who reads them to us.” Cyara tugged on his sleeve. “I decides tonight is your turn Mr. Cyfarat but Shelene will picks the story okay?”

 

Selene wrapped her little arms around Lord Cytharat’s lower arm and narrowed her eyes on Cyara. “Yes, tonights is my turn. Will you reads to us Lord Cyfarat?” she emphasized, showing off her knowledge of the proper use of titles and Me’ghan chuckled quietly.

 

Stubborn as she was, Cyara carried on and ignored Selene entirely. “And if you ever has nightmares and they makes you scared you can go and sleep in my mommy’s bed. I do that lots and so does uncle Markus. She’s really nice and—”

 

Eliza began coughing furiously, half choking on the piece of toast she’d been biting into and she reached for a glass of water. She guzzled it down as if her life depended on it and kept her eyes averted from everyone else at the table. Me’ghan stared at her in stunned surprise while Malavai now focused quite intensely on his empty plate. Ravage smirked watching the fluster rise on Eliza’s cheeks.

 

Startled and unsure of what to say next, Lord Cytharat looked around the table before finally turning back to the two innocent toddlers eager for his attention. He tried to think of something, anything to say to divert from the unfortunate revelation but something else suddenly caught everyone’s attention.

 

A loud explosion rang through the air from miles away and soon everyone looked up at the sky. A severely damaged shuttle descending far too quickly came down, skidding across the water until it came to a crashing halt against a rock outcrop in the ocean. Plumes of smoke rose up from the vessel as the water surrounding it bubbled and churned.

 

“Malavai prepare the medbay!” Eliza called out having jumped up from her seat already and she now stood upon the railings of their patio.

 

Wasting no time at all, Eliza stripped down her outer robes and took a swan dive into the ocean. As fast as she could she swam towards the crashed shuttle while carefully dodging the debris floating all around the vessel. A fire erupted from the rooftop and next she heard a woman scream for help. Eliza swam faster until she noticed the brunette waving her arms around and calling for assistance.

 

“Help! Please!!” the woman cried out, gripping Eliza’s arm when she got close enough and she coughed up some water. Her voice was filled with panic. “My husband! He’s trapped, I can’t get him out! Please!”

 

“Where?”

 

“The pilot’s seat, he’s stuck and drowning!”

 

The woman’s head kept bobbing under water and after taking a closer look, Eliza noticed the injuries on her arms and legs—she could barely keep herself afloat. “What’s your name?”

 

“Nyssa! Now please, help him!”

 

“I will, I promise but you…” she looked around for anything Nyssa could hold onto. To Eliza’s relief, Lord Cytharat had dived in right after her and now caught up to the two.

 

“Get her back to the compound and have Malavai check her over, and tell him to prepare for a second victim!” Eliza told him and guided Nyssa to his arms before addressing the panicked woman, “This is Lord Cytharat, he will help you, go with him and I will go help your husband. I promise you, trust us please.”

 

Nyssa nodded, still sputtering and coughing profusely. Together, she and Lord Cytharat began swimming for the docks flanking the compound while Eliza took a deep breath and dove under.

 

The shuttle had broken off into several pieces and it took Eliza a few seconds to locate the front of the vessel. She took great caution to avoid the electric sparks emitted by torn wirings as she swam towards the pilot’s seat where the husband Nyssa had spoken of sat slumped forward. The pilot’s chair had broken free of its bolts and wedged underneath the navigation console, trapping the man who appeared unconscious.

 

‘Please hold on, I will get you out of here, don’t die on me please.’ Eliza chanted to herself with vain hope her words would somehow reach the man and she began to focus her Force powers on the chair.

 

It took her a great deal of effort but at last, the chair inched backward before it dislodged entirely. The man’s body began to drift upwards, freed from the trap and his head lolled sideways. Something small and glistening along his temple caught Eliza’s eyes as she swam to pull him into her arms and then she caught a clear look at his face.

 

Less than a split second passed but to Eliza, it felt like her entire world had suddenly come to a halt. Snippets of moments from times long ago flashed before her eyes—their first meeting on Tython, their time here on Rishi, Yavin. Their reunion on Ziost. Salty ocean water filled her mouth briefly as she gasped but all Eliza could taste now was the bittersweet memory of his lips upon her own.

 

‘Theron…’

 

Edited November 19, 2017 by JennyFlynn

Wow!

 

 

 

Kids say the darndest things. They are so forthcoming because they have not yet been taught to lie, not even to spare another's feelings. That is true innocence.

 

 

 

 

Great chapter, nice ending.

Wow!

 

 

Great chapter, I enjoyed getting to see the 'slice of life' aspects to their lives on Rishi and how the girls took to Cytharat (that poor man can't catch a break can he? Makes me want to slap Dionys ). I also loved how Eliza stood up to Ravage...he's just a real piece of work that guy, lol. I do think in his own way he's trying to be loving and protective, but urgh, Ravage just doesn't show that side of himself very well, he's so gruff and petty and jealous.

 

And then I loved the excitement at the end. The crashed shuttle, the new lady, and of course dear Theron. This is going to be interesting to see how everyone reacts to the fledgling relationship from long ago that never got its chance before being snuffed out. I suspect Nyssa might be in for some heartache and Ravage will be railing and grumpy.

 

Lovely work, really enjoyed it. ^^

I know, poor Cytharat hasn't had the easiest of times though I am very much enjoying his presence. I wish I had a little more to go on in who he is--his in-game presence was far too brief but that could also be a plus.

 

I'm also having a lot of fun with Ravage, he tickles me. You're right about "in his own way". Thing with Ravage is, yeah we see him snark and huff and puff in-game in situations where a man like him would and though that's telling, it may not be defining. There's no telling the man he is in private, what else he's capable of whether good or bad which is something I enjoy discovering/exploring as I go.

 

Yip, the old flame is back, married and all. Going to make for interesting times. Thank you so much for the lovely words Luna, it means the world!

 

 

Kids say the darndest things. They are so forthcoming because they have not yet been taught to lie, not even to spare another's feelings. That is true innocence.

 

 

It was nice to revisit, even briefly, Cytharat's involvement on Makeb and a nice touch that Marr gave him a second chance. But then, Marr never was one for wasting a valuable asset. To bad about his partner bailing on him, but I would suspect many of the dark council would have self preservation as a top priority. Sad for Cytharat though.

 

And Ravage. As much as I really love him, he is greedy, self absorbed, jealous, suspicious, power hungry, the list goes on. Has the man ever done anything honorable in his life? He deserved the slap, good for Eliza.

 

Ha, Ravage thought he had trouble before, now Theron is back. I see more trouble on the horizon, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the collateral damage is. Who should I start feeling sorry for? Nyssa? Theron? Eliza? or all of them? Sorry Ravage, I have no sympathy for you.

 

 

Great chapter, nice ending.

I adore the little ones and the revelation was bound to come up in the most innocent way. I feel Lord Cytharat will make a good asset to the team but to anyone reading who may not have played RotHC, and as I never made mention of him in the previous works, I felt it important to recap his story a bit.

 

I had to laugh at "Sorry Ravage, I have no sympathy for you". Who does? Still I have some things in mind that may end up surprising if it works out. Theron's sudden reappearance is bound to shake things up but as you say, the question is for who?

 

Thank you for reading and feedbacking Misha, I appreciate it so much. Other than writing the story and getting giddy over my own ideas, receiving someone else's reaction to the material always has me really excited.

 

Malavai Quinn and Darth Ravage already awaited at the docks when Eliza swam up, holding an unconscious Theron in her arms. They helped his lifeless body up first and as soon as Eliza herself made it out of the water, she crouched down at Theron’s side. While Malavai used his handheld to scan Theron’s body for further injuries, Eliza gently tipped his chin up and began chest compressions before giving him mouth to mouth.

 

“Come on Theron… please…” she whispered, out of breath and working hard to suppress her own growing panic.

 

Everything else faded into the background, it had to. She tried not to think about who he was, about how much he meant to her. She tried not to feel all the emotions which now tightened around her heart or the heavy fatigue of her own body. For a split second something inside of her pointed out he could die right here and now in her arms but she forced that thought from her mind as well. Suddenly it hadn’t been almost four years since she last saw him but mere hours and all she’d felt for him then raged just as fiercely now.

 

Her lips, salted either by the ocean or her tears, perhaps even both, pressed onto Theron’s once more in an effort to resuscitate him. The minutes she spent trying to revive him felt like hours. Long, dragging and painful hours but at last, he gasped. His eyelids fluttered and he began coughing furiously, causing Eliza to sigh out with relief.

 

Theron blinked a few times. His vision was blurry and the little he could see had him believing he was staring into a roaring fire. The fierce sun behind Eliza made her ruby red hair appear to be ablaze and for a moment Theron panicked until her clear blue eyes came into focus. Until he recognized the one face he could never forget.

 

“Eliza…” he murmured faintly and a part of him wondered if he was perhaps still out of it. If she was no more than a dream, a hallucination, a figment of his imagination right before death would take him.

 

“I’m here, hi…”

 

It was truly her he realized and Theron reached out with his fingers to touch her smile, to wipe the tears from her face but he struggled. He rolled half onto his side instead, turning away from her and coughed furiously once more while Malavai crouched down next to him.

 

“Easy Agent Shan, you’ve sustained severe injuries.”

 

“Will he make it?” Eliza asked quietly, her eyes still on Theron. She caressed a hand along the side of his face and feeling the warmth of her touch, Theron placed his hand over hers.

 

His pain dissipated in the presence of her smile. The cold which crept through his body and clung to his bones, he could not feel while staring up into her eyes. So often over the course of the past four years he’d tried to imagine what it would be like to see her again. What he’d say and what he’d do. Theron tried to open his mouth again, to push out those words lingering in his throat but he couldn’t and no sooner than he’d tried, his eyes rolled in the back of his head and his body convulsed. His eyelashes fluttered and he passed out, succumbing to his injuries.

 

“Only if we get him to the medbay right now! Time is of the essence! My Lord?” Malavai spoke hurriedly and glanced at the man behind him who didn’t need further instruction.

 

Together, Malavai and Ravage lifted Theron onto the hover-stretcher and brought him inside. Eliza followed not letting go of Theron for even a second, not until she was forced to. They reached the medbay and Malavai turned to her.

 

“Take the fastest shuttle to Raider’s Cove and get Dr. Keans. He needs surgery, I can’t do that alone.”

 

“S-surgery?” for the first time she tore her eyes away from Theron and looked up at her uncle. “How bad is it?”

 

“Rib fractures, a pneumothorax, a fractured kneecap in his right leg and that’s only what my initial scans showed. Please, hurry.”

 

By the time he’d spoken those last few words, Eliza was already on her way to the hangar adjacent to their home. She made the trip to Raider’s Cove in record time and returned with Dr. Keans 45 minutes later. Malavai had prepped Theron for surgery already in the meantime and both professionals immediately got to work.

 

“Is he…” a timid voice whispered as Nyssa, supported by Me’ghan, joined Eliza on the observation deck overlooking the surgical room.

 

Tears lingered in the woman’s eyes and her swollen bottom lip quivered. She placed a bandaged hand up against the glass and stared down at her husband on the operating table. Eliza frowned, a moment of confusion setting in but then she remembered. In all her worry over Theron, her shock at seeing him again and the circumstances surrounding the situation she’d completely forgotten about Nyssa—about the woman who’d begged her to save her husband.

 

‘His wife…’ Eliza realized and her eyes caught the plain wedding band on the woman’s other hand. ‘Theron’s wife…’

 

“They’re doing what they can. I promise you he is in the best of hands.” Me’ghan reassured the shaken brunette and sat her down next to Eliza before excusing herself.

 

“Thank you…” Nyssa nodded and then turned to Eliza. “And you. You saved him from the wreckage, saved his life, thank you. I don’t know what would have happened if…”

 

Nyssa let out a deep sob and leaned into Eliza who without thought wrapped an arm around her. “You can’t think about that now. He’s alive and receiving the best medical care he could possibly get.”

 

The words that left her lips were genuine and true but her voice was void of any emotion. Inside she’d gone numb, blocked out her feelings as everything of the day now became too much to bear. She sat in silence comforting Nyssa, functioning on instinct and automatic responses rather emotion.

 

Hours passed as Malavai and Dr. Keans operated on Theron. The two women up in the gallery sat barely exchanging a word and yet holding onto one another for support while Me’ghan and Lord Cytharat occupied the two little girls keeping them distracted with books, toys, and games. Neither of the toddlers understood what was going on but they sensed the somber mood hanging in the air. Ravage paced his office and cast the occasional glance at the security monitors which had the operating room on display.

 

“This is not what I had in mind when I suggested to Beniko she send you here Agent Shan but perhaps…” he mused to himself and narrowed his eyes on the monitor. “Perhaps not all is lost though you had better pull through and survive.”

 

 

 

By the time evening fell and the sun set over Rishi, Malavai and Dr. Keans finally emerged from the operating room. Theron’s many injuries had been dressed and he now hovered lifelessly within a kolto tank. Eliza supported Nyssa under her arm while the two made it down the stairs to meet with the surgeon.

 

“He is stable for now.” Dr. Keans assured after he shared Theron’s medical chart with both women and went over the procedures. “I will remain here throughout the night in case of emergency but he is out of any immediate danger. He does have a long road to recovery ahead of him.”

 

“Meaning?” Eliza flipped through the chart and then looked over her shoulder at the kolto tank.

 

“I’m keeping him in the tank for the next three days at least. Afterwards, he will likely need to spend a couple of hours each day submerged in kolto for a period of a week. Then we will begin rehabilitation.”

 

“Can I…” Nyssa let out a deep sigh, playing with the wedding ring on her finger. “Stay, with him?”

 

“Of course. I’ll have a bed made up for you in his room so you can remain at his side.” Malavai promised and understood Nyssa’s needs all too well. Were it Me’ghan in Theron’s situation, he’d want the same.

 

Eliza gave a weak smile and rubbed Nyssa’s back. “Why don’t you go inside and we will get you settled in shortly?”

 

“Thank you, all of you.”

 

Dr. Keans excused himself as well—he needed further supplies from the Medcenter back in Raider’s Cove but promised to return swiftly. Malavai gently closed the door to Theron’s room and then drew his niece into his arms. She rested somewhat stiffly in his embrace and his soothing caress along her arms did little to relax her.

 

“Eliza are you—”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

He sighed. “No, you’re not.”

 

Eliza shrugged and grimaced. She withdrew from his arms. “Thank you for saving his life. I need to get some fresh air.”

 

Though every part of him had wanted to stop her, Malavai knew better than that by now. She needed time to herself, the privacy to break down and give way to all those things she kept bottled up inside so he let her go and Eliza rushed outside into the warm evening air.

 

A single tear rolled down her cheek and she stood watching the now mostly sunken shuttle from a distance—a section of one of the wings still floated a mere few meters from the wreckage. Seconds later she dropped the bathrobe she’d worn and jumped the railings, diving back into the ocean. It was too soon to let her walls down and instead, Eliza decided to scavenge the wreckage and see if she could retrieve any personal luggage Theron and Nyssa had brought.

 

It would be of little comfort to the couple, she imagined but it was the least she could do as a supportive friend. If Theron was still a friend. Eliza frowned to herself at that thought.

 

‘He got married and never even said…’

 

In truth, they’d barely spoken over the past four years. Eliza had briefed him when Arcann and Thexan first assaulted Korriban and once again when she and Lord Scourge left to meet with Darth Marr in Wild Space. After her return to Dromund Kaas, she’d been in no state of mind to speak with anyone though Theron had left her a voice recording expressing his care and sympathies—Eliza hadn’t been able to listen to it then or respond.

 

Over time they’d simply drifted apart. Not for a lack of caring but the war with the Eternal Empire and their ever-changing personal lives came to drown out their friendship. Weekly calls became the occasional voicemail and unanswered emails began piling up. Eliza would read his messages but before she could reply, Cyara would need her for something or Lana would chime in with a mission report and she’d wind up forgetting. Eventually forgetting lead to complete radio silence save for Lana’s small mentions of him during briefings.

 

Yet none of it meant her feelings for him had ever changed. She still loved him, still carried his name carved upon her heart. No, all time and distance had done was make it easier to pretend, to push him to the back of her mind and convince herself of the one thing they’d agreed on so long ago—just friends.

 

Immense melancholy fell over Eliza and at last her emotions welled up again. She retrieved the watertight locker she’d found in the sunken hull of the shuttle and used the Force to push it up and forward while she swam back to the surface. The locker levitated onto the docks and Eliza pushed herself up out of the water to sit down on the very edge of the worn wooden structure.

 

Heavy and hot tears finally began pouring down her cheeks and she buried her face in her hands. She wasn’t even entirely sure what brought them on but they were here now and suddenly she couldn’t stop. The last memory she had of her own husband surfaced and blended with the sight of Theron, unconscious and drowning in the pilot’s seat. Her heart ached fiercely and the memory haunted her until it changed again. Theron’s face transformed into Lord Scourge’s and now it was him who sat broken and lifeless buried beneath the ocean’s waves, trapped within the shuttle that would become his tomb.

 

Her choked up sobs drowned out the sound of footsteps approaching and then an arm wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her in. She let herself sink into the embrace and felt warm lips press against her forehead.

 

“You saved him, Eliza. He’ll be back on his feet in no time.”

 

She peered up into Ravage’s eyes, uncertainty and fear written all over her face. “How can you be so sure?”

 

Ravage gave her a wry smile and his best attempt at providing comfort and reassurance. “He’s SIS, isn’t he? Those bastards tend to survive everything you throw at them and Shan is no exception. He faced off against two Dark Council members, the Emperor, Revan and lived to tell. A simple shuttle crash won’t be the thing that does him in.”

 

They were odd words to console her and yet they proved effective. A small chuckle escaped Eliza and she nodded. “True… he’s been through worse.”

 

“Have faith and not just in him but in Major Quinn and Dr. Keans as well.” Ravage pulled her closer and ran a hand through her wet locks. “Now why don’t you go have a shower and a warm meal? You’ll need your strength if you’re going to help him through this.”

 

For a second she smiled but then her frown returned again too and Eliza sighed. “No… he doesn’t need my help now. He has his… wife, to look after him.” a hint of bitterness lingered in her voice and the second she became aware of her own sudden jealousy, she hung her head down in shame.

 

“Then do it for yourself.” Ravage pretended he’d not heard the tone in her voice and got back to his feet, pulling Eliza up with him at the same time. “Let me draw you a bath and I’ll have Lilah cook your favorite.”

 

“I…” she’d allowed herself to remain within his embrace and the offer was tempting. Comfort, care, the possibility of some affection was exactly what she craved right now but something within begged her to recall the fight she’d had with Ravage earlier that day.

 

“No that’s alright. I’ll have a quick shower but then I should probably check in on Cyara, and Theron and Nyssa… I can’t stomach the idea of food right now.”

 

She glanced over her shoulder at the locker she’d retrieved. “Can you get this inside for me?”

 

“Yeah, of course…” he watched her turn away from his presence and drag her feet back inside.

 

Eliza never saw but despite her rejection of his offer, Ravage smiled. He’d noticed the jealousy in her voice and her crestfallen demeanor. He’d picked up on her urge to throw herself back into his arms and it provided him hope. An unexpected confrontation with the only other man she’d ever loved, and his wife, served as a powerful reminder of how alone she truly was—how empty and unfilling her love life was now and Ravage knew. The day would come where her resolve would break and regardless of the vow he’d made earlier that day, he would be waiting.

 

 

 

 

“You’re Eliza, right?”

 

Eliza was occupied taking readings of the machines which kept Theron comatose and on life support when Nyssa walked in. By the looks of it, she too had enjoyed a brief shower and the brunette sat down on the cot set out for her within Theron’s room.

 

“Yeah… I suppose we never got around to proper introductions earlier. Nyssa was it? The nurse he met years ago at Coruscant Medical?”

 

“Not a nurse anymore. I’m more like fugitive these days but yes, I was then when we first met…” Nyssa dotingly glanced at her husband within the kolto tank. “Feels like a lifetime ago.”

 

Gentle steady beeps denoting Theron’s heartbeat came from the monitors and Eliza took a step back in favor of Nyssa. “Fugitive?”

 

“For the past three years I’ve used my position at the medical center to aid the less fortunate and the rebels. Medicine and supplies would mysteriously disappear and end up in the hands of those brave enough to fight the Eternal Empire…” Nyssa half smiled and a devious glint lingered in her eyes. “Until I got caught.

 

“They fired me, attempted to arrest me and branded me a criminal and traitor to the Republic. Lana’s call was fortunate timing.”

 

“She encouraged you to join us here?” Eliza leaned back against the wall, her eyes still on Theron.

 

“She did and we needed little encouragement. Theron’s been aching to get his hands dirty, to serve the cause and to leave the Republic behind. My job was the only thing that kept us on Coruscant.”

 

“How long have you been married?” she had to know even if a part of her didn’t want to.

 

“Almost a year…” Nyssa finally tore her focus away from her husband and shifted her attention towards Eliza. “He wanted to tell you, you know?”

 

“Oh yeah?”

 

“Mmm. Many times I caught him sat in his office, staring off into the distance while playing with his comm-device. Flipping it open, shutting it off again. Or he’d be typing away on his datapad before deleting it all.”

 

“Could have just been SIS business occupying his mind.” Eliza shrugged.

 

“Funny. That’s the exact excuse he’d give me but I knew better.” Nyssa sighed. “You never truly left him.”

 

A sense of unease settled within Eliza at the peculiar conversation. She didn’t understand why Nyssa was telling her these things or where she was going with it and it made her feel awkward.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m making you uncomfortable.” thankfully Nyssa noticed and a kind smile brightened her face. “All I mean to say is… he never forgot about you. I know over the past few years you’ve barely spoken but you must know he hasn’t stopped caring. You’re still his dearest friend, next to Jonas.”

 

“Thank you… I did wonder but then again I’ve not been too great at keeping in touch either…” Eliza relaxed some and Nyssa patted the spot next to her on the cot.

 

She pulled Theron’s datapad from the luggage Eliza had retrieved. “Here, look.” Nyssa activated the device. “He still has the holograph you sent of you and your daughter after she was born.”

 

“I should get him a new one.” Eliza took the datapad and her heart warmed when she noticed the image was actually part of his screensaver, along with a holograph of Jonas and Charlie and one of Nyssa. “She’s grown much since then.”

 

“He said she’s the spitting image of her father, save for the twinkle in her eyes and her smile. That’s all you.”

 

Eliza chuckled through the sorrow that gripped her heart upon mention of Lord Scourge. “True. Scourge wasn’t much of a smiler.”

 

“We heard what happened.” Nyssa placed a hand upon Eliza’s shoulder, a well-intended gesture of comfort. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

 

“I haven’t lost…” Eliza began but stopped herself. The hope she perhaps naively clung to wasn’t something she was willing to share with Nyssa—she didn’t know her well enough, not yet.

 

“Thank you.” she offered up instead.

 

Nyssa nodded sympathetically. “Theron wanted to go and see you immediately, we were already on our way to the spaceport but Saresh put the planet on lockdown when the Senate received word of the events in Wild Space. No one in or out.”

 

“It was much the same for us. I’d wanted to return with reinforcements but Acina grounded all remaining fleets and forces.” Eliza handed the datapad back to Nyssa and turned her gaze back to Theron. “It’s good you’re both here now.”

 

“I’m glad we came as well, just wish our arrival had run a little smoother…”

 

“What happened out there anyways? Theron’s not a bad pilot. Was it a malfunction or—”

 

“Pirates.” Nyssa began to explain. “As we came down over the planet we were hailed by… The Black… something or other. Demanded we dock with their vessel and hand over our cargo. Naturally, Theron refused, blocked their frequency and flew on. They started firing on us.”

 

“The Black Hoods.” Eliza gritted her teeth and balled a fist. “I should have known…”

 

“He outmaneuvered them for a while and we almost reached the island when a second vessel appeared out of nowhere and shot us down. Theron attempted a water landing, thought we could make it but…”

 

Eliza placed a hand over Nyssa’s. “Don’t worry, they’ll pay for this.”

 

 

 

Edited November 19, 2017 by JennyFlynn

 

Really enjoyable chapter. I look forward to the next part. ^^

 

 

 

Enjoyable chapter. Waiting for the next.

A truly gut-wrenching chapter. I can only imagine how hard it had to be for Eliza to be going through all that and not even be able to say anything to anyone. All she could do in that situation was bite it down and like you said, go through the motions of being comforting to someone who obviously needed it. Nyssa seems like a nice woman, but at the same time, you can't help but feel bad for Eliza.

 

And Ravage, that devil, I should've known his smarmy self would have ulterior motives. He's trying to make her realize that he's all she has. Sneaky devil. He did reveal himself to be quite thoughtful in all of this, but again, there's always a reason or plan behind everything he does.

 

Did I sense a little inspiration from The Little Mermaid? It's been a while, but I think I did

Really enjoyable chapter. I look forward to the next part. ^^

You're right--there's really nothing for her to do other than keep brave and play the friend. It's what she and Theron agreed on long ago and there's just no place for any feelings they may still have. She's a widow who still holds out hope for her husband and he's a married man. It will be a challenging situation for them.

 

Yeah, Ravage is definitely looking to cash in on the results of Theron and Nyssa's arrival like the sneaky ff-er he is. Time will tell if he's playing his cards right of if he underestimated the other players and the depth of feelings involved.

 

And yup, as I told you on FB, definite TLM inspiration. Thank you for reading and replying Luna!!

 

 

Wow, Ravage, really? That's pretty low for him to use Eliza's pain to drive her back into his arms. And he had Beniko send Shan to them? Did he arrange for the pirate attack also, wanting Theron dead so that Eliza had absolutely no one else to turn to? I wonder how much Theron's living will throw a wrench into the works.

 

I sympathize with Eliza in that old feelings have surfaced and she goes through the motions of playing concerned friend to Nyssa, but I guess we'll see where this leads. Someone's going to lose in this three-way. Eliza lost one man she loved to war and the other through neglect and the passage of time, rough stuff to salvage love from.

 

 

Enjoyable chapter. Waiting for the next.

Keen observation there on one part, though he is blameless for the pirate attack. As the chapter shows he wants Theron to survive the ordeal. In his eyes a constant confrontation with Theron and Nyssa would be a far more powerful motivator than if Theron were simply dead and gone, which defeats the point of bringing them to Rishi in the first place as the contact between Theron and Eliza was already at an extreme low.

 

It's going to make for an interesting situation between Theron, Eliza and Nyssa. They made a vow of friendship years back but we never saw it play out, if they could actually manage to be just friends while in close quarters. There's some challenges that lie ahead.

 

Thank you for the feedback Misha!

 

‘Such beauty…’ Ravage thought to himself as he admired the scene.

 

The warehouse serving as a base of operations for the Black Hoods was absolute chaos. Broken bottles littered the floor, tables had been smashed in half, chairs scattered everywhere and the overhead light swung around lazily. Beaten and bloodied corpses lay all around but Ravage marveled most at the woman who’d so brutally punished the pirate crew.

 

In the center of the room, Eliza stood bathing in hatred, seething with rage. Her eyes shining a deep red, her clothes covered in blood spatter and her face bore the most menacing grin. It had taken them four days but they’d successfully tracked down the men who shot Theron’s shuttle from the sky and Eliza had demanded retribution by slaughtering almost everyone.

 

“P-please… don’t, don’t k-kill me…” a lowly member of the crew, the last one to still draw breath, begged as he scurried away into a corner.

 

“Oh I’m not going to kill you.” Eliza pointed out with a sudden eerie calm and clipped her lightsabers back onto her belt. “You get to live and serve as a warning.”

 

“W-warning?”

 

“Mhm.” she approached. “To others. Let them know if any crew ever fires at another shuttle again, or if anyone continues to hassle the locals and tourists then this…” Eliza indicated all around the room, “will look like child’s play compared to what I’ll do to them.”

 

The pirate who appeared to be in his early twenties nodded nervously and swallowed hard.

 

“Is that understood or do I need to write it down for you?”

 

“N-no, it’s understood ma’am.”

 

“Good.” Eliza crouched down before him and pulled a handkerchief from the vest-pocket of a nearby corpse. She gently wiped the blood from the pirate’s face as he trembled before her. “As of now, you work for me. No matter what I ask, what I need, you will do it.”

 

“If I call on you, you’ll respond with ‘Yes my Lord, I will see it done my Lord, as you command my Lord’. Okay?”

 

“Y-yes my Lord.” he stammered.

 

“Mm you learn quick, there may be hope for you yet.” Eliza patted his cheek and got back up. “Now the first order of business—gather all stolen supplies and credits and redistribute them among the locals. Go.”

 

The pirate climbed to his feet, his knees quaking with fear still but he took a sprint and quickly made himself scarce.

 

“Delightful.” Ravage snuck up behind Eliza and snaked his arms around her middle. His lips found the nape of her neck and he pressed into her. “That got me so hard…”

 

She rolled her eyes and freed herself from his hold. Without dignifying his comment with a response, she strode past him and marched back towards the shuttle to return home.

 

“Would you do the same if any harm ever came to me?” Ravage eagerly followed and strapped in next to her, deep down hoping she might just cave to his advances during the ride back. “If anyone attempted to kill me?”

 

“Oh I would probably…” Eliza reached over and smirked his way, leaning in close enough that he felt her breath on his face while she let a hand run up between his thighs. “Give those complicit a huge stack of credits and a night with one of Vowrawn’s most expensive wh.ores as a just reward.”

 

And just like that Ravage’s infamous scowl returned and he slapped her hand away. “Bi.tch.”

 

“What? Suddenly not so delighted with my dark side?” Eliza laughed and set course for their private island.

 

Not surprisingly, the rest of their journey was spent in complete silence. Ravage’s mood was once again as dour as it often was while the darkness which had served Eliza well fighting the pirates now ebbed away slowly. By the time they landed she was a few shades more of her old self, save for the blood that still specked her clothing.

 

“Would you mind going inside first and distracting Cyara so she doesn’t have to see me like this?”

 

“Oh so now you want favors?” Ravage scoffed.

 

“You’d rather traumatize my three-year-old daughter just because you’re annoyed with me?”

 

He stopped in his tracks and spun around. “Why can’t you just admit there’s something between us? There always has been.”

 

“Uh, how do you figure?” Eliza raised a single brow at his curious remark.

 

“You want me as much as I want you. Our fights? They’re just foreplay building to an explosive finale and we’ve been dancing this dance since we met. You anger me, I get you worked up. We’ll have a moment of reprieve, some kindness towards each other and then start all over again. Recently with the added bonus of undeniable passions mixed in.”

 

“Oh wow…” she chuckled and shook her head. “You think that means something? Anything other than mutual loathing save for those rare moments where one of us makes an effort to be nice and we regrettably end up in bed together?”

 

“Regrettably? Mutual loathing? No, I’ve always cared about you.”

 

“You wanted me dead from the moment we met!”

 

Ravage shook his head growing tired of her dismissal and trying to recall one of their earliest moments. “We’ve had good times! Remember that night we danced, after you’d defeated Aruk?”

 

“When you put your hands on my as.s? Yeah, you also pointed out that party should have served as my funeral.”

 

“I was the one who pulled you out of your catatonic state after the fall of Ziost, I held you!”

 

“You attacked me with Force lightning, you were cruel!”

 

“But effective and you thanked me, kissed my cheek!”

 

“Whatever! I…” Eliza sighed and groaned. “You remember that thing I said about Cyara being a nice person even towards as.sholes? She gets it from her mother.”

 

“I gave you a pass when you freed that Cipher and helped her escape to the Republic, and kept your rendezvous with Agent Shan a secret!”

 

“What?! No!” she shoved him but he didn’t budge. “You stormed into my chambers and threatened me! Cornered me and grabbed my throat!”

 

Ravage smirked and drew nearer, so close he wound up backing her into the side of the shuttle. “And don’t tell me you didn’t feel it then, the sexual tension between us both.”

 

He ran a hand up along the side of her waist and higher, drawing invisible lines right underneath her breast. He whispered, his voice thick with budding arousal, “The way I get under your skin so deep it ignites the fire within you. To that point where you find yourself torn between the urge to kill me…” Ravage trailed his lips along her jaw. “And the desire to surrender yourself to me completely…”

 

Eliza closed her eyes and swallowed hard. Already her body began to respond to his words, his touch and he was right. Far too easily he brought her to the brink, to that point where part of her wished to slap him and fight him off while the other yearned to give into the hunger he’d stirred.

 

“Ravage…”

 

“Give in.” he encouraged and his other hand slipped down the front underneath the waistband of her leatheris pants. “I know you’re still high on adrenaline from your victory over the pirates, what better way to work it out of your system?”

 

“Ravage…” she breathed out again, now in half a moan and she came that much closer to losing the battle within herself until an unlikely savior came to her aid.

 

“Ah Darth Ravage, Eliza, you’re back.” Lord Cytharat walked up to the couple and feigned oblivion to the situation he found them in. “I did think I heard a shuttle approach. How did you fare?”

 

If looks could kill Lord Cytharat would have died a thousand deaths on the spot with the way Ravage glowered at him.

 

“Victoriously.” Eliza’s smile held more gratitude than words could express and she quickly stepped away from Ravage. “Only one survivor and he will serve us from now on.”

 

With a thundering expression written all over his face, Ravage stormed off inside.

 

“That’s good news...” Lord Cytharat watched Ravage leave and clasped his hands behind his back. “Was my timing truly that unfortunate?” he looked to Eliza.

 

“No. Quite perfect actually, thank you.”

 

“Naturally.” he inclined his head and extended his arm to her which she gratefully took. “We should head inside and get you a change of clothing. There’s someone who’s eager to see you.”

 

“Oh?” they turned towards the side entrance. “Who?”

 

“Theron. He’s awake and your name was the first thing to escape his lips.”

 

 

 

 

Over the past days she’d barely paid him a visit. It wasn’t that she didn’t care, if anything she cared too much and found it too difficult to just watch him linger in that kolto tank. Then there was Nyssa—as much as the two women had slowly begun to bond, Eliza struggled with her presence. She’d decided it’d be wiser if she just kept her distance and instead focused on finding those who’d caused the shuttle crash.

 

Much to Eliza’s surprise, she found Theron sat up in bed already, eyeing stronger and healthier than Dr. Keans had predicted.

 

“There you are!” Nyssa beckoned her over with a smile.

 

“I’ll give you both some privacy.” she got up from her seat and kissed Theron’s forehead. “Be back in a little while with your tea.”

 

Once at the door, Nyssa clasped Eliza’s hand for a moment and leaned in. “Keep an eye on him, please? He’s already been asking me for his datapad and updated mission reports…”

 

“I’ll tie him down if I have to,” Eliza reassured with a wink, trying to sound aloof but deep down her heart was racing.

 

In a way she didn’t want to be alone with him, she had no idea of what to say after all this time. Their eyes met across the ugly grey linen that served as his bedding and a tired smile crept up the corners of Theron’s mouth.

 

“Hey…”

 

Eliza mimicked his expression and dragged her feet over to the empty chair at his bedside. “Hi.”

 

“I had a vision of you.” he took her hand the second she was close enough to touch. “You swam to the bottom of the ocean to save me, brought me back to life.”

 

“That wasn’t a vision.”

 

“I know. Thank you…”

 

“Oh, it was nothing.” Eliza waved him off and wrapped herself in a shroud of nonchalantism if only to keep the tears welling in her eyes at bay. “Just you know, don’t do that again or if you do at least bring appropriate diving gear.”

 

Theron felt tempted to laugh and he almost did but a sharp pain pulled through his ribcage and he winced instead.

 

“Sorry, I shouldn’t be trying to make jokes…”

 

“No it’s alright.” he squeezed her hand and laced his fingers. “I’ve missed you, Eliza.”

 

“I’ve missed you too.”

 

The tip of his index finger idly caressed along her knuckles, his eyes never leaving hers and he swallowed hard. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you when you needed me most. I wanted to be. So many times I…”

 

“It’s okay Theron, they were… are troubling times for everyone.”

 

Eliza looked down, captivated by his touch. The tender strokes along the back of her hand reminded her of curious waves teasing up the sand along the shoreline. It had a soothing effect as though with each caress he lowered her walls a little further, kindly tearing down the mask she wore to protect herself.

 

“I don’t believe he’s dead,” she admitted, at last, touching on something she rarely discussed though those closest to her knew she held on to hope.

 

With some difficulty, Theron moved over and patted the empty spot next to him. “Tell me what happened.”

 

“I didn’t feel it, his passing. I felt Marr’s but not his…”

 

She took his offer and climbed into bed, nestling herself up against his side and quickly Theron’s fingers stroked her hair. With just a simple gesture it was as though no time had passed between them at all and no distance or circumstance had tainted the affection they held for each other. A weightless sense of calm and peace unlike any she’d felt in the past years washed over her instantly and Eliza began detailing how she’d escaped the tragedy—how Lord Scourge had forced her to return to Dromund Kaas and leave him behind.

 

“I had only just regained my senses when the Vanora touched down at the spaceport. I tried to retrieve the coordinates for Marr’s ship, to return immediately but Scourge must have erased them from the system. He knew me too well…

 

“I headed for the Citadel next to inform the Dark Council and gather reinforcements but just as I was telling others what had happened, I felt it. They all did. Darth Marr was gone and with him so were my chances of returning to Wild Space.”

 

A single bitter tear rolled down her cheek and Theron caught it with his thumb. He held her closer, his free hand soothingly massaging her back. “Dromund Kaas was put on lockdown, just as Coruscant was?”

 

“Yes. While other members of the Council scattered to look after their own interests, Acina stepped up to protect the city and grounded all remaining forces. We nearly came to blows. I was so angry, so upset and so very desperate to find Scourge but then my body betrayed me.

 

“The stress took its toll and I almost miscarried. My blood pressure was off the scales, my pregnancy became ‘high risk’ and I spent the next few months on bedrest. Powerless, depressed and with no indication of where my husband was or if he’d survived.”

 

Theron closed his eyes and sighed. Up until now, he’d never known just how bad things had been for her, how much she’d struggled and he more than ever regretted not being there for her. Eliza didn’t seem to notice, her face was buried in his shoulder as she continued.

 

“After giving birth to Cyara my first instinct was to finally escape Dromund Kaas and set course for Wild Space but by then, Acina had declared herself Empress. She forbade it. She was in the middle of discussing terms for the treaty and didn’t want me to jeopardize negotiations by traveling to Zakuul with armed forces.”

 

“Typical.” Theron scoffed quietly.

 

“Yeah… anyways I decided to challenge her to the throne. If I became Empress then all Imperial forces would be mine to command and I could finally search for my husband. But…” Eliza blew out a deep breath.

 

Despite the safety and comfort of their situation now, the mostly peaceful childhood her daughter got to enjoy, a part of her sometimes still wondered if she made the right call.

 

“Vowrawn persuaded me not to. He convinced me to play the long game, remain in the shadows. Bide my time and build up our own power base. According to him, I would only be putting myself at risk as Empress. One mistake, one failure to deliver on agreed terms or even just catching Arcann in a foul mood and I might just find my head on the chopping block.”

 

“Sounds wise…”

 

“It probably was, so we came here. Vowrawn remained behind to ‘serve’ Acina and keep an ear to the ground while Lana ventured out to find anyone willing to join our cause. The rest of us settled down on this island doing what we can while raising our little girls.”

 

Theron pressed his lips against the top of Eliza’s head and held them there. “And Scourge?”

 

“Like I said, I never felt his passing and although we cured his immortality… I mean his high regenerative properties remained… so there’s a chance. Perhaps he survived and was captured. I can no longer sense him in the Force but that doesn’t have to mean he’s dead. He could be in a special cell designed for Force users or be wearing a dampener of sorts. Something that cuts him off from the Force.”

 

Just by her tone of voice, Theron could tell she really needed to believe this, for herself more than anything. Her words weren’t just filled with hope but desperation too, and insistence as though by sheer will and belief she could actually make them true.

 

“You really think he survived…”

 

“I have to, and wouldn’t you if you were in my shoes?”

 

“Eliza if anything like that ever happened to you I’d turn every planet in the galaxy inside out to find you. I would not give up until I held you in my arms once more.”

 

She smiled and looked up at him though somewhat uneasily. “I meant if Nyssa…”

 

“Oh well, of course, I mean…” Theron fumbled with his words. For a moment he’d all but forgotten about the woman he’d spent the past four years of his life with. “That goes without saying right?”

 

“Right.”

 

“In any case…” Eliza quickly carried on, “He may be listed as deceased and there’s an empty grave for him on Dromund Kaas. Officially, I may be a widow but one day… we’ll find him. We have to. I’m not giving up until I have definitive proof either way.”

 

He nodded. “Then you have my support. If he’s out there, we’ll find him.” Theron echoed her words and promised.

 

Despite his own history with Lord Scourge and all the feelings he so clearly still had for Eliza himself, he knew she needed this and it was the only thing he could actually do for her now. To be supportive, to be her friend as they’d vowed to be. To return her husband to her and bring home her daughter’s father.

 

Outside the room, Ravage’s brows furrowed. He’d been eavesdropping from the moment Nyssa left and occasionally peered inside through the narrowed opening of the door. What he’d heard and seen unsettled him and quietly, careful not to give himself away, he retreated to his office to mull over his thoughts and figure out what his next move would be.

 

 

Edited November 19, 2017 by JennyFlynn

That wily Ravage, always plotting

 

 

 

Interesting dynamics, in more ways than one.

 

 

 

 

Very nice chapter.

That wily Ravage, always plotting

 

 

Wonderful chapter. I enjoyed the the bloodbath at the beginning, I think it's pretty safe to say those pirates won't be bothering them for a while lol. Of course Ravage would get excited by that. I loved her response to him, if she would avenge him so thoroughly. I guess one shouldn't ask questions one doesn't really want the answers to.

The argument between her and Ravage was also good fun and isn't it just like him to clam up and sulk about it.

 

The reunion with Theron was lovely and despite the sincerity in his vow to help her find Scourge wherever he may be, I wonder if he'll be able to deliver on the promise, there seems to be much feeling there still. I don't imagine Nyssa is in for an easy time. It should be interesting to see how all this unfolds. Looking forward to the next!

Those pirates had a good beatin' coming, how dare they harm Theron. Ravage strikes me as the kind who'd enjoy a good massacre like that yeah, and I just couldn't help Eliza's reaction--it came so natural while writing and made me smirk lol.

 

I believe (as a player/fan because I haven't written/thought that far ahead yet) Theron would do all he could to deliver on his promise despite his personal feelings. He's not self serving or duplicitous enough to stand in the way of Scourge being found no matter what it means for him. Unlike some...

 

Thank you for the kind words as always. ♥

 

Interesting dynamics, in more ways than one.

 

 

I enjoyed the beginning, somehow I think Eliza needed not only to teach the pirates a lesson but to also let off some steam. Oh, that Ravage, always the schemer, never taking no for an answer. And Eliza, she is going to have to make a firm stand one of these days. Ravage is correct in that they have done this dance for a very long time and she almost gave in again. He is not a toy to take off the shelf when it suits her, he's much too dangerous and uses her loneliness and physical needs against her. He knows what buttons to push. Cytharat saved the day this time, but who will be there the next time and the next.

 

There are evidently still feelings on both sides between Theron and Eliza because there was never any real closure. I do not envy Nyssa in all this and much depends on how she handles herself, she seems to be quite level-headed, so far. The question is can Theron and Eliza just be friends?

 

 

Very nice chapter.

She definitely needed to blow off some steam, for various reasons, and Ravage is right. There's always been 'something' at play between them both but the question is what, and what does it mean to who. Eliza's in a tough situation where she holds out hope for her husband and refuses to give her heart away to another or even open it up but at the same time she's been 'alone' for about four years which naturally leads to a missing of certain things. Ravage seemed to be a nice 'band aid' but it's possible she underestimated his intentions and the dept of any feelings in their little tryst.

 

I do feel bad for Nyssa and I have no idea what she's going to do in all of this. I've made zero plans for her and I'm just letting her come and go as she does, respond her own way and I'm curious myself to see where all of that goes. Is that odd?

 

Thank you as always for taking the time to read and respond. ♥

 

 

 

 

 

“Status report?” Eliza circled the holo-communicator while taking notes on her datapad.

 

It had been a week since she’d taken out the Black Hoods and Theron had awoken. Now all of them, including Theron, Nyssa and Lord Cytharat, had gathered at command center which was really just a bunker underneath the mansion.

 

“Lord Darius and Jedi Master Timmns have found several runaway Padawan eager to join the cause. They’ve relocated to Voss for the time being but cannot remain there indefinitely while the Star Fortress looms overhead. Sooner or later Arcann will take note of so many Force users gathered in one place.” Lana informed them all from a distant and unknown location.

 

“Agreed, we need to get them away from any Eternal Empire patrols as soon as possible.”

 

“If I may,” Lord Cytharat cut in, “these days Makeb is once more stable and largely abandoned.”

 

Lana thought for a moment and nodded. “I will have Agent Balkar and his team scout the planet.”

 

“Who is he working with now?” Theron wondered.

 

“His wife Charlie and Havoc Squad—he appears to know their Commander quite well. Stumbled upon them after Lieutenant Jorgan traded their Thunderclap for one of our own Phantom models and the Squad wound up chased by Acina’s men.”

 

His natural complexion concealed it well but Lord Cytharat flustered when he heard and recalled the Cathar he’d traded ships with on Nar Shaddaa. Luckily for him, no one else was any the wiser save for Eliza who briefly glanced his way and smirked.

 

“What of Vette, Risha, and Jenna?” Me’ghan asked next.

 

Though she’d released Vette from her service years ago and granted the Twi’lek her own ship, they remained close friends. When the war came to their doorstep Vette ventured out by herself to meet up with her old friend Risha and a Republic Smuggler.

 

“Forever staying just a few parsecs ahead of any law enforcement chasing them. Recently made a drop on Ord Mantell but we’re running low on medical supplies now Nyssa’s been caught.”

 

“Sorry…” Nyssa looked around the room and a blush crept onto her cheeks but Eliza waved her apology off.

 

“You did what you could for as long as you could at great personal risk. No need for apologies here.”

 

“She’s right.” Lana concurred. “And Darth Vowrawn’s already reached out to some of his old contacts in hopes of finding ourselves a new supplier. Now there’s one more thing and this is for you specifically Eliza.”

 

“Go on?”

 

“A potential ally reached out and requested a meeting with you. He would not say anything else, just that his loyalty lies only with you now but he will not join our cause until he has met with you in person. I’d venture to guess he’s looking for guarantees.”

 

“That stinks of a trap.” Ravage scoffed and he shook his head. “Obviously she won’t be going.”

 

“Did he leave a name?” Eliza ignored Ravage.

 

“No. Only what I assume is a call sign of sorts, ‘Shock Drum’.”

 

The second Lana read those words out loud, a smile formed on Eliza’s face and she nodded. “Set the meeting.”

 

“You can’t be serious!” within seconds Ravage towered over her. “Did I not just say this is clearly a trap?”

 

“Does ‘Shock Drum’ mean anything to you, Eliza?” Me’ghan frowned her way.

 

“It does so I will be going and…” she began looking around the room and considered her options but Theron already volunteered.

 

“Then I’m going with you.”

 

“No.” Eliza turned him down quite adamantly. “You’re still recovering, you’re not going anywhere except for your rehabilitation sessions.”

 

“I would accompany you.” Malavai, who’d mostly observed the meeting in silence, spoke up at last but Eliza turned him down too.

 

“I’d prefer you and Meg look after Cyara while I’m gone.” she smiled and held her hand up to Ravage before he could speak next. “And you ironically enough lack the diplomacy for this little meet.”

 

A small growl escaped him as his jaw tightened while Me’ghan bit down on her bottom lip and tried not to laugh.

 

“Lord Cytharat, would you join me?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Good, then that’s settled. Now Lana, do you have any news about your own progress?”

 

“Nothing substantial. There’s a Knight who once served in Valkorion’s personal guard and who’s spent quite some time chasing Koth, the deserter I met recently. Word is she’s struck out on her own, left Zakuul behind. Might be a worthy ally if I can convince her to join our cause.”

 

“A Knight of Zakuul…” Eliza paced the holo-communicator once more. Someone like that, she figured, may know more of what transpired after the attack on Darth Marr’s ship. “Good, yes. Keep me posted?”

 

“Always and I will be in touch once I’ve arranged your meeting with this other person. Any preference for a location, do you want him flying out to Rishi?”

 

“Whichever is most convenient for him. If he’s using code names he may be in trouble and hiding.”

 

“Understood. Beniko out.” Lana’s holo-image disappeared.

 

“Who is this person?” immediately Ravage turned his attention back to Eliza.

 

“If I’m right, an old friend. The first Sith I ever befriended actually.”

 

It was the only thing she was willing to share for now. Given the secrecy her old friend appeared to insist on, Eliza decided not to tell others of his identity and instead first see where her meeting would lead.

 

 

 

 

Tython, her former home. The place where she’d grown up among those who’d deceived her throughout her entire childhood. Eliza had not set foot here since she’d left for Manaan with Lord Scourge so many years ago—since she’d first met her true family. And it had changed so much.

 

An eerie cold and grey haze loomed over the planet as if all life had been sucked from its core. The Jedi Temple sat in ruins once more, abandoned. No one had bothered to rebuild it this time, not after Arcann and Thexan had carried out the attack that started this new war.

 

“This is not what I had expected…” Lord Cytharat spoke silently as though he feared raising his voice by a single octave would disturb the fallen Jedi whose bones decorated the courtyard.

 

“No…”

 

Eliza held her step and looked all around her. The green fields in which she’d once ran, played, lay basking in the sun were fogged up now and only scarcely hiding the corpses of those who’d lost their lives in the battle. The training droids she’d practiced on so often were no more than a rusty heap of scrap. For a moment, an old memory surfaced and she could hear Theron’s voice on the first night they’d met.

 

‘And what exactly have those droids ever done to you?’

 

A single tear rolled down her cheek. Once upon a time she’d harbored much hatred for the Jedi, for those who’d deceived her for so long but she’d always kept Tython in her heart. Even through the lies, the planet still represented home in a way and she ached seeing it so destroyed.

 

“Are you sure this is where your friend wanted to meet?”

 

“I am. Strange as it may seem… this is one of the safest places now. Ever since the Jedi left it behind well, Tython’s no more than a graveyard. One doesn’t seek out the living in a graveyard… Come.”

 

Despite her words, Eliza kept her hands readily resting on the hilts of her lightsabers and they tread carefully towards the Temple ruins. Lord Cytharat levitated some of the rubble aside to clear a path and Eliza lead him up the treacherous and crumbled stairs towards the old Jedi Council chambers.

 

The majestic golden and white doors had remained intact and she came to a halt once more. “I used to be so nervous standing here waiting to be called inside…”

 

“And now?”

 

A wry smile was all he got and Eliza placed her hand against the door. Before entering she let her senses reach out through the Force to see if it was truly her friend awaiting them or if they’d been misled as Ravage predicted.

 

“He’s in there…” she breathed out with relief.

 

No sooner than she’d said those words, both doors flew open and together with Lord Cytharat, she stepped inside. Much like the rest of the Temple, the Council chambers were scarcely lit and Eliza could only vaguely make out the hooded figure stood by the shattered roundtable.

 

“Praven?” it had to be him, she could feel his essence reach out to her and yet at the same time something felt not quite right.

 

It caused the hair on her arms to rise and a shiver coursed through her. The hooded figure turned, slowly, his red-orange eyes meeting her blues and relief washed over Eliza upon recognizing her old friend. She dashed forward eager to meet his embrace but upon closer inspection, she stopped.

 

A thick metal collar sat around his neck and identical cuffs bound his wrists together. His eyes expressed a deep sense of regret and suddenly the Jedi Council chambers lit up, each light activating simultaneously. Soldiers in uniforms she did not recognize rushed out of hiding to surround Eliza and Lord Cytharat and shrewd laughter rang in their ears.

 

“Well well, if it isn’t the Traitor of Tython.”

 

Eliza balled her fists, she’d recognize that grating voice anywhere. “Saresh…” she hissed angrily.

 

The former Chancellor emerged and fell in at Praven’s side while waving around a small device she held in her hand. Behind Eliza, Lord Cytharat had already ignited his blades and faced several soldiers, eager to strike them down.

 

“I wouldn’t if I were you,” Saresh gloated, “unless you want your friend here to lose his head. This slave collar one of my Agents stole from the Empire is the latest technology. Rather than shock its wearer, it sets off a small explosion instead leading to instant decapitation.”

 

“You foul secretion!” Eliza spat. “What have you done, what is this?!”

 

“Did your level of intelligence abandon you when you joined the Sith?” the Twi’lek sneered. “All of this is a trap obviously, carefully laid out just for you.”

 

“You see when this…” Saresh gestured at Praven with a disgusted look in her eyes. “Brainbolted mongrel took it upon himself to free some of the Republic’s prisoners and got himself caught, well he provided me with the perfect opportunity of luring you here. I knew you’d come—after all he’s still listed as a known associate of yours.”

 

“Your Republic is now a slave to the Eternal Empire and you’re wasting time on what appears to be a personal vendetta?” Lord Cytharat confronted and clipped his lightsaber back in place.

 

“Don’t waste your breath.” Eliza followed his example. “Saresh has never cared for the Republic, she only serves her own interests.”

 

“Eliza I’m sorry I never—” Praven began, his eyes pleading with her, trying to tell her the betrayal wasn’t his.

 

“Silence you!” Saresh barked and upon her words, one of the soldiers jammed the butt of his rifle into Praven’s ribcage.

 

“He is right though.” she continued. “In fact his refusal to cooperate almost cost him his life until we realized we didn’t really need him to reach out to you—you just needed to think it was him.”

 

“Then why is he here?” Eliza carried on, deliberately keeping Saresh talking while her mind exhausted every possible way of gaining the upper hand.

 

“To keep you in your place, stop you from killing us all on sight.”

 

An effective strategy because Eliza realized there was no way for her to win in this situation. One move and Praven would lose his life long before Eliza could even take one soldier out, let alone all twelve of them. It was a risk she’d never consider taking.

 

“What do you want Saresh?” she asked though she was fairly certain she already knew the answer.

 

“You,” Saresh confirmed and held up a second collar. “Lay down your weapons, surrender yourself and wear this and I will let your Filthblood friend go.”

 

“And where’s my guarantee you won’t just kill us both the minute I put that collar on?”

 

“There is none.” a wide grin spread across Saresh’s face.

 

‘I could burn them, all of them right where they stand…’ Eliza considered, ‘but what if I pass out before I’ve gotten everyone…’

 

“Tick tock.” Saresh taunted and her finger hovered dangerously close over the button on the detonator.

 

Coming to terms with the futility of her situation, Eliza glanced over her shoulder at Lord Cytharat who vehemently shook his head but she had no other choice. She wouldn’t let anyone die for her.

 

“Fine.” she sighed and threw her lightsaber hilts down at Saresh’s feet. “You win.”

 

“Eliza don’t!” Praven argued and was instantly punished, taking another punch to his gut but he wouldn’t let that deter him now. “I’m not worth it, just get out of here!”

 

“Who were the prisoners he intended to free?” Eliza asked curiously while she stepped closer to Saresh and Praven.

 

“Fallen Jedi who’ve betrayed the Order over the past years, rogue Agents and soldiers who rebelled against the treaty.” Saresh activated the collar she held. “A few Smugglers with stolen medical supplies.”

 

“I see…” Eliza smiled at Praven and immediately understood he’d attempted to assist her, bring further aid to her cause. He must have and it only more so convinced her he was worth saving. “Well then…” she reached to take the collar from Saresh.

 

Just then the Council chamber doors flew open once more and Ravage stormed inside, snapping the necks of two soldiers while he made his entry.

 

“You filthy, disgusting, worthless Twi’lek cu.nt!” he bellowed in all his fury.

 

His sudden appearance made for such a startling surprise that for a split second, Saresh actually became distracted. Eliza noticed and through the Force floated the detonator out of Saresh’s hand swiftly and into her own, taking control of the situation.

 

“What the… men, fire!” Saresh called out and tried to make a grab for Eliza.

 

Unfortunately for her, the tables had turned. Without breaking a sweat Ravage marched on using his sheer hatred and the Force to snap the neck of every other soldier in the room—they never even got a chance to take aim. He fell in next to Eliza and she smirked before taking Saresh in a Force-choke hold while Lord Cytharat rushed to Praven.

 

“Game over bi.tch.” it was now Eliza’s turn to gloat and her grip tightened. “Any last words?”

 

Saresh spat down at her feet. “Just get it over with you filthy Sith harlot!”

 

“As you wish.” her grandfather’s lightsaber roared to life and Eliza prepared to swing when Lord Cytharat stopped her.

 

“Wait! I can’t get his collar removed.” he pointed at Praven’s neck.

 

“Well of course not.” Saresh cackled, shaking her head at the four of them. “You need to enter the five-digit deactivation code before it comes off.”

 

“Then give us the code.” Ravage had little patience and pressed the tip of his blade against Saresh’s throat but all she did was smirk. “Now!”

 

“I think not. Whether I give you the code or not, you’re going to kill me either way and I’d rather go out having had the last laugh.”

 

“There could be a world of pain between now and the moment where you actually die!”

 

The Twi’lek’s smirk remained, she wasn’t about to give in and faced Ravage’s blade with more bravery than they’d expected. Eliza thought for a second and placed her hand over Ravage’s. She directed his blade towards Saresh’s lekku, leaving a scorch mark on her pale green skin. “Try there.”

 

Immediately Saresh screamed out. Her lekku were hypersensitive and quickly took the pain she experienced from none to unbearable, much to Ravage’s delight.

 

“That’s more like it.” he hooked one of Saresh’s lekku and let it curl along the length of his blade. “I could do this all day.”

 

A charcoal like smell of burned skin reached everyone’s nostrils while Saresh continued to cry out in agony. She tried to slither out of Ravage’s reach but Eliza was quick to assist him and took the Twi’lek in a Force hold once again restricting the movement of her body. For just a moment, Eliza met Ravage’s eyes and the two grinned at each other, delighting in the torment they were inflicting.

 

“F-five, nnnine…” Saresh finally spat out, blood dripping down her mouth from gritting her teeth and biting her tongue, “z-z-ero… t-two… ssssev-en.”

 

“Now was that so hard?” Ravage withdrew his blade so roughly he sliced off the tip of her lekku. It twitched on the ground while Saresh fell to her knees, horrified.

 

Lord Cytharat rushed to enter the digits into the display on Praven’s collar and with a simple click, both the collar and the cuffs around his wrists came off.

 

“M-monsters… all of you… I was r-right all along… we, w-we should have eradicated all S-Sith, all Imp-p-perials…” Saresh whimpered and she picked up the bleeding tip of her lekku, staring at it with widened eyes.

 

“Which makes you as bad as the Sith Emperor. How you ever became the Supreme Chancellor is beyond me though I imagine you spent a lot of time down on your knees quite as you are now…” Eliza casually circled the broken woman and sighed. “Still. Your reign of terror ends today Saresh, along with your life.”

 

With one fluid swing, she separated Saresh’s head from her body.

 

“Thank you…” Praven breathed out and oddly stared at the severed head as though he’d expected it to continue twitching much like the lekku had.

 

“Are you okay?” Eliza hopped over Saresh’s body and finally embraced him.

 

“Nothing some kolto, a shower and a decent meal can’t fix. I’m glad you came even though the entire time I found myself wishing you hadn’t.”

 

“Yeah well, this could have turned out a lot worse if…” Eliza frowned and glanced over her shoulder “Ravage, how did you get here?”

 

“I followed you.”

 

“Even though I specifically told you not to?” she demonstratively placed her hands on her hips and quirked a single brow, now ignoring the fact he’d just saved them all.

 

Lord Cytharat cleared his throat slightly, drawing their attention before they could launch into a brand new argument. “Uh, what are we doing with her…” he indicated at Saresh’s corpse.

 

“Leave the body and bag the head—a nice present for the Senate.” Eliza decided.

 

A duffle bag belonging to one of the dead soldiers was emptied out in favor Saresh’s decapitated head and together with Praven, Lord Cytharat left the Council chambers. “Trust me, you don’t want to be around for a bickering match between those two…” he whispered.

 

Eliza turned back to Ravage and tapped her foot. “Well?”

 

“I chose to ignore your orders. I warned you this was a trap and I was right!” he argued back and shook his head at her. “Get angry with me all you like but at the end of the day, I’ll be the one keeping you alive! Always!”

 

She looked away and muttered a quiet ‘thank you’ but Ravage didn’t want to hear it. “What were you thinking giving yourself over to that cu.nt in favor of Lord whoever he is?!”

 

“Praven and she was going to kill him!”

 

“Ah, so what? Just another casualty of war but you, you—”

 

“My life is not worth more than his!”

 

Angrily Ravage gripped her wrist and hissed through his teeth. “Yes it is! You have a daughter at home waiting for you! A family counting on you! People who love and need you! Don’t you ever dare just give your life for someone, anyone else’s because I will be there every single time to stop you!”

 

Eliza blinked a few times, taken aback by his words. “I’m… sorry…”

 

A low growl escaped him but rather than push the matter further, he released her. “Let’s go home, I hate this place.”

 

 

Edited November 19, 2017 by JennyFlynn

Wow! What a powerhouse chapter!

 

 

 

Powerful and revealing chapter.

 

 

 

 

Looking forward to the next.

Wow! What a powerhouse chapter!

 

 

I loved all the action and how deftly you set up the trap for Eliza. As soon as you said 'shockdrum', I was like, Ha! That has to be Lord Praven. It was fun to be right. The trap was an enjoyable surprise. I really loathe Saresh as you know and you portrayed her malevolence perfectly. I would have loved to see her wear that collar and Eliza press the button. Saresh got what she deserved.

 

I also really enjoyed the description of Tython and what had become of it after the war. Very vivid. I see that Eliza also likes to send heads to people through the post. And I'm very happy that Ravage didn't listen. It was nice to see him get to be heroic in his surly way and I loved getting to see him in action. I have to agree with him though, that Eliza is undervaluing her place in the galaxy. She has people to consider, but it was nice to see that her friends also matter to her. I couldn't see her letting Praven die. Great job, I loved it.

Heh yeah. Initially I'd considered only having the 'shock drum' hint and saving the 'reveal' for the following chapter but then I figured it'd probably be such a dead give-away I may as well just go straight for the action. And I'm happy having Praven worked into it, he's one of those overlooked characters I missed hearing from in KOTFE.

 

Saresh was due to meet her end and I wanted it sooner and different from in-game. Killing her is... delightful, and of course the Senate should receive a souvenir! I'm glad you enjoyed the description of Tython... kinda just winged it there because we never actually got to see a post-attack version of the planet or heard a whole lot on the state of the planet during KOTFE. This felt fitting.

 

I'm hoping to introduce a bit more action going forward and not have it just be romance and drama but there's a grace period of taking them from Rishi onwards to the bigger stuff that I didn't want to just gloss over either. Stuff that feels important in terms of where are they now, what do their lives look like now 4 years later, how did it come to be that way and how will they fall into the Eternal Empire arc etc. Hope it's not too much of a doozy for people to read.

 

Thank you for the words of encouragement and feedback. ♥

 

Powerful and revealing chapter.

 

 

I see a Senya on the horizon, then maybe an Arcann and *shudders* Vaylin? It should be interesting how you incorporate these characters or if you do at all.

 

Traipsing through childhood memory on a ruined world rather changes one's perspective I would think, although it is rather nice that at least there are one or two pleasant memories.

 

I always rather liked Praven and as for Saresh, no matter how many stories I read, I'm always glad to see her get her comeuppance in the most delightful ways. Harpy indeed.

 

Ah, Ravage gets to play the hero at last. His heart's in the right place, sort of, but he never does anything simply for the sake of love. It was, however, refreshing to see him get to be the champion for a change and to point out to Eliza that she has worth, and not just to him. Wonder what dynamic this will change, if any?

 

 

Looking forward to the next.

Oh they will definitely have their role within the story, just likely not quite as they do in-game. Praven is a happy addition for me as I really want to use 'my own spin' as a stage for bringing in members I would have chosen/sought out for the 'Alliance' had the game given us free reign.

 

Eliza still holds Tython in her heart, despite the lies of the Jedi. It was her home for 20 years, she grew up there, met Kira and Theron there for the first time, forged her first lightsaber there and through it all she has a lot of good and happy memories of the place.

 

I know, he's all heroic in his very own grumpy Ravage way! Which was actually enjoyable to write and read back--he brings a stupid smile to my face even if he's being the galaxy's biggest jerk. There's more to him yet, trying to peel back the layers to see what else he's made of.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read and respond, I'm glad you enjoyed it. ♥

 

 

 

“There’s room for you aboard the ship.” Eliza looked to Ravage, “I can have Ceenine follow us in your shuttle, set it to autopilot.”

 

“Fine.” His mood was clearly still rather dour and for good measure, he kicked the duffle bag containing Saresh’s head when he trudged up the ramp.

 

‘It’s gonna be a cold few days in space…’ Eliza followed him with her eyes until he vanished from sight and provided her droid, Ceenine, with clear instructions.

 

After ensuring the flight plan for the shuttle, she boarded the Vanora herself and instructed Lord Cytharat to plot a course for Tatooine at Praven’s request.

 

“I’d love to meet your family Eliza but I have contacts waiting to hear from me and a few Jedi counting on supplies.”

 

She smiled. “It’s not a problem. We’ll drop you off and arrange something for our special delivery to the Senate while we’re there too. Best not to have it traced back to any of us. Now if you’re up for decent company there’s a spare bed in Lord Cytharat’s quarters or otherwise, you can take mine and I’ll crash wherever.”

 

“I’m good for a roommate,” Praven assured her while she gave him a quick tour of her ship. “I’d like to know him better if he does not object to the company. It’s been too long since I last found myself in the presence of one of my own.”

 

“You’d be most welcome.” Lord Cytharat glanced their way briefly, having overheard the conversation as they passed the helm. “I don’t imagine there are many Pureblood Jedi?”

 

“None.” Praven took up the co-pilot’s seat. “Of course there was…” he paused with an eye on Eliza, “well Lord Scourge but he never embraced the teachings of the Light side.”

 

“Didn’t stop them from trying though.” She chuckled, recalling the debates between Lord Scourge and Satele most of all.

 

“You know Eliza has Pureblood genes?” Lord Cytharat pointed out, “In fact,” he locked in the ship’s controls and spun the pilot’s seat around her way, “we’re related.”

 

“We are?”

 

Lord Cytharat nodded and excused himself, leaving curiosity to hang in the air until he returned a few minutes later with an aged, leather-bound book which he handed over to her.

 

“My family dates back as far as your grandfather’s, the Ignis line, does. For generations Cytharat would wed an Ignis, all to maintain purity and status. I never knew either until I spoke with my mother last week, informing her of my safe stay with you, and she gushed about our family ties. Encouraged me to dig out the family ancestry,” he explained and indicated at the book, “which I’ve had in my possession for years but never really studied.”

 

“Wouldn’t that eventually lead to some uh… rather incestuous relationships?” Eliza quirked a brow and with Praven began flipping through the pages.

 

“That matters not in the name of purity,” Praven stated. “Arranged marriages between powerful families have always been our way. Only in the most recent of years has the practice begun to fade into obscurity along with other ancient traditions.”

 

“Weird… so, how are we related then?”

 

Lord Cytharat sat back down and folded out the intricate family tree attached to the back cover of the book. “We are second cousins, see here? My grandmother was Ilyana Ignis, your grandfather’s sister. She married Kato Cytharat and gave birth to my father, Lord Silas Cytharat.”

 

“Oh wow…” Eliza followed along with him and a soft smile fell over her upon seeing her grandparent’s names.

 

“It gets better, or worse…” he smirked and revealed a letter which sat tucked away between the pages, “read this.”

 

Tamas,

Blessed is the news that your human son and his human wife are expecting their first child and we pray the Force will return its gift to your family by means of this unborn child. As you know our son Silas and his wife Gianna gave birth to a child of their own this past year—a son named Tallis Cytharat. Should your grandchild be born a Pureblood female gifted with the Force then it is our hope you will consider joining our two houses once more, as is tradition. I assure you my grandson would make for a highly suitable match. Please respond promptly.

— Kato Cytharat

 

Praven watched in amusement as he witnessed the multitude of, and highly animated, expressions play on Eliza’s face while she read the letter several times over.

 

“Human son and his human wife? And only if I’d been born as a Pureblood? Pff. Your grandfather was rather speciesist wasn’t he?” she uttered out eventually.

 

Lord Cytharat laughed. “That is the part you take issue with?”

 

“Well I mean aside from the obvious gross factor.” Eliza snorted. “They did realize we would be cousins, right?”

 

“As Praven pointed out, that mattered none.”

 

“Did my grandfather ever respond?”

 

“No. He passed the day this letter was composed so they never sent it.”

 

Eliza quirked a brow, her head tilted as she observed him closely, “Suppose that’s a blessing in disguise… You know, Cyara’s going to love this—she’s been so eager to find more family, especially anyone who’s Pureblood as she is.

 

“It is funny though—grandfather never mentioned any of this when we spoke.”

 

Now both Lord Cytharat and Praven frowned and the former voiced his confusion, “And when exactly did you speak with him? Didn’t he pass away before you were even born?”

 

“Well, yes he did but…” Eliza bound the book back together and leaned against the navigation console while she began to explain about her unique ability and the Force-realm in which she’d met with her grandfather in the past.

 

“So the rumors were true.” Lord Cytharat concluded. “Have you ever spoken with him again in the recent years?”

 

“No. I considered it, especially after Cyara was born. There’s a lot I don’t know yet about our gift, how it’s passed on. Whether the gift can exist within two Ignis at the same time or if she’ll only inherit it if I die. If she’ll inherit it at all.”

 

“But it’s too great a risk to seek his advice?” Praven asked.

 

She nodded. “It is, which is why I haven’t again.”

 

“Anyways,” she pushed herself off the console and smiled, “I’m going to make a call home to check in on my baby girl and brief the others on our situation. You two play nice and uh… glad to have you as my family Lord Cytharat.” Eliza winked and retreated to her private quarters.

 

“It’s curious to find us on opposite sides,” Praven lamented after she’d left, “many years ago she brought me into the Jedi Order and now she is Sith herself—a former member of the Dark Council no less.”

 

He found himself marveling at the way their lives had changed and shared the story of how he’d come to meet Eliza in the first place.

 

“Mm yes, the Force works in mysterious ways…” Lord Cytharat turned his attention to the other Pureblood. “Please share, what was it like to join their ranks?”

 

“Challenging but I grew accustomed to the curious and distrusting looks. I spent much time in the library studying, entering deep meditation. Eventually, Master Kiwiiks, another Jedi I’d encountered on Tatooine, took me under her wing—she saw something in me and decided it was the best way for us both to heal from the events on Tatooine.”

 

“Interesting…” Lord Cytharat kept his eyes on Praven. “How have you balanced yourself between the Light and Dark?”

 

“It wasn’t quite as difficult as I’d imagined. Even as Sith I practiced much self-control, disciplined my emotions and maintained my calm. Serving the Light came rather natural, to my own surprise.”

 

“Now, I would like to hear more about you Lord Cytharat. I have a feeling we have much in common,” he said at last.

 

“Tallis.” the other Pureblood offered. “My full name is Tallis Cytharat.”

 

“Hrm… meaning ‘wise’—it suits you.” Praven nodded. “How did you end up as Malgus’ apprentice?”

 

“He saw something in me. At the Academy I was mostly invisible, always had my nose buried in my books studying history, strategy. My mind proved sharper than my blade which made me an easy target for other acolytes.” It was now Lord Cytharat’s turn to share some of his past with his new acquaintance.

 

“One day I used my wits to avoid an assassination attempt at the Academy and somehow the story reached Darth Malgus. He had me summoned to Dromund Kaas and took me under his wing. Told me my intelligence was a gift—any Sith could swing a lightsaber and fight but few possessed a mind as brilliant as my own, and that it made me unique. For the first time, I really felt I belonged.”

 

“Many do not bother with their studies, forever chasing their bloodlust instead.” Praven made a fair assessment and recalled his own days at the Sith Academy. “It’s a shame what’s become of our kind. So much potential and yet many resort to the same savagery as our Massassi ancestors.”

 

“But not all.” A twinkle played in Lord Cytharat’s eyes. “You’re different. Wish that our paths had crossed sooner.”

 

Praven favored him with a smile. “Agreed, but we’re here now.”

 

“We are… So, what took you from Jedi Knight to breaking out prisoners on Coruscant?”

 

“Duty, loyalty. After the Senate signed the treaty with Arcann, Grand Master Shan send all Jedi out into the galaxy. She believed the Republic as we knew it would cease to exist and the Senate may turn on the Order seeking to hold us down, or even turn us over to Arcann should he ever demand it.” Praven explained where the Jedi Order had disappeared to.

 

“She encouraged us to seek out those in need to help and protect them and so we all scattered into the far reaches of the galaxy. I spent a few years traveling between the Core Worlds and Outer Rim until an old friend informed me of Eliza’s endeavors. I recalled what I knew of the prisoners on Coruscant, Jedi and Republic men and women who do not deserve imprisonment and well the rest is history as they say.”

 

Lord Cytharat nodded. “We should see if a plan can be devised to free those prisoners... What happened to the Grand Master? I know Eliza’s been searching for her but so far it would seem she’s just vanished into thin air.”

 

“Not quite. She’s out there but that’s all I know. Last we spoke she said she had a mission of her own—an old acquaintance who’d reached out seeking help.”

 

“And this ‘old friend’ who told you of our alliance?” asked Lord Cytharat in a most casual way.

 

“Another Jedi, Master Timmns? I’ll be making my way to Voss soon to join him and Lord… Darius is it?”

 

“Correct. Darth Vowrawn’s nephew. Keep an eye on him, he has a penchant for trouble.”

 

“Must run in the family, though Vowrawn’s often far more subtle,” Praven smirked.

 

Their light conversation and gentle laughter brought a smile to Eliza’s face when she passed the helm on her way to Ravage’s quarters, having finished her private call.

 

‘At least those two are getting along…’ she thought to herself and knocked.

 

“Ravage?” She inched the door open and peered inside to find him sat behind his desk with his back turned to her. “Is this a bad time?”

 

“What do you need?”

 

“Uhm, I actually just… I wanted to say thanks, and apologize for ignoring your council. I should have been more cautious…”

 

He turned, pushing his chair back. “Go on.”

 

For a second she just stared at him, confused until it clicked and she groaned. “Thank you and I am sorry—you were right.”

 

“Accepted.” Ravage spun back around to continue working on his datapad. “Please inform me when dinner’s been prepared.” he dismissed her rather bluntly.

 

A deep sigh escaped Eliza and his behavior reminded her of that of a sulking child. “I’ve said I’m sorry, what more do you want?”

 

“We never finished our conversation the other day.”

 

“What conversation?”

 

“About us.” Once more he turned and this time he got up to face her fully, his arms folded before him. “About there being anything good between us.”

 

Eliza gently closed the door and sat herself down on the foot end of his bed. “If I recall your advances pushed that conversation in a whole different direction.”

 

“And?”

 

“And… fine, yes,” she began reluctantly, “there’s been some good. Actually, there’s…”

 

Whether it was due to his heroic efforts or if she simply lacked the bite to argue with him today, Eliza wasn’t sure but she began sharing a story which had him at the center stage. A moment from years back he didn’t know she’d witnessed but it had been the first time she’d seen something other than a monster in him.

 

“Do you remember the first few weeks after Cyara was born?”

 

 

 

 

For weeks now Eliza hadn’t found a single moment of peace and everything hurt—she was a mere shadow of the woman she used to be. A pale and underweight shadow, her body broken and her soul shattered. Each day she cried and whenever she did, so did her daughter. At night in the moments where sleep should take her, she lay awake, tossing and turning instead unable to silence the pain in her heart which was another thing her daughter sought to answer with further crying and screaming.

 

To her own painful horror, she’d begun to resent her child. Blaming baby Cyara for stalling her search for her husband and yet at the same time, her demons told her Cyara was punishing her with this behavior. Because she failed the girl’s father, Lord Scourge, and left him behind to die.

 

Everything had begun to break her down and Eliza wanted to flee. To get away from her child, her overly concerned family and the eyes that always looked at her so expectantly hoping that today would be the day where she’d finally feel better. She never did. In her mind, there wasn’t a getting better of anything until one night everything changed.

 

Eliza was curled up in bed soaking her pillow with the tears she cried so often. She tried to hold them in and waited for the moment where her daughter would inevitably start crying too but this night, Cyara didn’t. The quiet almost brought Eliza to a point of finally finding sleep but something held her back—worry and concern for the child, even through her pain. It was unusual for the baby to be this silent and calm and Eliza dressed in her night robe before climbing from her bed.

 

Cyara’s room, adjacent to her own and separated only by a set of sliding doors, was dark save for a small reading light lit up near her crib. It took a few seconds for Eliza’s eyes to adjust to the scene before her and then her jaw dropped at the mere sight.

 

Sat within the large wingback near her daughter’s crib was Ravage holding Cyara in his arms. The infant cooed quietly and sucked on his pinkie finger while he balanced a storybook in his other hand and read it to her.

 

“... and then Lord Adam, at last, revealed his surprise to Lady Bella. Gilded double doors flew open at his command and granted access to the largest library she’d ever seen.”

 

Cyara’s eyes twinkled and for the first time since she’d been born, she smiled. Gentle chortles escaped the infant and she gripped Ravage’s pinkie tighter as he chuckled.

 

“I know, I know.” He whispered and rocked her gently. “One day you’ll have your own library too and it’ll be even bigger than Lady Bella’s huh?”

 

As though she’d heard and understood him, Cyara giggled with delight and Eliza couldn’t believe what she witnessed. She kept herself hidden behind the doors peering through the narrowest opening.

 

Ravage sat the book aside and teased a tiny, raven black curly lock from Cyara’s forehead. “And like Lord Adam, I will always protect you and your mother from the bad people. From those losers calling themselves the Eternal Empire. I promise.” He smiled down into her sparkling amber eyes.

 

Cyara took his thumb in her tiny fist while still holding onto his pinkie too and began blowing raspberries against his palm.

 

“I had a daughter once too you know? A beautiful baby girl named Callista…” He began sharing one of his biggest secrets with Cyara. “Her hair auburn like mine, her eyes sapphire blue like her mother’s and a smile that you’d give your life for if only you could see it one more time.

 

“She was just a few weeks old, as you are now, when we lost her. The sickness which would take her mother in the years to come ran through Callista’s blood as well. She was too small and too fragile to fight it.”

 

In the other room, Eliza gasped and clasped her hand over her mouth. She knew Ravage had lost his wife to a rare bone disease years ago but no one had ever made mention of a daughter.

 

“But you,” Ravage braved his emotions and leaned forward pressing his lips to Cyara’s tiny fist, “you’re going to live a long and good life little one, and grow up to become such a strong and powerful woman. Just like your mother.”

 

“You may not believe it now and I know you feel her pain, her grief and it upsets you, it hurts, but she’s tough you know? She’ll survive this too.”

 

His words revealed something to Eliza that she hadn’t thought of before. Cyara wasn’t trying to punish her by screaming and crying through day and night, she was sharing in her mother’s pain, reacting to it. She and her daughter were connected by more than just their blood and suddenly Eliza realized that the calm Cyara seemed to experience right now was within her too. For the first time in weeks, she felt like she could breathe again, relax and rest.

 

It was the catalyst moment that broke Eliza out of her growing depression and at last brought both mother and daughter the peace they needed, brought them closer once more.

 

 

 

Ravage stared at her wide-eyed once Eliza finished sharing the memory with him.

 

“The thing that made it so special is… you had no idea I was there. You didn’t do it to impress me, it was genuine and real and without knowing it you helped me so much that night.”

 

“You weren’t meant to…” he sighed and felt completely disarmed—this wasn’t what he’d expected to discuss.

 

“I know. That moment was for you and her which is why I never told you I overheard all of it.”

 

“But you did and still you think there’s nothing good?”

 

“Not nothing…” she admitted and smiled his way. “There’s some good. I also recall the many times you helped bathe her, put her to sleep, read her stories. Defied the trade blockade and had Starflowers flown in from Alderaan just to brighten my room. Massaged my feet when I became too fat to even see them.”

 

“I’m grateful for those things,” she told him truthfully.

 

“Then why do you continue to reject my advances?”

 

“Because some good isn’t enough and it doesn’t change the man you are during every other moment. You’re rude, arrogant, manipulative and almost always have a foul temper. You are self-serving in the worst of ways never caring who you hurt as long as you get what you—”

 

“Self-serving?!” Ravage snapped suddenly, incensed by having the worst of his own qualities thrown in his face. “That’s rich coming from you! Coming from the woman who’s made it her life’s purpose to spurn my advances at every turn, reject me repeatedly until you have an itch to scratch and I suddenly find you between my sheets!”

 

“Excuse me?! I’m pretty sure that’s a two-way street!” Eliza bit back. “You never seemed to have a problem with it, knowing fine well what it was and still taking what you could get rather than having nothing at all!”

 

She got up and shook her head. “Hell Ravage you spent years trying to lure me to your bed in the first place, you’re no victim.”

 

“No I’m not but if you want to talk about being self-serving you’re hardly innocent yourself!”

 

“Don’t you think I know that?! Trust me I’m fully aware of…” she let out an exasperated groan and strode for the door. “Forget it!”

 

“Fully aware of what?!” He demanded and blocked her exit.

 

“The fact I don’t love you, I never will and that’s why we can’t do this anymore! I’ve been using you and I hate myself for it! ”

 

“You… hate yourself?” Ravage’s voice dropped and he stared at her in such a way he appeared genuinely hurt and surprised.

 

For a moment silence filled the small distance between them but then he quickly regained his composure. He yanked the door open and stepped aside. “Fine. Then go.”

 

“Ravage…”

 

“Get. Out. Now!”

 

Without saying another word, Eliza rushed off with her heart racing in her chest. Guilt threatened to wash over her—she did care about him and he mattered to her. In a way, she even felt a semblance of affection towards him but it just wasn’t love, it never had been or ever would be and she’d always been convinced he knew this. Now though she suddenly wasn’t as sure and felt forced to ask herself if she’d blindly and selfishly led him on.

 

Behind her, the door slammed and Ravage let out a growl of pure frustration. He smashed the mirror with his fist and blood seeped down his balled fist. He looked at the holograph on his nightstand next where Eliza and Cyara smiled back at him until he shattered the frame and turned away.

 

None of this was working out as he’d hoped. He’d always imagined given time she would come to see there was more to him but maybe he was wrong. Perhaps he’d been delusional about the man he thought to be and she was right. He’d never been able to control his darker impulses, his self-serving behavior, and his temper. Every good intention was forever overshadowed, drowned out by the worst parts of himself. He was the sole maker of his own misery but perhaps that could still change and Ravage flipped over to his inbox to check his latest correspondence.

 

For the next few days, the two ignored each other’s existence for as much as they could, getting on with daily business while Lord Cytharat and Praven grew much closer. They arrived on Tatooine and while Ravage remained behind in his quarters too preoccupied with his own dilemmas, the other three ran a few errands and at last said their goodbyes.

 

“Are you sure I can’t convince you to come home with us?” Eliza hugged Praven tight.

 

For a second, from the corner of his eye he glanced Lord Cytharat’s way and appeared to doubt but he shook his head and smiled. “I’m sure but trust me… I will visit, soon.”

 

“You’d better.” she lingered in his embrace a second longer but then stepped aside in favor of Lord Cytharat.

 

“You have my frequency?” Lord Cytharat wanted to be certain.

 

Praven nodded. “And you have mine. I’ll be in touch.”

 

“We had scouts looking for a safer location but the planet I had in mind is once more unstable.” Lord Cytharat dug his hands into his pockets, unsure and a little shy about saying goodbye without really knowing what else to say, “But Beniko believes she’s found an alternative location and one closer to Zakuul. We should know more soon.”

 

“Mm good, yes. I don’t believe we should linger on Voss for too long.”

 

The two men stood awkwardly and Eliza rolled her eyes, chuckling to herself while she pretended not to notice them and browsed one of the market stalls just outside the spaceport.

 

After a few more seconds which seemed to last a lifetime, Praven was the one to make a move and he drew Lord Cytharat closer, taking his hands. “I will call you the minute I leave this planet behind and I am so pleased to have met you, Tallis.”

 

“The feeling is mutual, Sevas.” Lord Cytharat gently traced the back of Praven’s hand with his index finger.

 

Neither men were big on public displays but just the simple touch of their hands was enough to tell each other those things they could not yet say or show otherwise. They said goodbye at last and while Praven disappeared to secure himself a ship, Eliza fell in at Lord Cytharat’s side and linked arms with him.

 

“You’ll see him again.” she winked and together they turned back towards the spaceport.

 

 

 

Edited November 19, 2017 by JennyFlynn

Interesting and lovely chapter.