Is this story going to have a dark ending to it irishfino or happy one?

 

Casue really if Jaesa is dead really not going make this happy ending.(unless you going bring Jaesa back life some how. That maybe hopful wish to me but you know)

 

But I contuie to read this I see how your story ending man. Don't let me get you down aright.

Keep reading.

Ah a prequel to the good stuff. I kid you not, when Quinn threw Malavai in the closet it almost made me cry. Saddest part of the entire story....so far. But that is pretty hard to beat.

It was a bit hard to write, but Malavai is going to be a key player in the story.

I just need to say this: I love your story!!! Great stuff, don't keep us waiting too long!

Thank you! The next part is about to be posted so stay... posted.

Thanks for reading everyone!

He had done it to save him, to spare him from the torment. At least, that’s what he told himself as he sat on the floor covered in blood staring blankly at Malavai’s bloodied corpse. Quinn was more than pleased with the progress the Captain had made in such short time. The Captain was so far gone it was no surprise that he had finally caved to the pressure. He had tried so hard to save Jaesa only to be beaten down in the end. Killing his heart made sense. At least, that’s what Quinn had told him. And, as far as Quinn knew, Malavai was long gone.

She knew pain and darkness. She knew the evils of trust. She knew the naïveté of youth. She knew she would make Quinn pay for what he had done, even if it killed him. Which she really hoped it did. Really, really hoped.

“Still nothin’?” Pierce asked softly.

Syla turned to him from her obsessive staring at the onboard kolto tank. It had been four weeks since the attack and Jaesa had not so much as opened her eyes. The doctors said her injuries were healing at the normal rate and she should wake up any day now. But any day seemed too far away as the days ticked by one by one until they equaled a standard month.

“Not so much as a finger twitch,” she answered quietly.

Pierce sighed quietly. Syla had been up for thirty hours this time. The first night Jaesa was back onboard, she didn’t sleep. She didn’t sleep the next night either. Or the following five until Pierce forcibly removed her from the room and put Broonmark on stare-at-Jaesa-as-she-floats-around-a-bit detail.

“Come to bed, babe. Staring at her won’t do anything,” he said gently.

She focused on his reflection in the tank and glared.

“You know it’s true. Come on, I’ll have Vette watch her. Twi’lek couldn’t keep her mouth shut for long if Jaesa so much as had a quickening in heart beat.”

“I want to be here when she wakes up,” Syla said stubbornly.

“She’s not just going to pop awake. Brain injuries don’t work like that,” he said softly. “I’ve seen my fair share in my line of work.”

“This isn’t like Black Ops,” Syla said quietly. “I’ve been reaching out to her through the Force and there’s… nothing there.”

Pierce stared at the tank for a long moment. He had no idea what that meant.

“So, is she not Force sensitive anymore?” Pierce asked quietly.

“Worse,” Syla sighed.

“What’s worse than that?”

Syla turned to him, her face blank and her eyes shining.

“No brain activity, no Force presence? She’s dead, Pierce.”

“Wanna hunt down Quinn and snap his pale little neck?” Pierce asked gruffly.

Syla laughed quietly. “I’m not letting him off with a quick death. When we find him, I’ll make Baras’ interrogation tactics look like childplay.”

“Can’t wait.”

This was so cool. This was the coolest thing ever. Ever! He had never been outside like this before. He felt free, light, but he had a mission. Where ever he was, was really, really dark except for the iridescent white bridge he was walking across. He knew how he got there, he knew where he was going, but he wasn’t sure how he was going to get there. The bridge narrowed the further he walked and it worried him. He knew it had weakened significantly, all things considered, but he had some hope he would be able to make it across before it disappeared into the ether.

At the end of the bridge, when he had finally arrived, he had to jump. And, boy, was it a far jump. At least, it felt really, really far because he had really, really short legs. He teetered on the edge for a moment before regaining his footing by flapping his arms comically. He looked around to see if anyone was watching, but, of course, there was no one here. Paranoia sure set in early.

Well, at least this felt familiar if a little strained and holy hell this place was a disaster. It looked like a bomb had gone off and… well that actually made a lot of sense. Now he just had to find whatever passed for the control center around here and he’d be golden.

“She twitched!” Vette shouted excitedly.

Syla came running at Vette’s rambunctious whooping. Vette stopped jumping up and down for a moment and turned around. She pulled open a drawer and tossed Syla a gown. It hit Syla in the face before she snatched it and tugged it on, covering up her nudity as much as possible. Whoops.

“Did you do anything?” Syla asked breathlessly.

“Nope, I was just sitting here watching her soak and float when her eyebrow twitched!” Vette piped happily.

“You interrupted us for an eyebrow twitch?” Pierce asked gruffly. Syla turned on him and glared. “I – I mean good watching, Vette.”

“That’s what I thought you said,” Syla growled softly.

“That’s not all!” Vette said happily, jumping in place. “Brain function monitor started goin’ crazy! I mean craaazy like five minutes ago!”

“Really?” Syla asked breathlessly.

“I wouldn’t lie about something like this!”

He finally found the control center or… something. He wasn’t quite sure what it was, but he knew the person in it. She was staring as a memory played over and over and over. He could see Quinn and an explosion. She was torturing herself like this.

“Jaesa?” he asked quietly.

“Malavai?” Jaesa asked as she turned toward his voice. Force, it was really him!

“Best hide and seek game EVER!” the boy piped happily. Suddenly, he sobered. “Listen, I need your help. The Captain’s in trouble and Quinn is going to get him killed.”

“Why should I help him?” she asked angrily.

“Do I have to spell it out for you?” he asked, putting his hand on his hips. Jaesa stared at him blankly. “Adults are stupid,” he sighed dramatically.

“You’re stupid,” Jaesa said petulantly.

“Dude… seriously? What the fu – never mind. Look, I promised the Captain I would save him from Quinn, but I need your help. You gotta wake up and you gotta get to Tatooine and stop the ritual.”

“What ritual?”

“Somethin’ about Czerka Corp and a Rakata something. I don’t know, I don’t really understand it. I just know the Captain is in trouble and I have to help him.”

“I’m not helping him. He sent me to die,” she said angrily.

“Stop being stubborn about this, damn it!” he said, stomping his barefoot.

“Such language, young man.”

“I’m thirty-four,” he said angrily.

“You have quite the baby face for a thirty-four year old,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“This is why Quinn hates you.”

“What?”

“You don’t listen when we talk to you. We are the same person, we’re the same age, and we’ve been through and seen the same things.”

“Then why are you presented as a four year old?” she asked, crossing her arms.

“I represent his innocence and heart. The Captain is a manifestation of his duty to the Empire coldness and his analytical nature. Quinn is controlled by his emotions. Mostly anger. Just anger and murder. We were separated for two reasons: the damn SLV treatments and necessity. I can explain later, but first, you need to wake up.”

Jaesa turned back to the memory.

“Damn it, Jaesa!” the boy said angrily. “You feel something for the Captain, I know you do. Right now, he’s trapped and he needs your help. You’ve helped him this entire time, why is now different?”

“He tried to kill me! The Captain,” she spat his name angrily, “was the one who sent me to Lachris. He knew what would happen to me!”

“He did it because Quinn said he’d kill you otherwise! He felt trapped. It’s the same stunt Baras pulled on him with the Transponder Station and Syla! Baras knew the Captain had feelings for Syla, he used them against him. On top of that, he used threats of using his keyword to force him to kill Syla outright,” Malavai explained.

“I’m not helping him. Let him die,” Jaesa said bitterly.

“If you don’t help him, I can’t leave this place. You’ll be stuck with me until you die,” he said evenly. “Can you imagine? Living with a piece of the Captain at all times? I’m sure it’d drive you insaaaaane. Plus, I’m super good at hide and seek. You’d never find me to lock me away.”

Jaesa turned to him and frowned. She really did not want to wake up or help the Captain. But if it meant screwing over Quinn. Well, that she could do.

“Fine,” she said grudgingly. “What’s your plan?”

Malavai jumped in placed and whooped happily. “First, you need to wake up! I’ll explain after you do! Go, go, go, go, goooooooooo!!”

“Syla!” Pierce bellowed, his voice carrying through the ship urgently. “She’s waking up!”

Syla knocked over the Dejarik table in her rush to get to the medical bay. Broonmark blorped a bit angrily. She did that on purpose. She was losing and hated losing. Sith clan cheated.

It didn’t take long to get Jaesa out of the tank and onto one of the beds. After downing a few cups of water, she turned to Syla.

“Tatooine,” Jaesa said hoarsely. “Captain Quinn is on Tatooine.”

“Pierce,” Syla said firmly, “set a course for Tatooine.”

“Right away, milord!” he saluted.

Let the games begin.

Very good chaper I like it. Thing 1 those:

Why Jaesa blaming the Caption when Malavai told her th truth why he did it ( gusee Jaesa just being stubbron).

Very good chaper I like it. Thing 1 those:

 

Why Jaesa blaming the Caption when Malavai told her th truth why he did it ( gusee Jaesa just being stubbron).

little malavai, also told her "they are the same person"

either way he blew her up, i'd be pissed too.

^ was a genius idea, jaesa ticks me off sometimes

~edit, if you meant the whole send her to lachriss thing... why he sent her there is irrelevant, and then he blew her up after

either way he blew her up, i'd be pissed too.

Yeah. Women are crazy sensitive about that kind of thing. One little murder attempt from your worse half (third?) and they go berserk.

(Edit: Quinn as mastermind, Captain as unwilling accomplice, I think we are up to "worse half." Jerk.)

little malavai, also told her "they are the same person"

 

either way he blew her up, i'd be pissed too.

 

^ was a genius idea, jaesa ticks me off sometimes

 

 

~edit, if you meant the whole send her to lachriss thing... why he sent her there is irrelevant, and then he blew her up after

Yep. I already didn't like the version of her that rots in my med bay. Now I want to explode her myself. Oh yeah, she's ticked but the sad fact is; she blew herself up. Quinn told her what he and the Captain needed a while ago to prevent this. So know she's blown up, still not listening and on the predictable "boo hoo, Captain was mean to me" jag. In the meantime Quinn is out destroying things with a flick of his angry and shapely wrists.

p.s. The only thing that ever made me angry about Lachriss is the fact BW does allow my Marauder to wear robes as cool as hers. I'm glad she was stabbed.

Very good chaper I like it. Thing 1 those:

 

Why Jaesa blaming the Caption when Malavai told her th truth why he did it ( gusee Jaesa just being stubbron).

Whether he meant to or not, he did still try to blow her up. Tends to make one mad.

little malavai, also told her "they are the same person"

 

either way he blew her up, i'd be pissed too.

 

^ was a genius idea, jaesa ticks me off sometimes

 

~edit, if you meant the whole send her to lachriss thing... why he sent her there is irrelevant, and then he blew her up after

Jaesa can be annoying. A good bomb to the head can fix most things...

Yeah. Women are crazy sensitive about that kind of thing. One little murder attempt from your worse half (third?) and they go berserk.

 

(Edit: Quinn as mastermind, Captain as unwilling accomplice, I think we are up to "worse half." Jerk.)

I thought trying to kill someone was saying "I love you" in Sith?

Yep. I already didn't like the version of her that rots in my med bay. Now I want to explode her myself. Oh yeah, she's ticked but the sad fact is; she blew herself up. Quinn told her what he and the Captain needed a while ago to prevent this. So know she's blown up, still not listening and on the predictable "boo hoo, Captain was mean to me" jag. In the meantime Quinn is out destroying things with a flick of his angry and shapely wrists.

 

p.s. The only thing that ever made me angry about Lachriss is the fact BW does allow my Marauder to wear robes as cool as hers. I'm glad she was stabbed.

Jaesa is a silly, silly. A stubborn silly, silly. I hope things blow up in her face. Again.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Sandpeople were so easy to kill. Perhaps too easy. Slaughtering villages wholesale was boring if these grunting, squealing things could barely defend themselves. Attacking the Republic was too risky. Jedi tended to get a bit groupy around a Sith. Cheating bastards.

“I really wish you would stop angering the Sandpeople,” Barnabus grumped as he stood next to Quinn.

“Do shut up,” Quinn snapped.

“You’re an idiot,” Barnabus said lightly.

“I’m beginning to dislike you, grandfather. I kill people I dislike.”

“You also kill people who even think about the possibility of looking in your general direction. Usually, a direction you haven’t even taken yet.”

“Quiet, you old codger,” Quinn grumbled.

Barnabus sighed quietly.

“What now?”

“Well, there’s a place nearby we can set up camp. An old training cell. If you’d stop murdering everything we come across, we can stay there undetected,” Barnabus explained.

“You’re ruining my fun time,” Quinn groused.

“Do stop being such a child.”

“Can’t be a child if I killed it off.”

“The Captain let you kill Malavai?” Barnabus asked in disbelief.

“The Captain did it himself,” Quinn said proudly. “Now, where’s this training camp you’ve been going on about?”

“We can take a speeder straight to it,” Barnabus said absently.

“Lead on then.”

Barnabus walked in thoughtful silence. He had noticed the shift in the Captain, but he never thought Malavai was dead. Trapped in a room maybe, but not dead. This was an incredibly disturbing development.

“After we set up camp, I’d like to talk to the Captain,” Barnabus said in passing.

“That’s fine, I need to rest anyway. Almost depleted my energy stores,” Quinn said stiffly.

And Quinn made good on his word. The Captain wasn’t very happy about it; he didn’t want to deal with the aftereffects or with anything really. So far, he had killed Jaesa and Malavai, how long until he killed Barnabus? Could Barnabus even be killed?

“Malavai?” Barnabus asked gently.

The Captain flinched violently and closed his eyes.

“Ah, right, sorry. Captain, why have you given up control?”

“What does it matter?” the Captain replied tonelessly. “Eventually, I will destroy or kill anyone who remotely cares for me.”

“Like your mother,” Barnabus said quietly.

The Captain opened his eyes and stared openly at Barnabus.

“That wasn’t your fault and you know it. If you want to blame someone, blame me. I am responsible. I allowed them to do those things to you. I know this is about thirty years too late, but you were never at fault for her death. In either set of memories. There was nothing you could do, lad.”

“It’s too late,” the Captain said hoarsely. “Malavai is gone and I am becoming numb. Everything is colder without him here and I cannot feel anything.”

“Is that why you’re letting Quinn run things?” Barnabus asked quietly.

“I don’t have much choice,” the Captain muttered pathetically.

“Why is that?”

“I don’t want to talk anymore.”

“Captain,” Barnabus said gently, “I’m always here when you’re ready to talk.”

“Quinn is trying to kill you,” the Captain said quietly. “There’s a Rakata device he’s trying to recover to trap you. Stay away from all things Czerka. That’s all I have to say.”

Then he was gone, replaced by a yawning Quinn.

“I’m tired. I’m going to sleep for a few hours,” Quinn said with a yawn.

Barnabus simply nodded and let him wander off to sleep. A Rakata mind trap was a finicky thing to try to master and use without the user becoming the victim. And Barnabus couldn’t lure Quinn into the trap without damaging the Captain beyond repair. He would live out the rest of his life in the care of others, never fully realizing who he was or where he’d been. And that was a fate worse than death. He couldn’t let that happen. Not after everything he’d let happen to his grandson. He couldn’t fix the past, but he could fix the present and make way for the future. Perhaps it was time to contact Captain Golah of the Imperial Reclamation Service. They were related afterall.

Notes:

Notes:

 

Captain Golah is one of the many Quinn-alikes I have seen throughout the Galaxy. There's an Ensign near the speeder station in Mos Ila who looks like Quinn as well. Maybe I'll find his name and throw him in here... heeheee.

 

Now, I'm not completely satisfied with how this turned out, it's most Barnabus and Quinn nipping at each other, but it is getting to where I want the story to go so... there's that...

I am quite satisfied with how it turned out. It's good passive reflection time for me when life otherwise has thrown me a major stress ball the past two days. The Captain is my favorite as we share aspects in common (in-game as well). I'm empathising strongly with him right this minute.

I promise I have not forgotten about this story or my poor on the hook readers. My brain is rather convinced at this point that it needs to work on something else, but I'm hoping to get back on track with this story soon. In the meantime, Quick Quinn Quotes have been getting all my long story love so check that out. There's humor! drama! sexual frustration! And probably some other stuff.

This story will return as soon as possible.

My brain won't let me write anything for this story, but it will let me draw. Here's a digital sketch of little Malavai grinnin' like a cheesy monkey.

http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/262/f/0/happy_malavai_by_irishfino-d5f9d4z.jpg

I am quite satisfied with how it turned out. It's good passive reflection time for me when life otherwise has thrown me a major stress ball the past two days. The Captain is my favorite as we share aspects in common (in-game as well). I'm empathising strongly with him right this minute.

o_o Have better days!

Very nice, I'm really enjoying this I'm going to have to come back and read all of it later on!

PLEASE!!! Go on, go on, go on, I cannot wait much longer, I neeeeeeeeeeeed to read what's next!

Here's more. Finally...

Thanks for reading everyone!

“No, it is insanity to try to recover the device!” yelled a man.

“I don’t much care for you opinion, Golah,” Quinn said coolly.

“It’s not an opinion,” Golah hissed. “You should remember the incident well enough, you were here with a Sith lord!”

“Oh, I remember. I want the tech, point me to it or I will kill you.”

Golah scoffed. “I’m not afraid of an Imperial officer dressed in Sith clothes with contacts in. Your attempt at intimidation has fai – hkk!”

Quinn’s outstretched hand begged to differ with Golah on a fundamental level. Quinn lifted Golah into the air just enough that the other man’s toes were scr*ping at the floor for purchase.

“I think you should reconsider,” Quinn said flatly.

Golah barely managed to nod his head as he scratched at his throat trying to remove the invisible fingers. Quinn released the man and watched him fall into a delightful heap upon the floor, coughing and sputtering and choking for breath.

“I’ll take that information now,” Quinn announced tonelessly.

“Of – of course,” Golah said roughly.

“Good boy,” Quinn hissed quietly.

Coordinates in hand, Quinn swept from the Reclamation base to an awaiting speeder.

“You better not have killed him,” Barnabus said stiffly.

“Shut up, old man,” Quinn said flatly.

Quinn mounted the speeder and waited for Barnabus to get on. Their quarry was in the desert in the Czerka base the Captain and Syla had visited early in their journeys together. Such a wonderful time.

After fighting his way into the base, Quinn located the machine he needed and went to work.

“What does this device do exactly?” Barnabus asked quietly.

“That is for me to know and for you to stop asking about,” Quinn replied blandly. “Stand somewhere else, won’t you? You’re blocking my light.”

Barnabus moved away from the console Quinn was busying himself with. The Rakata device was floating innocently in the center of the room. Barnabus examined the machine from far away. On both sides, there were tubes that lead to a chamber big enough to fit a human body. Strange.

“Why are we bothering with this machine, Quinn?” Barnabus asked impatiently.

“I will break your neck with my bare hands if you continue talking,” Quinn said flatly.

Suddenly the machine lurched to life. The human sized tube at the end of the machine rumbled and vibrated as it awakened from its sleep. Out of the tube fell a perfect copy of the Captain sans clothing.

“You cloned yourself?” Barnabus asked in confusion.

“Sort of, he’s just a shell right now,” Quinn explained. “You’re going to pull me from this body and put me into that one.”

“I will do no such thing.”

“Then I will kill you.”

“You won’t get anything done if I’m dead.”

“On the contrary, I know exactly how your powers work. It’s taken me years to figure it out. I’m rather proud with the results. Now, draw me out completely and put me in that body.”

“The Captain –”

“Shut up about him!” Quinn spat angrily. “Now, do as I have asked, or I will kill you both.”

“Very well,” Barnabus said quietly.

“Excellent.”

Quinn approached the copy he had created and grinned. This body would work much better. It was made to use the Force in all incarnations and when this body grew old, weary, and battle worn he could easily make another one. All he needed to do was learn how Barnabus used his strange power and he could kill the old man without a second thought.

Barnabus walked to Quinn and placed the palm of his hand over Quinn’s mouth. He focused on drawing out the Force user trapped inside the Captain. Had his prey been unwilling, it would be quite the battle, but Quinn was more than willing to part with the Captain. Barnabus pulled the black essence from the Captain’s body and guided it to the copy lying on the ground. The Captain’s body, now without a controlling personality, shuddered and fell to the ground. The copy on the floor jerked to life as the Captain fell.

“That’s much, much better,” Quinn said from the floor. He could feel the Force flowing through him and flowing back out again. Slowly, he rose from the floor, twisting and cracking his joints experimentally.

“And now I know your final trick,” Quinn said darkly. He raised his hands into the air and shocked Barnabus with his newly restored use of the Force. Barnabus fell to the ground, smoking and silent next to the unconscious Captain. “And that’s that.”

Quinn reclaimed his clothes from the Captain’s body and took whatever else he found useful from Barnabus.

“Goodbye, old friend,” Quinn said tonelessly. On his way out, he collapsed the entrance. Time to terrorize the Galaxy.

Notes:

So... quinn didn't actually kill captain, captain is naked now... but not dead, right?

I can see how you would have trouble writing this up at this point, there are so many possible paths, yet so few that would make much sense... and of course i can't wait, so hurry up

and the possibility of Quinn using his new power to body hop sounds like it could be fun to play with... i figure he took over the cloned body with no resistance, it would have no mind of its own, but i can imagine him taking over another persons body if he could mentally overpower them, similar to the situation when he shared a body with captain and malavai.

This is really interesting. You almost lost me when you blew Jaesa up and had the Captain kill Malavai. Almost. Cause I find the world to be too full of ugly as it is and refuse to allow tragedy for tragedy's sake into my reading material. (Plus I find easy tragedy as unsatisfying as a deus ex machina. Hamlet - satisfying tragedy. City of Angels - w t f.) But you didn't let it end there, so I'm really curious to see what you do with this.

This bit here:

“Best hide and seek game EVER!” the boy piped happily.

Also, I really love the character development you have going on. I hate game-Quinn. Hate him with a fiery stinking passion. Your Qx3 is wonderful. They/he makes sense and the characterizations are really well done. I'm completely hooked on seeing how he all comes together. Jaesa is so flawed in such an interesting, real way, and I really want to see how she grows and what type of person she becomes. I loved when Quinn pyschoanalyzed her to the Captain. It was unexpected and right.

In short, I want to hug Malavai, cheer on the Captain, and smack Quinn (or maybe wink at him, I'm just not sure, lol).

Impressed and looking forward to more.

OH SNAP!

"Oh snap", indeed. >:]

So... quinn didn't actually kill captain, captain is naked now... but not dead, right?

 

I can see how you would have trouble writing this up at this point, there are so many possible paths, yet so few that would make much sense... and of course i can't wait, so hurry up

 

and the possibility of Quinn using his new power to body hop sounds like it could be fun to play with... i figure he took over the cloned body with no resistance, it would have no mind of its own, but i can imagine him taking over another persons body if he could mentally overpower them, similar to the situation when he shared a body with captain and malavai.

You'll just have to wait and see if the Captain survives.

F*ck, now I'm like "Go on, go on, GO OOOOOOOOOON" all over again

I shall go on.

This is really interesting. You almost lost me when you blew Jaesa up and had the Captain kill Malavai. Almost. Cause I find the world to be too full of ugly as it is and refuse to allow tragedy for tragedy's sake into my reading material. (Plus I find easy tragedy as unsatisfying as a deus ex machina. Hamlet - satisfying tragedy. City of Angels - w t f.) But you didn't let it end there, so I'm really curious to see what you do with this.

 

This bit here:

“Best hide and seek game EVER!” the boy piped happily.

I had a couple happy tears going on. Tears are fairly easy to set off, but happy tears? My hat's off to you, those are hard, because it takes skill to make people care about your characters, have believable awful things happen, and then believable recovery.

 

Also, I really love the character development you have going on. I hate game-Quinn. Hate him with a fiery stinking passion. Your Qx3 is wonderful. They/he makes sense and the characterizations are really well done. I'm completely hooked on seeing how he all comes together. Jaesa is so flawed in such an interesting, real way, and I really want to see how she grows and what type of person she becomes. I loved when Quinn pyschoanalyzed her to the Captain. It was unexpected and right.

 

In short, I want to hug Malavai, cheer on the Captain, and smack Quinn (or maybe wink at him, I'm just not sure, lol).

 

Impressed and looking forward to more.

I'm glad you're enjoying this. A lot of people seem to like little Malavai.

I'm adorable.

There's that. I try to make my characters feel like real people and I'm glad I'm able to convey that and elicit emotional responses. It makes me a happy author

Thanks for reading everyone!

He didn’t want to do this, but Quinn was waiting just beyond the door. He couldn’t overpower Quinn any longer and this was the only way. The only way to get things to stop collapsing around him. The only way to get his mind pieced back together. And Malavai wouldn’t stop screaming and banging on the door. He had to get him to stop. He needed to think. He needed silence. Just for a little while.

The room Malavai was trapped in was cold and dark. Sadness permeated every corner. Malavai was curled into a ball on the floor, sobbing for all he was worth. He wanted to leave this place. When the door finally opened, he was so happy and when the Captain stepped in he nearly jumped into his arms. Then the door slid shut behind the Captain and hope drained from him.

“Malavai, come here,” the Captain said flatly.

The Captain knelt down as Malavai crawled over to him. He motioned for the boy to stand.

“What’s wrong?” Malavai asked quietly.

The Captain opened his arms wordlessly. Malavai stared at him for a brief moment before slowly moving into the Captain’s arms. Something was off. He could feel it.

“I never wanted you to get hurt,” the Captain said softly.

“I’ll be okay,” said Malavai.

“No, Malavai, you won’t.” The Captain shifted his wrist and drew a hidden blade. “I’m so sorry.”

Malavai gasped quietly as the knife slid between his ribs.

“I – I’ll come back for you,” Malavai whispered into the darkness.

“You can’t come back from this,” the Captain sobbed. “I’m sorry, Malavai. I couldn’t protect you.”

“It’s alright,” the boy said weakly. “I promise I’ll come back…”

Malavai went limp in the Captain’s arms and he shuddered as the cold of the room seeped into his every fiber. Malavai was always naïve. He couldn’t come back from death in this place. There was no coming back from death in this place. There was nothing to come back to. Only darkness. Only cold. Emptiness.

Carefully, the Captain laid Malavai on the floor. Thankfully, his eyes were already closed. It made this easier, to not have to look into the eyes of the one he fought so long to protect as life’s mark slowly faded. He was vaguely aware of the door opening and Quinn stepping in.

“Remarkable,” Quinn said quietly. “I wasn’t sure you could actually do it. You continue to surprise me, Captain.”

“That is little comfort,” the Captain replied tonelessly.

“Oh, I’m not trying to comfort you. I daresay I never will.” A flicker of movement in the corner caught Quinn’s eye. “Come along, Captain, before the ghosts in this room consume you.”

The Captain was slow to stand, his eyes still focused on Malavai’s body.

“Hurry up,” Quinn said, agitated by the movement in the corner.

“Just a moment,” the Captain murmured then he stooped, gathered Malavai into his arms, and left the room.

Quinn glared at the Captain. He was still rather protective of Malavai, even in death. It was just as well, it gave him something to focus on while Quinn was free to do whatever he pleased. And it pleased him to do a great many things.

Notes:

This is not a good week for Quinn...

Warning: contains spoiler for other story threads.

This is not a good week for Quinn...

 

Warning: contains spoiler for other story threads.

 

In QQQ he's dying. In here part of him died. And in Afterimages he just died, period.

Poor dude.

Heh, yeah, he's had a bad week.

Thanks for reading everyone!

EDIT: Forgot a large chunk of the beginning. Whoops.

It had been two years since then. Two years since the death of Malavai. Two years since the separation of the Captain and Quinn. Two years since Jaesa started her search for the Captain and Quinn and two years since Malavai moved into a space in her head. She had trained for this very moment, fought through the pain of recovery, and chased down the demons of her past to be alive here to face him. She made her move and waited for him to fall before her might.

“I win,” Malavai said happily.

“What?” Jaesa asked quietly. She looked at the board again. Damn, he had outmaneuvered her. “You’re good at Dejarik.”

“I had a lot of practice growing up,” Malavai said solemnly. “How far are we from the last known location?”

“Not far.”

Malavai made a thoughtful noise and turned to one of the many screens in Jaesa’s new and improved control center.

“Do you feel something?”

“Yes,” Malavai said quietly. His eyes widened. “There’s… there’s two of them!”

“Two of who?” Jaesa asked, confused.

“Something isn’t right,” Malavai said flatly. “Be on your guard, I’ll monitor the situation from here.”

Jaesa nodded brusquely then went to the main controls. Little Malavai slipped into his older self’s trademark parade rest and monitored the screens with the attentiveness of a man ten times his age.

Jaesa led Pierce and Vette through the dunes to the area Malavai had identified as most likely containing Quinn. She had waited for this day for far too long.

Taub hadn’t been Chieftain long, but he had earned the title through sheer willingness to fight the Sith that constantly attacked the village. The Sith was annoying. He stole water, supplies, food, whatever he could get his Sithy little hands on and, worst of all, he constantly killed villagers in search of someone. There was something about this Sith that drew emotions from him. Normally he was calm and calculating, leading his tribe to water and food. But the Sith returned every three days like clockwork, screaming something about a man he was looking for. He sliced down women and children without discrimination.

Taub climbed to a nearby cliff and settled in to his preferred sniping position and waited. The Sith did not disappoint. This time, the Sith’s focus was steered somewhere else. Taub moved his eye from his scope and looked. Three speeders were approaching their encampment. That could only spell trouble. He left his sniper rifle trained on the Sith and hurried to the loose sand near the bottom of the cliff. He tapped the ground with his Gaffi stick and sunk into the sand to the tunnels below. He had to move quickly to head off these newcomers and defeat the Sith once more. He followed the noise of the speeders until they came to an obvious stop. He tapped the sand above him and pushed his Gaffi stick through until his head emerged from the sand. The Sith and another Sith were locked in a lightsaber battle while two other strangers looked on, their guns drawn and ready to fire. Taub ducked back into the tunnels and headed toward the village center to evacuate the women and children and warn the males guarding the village that the Sith had returned.

Fighting Quinn was a lot like fighting a mirror. He countered, he dodged, he struck, he stepped back and parried and thrust matching Jaesa’s style blow for blow. She was as predictable as always. Strike to the left, spin around and aim for the right. Feint. Force push. All stoppable, all avoidable, all too easy. He pressed his attack, driving Jaesa back toward the speeders keeping her between him and her support. They wouldn’t fire with her in the way. A shot rang out in the distance and pierced the sand between the two fighters. Quinn turned his attention to the cliff and grinned. His old friend Taub had returned. He was as predictable as Jaesa. A quick sweep of her legs and a slash to the thigh downed her and kept her down. Pierce and Vette laid down suppressive fire and Quinn blocked the bolts as he ran toward the cliff. He wanted Taub to come down and play. He wouldn’t break his toys. Too much.

Taub didn’t disappoint. Instead of leaving the cliff through the tunnels, he jumped down to the sand below. The sand beneath him rippled and reached out to Quinn, grabbing his ankles and rooting him to the spot.

“Learned a new trick?” Quinn hissed. “I like it!”

Taub charged, his Gaffi stick poised for a blow. Quinn didn’t dodge, he just stood there, grinning manically. Taub brought the stick down in a wide arc and hit Quinn across the face. Quinn shouted and stumbled briefly. The hit had done what he desired; it freed him from the sand trap. Now he was free to strike back. He pressed forward, driving Taub back blow by blow.

“And you have a new, lightsaber resistant weapon!” Quinn shouted over the din of their weapons clashing. “You Sand People learn after all!”

Taub grunted something at Quinn and drove the Sith’s back toward the three strangers. They were enemies of the Sith and that’s all that mattered.

“Damn it,” Jaesa hissed quietly.

“It’s alright, just a slash. It’ll heal quickly,” Vette said rapidly as she tended to Jaesa’s wound.

That wasn’t the point. That wasn’t the point at all. She had trained for this. She had fought simulations of Quinn day after day after day to get over this… whatever she was feeling. It had taken her a year. A year to finally deliver the killing blow to the fake Quinn, but she had done it. And she kept doing it until Syla deemed her ready to stop the attacks on Tatooine.

“Pierce,” Jaesa said firmly. “Take the shot.”

“With pleasure,” Pierce said gruffly.

Pierce took cover behind one of the speeders and carefully aimed at Quinn’s back. The bastard deserved to be shot in the face, but an immobilizing shot could get them in close enough to enjoy the look of surprise on his pasty face. Pierce charged a cell and fired, aiming between Quinn’s shoulder blades. At the last second, Quinn ducked away and the shot hit Taub in the chest. Taub fell with a screeching grunt.

Quinn, now free to fight whomever, turned and charged. He deflected bolt after bolt, sending them back at the shooter. The speeders took most of the damage, but two stray bolts hit Pierce in the arm and he dropped his rifle.

“Well, well, well,” Quinn said flatly. “It’s nice to see you again, Pierce. Vette. And,” he paused, “Jaesa,” he said slowly, caressing her name with sick delight.

Jaesa scowled and made her way to her feet. Her leg ached, but she let it fuel her anger. Quinn grinned wolfishly.

“You’ve fallen,” he said excitedly. “Finally threw away your Jedi ways for the joy of the dark side. The result is better than I could have ever imagined, though I do recommend changing the make-up a bit. Purple is a bit much.”

“I’m going to kill you,” Jaesa growled.

“I love it when you flirt.”

Jaesa growled and drew the power of the dark side to her. She would kill him this time. She would end his reign of terror, even if it cost her the Captain.

Taub lay on the ground for a few dizzying moments before slipping under the sand to the tunnels below. Most of the blast had been absorbed by his coverings and light armor, but he could smell singed flesh through his breathing apparatus. He made his way to where the two Sith were fighting. They were moving quickly. The lighter stepping Sith was the female he had seen. He could tell her attacks were weakening the longer she and the male Sith fought. He followed their progress slowly, his Gaffi stick touching the ceiling, waiting for the right moment. The lighter Sith faltered and Taub shot through the sand just as Quinn brought his saber down for the killing blowing.

Jaesa gasped as Taub burst through the ground between her and Quinn, almost as if he was protecting her. He immediately went on the offensive, delivering harsh blow after blow until Quinn lost his saber then his head. Taub watched the body fall then searched him for useful materials. The Sith never carried much, but his saber parts would fetch a good price on the right market. After searching the body and recovering the saber, Taub approached the downed Sith. Jaesa stood quickly and ignited her double-bladed saber. Taub put his Gaffi stick on his back and stopped walking. This Sith was jumpy and would strike if he got too close. He pulled a medpack from under his many layers and tossed it to her then turned and left for his hut in the village.

“Jaesa,” Malavai’s voice called. “Follow him. He knows something.”

Jaesa squinted at the retreating Taub. He did have a familiarity to him. She bent down, grabbed the medpack and tossed it to Vette.

“Use that on Pierce,” she said firmly. “I’m going to follow this Sand guy.”

“I can walk,” Pierce said gruffly. “We’ll follow.”

Jaesa nodded and followed after the retreating Taub. The Sand People forces gathered at the gate let them in without a fight. Something was definitely strange in this place.

Taub led them to a hut placed in the furthest corner of the settlement. Taub stepped inside and stood in the center of the room facing his guests.

“Well, look who it is!” an Imperial male voice shouted happily.

Jaesa froze in the doorway. “Barnabus!?”

“The one and only, dear! Come, come! Come in, sit down. Taub will get you tea, won’t you Taub?” Barnabus asked happily.

Taub nodded and headed to a kitchen area to prepare the tea.

“I thought Sand People hated outsiders?” Vette asked as she sat down.

“This tribe is a bit different from your normal Sand People tribe. I’ll explain when Taub returns.”

Taub returned shortly with a tray of tea and nibbles. He sat down with his feet tucked under him and remained silent.

“Ah, Taub, our friend here is injured. Take care of him, won’t you?” Barnabus asked gently.

Taub nodded and moved toward Pierce only to find a blaster pointed at his face.

“I ain’t lettin’ that thing near me,” Pierce said gruffly.

“He’s not a thing, now, please, put away your weapon Lieutenant. Taub will mend your wounds.”

“Do it, Pierce,” Jaesa said stiffly.

“Yes, milord.”

“You’ve achieved Lord status?” Barnabus asked happily. Jaesa nodded. “Congratulations! I always knew you would go far if given the chance.”

“Is that why you let Quinn blow me up?” Jaesa asked harshly.

Barnabus’ happy smile disappeared at the mention of Quinn.

“Quinn has done many things that are beyond my control,” he answered soberly.

“Your Taub here has killed him. I didn’t know Sand People could kill a Sith.”

“He’s no ordinary Sand People tribal and this is no ordinary Sand People encampment.”

“Explain,” Jaesa ordered tonelessly.

“Of course, of course,” Barnabus nodded.

The encampment they found themselves in was an amalgamation of tribes disrupted by the Sith Quinn’s activities on the planet. This small group was led and protected by Taub. Taub had made an indelible mark on the tribe’s members when they spotted him taking down the Sith without regard to his own safety. He protected Sand People without being one and expected nothing in return. They had found him in the desert, sunburned and injured, and brought him back to their camp to heal him. Eventually, he became their Chieftain and the Sand People allowed Barnabus to live with Taub. Barnabus made himself useful by acquiring materials from the Imperials and Republic member alike. Taub never left the camp for fear of the Sith returning and laying waste to the place in his absence.

“How does Quinn return? I just saw him die,” Jaesa asked stiffly.

“That’s not his original body. It is merely a vessel for his power. He keeps his real self hidden away somewhere on Tatooine,” Barnabus explained.

“He’s mimicking the Emperor,” said Jaesa.

“In part.”

“What happened to the Captain?”

“He’s alive,” Barnabus said quietly.

“Where is he?” Jaesa asked insistently.

Barnabus smirked. “Can’t you use the Force to detect life forms?”

Jaesa glowered at him, but his smirk never wavered. Jaesa clasped her hands together and focused on the encampment. The Captain was near, but he felt different. He was empty and cold. He was a void. A living scar.

While Jaesa searched for the Captain’s life signs, Taub removed his protective head gear. When she opened her eyes again, she met the cool, blue gaze of the Captain she had once known.

“Captain?” she asked quietly.

“Holy sh*t,” Pierce mumbled.

“Should’ve known,” Vette whispered.

“Taub, say hello,” Barnabus said gently. Taub only nodded. “He doesn’t speak around strangers.”

“What does his name mean?” Jaesa asked distractedly.

“It means ‘numb’,” Barnabus said quietly. “The Captain you once knew no longer exists. Please, only call him Taub. Anything else does him harm.”

“Taub,” Jaesa said quietly. Taub’s eyes focused on her intently. She shivered. He was truly empty. “The Sith you’ve been fighting, can you track him?”

Taub nodded and gestured to Barnabus.

“Ah, yes, he can track him. How did you know?” Barnabus asked softly.

“Malavai led me here,” replied Jaesa.

Taub made a pained noise in the back of his throat and closed his eyes.

“You have him?” Barnabus asked excitedly.

Jaesa nodded.

“Taub will need him in order to defeat the real Quinn.”

“I’m not giving him back,” Jaesa said coolly.

“Jaesa, you cannot defeat Quinn,” Barnabus said sternly. “You know nothing about him or his motives or how he attacks. No amount of training will prepare you to fight him. You need to give that piece back or the puzzle will never be complete.”

“That is not for you to decide,” Jaesa said dangerously low.

“Malavai is dead,” Taub said tonelessly. “There is nothing to return.”

“I have him. You will help me track and defeat Quinn. When you do, I will return him,” Jaesa said stoically.

“Prove that you have Malavai,” Taub said stiffly. He opened his eyes and stared blankly at Jaesa.

“’Probey’,” Jaesa said confidently.

Taub’s face twitched a brief emotion then he nodded.

“I will follow you until the end, Taub,” Barnabus said somberly.

Taub nodded again. He put on his protective head gear when he heard feet shuffling in the tunnels below him. He grabbed his Gaffi stick and descended into the sand to retrieve his people leaving Jaesa and company with Barnabus.

“I know you are not lying about Malavai,” Barnabus said quietly, “but if you fail to return him, I will forcibly remove him from your body and ensure you never recover.”

Barnabus flicked his blue eyes to Jaesa and grinned toothily. The sight of such malice aimed at her sent a chill down her spine. The Quinns were nothing to mess with.

Notes: