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Grey. Red. Black.


thatghost

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Well. There was a new chapter until I hit 'preview' and something went amiss.

*winces* Ugh, I've done that. A lot, unfortunately. It's gotten to the point that any significant post that took some time gets copied before I hit any button.

 

Oh, quick request: when you post a new chapter, could you post which number it is? I've been having a teeny bit of trouble finding where I left off. I did, however, find this one! :D

The voices have disintegrated, leaving behind only echoes which are being swiftly smothered by an odd sensation of warmth.

Teeheehee! I LOVE Scourge's perspective in this. Love love love it. I also like the alternate title. :D

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*winces* Ugh, I've done that. A lot, unfortunately. It's gotten to the point that any significant post that took some time gets copied before I hit any button.

I was so livid that I had to go out on my front porch to simmer down, just long enough to literally chill out but not long enough to court frostbite. But lesson learned :D

 

Oh, quick request: when you post a new chapter, could you post which number it is? I've been having a teeny bit of trouble finding where I left off. I did, however, find this one! :D

Should I put the numbers in a short follow-up post, do you think? I'm beginning to rue the blocks-of-three format I've been using. On the one hand I hate to discard it because I'm so used to it by now; on the other, it takes 3x longer for me to edit and even I have trouble finding chapters when I need to check certain things (that little index thinger on the first page doesn't help much)...suggestions? :)

 

Teeheehee! I LOVE Scourge's perspective in this. Love love love it. I also like the alternate title. :D

<3 Thanks Hoyden...his voice is almost too strong...must...not...cave to temptation...must take the next chapter drastically elsewhere as I started to see it right after I woke up this morning...eeeurgh...please shut up, Scourge...

 

...a quick aside about Doc: while his nightmares have been precognitive to a certain extent I'm not trying to imply that he's Force sensitive.

 

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I was so livid that I had to go out on my front porch to simmer down, just long enough to literally chill out but not long enough to court frostbite. But lesson learned :D

What always gets me with those is that my replacement is rarely as good as the original. Just eats at me. :mad:

..suggestions? :)

Personally I like to post as I go (cause I'm lazy, lol). If you stick with the three format, you might want to add an index at the beginning so you can find them easily among the comments. (I use Bright's index in the short fic thread religiously to find my own posts, lol.)

..eeeurgh...please shut up, Scourge...

b-but dat voice! *swoons*

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What always gets me with those is that my replacement is rarely as good as the original. Just eats at me. :mad:

That's exactly what happened :( the entire dream sequence was wiped and I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep unless it was rewritten. Maybe a good thing in the end, though; the original version was borderline explicit.

 

Personally I like to post as I go (cause I'm lazy, lol). If you stick with the three format, you might want to add an index at the beginning so you can find them easily among the comments. (I use Bright's index in the short fic thread religiously to find my own posts, lol.)

Ooooh thanks, great idea; the index is there but it's in little non-linked text. Now I just have to work up the gumption to do all the needed link coding in WordPad ;) and that's not "lazy", that's common sense (sometimes I wouldn't know common sense if it was running at me brandishing a tire iron) :D

 

b-but dat voice! *swoons*

*wails* I know! But he needs to hush before he either knocks the next chapter off track or else forces me to play on my laptop (meh).

 

There's a bit of dialogue that I can't find in your Companion Dialogue Location Index . It didn't trigger on Voss whilst leveling. Last week I had Mirrigan running around in the Nightmare Lands- research lol and lots of nice slicing nodes- and stopped for a minute outside a cave, a closed group instance. All of a sudden Scourge said something about "darkness" or "dark" or "power" (or all of those), "can you feel it?" and "it's intoxicating". I just about dropped my teacup. Been back to the spot perhaps twice since then and no trigger. In fact, I'll go post in that thread what I do know and then edit if if/when I hear it (I've sworn to set it off again, somehow) :)

 

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Ooooh thanks, great idea; the index is there but it's in little non-linked text. Now I just have to work up the gumption to do all the needed link coding in WordPad ;) and that's not "lazy", that's common sense (sometimes I wouldn't know common sense if it was running at me brandishing a tire iron) :D

Here, have an index :) (You'll need to take the space out of the [/ URL] at the end of each link.)

 

 

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Here, have an index :)[/Quote]

:eek: That was weird timing, I'd just posted a terrible index which is now gone lol...you saved me! *hugs* Oh, thank you so much. Okay, now I owe you :D I have tea, caramel drizzle frappuccino, there's always chocolate somewhere in the house...um...I stashed away some madeleines not too long ago...

 

...or else next chapter = Scourge? Makes sense anyway, it being the last of a three-block and what I had in mind would fit better as the starter of a chapter trilogy...listen to me giving in to temptation, it was inevitable since I'm logging in to play pretty soon and intend to hit Voss after running a few dailies *sigh*

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  • 3 weeks later...
Was that a lot longer or what? But there ya go, Hoyden :)

 

Really, really tough seeing as how Mirrigan dinged 50 last year sometime- and this time of year is always rough. The addendum to this latest chapter says it all.

Sounds like a rough loss :(

 

Love Scourge and his dark Sithy-ness :)

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Sounds like a rough loss :(

 

Love Scourge and his dark Sithy-ness :)

 

It was. It's why I've been out of sorts for the past couple weeks; happens every year, sort of creeps up on me. Did the same thing this year as last year- played excessively (gods help me I actually rolled another marauder this past Thursday and finished the class storyline on Tatooine yesterday afternoon at level 25- a LS female marauder lol the word 'masochist' comes to mind) and then, finally, began on this story again after testing my current writing mettle with that teensy piece in TSFWCT.

 

 

Scourge has brought the roof down on himself, what with encouraging Mirrigan to pursue the dark side and him. And he knows it. And he isn't pleased with himself nor her. Voss did indeed change him...

 

 

Thanks, Hoyden <3 *hugs* :)

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XIII: Convivial Dis-ease

Kaas City

 

"We must compliment you on your choice of dessert wine, Master Vyxx."

 

"Please. Not again. None of that. Just 'Drak'. I'm master of nothing except," a wink at Raina, "maybe a decent knife and a stab of kolto."

 

She smiles, as he knew she would. Those smiles have become more precious to him than ever. More precious than the rain. This dinner party had been her idea- although he'd been the one to deliver the invitations- and he has to admit to himself that it's gone surprisingly well. Kalya hasn't coughed once, and Rhexi...his concerns about Rhexi's temper have been temporarily laid to rest. They might have been invalid concerns to begin with since Vector has always proven to be a calming influence upon her. Raina's inspired and marvelous cooking. Spectacular wines. No whinging. No grumbling. His daughters and their husbands all wearing contented expressions. Convivial company. Everyone at ease.

 

"Of course-" Vector bows his head over steepled fingers; by the stars, is the man ever anything but excruciatingly polite? "-we forget. Formality has no place here, amongst family. It's been too long since the last gathering of this nature. Our apologies."

 

"You do miss the Diplomatic Service, don't you? I raise my glass to you," and Talos does just that, "and our shared sentiment. How I long to be on the cutting edge of Reclamation again! Forging ahead, intrepid, elucidating the convoluted, finding what was thought long lost, history unfurling from the dust, the curiosities and magnificence-"

 

"Oh, stop it. Our ship is knee-deep in magnificent curiosities, you silly," Kalya nudges him in the ribs with an elbow, "you're still 'on the cutting edge' as a consultant. This is an excellent vintage, papa, and I think it's gone to someone's head a bit too fast."

 

"But we do share the sentiment, and we suggest a final toast to celebrate what has been a remarkable meal." Vector lifts his own glass and in unison they follow suit. "To finding what was thought long lost."

 

The soft clink of six glasses meeting resonates in the space above the table's center. Drakkach nods, approval and admiration. An excellent segue. The finest diplomats know that unpleasantness is best breached with eloquence and you, my good man, have just done me an enormous favor. He notices that Rhexi bolts her wine down, every last drop in one gulp. So much for contented, convivial and at ease. Here we go.

 

"Let's get on with it. You have us all here for a reason, and that reason is currently still running amok with a bloody Sith. No offense, Kalya, but a Sith. A Sith Lord." She crosses her arms defensively, deep azure eyes flashing with sparks of fury. "Makes me sick. And this isn't about Coruscant. I'll never bring that up again unless you get more notions in your head that appeasing auntie is beneficial to us all, father. She's a-"

 

"None taken. Rhexi. I..." Kalya winces, her delicate features crumpling, resignation and regret there "...I know this Sith Lord. So does papa."

 

"You what?! I know of him, I've seen him, but you both know him? What, is this some secret Sith-" Rhexi moves to stand; Vector places a placating hand on her shoulder, only to have it brushed away "-don't. It can't be, though, because you're not Sith." An index finger aims at Drakkach and jabs as if to mimic puncturing his heart. "I've had my fill of conspiracies so out with it. Or I leave and the rest of you can go to hell."

 

This has been building for so long that it's a miracle she managed to make it through the appetizer let alone the entire dinner. "Settle down. It's not like we have brunch with him every weekend. Your sister had a few drinks with him once after she tried to kill him. I had a few curt words with him once after I tried to kill him-"

 

"He thought the poison was my doing, though-"

 

"You tried to murder a fellow Sith Lord?" Talos stares in astonishment at his wife. "My word. I never-"

 

"Well, I'm not Sith anymore, am I? But I was Sith then, and that's what Sith do. You know that."

 

"Yes, yes. I'm not appalled at all. This is just an entirely new facet of you. It's enthralling! The intrigue! Why, I-"

 

"If you two don't have anything constructive to add then go back to your junk shop of a ship and enthrall each other there," Rhexi snorts and shakes her head in derision, "I swear. You act as if this is a casual thing- oh, by the way, I attempted to assassinate the Emperor's Wrath and then we had drinks, and once upon a time papa tried to murder him and called him bad names-"

 

"If I recall it was, specifically, 'well, pardon me' said in an affronted tone after I bumped into him and broke a vial of a certain neurotoxin-"

 

"Father. I don't care about the specifics. I don't want to know. My point is-" nothing visible occurs but something passes between Rhexi and Vector; it's palpable, a subtle shift in the air surrounding the table "-what?"

 

He rises, glances at their faces one by one, a pensive and penetrative gaze. "We heard your daughter's song, Kalya, Talos. It was dissonance and chaos, crashing chords of darkness coiled around waning purity. It troubled us. It troubled the Hive. Yet we have consulted with the Hive," a calm wave of hand at Rhexi's startle, "yes, we have, without you. The chat you wish to have with Mirrigan must be put on indefinite hold. A consensus has been reached. The Sith has a higher purpose. Until it comes to fruition there should be no further interference. We agree with this. We do not like it but we concur."

 

Silence eats away at minutes before Talos breaks it by clearing his throat. "So do I. I've never cared much for Sith machinations, myself, but the Empire provides. If the Jedi Order expels her she'll always have a place here, with us."

 

"I know what the 'higher purpose' is. He'll keep her safe, and that's all I care about. She's our daughter, Rhexi, not yours." Kalya leans into Talos, accepting his one-armed embrace, a clear show of solidarity. "I trust Lord Scourge. He gave me his word."

 

"As if the word of a Sith means anything. I suppose you've conveniently forgotten about the fit you threw when Mirrigan pulled the hey-mom-I'm-a-Jedi routine on you for the first time? That holo call after she disappeared for months? The one from Tython, not from Korriban like you and auntie expected? Oh, but I forgot. Technically you're still a Sith Lord. So why should I trust you? That you have her well-being in mind and-"

 

"Enough." His fingers curl into a fist and impact with the tabletop. Raina's eyes widen at him, and he shoots her an apologetic glance. Sorry, sweetheart. "She's my granddaughter. I detest the Sith as much as you do, Rhexi, but for stars' sakes stop frothing at the mouth and listen to your husband."

 

Vector cracks a half-smile. "We treasure these insights into what you must have been like when you were an adolescent, our love. We are also standing right here, Drak."

 

The tension snaps and dissipates. Kalya giggles. Talos chuckles. Raina smiles warmly at the Joiner. Rhexi sighs- and then bursts out laughing.

 

Another favor. I owe you, Vector Hyllis. I definitely owe you.

 

Drakkach sends a full-fledged grin back at him.

 

Author's Note:

Legacy has made a muddle of sorting out companions, at least when the family contains multiple characters of the same class. My legacy/head canon has relegated all of the IA crew- except for Temple- to Rhexi. Kalya and Astara...haven't worked that out beyond Talos.

A slight shift in direction with this chapter. I had it planned out at least a month ago (I planned a chapter *gasp*), and here it finally is.

 

 

 

XIV: All That Matters

The Lambent

 

"Good to have you home in one piece, honey," not whispering either, why confine the truth? "You look- different." Damn right she does. Do those eyes glow in the dark? I've seen those before; no picnics on Alderaan now. Kira stops smiling, starts wringing her hands. She's shaking. Always a bad sign. The anxiety in here is stifling. Gotta break it up fast. "You both need a look-see. You first, Scourge." His name tastes worse than grilled colicoid. "Let's give the ladies some space. Sergeant? I could use some caf," maybe to clean the drains with later but mostly to keep you as far from the medbay as possible if things get ugly, "how 'bout it?"

 

"Sure thing. Master Jedi. Lord Scourge." A salute. Stars, Rusk, you need a hobby, something new which doesn't involve cleaning your blasters in your sleep. "Glad you're back."

 

I beckon. He follows. Pretty unique in my experience to have a Sith Lord listen to doctor's orders. This is one for the scrapbook. Can't see a thing wrong with him other than him being who and what he is.

 

And I'm who I am. "So. It's her birthday tomorrow. Figured we might find some kind of excuse to make a quick trip to Nar Shaddaa in a little while. Any ideas? What should I get her? You've spent more time with my wife than I have over the...oh...past six months," done being intimidated by you, and this medbay is my turf, "I hear holos of Malgus reciting the Sith Code are floating around on the black market. Think she'd like one of those?"

 

"Ask her yourself. She is, after all, your wife." That's right. You just stay there in the doorway and glower. "For the time being."

 

Well well well. That was a nasty jab. Right back at you. "Hell's fire, man. Nowadays she's as much my wife as you are a kriffin' Jedi Master. That's not the woman I married. That's your pet, your own little Sith-in-training. Congrats. All yours. I even took the liberty of cleaning my stuff out of her quarters."

 

"Bluffing only serves to intensify your transparency. Your pain is a tonic." Leaning now, arms crossed and...is it...a smirk? A smile? "As hers will when I deliver to her ears every iota of vitriol you spew out in my presence." It is a smile. I don't need to see that twice in my lifetime. He makes a gesture, a weirdly congenial wave. "Go on. I'm enjoying this."

 

He is, isn't he? Like handing a fork and knife to a starving man and leading him to a buffet. Let's rethink this. Change course. Probably won't work, but what else is there to do at this point? Keep feeding him? "Alright. I was hasty in lashing out like that. Starting over." A brow tilting upwards. Better than the smile. "Did you sustain injuries on Voss? Contract anything? Any strange symptoms?" This always helps. Focus on the patient, subjectively objective. "Perforate a lung maybe? Cerebral hemorrhage? Smashed ribs or-" or objectively subjective...whatever, wrong sort of focus...enough wishful thinking "-anything you need from me? Have to ask. It's my job."

 

"You do your job well. I've not known many combat medics who were your equal."

 

"Was that a compliment?" What the?

 

"Indeed it was." Unwinding from the door frame and pacing. Not good. That's what- something harsh incoming. Brace for it. "A physician of your caliber must possess an enviable wealth of knowledge concerning anatomy. Alien anatomy as well as human, I assume. My curiosity was piqued several weeks ago when I discovered that a certain spot on a certain female's wrist elicits an intense reaction. 'Is this specific to Rattataki women?' I wondered, never having shared such intimacy with the species in the past. It occurred to me to query you as soon as possible after the...fact. However," now that hurt, next time must brace harder, "you were nowhere to be found. Approximately twenty hours later the Rattataki woman in question was nearly comatose. And. You. Were. Nowhere to be found!"

 

Black glove. Splayed fingers curling, slowly forming a fist. Agony...sparkly things in eyes, spooky, bones feel hollow...just put me on the buffet table and call me 'lunch'...right not dead yet...just- "I...yeah...thanks for...letting me go...always wanted you to teach me how to do that, could be useful as a...a purgative technique-" hissing noise "-o-o-o....k-kay...I get the point!" Electricity sizzling veins. Teeth chattering. Muscles. Tensing to snap...

 

...and over. That wasn't so bad. Only a little jolt. Itchy teeth. Singed scalp. Bruised throat.

 

I'll live.

 

But I'm really tired of ending up on the damned floor.

 

Thankful the examination table is close enough for a haul-up. It takes a few minutes to be sure I have a voice left but it has to be said, no more games, lay it out plain and simple and get this over with: "You're in love with her."

 

"That implies infatuation. Courting."

 

"And you're not the flower-sending type."

 

"It is...more profound. And mutual."

 

Doc, meet your worst fear face-on. Hello, worst fear. Now shoo. "I have to straighten up here. Send her down if you can pry her away from Kira. Would have been helpful if you'd outlined exactly what happened as far as the 'comatose' though I guess getting your Sith on was more important. Listen. I don't like you. You don't like me. I wish your quarters weren't right across from my medbay. You wish- what do you wish?"

 

"For you to cease your prattling."

 

"Fine. Temporary truce. Agreed?" Huh, didn't expect him to shake my hand when I offered it just then. Doesn't seem like he's trying to crush bones. Hairline fractures, possible, but not blatant breakage.

 

"Agreed." His grip eases up. He bows. The man who choked and fried me bows. "Leaving." Over his shoulder as he turns away: "Loss is cruel, Kimble. It can destroy you or make you exceptional. Your choice of path will be fascinating to observe."

 

More cryptic craziness. Fine. You get the last word. The noise of heavy boots striding off and upwards, a long few minutes of waiting, and now here she is taking hesitant steps towards me like I might jump at her and start slashing away with a vibroscalpel. Aw, Mirri. You know me better than that. Or I thought you did.

 

"Arch? You look shaken up. What happened here? Why does it smell like," her new creepy-pretty eyes dart over me, silver-studded nose crinkling, "burnt hair? Oh."

 

"It'll grow back. Now. You. Come give ol' Doc a hug." It's a winner of a hug but she's too thin, muscles like wire braided around bone. All the softness is gone, along with those gorgeous pale blues. "I hear you had some trouble on Voss." Stop holding. Even if we both know it's the last time. "I want vitals, bloodwork. You know the drill. Won't take too long, by the time you're done giving me the details it'll all be over." Kiss her forehead. Let go of her. Fast. Now. There. Over.

 

She tilts her head. That amber gaze cuts right into me, deeper than I want it to. "What are you really trying to say?"

 

"He kept you alive?" When I couldn't. When I was only concerned about feeling alive, again, myself.

 

"I'm here, aren't I?"

 

"All that matters, sweetheart. That's all that matters."

 

And it is. It's enough. It has to be.

Author's Note:

Obviously Doc's POV. Melodrama galore but the confrontation had to occur eventually. Next and final chapter takes place immediately after this one and will be Scourge's. Epilogue will be mixed but mostly Mirrigan. Gahhhhh this took forever...well, months that felt like forever...

Edited by thatghost
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The family dynamics here are awesome, I love it. And Talos:

"Yes, yes. I'm not appalled at all. This is just an entirely new facet of you. It's enthralling! The intrigue! Why, I-"

At some point I need to make a SI cause this is just too cute, and Vector was just magnificent, as always :)

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The family dynamics here are awesome, I love it. And Talos:

"Yes, yes. I'm not appalled at all. This is just an entirely new facet of you. It's enthralling! The intrigue! Why, I-"

At some point I need to make a SI cause this is just too cute, and Vector was just magnificent, as always :)

 

There's only one real Sith in the family (introduced thus far, that is). She wasn't invited ;)

 

Talos is wonderful for those of us who're history and/or archaeology geeks (Indiana Jones Complex, anyone?). He didn't work for my 'Sin (Astara); her personality is 100% Andronikos since he has no qualms whatsoever about psychosis and bloodshed for the hell of it. But my neutral/almost-LS Sorc (Kalya)...I'm firmly in the why-wasn't-Talos-a-LI camp because of her.

Roll a SI! Do eeeeeeet! :D

 

Weird epiphany just now- this tale is as much about Vector as it is Mirrigan, Scourge and Doc...

...and the focal points of the next nearly-novella will no doubt be Rhexi/Vector and Drakkach/Raina. This tale is almost over. Two more chapters plus an epilogue (with various splinter bits whenever they might seize my mind). I hate to leave it but it can't go on forever, can it? *kicks self* don't answer that...

 

More thanks, Hoyden. Can I give you a big 'ol blanket check for thanks and hugs? It won't bounce, I swear! :)

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