Star Wars: Swords of the Force

[HookerBoots]

"I wonder sometimes," she said with a sad smile, more aware of her secrets than she'd been the entire day. "But it's sweet of you to say." Irina gave a sigh and kissed him again, gently, and began to toy with his hair as she smiled at him. "Frankly, I think the two of us together are rather miraculous. What are the odds that two people so well-suited would meet like this?"

With a little laugh, she added, "Even if we are on opposite sides of politics this time." Hugging him tightly to her for a moment, Irina closed her eyes briefly. If this was all there was to her life, she would be content. And for a moment, she let herself believe that life was that simple and easy, burying her head in his shoulder and breathing deeply.

After a few moments, however, she became aware of another need she had, and pulled back. "Should we eat our lunch-dinner now? Or . . . well, I don't know if you want to do that again so soon. Or even if you can," she added with a little smile.

 

[Armphid]

"Some would say that it's the Force at work, and it doesn't give a damn about politics," Ramza said with a smile. He'd say that, actually, if she knew the truth about him. In the passion, in the heat, in his stunning need for her, he'd forgotten that he had secrets from her. And that she did from him. Damn it. Not for the first or last time did he regret this charade he'd been asked to play.

He raised an eyebrow, "Doubting my virility already?" "Just for that, I think we'll have to make it so you can't walk straight tomorrow." He grinned then, "It'll likely kill me, but it will be a happy death, with many smaller ones preceding it."

"For now, let's have a bite to eat and...gather our selves together so that," he kissed along her neck to nibble at her ear, "when we do find ourselves in the throes of passion again, we can so delightfully fly apart."

 

[HookerBoots]

She shivered slightly and kissed his neck. "That sounds like an excellent plan to me." With a heavy sigh, he rolled off of her and onto the bed, and Irina stretched her legs up, tugging smoothly to get the kinks out. Then, she sat up and looked at him with a smile, amused by the look in his eyes. It was delightful to see lust for her as a woman, not lust for the power she might be able to give him - or fear that she was going to hurt him.

Standing smoothly, and not bothering to dress again, Irina headed for the door, then paused. "You aren't expecting anyone, are you? I'd hate to have to duck for cover so no one else sees me naked." In reality, she'd be more likely to kill whoever it was, but she didn't want to tell him that. And she certainly wouldn't do it with him here.

 

[Armphid]

Ramza lounged on the bed, making no effort to hide his adoring stare as she rose and stretched. Nass, what a woman! A happy, honest smile was across his face as he watched her move, again noting that she was a dancer or a fighter. Hell, he knew she was both. The way she hips swayed, the bounce of her breasts, the movement of her muscles under her flawless skin...they'd better eat fast. Or perhaps they'd couple again on the table? He grinned.

At her question, he shook his head. "Expecting?" "No." He rolled up onto his shoulders and kicked up to his feet, an easy and practiced motion from his combat training. "Doesn't mean I won't get calls or anyone will come by." "But, they can suck void." He walked up behind Irina, putting her arms around her waist, hugging her from behind. "I'm here with you." "There's nothing else I want to do, or anyone else I want to see."

 

[HookerBoots]

Irina smiled and leaned back against him. "Oh, I'm glad to hear that." She twisted her head around and kissed his shoulder. "But if you keep holding me like this, we'll never get to the food." Clasping one of his hands in hers, she spun out of his grasp and lead him out of the bedroom and to the dining area where'd they'd left the food.

She started pulling out the travel containers from the bag, then smiled delightedly. "They gave us warming containers! Good, we don't have to worry about reheating it." Throwing a sly glance over her shoulder, Irina added, "They must have known we were in a hurry for something other than food." She hadn't thought it was that obvious, but . . . well, it was true, regardless.

"Do you have plates and such? We could eat out of these, but it seems more civilized to do it the other way." Flipping open two of the containers, she smiled as the aromatic steam from the dishes in them filled her nose.

 

[Armphid]

Ramza laughed, "I'd like to say we were subtle...but I think any sentient with sensory organs could have figured it out." "You have a...dramatic effect on me." He smiled, the expression a bit mixed. "My control...well, enough of that for now, I imagine." "If I keep it up, we won't eat at all."

At her civilized comment, he shrugged, "You've got me feeling rather primal, but I suppose we shouldn't totally give in to instinct." He went to a set of cabinets, moments later producing plates, bowls, and a set of utensils for each of them. Balancing the load carefully, a feat that required more dexterity than he possibly should be showing, he made his way back over, sliding them down his arms and onto the table. "Well then." "Let's dig in, shall we?" "I have a feeling I'm going to need all the energy I can get."

 

[HookerBoots]

Giving him an appraising look as he walked over to the table, all the dishes and utensils balanced on his arms, Irina smiled to herself. She'd known his balance was good, but that was impressive. If he weren't nobility, she'd have guessed he'd been a server in a cantina at some point.

But she grinned at him and said, "You're right, you will," as she started moving the food around, sliding grilled, herbed fish onto plates and scooping quinoa mixed with vegetables next to them. The restaurant had even included canisters of hot tea, so she went to the cabinet's he'd just opened to grab mugs for them.

As she poured the tea, Irina settled into a chair, one leg tucked underneath her, and smiled. "So, normal dinner discussion would be politics, but in our case, perhaps not a wise choice." She pushed one mug towards him, and sipped her own with a smile - it was spicy and softly fruity. "What would you like to talk about?"

 

[Armphid]

"Indeed," Ramza acknowledged. Eventually, neither would be able to ignore the bantha in the room, but for now, he was quite happy to. He began to eat, recalling that he'd have to mention this place to his master. The food was excellent. "Normally with guests, I'd talk about myself and tell foolish stories, but...I don't feel like playing the fool with you." He quirked an eyebrow, "You're already seen past the mask, so there's no point in it either."

OF course, if she hadn't, he just given her a major concession in the information gathering game. But he was certain she had. "And I talk enough about me." "I want to know about you, Irina." "Where you're from, what you like to do, where you like to go, places you want to go...that way when I kidnap you for a glorious private trip across the galaxy, I"ll know what planets to stop at."

 

[HookerBoots]

Irina grinned. "A glorious private trip, you say? When do we leave?" She laughed and cut her fish into small, uniform pieces, starting to eat them one at a time. "I like places that haven't been completely industrialized." A delicate shiver, and she took another sip of tea. "Coruscant gives me nightmares." She sighed and stirred her food around before taking another bite. "I like to be able to have some fresh air somewhere."

Resting her chin on her hand, Irina smiled at him as she took another bite of fish. "My last 'home,' if you can call these diplomatic residences home, was on Nal Hutta, if you can believe that. Small, cramped, and smelly." She wrinkled her nose, remembering the tiny room she'd been given there. "Not a place I'd want to revisit."

She ate for a few seconds quietly, thinking. Nothing she'd said was a lie, but it wasn't what he was asking her for. She didn't like lying, which gave her Master no end of fits, but there were other ways to do things that didn't require true dishonesty. "As for what I like to do . . . I read, I dance," Irina grinned again, "You're rising rapidly on that list, by the way."

 

[Armphid]

Ramza hid his expression by taking a ling drink of a steaming bowl of soup. She'd given an honest answer, but not to the question he'd asked. It was a poignant reminder of just what their situation was. "I can sympathize." He set down the bowl. "Thyferra is a planet of jungles, punctuated by a few large cities." "Heavily urban planets like this, Coruscant...they're so...dead." "And Nal Hutta," he shivered, "I've been there a few times." "I can only hope the Force doesn't take me back." "It, and some of the locals, disagreed with me."

He lifted an irregular chunk of fish to his lips, "Nice dodge, by the way."

He chewed it with an impudent expression, chasing it with a long drink of a fruity nectar. "Though I am glad to hear that you enjoy doing me." "I rather liked the experience myself, and would love to repeat it." His smile then became a bit softer, "I also know what you meant, and I thank you for it." "You are quickly becoming important to me." "It's delightful, if a little terrifying."

"So, you read, you dance, and you fight like a champion." He studied her a moment. "May I ask how you learned?" "Who taught you?"

 

[HookerBoots]

She hadn't really expected him not to notice that she hadn't answered his real questions, but at least he didn't mind. Irina took another bite of her dinner, hoping she didn't seem to be stalling too much. Who had taught her . . . dangerous question. There was no way she could tell him the truth about her, but how could she manage to avoid it?

"Well," she said slowly, grinning, "my father taught me to read." With a little laugh, she winked at him. "Although I'm sure you were asking more about the other two talents." Irina stretched briefly, arms over her head. "As I said, the dancing is mostly natural talent, but polished up after I was . . . hired for these diplomatic missions."

Picking up her knife and studying it idly, she said, "And, as I'm sure you know, dancing and fighting aren't that different, really, if you do them right. But," she added, looking directly at him, "I did have a good teacher." Making what might be a foolish decision, Irina brought the knife back and threw it over his shoulder, where it stuck in the wall. "But he's very . . . firm with people who talk about him without permission."

That was a bit dramatic, perhaps. She smiled, a little apologetically. "Really, he's very serious about his privacy, and I'd rather not compromise his trust, if you don't mind."

Irina decided it was time to change the subject. "What about you, then? Why the playboy persona? And you keep mentioning the Force. You believe in it?"

 

[Armphid]

"That's one wall that'll never threaten us again," he commented dryly. He grinned then, taking a few more bites of fish. "I do understand." "Masters can be like that." "He did a good job, though I suspect most of that came from the pupil."

He wasn't sure which question to answer first. He kind of wanted to keep asking about her, but she'd quite effectively moved on. Besides, give and take was the way of things. And...he wanted to be as open with her as he could be. "The Force...yes, I do." "My family is Thyferran nobility, but unlike most of the others, we sided with the Rebel Alliance." "My father flew fighters and provided funding, shards, my older brothers are both still in the Republic Navy." "Anyway, he served alongside Luke Skywalker...was even in Rogue Squadron back when it first started up." "So...yes, I believe in the Force."

"As for the other..." He sighed, pushing his plate away. "...I use the playboy persona because...people expect it." He shrugged, "I'm the third son of a wealthy man, and the first by his mistress, not his wife." "I've never really worked for a living, as far as most people are concerned." "They expect me to be a fop and a fool and...it can be useful to let them think that." He shrugged, "That's how it started, but..."

He stood up, walking away from the table. "...I hate it. Every time I put on that stupid smile and that vapid expression, I just want to die. It's not me, and I'm sick of wearing that mask. Sick of people thinking I'm worthless."

 

[HookerBoots]

At first, she was a little shocked. His family knew Skywalker? Oh, not good. Not at all good. But that did explain why he knew about the Force and believed in it. But . . . had her Master not known about why his familial links with them? If he had, why hadn't she been informed? Troubling.

But the other . . . well, she understood taking on a persona, even one that was repulsive, to make a mission easier. His obvious pain, though, struck her more deeply than she'd expected it to.

Irina pushed her plate away and stood up, walking up behind him and wrapping her arms around him from behind, resting her cheek on his spine. "I don't think you're worthless. I know you're not." It worried her a little that she meant it, but there was nothing she could do about her feelings, especially at the moment. "You are far better than what you act, and it isn't fair for anyone to ask you to be less than you are."

She tightened her arms around him more, and released him, turning him around to face her. Again, she was a little shocked over the expression there, the pain there. "I do not know what will happen for us, Ramza, but you will never have to act around me. I swear it."

 

[Armphid]

Ramza looked down into those beautiful eyes. He could spend a lifetime looking at them, he idly thought. "It's not fair, no, but it's needed. For now."

At her promise, he lifted her up slightly, kissing her. It was a long and tender kiss, thanking her in a more simple and eloquent way than his words ever could. When it broke, he smiled down at her. "Beautiful liar," he chuckled. "I know you mean it, Irina, and I haven't been acting one bit since we got here, but we both know we're not being totally honest with each other."

He kissed her again, a light, quick kiss. "But that's all right. I'd rather be here with you like this, knowing what I do, than know more and not have you with me." he chuckled again, "Sithspawn, I must sound like a bad romance." He meant every word though. Did she know that? Likely so. She had more than enough training to tell when someone was lying. Particularly a naked someone that she was pressed against. He kissed her once more, letting his lips linger, "Now...we should go back to dinner...before having you in my arms...makes me forget that's what this time is for..."

 

[HookerBoots]

She laughed lightly and stepped away. "I suppose we should finish eating before we move on to other things." As she sat back down, Irina's expression was pensive and thoughtful. "Although . . ." she might be shooting herself in the foot with this little thought sample, but oh well. "I'm aware that neither of us is being totally honest. No one really is, I suppose, but what I meant was," she pushed her fish around on the plate, "that we can be honest about who we are, even if we can't necessarily be honest about what we are, or what we're doing."

Taking another swallow of tea, Irina shrugged. "I mean, there's more to me than my job, and I'm sure there is to you as well." A quick glance around the room, and she smiled again. "I mean, this isn't the room of a normal, bland plenipotentiary."

 

[Armphid]

"True," he replied, looking around the room. Artifacts from a dozen words sat on shelves or on the walls, many of them weapons and armor, as well as a few stone reliefs and a tapestry. "I don't have any awards or holos of myself." "In a way, wherever I've gone on assignment, my apartment has always been the place where I can be myself." "I usually don't take anyone here."

He hopped back into his seat, picking up his fork and returning to the savory aquatic fare. "I do understand what you mean, and I'm grateful." "I don't often get the chance to just be me." "Sometimes I worry I'll forget who I am."

He watched Irina eat a few moments, "Do you have any sanctuary like this, Irina?" "Or do you dive completely into your role?"

 

[HookerBoots]

She shook her head, and swallowed the food that had been in her mouth. "It's neither, really. The rooms and houses I stay in are just places to come at the end of the day. I carry my memories and home with me." Irina raised an eyebrow. "And very little of who I am is a role. I just . . . select what parts of my personality to show. Besides, people see what they want to see, regardless of what's true."

Her knife and fork tapped a little rhythm on her plate, and she sighed. "It might be nice, though, to have a place that was home, and to have people I don't have to pick and choose what I let them know." She scooped up the last of her dinner and ate it, then sighed as she pushed her plate away. "But I knew what the job was when I signed on for it. I've no one to blame for where I am but myself if I'm dissatisfied." And again, she thought, we're getting a little to close to things I'd rather not talk about. Although at least one thing was untrue. She hadn't known what it was when she agreed to it; not really. Irina had been told she'd be 'helping a noble cause', but not that it entailed becoming a Sith. Or that becoming a Sith would mean that she'd never be able to trust another living soul for the rest of her life.

"So, you said your father served with Skywalker? Is that where you learned to fight? He's a Jedi, isn't he?" With an interest that wasn't feigned - Skywalker was supposed to be one of the most accomplished Jedi who'd ever lived - she added, "Did you ever see him use the Force?"

 

[Armphid]

"I think we all tell ourselves that. That we knew what the job entailed when we agreed to it." Ramza studied her carefully as he ate a few more bites of fish. This was a sensitive area. "I know that my expectations for what I do have often...been contrary to the reality." A Jedi should be saving people and learning the Force, not politicking. But, this was to help people too. Just not directly.

At her barrage of questions, he smiled. Her genuine interest was flattering. "Yes, I've met Master Skywalker many times." Using the title shouldn't be a give away. He was here as a politico, and most of them used proper titles when referring to people. Even if it did expose him somewhat...he couldn't just call him Skywalker. This was the head of his Order, one of his teachers. Even in this, he could not be disrespectful. "He's a powerful Jedi, probably the strongest in the galaxy. Not that I'm an expert on the Jedi." Which was true, Ramza WAS a Jedi, not an expert on them. There were people who were experts on Jedi lore, but he was not one of them.

"I've seen him use the Force on a number of occasions, one of the reasons I believe in it." Ramza shrugged, "Once you see it in action, there's no denying it's real. It's not really a matter of belief. It just...is." He laughed, "Sometimes, I don't know how a person can not believe in the Force...I mean, even people who can't use the Force can feel it. It's the difference between a blasted moor and a verdant forest. Who can't sense that?"

That was a little close to home. "Sorry, I'm ranting a little." He sighed, shaking his head. "I get on tears sometimes. But, to answer your other question, yes and no. I did learn a little of fighting from Master Skywalker, but more about...intent, mindset, and the like. My actual combat training came from other sources."

 

[HookerBoots]

"I remember hearing stories," she said, folding her hands on the table and resting her chin on them, looking out the window at the glow of late afternoon light, "of the Clone Wars, and the rise of the Empire, and how the Jedi were almost eliminated after trying to assassinate the Emperor." Her face was pensive, her brow lightly furrowed. "It always amazed me that Luke Skywalker was able, with almost no training, to bring down the Empire, when the entire Jedi order could not."

Irina sighed and looked at him, a small smile on her lips. "I've always thought, even after I was too old to believe in that sort of thing, that if anyone ever had the Force on his side, it was him."

The discussion was getting a little heavy, even though she'd sort of steered it that way, so Irina lifted one leg and ran her foot up Ramza's calf to his knee, then along his thigh to his hip. "Now, why don't you tell me where you got your other training." He quirked an eyebrow at her, and she grinned. "I want to know the women who you learned from. So I can find them, thank them, and then possibly hurt them." She winked, letting him know she was kidding - probably.

 

[Armphid]

"We could argue that 'history' you mentioned, but I'd rather not at the moment." What tripe. The Emperor purged the Order because it was a threat to his power, to his twisted agenda to stagnate and royally screw up the galaxy. But talking about that was a sure way to a fight, and he didn't want that. "But, yes, Master Skywalker's accomplishments are remarkable. There's no doubt that the Force is very strong with him. But it took the whole Alliance to defeat the Empire...he just beat Vader and the Emperor."

He was glad that she changed the subject, though he wasn't THAT happy. This was a dangerous subject with a paramour. "Ah, yes, well." He chuckled a little, trying to think of how to respond. "I suppose...I owe most of that to a friend of the family who, ah, took an interest in me in my younger years. She was older than me, close to my mother's age, but very lovely and with a husband who...ill suited her needs. I hate to admit it, but she seduced me with embarrassing ease. And until I was 18, she and I...'trained vigourously', you might say."

He'd never told anyone that. Not even Master Shahazdra knew about Lady Petria. "When I went to the Academy," as long as he didn't say which one, that was a completely true but general statement, "I ended up with a very experimental girlfriend...and one of her friends who was similarly so, a Zeltron." He shrugged, actually blushing a little. "That's the sordid history of my, ah, bedroom prowess."

 

[HookerBoots]

She smiled, a little impressed and a little jealous. "Really? Hmm. I've got stiff competition, then." Irina reached up and undid her braid, setting the hairpin on the table as she shook out her hair. "Tell me, Ramza, how are you feeling? Rested up? Evidently," she stretched her arms over her head, and cracked her knuckles at the apex, "I have quite a bit of time to make up, and I'd like to start as soon as possible."

It was important to keep him from asking about her past, so she needed to distract him. Although . . . it wasn't going to be anything like work at all. The smile on her face was totally genuine, and she certainly wasn't hungry anymore. Not for dinner, at least.

 

[Armphid]

As soon as her arms started to move, Ramza sensed the change in the air, in her mood. His eyes watched as she undid the braid, her soft brown hair falling loose, wild, and free, framing her and suddenly reminding him of how much he desired this woman. And that she was naked and right across the table. He felt himself stirring to life, and he smiled. Sithspawn, she was a miracle. A damn miracle.

As she lifted her arms over her head, resulting in her already impressive chest being pushed out for his ready inspection, he let out an appreciative breath. He stood slowly out of his seat, his manhood at full attention. "There's no making up, Irina. The rest aren't even close to your level. But, far be it from me to keep a lady waiting."

With a lustful growl, he launched himself over the table, sliding across it to her side. Ramza pulled her into his arms, kissing her with fiercely awakened passion. His hands wandered down her back, up her sides, tangling in the glory of her hair.

 

[HookerBoots]

She was startled for all of a second, and then her arms wrapped around him, clutching at him desperately, hungrily, as they kissed passionately. The touch of his hands, the feel of his body against hers, the hard, hot pressure of his cock against her . . . by all the gods that ever were, she'd never felt like this in all her life! Every inch of skin that connected them burned like fire, and Irina wanted more.

All she needed to do was shift her weight slightly and her body was pressed fully against him, from her lips and tongue engaged in a furious dance with his to her thighs feeling the tension in his, they were fully in contact, and it managed somehow to still not satisfy either of them fully. The kiss broke, leaving them panting and staring into each other's eyes. A slow, wicked smile curved her lips, and Irina stepped forward, pushing Ramza slowly until his legs hit the table.

"Would you like to see an sample of my non-combat training, Ramza?" Without waiting for an answer, she kissed him again, briefly but fiercely, and pulled away, dropping to her knees in front of him.

 

[Armphid]

By all that was holy, she knew how to use her body. She moved ever so slightly, and they were touching each other so fully it almost seemed impossible. Ramza groaned into her mouth as their tongues grappled, playfully and passionately dueling as their hands sought, groped, and danced over their hot flesh. It was almost hard to tell where he ended and she began, but it was not enough. By the Force, not even close. He needed so much more of her.

When she pushed him back, he blinked a moment, then a broad smile crossed his face. There was something powerfully sexual about a woman taking charge like this, being forceful and strong. His feverishly eager kiss answered her question, his hands cupping her face until she started to kneel. His hot, hungry eyes watched her, and he marveled at how sexy she was, just in the mere movement of getting on her knees, his arousal spiked once more. "Please, Irina. I need it so bad it aches..."

 

[HookerBoots]

"Oh?" she asked with a wicked grin. "You need it, Ramza?" Irina's voice was light and teasing, although there was a husky undertone to it, and one hand reaching out to wrap around the thickness of his arousal, stroking it lightly. Her touch was rewarded with a gasping moan, and she looked up at him with wide eyes. "This? Is this what you need?" Her hand began to move faster, and she lifted her other hand, using it to gently stroke his balls.

"Or did you need something more, Ramza? Something like . . . this?" Taking a quick breath, Irina leaned forward and wapped her lips around the head of his cock, twirling her tongue around it before drawing back, letting it slid from her mouth with a popping sound. "Was that what you needed?" As if she didn't know.