Star Wars: Swords of the Force

[Armphid]

"She does not surprise me. You can wait for the elevator, and then go down to four floors and to the right. Or take the hallway left for five minutes, and take that elevator down." Alecto shrugged slightly, her hand now away from her weapon. "In case you wish to avoid Thalnos, should the Master not choose to keep her for the remainder of the night." Though he probably would. The twi'lek was probably being beaten and then forced to pleasure Darth Cynis as they spoke.

The living doll turned and began to walk away, then stopped after a few paces. "You should be careful. Thalnos is the most powerful of us all, though I am unsure she is stronger than you. She is also the most vicious and vindictive. She promised to hurt you, that means she will. Do not forget, there are many ways to hurt someone." Alecto looked back at Irina over one shoulder, the steady gaze as passive as ever. "She is savage, but also cunning. Do not underestimate her. In your conflict...I would prefer you to be the victor. But unless she attacks you in front of me, I will not intervene. Such disputes are below my work."

"...I will use less invasive data gathering for the next few days. Good night, Darth Xeres." And saying no more, she strode away to check on her subject before retreating to her private lab/bedroom.

 

[HookerBoots]

Irina watched speculatively as the other woman walked away. Interesting. And she certainly wouldn't forget the many ways to hurt someone - or the fact that she was evidently a hit here. At least she knew that between her and Thalnos, neither of the other apprentices would come at her from behind. While she'd almost have to kill them eventually, at least she wouldn't have to worry about being overwhelmed.

The elevator made a soft chime as it returned, and she started slightly. Not a good idea to get lost in thought in this situation. She ignored the elevator and headed down the hallway to the left, wanting to stretch her legs a little more, and tire herself out a little, before she tried to sleep. She didn't expect much sleep at all, but she had to try, at least.

~ ~ ~ ~​

Early in the morning, after what felt like a lifetime, Darth Thalnos made her slow exit from the Master's apartments. The twi'lek moved with little of her usual grace and smooth ferocity, barely hiding winces at each step she took. But the crew and servants she passed quickly ducked into side hallways, closets, and rooms as she approached.

Her eyes burned with fury and hatred, her hands clenched at her sides so tightly it was possible to hear the slight creaking of bones. Her face had fresh bruises starting on it, turning the orange skin lurid purple, and her arms were the same shade most of their lengths. While it was possible, and in most cases preferable, for Sith to cause pain without physical damage, Darth Cynis liked to see the results of his abuse. And liked for whoever was recieving the punishment to remember it for a while.

Inside, however, she was seething. She'd known it was all that . . . that bantha's fault, and it was! But no matter what she'd said, the Master hadn't believed her, that Xeres was too interested in the Jedi, or that he couldn't be controlled. The worst part of the punishment hadn't been the beating, or the painful, rough sex. It had been the fact that he kept replaying the scenes where the Jedi had humiliated her, talked back to her, over and over.

She paused, holding herself upright by sheer force of will, and then turned on her heel. The Jedi. She might not be able to touch Xeres - yet - but she could hurt the Jedi. That would be good, yes. Make her feel better, and probably rattle Xeres enough to put her off her stride. And then . . . yes, this was a good idea. Her stide was still pain-filled, but balanced with a heavy dose of determined malice.

Despite the slight limp, she reached the playroom, and punched in her access code.

Nothing happened.

Fuck! Alecto must have secured the room, to keep other people out. She'd have to take care of that freak soon, too, but for now . . . there were two ways of getting in there. The second fit her mood better, and she reached out to the Dark Side, little arcs of lightening playing around her fingers. The hand reached for the keypad . . . .

"You're up early, Thalnos. Or up late?"

She spun, eyes narrowing as the electricity in her hand grew to a glowing nimbus around the whole hand. "Just checking on our captive, Alecto," she said, letting go of the power with the same reluctance she always felt.

"There is no need. He is secure, and still healing." The blue-haired woman tipped her head to one side, her voice never varying. "He will not be ready for interrogation for another three hours, at least. You should sleep, to recover yourself."

There was a long pause, then Thalnos nodded. "I suppose I should. See you later, Alecto." She walked off, her back stiff and angry. Dammit.

 

[Armphid]

Alecto watched Thalnos go, both with her eyes and the Force. Only once the source of pain and dire hatred was well away, did her fingers fly over the wall console, unlocking the door. She went inside, the door closing behind her, and paused to re-lock it. Still three hours until she could play with him again. But she would wait and watch until then as well. Science was all about observing.

Her red eyes followed the lines of his form. The bacta had worked it's miracle. Only a few lines remained here and there to show he had ever been harmed. And soon, those would be gone as well.

He was so pretty. She recalled what Irina had said, putting a hand to the glass. "She is wrong. If I were your lover...I would feel as good as she and Traya, wouldn't I?" She stood there, watching again. "Rhetorical, I suppose."

~~~​

Up on the observation deck, Darth Cynis stood before one of the massive windows. His powerful body was nude, scarred skin stretched over muscle, his hands behind his back. Thalnos had been so sweet, her anger and hate were like the finest of wines, as was her body. Mmm...he couldn't believe he'd waited this long to fuck her tight little ass.

His breath caught, his head jerking to look up and off into the distance. He'd felt something...something he was unsure about. A current in the Force. His eyes narrowed. "Something..."

~~~​

Decks below, Darth Traya lay atop her bed, her lush body bare. Her breasts were heaving, and her thighs were wet from her just finished masturbation. Her eyes were staring up and away, wide and shocked. "...is moving..."

~~~​

Darth Thalnos turned on her small bunk, her eyes shut, lips moving in her sleep, "...s'coming..." Her now bruise mottled orange skin was wet with a cold sweat, her hands twisting the sheets.

~~~​

Lizeth Farlander sighed, sitting on the floor of her blank cell, pulled her knees to her chest. She should be used to this, but still, still it hurt every day waking up like this. If only something would happen! She'd been here so long, even if it was something bad, "Change," she whispered to the dark.

~~~​

Alecto looked up from dictating her notes, pausing a moment. Then she continued, "...it will arrive-"

~~~​

Across the room, in the bacta tank, the Jedi floated as if lifeless. Until the tips of his fingers twitched. His eyes snapped open, alert and aware. "..soon.."

 

[HookerBoots]

On a distant planet, Master Jedi Jakara Shahazdra tugged on a pair of leather gloves and clipped her light saber to her belt. She looked at the troops waiting in the hangar and nodded. "All ready, Master Skywalker."

~ ~ ~ ~​

Irina tapped the fingers of one hand on her crossed arms. The man in charge of the armory was being very apologetic - luckily for him - and clearly very frightened. "I'm so sorry, Lady, but without official authorization, I can't release any weapons. And Lord Cynis is unavailable at the moment."

~ ~ ~ ~​

Traya reached out from a shadowed hallway, ducking Xeres's instinctive kick and pressing warm lips to her lover's neck. "Time for some fun, gorgeous?" The other Sith's answer was exactly what Traya had wanted.

~ ~ ~ ~​

Irina brushed her hair and braided it. They were leaving hyperspace today, and her plan was as concrete as it could be without knowing all of the variables. She made her bed and walked out of the room.

~ ~ ~ ~​

Four hours later, after the ship had come out of its jump, Darth Traya made her way to Xeres's room, hoping they'd have time for a little fun before she had to endure her time with the Master tonight. She opened the door and stepped inside, a little disappointed that the room was dark. But she could wait for a while - it was a few hours before Cynis expected her, so she would do something fun, to surprise Xeres.

A shadow stepped out of the bathroom, and Traya started, then smiled. "I'm glad you're here, baby."

The distinctive sound of a light saber being lit, and the harsh red light illuminated a face that Traya hadn't expected. Thalnos smiled nastily, twirling her light saber idly. "Sorry, sweetness, Xeres isn't here. But you can help me leave a message for her."

 

[Armphid]

Endure. In his dream, he remembered being told to endure. By who...he didn't know. His master, his mother, The Force itself, perhaps. It didn't matter. The message was still the same. Endure. And so he had.

Two days since the first. Two more days of blood, agony, and misery. Neither had been as bad as that first...his red eyed tormentor had backed off a little. He wasn't sure why, but she had. Enough for him to gather his resolve, to learn when she could sense him reaching for the Force and when she did not. Learning from her as she learned form him. But still...still it hurt. Hurt more than his body. The hurt went into mind and spirit. And he doubted if it would ever go away.

The hurt and the betrayal. The betrayal still rent his heart every time he thought of it, or heard her mentioned. The worst was when her lover came in once to give Alecto some message, and had stayed long enough to tell him just how much they enjoyed each other. How much more she had done and could do and would do to Irina...no. To Darth Xeres. Irina, the woman he loved, wasn't real.

He still loved her. Damn her. And him.

Ramza was strapped down to the metal table, today's session not yet begun. Alecto was alone again today. He tested the straps, staring up at the ceiling.

"They are as secure as ever," came her voice. That damn, soft, emotionless voice. She wasn't even looking at him, her back to him as she assembled some device. "But it is good that you still try. That you are unbroken keeps my data constant."

"Glad I'm not letting you down then," he said grimly. "I don't suppose we can call off the torture for today, since I've been a good specimen and all?"

"Oh, no. That wouldn't do." Alecto turned to face him, holding in her delicate hands a hand held circular saw. The blade whirred to life, the serrated edge blurring into a gleaming arc. "...Today, I will observe the function of your organs under various stimuli. I will be cutting your rib cage off for direct observation. As always, feel free to scream. The pain will be quite intense." The lack of regret or even enjoyment at that had lost none of it's chilling power over the last few days.

Ramza watched her draw closer, closer, her willowy frame beside his, her eyes never blinking. She raised it up, poised to start the cut-and then paused. He felt it too, a small pulse in the Force.

All he needed.

One of the small trays next to his table flew lowered and flew forward, smashing into Darth Alecto's knees. She gasped, falling forward, the blade still spinning, roaring as it cut deeply, deeply, and through...the restraint on his right wrist. Alecto saw it, and blinked, "Oh..."

Ramza's fist lashed out, punching the diminutive Sith in the face as hard as he could. With all the brutal strength the pain and frustration of the last three days gave him. She flew back, spinning and falling heavily to the ground, her arms under her. The Jedi glared at the restraint on his left wrist, and it flew into pieces. The metal bar at his waist tore free with another look. Then the straps at his knees, then the ones at his shins. Embracing the Force fully now, Ramza stepped off the table, free. Free and ready to die before being caught again. Hate and rage swelled in him as he strode to where Alecto had fallen, and he felt something electric course through his body.

She was shaking on the floor, twitching, but not moving. What was she doing? He reached down warily, then grabbed her shoulder and flipped her over, leaping away from her. "...Gods..."

The blade of the saw hadn't stopped when she fell, the tool beneath her. It had cut deep into suit, the soft skin beneath, and the flesh under that. It was there still, now off and lodged the torn meat of her chest. Just off center. Alecto's chest heaved trying to breathe, her lungs filling with her blood. Her fingers moved weakly, trying to do something, anything. Her body shook as she slowly drowned and bled out at the same time. Her eyes were wide and hurt and afraid, the first time he'd seen emotion from her. They looked about wildly, settling on his. Her mouth opened, that soft voice gurgling weakly, "please...mercy..."

He was prepared for anything she could have done to him. Any attack. He was ready to use the environment to knock away her lightsaber, capable of deflecting any unarmed strikes she might throw. Anything. Anything but this. He stared a moment, feeling the last thing he ever expected for her. Compassion, and pity.

Ramza knelt, taking her light saber from her belt. She nodded, closing her eyes as he moved it over her heart. There was the familiar snap-hiss, and the momentary searing sound, followed by the smell of burned meat. A tear trickled from one of her eyes, "..Thank you," and she died.

He deactivated the saber, kneeling beside his slain foe. His enemy. His tormentor. The demon who had so ruthlessly and mercilessly tortured him...and he felt sorrow at her death. He lowered his head, "There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no death; there is the Force." He rose to his feet, looking down at her. "Well...whatever answers you were seeking...you have them now. Rest."

Now, to survive. Trapped on the enemy ship. He had a light saber, but he needed more. A blaster or two, grenades if he could find them...oh. And clothes. Clothes would be good. The door to the playroom hissed open, the dark haired Jedi craning his neck around a corner. Clear, for the moment. He could feel...two people nearby. Two in front of a door, another in the room behind them. Another prisoner? Perfect. Another set of hands and another blaster upped the odds. Now...how to do this?

~~~~~​

"Are you sure you didn't hear anything?" One of the guards to Lizeth Farlander's dark cell, turned to look at his companion. "I know I heard something."

"Look, that's the torture room down the hall. I try NOT to listen when I'm near there, you know?" The other guard shivered, looking the other way. There was a hissing thump, followed by an acrid smell, and the sound of something soft hitting the metal floor. "Hey, did you hear tha-" The guard turned, only to see the body of his fellow standing there, minus a head.

As he gaped, Ramza sprang out as the headless body toppled, lashing out with the crimson blade. The second guard's head joined the first on the floor, the man dropping a moment later. The Jedi eyes the two bodies. Armor would slow him down too much, but one of those jumpsuits underneath and those utility belts would be good. Now..."Who's in here, exactly?" He moved over to the wall console, taking a look at the camera display, then gasped, "Irina?"

The door swished open, the girl inside, crying out, one arm covering her eyes at the sudden light, the other trying to cover her nakedness. "No! Stay away!" She shrieked as the person moved closer, then felt started as she felt cloth tossed over her. "What the-"

"I'm not one of them. Put that on, we're getting out of here." She looked up, one hand cluthing the dark red jumpsuit to her. The man before her was tall, with light skin, and bright eyes, his hair dark and spiky. He was handsome, and...and he was saving her! Ramza turned away, looking out into the hallway, "Get that on quick, we don't want to wait for the shift change." He turned back, "I-"

He got no further before a very pretty, very exuberant, very relieved, and very naked young woman threw herself into his arms. Hers went about his neck with surprising strength, her lips meeting his in a jubilant kiss. For a moment he froze, too stunned to do anything. Then his body moved for him, arms looping around her waist, hugging her to him, returning her kiss with zeal. So good. It felt so good, and after so much pain...he needed it.

The kiss broke, and she smiled at him, "Thank you," she said. Not Irina, but close. She looked almost like her twin. Her younger, more naked twin. "I'm Lizeth Farlander, who are you?"

He smiled a little, "Ramza Orlandau, Jedi Knight." He then blushed a bit, "Ah, Miss Farlander-"

"Lizeth."

He nodded, "Okay, Lizeth. As much as I'm enjoying this, and I am, maybe you should put on those clothes so we can get away from your guards that I killed and get out of here?"

"Oh! Right." She pulled back, and as he turned around, smiled wickedly, looking very like her sister, "You don't have to look away..."

Ramza pursed his lips, shaking his head slightly. Damn. "Have to keep watch, Lizeth. They could come by at any moment."

"Oh. After the rescue then." He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. Not the time. He heard the rustling of fabric, and after a few moments, the working of a zipper. "All right."

"Good, now...do you know how to use a blaster?" Without waiting for a reply, he pushed one of the guard's carbines into her hands. "And help me with these."

"Uh, I did some target shooting, and help with wha-uuugh!" The brunette had stepped into the hallway, and almost on one of the dead guards. "Oh, uh, sure." She closed her eyes, half-heartedly pushing at the bodies as he dragged them into her cell. Looking away as he kicked the heads in, she sighed with relief as the doors closed. "All right, umm, what now?"

"Now?" Ramza hefted the carbine he'd taken, locking the power pack into place. "Now we find the Sith Lord and his apprentices, and I kill them. Then we send a distress message, steal a ship, and get out."

Lizeth looked nervous, "Why can't we just go now?"

Ramza looked away, his face grim and hard. "Not this one, Lizeth, I'm sorry. I can't...I can't leave without facing him. Them." He sighed, hefting the weapon, "Come on. Let's go."

 

[HookerBoots]

Irina was peeved. There was some sort of disturbance in the Force, and on the ship, and she couldn't tell what was going on. The sectors were informally locked down - all it meant was more guards at each transitional hallway - and everyone was too busy to stop preparing for whatever they were doing. So she stalked down the hall towards her room, the heels of her boots tapping a staccato rhythm on the floor.

She paused outside her door, testing the Force in the room as she always did. Hmmm. Something different. Hurt and anger and the Dark Side. But nothing alive. Thalnos (she'd learned to recognize that those feelings followed that woman like a shadow) must have stopped by. Irina knew the other woman was trying to get her alone, to try and kill her, and had been careful to not give the other Sith the chance. Yet. But since there was nothing alive in there, it was safe to go in. She punched in her code, and stepped in.

Something on the bed? Irina flicked on the lights and stopped dead, eyes wide. The smell of blood hit her nose with an almost palpable impact, and she put a hand over her mouth and nose to stifle it. It took a moment for her to realize what she was seeing. The light saber on the floor, the pile of pieces on the bed, and that face . . . . Gods. Traya. She hadn't trusted the other woman, but this was . . . .

Thalnos.

Irina's eyes blazed, and she used the Force to lift Traya's light saber from the floor and ignite it. It felt good to have a weapon in her hand, and she knew exactly what was going to happen next as clearly as if it were written in a book for her to read. She pushed her mind out, knowing before she found Thalnos's mind where she would find the other woman.

Not bothering to close her mind, she left the room, making as straight a line as she could to where Darth Cynis and Darth Thalnos were. A twinge in the Force, and she stumbled slightly, feeling Alecto's death. Seemed like an epidemic, Sith dying today. Two more and that would do it.

~ ~ ~ ~​

Waiting for the elevator was not something good for her mood today, but there was no other way up to where they were. And not knowing where Ramza and Lizeth were didn't help. She'd stopped by both the cell and the playroom, and they were both empty. Except for Alecto's corpse, which she chose not to investigate too closely. Probably more of Thalnos's work.

But since Ramza was gone . . . hopefully he was hiding himself, trying to keep undercover until she could find him. And hopefully he'd gotten Lizeth on his way. The guards had been decapitated by a light saber, so either Ramza had done it, or Thalnos had them both. If it was the former, that was fine. If it were the latter . . . well, it'd just be three birds with one stone.

The elevator doors opened, and she stepped inside, the light saber illuminating the entire small area. The short ride up was too long, and not long enough. She stalked down the short hallway, the two guards staring at her with shock. They opened their mouths, and she held up one hand, pushing out with the Force, hard. The two men flew back and away, their heads hitting the far wall with heavy thuds. Another wave of the hand, and the doors opened wide.

"Thalnos." Irina walked in, spotting the twi'lek standing at her ease in front of Darth Cynis. "Good. I'm glad the Master will get to see you brought low with his own eyes." She hid her bare relief that neither her sister nor her love were there yet, and leveled the glowing blade at the other woman. "It will be a great pleasure to see you die at my hand."

 

[Armphid]

A platoon of red-armor clad soldiers thundered down the hallway, weapons low and ready. The helmets turned this way and that, checking for and sign of movement. They spread out across it, a trio going to each door in the section of hallway. The commander raised a hand, then pointed with three fingers. Each group opened a door, the soldiers moving in to search.

Ramza smiled, looking down through a small slit in the shaft that ran along the hallway's ceiling. There were no alarms or claxons, but this made it clear. They knew, and they were searching. It was only a matter of time before they checked here...but it looked like he'd guessed right. The Sith didn't have the manpower for a full on search of the ship. "Should've gotten a smaller one, Cynis. Good thing for me you're an arrogant bastard."

There was a sound behind him, Lizeth Farlander leaning over him to peer out the grate. She blanched at the number of soldiers below, moving back hurriedly as if afraid of being seen. "They're looking for us, aren't they?"

He nodded, standing from his crouch. "Yes. But they don't have enough men to search everywhere at once. Advantage us." He laid a hand on her upper arm, giving a comforting squeeze, "Come on, we need to keep moving."

They began to walk again, moving down a metal tunnel lined with rails at the top and sides. It was just under two meters around, allowing them to stand and move mostly freely, only being slightly cramped. Lizeth looked up at the rails, "...Where are we, anyway?"

"The builders of these ships used battle droids to do their fighting and security," Ramza replied. He tapped the rails overhead, "The basic units could fold up pretty small and were packed in skids of ten or so. These shafts were used to move them about the ship to put force where it was needed. They run through the entire place, but since all battle droids were destroyed at the end of the Clone Wars, these are empty. But they're still here."

"I see." The girl looked back over her shoulder, then back at her rescuer. "How do you know all this?"

"My family is a military one. Part of growing up an Orlandau meant reading about the old wars and the technology used in them." Particularly since his great great grandfather had financed some of the Trade Federation's research. But he didn't need to tell her that.

Lizeth nodded, "It must be great being a noble...your wife and your family are very lucky."

"I'm not married, and yes, we are." Behind him, the shapely young brunette smiled, pumping her fist in a victory gesture. He wasn't married. Good. "Though it's not always what you might think." The Jedi shrugged, "But...we can talk about that once we get out of here."

"Right."

Ramza kept moving forward, one hand on the rail to guide him as he closed his eyes. Seeing with the Force instead. They were close to the bridge now. He could feel Darth Cynis there, and another presence. And Irin...Darth Xeres was getting close. Close and she was angry. Furious. And grieving as well. Over what? His escape? Did she hate him that much that his being free did that to her?

"We're almost there," he said, his anticipation clear in his voice. He turned over the lightsaber in his hand. Ramza stopped, turning around to face Lizeth, his face serious. "When this happens...stay in the tunnel, you'll only get in my way if you try to help." She looked a bit stung by that, but also aware that it was true, and nodded, her eyes fearful. "If things look bad, get out. You can follow these to the bay and take a ship. Jump to Yavin 4 and signal them using my name, they'll help you, understand?"

"Yes, but-"

He put a hand on her shoulder, "But nothing. This is my duty...and it's something I personally have to do, but you need to get out in case I don't. For the good of the galaxy, Lizeth." She nodded again, her face pale. "Don't worry. The Force is with us. I can feel it. I've never been stronger in it."

"If you say so, Ramza. But Force or not...I know you can do it. I believe in you."

He smiled, "Thanks, Lizeth." Then, the pair stepped through the junction point and into the part of the passage that went over the bridge. He could hear the sound of voices below, speaking in fast, rushed sentences as squads reported in.

Suddenly, he heard a noise in the corridor under and behind them, the sound of two large objects slamming hard into the walls, and the bridge door hissed open a moment later. He heard the familiar humming of a lit lightsaber, and then a voice. A voice he still loved, a voice that it hurt him to hear. "Thalnos." Irina walked in, spotting the twi'lek standing at her ease in front of Darth Cynis. "Good. I'm glad the Master will get to see you brought low with his own eyes. It will be a great pleasure to see you die at my hand."

Behind him, Ramza heard Lizeth gasp, "Irina?"

~~~​

Darth Thalnos laughed, tossing her lekku over one shoulder as she turned to face Irina. "Awww, poor Xeres. Did it hurt you to find your lover all chopped up? She had a bad accident...namely, you being a bitch to me. You're the one responsible for this. You got her killed just like you got your sister kidnapped, and that Jedi snared and tortured. She called out for you, you know. While I cut her apart one chunk at a time. Cried for you to help her, to save her, and cursed you for not being there. She died hating you."

She stepped away from Darth Cynis, her hand on her lightsaber. "And now you'll use your dead fuck toy's weapon to avenger her? How sweet." She lifted her own in both hands, the blade hissing to life, illuminating her features as she smiled cruelly. "I'll be sure to mix your parts with hers once you're dead, so you two and be together forever. I am a romantic, after all."

In the droid chute, Ramza felt another stab in his heart. That was why. That woman...Xeres did really love her. She was here to avenger her death, and wielding her lightsaber instead of her own..."Damn her," he whispered, feeling the faint sting of tears. "It's all true, she never really..."

Darth Cynis snarled, "Enough of this between you two. End it here. It will be as it was meant to be, one master and one apprentice only! Finish it, and be quick. The Jedi is loose, and we must have him!"

"It'll only be a moment, Master." Thalnos sneered at her enemy, "We all know who the stronger one is."

 

[HookerBoots]

Irina could feel Ramza tickling at the back of her mind, and prayed he had sense to stay where he was. He was close, she knew that, but as long as he didn't try to get involved in this, everything would work out fine. Cynis and Thalnos couldn't feel him, though, she was sure of that even before the man spoke. Probably only because of their . . . experiment on his ship could she feel him. But she narrowed her focus to Thalnos, avoiding and twinge of concern over her love and her sister. This wasn't about them. It wasn't even for Traya, no matter how much the other woman's death stung.

They'd been heading for this since the moment they'd lain eyes on each other.

She laughed lightly and cruelly, her eyes cold and taunting, but observant. Thalnos wasn't - couldn't - fight fair, and watching for signs of tretchery would perhaps be the only thing that would keep her alive. "I don't think we do, sister," she said with a sneer, "but there's only one way to - " Thalnos rushed at her, and Irina stepped easily out of the way, snapping out with the Force to slap Thalnos's ass as she did. Then she clucked her tongue at the other woman. "Bad form, Thalnos. I'll have to teach you better."

And the dance began.

The two women spun and slashed, the room filled with the distinctive humming of light sabers. Drapes and furniture were casualties in their fight, pillows hemorrhaging their stuffing, tables tumbling over, swaths of velvet hitting the floor. And both of them used the Force, hitting to kill and blocking blows, speeding attacks and dodging body slams, pushing stumbling blocks out of the way.

Despite that, the fierce dance had still resulted in blood. Thalnos was missing the tips of both her lekku, and Irina had a slash that opened her tunic diagonally between her breasts that was leaking blood. And she was breathing hard. It was possible that Thalnos was better than she was. In almost desperation, she dropped down, her foot shooting out to hit the other woman's ankles. And Thalnos jumped over it.

When she landed, the tip of her saber poised at Irina's throat, her grin was evil and triumphant. "I told you I was better." And then her face went to shock and horror, the glowing nimbus falling from her hand. Irina rolled out of the way, and stared. Thalnos was being . . . electrocuted? Electricity was flowing around her body in a bright sheath, and the bolts were from . . . Darth Cynis? Thalnos screamed, agony and hate and despair filling the room, as blood flowed from her nose and ears.

Irina looked away, the stench of burning flesh assaulting her nostrils. That was a bad death, the kind Thalnos no doubt deserved, but . . . it was a shock. Finally, the crackling of lightening vanished, and the heavy, unmistakable thump of a dead body hitting the floor started the terrible silence. She turned to look at her Master - the man who'd just saved her life. "Master . . . why?"

He leaped from where he'd pearched to watch the fight, eyes shining with a strange light. "Because she couldn't do what I need." One hand reached out and touched her cheek, and she fought what would be a fatal shudder. "But you, Darth Xeres . . . you can be what I need. You can be a fitting mate for me." A casual gesture at Thalnos's body, and he sneered. "She . . . was incapable of that. But you and I together . . . will give birth to a race of Sith, and with that army, we will take the power. We will rule the galaxy!"

 

[Armphid]

Darth Cynis leaned in to lick the cheek of his stunned apprentice, "Darth Xeres, my one true apprentice. I knew it would be you in the end. All of the others were fun toys or practice, placed in your way to make you strong." And as failsafes just in case she died, but he wouldn't tell her that. "But I always knew if would be you upon whom I would father a new Galactic Dynasty of perfect humans, strong in the Force, and made powerful through the Sith teachings." One hand reached around to stroke her ass, "My dear, dear apprentice. Tonight, we will begin."

Then he swept past her, "But first, we must find the Jedi and stop him. We may have to...damage him to do so, but it must be done. He may alert others to our presence before it is time, or damage the ship somehow. He is weak, but resourceful. We will find him, together, and then nothing will stand in the path of the new Sith Order!"

"The Sith Orde is dead." The voice came from seemingly nowhere, halting Cynis in his tracks as there was a whirring from part of the ceiling near the door. The old, long unused droid access creaked and shrieked as it activated and slid open. A lone figure dropped from it, landing in a crouch before standing upright. "I see you learned betrayal from a master, Darth Xeres. I suppose I should feel a little less a fool."

Ramza Orlandau rose, his face grim and serious. His eyes were determined, and in their depths there was hurt and anger, but it was cool and held firmly in check. In his hands was Alecto's lightsaber, not yet activated.

Darth Cynis chuckled, "Cunning. And you've saved me the trouble of hunting you down, Jedi. You should have run and called for help. Now...it will be even worse for you than before." He flexed his hands, grinning wickedly, "Now, fall!" He lashed out a hand and lightning leaped from it at Ramza. He stood still, time seeming to slow as it clawed out at him, then at the last moment, his right hand swung out, slapping the energy aside to blast and sear part of the wall. Darth Cynis stared, visibly shaken.

"You cannot win. The Force is with me." Ramza took a few steps forward, his stolen lightsaber still unlit. "Your twisted dreams and your torture of young women ends today, Darth Cynis. Surrender yourself and you'll get a fair trial. This is your only chance. Choose carefully, your life depends on it."

Darth Cynis frowned, then leaped back, inhumanly far, well behind Irina. "Wrong, Jedi! Yours did! You should have struck me down when you had the chance! You are powerful...I've never felt one of your kind so strong before, but my apprentice and I are greater." He lifted his hand, and his lightsaber floated up from his belt into his grasp. The blade ignited with a fierce snap-hiss, and he swung it easily, sparks shooting up as the tip of it scarred the floor.

Ramza's lips lifted in a half smile, "So be it then. One or both of you, it doesn't matter. This nightmare ends today, and by my hand." He turned sideways, his feet spreading apart, lifting her lightsaber up by his head. The blade sprang to life, sizzling vertically in the air. "Darth Xeres...I hope you make a better choice than your master. Your sister is waiting for you." And I would be too, if I didn't know better. I still want to be. Though I hate myself and you for it.

"Xeres!" Darth Cynis growled, gesturing imperiously, "Let us cut this impudent whelp down!"

 

[HookerBoots]

Irina looked between the two of them, her hands gripping Traya's light saber tightly in both hands. And her eyes flickered to the vent Ramza had come from. Lizeth was up there, and safe. Good. "Only a fool would turn down Darth Cynis's offer, Ramza." She could see the resignation growing on her love's face, and the dark glee growing from her Master. Turning to face her Master, she bowed formally.

"I am indeed a fool. I never agreed to be your mate, Master, and I have no desire to be." Stepping back so that she was even with Ramza, Irina tried to keep eager, possessive eyes off of him. He looked healthy, and she would worry about what he'd said later on. If there was a later on. "I don't plan on being second to you."

Her hands were sweating, and she was glad that Traya had been smart enough to put traction tape on the hilt of this light saber. "There is nothing we cannot defeat. Even you, Master."

 

[Armphid]

Ah, of course. That explained it all. Darth Cynis wanted to father a new line of powerful Force users and train them as Sith, and Iri-and Darth Xeres could enjoy men, but her heart lied with women. One woman, rather, and one she'd lost. He almost felt sorry for her. So she sided with him now to avoid a fate she would despise, and to avenger her lover's, her TRUE lover's death.

The reason shouldn't matter to him. It should be enough that she chose to stand against darkness. It did matter, and it wasn't enough. But that...he would deal with later.

Darth Cynis roared, "You ungrateful bitch! I saved you from obscurity! I gave you a like with meaning! I lifted you and your family out of muck and ooze and poverty, and this is your thanks!" His eyes were ablaze with rage, veins standing out on his forehead and neck. "I'll kill you, Xeres, and I'll fuck your sister as my breeding sow, and rape your mother into madness!"

Believing every word, Ramza didn't bat an eye, "Are you going to talk us to death, Sith Lord?"

Cynis snarled, and lashed out again with lightning, not at the two Force warriors, but at the droid tunnel Ramza had used. The young Jedi felt the Force flowing in him, moving with supernal speed in the same moment as Irina. He rolled low, lashing his stolen saber at the Sith's knees, while Irina leaped in from above, bringing her weapon down in a crushing two handed blow. Cynis hopped up, his own weapon meeting Irina's, Ramza's passing under his feet. The Jedi let the force of his swing carry him around into a swinging heel kick, the back of his foot hitting the Sith Lord in the mid-section and sending him tumbling backward.

As he hit the ground, Darth Cynis cursed in the ancient Sith tongue, lashing out with the Force against the floor itself. The flooring under Ramza and Irina's feet tore up, flying in the air like straw in a windstorm. The Jedi and his betrayer moved as with one mind, their link through the Force now open. Irina dove down through the swirling vortex, screaming, to land with a heavy slash aimed at cutting her master in two. Ramza, light and leaping with the Force, danced from one chunk of torn metal to another as the two fought below him.

Darth Cynis drove Irina back with the fury of his counter attack. His lightsaber cut an angry crimson swath through the air as it clawed at her. Time and again, Irina managed to only barely beat it back. Her back struck a wall, and she looked up at her master's triumphant face as he lifted his weapon for the deathblow.

Ramza dropped between them like a shadow, his saber swinging swift and exact as he fell. There was a puff of red as blood vaporized, and a small shape fell with thick, meaty thud to the floor. The severed forearm of Darth Cynis, the fingers seeming to claw at the air.

The big Sith screamed, the Dark Side surging through the yell, knocking Ramza back into Irina, and both of them into the wall. Cynis reached out with his remaining hand towards the smoking remains of Thalnos, her lightsaber whipping to his hand and igniting. "Xeres! I may die, but I'll have your heart first!" Knocked prone, Ramza and Irina both looked up to see him swinging the scintallating red blade downward. Ramza shoved at Irina with one hand, the Force pushing her away just as the energy blade sank into where her chest had been. He rolled into a backwards somersault to avoid the wild swing the move triggered from the rampaging Cynis, coming to his feet and swinging his sword up to parry the older man's weapon with a sizzling crackle. Irina leaped in from the side, bringing her blade to pair and forcing Darth Cynis back as the two swords weaved and struck out. The Sith Lord parried skillfully, but not well enough. Each time Ramza's blade was met with hard force, it slid off to nick an arm or shoulder. And each powerful strike of Irina's shook him with the force of the meeting weapons.

Finally, he swung his saber pointing down to block Irina, and Ramza's came up, taking the hand off at the wrist. Before it had struck the ground, Irina spun with the follow-through, and a moment after the hand hit the ground, so too did the severed head of the Dark Lord of the Sith.

 

[HookerBoots]

Irina couldn't smile, could barely breathe as her Master's head hit the floor with what sounded like a booming thud. It was impossible. She was . . . she was free. Free to live her own life, to do as she wished without worrying about being punished or hurt for it, to love Ramza and be with him without constantly looking over her shoulder. The freedom surged through her, exhileration, and she looked up at the droid tunnel. But Ramza was already there, helping her sister from the vent. Irina smiled, thrilled that her sister was safe.

Lizeth let him lift her from the vent, smiling down at him. As her feet hit the floor, she threw her arms around his neck tightly. "That was the bravest thing I've ever seen!" She kissed him exuberantly, feeling his arms slide around her instinctively. Oh, yeah. Still had it.

Irina's face fell. She'd thought . . . well, she'd been wrong. The freedom she'd felt surge through her turned sluggish and cold. Obviously, he didn't care for her anymore. Probably never had. She turned away, and her eyes landed on the two pieces of her former Master's body. She could have had power, more power than she'd ever imagined. Now, what did she have? A man who didn't love her, and a ship headed for an unknown planet and a group of people who would probably kill her given half a chance.

Then she staggered as the entire ship shook. What the hell was happening!? She made her way to the small control panel in the wall, avoiding looking at her sister and Ramza, and intiated a systems check. "Oh, shit." She quickly flipped through the system menu and, without looking over her shoulder, said loudly, "If you two are done, we have a problem."

The ship-wide voice transmission system came up, and she turned it on. "Attention all crew members and guards, this is Darth Xeres. Darth Cynis is dead, and I am in charge of this ship. It is rigged with," the floor under her shuddered again, "explosives, which were set to go off upon Darth Cynis's death. Make your way to the escape pods with all possible speed, to save your own lives. You are free men and women now." She turned it off and sighed, leaning against the wall for a moment.

She turned around and saw them both staring at her. She shrugged uncomfortably, barely keeping her balance as another explosion went off. "They haven't done anything to deserve death." Clipping the light saber onto her belt, Irina ran one hand over her hair, smoothing out the strands that had come loose. "Ramza, can you maneuver us to one of the nearby planets? I can't fly a ship like this, and I don't really want to think about the diaster it'll be if it crashes."

She heard a whimper from the corner, and turned her head to look. There in a small cage, was a Kushiban. The same one she'd seen those nights ago when she'd come here with Alecto. The poor thing wouldn't have a chance without help. Irina walked quickly, trying to avoid the pools of blood on the floor, and bent to the cage. "It's all right, Lady. We're getting out of here, and we won't leave you." The lock was tight, and she couldn't pick it. But she could use the Force. The lock sprang open, and Irina reached out both hands. The Kushiban looked at her with trembling, wide eyes. Her fur lightened visibly, and she leaped into Irina's arms.

Standing, the small rabbit-woman protectively wrapped in her arms, Irina looked at the other two. "We need to move. Fast." She felt another shuddering boom, and made her way to the door. "I can get us to the bridge. Follow me." Her feet worked quickly, steadily, taking her by memory to the bridge. Dimly, she heard them following her, could feel them both behind her. And she stroked the small, furry bundle in her arms, hardly noticing the wetness dripping onto the soft fur.

 

[Armphid]

It was likely wrong, but he couldn't help enjoying Lizeth's kiss. She was so happy, so joyful, and so...so devoted to it. But he felt a deep seated guilt over it as well. Guilt that was two-fold. First of all, the girl wasn't rational right now, so kissing her wasn't exactly fair. Secondly...he felt as though he was somehow betraying Irina.

A jolt of anger surged up in him. Him, betray her? She was the traitor! She was the one who laughed and ate and drank sweet wine and made sweeter love while he was being torn apart! Why? Why should he feel guilty? Damn her! Damn him! Damn everything! And she wasn't Irina! Irina was a lie! Stop thinking of her like that! Xeres, Darth Xeres. That was her name. He couldn't stop loving Irina, even though she hurt him, but maybe, maybe...maybe he cold stop loving Darth Xeres.

He pushed Lizeth way, "Lizeth, enough." He was about to tell her that she shouldn't do that anymore when the ship shook. His inner fury spiked again at Irina's comment. How dare she? How dare she lecture him! At all! He forced it back down, his hands shaking a bit as he clenched them into fists. It was so hard to be near her like this. He didn't know what he wanted to do more, hug her to him, to smash her face into pulp with his bare hands.

He agreed with her course of action though, and as she explained herself, he shook his head. "You don't need to explain yourself to me, about that." About other things...not now. Maybe not ever. For the best, probably. What was there she could say? "Get me to the bridge, and I can get us down in one piece. I may need the two of you to activate some of the controls." On a ship of this size, there was no one master control station. The various systems had their own controls.

After she freed the Kushiban, another action that made him think perhaps she could lift free of the Dark Side, the quartet ran down the shuddering corridors, Ramza and Lizeth following Xeres. Xeres, who was...sad. Deeply. Was it from killing her master? Or was she now allowing herself to feel grief for her lost lover? What was her name...Traya.

They came into the abandoned bridge, Ramza's eyes scanning about. All right, pretty basic set up. "Lizeth, sit there, I want you to start broadcasting a mayday on every channel."

To her credit, the girl didn't balk. "Good thing I spent so much time on the HoloNet," she commented as she ran to the station and slid into the seat. She frowned for a moment at the console, then began to work.

Ramza turned to the woman he still loved, and wanted so badly to hate. "...I'm sorry. For your loss, and we can mourn your lover and honor her, but now I need you strong and focused, Ir-Xeres." He pointed to a station, "I need shields if you can raise them, angled front. Put all power to the arrays protecting this front part of the ship."

With that, he leaped over a chair and into it, his fingers flying over the buttons. Good. It did have some options for manual maneuvering. If only it had a flightstick. "All right, hold on you three. This isn't going to be most graceful landing ever."

The great ship, burning from a dozen places where the hull had been blasted open, swung suddenly in space. In the bridge, the faint, terrible sound of shearing metal could be heard as the front part of the ship snapped off from the bulk of the vessel. The huge driving engines exploded, shattering the rest of the ship into a million small pieces raining down to burn up harmlessly in the planet's atmosphere.

The front rocketed forward, put into the proper position by Ramza just before the engines blew. He smiled honestly for the first time since his capture as the bridge and the structure it was attached too shook and shuddered. Timed it just right. "I'm using the manuvering thrusters to guide us down! Brace yourselves!" Like all capital ships, this one had back up batteries throughout it that could keep systems running for a short time, blast doors that sealed off sections to prevent explosive decompression, and the large but simple thrusters usually used to start the big ship turning. Now that it was only a fraction of the mass, those thrusters could do a lot more.

His fingers danced over the console, shifting the plummeting prow of the ship one way or another, the hard armor normally used to shrug off turbo-lasers starting to glow ruddily under the heat of friction. His eyes were in a dozen places at once, his mind racing to calculate what was needed, his senses straining and analyzing every sound and feeling that came to him from the ship. He knew that Lizeth and Irina were saying things, but he didn't hear them. He heard the ship, and the fall, and the flight, and the Force beneath it all, guiding him.

The flaming hulk came in, streaking across the sky of the primoridal world. Beasts, great and small, looked up in wonder, and further along it's flight, fled in terror. The ship careened over a wide ocean, skimming down to hit the water once, twice, again and again, using it to both slow and cool. Finally, it plunged in, shooting over the water's surface, steam billowing up in huge plumes that could be seen from orbit in a long tear across the seas. Slower, slower, slower, the hull dark now from the water, it continued on, barreling up a white sand beach, flattening trees and greenery a full four hundred yards in as it crawled resolutely onward before coming to a stop.

Inside, the bridge was mostly dark, a few dim emergency lights on. The windows had warped and blackened from the heat and then the cold water, and alarms sounded. Ramza was sprawled over the console. He lay still for several moments, then slowly stirred, "Unnn...well...I must be alive. I hurt too much to be dead." He glanced at the controls before rising unsteadily to his feet. The inertial dampeners had held out just long enough.

"Everyone all right?"

 

[HookerBoots]

Irina sat up, shaking from head to toe, a dull ache in her right shoulder and ankle. "I think I'm fine." She looked questioningly at the little Kushiban, who nodded once, shakily. She turned to her sister. "Lizzie? You all right?"

Lizeth swallowed hard and nodded. "I'm fine, yes."

"Okay, good. At least none of us was hurt." Her fingers flickered over the buttons in front of her. "And it looks like all the escape pods launched, so I have to assume the crew escaped." She sighed and turned around to look at them both. Gods, she wouldn't be able to handle the two of them together. There was no way. But it made more sense than herself and Ramza. He deserved better than her.

She pushed herself up and almost fell. Damn. She must have sprained her ankle during the landing. That was fine. She was Irina Farlander, free woman. She could handle this without leaning on Ramza. She stood again, more carefully, hoping neither of them had noticed her falter, and lifted the Kushiban again. "Well, we should probably vacate, set up camp, and wait for rescue."

Without turning around, she walked out of the bridge towards the nearest exit, only a slight limp and a pained expression the only sign of pain.

The surface of the planet was thankfully uninhabited - or unfortunately, she supposed. They didn't crash into any buildings or people, but there was nowhere to call for help or get help from. But the white, sandy beach they'd crashed on should be safe, and the jungle-like forest they'd hit seemed to be rich with food and possible building material.

Of course, they could probably stay in the ship, but she didn't want to, and suspected neither of them wanted to either. Stroking the fur of the small woman in her arms, she made it to the beach and almost collapsed. Managing to sink down without quite falling, she set the rabbit-woman on the sand and started to rub her ankle lightly, wincing at it pulled her shoulder. Great. This was going to be hell. Watching her sister and the man she loved make eyes at each other, while she could barely walk, as they all waited for the Jedi to come save them and probably condemn her to death, which he wouldn't do anything to stop because he clearly hated her now.

She heard them hit the sand behind her and mustered an almost believable smile as she turned her head. "I thought we'd be better off resting, before starting to put together camp. It's been a . . . long day for all of us." She looked at the sand. "Although if you both want to stay apart fom me, I understand."

 

[Armphid]

"Irina, stop it!" The former Sith was lifted from one side, her sister ducking underneath an arm and pulling it over one shoulder, "You're hurt, and I'm not, well, not bad, anyway." Lizeth looked up into her sister's face with as brave a smile as she could muster. "Lean on me, big sister, like I used to do on you, okay?"

The Kushiban sat down on her haunches, looking up at the three humans, each in turn. The pain that radiated from the older female and the male...had little to do with their bodies. It was a hurt of the heart, and deep. But there was something good there too. She reached out to touch Irina's good foot with one paw, a gesture of support, of thanks.

Lizeth stood, pulling Irina to her feel with her. "Come on, I've got you. And no more of that wanting nothing to do with you stuff. I...I thought you were dead, I mean, that's what Mom and Dad said, and it's not everyday you get your sister back from the grave." Her voice was thick with emotion, and she blinked away a few tears, "And anyway, we should all be happy, we made it out of that nightmare alive!"

That remained to be seen, as far as Ramza was concerned. No one knew where they were. And it was unlikely there would be much communication equipment salvageable from the remains of the ship. But it hurt, as much as his sore and bruised body, to see Irina so miserable. Traya had truly been her love. There was no doubt of it now. "Yes, we're alive, and we'll stay that way. All of us." He moved ahead of the two women, walking slowly, feeling as though his whole body was a bruised mass of lead. "Don't worry, someone will find us, and until then...we'll be fine. The Force is with us, we couldn't have picked a better spot to be stranded."

The little band made their way to sheltered clearing, the thick fronds of the palm-like trees keeping the sun off of them. As Lizeth tended to her sister as best she could, Ramza worked on setting up shelter. A lightsaber, the abundance of trees and sturdy vines, and having undergone survival training in the jungles of Yavin 4, helped immensely. Before too long, he'd managed to cut and lash together a frame that he tied to three trees, then wove some of the larger fronds through to make a floor, lashing greener branches higher up woven with more fronds to make a decent shelter. Large enough for two. "That's...that's a good start." Tired. So tired. Couldn't rest yet. "You two go in and try it out, get some rest. I'll go find us food and water, grab what I can from the ship."

"Ramza, you should rest too," Lizeth said from where she'd been sitting next to Irina. "We can all fit in the shelter you made, it's plenty big enough."

"No." His eyes focused on Irina, and for a moment, all that he felt was in them. His hopeless, helpless depairing love, and his hurt and pain, his sense of betrayel and loss, his guilt, his anger, all of it. Then it was gone, replaced with the ever slipping mask of placid control. "No, I-no. No, thank you. I'm the least injured." Physically. Now. "Water, food, and shelter are the three musts of survival. We've got one, we need the other two. I can do it. I'll be fine alone."

Lizeth half-rose, a set look on her young face, "Look, you-"

"Don't!" The barked word hit the young woman almost like a blow and she stared in shock. Ramza's hands curled into fists, his lips twisting into an almost snarl before he lifted a hand to his forehead, gasping. When he looked back up, his face was ashen, pale. "Just...let me do this, my way. I can't...I mean, I have to get things set up. Get things ready. Just stay here, Lizeth. Your sister needs you, and you two should be together. You should catch up, be..try to be happy." He tried to smile, but the expression faltered before it even began. "I'm...fine. Going now."

He turned away, hurrying away from the site as fast as he could without running. His heart felt like jagged shards in his chest, and his eyes were burning. Away, he needed to get away. But there was no away. They had to live, and to live they had to be together, and to be together...

He sunk to his knees, not sure how far he'd gone or even in what direction. He bent over, cradling his head in his hands, desperately trying to fight it back, to hold on. Hold on. Just a little longer. Just a little.

 

[HookerBoots]

Both of the women stared at his retreating back with a mix of surprise and worry. Then Lizeth shrugged. "He'll be back when he comes back, I suppose. Wants to give us time to get to know each other again."

"Hmm?" Irina blinked, and looked at her sister. "Oh, yes, I suppose you're right." It was clear to her that it was nothing of the sort. He couldn't even stand to be near her. He hated her so much that it caused him pain to be around her. She smiled at Lizeth as confidently as she could. "Come on, little sister. Tell me what's happened while I've been away."

~ ~ ~ ~​

A few hours later, there was a fire and fish cooking over it, and a leaf bucket full of water near it. Irina had torn pieces from her clothes and used them to bind her ankle, which had started the swell slightly. And Lizeth was stuck trying to engage both of them into conversation. But Irina sat and braided together scraps of leaves, eyes focused on the ground or the flickering fire in front of her.

Turning her attention to Ramza, Lizeth sighed and scooted a little closer. She forgave him his outburst earlier - obviously, he was under stress. And he was terribly handsome. Though there was a strange tension between him and Irina, but that was easily explained. She'd been a Sith, and he was Jedi. No wonder they weren't getting along together very well.

Irina looked up as her sister moved, her face paling. She wasn't going to be able to stand seeing them kiss again. Standing, she tested her leg slightly. "I'm going to go for a walk, try and use my ankle a little." Lizeth started to stand, and she held up a hand. "I won't go far, Lizzie, and I'll be fine. I'll be back before the fish is done."

The Kushiban, who was curled up by the fire, lifted her head and watched the Sith go, then rested her head on her paws again. The woman was strong, just very sad. She would be fine, her physical hurts were not that bad.

 

[Armphid]

Ramza watched Irina go, his eyes conflicted. He was so messed up, so torn inside. He wanted to go to her and comfort her. He wanted to shake her and strike her. He wanted to kiss her and hold her close, to relax in the safety of her arms. He wanted her to never touch him again. He closed his eyes, letting his head fall down onto his knees.

He sighed, "Lizeth, you should stop for a while."

The girl looked at him with eyes that were shockingly innocent. The look must run in the family, it was no more honest than her sister's. "What do you mean? I'm not doing anything. Just sitting down near the fire."

The Jedi almost laughed. Almost. He turned his head, still resting on his knees to peer over at her. She was beautiful. Young and fit. Would it be so wrong to take what she offered? It would feel good. He wanted to feel something good, anything good, so badly right now.

But it wouldn't be right. For a number of reasons.

"Yes, you are. Don't be coy with me, Lizeth, I played diplomat long enough to recognize a girl trying to seduce a man." She looked a bit shocked, insulted even, but she knew he was right, and he knew she did. "You're hurting your sister, Lizeth. She...she had a lover, a woman she cared for very much. She was killed, and the wound is fresh. When she sees you doing what you've been doing...it hurts her. She's had a hard enough life and enough hurts. We don't need to add more." But he wanted to. Didn't he? He thought he did, but the thought of it made him feel guilty. But, damn it! HE wasn't the one who should feel guilty! She was! She betrayed him! Told him she loved him, perfectly seduced him, abandoned him to torture while she cavorted in her lover's arms! Damn her!

Ramza turned his eyes back to the fire, which suddenly flared as a trickle of his swirling emotions fed the Force into it for a moment. He was losing it. No, calm. Control. The Code, remember the code. "...And this isn't what you think it is. I'm not a great hero, I'm barely even a good man." Man. He wasn't a man. He'd been too thoroughly beaten, too emasculated for that. A bitter taste rose in the back of his mouth. "The man you want is...a shadow cast by the fire of the events we all just went through. A flicker of imagination. I'm sorry."

He rose slowly, walking to the other side of the fire from her. He knelt down, pulling the sticks with the roasting fish on them up and setting them on one of the large, flat rocks he'd scavenged. "...It's ready. Go get your sister, she needs to eat more than any of us."

While Lizeth rose and walked away, possibly to avoid him forever, Ramza sighed. He'd hurt her too, by trying to do the right thing. She's probably avoid him now, and that was for the best. But it still hurt. He tore off a sizable chunk of flesh, laying it on a broad leaf and pushing it toward the Kushiban. The little sentient shivered as his hand drew near, and he felt another sting. He couldn't blame her for it, after what she must have suffered. But he wanted to. "Eat, ma'am. You don't need to fear me. I'm only a danger to myself now."

He took one of the fish on another leaf, withdrawing to the far side of the camp, to the edge of the firelight. Numbly he ate, his body rejoicing at the food, his growing depression making it all taste like ash.

 

[HookerBoots]

"Irina? Irina?" Lizeth pushed her way through the brush and tree branches in the direction her sister had headed. He was right, and she had been a little insensitive to Irina's feelings. But she didn't think he was right about himself, not even close. If Irina had lost a lover - a woman, though she hadn't ever thought that Irina would be into that sort of thing - and that was making her feel so bad, then perhaps he'd had something like that as well. "Irina."

Irina looked up from her seat on the ground, back pressed against a tree. Even in the little moonlight that filtered in from the trees, the tears were clear on her face. Lizeth knelt by her sister, an arm going around her shoulders. Irina pushed her away feebly, then clung to her for a second, dampening her younger sister's shoulder. Lizeth stroked her back and hair gently, rocking them back and forth. "It's okay, Irina. It's okay. He told me what happened. I promise, I'll stop flirting."

Irina pulled back. "He . . . explained? But how . . . ." She pulled back more, and wiped her face with the heels of her hands. "We should get back." Standing, putting her weight tentatively on her ankle, she looked at Lizeth, ghosts in her eyes. "If he wants you, Lizeth, be good to him. He deserves better than . . . than what he's had."

"O . . .kay." The young woman looked at her sister critically. There was definitely something going on that neither of them weren't telling her. And she didn't like not being in the loop, especially when they were stuck on a planet together for the foreseeable future. But all three of them were beat, and both of them were hurting . . . it could wait. For a little while, it could wait.

~ ~ ~ ~​

The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and Irina was still miserable. Her sleep had been troubled, though she'd actually slept the whole night. Nightmares of finding Traya's body again, of seeing Lizeth and Ramza kissing, the blood spurting from her Master's neck . . . . It was almost a relief to wake up. Against her objections, she and Lizeth had shared the small shelter. However, if it came to them spending another night here, she would insist that Ramza take it.

She scooted out from under the leafy cover, and stretched, pleased at the lack of pain in her shoulder. Lizeth was still sleeping, and Irina was tempted to poke her in one of her ticklish spots, like she had when they were children. But she decided against it, and shook her sister gently.

As the younger girl woke up, Irina looked around their little campsite, then frowned. Where had Ramza gone? Oh, stupid girl, it was morning, he was probably using the . . . lack of facilities. If he wasn't back in a few minutes, she'd have to go looking for him. But the little Kushiban was awake, her fur lighter than Irina remembered it being last night, and looking around with wide, inquisitive eyes. At least one of them was having fun.

"Irina?" She turned to face the sleepy-eyed woman behind her. "Irina, what's going on?"

Had a rock hit her overnight, knocking her stupid? "Well, Lizeth, we were on a ship, and it . . . ."

"I know all that. What's going on with you and Ramza?" Lizeth raised one eyebrow. "Really. I'm not an idiot. Tell me what's wrong."

Irina blinked a few times, holding back tears. "I . . . I know you're not an idiot. And there's nothing to tell."

Lizeth said nothing, just sat up and folded her arms.

"Not anymore, there isn't." She looked hopefully at her sister, and sighed at the steely look she got. "Fine. We met on a planet - he was on a diplomatic mission, and I was there to . . . kill his Master. We didn't know that we were supposed to be enemies, and fell in love. At least, I thought we did. I did." She tucked her legs up underneath her, running fingers through her tangled hair. "We wound up fighting, and I could have killed him, except that I . . . couldn't. So instead, we were heading towards a rendez-vous with his Master, and stopped to see Mother and Father - I'd been told they were dead, you see."

She rolled her shoulders, feeling the guilt acutely. If she hadn't wanted to see her parents, if they'd stuck to the plan . . . No regrets. "My Master had taken you, and used you as leverage to get our parents to report when we showed up. We were captured, and Ramza was . . . tortured is a mild word for it. They wanted him to join us, and I couldn't do anything to stop it, or they'd have killed us both." She coughed to hide her emotions, and looked up at the canopy of green. "But I guess he never loved me, since he's been so cold. Or he hates me because of what I used to be."

Lizeth stared. "He . . . told me you had a lover, a woman, who was killed, and that's why you were so sad."

"What? No, I . . . Okay, well, to play the part, to get the other Sith on my side, I did form a sort of relationship with one of the other women, but it wasn't . . . it wasn't like that" Her face turned hurt and upset. "I asked him to trust me, to believe in me, and he . . . gods!"

She looked up at the sound of approaching rustling in the leaves and stood up. As the leaves parted, she saw the top of Ramza's head, and turned her back. "I'm going to take care of my own business, Lizeth. Can you wait til I get back?" Without waiting for an answer, she walked quickly past him, her face flushed with the mix of emotions she was feeling. How could he have thought . . . why hadn't he . . . . If he hated her, she was well rid of him! He hadn't even trusted in her enough to know she wouldn't . . . . Well-rid, perhaps. But she still felt the deep pain in her heart, where she was trying to cut him out and couldn't do it.

 

[Armphid]

Ramza got a glimpse of Irina's face as she brushed past him, flushed, looking angry, sad, a great many things. It made sense, really. Grief was a hard thing to deal with, and getting mad was a part of it. He half wanted to reach out, to say something to try and comfort her. The other half wanted to make it worse.

He was so messed up. On the ship, he had been able to switch it all off. There were things that needed done, and all the hurt and the rest of it could be pushed aside. But ignoring it might have made it worse. He'd hardly slept at all last night. Just laid on his back, eyes staring up at the canopy. Every rustle of leaves made sent fear racing through him, thinking maybe they'd missed someone. That it was again time for his capture. Time for more pain. When he did sleep...he didn't want to think about what he had dreamed.

As he entered the campsite, Lizeth was frowning at him. "You forgot something."

"...I did?"

The girl marched over to him, poking him in the chest with an accusatory finger. "Yeah, you felt a biiig chunk out of your little story. About everything that happened before. About you and Irina."

Ramza shook his head, "It doesn't matter. I was a lie, I know that now." His voice was hollow. "I understand why, but-"

"You don't understand anything, pal!" The finger jabbed him again, and he felt something start to simmer in his gut. Something fierce and brutal. "She said you were lovers, and-"

"I was a convenience!" A wind suddenly sprang up out of nowhere as Ramza's anger spiked. How dare she? How dare this little cunt? He bet Irina didn't tell her all of it. "A patsy to get close enough to try and kill my Master, and when she saw she couldn't succeed, she used me as protection from Darth Cynis. And when the time came, she handed me over without any hesitation!" A branch in a high up tree cracked, the wood splitting for no apparent reason. "And while I was literally torn apart over and over, she ate and made love. I loved her, and she left me! I gave her all I could, stood up for her against the advice of others, gave her money, transport, my very heart, showed her things about me no one else knew, and it was all just so she could use me to get what she wanted! None of it was ever real!"

He stormed past the stunned Lizeth, raging, "She never tried to help me, but she had plenty of occasion to fuck! And she loved it. She enjoyed every second of it. I don't think, I know. I could sense it. And when I tried not to, they made me. And the woman herself came and told me about it, damn it! So what exactly don't I understand?" He looked back at her, "The lying, the betraying, the cheating, the abandoning, or the using?"

He didn't wait for an answer, walking away toward the beach. "I'm going to see what I can salvage from the ship. Don't come near me."

 

[HookerBoots]

Irina came back to camp to find Lizeth brooding, eyes on the ground. She stopped dead and looked at her sister, taking a second to sense Lizeth's emotional weather. Well, the only thing that had changed while she was gone was that Ramza had been here, and now he wasn't. Great.

She walked past Lizeth, not stopping. "Irina . . . ."

"Not now, Lizzie. I'm handling it." She stalked past the confused girl, heading for where she felt Ramza, heading steadily towards the wrecked ship.

She found him in the middle of the jungle, and stood several yards behind him. "Stop." He turned slowly, and she folded her arms. "I hate to inquire, milord, but who the fuck do you think you are? Whatever you said to my sister, you need to apologize. She's a kid, she doesn't deserve to be treated like the dirt under your nails." Her voice was sharp, hiding the soul-hurt she felt. "And, as a side note, whatever you think happened on that ship, you have no idea what actually did. So stop telling stories when you don't know what the fuck you're talking about." She made a short, perfunctory bow. "Milord."

 

[Armphid]

Ramza snarled, actually snarled, his hands closing into fists, "Don't you dare! You don't get to play wounded and upset, you don't get to be mad after what you did to me." He spat out the words, the nearby plant life bending away from him as the Force surged in response to his emotional cracking. Cracking, sooo close to breaking. "I don't have a choice but to know what happened! The Sith made damn sure I knew while they were skinning me alive and taking my muscles apart to see how they worked!"

His eyes flashed with inner fire, "They rubbed it in my face! How easily you fooled me, how readily you turned me over, and how while I was being torn apart you were having the fuck of your life!" He took a step forward, throwing his hands wide, "Even if they didn't, I knew anyway. I could feel it! Rememer our link? The one I made because I love you? The one that let me know every time she touched you, and you touched her, and how much you enjoyed it while I was murdered a limb at a time! Hell, she told me herself about it! And about how you laughed about how easy it was to get me."

"Have I fucking missed anything? Or did I imagine all of that?" He was almost screaming now, surely being heard by Lizeth and the Kushiban back at camp, and well beyond caring.

 

[HookerBoots]

Her eyes narrowed, and she hissed, her breath all going out in a long, sibilant whisper. Then she breathed deeply. "Yes, as a matter of fact, you missed a few things. For example," she said, her voice escalating slowly, "you missed when I contacted your master so that she could bring a group of Jedi to meet us after we escaped. You missed the fact that, if I hadn't fucking gone along and played the part, we would have both been killed out of hand. And you missed the fact," she said, tears standing in her eyes and on her face as she started to yell, "that all I told you before we were taken was to remember that I loved you!"

Irina was fighting mightily to keep from letting the Dark Side take over her body, knowing that she would kill him if she did. "I told them - all of them - that I would kill them all if you died. I didn't know what was happening until after the first night - when I had the so-called fuck of my life, during which, by the way, I had to imagine she was you to keep from killing her." She wrapped her arms around herself, fingernails digging into her arms. "I almost threw up when I saw you, and I did what I could without making them suspicious. I convinced them to keep Thalnos away from you, because she'd kill you for fun, for being something I cared about."

Her voice turned bitter, and she glared at him. "So, yes, Lord Orlandau, you missed quite a bit. But I'm sure that you'll survive. After all, since you've been kissing my sister, I'm sure it was only your pride that was hurt, not your heart."

 

[Armphid]

"I didn't fuck her, so that puts me one up as far as that goes, doesn't it? And you're too damn smart not to have known what they were going to do! And I know you must have felt it through the link, it goes both ways, Irina! So don't give me that!" He took another few steps closer, "You know what the kissing was about? I saved her, note I, not you, and she kissed me. SHE kissed me, and I guess it's damn insensitive of me, but after nothing but pain and heartbreak and starvation for three days, I let myself feel something good. ANYTHING good! Forgive me for wanting to feel something other than hurt! I crave your fucking forgiveness when YOU were one of the ones hurting me!"

He spat, "You had to do it. Bullshit. Everyone says they had to do it, I had no choice. What a fucking cop-out. You had plenty of choices. You didn't have to jump in the sack, but you did. You could have gotten me out earlier, and her, but you didn't. Take responsibility for your damn actions!"

He turned away from her, ranting now. "My pride? You're damn right my pride was hurt, but you don't think my heart wasn't? I gave you everything I had to give! I let you into my mind, into my heart, and when I was in trouble, where were you? Where was my love? Off fucking someone else. Do you think I give a DAMN what the reason was? It wasn't enough that they were cutting into my body hard enough that I don't know if I'll ever recover, I had to deal with you cheating on me, breaking my heart at the same time!"

"Survive? I didn't survive! I died in every way that mattered up there!" He turned back to face her, pointing a finger, "And look at you! You're yelling at me over kissing your sister, but I'm supposed to just accept that you fucked Darth Traya, what four times, five? Why the hell do you even care? You made it damn plain that what happened to me was less important that doing things the most comfortable way possible!"

 

[HookerBoots]

"Would you like to fuck my sister, to even the score? I'm sure you're used to screwing around without feelings, being nobility," she snapped. "And why didn't I save her, and you sooner? Because we couldn't take four Sith, at the same time, plus guards, while protecting my sister, and come out alive. So don't feel superior to me about that, Ramza, because you have no right to imply that I don't care about my sister!"

She bit her lower lip, hard, and tasted blood. "And, oh, clearly, I did what I did to hurt your feelings, not because I had no idea if you'd be able to do a damn thing after I saved you and had to make a plan on my own, so I could do what I needed to do alone! Gods, get over yourself, Ramza!" Turning her head, she spat out the blood; it was starting to make her vision turn red, to make her feel bloodlust that would be tragic here.

"Were there other ways to get things done? Yes. Were any of them as certain? No. So don't tell me that I went for the comfortable way." Her eyes were hard, and Irina clenched her fists. "I did things the best I could, without any support or backup, and I did it all to keep you alive." Pushing her rage down, she looked at him steadily. "And why I care? Well, I cared because I loved you. I don't quite remember why right now, but I still do."

The silence after those words was deafening, and she turned around. "I'm going away for a while. We both need time to cool off, and if I see you much more, I'll probably do something we'll both regret." Her voice dripped with venom as she added, "Since you're so attuned to me, you'll know where to find me when the rescue I called shows up."

 

[Armphid]

"...I never said you meant to hurt me," he said to no one. He didn't even know if she was still there. "But that doesn't mean you didn't. Maybe that should matter to you a little. Because it doesn't seem to." It was for the best. They were both about a minute away from lashing out. Maybe less. He felt even worse now. He hadn't thought it possible. Why? Why should he feel bad? HE was the one that was tortured! What right did she have to make him feel fucking guilty? HE was the victim here!

And he went, walking away, feeling like just walking into the waves that crashed on the beach and letting them sweep him away. She knew how best to hurt him, and she'd done a wonderful job. And he'd probably hurt her. Fantastic.

The burned out hulk of the front of the ship was unchanged, the greenery around it shattered ,wilted, burned. Like him. Ruined, broken, but still alive. ...He hated that he was alive.

Ramza sat down in the shadow of the wreck, staring up at nothing, and wishing it would roll over on top of him and end his misery for good.