#her talk with theron on his return was something like

[eorzeashan]

eight as commander during the traitor arc: (no reaction)

eight when someone else is commander during the traitor arc: (sends unsettling letter made of huttese newspaper cutouts to theron that says something vaguely along the lines of 'your fingernails will be pulled off')

[reconstructionlegacy]

Ngani Zho Coerced Custody Of Theron

[Zho] had told the Jedi Council and the leaders of the Republic military that he had sent Satele on a vital mission— something he could not speak of for fear of endangering her life. Given Master Zho’s impeccable reputation, none had questioned him. Now, however, the mission was over. It was time for her to return; the Republic had fought too long without their champion. The Sith Empire’s relentless advance had gone too far. She could no longer ignore the Republic’s need. [...] “You promised you would take him,” Satele said softly, gazing down into the child’s wide, wondering eyes. “I will,” Ngani assured her. “If that’s still what you want.” “What I want has nothing to do with it,” she muttered as she reluctantly handed the child back to her Master. [...] As he took the child from her arms, the moment of greatest joy she would ever know ended.

— Star Wars: The Old Republic: Annihilation

BACKGROUND

Ngani Zho trained, according to Lost Suns (admittedly according to Zho the manipulator), Satele Shan, Syo Bakarn, Jaric Kaedan, and Bela Kiwiiks. Obviously, that is not possible for full Padawans, and Satele was under Kao Cen Darach's mentorship in the first trailer (and then he died), so my theory here is that Zho stepped in to "foster" mentor at least some of these promising young Jedi (and gain influence with them).

WHAT HAPPENED

Zho was somehow trusted by the Council (maybe because he partially trained a third of them). Satele became pregnant, went to Zho for advice, and rather than saying "let's talk to the Council, the normal Jedi support structure, which trusts me," he said "I will cover this up. For you." Like a favour.

He said to the Council that she was on a mission, which put a time limit on the 'plan' ("Always with the plan, aren't you?" Zho asks Theron in Lost Suns). By lying to the Council on her behalf, he made it impossible to go to them for support, or at the least heavily implied to Satele that her pregnancy was somehow wrong or shameful.

By isolating Satele from everyone but himself, and putting a time limit on her seclusion, he arranged for her to have no real choice but to give him custody of Theron. (The scion of a powerful bloodline... and possibly even blackmail material against the future Grand Master.)

Then, having secured the custody of Theron, he proceeded to isolate him as he had isolated Satele, and thoroughly abuse him. This is detailed in Lost Suns, and I will not detail it here; suffice to say it began at the earliest when Theron was five, and Theron's life was endangered by Zho, who abandoned Theron upon realizing he was not Force-sensitive.

(SOME OF) THE AFTERMATH

Years later, when Theron is an SIS officer, under convoluted plot circumstances (that is: the plot of Lost Suns), he reencounters Zho. Zho takes another young person, Teff'ith, under his wing, which Theron is unhappy about. (Teff'ith asks Theron, who has used the term 'childhood trauma' about Zho by this point, and will later elaborate with horrific detail that I, once more, decline to repeat, "Scared of him?". Theron says 'no' - you know, like a liar. Anyway -)

(My theory is that Zho was Star Cabal, Revanite, or both, and wanted complete control of the training of the Blood Of Revan... but fuck knows why he did any of this. Your guess is as good as mine.)

I do think, in the text, Zho's treatment of Theron is framed as abhorrent, especially given the cited and open trauma and abuse. There is also a line in Annihilation about him glaring at Satele in a way that reminds me of Theron's textual panic attack when Satele mentions Zho to him elsewhere in the book. Given this, I think it is an entirely reasonable conclusion, even ignoring the fact that he is baby-stealing Jedi georg, the only Jedi known to have actually stolen a baby, that he mistreated Satele, too.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

At any rate - Ngani Zho coerced Satele into giving him custody of Theron. Theron does not know this, and assumes Satele chose freely to gave him up.

We can't know what her decision would have been, because she didn't truly get to make one. She may have chosen to give Theron up. She may not have. But as it was, as it happened, she did not have a genuine choice.

TL;DR: Tie-in material makes it quite clear that Ngani Zho, the "Master Zho" in one of Theron's combat lines, coerced Satele into giving the infant Theron into his custody. This was terrible for everyone involved, except Zho.

[serenxanthe]

Before Umbara: A SWTOR Snippet

I was thinking about how Theron would act in the run up to enacting his plan on Umbara. Would he act exactly the same to prevent detection? Would he actually begin to act more coldly to make the betrayal more believable? Would he be able to completely avoid showing his true feelings for The Commander, or would they leak out against his will?

Seren began slowly to awaken with a sensation of warmth and safety. As her consciousness fully returned she realised that it was because Theron was wrapped around her entirely, pressing her close into his body, his head resting on hers and his arms holding her tightly. Again. She’d woken this way almost every morning for the past couple of months.

It reminded her of how Theron had been with her seven years ago, back when he and Lana had first thawed her out from her carbonite tomb. At night, especially when he’d thought she was asleep, he’d clung to her, wrapping his whole body around hers. During the day, he’d been afraid to let her out of his sight, and had wanted to be touching her all the time. Not necessarily in a sexual way, he’d just wanted the physical reassurance that she was there, that she was real. It had all made sense, given that he’d been without her for five years, and had believed she was dead for the first two of those.

Theron had gradually relaxed over all the years they’d had since then on Odessen. Still worrying about her when she was genuinely in danger, still affectionate, definitely not taking her for granted. But not like this.

Why had this behaviour returned? And only the night time behaviour besides. During the day he was professional in public, almost standoffish. Somehow, they’d hardly managed any private time as a couple other than at night for the last two months. She knew he was working around the clock to find the traitor, but she missed him. And then he clung to her at night, but said nothing about why; what he was feeling.

She’d asked him, of course. Her gentle playful hints, something he usually responded better to than outright questions about his feelings or their relationship, hadn’t worked. So she’d eventually asked him outright what was wrong, whether he was afraid of losing her. Theron had looked devastated, although he had tried to pretend not to, and when he eventually choked out a single phrase, ‘the traitor’ he’d sounded close to tears, his voice thick with emotion.

Seren had done everything she could to reassure him. She’d told him that she trusted him and Lana with her life, that she knew they’d find the traitor. He’d just shaken his head wordlessly and pulled her into a tight hug, her face pressing against his chest. She didn’t know what else to do or say to help him feel better, but she was resolved to try and have another talk with him today, even though he’d hate it.

Seren lay in Theron’s arms trying to plan how to broach the subject again without him shutting down. She was still mulling over her words when, to her surprise, the doorbell of their quarters chimed. She glanced at the chronometer, 06.15! Who would be bothering the Commander in her private space at this hour? It could only be Lana, and it must be urgent. Seren began to gently disentangle herself from Theron’s embrace, but to her surprise his arms tightened even further around her.

“No!” Theron pleaded, sounding heartfelt and very much awake.

Theron usually got up as soon as he woke up, but Seren realised he’d been lying in bed wrapped around her instead this morning. How long had he been awake?

“Theron, I have to get up.” Seren told him gently. “It’s probably Lana, and whoever it is, it must be urgent.”

Theron just clung to her, his face buried into her hair. 

Seren squeezed his arm, and started to shift herself out from under it.

Theron was stronger than her, or at least he would be if she didn’t have the Force, but she never really noticed the fact because he’d never really tried to constrain her, ever. Until now.

Still struggling to shift his arm, Seren said, “Theron…” 

Her tone of voice must have conveyed that she was serious, as with a hard breath that sounded suspiciously close to a sob, Theron finally let her go. She jumped out of bed and put on her robe. Before reaching the door, Seren turned around to blow Theron a reassuring kiss, hoping for a smile from him, but his gaze slid away from hers and he didn’t respond, his face blank.

As Seren opened the door Lana said without preamble, “We’ve got them. We know where the traitor is. Umbara. We need to leave straight away before the intel goes stale.”

[sinclair-enterprises]

Furiosa PSA 1/?

Been seeing a lot of misinterpretation and misinformation with regards to Furiosa, so I wanted to address just a few things I've seen going around in one place that people on here can easily refer to.

Is Furiosa replacing Max as the focus of the franchise going forward?

No. Furiosa is a prequel that's been in the works since it was originally conceived of as an anime in the 2000s until that eventually fell through. There will be no shift towards her character being the singular focus of the franchise.

Why didn't we just get a sequel with Max?

There is at least one Max story, The Wasteland, that is planned to be turned into a future project after Furiosa. It will take place between Furiosa and Fury Road. Miller just wanted to tell Furiosa's story first.

Why aren't we seeing any sign of Tom Hardy?

Despite the fact that Max may be showing up in Furiosa in some capacity, not to mention the fact that the character will obviously be the focus of the The Wasteland, Tom Hardy is likely not returning to play Max. This is in part due to his behavior on the set of Fury Road which has left Miller and co. unlikely to work with him again. He did sign on for two other projects, but at this point his reappearance is incredibly doubtful.

Who will play Max going forward?

At this point we don't know who will be carrying on the mantle of Max Rockatansky, but once we get to production on The Wasteland we'll undoubtedly get some answers. Miller is an unconventional storyteller, and so a James Bond approach to Max himself seems probable, with different actors portraying the same individual across various media.

Given that Furiosa takes place 45 years after The Fall, is Max the Feral Kid?

No. Max is the same person from the original trilogy.

Is George Miller riding the modern wave of doing prequels, reboots, etc. in order to cash in on a character that people loved in Fury Road?

Fury Road was the result of two decades of development from George Miller's initial idea of the story while standing on a sidewalk in 1996. After the initial version of the film which was supposed to star Mel Gibson as an older version of Max (to tie more directly into the period of time after Beyond Thunderdome) fell through due to the Iraq War and financial struggles, the surrounding lore of Fury Road was expanded significantly. This resulted in the creation of two other scripts which became the basis for Furiosa and The Wasteland, respectively. Taken together, Furiosa, The Wasteland, and Fury Road represent one singular trilogy tying Miller's modern iteration of Mad Max together. As a result, Furiosa is hardly some unrelated prequel banking on modern perceptions of how much people liked Furiosa-it was simply a story that was always meant to be told. The same goes for The Wasteland, which is the second chapter in what can be considered the "Fury Road Trilogy." The Wasteland itself was meant to be a video game developed as a collaboration between George Miller and Cory Barlog (the man behind the modern God Of War games), but this was something that never happened. Instead, Avalanche Studios released a game in 2015 which liberally borrowed from Miller's mythos in ways that he expressly did not want them to. As a result he distanced himself from the project and has disavowed his connection to it. It appears that there is now talk of turning The Wasteland into a TV show, but we'll have to wait and see for more confirmation on this.

Why aren't we getting Charlize Theron in Furiosa?

George Miller didn't want to use de-aging tech on this film because he thought it wasn't convincing enough.

Immortan Joe and co.?

We will be getting a good bit of a younger Immortan Joe, although to my knowledge it's still uncertain as to who's playing him. His conflict with Dementus is going to play a key role in the story of the film. Nathan Jones will be returning as Rictus Erectus, along with Angus Sampson as the Organic Mechanic. Quentin Kenihan obviously couldn't reprise his role as Corpus Colossus due to the fact that he unfortunately passed away in 2018.

Is the pacing/storytelling going to be similar to Fury Road?

Furiosa is a movie that takes place over the course of 15 years and involving multiple road wars and various other events which is going to make its storytelling significantly different to Fury Road. Whereas that narrative had one large chase stringing together all of its components, Furiosa will be vastly larger in scale and scope.

[cljordan-imperium]

@dreaminggoblin & @saltysupercomputer - plot points for The Andromeda Effect for the forseeable future...

Chapters will alternate between the estate & cabin - 

When they get to the cabin, Caliban has work to do while Adira is left to hang out with the two bodyguards

Guards decide to start switching out at noon so that one of them isn’t bored out of his skull because he’s on overnights and everyone else is asleep

Caliban starts getting jealous of guards

Adira goes walking with them.  Feeds corn to the ducks.  Finds a cat. Sometimes just sit’s on the back porch and drinks coffee.  Caliban is working.

Finally Caliban decides to start asking her to do those things with him.  Guards are amused because they have noticed his jealousy

Cue some cute moments - sitting around the fire, he teaches her archery, they go on walks, etc  - and they get to know each other.

As they become more comfortable around each other, he starts giving her small things to help him work.  She’s a planning and budgetary whiz.  

—

Back @ the estate - Theron meets with Mircea, her ex.  The exchange is tense.  Mircea asks about what he was told over the phone and Theron tells him that the other man was lying and that Adira is not his ex. Pietre and Svarog are called in and grilled by Mircea about Adira and the situation that happened with Kondrat, they state that Adira is not Riona and looks nothing like her.  They are dismissed and then Theron continues that they are still looking into things, but that they think Kondrat may have been hired/paid by someone else to start a war between Caliban and Mircea (this is true).

Mircea inspects the rings that Caliban had smeared the blood on.  He is convinced for now that Riona is dead.  When he leaves he tells Theron that when Caliban returns he wants to speak with him about other business.  THeron is uneasy.

 While Caliban and Adira are doing the above things at the mansion, Theron, Pietre and Svarog will be looking into everyone in the mansion, reviewing tapes of the incident with Kondrat and trying to figure out who did what.  

****

There will be a phone call between Caliban and Theron.  Caliban will tell him that he has fallen in love with Adira for real and asks for advice.  In the end, Theron will advise him to tell her the truth and ask her to have a real relationship with him. 

The next day, Caliban talks to Lars about this and they plan a romantic dinner while Marcin has Adira distracted.  

Adira is surprised by the dinner and touched.  Before they sit down to eat, Caliban pulls her into his arms and confesses his feelings, barely able to do it, he is so nervous.  Adira is stunned, thinking she was the only one having deep feelings.  She confesses her own feelings and expresses her desire to work on a true relationship as well.  After dinner, Caliban has another surprise, Larse helped him get a few of Adira’s favorite slow songs downloaded and they dance, completing the perfect  romantic evening just for her.  

****

Back at the estate, the trio are slowly identifying who was responsible for the plot against Adira.. ***

When Caliban and Adira return to the mansion, the trio notice that Adira is much more confident and relaxed.  When Theron says something to her about it at one point she says that knowing she has all of their support, and Caliban’s real love, gives her that confidence.  She’s never had any of that before.  This makes Theron happy, and when he later shares it with Caliban, he too is happy.  

Caliban tells Theron that he and Adira are taking things very slow, but that she is so different from the other women he’s had relationships with, that he knows that it is worth it.  Theron fills Caliban in on what they have found out, and the answers are not good.  A new gangster enters the chat.  It was not Mircea that was behind Kondrat, it was just coincidence that Kondrat recognized Adira as Riona.  The reason that Kondrat most likely wanted to get Adira off of the Estate was that they thought she was competing to spy on Caliban with the three that were spying for the Delinari daily.  They are tied to the Maribioli family, and it was being assumed that they were planning revenge for the events at the house that Caliban had rescued Adira from.  Theron hadn’t done any interrogation of those involved yet, so they didn’t know anything for sure.  He was waiting for Caliban to get back.

Caliban tells Theron that overnight he wants all those who have been identified to be rounded up and taken to the “safe house” and put into holding rooms.  Adira is to be kept out of it and away from it at all times.  She is to hear nothing of it.  I would scare her, and he doesn’t want her upset.  Until everything is resolved, she is to have two guards with her at all times, changing shifts at noon and midnight, like they have been.  She will alternately work with Caliban and Theron learning the business but he doesn’t want her over taxed.  Theron agrees

The kidnapping of those involves happens and they are taken to the safe house

The next day Adira works with Theron while Caliban goes and does some questioning, then they switch

Mircea later calls Caliban

This goes on for a while like this as they get some information.  There are cute scenes with Caliban and Adira

Adira has some cute friend scenes with the guards.  There are some cute scenes with guards' wives.  THere are cute scenes with Theron.  Caliban gets Adira a kitten/puppy (haven’t decided which) as a surprise because it is discovered that she cannot have children due to Mircea’s abuse and he is trying to cheer her up in some way.  She is still in pain, but focussing on taking care of the baby animal distracts her and she is in love with it.

Caliban eventually get shot by those who were working against him.  Adira is off with her guards and their wives having a day out, and they rush to the hospital where he is in surgery…cue many scenes at the hospital w/guards and Theron.  Theron notices she is much more assured and assertive w/the docs & nurses.  She keeps reminding them that she is Caliban’s WIFE when they don’t want to tell her things.  He is proud of her.

After a few days when Caliban is stable but still unconscious, Adira tells Theron that she wants him to organize retribution against whoever did this to her husband.  Theron is shocked. He’s never seen her like this, but he likes it.  After talking more with her, there is no doubt about what she expects and a plan is made.  When he leaves that night, he meets with several of the most trusted in the organization to do just that.

There are several scenes with the guards and Theron while Caliaban is out…and her talking to Caliban alone…a hit is done and the head of the other family is taken out, as is his 2nd.  And then the head of the Maribioli and his second.  Security is increased around Adira and Caliban

Caliban wakes up and Adira is passed out, with her head on the bed, holding his hand.  Theron is sitting in the chair in the room watching. Before getting the doc, Theron fills him in on everything, and now Caliban has a new view of his wife as well, and a lot of respect.

Cute scenes of Caliban and Adira as he heals and she helps him with his therapy both in hosp and when released.  She helps him with his work.  She learns more of the business as he has to rest and recover.  

Caliban has a special ring designed for her, without her knowing.  He has a special plan to propose to her that they have a real wedding.

They are invited to a cocktail party by a friend of Caliban’s.  Adira is nervous but agrees to go with him.  He has her guards go, explaining to his friend about the kidnapping/assassination attempt that happened.  While there, Adira becomes overwhelmed by the number of people and suffers a panic attack.  Svarog takes her outside and tries to help her calm down.  Lars goes back inside to get Caliban and explain what happened,\; but there is a miscommunication somehow, and Caliban thinks she’s jealous of him getting attention by a large number of women, which he wasn’t.  He goes outside and starts berating her for making things up in her head to get upset about, when Svarog steps in and asks why he’s being such an asshole to her for having a panic attack that she can’t control.  Lars is now over with her and it’s getting worse, she’s having trouble breathing and her skin is feeling cold.  He tells the other two he thinks they may need to get her to the hospital.  Before either of them can react, she passes out.

Ambulance is called.  They administer oxygen and hook up IV for fluids.  Her blood sugar was very low, BP was low, and her oxygen was low.  They are going to take her to the hospital.  Caliban and Lars go in the ambulance, Svarog will meet them there. Obviously she has anxiety, but there is going to be something else wrong with her.

Caliban feels like a huge ass.  He will apologize profusely and explain he misunderstood Lars…and apologize some more…

She will forgive him…after he grovels a bit…mainly because misunderstandings happen and Lars backed him up that it was hard to hear where he had been and as soon as Svarog stepped in, Caliban had been remorseful. 

More cute scenes with everyone…some scenes of Cal being a mobster but then coming home and being cute with Adira

Adira will eventually become a partner in the legitimate business and therefore have to meet the heads of the other families that run their legitimate businesses.  When she does this she will stun them all.  They will know who she is, of course, but her demeanor will be night and day from who she was i the past.  It is like she is a completely different person.

[krisslegacy]

not a lot just forever (chapter four)

based on the song by adrianne lenker

“and I roll them once or twice can't get much better not a lot, just forever"

characters - theron shan x q'rea kriss (original female barsen'thor)

summary - a nightmare, and words of comfort

word count - 678

warnings - pregnancy, ptsd, waking up from a nightmare

A/N - no beta we die like men please check this out on ao3, and so sorry for being MIA with my fics im on the grind now! i've been at film school :P

AO3

“Hey, look at me, breath.”

Theron’s words sustained her better than the Force as he held her up, gently stroking up and down her spine.

Her heart still pounded in her skull, thrumming through her bones and ringing in her ears. She couldn't help but clench her teeth and press her hands against the sides of her head.

35 years old, and the nightmares didn’t slow down. Q’rea’s future still haunted her.

She pulled air between her teeth, producing an eerie hissing sound before she exhaled. With the release of air, she let herself float on the steady stream of the Force, the rhythm and comfort of her husband’s words. The abyss of darkness slowly eased out of her head, returning to the deepest parts of her soul, hidden away.

Sweat clamored the sheets together, creating an uncomfortable sensation to Q’rea’s skin. Her ligaments and tendons popped and stretched as she extended her legs, easing herself onto her back to desolately stare at the ceiling (which had become a favorite activity over the years)

(Well, before her marriage)

Absently, her hand drifted to the small rise in her stomach. Just the notion of her nightmares returning made her throat dry. The bond she’d formed with the fetus already suggested high levels of Force sensitivity, and what if… what if this child was just as affected with their mother’s dreams as she was?

“Is it happening again?” Theron’s voice returned to her attention.

Swallowing her fear, Q’rea nodded. “Theron…”

He effectively shushed her, immediately taking his wife into his arms. “Together, we face all of this together.”

Silence.

“You promised,” he whispered.

Slowly, she turned to face Theron, pressing her forehead against his. A shock-wave filled with such tender love and warmth rolled through her body as she held his face in her hands. In that moment, she was reminded of the lengths she’d go to keep him safe, the injuries she’d bear so nothing could come between them. It had taken 11 years to finally be his, and though Umbara was a hurt she’d carry with her for the rest of her days, she’d rip the whole galaxy apart for him.

That was attachment, that is what Q’rea had feared her whole life. Only now, she wasn’t afraid of it anymore, running in the dark from something she’d never seen or felt. She embraced it now. Love made her stronger, and the Jedi had been wrong to turn away from it.

Revan’s words 13 years ago made her change her mind on Yavin IV. Her nightmares in carbonite only reinforced it.

“You don’t need the Force to know how much I love you, Theron Shan,” Q’rea finally said as their noses brushed, “and you certainly don’t need it to know I’m telling the truth. We will always do this together.”

Her heart nearly beat out of her chest when he reached to push a strand of brown hair out of her face. The faintest smile painted his lips. “Of course I don’t, I’ve known you far too long not to.” “I’m just not sure I can control this myself.” Q’rea sighed. Her hand dropped to his chest, pushing Theron over onto his back as she rolled on top of him. The groan that escaped his throat didn’t miss her at all. “I’ll talk to Sana-rae about it, how ‘bout that?”

Theron pulled his wife to his chest. “Fine-”

“Theron, did you feel that?”

He raised his eyebrow. “What?”

“That…kick.” Q’rea was quiet now, a voice filled with an excitement so rare nowadays. “Against your stomach, from me?”

Q’rea’s smile was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, and never would he be sick of it. Even the musical giggles that levitated from her soul made him tingle with bliss.

“Well, no mistake now.”

“You don’t think the early morning vomiting told you that?” Theron stroked her hair.

“Quite, old man. You’re lucky you can’t get pregnant.”

Husband, wife, and a child the size of an orange laughed until the Odessen sun rose.

[shynmighty]

oh oh oh, 53 holding the other’s jaw forrr Aeseca and Rass? :3

53 from this list it is!

I'm hanging onto @friendly-neighborhood-lich-queen's ask because, let's face it, I'm totally going to write 20 & 28 for Aeseca/Rass (because I, too, am obsessed with them!!) but I gave this one priority since it was requested twice!

Anyway, I wrote this as somewhat of a companion piece/sequel to this one, hope you all enjoy it!!! 😁

53: Holding the Other’s Jaw Pairing: Aeseca Silverblade/Rass Ordo

Nar Shaddaa was a riot of lights and noise. From where Aeseca stood across from the Promenade, a vast array of colored signs cast the rooftop in a fluorescent glow, flickering from purple to blue to yellow and back. She pressed a finger to her temple to stave off the oncoming headache brought on by the constant noise and bright flashes at the corners of her vision.

A standoff with a Hidden Chain informant had ended in a showdown atop that very roof just a few minutes earlier, with backup arriving from Odessen to see the slippery Rodian captured just before he could escape. Aeseca could feel her heartbeat start to return to normal as she wandered to the sidelines. Behind her, Alliance officers led by Theron Shan took the Rodian into custody, escorting him to the shuttle they had arrived in.

The mission was a success. Shae would be pleased. All in all, a good day for the Alliance.

Even so, Aeseca could not suppress the less comfortable, pinching sadness deep in her chest. No more mission meant she and her companion would go their separate ways. Even if they partnered up again, there was no telling when that might happen.

Then came crushing guilt. As a Jedi, this developing attachment was strictly forbidden. She knew that, and yet it had been so effortless to cultivate. Even one-sided as it was, something would have to be done before it became a bigger problem.

Aeseca glanced at him as the shuttle’s ramp ascended. He had taken off his helmet and slung it casually under one arm. To her surprise, he was already looking at her, the corner of his mouth slightly upturned as he approached.

“Don’t say it, Rass,” She told him.

“Don't say what?” The Mandalorian replied with barely feigned innocence.

“Whatever joke about shuttles you’ve been preparing,” the Jedi cast a level gaze at him from the corner of her eye. “Specifically, crashing them.”

Rass chuckled. “You know me too well.”

Behind them, the shuttle became airborne. Other ships that saw the Alliance insignia emblazoned on the hull gave it a wide berth as it soared into the clouds overhead, leaving Aeseca and Rass alone on the rooftop. Despite the echoed cacophony of the city around them, the area seemed somehow quieter than before.

“What’s on your mind?” Rass asked.

Aeseca frowned, cycling through all the possible responses before deciding to deflect. “What do you mean?”

“Just the way you’re frowning at me,” The slight, infuriating smile remained on his face. “You’re not the only one who’s picked up a thing or two.”

Her gaze dropped to the ground, but somehow even his feet were too difficult to look at. Turning away from him, she leaned on the rooftop ledge. The city, foul and dazzling as it was, seemed easier to take in.

“I’ve just been thinking,” she said, stopping short of admitting that it was him she had been thinking about. “I guess I haven’t really been feeling like myself lately.”

“Want to talk about it?” Rass was leaning on the ledge beside her, and she could feel his soft brown eyes searching her. She deliberately remained facing the city. “Can’t say I can solve big, important Jedi problems but I can listen.”

Aeseca sighed. “It’s not a big, important problem. I just feel…” she stopped herself from saying anything about him directly. “I feel disconnected. From myself. I worked so hard to get where I am, I was so single-minded in my goal – to be a good Jedi. But I have doubts, and they’re making me question everything I’ve achieved.”

“You are a good Jedi, I’ve seen that firsthand,” Rass said. “Whatever your doubts, they can’t erase everything you’ve done.”

“I wish I had your certainty,” Aeseca remained stubbornly facing away. She knew speaking in half-truths would only lead to his partial understanding.

This was accompanied by a somewhat terrifying thought: that if she looked at him now, she might just tell him everything. That she was falling hopelessly in love with him, how part of her wanted to cast the Jedi code aside completely for him, that she would realign the galaxy if he asked her to, and that these illicit feelings became more overwhelming by the day.

“Aeseca,” His voice was accompanied by a soft touch, his gloved fingers gently pressing against her jaw as he turned her head to face him with one hand. A short eternity passed in the space of her meeting his gaze. The glow of the city shone in his eyes making them look even brighter. If he had not been holding her jaw, she might have had trouble staying upright. “I’m not just handing out empty platitudes, okay? You’re remarkable. You… amaze me.”

For a brief moment, Aeseca knew what it felt like to fly over the city. Her heart was unleashed from her very chest and was doing a barrel roll somewhere in the clouds overhead. The rest of her was frozen in place, wide-eyed with disbelief and delight. At the same time, he was looking down at her with sincerity in his eyes she had never seen before. He thought she was remarkable. She amazed him. Perhaps there really was a chance he felt the same…

There is no passion, there is serenity. The thought brought her back to the rooftop. Once again, she was a Jedi, and he was a Mandalorian, and she reminded herself that this was all wrong. In her enjoyment of that moment, she had already gone too far.

“I need to go,” the words escaped her weakly, in a whisper. She took a reluctant step back, ignoring the feeling of Nar Shaddaa crumbling around her as his hand slipped away.

“Go where?” He asked as she retreated.

“To Tython,” she called over her shoulder. Her fists clenched at her sides as she battled the tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

She would go to Tython… and try to forget.

[greyias]

Tagged by @starknstarwars -- thank you for the tag! No Pressure Tagging: @should-i-say-it-like-a-spy, @joiedecombat, @villainship, @voidendron, @keldae, @thievinghippo (and anyone who wants to tag in) From the very rough, unedited and untitled Outlander!Theron AU, that is my project du jour:

Whatever had been keeping Theron upright fell away, and gravity took hold. The blurry world gave way as he tumbled down, but before he could crash into the ground, something stopped his descent him. Arms, strong yet gentle, caught him mid-fall, and helped lower him gently to the ground.

His first instinct was to struggle, fight back, but his traitorous limbs were still numb and refused to respond. As he tried to get his motor functions working properly, he realized that the figure was still talking to him. The world was still out of focus, but as he turned his head to the owner of the voice, he could make out the indistinct shape of a hooded figure with a mask obscuring the lower portion of their face. They were smaller than he was, probably. But true recognition was still dancing out of reach.

And everything still felt so cold.

"I'm sorry," they--no... she was saying. It was a woman. "This is probably going to hurt."

His tongue couldn't wrap around the question of what she meant by that, when there was a prick of hypospray needle at his neck. But that wasn't what hurt. It was the fire that began to race through his veins a moment later, chasing away the cold like a burst of water clearing out a frozen pipe. The numbness pervading his body began to fade, feeling starting to return to his extremities first.

As he tested the movement of his digits, he tried again to focus on his mysterious benefactor. Vision was coming back slower, everything still a haze. He found his voice first, but it came out as a croak. "What...?"

He couldn't get the rest of the question out, but apparently the figure was able to figure it out.

"An antidote. The carbonite freezing process was imperfect. It was killing you." Her voice seemed to crack at that statement, but she seemed to regain her composure quickly enough. "But this will save your life."

"Carbonite?" That whole three syllables he was able to manage was impressive enough. "Who...?"

He blinked several more times, trying to will his vision into focus. The colors swam together with the effort, but he was rewarded as they eventually coalesced into a clear image of his rescuer. She threw her hood back, and removed the mask to reveal a hesitant smile on a familiar, freckled face. Blonde hair, longer than he remembered, braided messily fell over her shoulder, as bright blue eyes shimmered suspiciously.

"Someone who missed you," she whispered.

Recognition finally came flooding in. "Grey."

[spellandblade]

Oh god, yesterday’s playthrough was quite the combination… Theron’s just getting devastaded emotionally (and so am I but also narratively it’s all working so well). We returned from the Circle (saved it of course, and recruited Wynne), and upon talking to Leliana I got the Uthenera cutscene. Theron and Leliana is a whole other post - he actually has a crush on her for a bit - but generally, a very moving moment.

He continued to make rounds through the camp, and eventually wound up talking to Alistair, they’ve just been talking, joking around and then, well. Alistair told him about the Calling. Honestly, Theron took it fairly well. Mostly, I think, because he knows what Blight sickness felt like and I imagine something just felt off after the Joining. This reveal was awful, but - unsuprising. Still, being confronted with what will happen has shaken him. I was just planning to talk to everyone, I wasn’t expecting this to be dropped now!

Still worked out though, as I had Theron talk to Zevran and prompt him to tell him about Antiva. It’s not like Theron could tell anyone what he just learned, but I think Zevran has sensed that something has disturbed the Warden. This conversation felt very much like that to me, Zevran was glad to talk about his home, but something in the way he kept spinning more stories and prompting the conversation to go on, felt to me like he understood Theron wanted to be distracted - and Zevran won’t address this directly, but he hoped the Warden would take some comfort in his company. (and there are Antivan boots in the inventory but Theron was in no state to remember that then) They both got wistful talking about home.

Flirting also works as a distraction (’Is that supposed to be flattery?’ ‘Do you object?’ ‘Not at all, it was just unexpected’) It had, indeed, helped him settle.

And then. We just headed out for ‘Return to Ostagar’ and what happens just the next evening after all that? The shriek attack. Needless to say, this was devastating. Worse so, that by this point Theron has made some measure of peace with Tamlen’s death, particularly after the Gauntlet. And this has just… decimated all of that, to find out his friend has been still alive, and suffering, something still remaining in the body twisted by the Taint. To try, desperatly to heal him somehow but realise he cannot - and then, to kill him

[eorzeashan]

WIP WEDNESDAY

i've missed 6 billion wip wednesdays by now, rip. currently bored out of my mind flying back and forth so have a sneak peek of more traitor arc shenanigans, ohoho.

The SIS calls looking for opportunity. Theron answers. This is part is probably after he's left the Alliance? saying maybe, bc wips are finicky things bound to change.

“This is a surprise,” Theron said, schooling his features back into impenetrable stoicism. “Ardun Kothe.”

“In the flesh,” The former spymaster gave a professional smile- one that didn't reach past the crow’s feet of his wizened eyes. “Or not quite.” He chuckled, the flickering blue holo-figure of his form pacing back and forth in the palm of Theron’s hand.

Theron observed him with thinly veiled wariness.

SIS spymaster. Former Jedi. Failed leader of a resistance cell whose movements went mysteriously unchecked and wiped from the system. Theron had been well on his way to joining him in a similar fashion– then Ziost happened.

All the less to trust the man before him. “So what's this about? I thought the SIS cut ties with me by now, but clearly-” He gesticulated around the bare room, shifting uncomfortably. “-that's not the case.”

Ardun nodded curtly to Eight in the background, who mirrored the same gesture to his former cell leader. He turned back to Theron. “Not a pleasure call, that's for certain.” He gave pause. “I take it you're familiar with the Empire's experiments in brainwashing– says here you've done a bit of work in attaining samples– and you've met our Cipher.”

A knot of unease formed above Theron’s brow. He glanced askance at Eight, who still masked his expression with the same unflappable look he always wore. “...Where are you going with this?”

“I’m contacting you now because Director Trant believes in you.” Ardun continued, words rolling off the timbre of his steady voice. “Between the two of us, Agent Shan, all this talk of traitors and who’s betraying who- that's all a cover.”

Theron’s jaw tightened. “It's really not.” The reply came out shorter than intended.

Kothe shrugged. “Maybe so. But can you say you're not acting in the best interests of the Republic even now? That you’ve left your old home behind for good? You're short of allies, and you’ve cut yourself loose. Don’t be afraid to know where help is– where it always was. You'll need it in the coming days. I’m offering you a way back in. Saresh is gone, and Marcus needs your skills back where they belong.”

The help doesn't usually punish me for trying to save lives, but sure, he mused bitterly, recalling Saresh’s interference and grounding of his work.

So. The SIS was trying to make a back deal now that he’d exonerated himself from Alliance services officially. He couldn't say he didn't miss the Republic or the feeling of being on familiar ground, and he’d be lying if the prospect of returning to his old job and undoing all of the damage Saresh had done during her career didn't spark more than interest in him, but…

Theron fell silent. “No. This is something I have to do on my own.”

Ardun didn't seem surprised. “I understand. The SIS will respect whatever decision you choose, Agent. But this isn't just from the SIS; it comes from inside the house. Whatever you plan to do…we want you to succeed.”

The old ex-Jedi winked over his shoulder at him. “We’re leaving you with a little favor, off the books and off-record; use it wisely.” Ardun clasped his hands behind his back, gaze flinty and uncompromising. “Keyword: Onomatophobia. Thesh protocol, phase one.”

Behind Theron, Eight fell to one knee. His expression looked like he’d been struck.

Theron whirled around. “Eight–? Whoa, what's wrong?”

Eight failed to answer him. “Thesh protocol engaged. Shutting down.” He repeated robotically. The light faded from the other agent’s eyes, and he became still.

“Eight?”

No answer.

“Hey. Wake up.” He grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him slightly. Eight didn't respond, limp in his arms like a lifeless doll. No. This was wrong. He needed to get Lana, Eight was–

Horror dawned on Theron’s features as he took a furtive step back, expression quickly morphing from confusion, to open shock, then finally to white hot anger.

Eight had repeated Ardun’s words like a pre-programmed droid. Eight wasn't waking up. There was a keyword–

Brainwashing. Brainwashing. That was what he meant. That was what he’d been alluding to this entire time. The cold pit of his stomach opened up to icy bone-cutting dread, and he turned on Ardun with a blazing fury.

“What have you done, Kothe?!” He shouted, voice echoing off the walls.

The spymaster only smiled, wan and thin. “He’ll be susceptible to commands after he awakens. Use them wisely,” Ardun reminded him, his holo-figure warping as it lost connection.

“No,” He enunciated, hard and low and angry, “No! Don't you dare hang up- Kothe! KOTHE!” The holocall cut out. Theron yelled, slamming his fist where the holo had been. Crunch.

His hand came back covered in broken communicator parts. He stared at it, then hung his head. Theron punched the table again, this time much weaker, all the fight having left his body with no one to direct it at it.

Eight was still asleep, and he was alone, with no help coming and an ever-growing list of betrayals that he’d signed off on.

“Dammit,” He covered his face with his hands. A slight tremor ran through them. “Damn it all to hell.”

[pochiperpe90]

Here comes “The Old Guard”. Marinelli goes to Hollywood, alongside Charlize Theron.

“Alone, fragile and immortal.”

A story of love, friendship and compassion with an ancient warrior and a young African American, who has just discovered she is immortal, as protagonists. Because the world needs women and courage knows no gender differences. 20 years after “Love & Basketball” and after “The Secret Life of Bees” and “Beyond the Lights - Find Your Voice”, Gina Prince-Bythewood comes to the action movie with very clear ideas on how to reinvent the rules. We talked to her over the phone while she was in Los Angeles during the lockdown. 

A superhero movie that doesn't look like a superhero movie. Is that why you decided to make it? 

Absolutely yes, when I read the script I realized that despite the fantastic genre there was a very realistic background. These characters are real and it's easy for the audience to relate to them despite being immortal. They fight for goals and reasons that people understand. The more realistic the film, the more viewers can reflect themselves in the protagonists. 

In fact, the most fascinating aspect of the characters is their vulnerability: they are immortal, but up to a certain point, which is a paradox. They too have to deal with the sense of the end. 

There is a possibility that they may die, that their immortality is interrupted, that they still suffer from their wounds, and this brings them closer to us. The public still feels sorry for them when they see them in danger.

Immortals suffer, and not just physically.

Many think that being able to live forever would be extraordinary, but no one asks what this really means. Immortality has consequences: it can be a gift, but it can also be a curse.

And we don’t know why immortality fell to them. 

The thing I loved about the graphic novel and the script is the fact that there is no explanation. Not only do we not know it, but neither do the protagonists. But it is a trilogy and therefore there is still a lot to tell.

Could you offer your contribution to the script? 

It was a great script, with great roles based on the graphic novel so I stayed very true to the text. With the author, Greg Rucka, we wanted to reflect on the fear of taking someone's life, the one that sometimes overwhelms soldiers in war, whose psychology is often neglected. Hollywood films have never been very concerned with this aspect, as if killing had no consequences. The protagonists are forced to kill, but if someone has been doing it for centuries, for others it’s the first time. 

What struck you about Luca Marinelli? 

I could talk about him for days, I love him, he's the actor that all directors dream of having on set. He loved the character and gave him life in a very credible way. Between him and Marwan Kenzari is born a great complicity, necessary between two people who have been together for centuries. Luca's eyes are full of soul, his Nicky is the heart of the group, he’s the most sensitive character of all of them. 

Charlize Theron, who is also one of the producers, has an increasingly and more torn body.

Charlize has already played roles like this one, she is very credible in the genre of action and has been helpful to who had never faced it before. From her, who really worked hard, others learned to do the same. She is very credible in the role of a woman who lived for thousands of years.

Matthias Schoenaerts, on the other hand, has an insidious role. 

He embodies the tragedy of immortality, loneliness, betrayal. He is the actor who most resembles his character in the graphic novel. He wanted to make the film at all costs because he had never measured himself with the action genre and felt he had things to express. 

The film underlines how today it’s no longer possible to hide, images can capture you at any time. 

In a scene near the end, when the immortals look at photos and articles about them, they truly become aware for the first time of everything they have done to protect humanity. They understand the power of images from which they continually try to escape in order to hide their identity. 

And then we talk about science and profit. 

In the film, people from different places join forces to protect the world, a need even more relevant today. Yet it is increasingly evident that profit matters more than human lives. 

Do you think the film industry is becoming more inclusive with women? 

Things are finally changing and I am grateful that, despite having no other action films on my resume, I have been entrusted with The Old Guard. I am grateful for the trust they have placed in me. It should be taken for granted by now that women are capable of coping with any film genre and I think how much pressure from the industry Patty Jenkins, who directed Wonder Woman to success and opening the door for many of us, went through. But the door must be wide open because there are still few who have such opportunities. 

In your opinion, have opportunities grown with the arrival of platforms like Netflix? 

Netflix wasn't afraid to trust a series of directors. Which studio would have produced Roma or Irishman? He has the courage to make films that Hollywood deems too risky.

The Golden boy

“Luca Marinelli, as we have never seen him before: in his Hollywood debut, he becomes an immortal and fights with Charlize Theron to save the world.”

Just before the lockdown he was one of the jury members of the 70th Berlinale in the city where he has lived for years - and he swears he had so much fun watching three films a day. The audience awaits him in theatre in the role of Diabolik, in the film directed by Manetti Bros., but on July 10th he arrives on Netflix with The Old Guard, the action movie that sees him alongside Charlize Theron. And where he plays the Italian Nicolo, Nicky for the group of immortals he belongs to. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernández, the film offers Luca Marinelli an insidious superpower, an endless love and a new opportunity to demonstrate his talent as a true champion. We reached him on the phone and he, less shy than usual, told us how he became a secular "superhero".

How did you get to the project? 

I auditioned in London, where I later returned and met the director. Lastly, there was a final meeting between me and Marwan Kenzari. We made a scene together and then they announced to me, "We'd love for you to be Nicky." 

What struck you about this character? 

The story fascinated me because it tells of immortals as if they were the damned. Nicky and Joe live this condition as a gift because they are linked by a wonderful love story and they are not alone. They met in an absurd and paradoxical situation, during the Crusades, ready to kill themselves. They did it a hundred times and then they looked at each other and fell in love. But others suffer from it, like Andy and Booker. In a beautiful scene, Booker, played by Matthias Schoenaerts, explains what happens to them: they see the people they love die and blame them because they cannot prevent it. And they are tired of watching the world repeat itself following the same dynamics. They fight to save people, but everything seems to go on the same way. Only in the end will they discover what they have done and what they are doing. 

How did it go with Charlize Theron? 

Well, it was wonderful! As I read the script I said to myself: am I really going to make a film with Charlize Theron? And hug as well! I was very excited and intimidated already while reading. She is an extraordinary actress. In the scene where we are at the table and everyone tells Nile something about us, Andy tells her what we are and it was nice to see her running and venturing into the midst of emotions and thoughts. Sometimes I got distracted and didn't say my line. But Charlyze is also a crazy athlete. You have to be really athletes, otherwise you don't survive at the end of the day. And Charlize is an athlete of the body and the heart. 

What about her athletic training? 

We got together a month before shooting to start working with the stunts. I had to get some athleticism back: when I arrived and they looked at me I think they were a little worried. We had to become familiar with martial arts and then we switched from the sword to other weapons and to hand-to-hand combat. We prepared scene by scene, including the choreographies, different for each fight, and each of us had his own rubber reproduction of the sword. It was an unforgettable training.

The immortals come from different places in the world. How much of Italy is there in Nicky? 

Apart from the pronunciation? They still laugh at some of the things I said. Marwan and Matthias, but also Charlize, speak Italian at different levels and every now and then I enjoyed shooting a few sentences to which they could answer me. 

Did you offer your character something that wasn't in the script? 

Well, being in such a group, shy as I am ... I tried. I have always focused on the bond between Nicky, Joe and the other members of the group, because I am interested in discovering what is inside a character, his feelings, how he looks at the world, what excites him. Nicky has lived for centuries, but still greets the people he meets in the desert with a smile, inside him there is the flame of an infinite good. Each character has a different sensitivity and their own armor. Nicky is perhaps the least armored one.

The challenge was also to make people believe in a love story that has lasted for centuries. 

Marwan recites a beautiful monologue in which he talks about their love story. I hope that each of us, in their short life, can say the same thing about the person they love. 

You’ve already had superpowers in “They Call Me Jeeg”. What is your relationship with this genre? 

I like it very much and I think that both films, very different from each other, have a very interesting soul. In Jeeg Robot, Enzo Ceccotti uses his superpowers to help others, taking on a social responsibility. In The Old Guard the protagonists put themselves at the service of others, even if no one has asked them to. “This is what we do,” they repeat over and over to each other. What they do is save people, participate in what they think is right. 

How do you think they would react to protests on American streets and around the world?

I don't feel like playing games, mixing reality and fiction on a terribly real subject like this. I think that in reality, outside of any cinematic fiction, it’s fundamental to fight for equality, within society, but also within ourselves. To go back to our film, if in a microscopic way we manage to carry a message in that direction, I would be very happy. 

What director was Gina Prince-Bythewood? 

She is always ready to listen, and I am someone who asks a lot of questions even at inappropriate times. She always had great patience and was very attentive to the emotional side of the film, to the interiority and beauty of the characters.

CIAK Magazine - Luglio 2020

Just wanted to translate this old interview for the non-italian’s fans ^^ (sorry for my English)

[serenxanthe]

Return to Hoth: A SWTOR Story

In which Seren avoids telling Theron why she really really hates Hoth.

TW: brief suicidal ideation

Theron glanced at Seren with concern, as soon as he’d finished docking with the space station airlock he’d talk to her, he decided. They’d put off this mission to Hoth again and again, the reasons getting more and more spurious, and ok, he got it, Hoth was nobody’s favourite destination. Except that Seren didn’t usually worry about things like cold, or heat, or extreme physical danger like normal people, this was very out of character.

As they’d got closer and closer to the planet she’d got quieter and quieter, and simultaneously clingier, physically; her hand on his thigh as he piloted, her head resting on his shoulder, her arms around his waist every time he stood up. Not that he minded, far from it. But it didn’t seem like her usual happy, playful affection, it was almost like she needed the contact. And she was so damn quiet.

The airlock hissed as it disengaged. “Seren…” he stood and turned to her, and before he knew it she was in his arms again, clinging to him. This wasn’t normal. They’d spent almost every day together since they had first landed on Odessen to start building the Alliance, coming up for a year ago now. He had been the one who had clung to her at first, struggling to believe that she was here, she was really here, having lost her for five years, thinking she was dead for the first two of those. They certainly didn’t take each other for granted even now, but… Seren’s behaviour was so odd, and it seemed directly connected with Hoth somehow.

“Seren…” he tried again. But she didn’t respond other than to snuggle into him even more closely, her face pressed into his chest.

“Seren, look at me, please?” 

She reluctantly tipped her face up to look at him.

“What’s wrong?” he asked her.

She opened her mouth, hesitated, then said, “Nothing, I’m fine.” But her eyes slid away from his.

Theron sighed. “Ok love, if you’re sure?”

He felt her nod into his armpit, and sighed again, he couldn’t force her to talk to him.

He squeezed her then reluctantly let go of her. “Come on then, let’s get going. The sooner we get down there the sooner we’re done.”

They carried their cold weather gear through the space station orbiting the frozen planet. The air temperature up here was comfortably warm. Despite that, Seren was dressed modestly, if not exactly like the typical Jedi. They’d learnt early on that in Republic spaces, the sight of a Jedi with her legs uncovered, a Jedi being openly affectionate towards her boyfriend, made people deeply uncomfortable, even hostile. The fact that she was no longer technically a member of the Jedi Order was a distinction that didn’t matter; they saw her as a Jedi, and therefore she should behave as one. In order to move freely in Republic space and use Republic infrastructure Seren had taken to wearing leggings instead of shorts and ensuring there was no hint of cleavage in her choice of robes. As a couple their behaviour in public was circumspect enough that while Republic officials might have suspected, there were no longer any horrified gasps like when she’d held his hand that time, or mutters of ‘disgusting’ like when he’d kissed her cheek briefly once.

Seren marched through the space station at a ferocious pace, as if she was taking Theron’s point about getting in and out quickly extremely seriously. As the shuttle down to the surface readied for takeoff they put their cold weather gear on. Layers of high tech materials topped off with archaic animal skin parkas. As a Jedi, Seren hated wearing something made from a dead creature, but science had as yet been unable to develop better protection from the frozen wasteland of Hoth.

Theron leant forward and gently tightened the fastenings around Seren’s fur hood for her, tucking her hair in, ignoring the Republic troops as they nudged each other and whispered, shocked. Plausible deniability Theron told himself. Her face was pale and her eyes were wide, looking at him with something like pleading. For what? He wanted to kiss her, reassure her that whatever this was would be ok, but of course he couldn’t. 

Even in the relative shelter of Aurek Base, the Republic HQ on the surface, their breath steamed the air. Theron had been once before, but hadn’t stayed long, who would? And so didn’t properly know his way around. Seren in contrast seemed to know exactly where she was going, navigating expertly through the maze of frigid corridors towards the quartermaster’s office, still travelling at her rapid marching pace.

“You’ve spent quite a bit of time here, huh?” Theron commented.

Seren stopped and nodded at him, still with that odd look of pleading on her face, or was it longing? For him? But… he was right here, and he was hers. She’d seemed secure and content in their relationship up until now, more so than him in many ways, their time apart feeling like months to her, rather than the years it was. Theron looked around, the corridor was empty of other personnel, and he couldn’t hear anyone coming. He took a risk and stepped closer to Seren, pulling her into his arms for a hug. Again she clung to him, the bulky parkas meant they could barely feel each other’s bodies, but she pressed herself as close as she could.

“Seren, please tell me what's wrong?” Theron begged her, but she just shook her head and marched off again towards the quartermaster. 

Theron arrived at the office thirty seconds after Seren and found she was already telling him what they needed. She must have barely greeted the man Theron thought, this is so unlike her. 

They were handed the key fob for a light cold-weather speeder. The quartermaster told them it was standard issue Republic military but ruggedised for the climate. Theron thanked him, privately sceptical. The base and its equipment had never been at the top of the Republic’s list for funding, and years of oppression under the Eternal Empire had hardly helped matters. Everything looked shabbier and less well maintained than he remembered from his brief visit during his time with the SIS.

“Want me to drive?” Theron asked Seren as they surveyed the ‘ruggedised’ speeder, wait, was that… tape?

“What are you saying?” Seren asked him, a brief flash of humour in her brown eyes.

Theron smiled at her, more relieved than he could say that she’d reacted in something approximating her usual way to their ongoing joke that she crashed or otherwise destroyed all the vehicles she drove. Again he wanted to kiss her, but there were techs working at the other side of the hangar, he couldn't risk it.

They put their goggles on, not a centimetre of skin now exposed. Theron sat on the speeder, trying to get a feel for the controls before they set off. Seren hopped on behind him, and ignoring the grab handle behind her, put her arms around his waist, linking her hands around her wrists firmly. That would cause some comment among the techs if they noticed, but possibly fell under plausible deniability. He said nothing, enjoying the feeling of her pressed against him, even through their heavy clothes.

Starting the speeder, Theron realised something was off straight away, and he almost took them back into the hangar immediately to insist that the techs service the vehicle then and there. But then he remembered that something about Hoth was making Seren deeply unhappy, she clearly wanted to get their various recruitment missions here over with as quickly as possible so they could leave. He reasoned that as a seasoned speeder pilot he could make adjustments for the engine’s spotty power, the unbalanced thrusters. He’d done it before, many times.

About halfway to their destination, Outpost Cresh, Theron knew he’d made a catastrophic error of judgement. The speeder was in such a poor state, the weather so challenging, even for Hoth, that he was struggling to keep the thing in the air, its nose constantly down trying to ditch them into the snow. He couldn’t communicate with Seren because of the howling wind and the need to use every bit of concentration he had to prevent them from crashing.

Theron was so focussed on the failing engine that he was caught completely unprepared when one of the thrusters cut out without warning, and the speeder was thrown into an unrecoverable spin. Thanking the stars that at least they’d been a decent height from the ground when it happened, he reached behind himself for Seren’s waist and pulled them both off the speeder. As they fell he heard the explosion as the speeder hit a rock-hard wall of ice.

Seren sat up, disoriented; the height they’d fallen from had pushed her down into the snow, and a light covering of it now coated her. She wiped her goggles and carefully stood without touching the snow walls around her, aware she could pull them in on herself. She hadn’t gone that deep she realised, feeling thankful; she could see over the top of the indentation she’d made now she was standing up. Where was Theron?

Embarrassed, she realised that she’d been waiting there, expecting him to help her out of the hole, like she was some sort of helpless damsel. She was a Jedi! It was just that she’d got so used to him being there over the past year. She crouched, and leapt easily out of the hole, landing gracefully a few metres away. She looked around again from her new perspective, breath steaming in the frigid air. She could see a crumpled mound of… Theron? Why was he just lying there? Like… She stopped breathing as she saw the bright red blood on the snow.

Eight Years Earlier 

Hoth. Seren glanced around disinterestedly. It was cold, she supposed, but that wasn’t important. What was important was that she and Leeha Narezz find the technical readouts for the Emperor’s cloaked fortress in one of the many crashed starships on this frozen planet. She had to push her doubts about Tol Braga’s overall plan down, or ideally away. She was a Jedi Knight, and that was all she had now, that was all she’d ever have. She had to focus, to commit to the Jedi Master’s plan, and that was what she was here to do. 

Doc was on the planet with her, having literally drawn the short straw given the unpopularity of this posting. That decision had been made before their brief but catastrophic sojourn on Nar Shaddaa however, and Kira had subsequently offered to accompany her instead, given what had happened with Doc on the Hutt planet. Seren had considered it, but then shaken her head.

“No Kira, thank you though. But either Doc is a part of the crew or he isn’t, and…” she’d shrugged, trailing off.

“Sure.” said Kira, “But have you given any thought to the idea that perhaps he isn’t?” 

Seren had shrugged again. “That would be the emotional response Kira, and I’m a Jedi. He’s a good Doctor. The sensible thing to do is to keep him as part of the crew.”

Kira had nodded, gritting her teeth. If she had to hear one more time that Seren was a Jedi, or that she wasn’t basing any decisions on emotion, she was going to scream!

Kira hadn’t liked Theron, what little time they’d spent together, and she certainly hadn’t approved of Seren’s relationship with him, but she was starting to admit to herself that Seren had been happier when she was with him. Since Nar Shaddaa when it seemed that Doc had screwed up any chance that they might have had to reconcile, Seren had been… Well, Kira would have been happier if Seren had been angry, upset, anything. But since that first night when she’d cried in her arms, there’d been no emotion, nothing, it was like Seren had gone, leaving a typical Jedi in her place. Kira couldn’t stand it.

Unbeknownst to either Kira or Seren, Doc was also starting to regret the events on Nar Shaddaa. He’d just been trying to get one over on a rival, mark his territory as it were! He and Seren had been having fun in the weeks previously, and now it seemed like his sexy Jedi friend was gone, broken. Here on Hoth, she hadn’t responded to any of his jokes, any of his flirtatious comments, not even to get annoyed with him. Nothing. She just seemed to have a laser focus on their mission, going after these plans like nothing else mattered. Her face was expressionless, her eyes blank. He hated it.

Doc thought back to how they’d started hooking up in the first place. Once he’d found out from that SIS guy on Quesh, Meldo, that Seren wasn’t the perfect virginal Jedi he’d thought she was, that this guy’s friend was actually her ex, Doc had stepped up his flirtation another few notches, and eventually just propositioned her, telling her they were wasting time putting off the inevitable. Slightly to his surprise she’d agreed, and they’d had sex several times since then, always at his suggestion. He’d liked that she didn’t seem to be getting attached to him, clingy; it had still felt fresh, fun, weeks later.

Nar Shaddaa was one of Doc’s favourite places, and once Seren had helped out Kira and her cute twi’lek friend, Vette, Doc had suggested a night out, just the two of them. He’d bought her a tiny, stretchy black mini dress and shiny black heels; partially as a disguise, and partially as it was the sort of thing he liked seeing on women. She’d laughed when he showed her, but agreed to wear the outfit, and to the night out.

He’d always been intending to ply her with drinks, get her to relax a bit for once, but for some reason he didn’t even need to persuade her; she was knocking back the shots and cocktails almost faster than he could buy them, and if it wasn’t for her super strong Jedi constitution, he would have been starting to get concerned that she’d be too drunk for sex at the end of the night.

She was pretty drunk though, which was probably why he spotted that they were being followed and she didn’t. Doc had been in some pretty hairy situations, not all of them even of his own making, and he knew how to handle himself. He put his arm around Seren, and looked around, using the reflections in shop windows to try and spot their tail. It took a while, the person was good, but Doc got lucky when a drunken passerby shoved the guy out of his way with a shoulder, pushing him out into the open for a second. Doc got a good look at him, and he had to force himself not to react when he did so. It was that guy Shan, Seren’s ex! 

Obviously Doc had snuck into her quarters when she’d been doing some sort of Jedi nonsense with Kira a couple of weeks ago, I mean who wouldn’t? He thought to himself. He’d been looking for evidence of this guy, a diary maybe, but he’d been shocked to see two framed holos of them together, right there where anyone could see them! He picked them up one by one and studied them. Seren looked great in one of them, that green dress was definitely not to his taste, but her hair and makeup were spot on. Shan looked, well, ok, he guessed. Ugly cranial implants, stupid hair, but otherwise ok. Nothing special. No competition.

But now he was following them? What the hells? Who did that? You break up, you move on, thought Doc. Why did he even care what Seren was up to these days? Fine, if he wants a show, I’ll give him a show! Doc decided, and slid his hand down from Seren’s shoulders to her barely covered butt, squeezing it. She laughed, and did nothing to stop him, so feeling encouraged, Doc kissed her deeply, his tongue in her mouth, both hands now cupping her butt cheeks through the thin fabric of her dress. He was enjoying himself, but he was mostly hoping that their stalker was watching, and that he would take the hint.

When Theron had first caught sight of Seren having followed a tip off from one of his many dubious sources on Nar Shaddaa, he’d stopped dead, shocked, and almost lost her, lost them. Because she was with a man, a smarmy player of a man, way too old for her, with his boring hair, his moustache, who had a moustache? His too tight pants, his self satisfied swagger. What the hells was she thinking? And what was she wearing? Seren never wore black, it probably reminds her of the Sith he thought. That cheap dress, those painful looking heels; that man has her dressed up like some kind of sex doll, Theron thought, outraged. What if… what if she didn’t want to be there with him, what if he was coercing her somehow? She needs me, Theron told himself, hurrying to catch up as they moved towards the next sleazy bar.

Theron waited opposite the cantina for Seren and that man to emerge. It was torture, not being able to see what she was doing, what he was doing, but this place was tiny, he’d definitely be spotted if he went in, and he wasn’t sure how he was going to approach the situation yet. He needed more information first. Was Seren being coerced, was she in danger, or was she there as part of some sort of mission, gathering information? If this guy was a mark, he didn’t want to mess things up for her, but at the same time he wanted to be there for when she’d inevitably need backup.

Eventually they emerged, Seren clinging to that man’s waist, Theron noted, gritting his teeth. She seemed unsteady on her feet, was it those stupid shoes or had he drugged her? He sped up, and he saw the man pause, put his arm around Seren and look around, nowhere near as subtle as he probably thought he was, but Theron was cursing himself, he’d been sloppy, careless, he’d almost been spotted! As they set off again, he realised that the man was using the reflections in windows to look for him. He backed off, the guy clearly had some sort of training or experience. Theron was even more worried for Seren now, did she know what she was dealing with?

The drunk came out of nowhere, his massive flailing arm punting Theron right into the middle of the street for a split second before he recovered and ducked behind another couple, hiding in the crowd. Had the man Seren was with spotted him? He left it a few seconds before he cautiously moved forward, trying to spot them again. When he did so Theron stopped in the street, staring, no longer trying to stay concealed. The man was kissing his Seren, his tongue was down her throat, his hands were on her butt, and almost worst of all, Seren’s arms  were around his waist, as if she wasn’t trying to get away, as if she was actually enjoying it. There was a sharp pain in Theron’s abdomen and his vision was blurring. 

The man broke off his kiss with Seren and looked around, his eyes sliding past Theron’s; perhaps he hadn’t been spotted after all? Theron couldn’t decide what to do. What if Seren wasn’t on some sort of mission where she’d need his help, what if she wasn’t being coerced? What if… what if I’m just stalking my ex like some sort of creepy loser? Theron had almost made up his mind to leave, to go back to his bunk at the SIS listening post and sleep it off, or more likely drink it off, when the man reached down and grabbed Seren’s wrist and pulled her. Rage exploded in Theron’s mind, how dare he?

Suddenly the crowd swelled around them, bolstered by a cantina throwing most of their patrons out into the street for brawling. Theron almost lost sight of Seren and that dangerous man, until he spotted him pulling Seren into a dark alley on the opposite side of the square. Theron panicked, pushing bystanders out of his way to try and get to them before he hurt her, even so, it took him a good five minutes to get through the rowdy, drunken, brawling crowd to the alleyway. A broken neon sign was flickering on and off at the alley’s entrance, providing an intermittent source of light. Theron didn’t need it though, switching his implants to their night vision setting with a thought. He stepped into the alleyway.

Theron had thought he’d seen the worst sight he could imagine when he’d seen his Seren seemingly enjoying kissing another man, but this was, this was… He could barely even form a thought. Seren’s skirt was up around her waist, the top of her dress was pulled down exposing her breasts. The man was kissing and licking them as he fucked her, as this sleaze fucked his Seren against the dirty wall of the alley. Her legs were wrapped around his waist and she was urging him on breathlessly, calling him Doc. Was she fucking her doctor? This, this, was now definitively the worst moment of Theron’s life.

Hardly able to breathe, feeling physically sick, Theron turned to leave the alleyway, stumbling slightly as he did so, his legs shaking. As he reached the blinking neon at the entrance, he heard a soft, “Theron?” It was Seren, her voice unsure, she obviously couldn’t see him in the darkness of the alley without the benefit of implants like his, she must have sensed him with the Force he supposed. He almost just kept walking, he should have just kept walking, but he turned around. Seren had pulled her dress back into place so it covered her, and her hands were reaching out for him blindly, she knew he was there, just not exactly where. Against his will, he took another step towards her. Her face looked distraught, didn’t it?

‘Doc’ appeared behind her, putting his hands around her waist from behind. “Where're you going, gorgeous?” he asked her.

Seren shook him off impatiently and stepped further towards Theron. “Theron?” She called again. She blinked, trying to adjust her eyesight to the darkness so she could find him, but the flashing neon made it impossible, blinding her.

Theron gritted his teeth, how dare she speak to him like that, so softly, so entreatingly, like she loved him, with that look on her face, so hopeful, so sweet, when he’d just seen… when she’d just been… Theron swallowed, trying desperately not to throw up.

Just as Seren finally got near him the neon blinked on again and she saw him standing there, and ran to him.

“Theron, I…” she started.

“FUCK YOU!” he shouted into her face from centimetres away, his own face twisted with rage.

Seren froze and stepped back, drawing in a shocked, shuddering breath. I was afraid of him, she remembered, when he found out I was Sith, he was so angry, I was afraid. She had forgotten why in the intervening months, but now she remembered. But then she heard Theron draw in his own shuddering breath, and as the neon flickered back on she saw his eyes were full of tears.

“You broke my heart.” he told her more quietly, “You broke my heart.” Theron’s voice broke on that final word.

Seren felt her own heart break again in response. He’d broken hers first when he’d accused her of being a Sith plant back on Alderaan, when she realised that he didn’t really know her at all, and now she’d broken his in return. It was over, Seren realised, it was really over. They may have broken up on Alderaan months previously, but she’d really believed that they would find their way back to each other eventually. 

“Theron…” Seren almost whispered his name into the darkness, hoping that she was wrong, hoping he was still there, but when the neon flickered back on she saw he was gone. He was gone. She would never see him again; she knew he had the skills and resources to make sure of that. 

“THERON!” she screamed, losing control of her emotions and the Force for the first time since that other awful time on Nar Shaddaa four years previously; the time she decided she was no longer Sith, would never be Sith again. The neon sign burst in a spectacular shower of sparks and went dark for the last time. Seren sat on the ground in the filthy alleyway and wept, Doc hovering uncertainly a couple of metres away looking up in trepidation at the smoking sign.

The Present Day

“THERON!” Seren screamed his name, but he didn’t stir, didn’t sit up and tell her to stop screaming, that he was fine. He was always fine.

She tried to run to him, slipping and floundering through the chest-deep powdery snow. She knew how to walk on snow; how to preserve the surface, how to conserve precious energy, and this definitely wasn’t it, but she couldn’t, she couldn’t just walk calmly towards him, towards the blood she could see pooled around his… his head.

She collapsed down next to Theron having used way too much energy getting to him. She reached out a shaking hand towards the horrible gash on his right temple. It was still bleeding, he was alive, thank the Force, and as she grabbed a kolto pack from her parka and pressed it firmly against the wound he groaned and opened his eyes. 

“Sorry.” he told Seren, “I knew that speeder was no good.”

Seren nodded and sniffed. Her eyes were full of tears, steaming up her goggles, but she was trying her best to stay calm. She never usually struggled to do so unless Theron was in danger, Theron was injured. Attachments. Love. Pain. Master Orgus would be so disappointed in her.

She realised Theron was trying to sit up, and she helped him to do so, knowing it would slow the bleeding. Belatedly, she noticed that his right palm was bleeding too, more sluggishly than his head, but it still looked painful. 

“Piece of metal broke off the speeder.” He told Seren, “I’m an idiot, I pulled it out.”

Seren gave him another kolto pack to hold in his right hand to heal his palm, pushing it through the corresponding hole in his glove.

“You’re not an idiot, but yeah, that wasn’t the best idea.” she told Theron shakily, pulling her gaiter down briefly to kiss him. 

The bleeding at his temple had almost stopped, so she carefully pulled his hood back on. The wind was still howling, it was still bitterly cold, and they had to find shelter if they were going to survive until rescue came.

Theron was inevitably already looking at his datapad, grumbling to himself as the thick gloves made his fingers clumsy on the screen. 

“Here!” He showed her a topographic map he’d pulled up, “These lumps, they’re not natural. I think they’re old abandoned buildings or shelters, and they’re only a few hundred metres away.”

Seren looked at the map. “I think you’re right Theron, nice work!”

She was trying to be encouraging, but she still felt sick with worry. In good conditions a few hundred metres was nothing, but the wind was blowing the snow almost horizontally at them from the direction Theron had indicated; the snow they’d need to traverse was at least as deep as they were tall; and then they’d have to dig out a shelter. 

“Sweetheart, we’ll be fine.” Theron told her, he knew exactly what she’d be thinking. He squeezed her hands with his uninjured one.

“Sorry.” She told him. “I just… struggle when you’re injured.”

“I know. And I get it.” And he did, sometimes Theron still had dreams where he saw Arcann stab Seren with his lightsabre, saw her fall backwards, a glowing hole right through her torso, he’d thought she was dead for the few seconds until she’d moved. He took a deep breath; enough of that thought. 

They pushed through the snow with agonising slowness, taking it in turns to take the lead, absorbing the brunt of the wind and the drag of the snow underfoot so the other could rest. Eventually, after what seemed like days, but was probably less than two hours, they made it to the bumps that Theron had spotted on the map. He was right, they were far too regular to be natural. They just had to hope that they were shelters or buildings, something they could get inside rather than solid structures.

Seren had some experience with the half-spherical shelters typically used on Hoth. She’d rescued Republic soldiers from them herself, and cleared pirates out of others. 

“Ok,” she started, “If these are what I think they are, there should be doors reaching up to around your head height, with kind of rounded tops. There might even be some kind of generator in the middle of this group of four huts. We might be able to get it started again if so?” she suggested hopefully.

“Great!” said Theron. They were both carrying basic cold weather survival gear, including temporary power packs, heat packs, flares,  and spades. “Let’s get digging!” he said with what sounded to Seren like forced cheerfulness, as he wielded his spade.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Uh huh,” she said, “Let me check your wound first.” She stepped towards him.

“No need!” He stepped back, trying to stay out of her reach, but she grabbed him by his parka and started to peel back his hood, being greeted by a fresh rush of blood.

“Theron! You knew it was bleeding again, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t want to worry you.” He said sheepishly.

“Sit down! Stay still! Kolto!” Seren ordered him, angry that, as usual, he was being completely blasé about his own well-being.

Theron sat holding another kolto pack against his temple with his right hand, two birds with one stone! He hated to watch Seren work without helping her, but he knew she was more than strong enough to do it alone. She dug away the snow where she thought the door would be, and turned to smile triumphantly at Theron when she was only a few centimetres out. He gave her a thumbs up with his good hand, starting to feel less light headed now that the second lot of kolto was doing its job.

Seren eventually got the whole door uncovered, took a deep breath, and pulled at it. To her relief it came open easily; the thick coating of snow had kept it insulated, stopped it from icing up. 

She and Theron scrambled inside and pushed the door shut, leaving just a crack for light until they could find another source. They immediately felt warm, the lack of wind and driving snow giving the illusion of a comfortable temperature inside. It wasn't, of course, and they knew that now they’d stopped moving the sweat on their bodies would start to dry and evaporate, cooling them dangerously. 

At Seren’s nod of approval, Theron switched on one of their precious power packs, providing enough light to see the interior of the shelter. They looked around. There were camp beds, so they wouldn’t have to sit or lie on the floor; that would help with staying warm. Low shelves stood against the curved wall, and they crouched to investigate their contents. Ration packs, years out of date, bits of some sort of broken machinery, better spades, and yes! A tool box! Prying it open, they discovered a hydrospanner and other essential tools, enough to repair a generator, if there was one still in situ. 

Theron stood up, “Right, you said it should be in the centre of this group of four shelters?” 

“Yes, Theron, but you should rest here, I’ll go out and…” Seren stopped speaking as Theron laughed.

“Much as I’d love to watch you try to repair a generator, I think this is more my area of expertise, don’t you?” He suggested.

Seren huffed. “I’ll have you know, Theron Shan, that among the Jedi, I’m considered very technically competent!”

Theron just laughed even harder, somehow that hadn’t been the winning argument Seren had hoped for.

Seren rolled her eyes. “Ok fine, you can repair it, but I’m going out first to dig it out of the snow!” She grabbed a spade and stomped outside before he could object any further.

She returned less than a minute later. 

“No luck finding it?” Theron asked her, worried that they’d have to cobble together another source of heat.

“Er no, I mean yes, it’s uncovered. You’re good to go.” She looked slightly shifty.

“Seren, did you just use the Force as a snow blower?” 

She shrugged guiltily, “You’re injured, it’s valid.” 

Theron laughed, and hugged her. “I love you.” he told Seren. Suddenly she was clinging to him again desperately, like she had earlier on his shuttle and in the corridor at Republic HQ. “Hey,” he said gently, “and when I’m done, we’re going to talk about whatever is going on with you right now.” He squeezed her and let go. “I love you.” he told her again, just to be sure she knew.

“I love you.” Seren replied, her voice wobbly and her eyes full of tears. She couldn’t bear to let him out of her sight, thinking of pirates, or stars forbid, of wampas, so she went outside to watch him. She somehow ended up standing between him and the direction the snow was blowing from, shielding his face from it with her back, and a tiny bit of the Force. With his goggles on and hood up she couldn’t see the expression on his face; he just shook his head at her, but got on with repairing the generator.

After not too long they heard it whir into life, the warmth it was creating immediately starting to melt the snow on the trunking snaking between the shelters. They gave each other a thumbs up and pushed through the snow the final few metres back to their shelter. 

Back in the shelter, the lights and heating were on, and the temptation was to just fall into the camp beds as they were and sleep. They were both exhausted. They both knew enough about cold weather survival to know that that would be a bad idea however. There was a large metal basin on the surface of the heater, too rusty now to make safe drinking water, but fine for heating water to wash in. Before Seren could object, Theron grabbed it and stepped outside to fill it with snow. Back inside, he pushed the door shut and put the basin on the heater to melt the snow.

As the resulting water warmed, they stripped off their layers of sweat and snow soaked clothing, hanging their parkas and outer clothes to dry from ceiling hooks probably there for that purpose. They got fresh thermals out of their packs and put them near the heater to warm, then took deep breaths and stripped off their sweaty inner layers, standing there naked and shivering in each other's arms, waiting for the water to warm as they rubbed each other’s skin, trying to generate some heat through friction. 

“Er, just so you know, I’m er, really cold right now.” Theron said suddenly.

Seren looked at him puzzled, “I know, so am I.” she reminded him. She thought about it. “Wait… are you concerned about the size of your dick?” Seren was already laughing.

Theron nodded, shamefaced.

“Theron, I… I don’t know what to say… You’re such a man.”

“Yeah?” he said suggestively, “I thought you liked that about me?”

Still laughing, Seren said, “Theron, we’re filthy, freezing cold, dehydrated, you have a head injury. I am not thinking about sex right now!”

“Sure, but you’ve gotta admit that that’s pretty unusual for you, right?” Theron teased her with a suggestive smirk.

Suddenly, Seren stopped laughing. She looked almost distraught, Theron thought.

“What is it, Seren? Sweetheart, what did I say?” he asked her, bewildered. 

“Nothing, Theron, nothing. This is my problem, not yours.” Seren said firmly. “The water’s warm now, come on.” 

They washed the clammy, salty, sweat from their bodies so it couldn’t cause a rash that could get infected. Theron watched Seren from the corner of his eye, he wanted to wash her, he wanted them to wash each other. Ok, now was not necessarily the time for sex, she had a point, but usually they took every opportunity to enjoy each other’s bodies, even if it wasn’t going to lead anywhere right that moment.

“Can I wash your back?” he asked her tentatively.

She smiled at him, “Of course, Theron, thank you.”

He gently sponged her clean with the warm water, then placed a chaste kiss on her shoulder, before turning so she could return the favour. When they were done they dried themselves quickly before the water had chance to evaporate from their skin, and then, to Theron’s slight regret, they dressed in the fresh layer of thermals. The camp beds were not at all appealing, so they pushed a couple together, then covered them with layers of their own silicone sleeping mats, unzipped sleeping bags and blankets before lying down together, Seren’s head on Theron’s shoulder, and pulling another sleeping bag over them. 

“How’s your head?” Seren asked Theron. 

He opened his mouth.

“And before you consider lying to me to stop me worrying… don’t!” Seren interjected.

“Fine. It’s painful, and I have a horrible headache behind my eyes. And my hand hurts.” He added for good measure.

“There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Seren kissed Theron’s jaw as she spoke, and he could feel her smiling.

“Mmm about as hard as it apparently is for you to tell me what’s wrong with you; what’s been wrong since we set off for Hoth?” He replied.

Seren sighed, and rolled away from him, but didn’t object when he rolled onto his side behind her and kissed her shoulder again, his hand stroking her side through her silky thermals.

“Theron, this is the last thing you want to talk about, believe me.” she told him. “I’ll be fine. You’re right, Hoth is hard for me, but I’ll be fine, I’ll be fine when we get home to Odessen. I’ll be fine.”

Theron kissed her neck. “Uh huh. Are you sure you don’t want to tell me that you’ll be fine one more time?”

Seren said nothing, but grabbed his uninjured hand and held it. They were silent for quite a while, Theron didn’t want to push her too hard.

“Sometimes I still wish I didn’t like sex quite so much.” Seren eventually said, quietly.

Theron frowned, thinking, he remembered what she’d said earlier; Theron, this is the last thing you want to talk about, believe me. Did… did she mean? Theron’s stomach dropped, and he froze. After a second he carefully shifted back, away from her, and lifted his hand from her waist. She was still holding his other hand, and it seemed rude to snatch it away from her, so he left it there.

He swallowed, choosing his words carefully. “I guess you mean that… well, that you regret us, meeting on The Esseles, hooking up. That’s when you stopped being a… proper Jedi I suppose.”

As he spoke Seren had rolled over to look at him, almost looking like she’d spun round, she moved so fast. Her mouth was open in shock, and she looked almost outraged, Theron thought, before her face suddenly softened as she looked at him, and to his surprise she took his face in her hands and kissed him. 

“Theron, I love you.” she told him, sounding exasperated.

“Yeah, I know. I mean I believe you, but that doesn’t mean you don’t regret starting things up with me in the first place. And I… listen, you don’t have to feel an obligation towards me now, just because I, well, I waited for you, that was my choice and…” 

“Theron, stop! Please.” Seren was considering kissing him again just to stop this irrational stream of consciousness. “Is this the head injury? What are you even talking about?”

“You said this was the last thing I’d want to talk about.” Theron reminded her.

“Yes, but this definitely isn’t what I meant!” She kissed him again, but briefly, she really wanted to reassure him.

“Theron, I’m going to be really clear about this. And please let me finish. I don’t regret meeting you, I don’t regret having sex with you, any of the times, just to clarify further, and I don’t want to be a ‘proper Jedi’. I want you. And honestly, I’m kind of annoyed about this, because how many more times do I have to prove that to you?”

Theron grabbed her and pulled her onto his chest, clutching her to him like he’d never let her go. She thought she heard him mutter, “Thank the Stars!”

Seren kissed his neck, then wriggled upwards in his arms and kissed his jaw, then as his hands finally loosened, his mouth. “Ok, now we’re finally back on the same page… wait, your hand! Theron!” 

Theron looked at his right hand. “It’s only bleeding a little bit.” He told Seren. 

She sighed in resignation. He was impossible! 

“So listen, that was the last thing I wanted to think about, and um it turned out not to be that, so what is it?” Theron asked her.

Seren bit her lip. He hated talking about that time in their lives, but if she didn’t tell him what was upsetting her, he was just going to keep catastrophising further and further, she could see that now. 

“Theron… what I said about regretting liking sex, it wasn’t about you.”

“No, I get that now, that’s good.” Theron frowned, and then said slowly, “Wait… you, you, had sex with somebody else?”

Seren felt like screaming, he was so infuriating! “Not while we were together, Theron, obviously.” 

“Right! Of course not, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking!”

Theron at least had the grace to look ashamed of himself for that one, Seren thought. 

Seren sighed again, she just needed to spit it out before Theron somehow thought of something even worse.

“Theron, the reason I hate Hoth, is because, well it’s because I first came here straight after we’d seen each other that time. That time on Nar Shaddaa.” She swallowed, looking at his face. “I didn’t want to tell you because, well, I know that every time we talk about this, you get that mental image in your head, and… and you’re getting it right now, aren’t you?” Seren’s voice rose in distress.

It was Theron’s turn to sigh. “I am, Seren, yeah. But that’s my problem. I probably should have tried some therapy or something at the time rather than attempting to drown it with whisky.” 

Seren’s eyes were full of tears. “I’m so sorry Theron, I’m so sorry.”

“Seren, stop apologising!” Theron told her. “I thought we’d dealt with this years ago back on Carrick Station! I followed you, I basically stalked you, I was toxic and jealous, and we’d broken up, you did nothing wrong!”

“Yes, but my point is; if I hadn’t had sex with Doc that night, maybe things wouldn’t have been so awful! I thought… I always thought after we’d broken up on Alderaan that we’d get back together one day. I was counting on it! And then that possibility was just gone. It was gone. I knew I’d never see you again.”

“Seren, sweetheart. Please.” Seren was crying desperately now, and Theron was getting seriously concerned about her. “We did get back together, we are together, and I’m here with you now, I’m right here.”

Seren didn’t acknowledge his words, she just looked down and said, “I know I broke your heart Theron, and I’ll never forgive myself for that, but I broke my own heart too. My heart was broken when I was last here on Hoth.”

Theron swallowed. He knew how she felt, of course he did. He remembered thinking that this was it, that he’d lost her forever when he’d screamed in her face, when he’d scared her. It had been the worst time in his life, had been, until Marr’s flagship, until he’d had to spend two years of what could only loosely be called his life thinking she was dead.

Seren continued, “I was in so much pain, that I just had to cut myself off from my emotions. I just felt so frozen within myself that I didn’t even feel the cold here. I didn’t remember Hoth being this cold.”

“I, yeah.” Theron finally spoke, his voice breaking slightly as he did so. He cleared his throat and tried again. “I get it, I do. I felt the same after that… after that situation. I don’t think I spent more than a few hours sober over the whole next few months if I’m honest.”

Seren buried her face in his neck. “Sometimes I wondered what would happen if I lost control of my speeder, and it crashed into a cliff.” she whispered. “Or if my foot just somehow slipped, and I fell into a crevasse.”

Horror washed over Theron in a wave, and he felt his blood run cold in its wake. He’d always believed that he was the only one that had ever had thoughts like that; that she was too sensible, too intelligent, too emotionally mature to ever even think that… that she didn’t want to be here without him.

“Seren, I will… I will never leave you, no matter what, I’ll never let you feel like that again, I promise… I’ll do anything, anything, to make you happy, to keep you safe. I…”

He was babbling, panicking, and Seren suddenly thought about how she’d feel if he told her something similar. She stroked his face, trying to reassure him, “I know, Theron, I know. And they were just thoughts, just temporary thoughts, I didn’t act on them obviously, never seriously intended to act on them. I’m still here. And I know you’re here with me now, I know we did get back together, it did work out for us.”

She swallowed and said, “But sometimes I just wish… I wish that I’d seen you following us, not Doc, that I’d turned back to speak to you, confront you.” She shrugged, “I know we’d have yelled at each other, but it wouldn’t have been as awful as what did happen, maybe we would even have got back together as a result?” 

“Doc did see me?” Theron asked her after a moment. “And he knew who I was? How?”

“Holos of you in my quarters. He snuck in to have a look around while I was on Tython with Kira. I found all this out a lot later of course.”

Theron was silent for a moment, considering.

“That whole… scene was planned, wasn’t it? For me to see?” he eventually asked through gritted teeth.

“Yes. Or at least I think so.” Seren said. “Doc never really admitted it, but I do think that he intended for you to see. He was marking his territory I guess.”

Theron clenched his fists, making his right hand bleed again. 

“If I ever see that man again, I’ll… I swear that I won’t be responsible for my actions.” He ground out.

“Theron, please be careful of your hand.” Seren hopped out of bed to grab more kolto, before pressing it gently into Theron’s palm.

She fetched one of their precious bottles of drinking water and handed it to Theron, insisting that he drank, then drank some herself. She frowned, “Is it just me, or is it getting properly warm in here?” she asked Theron.

“Yeah I think you’re right actually.” he replied, “I’d forgotten what warmth felt like.”

Seren nodded. “Shall I turn the heater down, or should we take our thermals off?”

Theron had a suggestive little smile on his face as he said, “Hold on, let me just think about that one for a second…” He pulled her down onto the camp bed with him and started to speed up the process.

The next morning, the Republic troops there to rescue them pulled the door of their shelter open only to be greeted by the sight of a very naked former Jedi sprawled across the chest of an equally naked former SIS Agent, their legs entangled, contented half-smiles on their sleeping faces, the sleeping bag kicked off onto the floor. The young Lieutenant in charge of the rescue froze in place, his face bright red, nothing in his training had prepared him for this.

“M… Master Jedi?” he tried.

Waking up, Seren sat up without thinking, treating the Lieutenant and the first few troops with him to an even better view. 

“Um, shit.” She greeted him.

The Lieutenant could feel a couple of his men actually trying to jostle him out of the way to get a closer look at her themselves, and he angrily ordered them back. By this point the Jedi’s, well, partner, had woken too, and was trying to hide her behind his own body, which was in fact much more to the Lieutenant’s taste than the Jedi’s.

He shook his head. He was here to do a job, an important job! “We’re here to rescue you!” He announced proudly. Behind him in the snow two of his men had started a scuffle over who got to take the Jedi on their speeder.

“That’s great.” Theron growled. “Could you get the hells out and let us get dressed?”

The Lieutenant squeaked something that might have been an apology and pulled the door shut.

Seren put her head in her hands. “So much for plausible deniability!” she said.

[swtorramblings]

Masks-4: Sisters?

Vaylin, having been “resurrected” and then used by Nihilus, freed herself and mocks the ancient Sith, by @fleeting-sanity​.

The Alliance Commander has woken and begins to take stock of the cost of the latest war. The returned Eternal Empress has a talk with her “sister”.

This is also where the lines for the two tag games from @swtorpadawan​ and @windwyrm​ came from. So you get tags.

“You can’t be saved.” “I never wanted to be.” And she hadn’t been. Why was she remembering Vaylin’s last moments? And why did she feel so light?

Alara’sil woke with a start, took stock of herself, her surroundings. She saw Kaliyo nearby, killed in the blast. She hadn’t cared for the “anarchist”, but she had come along on this suicide mission to save the galaxy. She wondered how many more she would find. She got to her feet, still wondering about the empty place in her mind, something she had been carrying for some time that was gone, she now realized. But there was no time now, was there? There was never enough time to understand. That’s when the universe shifted. She felt Nihilus being fought by the paltry force that had reached him. And then she knew what was missing, what had been taken from her. She wondered if she should feel relieved, or terrified. Both, she supposed.

Kira was preparing the survivors in Nihilus’ throne room for transport to their own ships. The flagship was crippled, floating dead in space at this point. It was still dangerous and would most likely have to be destroyed, so they needed to make sure everyone was safely away before overloading the engines or dropping the ship into a sun. Grand Master Shan was gingerly placed in a portable kolto tank, hopefully that would be enough to keep her from dying from her injuries. She could make a decision on what direction her life would take if she had one. Theron and Senya accompanied her. Or, perhaps, Theron accompanied her, and Senya accompanied him. Anasta’zia also went along. She gathered some of Jadus’ remains, the helmet, a bit of his cloak. She owed nothing to the Sith, but thought they should still be told about the actual death of one of their own. She doubted any of them would shed a tear. She wouldn’t, either. She’d seen the recital. She knew she was just trying to distract herself, trying to not talk to the Empress in the room. She’d sat in Nihilus’ throne, watching as Kira busied herself, a slight smile on her face. It was a bit troubling that her impulse was to take the throne, but it was the only surviving place to sit. Kira took a deep breath, and walked up to her. “Well?” “Well, what?” “What do you plan to do next, now that Nihilus is destroyed?” Vaylin chuckled a bit. “You think he’s gone? Really?” That was a shock. Kira had felt as the thing that had once been Darth Nihilus dissipated. “You don’t think you killed him?” “Oh, I destroyed the thing that healed me, drove it out and took back my life. I don’t think it can die, though, not forever.” She looked down at the half mask she was still holding, frowning. “I have some experience with these things.” She actually seemed worried. “You think he might come back again? Might try to…” “Take me over again? Maybe. That is the way my life seems to go, isn’t it?” Then she grinned and looked up. “But I’ll be ready if he does.” Kira sighed, and said, “You didn’t answer my question.” “Didn’t I? I suppose I worry you. I have no plans. Maybe some gardening?” “You come back from the dead, you terrify everyone in the room and probably Force sensitives across the galaxy, and you want to garden?” “What’s wrong with that? I’d like to have that choice. Choice is all I’ve ever wanted.” “You had a choice.” Hadn’t she? Didn’t she do what she did after freeing herself? Vaylin just looked at her, for a moment almost pityingly. Then she just smiled again and said, “Perhaps. With everything that happened? I wouldn’t be too sure, but, perhaps.” “What is it you want, then?” “Maybe a different choice.” “How could we ever allow that? Why wouldn’t we execute you for your crimes?” Now she laughed. “This again? What about what I just did? I saved you. I saved the galaxy.” “Only to take your body back.” “So my motives matter?” “Of course your motives matter! Can’t you see that?” “I can see that I was once again used as a weapon for someone else, and I succeeded in doing what you could not, and you don’t seem grateful.” Kira had to take a deep breath and found her balance before continuing. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” Vaylin put her free hand to her mouth in mock shock. “Really? Incredible. Anyway, you were wrong about something else.” “What is that?” “I didn’t fight for my body. This was a happy accident. I had no idea this would happen, and thought I would finally fade afterward.” “You want me to believe that you fought for, what, altruism?” She laughed again, then said, “Of course not! I fought because I was being used. Again. Arcann at least asked. Nihilus didn’t.” “You’d still burn the galaxy, wouldn’t you?” “It is my nature. Just a beast, and so on.” Kira mulled that over. “Yes. Your nature. But not your choice.” “I’m glad you can be taught.” “Gardening, though?” “Mother always did want me to work more with my hands.” “And you can’t make plants grow by throwing lightning at them.” “Very good. You aren’t as bright as I’d hoped, but you seem to have the basics, now.” Kira remembered later the grin she got at just that moment, as though Vaylin knew what was about to happen, and what would happen after that. Which, well, she was a powerful Force user, so it wasn’t that far fetched, was it? She glanced over Kira’s shoulder, said, “Hello, Outlander.” As Kira turned to look at her fellow Jedi, she saw the blaster. She was about to object when it fired, and Vaylin slumped in the uncomfortable chair.

They stood on the bridge of the former Alliance ship, watching as Nihilus’ command ship exploded. It was a relief. Then, Kira continued. “We were talking!” “You were trying to reason with Vaylin? Really?” Cedrax put in. She had never liked him. “She had just saved us!” Alara’sil said, “Yes, that’s why the blaster was set to stun.” “You didn’t have to shoot her!” “Are you sure?” She thought back to the conversation. To Vaylin’s expression as she was about to be taken. To the waves of rage she had felt. “No, I suppose not. But she just wanted to start a garden.” Everyone just looked at her for several moments, not really knowing what to make of that. Kira wasn’t sure, herself. Everything had happened too fast, and she was too tired to process it all. Finally, Alara’sil said, “So, she’s alive, she’s dangerous, and she’s under sedation. What are we to do with her?” Theron answered first. “Well, I’d like to leave her that way, after what she did to Vette. And so many others. My passenger doesn’t care for the idea, though.” “Your ‘passenger’ has a name,” Senya objected. “Yes, sorry, Senya. Arcann.” “He’s still there, then?” Alara’sil asked. “Yes. He’s finding it hard to let go, he says.” “Because of his sister?” “And his mother. He wants to make sure they’re all right.” Senya just said sadly, “I’m fine, my son. I will be, anyway.” “He’s sure you are. He just thinks you should be better than ‘fine’.” That’s when Kira saw her future. Not through some Force trick, but simply because of its inevitability. They couldn’t keep her sedated forever. Some would have her killed for what she had done, helpless as she was, but the Commander had already shown it wasn’t her first choice. And she really had saved them all. And they would need someone Vaylin listened to. And in the entire galaxy, who else was there? First, she whispered, “Oh, no.” It was almost unheard in the arguing, but Alara’sil turned and looked at her, raising an eyebrow. Kira sighed, raised her voice, and said, “Fine, I’ll do it.” She had their attention, now. Alara’sil smiled a bit, knowing full well the answer but still asking, “Do what, exactly?” “I’ll talk to her. I’ll guard her. She hasn’t left me a choice, has she?”

Kira meditated. There had been more arguing, of course, but it was eventually found to be for the best. Vaylin’s eyes opened, finally, the dripping sedatives cut off almost an hour before. For a moment, she tried to sit up, to left her hands, only to find she was well restrained. She chuckled and then, sleepily, she said, “So, not dead, then?” Kira was surprised for a moment, wondering why she would be dead, but eventually realized Vaylin was talking about herself. “No, they decided not to make the same mistake twice. Like you knew they would.” “Well, I didn’t know. I was pretty sure, though.” “You knew they’d be split, though, didn’t you? “Suspected.” “And that they couldn’t risk Nihilus coming back and taking you again.” Vaylin studied the ceiling. “My death always has consequences. The Fleet, my father using me, Nihilus using me. Lurking behind the Commander’s eyes. I hoped they would finally see that.” “How long was this your plan?” “What is today?” “It’s been about three days since the Commander shot you.” “A little over three days, then.” “You think quickly on your feet.” “I do.” “Why me?” “I told you already. You beat him. On your own. No one’s done that.” “The Commander did.” “No. We beat him together. And she lost so much before that. You stared him in the eye and drove him out. You’re different from the others, even if they don’t see it. Even if you don’t see it.” “We’ll have time to talk about it. You know the arrangement?” “Oh, I think so. I’ll be given some plot of land to live out my life on. Somewhere on this world, but remote. You’ll be there to watch me for signs that I am being possessed, going mad, being targeted. And you have agreed to do it. Is that about right?” “Yes. Anything else?” “I’m sure they’ll expect me to help them, to pay for their mercy. You do understand that having to pay for mercy means it’s not?” “It’s an imperfect universe.” “It is! And they also want to pay for my crimes or some such nonsense, yes?” “How can you call a chance at making up for what you’ve done nonsense?” She lifted her head to look Kira in the eye and said with a smile, “What, you think I should feel bad about it?” “You should.” That got a laugh. “You’re so funny! Why would I? What good would it do? What could I ever do to make up for what I’ve done?” Kira had no answer to that. “You understand? Good. If stopping Nihilus isn’t enough, nothing could be. So even if I could change, I’m better off as myself.” Kira could only sigh and move on. “All right. And why did you think this would work?” “Because I’m clever. Because I can see the future at times. Mostly,” and here she grinned again, “because we’re more alike than you want to admit. Practically sisters.” She was trying to be disturbing. It almost worked. “I haven’t done what you’ve done.” Her head dropped back to the pillow. “No, you haven’t. But you could have. Especially if he’d had his way.” “Well, he’s gone now.” “Maybe.” That genuinely was disturbing. “May I get up?” “I suppose there’s no harm in it. Let me…” She had been about to say, “Undo the straps.” Instead, they simply snapped and fell to the floor. Kira sighed. “I thought you wanted to do things with your hands?” She swung her bare feet to the floor and stood, her still yellow eyes level with Kira’s. She wasn’t smiling, but deadly serious. And still intimidating in spite of being clothed only in her hospital gown. “Some things. I want to know how it feels. The soil between my fingers will be novel.” She leaned forward. “But I will always free myself. Whatever I need to do. Make sure you understand this.” “I do.” The smile came back. “Good! Now, help me get a change of clothes.” They were off to a good start.

[sullustangin]

Darth Marr and Satele Shan:  Names and Priorities

I’ve reached the point in my Yavin fic that I’m starting to use Marr’s POV on occasion.  One of the things I’ve been chewing on (likely to the annoyance of others) has been the Marr-Satele-Theron dynamic during the Yavin 4 op.  It’s clear that Satele and Marr have put aside differences and have become friends (as much as a Force ghost and a self-exiled Jedi Master can be friends) by Chapter 12 of KotFE. 

I give credit to @swtorpadawan for posting about Satele on Yavin 4 a few months ago and being willing to have continued discourse about the post -- thank you.  In comments and reblogs, there’s been discussion about how to interpret Satele’s references to Theron during the op and her motivations for why she does this. 

This is a spin-off of that post, since I’ll be focusing more on the dynamic between Marr and the Shans instead of Theron and Satele. 

During the Yavin op, Theron is consistently referred to as Theron, not as Agent Shan or as Shan.  The issue of his last name is avoided.   A few people (including me) have the headcanon that ‘Shan’ is a common name in the galaxy, like Smith or Patel or Garcia would be on our world; two people named Shan does not a family connection make, necessarily.  It would explain why Theron doesn’t have a code name (though he jokingly? complains about it on first meeting). 

And yet, Satele avoids using the name in reference to Theron.  So does Marr.  And Theron doesn’t insist on being referred to by his last name, even though his peer, Lana Beniko, is referred to as ‘Beniko’ by Marr. (Satele never addresses Lana using her name.)

Why the dance? 

Honestly, when I try to reverse-engineer dev!logic, in terms of the game design for Yavin 4, I’d guess it was done to help the player differentiate between Grand Master Shan and Agent Shan.  And maybe that’s all it is: calling Theron “Theron” just keeps the player from getting confused, especially if the player isn’t a Jedi and doesn’t know Satele; and/or skipped the Forged Alliances quests and thus doesn’t know Theron.

Within the universe, however, what’s an explanation a player can come up with?

The Spies in Question

Theron’s name was broadcast across the galaxy as a wanted man for killing Colonel Darok.  He was to be apprehended on sight, but Theron was a spy; spy agencies to this day rarely let any images of their active duty agents be circulated, even if they do go rogue or defect to the other side.  Theron’s image in direct connection to his name and job as SIS agent would be on a need-to-know basis.  This has led me to headcanon that Director Trant was well-aware of Theron going off the grid; in fact, he aided and abetted it.

Lana, on the other hand, was a known member of the Sphere of Military Offense.  She commanded troops on Hoth.  She had a known face, and there was an Imperial bounty contract on her head, per Theron at Manaan.  If anything, Lana was in as much danger as Jakarro; someone could try to claim the bounty on her head, since the bounties weren’t lifted til the end of the Yavin op.

And yet, Theron’s name was the unspeakable one. 

Satele and Theron

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I feel that the dynamic between Theron and Satele is not that of son and mother; both of them have gotten past that decision.  Rather, it’s more similar to a child who was given up for adoption looking for some sort of acknowledgement from his birth family -- it’s not love.  It’s not approval.  It’s.... complicated.  Acknowledgement of existence.  Acknowledgement that the decision had impact on Theron well beyond his first year of life.  Acknowledgement that Satele hurt Jace. 

I’ve interpreted Theron’s bristling at the use of the term “my agent” to be more directed at the possessiveness of the word, yet how far apart they still are, despite the biological connections.  Technically, Yavin 4 was the first time they worked on an op together.  This was their first professional collaboration.  They haven’t seen each other socially, they can’t talk about their issues/relationship/whatever.....and they have to save the galaxy together.

Giving up Theron doesn’t mean Satele felt nothing. She privately struggles with what she did and how it turned out -- still does, based on 6.2.   However, she, like Jace and Theron, believe in serving the cause at great personal cost.  Seeing Theron beat to hell after Rishi bothered her -- it would bother anyone with any sense of compassion (which she does have).  Theron got the beatdown he did because he was taken by the Revanites.  Revan attempted to convince Theron to join him on Yavin 4 by invoking the idea that they are flesh and blood -- family.

Pretty sure Revan wasn’t talking about the Malcom side.  Satele knew that.  Was there a sense of protectiveness for Theron because of what happened immediately before Yavin 4?  I think so, yes, but it’s not motherly.

Theron’s experience on Rishi probably made Satele hyperaware that if Theron was of interest to the Revanites, then the Empire would doubly interested in Theron if they knew that he was not only an heir of Revan, but that the Grand Master of the Jedi Order was his biological mother.   Referring to him as “my agent” may be Satele’s way to avoid using any part of his name on Yavin 4.

I’m willing to bet, regardless of any efforts to ignore or conceal Theron’s name, that Marr quickly figured out that the agent who managed to outfox Revan, resist torture, get Marr’s attention, and unravel an intergalactic conspiracy was something special to the Republic.  Odds were that this agent had acted against the Empire.

Marr would be interested.

The History of Darth Marr and Satele Shan

Prior to Yavin 4, Marr and Satele had most recently squabbled over Makeb in the Hutt Cartel expansion through their various operatives.  When Marr saw Satele on the Imp side Battle of Rishi, he bowed.  He respected her and she respected him.  I didn’t get any other impression from their interactions. They saw each other as equals, though on rival sides; that creates tension, since a fight between them would be a draw or mutually assured destruction.  It’s highly likely they fought against each other in the previous Galactic War (which I’ll talk about below). 

Marr was born in 3702 BBY, Satele in 3699 BBY.  They’re about the same age, and they ascended almost equally quickly when the Sith returned in 3681 -- Satele is 18, Marr is 21.  I have spoken about how Satele and Jace (who seems to be somewhere between 16 and 20 in the trailer) were essentially just kids when the conflict started.  So was Marr.

The big difference, in terms of how their characters are constructed, is that we have the end product of Marr.  Period.  We don’t know what his name was before he took on the name ‘Darth Marr.’  We know nothing about his family, his relationships, his struggles.  As Marr said later to the player in KotFE, he wanted to be a symbol to the Empire.  Marr did not let himself be just a man.

Darth Marr is not the singular leader of the Sith.  Marr is the head of the Sphere of Defense of the Empire for decades, and as of the Battle of Corellia and the death of Darth Decimus, he also becomes the head of the Sphere of Military Strategy.  With 2 of Military Spheres in his grasp, Marr was the de facto leader of the armed forces of the Sith Empire.  The Sphere of Military Offense passed from Baras to Arho and then to Arkous after Ilum.  When Arkous is killed by the player’s character, there is no indication as to who was the next head; that Sphere is never spoken of again in-game.  We may assume Marr took hold of that.  Either way, he has become the de facto leader of the Sith Empire.  His voice, his robes and mask -- immediately recognizable to the whole galaxy.

The creators of content for SWTOR took the opposite approach to Satele. We can read about how her mother Tasiele was forced into exile when Satele was still a child.  We meet Satele at 18 in a SWTOR trailer during the first Sith incursion at Korriban.  We see her in comics fighting against the Empire.  We see her at the Battle of Alderaan against Malgus.  In Annihilation,we see bits and pieces of her falling in love with Jace Malcom and hoping she doesn’t get too attached... until a pair of permanent complications occur in 3667 BBY:   Jace was severely maimed in the Battle of Alderaan, and Satele got pregnant.  Jace’s injuries made him a much harder person than the soldier Satele met in 3681 BBY; he scared her with his hatred of the Empire. 

I’ll take a moment here to say that Satele wasn’t dumb or naive when she made the decision about Theron.  Satele was at least 32 years old, possibly 33 by the time Theron was born in 3666 BBY. She wasn’t a teen having a knee-jerk “oh noes, he’s evil” moment.  She had been in a constant state of war for 15 years when she got pregnant.   It’s in that context that Satele was concerned that Jace’s hatred could drag their child to the Dark Side... but also, Satele’s love for her child would make it impossible for her to serve the Republic without a second thought.  She couldn’t fight and die for the Republic if she was always preoccupied with coming home to her baby.

So she let Theron go.  She had other adventures.  She was at the Treaty of Coruscant.  Satele founded Tython.  She became the Grand Master of her order.

We don’t get any of that pathos or glory with Marr.   Marr IS.  Marr is the Empire. He is the best of them.  He has been, is, and will be. 

The odds are pretty good that Marr and Satele met each other in combat, directly or indirectly. The bow on Imp side Rishi is a big thing for me that points to that.  Also, look at their responsibilities during the last war.  Marr was responsible for not only defending Korriban and what would become the Imperial core, but also any gains the Sith made over time against the Republic.  That’s the job of the Sphere of Defense of the Empire; taking planets was somebody else’s rodeo, not Marr’s.  His job was to defend... something the Imperial people living on these planets would love him for.  He was their protector against brutish Republic troops and their systemic corruption. 

Satele was responsible for winning those territories back; we see her on counter-strikes against the Sith.  Satele is cast as the liberator of people imperiled by the spreading Sith Empire, not a conqueror taking new territory.  Marr probably had to defend against Satele at least once in their careers, possibly multiple times.  If she was absent from the front lines for any period of time, Marr would have noticed; he had to anticipate the next move of Republic counterstrikes as part of his job. 

And indeed, Satele was absent for an extended period.  How long Satele was absent from the battlefield due to her pregnancy, we don’t know. Satele did continue her battlefield duties for “months” after she found out.  The only information we have about post-partum Satele is that she stopped visiting Baby Theron at 6 months old, according to Lost Suns.  I don’t think she could just skip off at random while in command, so I think she probably was off the battlefield at least 10 months (last 4 months of her pregnancy, 6 months post-partum), possibly as long as 18 months, since Gnost-Dural reports she was assigned to duty with the Republic Navy at some point in 3665 BBY.  She did give birth on a random planet in a cave, so she didn’t exactly have the best medical care immediately.  Maybe there were complications. Maybe she did show early. We don’t know.

Regardless of the timeline, Marr would have been paying attention.  Marr would have noticed when Satele Shan stopped fighting for the Republic.  Where was she?  What was she doing?  Was this part of a greater plot by the Republic?  What were they planning?  And when Satele did return, he may well have wondered what she had been up to.  But no matter; she had returned.  Marr had to be ready.

There’s no obvious indication in the game as to when Marr figures out Satele and Theron are mother and son.  He makes no comment to indicate that he knew before Rishi.  Based on Marr’s dialogue in game on the Imperial side, he heavily suggests that he knows who Theron is by the time Iven, the former commandant of the Imperial Guard, is taken into custody and it’s time to interrogate him. Satele objects to Marr’s plans to torture Iven.  “And what do you think your agent has done in the Republic’s name?” is Marr’s response. 

The delivery of ‘your agent’ is indicative that Marr knows.

Theron himself stated at the end of the Imp side romance that if he was indeed recruited by the player to join the Empire, people would be suspicious that he’d be working for his mother.  That would have to include Darth Marr. 

Personally, I would guess that the after-action reports from Lana and Theron would have some clues for Marr.  However, once Theron had healed up from the Rishi events, Marr may well have taken one look at Theron standing next to Satele, and then had an epiphany so immense it gave him a headache that Lana felt across the compound.  There’s the answer.  That’s why she disappeared for almost two years, twenty-nine years ago. Theron Shan.

(According to Jace in Annihilation, Theron has some similar features to his mother. He doesn’t specify which ones.)

The Lie of Omission

A lie of omission is permitting an inaccuracy or a falsehood to continue to circulate without correction, even though the person knows the truth. (In contrast, a lie of commission is when you actively make something up or contribute to the lie -- you commit the act lying.)  Marr signals he knows who Theron is by the time Iven is retrieved from the Imperial Guard training facility on Yavin, but he never says the name Theron Shan out loud.   It’s simply “the agent” “your agent” or “Theron.”  But not Agent Shan.

The use of “Theron” in the Pubside story is most eyebrow-raising.  

Marr calls people by their titles. Marr always keeps professional distance.  Underlings are uniformly referred to by their titles.  Lana doesn’t like titles, so Marr doesn’t refer to her as Lord Beniko or Darth whatever;  it’s just Beniko.

Calling someone by their first name is highly irregular.  He does not refer to Satele as such until 6.2 (and that might be the Socratic Problem of Marr in the player’s memory rather than the real Marr).  It’s always Grand Master or Grand Master Shan. In a unique instance in the game, Marr calls Theron by his given name when he finds the Imperial Guard’s buildings in ruins during the Pubside story:  “But given the destruction Theron describes, it’s mostly likely a distress call.”  This is before the Pub operative annoys Marr by going to the Imperial Guard facility by themselves; it’s not said in anger or in irritation.  It’s said under ‘normal’ circumstances (if circumstances on Yavin are normal at all). 

But why?  Why not “Agent Shan”?  That would differentiate him from Grand Master Shan.  Just referring to the pair as Grand Master and Agent would work too; how many Grand Masters and SIS Agents are running around on Yavin 4?  Why is Marr avoiding attention to the man’s last name?

And why doesn’t Marr hop on this and use it to the Empire’s advantage?

Pragmatism and Prioritization

Marr is not a Jedi.  Marr doesn’t do things for the greater good.  He does things for the Sith Empire and for the people of the Sith Empire.  Offing Theron Shan?  Definitely on the agenda.  So is killing Satele, eventually.

But not now.  Not on Yavin 4.

Marr is probably the person closest to knowing what Revan is going to try to do in order to make the Emperor take physical form again so he can kill him.  It’s going to involve a lot of dead people.  That can easily happen; up until this tiny fragile cease fire between Marr and Satele, the Empire and the Republic have been engaged in a hot war. When they first make camp on Yavin, there is a real possibility they’ll frag each other regularly.  This is why players have to do daily quests, in theory -- to build good will between the factions. 

My partner is a military nerd and a Star Wars nerd.  He watched both version of the Battle of Rishi.  His conclusion:  based on the ships we see, Marr had more than twice the number of troops that Satele did (I put the numbers in my Yavin 4 fic).  The Imperial troops, at Marr’s word, probably could wipe out the Republic forces on Yavin 4, pack up, and head back to Dromund Kaas in time for tea.

But they won’t.  Marr wouldn’t permit it.

He knows how dangerous the Emperor is, and if he does let his troops kill the Pubs, they feed him. There also appears to be some sort of weird mystical thing going on with Revan’s bloodline.  Revan knew highly personal information about Theron (and Theron says so when the player opens the temple later on); somehow, Theron was able to use that connection to get Revan to give up Yavin 4 and secure an invite there at the end of the Rishi op.

Marr knows about this.  Marr doesn’t know what Revan would do if Marr did kill Theron or Satele, plus there’s the more predictable possibility that the Republic would respond to the death of Satele Shan thanks to the Jedi feeling it through the Force.  Chancellor Saresh would not let that opportunity pass by, even if it did feed the Emperor; we saw that at Ziost. 

Grand Master Shan is a public figure.  Her name and her power is obvious to everyone in the Yavin camp.  Theron, however, is everything his mother is not.  He is a spy.  His face is not known to the general public.  His work is secret, his exact abilities unknown.

Sure, the last name is common enough....

But Theron and Satele have never worked together before.  They’ve never operated in such close proximity before.  Yavin 4 would be the first time all the pieces could fall into place to someone observant.  Marr is many things, but one of the things he really gets annoyed about in regard to the Sith is their arrogance.  They get such fat heads that they can’t see obvious danger or they overlook aliens and non-Force Sensitives to their own detriment. 

Marr isn’t arrogant.

He doesn’t think he’s the only one who can see a family similarity or sense some connection between them.  Saying someone’s name is a powerful thing; we get upset when someone screws up our name.  It’s how our attention is attracted.  Shared last names of interesting people attract attention.  Attention leads to distraction away from the primary goal of stopping Revan and the Emperor.

That’s something Marr doesn’t want to deal with right now.  Revan and Emperor now.  The Shans later.  He avoids referring to Theron as “Shan” so as to reduce any chance that some young Sith will attempt to make their bones killing Theron, since that would spell doom for the Empire, whether through Revan’s anger or the Republic’s revenge.  It would also help empower the Sith Emperor to retake physical form, which is the last thing Marr wants him to do. 

Exposing the Grand Master as having a secret son would remove an ally from the field for Marr; Marr doesn’t want to destroy his assets before he’s used them to their full ability.  There’s no point in burning Satele Shan on Yavin 4 before Revan is dealt with. 

...And Marr respects her.  It’s a cheap way to win against a rival he knows to be his equal.

Marr wants to end Revan and the Emperor now, in that order, to defend the people of the Empire.  He’ll worry about the Shans later.  Marr will let Theron’s last name be overlooked and unmentioned, if only because it makes his job as Defender of the Empire less complicated for a few months.

**

Thanks again to @swtorpadawan​ and also @inyri​ @shabre-legacy​ @theniveanlegacy​ for discussing the original post about Satele and Theron and making me think about this.  

Headcanon Postface:

This last bit is purely my headcanon ideas about Marr, so you can leave here if you so desire. I’m placing them here rather than making a separate post and having to link back to this one. 

As I’ve described previously, we have the finished product of Darth Marr, with none of the personal insight that was provided for Satele Shan.  Who’s under the mask?  Nobody knows, really.  His first comic book adventure takes place in 3678, when he’s about 24 years old.  There’s nothing about his life beforehand that would let the player wonder how his past life affected his current decisions.  Marr ultimately would do the best he could for the Empire, regardless, but knowing if he ever hesitated, ever had second thought, had a regret -- that would make him mortal. 

And Marr is an icon, not a man, in the grander SWTOR universe, per the writers. That’s the point driven home to the player.  So that leaves it to fan fic to take off the mask or not. 

In “The Planter of Trees and Other Tales from Yavin 4,” Marr comes to this conclusion about the Shans’ relationship after observing two Shan chins.  He then alludes to understanding Satele’s decision to conceal Theron’s existence.

After Marr had gained his seat on the Dark Council (late 3680s, early 3670s), a lot of Sith families wanted him to add to their prestige. The man needed a legacy; he needed heirs.  Marr had already set himself on his path, however; he understood that it was better to be an icon.  If Marr was a normal man, he would be weakened by family connections, love, protectiveness, concern for his personal future.  Instead, Marr’s devotion to the Empire was unmatched and pure.  In the public’s eye, he was the great defender. He was the perfect Sith.

Marr never did have a public wife or a political marriage. His private life -- better secured than Imperial state secrets -- produced a  daughter that did not inherit her talents from her Force-Using parent.  Marr had been relieved that his daughter was not like him.  It meant she would never be pressured to come into public life. It meant she was free of the burden of his legacy. 

Lately, I’ve considered that, regardless of having access to the Force or not, a child of Marr was always in danger of becoming a pawn.  She was something Marr’s enemies could use against him, if they ever found out about her; being Force-Null simply meant that others could not detect her as easily. That may have also have been a concern of Satele in regard to Theron, especially as she rose through the ranks of the Jedi Order.  As soon as Marr could let his daughter fly away from Dromund Kaas, he did.  She was free. 

She died shortly before the Sack of Coruscant.  Marr did not go to her. The Empire had to matter more.  That doesn’t mean he didn’t love her.  He just never could prioritize her over the Empire. 

In my fic universe, Marr understands Satele’s choices.  He can keep his mouth shut.  For now. 

Theron is far more dangerous to the rival faction than Marr’s daughter ever was, however; he is an active player in the war, while she... just got caught in the middle, in the end....

Revan and Emperor now.  Shans later.

**

[amplesalty]

Halloween 2022 - Day 3 - Rabid (2019)

I hope this one works out because the last Canadian thing called Rabid didn’t age that well...

Erm, excuse me, I think I’ll be the judge of that...

Oooh boy, it’s the other CM Punk movie. I say other, it would have been other at the time I watched Girl on the Third Floor back in 2020 but he’s since added to that with 2021’s Jakob’s Wife, another horror movie. I’ll just make a note of that here for future reference...

And I say ‘ooh boy’ not out of some dread for what I have ahead of me but for the way so much has changed in just two years since I looked at GotTF. By that point he was already on the outs with the UFC after his two defeats (or 1 defeat and 1 no contest as it apparently is now) so acting seemed like another string to add to his bow after wrestling, TV personality, writer, commentator etc etc. But on August 20th 2021 everything changed when the familiar sound of ‘Cult of Personality’ began to blast throughout the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, marking Punk’s return to professional wrestling for the first time in seven years. I do love the idea that, following this, he notified UFC that he had retired. What was that Chris Rock joke about boycotting Rihana’s panties again?

Everything seemed to be coming up aces, especially after a much loved feud with MJF and Punk’s coronation as AEW Champion at Double or Nothing in May of this year. But what should have been his crowning achievement seems to have been the start of his downfall, an injury only days later would put him out of action until August, at which point he returned only to lose to title to Jon Moxley. Then, following their rematch at All Out on September 4th, all hell seemed to break loose backstage after some questionable comments made by Punk in the post show media scrum, with reports of a fist fight between Punk and fellow AEW stars Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. Everyone involved was stripped of their titles and we would come to learn that Punk had suffered an injury during the show and was projected to be out for another 8 months. Following that fracas though, there are question marks over whether AEW would even take him back. Maybe it’ll be time to dust off the old SAG membership...

Which brings us to the subject of today; Rabid. And we’re not just talking about what Kenny Omega might be after Ace Steel bit him. I might as well get Punk’s part out of the way early because it really is a bit of a blink and you’ll miss it cameo, though he does return briefly later on the in the movie. It’s a totally believe bit of casting though as he plays an abrasive douchebag that gets kicked out of a nightclub before running into our leading lady, Rose, played by Laura Vandervoort, who looks very much like Charlize Theron. Maybe Theron mixed with Elizabeth Olsen.

Loving the glittery shirt they’ve got him dressed in, don’t think I could ever imagine Punk wearing such a thing. But in his few minutes, he manages to pick a fight with two bouncers way bigger than him, get the cold shoulder from some random woman and then proceeds to spend what feels like way too long just following her down the street to chew her out and tell her that she’s not even that hot anyway. Ah, the last refuge of the rejected man, or does that only come when you says she’s probably a lesbian anyway? And hey, even his missus April Mendez AKA AJ Lee managed to get herself in on the action too!

As for the story as a whole, Rose is an aspiring fashionista totally bereft of confidence due to some disfiguring scares that came by way of a car accident that killed her parents. Between being orphaned at a young age and being left with a permanent reminders of it, that’s gonna do a number on your psyche. She gets asked out by one of her co-workers, something we come to learn isn’t 100% on the up and up, so with her general mousey demeanor and the coerced nature of his proposal, I was kinda getting Carrie vibes about the whole situation. Which does fit slightly with some moments that come up later on...

After learning the truth, Rose storms out but ends up driving his scooter straight into oncoming traffic leaving her even more disfigured but luckily there’s an experimental clinic that wants to help her so they can develop their bleeding edge techniques. Only, there does seem to be some side effects in play...

Like the odd cravings. Mmmmm, you can really taste the botulism! The movie does go out of it’s way to show Rose’s usual vegetarian diet so it’s definitely strange to see her suddenly rip open a steak and just go at it.

What I had forgotten from my brief research on this film after watching Girl... was that it’s a remake of a David Cronenberg movie. Probably for the best that I only re-learnt this as the movie started because I might have had second thoughts otherwise since I don’t normally get on the best with that type of movie and I’d usually shy away from jumping straight to a remake. Still, you can definitely see the connection, albeit quite far into the movie.  And it seems to just remember it out of the blue and then instantly shifts into body horror mode. It’s a bit jarring to have this very sudden shift in tone. Otherwise they’re kinda going for this ‘is it all in her head’ thing which I never really got absorbed into. Maybe because it’s fairly obvious there’s something shady going on, I know all about these so called ‘experimental procedures’, I’ve seen Body Bags.

Plus it’s hard not to come off a little sus when the surgeon comes out for the operation like he’s one of the Emperors Royal Guard. I mean, I guess you’re gonna get blood on your scrubs anyway so you might as well make them red...

That guy actually threw me a little bit at first because I thought it was William Atherton, he of Walter Peck and Dick Thornburg fame. But no, it’s just the coincidentally named Ted Atherton who is apparently of no relation but of passing resemblance.

It’s a very Canadian affair here, with Ted being a native along with several of his co-stars and they all seem to have starred in either Degrassi, various adaptations of XIII or both. I know Degrassi is a big thing over there so it’s probably just a right of passage for any Canadian actor that you’re going to end up in that thing at some point.

As the name of the film suggests, the theme of rabies comes up and it’s a little eerie given that the movie came out in late 2019 that it heavily features talks of the CDC, quarantines, public health crises and has rampant face mask wearing.

Overall, the movie did enough to keep me intrigued throughout to see where it was going but, kinda like with Hocus Pocus 2 yesterday, I’m a little underwhelmed with the ending. I’m normally all for a ‘questionable sanity’ type movie but I guess it didn’t really build up to it enough to make it questionable, it just kinda jumped straight to 11. Where Rose’s reconstructive surgery has her prettier and more outgoing than ever, maybe she’d have flashbacks or visions of her old scars that make her pull away from this sudden social contact and in that isolation is where the demons start to come in.

It’s a decent enough movie but I imagine there’s probably a lot more notable examples in the body horror genre that you’d want to get to before this one. At least it has the novelty of seeing Punk. That’s something these Soska sisters have pedigree for is the ol’ wrestler movie. They did See No Evil 2 after all and did Vendetta the year after which has a real ‘main event in any town’ poster to it.

Dean Cain vs The Big Show, Hell in a Cell?!

[monocytogenes]

WIP Wednesday

Tagged by @nirikeehan! I’m still working on my imperial agent fic (I’ve got like one more scene; endings are hard) and figured I could share an earlier bit.

This is from Lana’s perspective--she tracks my agent, Pravin, down to Rishi and finds him running around under an alias, hanging out with a bunch of criminal types, doing stims and seducing a local. He is...decidedly less than enthused.

(Fun fact: Lana’s canonically afraid of heights. There’s a line in the expansions where Theron gives her shit about it. XD)

Spoilers for the agent’s Shadow of Revan arc under the cut.

The human sighed, pulling out a stim. Pravin accepted it, spritzing his forearm with disinfectant from the attached canister, then slid the needle beneath his skin with practiced ease.

Lana drew closer. As his thumb worked the plunger, their gazes met.

“Hello,” he greeted. “Do I know you?”

His tone was nonchalant, but he must have read something in her expression; she could sense an edge of wariness.

“No, but I’m pleased to finally meet you,” she said. “You’re a hard man to track down.”

The human had begun regarding her as well, with strange eyes that were entirely black, as though his pupils had bled out through the scleras. He seemed uneasy, too, but comparatively difficult to read; his presence in the Force seemed murky, somehow, like the tip of an iceberg cresting above dark waters.

“Am I?” Pravin capped the stim.

Lana switched on her datapad, showing the photo of himself to him. “Didn’t have much to work with.”

Pravin studied the image, the line of his shoulders stiffening. The mirialan regarded it in amused interest.

“Is that you? You look so...proper.”

“Unfortunately so,” he said, his friendliness giving way to annoyed resignation as his glance flickered back to Lana. “What do you want?”

“We need your help,” she told him.

“Oh, really?” he sniffed. “How cute. Too bad I’m not interested.”

Lana’s brow furrowed. “I haven’t even told you what this is about.”

“Doesn’t matter; you’re wasting your time.”

“Please, just hear me out—”

“What’s going on?” the mirialan asked.

The fear in her tone seemed to make him reassess the situation—Lana saw his eyes dart about the room, then return to his date. An apologetic smile bloomed on his lips. “Nothing to worry about, love. Old business partner begging for a favor.”

“Are you sure—”

“Please,” Lana repeated, more firmly. “We need you; I don’t want to—”

“To what?” Pravin stepped in and bent to her ear, his soft smile lingering as his tone sunk to something low and dangerous. “Ruin my night? You’ve already done that. I don’t want any trouble, you understand?”

“Are you threatening me?” she whispered, incredulous.

“I’m telling you that if you touch anyone here—”

“What? No!” she hissed. “I don’t want to—I just want to talk, alright? It’s—it pertains to one of your old colleagues—”

“Sure it does.”

Frustrated, she stared at him, beaming the name into his mind. Shara Jenn.

Pravin blinked.

“Fairal?” the human man said, moving closer.

“Fine,” Pravin muttered to Lana, straightening. “I’ll listen to your spiel.”

He returned to the mirialan, kissing her lips. “I’m going to go iron this out; I promise I won’t be long.”

“Be careful,” she told him. “I’ll be here.”

Pravin went towards the door, beckoning Lana after him. The black-eyed man followed at their heels, depositing Pravin’s forgotten cocktail on a table as they left.

Pravin took a sharp turn in the opposite direction of the stairs, walking briskly to the end of the corridor. He drew up the sash of a partly-cracked window, climbing catlike over the frame; she hesitated as she realized he’d crawled out onto a rickety fire escape and was making for the ladder. Gathering her courage, she kept her gaze up and went after him, the steel rungs sticky with humidity beneath her hands.

As she crested the roof, she watched Pravin do a quick check of the perimeter to ensure they were alone, moving with tense efficiency. He returned to the center and sat down on the duracrete, propping a knee and resting his forearm against it. The other man settled beside him, crossing his legs.

“Is it safe to talk in front of your friend?” she asked Pravin.

“Yes. In fact, I insist.” He gestured to the other man. “Vector’s my insurance; you try anything funny and you’ll have a whole nest of killiks on your heels.”

Lana lifted her eyebrows. “Our intel said Mr. Hyllus was dead.”

“Good,” Pravin said. “It was supposed to.”

Vector smiled. His hands were folded, but in the dim moonlight she thought she saw something move beneath his tunic.

She took a breath to speak, but Pravin cut her off. “First things first: I know you’re Sith Intelligence, but enlighten me—who are you and who exactly are you working for?”

“Lana Beniko. I answer to the Council, technically, and I’ve been working in collaboration with your former superior.”

“Which one?”

“The minister.”

“He’s retired; what the hell is he up to?”

“He and I have been working on recovering a number of high-value prisoners who were captured at Ilum. In the wake of Malgus’ treason we lost track of several experienced agents who had been providing onworld support; we’ve discovered that they were transported to Anaxes for trial by the Republic and are scheduled to be sent to Belsavis. We’re down so many personnel right now—we need those people, and there’s too many of them to retrieve through proposing prisoner exchanges. We’ve come up with a plan to intercept them en route but—”

“Are you telling me that you let Shara get captured by the Republic?” Pravin asked, incensed.

Lana nodded. “She’s among them, yes.”

“Why the fuck was she on Ilum?”

“We had to place someone absolutely loyal in charge of SIGINT down there after several high-ranking officers defected. Things were a mess; she was the best person we had available. My point is, though, we have a plan to get her and the others back, and we need a very, very good undercover with pilot training to carry that plan out. In other words: we need you.”

Pravin eyed her flatly. “Can’t you use one of your own?”

“The qualified staff we have are either already on critical assignments, captured, or dead. We’re stretched to the limit.”

Pravin turned to Vector, barking a short laugh. “Are you hearing this?”

“It sounds to us like a bad situation,” Vector supposed.

“It sounds like the exact sort of mismanagement I’d expect from the Sith,” Pravin snorted. “You make a bloody wreck of the place and now you’re left pulling the old man back into the game and groveling at my feet for help. Stars, it’d be funny if it wasn’t so predictable.”