Theron froze, one boot on the Serenity’s boarding ramp at the voice echoing in the military hangar the ship had been stowed in. When he looked to the entrance to the hangar, he could see a very familiar figure standing in the doorway, arms crossed and eyebrow raised. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he lied.
“Banthashit.” Marcus Trant took a step forward into the hangar, becoming more visible in the dim evening light to Theron’s enhanced eyes. “You’re a damn good spy, Theron, but you can’t lie to me about what you’re doing. Unless you’re going to tell me that this isn’t what it looks like?”
“... I don’t have to explain myself.” Theron muttered, not stepping back from the ship’s ramp.
“No… like I said, you’re a good spy, but I know you too well.” Marcus shook his head -- probably disappointed with his old ward’s actions. “You’ve been acting off since the Zakuulans invaded -- ever since we received the word of Darth Marr’s fleet being destroyed. You lost someone on that coalition fleet. You’ve been angry and grieving ever since, and now, you’re in a secured military hangar at close to midnight -- conveniently, the same hangar being used to store Master Taerich’s ship, which hasn’t been used since her Padawan and crew escaped from Marr’s fleet while she died on the flagship. If I didn’t know you better, I would say you’re planning on leaving in the dead of night.” He sighed, for once looking old and weary. “Couldn’t think of a better way to grieve for everything you’ve lost besides cutting ties and running?”
“... Who said I was running?” Theron looked back up at the Serenity and bitterly snorted. “She flies better than she runs.”
“Dammit, Theron.” Marcus sighed again, this time in frustration. “You know what this will do to your standing here, with the SIS, and with your father. If you leave like this…”
“It’s better than staying here and bowing to our new overlords,” Theron snapped.
“Do you think I’m happy with the outcome of the siege? I lost people I cared about too, damn it -- but I have a duty to the Republic and the SIS. The same duty you have!” Marcus shook his head. “Where do you even think you’re going to go? Even the Hutts are caving to Zakuul. There’s nowhere for you to go besides staying here.”
“That’s not true,” Theron growled, even if part of him railed in despair at what Marcus was saying. “I can’t make any sort of a difference staying here when the Senate crumpled like a house of sabaac cards.”
“Again -- where are you going to go? The Empire? Empress Acina bowed as quickly as the Senate did.”
“I’m sure as fuck not going to the Empire,” Theron spat. The thoughts of Lana and Darth Imperius crossed his mind, and were banished. Even if rumour did have it that Imperius had fought hard against the treaty with Zakuul and had only bowed to protect Imperial civilians… “I still don’t have to explain myself. I’ll… I’ll make my own way.”
“And is this the way Master Taerich would want you to do it?” Marcus gestured to the Serenity. “By stealing her ship and flying off in the dead of night to Force-only-knows where, because I rather doubt you know where you’re going, and sulking at Zakuul from a position where you can’t do anything?”
“I’m effective in the field,” Theron muttered. “I know what I’m doing, and I can work better alone than I can here.”
“And what, pray tell, is one solitary rogue agent going to accomplish that the entire SIS can’t do?” Marcus sighed. “Theron, beyond the fact that this is illegal and will get you strung up for treason, this is a suicide mission. You’re still young -- you have more to live for.”
Theron paused for a long moment, looking back at the Serenity, then shook his head. “There’s nothing left for me here,” he quietly said. “Xa-- Master Taerich would do the same thing if it had been me who died on that ship.”
“Really? The Jedi Master, throwing it all away on an attachment she wasn’t supposed to have?” Marcus snorted. “I suppose she wouldn’t have been the first.” He took another cautious step into the hangar. “Theron, just think about this for a minute. You’re rash and headstrong, but you’re smarter than this -- I know you are. Do you really think Master Taerich would have you throw away your life like this? If she was here--”
“If she was here, none of this would be happening,” Theron snapped. “Or, she would have already left, and brought me along with her.” That, he had to admit, was the more likely scenario. Not even Xaja by herself could have held off all of Zakuul, but she would be the best person to seek justice for the galaxy. And if that meant sneaking onto Zakuul and taking down Arcann directly, then so be it. Force knew she’d been talented enough and headstrong enough to pull it off, too.
Another heavy sigh echoed through the hangar before Marcus quietly spoke again. “There’s nothing I can say that will change your mind, is there?”
“You’ve known me long enough to know that answer.” Theron took a step up the ramp, then paused. “Tell my… tell Jace I’m sorry, but I’m doing what needs to be done.” Oh, wouldn’t his father be furious with this update… but Theron couldn’t bring himself to care enough to change his plan.
“Make me the messenger to get shot, why don’t you,” Marcus muttered. “Just… try to be careful.”
His throat suddenly tight with emotions he refused to give voice to, Theron just nodded, knowing his old mentor would see the gesture; then he hurried up the ramp and into the ship where Tee-Seven was patiently waiting for him. “Let’s go, buddy,” he said as he threw himself into the pilot’s seat and tried not to think about what Xaja would do if she knew he was stealing her ship. “We’d better get out of here before Coruscant Security comes down on our asses.”
Tee-Seven beeped his agreement, and a minute later, the Serenity was flying out of the hangar and vanishing into Coruscant’s night sky, leaving Marcus to stand in the empty hangar and watch the disappearing ship with worried eyes.
