"You look so grumpy in that!" She smiles and looks over at the Darth after inspecting the picture. "Did she move a whole lot? Is that why you look annoyed?"
The woman was teasing and he knew it. His head shook and he affords something of a smile. "I am a Sith - a Darth no less. For a long period of my life I did not permit myself happiness in a conventional sense. It was my life and body for the Empire. There was victory or nothing and everything else was secondary. To a degree, that stoicism still remains, but after her and Utzire came into my life... something changed. I am still a Sith, born and trained to be a warrior, but now I live for something more than the front. I want to live to come home upright instead of in a box." The woman's smile fades somewhat. Perhaps he had worded it more intensely than necessary. "It is something I promise my men and my apprentices. I promise them I will do everything I can to get them home safely after each fight. I have just learned in the past year to extend that promise to myself and my daughter and partner. I owe the Empire my strength to victory but I owe them my presence for their happiness."
"In a way, then..." his conversation partner chimes in, handing back the datapad, "you seek victory much more fervently so you can still attain your own passions? It is unorthodox for Sith to care so deeply but..." She trails off, leaning on the counter. "When do you go back to them, my Lord? When do you claim your personal reward for survival?"
"When my duty is done, Lieutenant. Utzire has her own work, she does not rely on me for much, but I stay in contact as best as I can. Holocalls with Revela are interesting but whenever they can be together for it..." His smile grows. In the midst of his deployment, the Darth felt his center. He would come back from this. In the past he was simply too angry to die. Now, he would be too angry at himself to permit failure. He would see their smiles again if not in a call, then in person - and then in a hug.
______________
Another piece done by the wonderful @hoth-and-cold! Since I'm partially retiring Magne while I focus on new stories, I wanted something undeniably cute as a sort of 'goodbye' for him. I've got a writing project in the works that explores his deployment to what is essentially a death trap of a system so I look forward to that! Mentioned are characters that are mine as well as @kayleediekunstlerin 's!
