#post-ziost

[keldae]

Fictober ‘19 -- Day 8 (SWTOR)

It was still early when Theron woke up -- being on administrative leave hadn’t changed his internal alarms at all, it seemed. He lowly sighed as his eyes opened, gazing around Xaja’s bedroom. In the dim light, he could just see her curled up next to him, her brow furrowed as she wandered in dark dreams. He was willing to bet that she hadn’t had a decent sleep since she had returned from Ziost.

He gently brushed a stray lock of red hair from his Jedi’s face (when had he started thinking of her as his Jedi? He wasn’t sure, but he thought it felt right.) before trying to slowly get out of the bed. Odds were that he wasn’t going to fall back asleep, and his old habits of slinking out into the night before his bedmate woke up were so deeply ingrained that--

A small hand caught his wrist just as he stood up. Theron looked back down to see green eyes looking back up at him. “Sorry,” he whispered, his free hand gently brushing more hair out of her face. “Didn’t mean to wake you up.”

Xaja shook her head, drowsily blinking. “Can you stay?” she softly whispered, her voice quiet enough that Theron had to strain to hear her. “The dreams... they’re not as bad when you’re here...”

Putting the thoughts of trying to work out of his head, Theron nodded and carefully slipped back into bed with her. Any thoughts he might have entertained of leaving once Xaja had fallen back asleep vanished into the nether as she pulled him closer to her to snuggle. With how her arm fell across his stomach, and her leg wrapping around his own, and her head pillowing itself on his shoulder, he wouldn’t be able to get up without waking her up.

And if Theron was being entirely honest with himself, he didn’t want to be alone either. Having Xaja pressed so snug against his side felt right, and comfortable.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she softly sighed, snuggling in close. Within seconds, her breath had settled out into the slow, even breaths of sleep. Theron watched her for long moments after she had settled back in, noting how she seemed to relax more when she was against him like this, her head resting just above his heart. He gently passed his fingers through her hair again and pressed a kiss to her brow, then settled in to try and doze for a bit longer. 

[lotusmesenpai]

((This one’s kinda longer and full of sap because I’m trash))

Oh gods.

Darth Imperius stared on in abject horror as Ziost was drained. In a cascading wave of death, the planet turned from a lush blue to a lifeless ashen grey.

Dark or Light, sides didn’t matter. There were Jedi aboard the station as well as Sith, but their focus was drawn to the husk of the former Sith powerbase.

If Vitiate could drain a planet dry with such little time to prepare, what could he do if given the planet’s power and all the time in the world?

Imperius shuddered at the thought.

She looked to Zash. Even through the Dashade’s stiff features, it was obvious her former master shared her shock. There was a look of disgust in her eyes, but whether that was from the planet’s death or the power from it, Imperius couldn’t tell.

“Come on. Lana will be waiting for us.”

Zash tore her eyes from the planet’s husk and nodded.

“Of course.”

The Sith turned her gaze away and stalwartly marched to the turbolift. There was nothing left here.

Eventually, they reached the Fury, and Imperius waved away Andronikous, taking the pilot’s seat for herself. She had a lot of thinking to do.

The fleet’s turbolift doors opened, and Imperius scanned the main level’s inhabitants. It was almost as if none of them had even heard of Ziost’s fall, but she could see it in their eyes. She supposed it was easier to laugh than to mourn.  

As she reached Lana’s office, she turned to Zash, “Wait outside. I need to speak to Minister Beniko in private.” The Dashade rolled her eyes, “I know when I’m a third wheel, apprentice. I’ll be in the cantina; perhaps this party will be something, if not entertaining.”

Shaking her head, the Sith stepped into a small room, doors closing behind her. Lana stood, hunched over her console. Imperius could tell the events of Ziost had taken their toll, but there was something else; an air of confidence now filled the space around her, as if the losses Sith Intelligence had undoubtedly endured only fueled her drive to succeed.

“I take it you’ve heard about Ziost.”

“I saw it for myself.”

“I suppose I should go about looking after the safety of the Sith Empire…unless there was something else?”

Silvenara crossed her arms, but gestured with her left hand, “Anything you need, Lana. Anything at all.”

A glimmer of mischief flashed through the sith lord’s eyes, “Anything I need?”

Without warning, Lana pulled Silvenara into a deep kiss, which the Sith was eager to reciprocate. She could feel something deep within her chest blossoming back from the brink of extinction.

Oh gods, she was in love. The thought made Silvenara almost retch, but her musings were derailed as Lana pulled away.

Oh that minx, smirking at her. And then it turned far more genuine; Silvenara felt her heart skip a beat. Oh yes, definitely love.

“That will do- for now.”

Lana turned from the Sith, smiling to herself as she walked away. She stopped and her expression faltered, as if a light bulb had gone off in her head.

She turned back around slowly, “Be well, my love.”

Imperius could have melted then and there, but caught up with Lana quickly as she began walking away again.

“You think you can just leave after confessing your love to me?”

“I don’t see why not, my lord.” She said, disguising her openness as two agents walked by, absorbed in their own conversation.

Silvenara pulled her back into the office, immediately kissing her on the lips, then trailing down her neck. She muttered against her skin. “Because you didn’t give me the chance to say that I love you too.”

Lana chewed her bottom lip, “I have a meeting in an hour-“

“That’s plenty of time.”

“Ugh- you’re impossible.” Her voice peaked as the Sith bit down.

“But you love me for it.”

Suddenly, Lana’s hands were pushing against her shoulders. Her expression was grim. “Not now, Silv.” Silvenara blinked. She’d only used that nickname one other time, “When we…I want it to be meaningful. Not a romp in the office an hour before I meet with several Moffs. You of all people should know the importance of passion.”

Imperius looked unconvinced, but met Lana’s gaze as the human lifted her chin with two fingers, “Please. For me?”

“Alright…” She exhaled slowly, “Alright.”