When a critical mission for the Empire goes wrong, MALAVAI QUINN and LORD KHEL SUTEK find themselves lost behind enemy lines in the inhospitable ice-wilds of ILUM. With only each other to rely on, and their recently-formed relationship still relatively untested, the strain of survival under such circumstances is bound to cause a few cracks. But for two men with life-long tendencies towards walling themselves away - perhaps a few cracks are just what they need in order to start sharing things they've long kept inside.
Malavai Quinn x Light Side Sith Warrior
Words: 18900
A/N: Finally, finally, this is done. Between shifting my hyperfixation to Baldur's Gate 3 and my growing disillusionment towards the more recent SWTOR situation/updates, plus real life kinda handing it to me lately, I just did not get back to this fic when I meant to. Thank you to everyone who's patiently waited and encouraged me over the *checks watch* almost two years this has been sitting unfinished - I appreciate you. Enjoy!
Read on AO3 (short excerpt below cut)
Quinn slid a tense glance down towards the brilliant blade humming only centimetres from his neck, and swallowed.
He allowed himself a speedy moment to consider his options. If he were alone, it would have been only his own life at risk; or if accompanied by other ready soldiers, he might have formulated some way of turning the tables on the situation. But it was only him and Khel here, and the Sith was in no fit state to stand up, let alone fight off a Jedi. And as far as Quinn was concerned, Khel’s welfare was top priority.
Malavai pursed his lips, and at length, with extreme reluctance, he let his blaster clatter to the icy floor.
“Aren’t you an obedient fellow,” the Jedi mused pleasantly from behind him. “I suppose there’s something to be said for that Imperial training - blindly following orders, and all of that.”
Quinn felt a muscle twitch peevishly in his jaw. But he kept quiet, refusing to be goaded into giving his enemy any satisfaction.
“Now,” the Jedi continued on. “If you would be so kind as to give me a count of your merry little band, and where they all are, we can get this unpleasantness over with as quickly as possible. You’ll all be well treated, I assure you.”
The man sounded confident, but not cocky - an irritating distinction which meant that Quinn was unlikely to bluff his way out of this.
“And here I thought you were a Jedi,” he snipped back loftily, playing for time. “Can’t you just - sense them?”
But even as he spoke, it dawned on him - if the Jedi were able to sense other intruders, he would not instead be standing here, politely requesting information on their whereabouts.
“Funny thing about these temples, actually,” the Jedi drawled thoughtfully from behind him. “Some of the crystals you see around you have a certain resonance in the Force. It causes a kind of interference, makes it difficult to identify individual lifesigns.”
Quinn almost let himself blink in surprise. Were he in the other’s position, he would never have divulged such a notable vulnerability to an enemy. But he wondered - was this what Khel had ‘heard’ when they had first entered the temple?
As though sensing Malavai’s thoughts - had he? - the Jedi added, “Oh, don’t worry. I guarantee you won’t have the opportunity to pass that little tidbit along to your superiors. But I do like to encourage a good learning experience whenever I can. A longstanding habit of mine, I’m afraid.”
But Quinn’s mind was churning now. The makeshift camp was out of sight from his present position; if this Jedi was truly unable to sense Khel through the Force, then Quinn still had a chance. He could send the enemy away from his lord on the pretext of revealing his fellow Imperials, lead him deeper into the temple, and then -
Well. He would figure the rest out as he went.
He opened his mouth to speak - and just then a third voice, thin with weariness, echoed uncertainly down the passageway.
“Quinn? Quinn, are you out there?”
Malavai swore to himself - not aloud, but it was a near thing. He tensed in expectation of the Jedi’s response to the ill-timed call. Ready to dive for his blaster, or if necessary employ his fists - lightsaber at his neck be damned.
But to his utter bewilderment, the lightsaber in question was suddenly withdrawn, and a faint chuckle flitted across his shoulder.
“Ohhhh, the Force has a sense of humour today,” the Jedi murmured drily. Quinn felt a nudge in the small of his back from the now-deactivated saber hilt. “Well, go on. Answer him.”
Distinctly wrongfooted now, Quinn didn’t know what else to do but comply.
“I’m here, my lord,” he called back. After another heartbeat, he added carefully, “There is a Jedi here with me.”
A pause followed this announcement before Khel’s reply echoed down the corridor; Quinn could hear the harshness in the other’s voice, pushing through his pain.
“Listen carefully to me, Jedi - if you harm that man in any way -”
But the Jedi’s answer was unnervingly amiable. “Perish the thought,” he called back, and once again he moved more suddenly and quickly than Quinn could react - brushing past him and disappearing around the corner towards the camp in a sweep of umber robes.
Malavai swore again (aloud, this time). He snatched up his discarded blaster and sprinted after the Jedi. Taking aim, he managed to get off a single shot as he ran, but it merely grazed his target's shoulder as the man darted through the doorway of the camp.
“Lord Khel, look out!” he cried in warning. A second later he also skidded through the doorway - only to be met with a faintly frantic exclamation from Khel.
“Wait, no, Quinn - stand down, don’t hurt him! He’s a friend!”
So thrilled with this battle scene commission of Quinn and Khel done by the fantastic artAlais on dA! Because I love me some soldier Quinn protecting his love lord.
