A Death in the Family

[Ellion Corsair]

The Sith lord slowly followed Katarine, a leering grin on his face. "You are skilled. That will make breaking you even more enjoyable." Instead of attacking her mind he stretched out and caressed her presence. A pointy grin stretched across his face.

"I sense you may not be as pure as I first thought. Interesting." He let flow from him an old and evil power, force subjugate. An oppressive force flowed from him touching all in the room. Snaps echoed as the shackles fell from the still living prisoners.

They advanced upon Katarine, their minds and souls crying out. Then Eric began pushing out insanity saturating the room with his aura, it seeping into others as he pushed his power as a type of transfer.

Ellion dropped to a knee, his connection to the force not being used so he could avoid detection. So the onslaught hit him unprepared.

[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

"I sense you may not be as pure as I first thought. Interesting." Katarine grinned at him, still circling the room opposite of him.

"That is one way to look at it. I'll spare you the details." She hadn't ever used the darkside. She was just affected very strongly by it when it was near her thanks to her DNA and the continued absence of her twin in her life. Katarine might not believe the religious superstition Daxium did, but she had to admit biology was on his side of the argument for their doppelganger status. However if Eric wanted to believe she used the darkside she saw no reason to correct that. It was probably better that way.

She felt him everywhere suddenly and felt her stomach swirl. It was dizziness almost immediately, but different than it was around Slade. This felt more like Daxium, a dizziness bordering a high you didn't want because you realized it was dangerous. WHY she felt Slade wouldn't end her life was beyond most, but she figured everyone could agree Eric couldn't be trusted. She shook he head, trying to keep her mind clear as the darkside threatened to cloud her senses. Don't let it. He's right there. He's not going anywhere. You don't need it. He's right there. Her deep green eyes drifted to Ellion. He is right there. She wondered what he would say if he found out she'd purposely let the darkside cloud her senses so she didn't have to miss him.

The prisoners in the room started advancing on her and before her eyes Ellion took a knee. She winced but tried not to look too concerned, only eying him for a moment as if he was just anyone else in the room. "Don't you think it's a bit low to use these poor people to do your dirty work?" He knew as well as she did that she wouldn't hurt the other people in the room. He was using them shamelessly by controlling their minds. Two could play that game, or at least a version of it. Katarine touched the minds around her, sending calmness, strength and will power. Her presence was powerful but the light was never as fast as the dark, which was always waiting for it when it arrived. It would take time.

She jumped over the crowed forming around her and landed just barely out of reach of Eric, in case he decided to cleave her head off and end this early. "I'd prefer more of a duet than a group dance." She smiled at him and placed her hands inside her jacket pockets. "Leave them alone and unharmed further. Give me your undivided attention and I might decide to behave. Do we have a deal?"

[member="Ellion Corsair"]

 

[Ellion Corsair]

As Ellion knelt hands gripping the stone floor he chanted under his breath, "mind, body, soul. Mind, body, soul." Slowly he was overcoming the mental assault through force of will, not the force. Training, memories of pain and torture, memories of love and quiet moments, and more training helped focus and unite his mind until he was able to stand.

Eric however, paid him no mind as he focused on Katarine.

"You think bargaining with me will aid you?" A laugh followed by a snap of his fingers broke the necks of the slaves in the room. Bodies crumpled into piles as fear and horror magnified. The slow death from being unable to draw a breath as each were paralyzed.

Lives winked from existence as one by one they died. Eric fed on the death. But the agony echoed throughout the room. "Little girl, you will submit yourself on your ones and swear allegiance now or another snap of my fingers will kill the four hundred and seven souls caged in my Pits."

He raised his hand fingers touching.


[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

Katarine winced as she felt the deaths around her. Her mind traveled back to the Sith who had tried to make her choose between children and Ellion. She hated him almost as much if not more than she hated Malice Draclau. Eric was just another schoolyard bully trying to make her do things she didn't want to do. Her confidence as a Jedi had taken a huge hit because of that day with those children, and now she was staring a similar situation in the eye.

What could she do? If she refused he was going to murder thousands of people. If she submitted though wouldn't he murder them anyway? He was sadistic. His love of torture wasn't just going to center around Katarine. Other people would get hurt no matter what she did. She could gamble and say he didn't have the power to kill thousands of people with his fingers. It would leave him so drained if he tried in through the Force but for all she knew he had shock collars rigged to each of the slaves.

She didn't know what to do. So far bargaining with him had not worked so she had no reason to think it would in the future. Aggressive negotiations perhaps. Katarine was not really one to attack and keep attacking. She'd likely be killed but maybe there would be time for Ellion to get out of here.

She leaned forward on one knee, but before she hit the other she kicked him in his broad chest, putting the power of the Force behind it and hearing a satisfying crunching sound. That wouldn't be enough. She'd have to keep attacking until she was beaten or he was.

A snaphiss filled the room as the borrowed lightsaber her friend Holden had given her lit her face. She didn't wait for him to get up before she was attacking him again.

[member="Ellion Corsair"]

 

[Ellion Corsair]

As Katarine began to go to her knees Eric the his head back to roar in laughter. But the attack caught him momentarily off guard. The force kick that connected with his chest sent him back skidding several feet, a sharp pain in his chest where one of his ribs were broken causing him to draw a ragged breath.

The suddenness of the attack and his surprising sound forced him to focus the force on himself, repairing the injury, and he died his connection with the other slaves. He was trained in battle tactics and field dressing techniques so he automatically began the healing process as he brought the Sith sword up to parry the lightsaber strike down. His left hand lashed out, reinforced through the energy coursing into him in an attempt to desk the woman.

"I earned my moniker on the field of battle. After defeating scores of enemies I feasted on their flesh, some of which still lived. I will do the same to you!"

Whether the strike to the face worked he moved forward to meet aggression with hostile aggression. After the punch he clenched his left hand using the force to focus a shockwave of telekinesis at Katarine's body, bones, blood vessels, internal organs, while twisting his word to free it and swing it up on a devastatingly powerful attack intending to cut her in twain from groin to breast.

Behind him a snap hiss as Ellion ignited his own blue lightsaber and lunged for the Sith's back, right between the shoulder blades.

(We can make this as long or short as you want. Feel free to move, use, kill Eric as you desire.)

[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

To say her opponent was terrifying was an understatement. The power behind his swings could have crushed her. Luckily Katarine had been trained against a brother three times her size since birth. She was fast, and as long as Eric couldn't catch her he would expel more energy to swing and miss than to hit his target.

Katarine danced around the mans weapon but what she lacked in physical strrength she made up for in the Force. She sent his Force attack back at him in the same way a master might deflect blaster bolts with his hand. The raw dark energy washed over her and she stumbled, dizziness cracking through her and slowing her down.

Her eyes widened as the sword loomed over her but a second snap hiss sounded and her former oadawans blade went through the mans chest. Flecks of blood landed on her face as the wound smoked and closed. Eric looked down in confusion as if registering what had happened in slow motion. His grip on his weapon slackened and he hit his knees, pulling the saber out as he fell to the floor.

He lay unmoving, his body smoking. Kat stood there, now facing Ellion. She looked for a moment like she might break down into hysterics. The Jedi Master certainly had healing to do. Perhaps she was so broken she couldn't really even be called a Jedi anymore.

They stood there for a second ad Katarine tried to get a grip on the terror coursing through her. Finally she smiled, though it didn't touch her eyes.

"When you tell your grandchildren this story I hope you remember me as a valued supporting character. "

The sounds around the room seemed to hit her ears as she deactivated her weapon. "We need to be quick. I'm guessing his fellows give him a wide birth because he wasn't exactly fun company but there is no telling how many Sith he was expecting today."

((It seemed a good ending for him. Might I just say your villains scare the crap out of me. ))

[member="Ellion Corsair"]

 

[Ellion Corsair]

Deactivating his lightsaber he held it in his hand as he moved around the fallen Sith to wrap an arm around Katarine as she didn't seem well. Not surprising. She's fought Sith her entire life, shares blood with one ... Lord Ravage. But she's strong. And she's a survivor.

Listening to her words he gave her a wink. "When I tell this story to my gran kids it will you saving me, as always. Maybe we will share more then just a story too." Maybe we will share those gran kids, if I'm lucky. Course that doesn't seem to be in my stars. I'm not that lucky.

Then a small beeping sound from being drew his attention. Turning away he looked at the Sith dead upon the ground and frowned. Kneeling he turned the arm over that had held the Sith sword and saw a device imbedded in the wrist.

Looking closer he recognized it and stood. "Oh sithspit. That's a vitals monitor." As he said it they were hit with a wave of death as the monitor acted as a dead man's switch. Once Eric's heart stopped it sent a signal that ranged throughout the Pits. Katarine was right. The coats on the slaves held small explosives which were triggered. Most were decapitated by the small charge, four hundred and seven deaths.

But even as Ellion grunted and staggered from the telling loss felt in the force he stretched out an arm to steady the green eyed Jedi. Then he realized the for was buckling and it wasn't all due to the wave of death.

Eric had rigged the entire Pits to be destroyed at the chance of his death. The walls cracked and the for bucked. The ceilings collapsed and the screams of dying guards and patrons could be heard.

(What can I say ... I have a knack for evil. If I can transfer a last character from my old old board he was worse then Muad. He single handedly orchestrated the destruction and war of the Jedi, Sith, and shadow Jedi on that board. It was glorious!)

[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

Katarine appreciated him being a gentleman but Eric had almost beaten her and they both knew it. She thought back to the adventures she had over the years. Sometimes the padawan saved the master, in Ellions case he had saved Katarine in more ways than one.

She didn't have time to enjoy his embrace. Hundreds of life forms were suddenly extinguished. Katarine swayed, catching his arm and trying to hold him steady as he did the same for her.

It was the least of their problems. The building was collapsing. There was no way it wouldn't be noticed. For all they knew Eric's death would have triggered warnings with the other Sith of the planet. Katarine didn't know how organized they were.

"I'm sorry Slick. Your heart was in the right place but this mission is over. " Maybe it wasn't a total loss. At least they had ended the prolonged suffering of the captives. She didn't have time to think about if they caused more harm than good. They had to get out of there.

She pulled him with her, dodging bits of the ceiling trying to crush them and trying to find floor to walk on that was vanishing fast. They made it out of the throne room to the entrance chamber where even more chaos was happening. The guards were too busy trying to get out of the way from the falling building to worry about the pair of them.

"Ah!" Katarine was knocked sideways as a chunk of ceiling fell. She felt it rip her shoulder open and ground her teeth together to fight the pain. The Force caught the next piece, holding it in midair above her head. She threw it behind her.

Once out of the building it was a disaster scene. Several surrounding buildings were being leveled. There were shouts everywhere and the sounds of approaching speeders.

[member="Ellion Corsair"]

 

[Ellion Corsair]

Following Katarine from the wreckage that had once been a slave ring he deflected several small pieces of debris but he felt Kat has from a hit. Once in the streets he stood in front of her and looked at he bleeding shoulder. "We have to do something about that ... Something I picked up from my ... Brother."

Knowing they had no time he utilized a lesson he had learned when their old order had been on a mission to help refugees and Sith attacked. He had been wounded and Bjork, who he had just learned was his brother helped.

Focusing with the force he found the ruptured capillaries, veins, and even an artery that was damaged and beginning to lend it's blood flow to the wound. Locking into these he clamped them hard with telekinesis, pinching them off. He would touch Katarine's mind to help with the pain but knew she prizes her privacy, needed the sanctuary within that was hers and hers alone. So instead he compressed the raw and exposed nerve endings in the wound dulling the pain.

It was a temporary crude fix, but they didn't have time for more.

The first speeder arrived full of guards and Ellion pointed to the wreckage. "Get as many of the survivors out. Eric the Terrible has fallen. I need to get this ... High profile customer to a med center quick."

The guard's cursed and headed into the ruins as Ellion led Kat to the speeder before jumping behind the controls and speeding away. "They are going to catch on quick that we are part of their team. Maybe we can make it to my ship before that happens."

[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

Katarine let him heal her shoulder, trusting him despite having never taught him in depth about Force healing. She had abilities but they weren't wonderful in any capacity. James had always been the healer. Ellion must have learned from someone though because she felt the blood stop. Truthfully she wasn't paying attention. She was staring at him like he might vanish again. If this was a high it was the longest of her life.

They were in the speeder and heading towards the ship. Katarine was keeping her senses alert for signs of someone following them. They might just get lucky though. At least until their faces hit the holo. She wondered if their were security cameras in the place. That could be a problem.

They reached the docking bays and Katarine followed him, hoping he remembered where his ship was and that it was still there. So far there were no surprises but when they rounded the corner Katarine hesitated. Two small boys were standing by the ship, looking scared, out of place, and nervous.

She raised her eyebrow at him.

[member="Ellion Corsair"]

 

[Ellion Corsair]

His good old ship was sitting there looking like a homecoming. It's familiar visage like a small piece of home, well the only permanent one he'd had. Pulling the speeder to a stop he hopped out and saw the two boys he had seen earlier that night. Glancing at Katarine he gave a sheepish grin. "Meet our two passengers."

Rushing Katarine along the arm, more for his sake then hers, he moved forward and looked at the two of them. "So, you taking me up on my offer?"

The smaller of the two looked up with big eyes and open mouth while the slightly larger boy stepped forward. "You said we could come. Or was that a lie? We have nothing here and at least if we go with you we get fed." The stern face off the eldest was almost comical. Pale skin smudged tan with dirt. A mop of unruly hair almost hanging to his bony shoulders. Threadbare shirt and pants with no shoes.

Dropping to a knee Ellion stuck out a hand. "Names Eli, this is Katarine here. You're welcome to come boys. And don't worry, we're the good guys." The older boy took his hand with distrust still on his face while the younger boy spoke. "I'm not a boy!" Ellion stood and held up his hands. "Sorry. But time to go kids, Kat."

Opening the ramp he trotted in pointing to the seats and table. "Strap in, there's food in the side compartment." Then he tab to the cockpit to strap in. Cutting the start up sequence short he radioed his departure and took off. Thrusters on full he broke for the atmosphere.

[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

Maybe some good came from today after all. She couldn't help thinking when she watched him introduce himself to the children. They looked wary still, especially since Eli and Katarine both looked beaten up. Kat had a nasty black eye, blood on her face, and her white tank top was covered in blood from her shoulder under her jacket. There wasn't a lot of time for introductions and indecisiveness however. They needed to go. The kids did as they were told, strapping themselves in. Katarine joined Eli in the cockpit. She wasn't a pilot but could be a copilot. She strapped herself in and before long they were heading for the atmosphere.

Their little tirade on the surface must have been noticed. Security was tighter than normal but it was Coruscant and therefore almost impossible to stop every vessel orbiting the planet. Easy enough to break for hyperspace , though no guarantee they wouldn't be followed or tracked. Once they were in hyperspace Katarine heard the two boys digging for the food Eli had told them about. She undid her strap and brought her legs up to her chest, curling herself in a ball in the copilots seat and watching Ellion again as if he would vanish if she blinked. She pulled her jacket off and let it fall to the floor without a second thought, too absorbed in the lines on his face. If this was a high, it certainly was a detailed one.

She watched him for another moment, trying to think of something to say to him. Finally she put her head down on the armrest, still watching him and whispered, "I'm sorry we couldn't save more of them."

[member="Ellion Corsair"]

 

[Ellion Corsair]

When they jumped into hyperspace Ellion sighed and leaned back testing his head against the seat. He had failed. And surely stirred up Sith activity on the planet because of his actions. This wasn't on Bjork who killed the slave ring leader and knew well enough to leave it at that. It wasn't on Katarine who went with the mission to back him up. This was on him. The deaths of all the innocents in the Pits, their blood was on his hands.

Turning the seat he faced Katarine. "It's done. Better or worse, it's done." Sure he knew the arguments that could be made. They freed the slaves, they killed a Sith mad man, and destroyed a slave ring. But the price, it would be a stain he would carry for life.

But as he gazed at Katarine it brought him back to the beginning. When he was on borrowed time and Kat was looking for an out.

"So ... How have you been?"

[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

She was still watching him with wide hopeful eyes. She wanted to go crawl into his lap and sob until she knew how he felt about her, but she pushed the desire away. For all she knew he'd gotten married, had five kids, and was happily enjoying this other dimension. The thought made her sick to her stomach. At least she knew he were alive, though currently she knew he was weighing some heavy guilt on his shoulders.

"I've missed you." It was the truth. That was how she felt. She had missed him terribly and that is how she had been. She'd been running around the galaxy getting as close to the darkside as she could so her senses stayed clouded and she didn't have to feel how much she missed the man sitting in front of her.

She blinked back tears and couldn't meet his eyes any longer. "How about you? Hows life been?" The conversation was awkward but maybe he was humoring her.

[member="Ellion Corsair"]

 

[Ellion Corsair]

He saw the tears in her eyes and felt like an idiot. "I'm completely sorry love. Your shoulder must be killing you." Going to the back he grabbed a medkit. And looked at the kids passed out amid food wrappers and containers.

Grinning here shook his head ruefully and went back to the cockpit, closing the door behind. Asking around he knelt in front of Katarine and began sorting through the medkit.

"When i ended up here or was because of a rift in our galaxy. I was sitting in the pilot's seat just watching the hyperspace lane when I hit it. I ended up floating dead in space for a few hours until I was able to get the life support back on. Was a close call cause I was running out of air but managed to fix it in time."

His hands came and he paused looking into Katarine's eyes for permission before using scissors cut the strap from her shirt so he could begin cleaning the wound.

"Hold still, this will burn. So then i was boarded by a pirate crew. Unfortunately for them I was prepared. Lived that criminal life style awhile so I had a few tricks. Reversed gravity in the main corridor a few times. They bounced like rag dolls. Then increased gravity in the hold where a shistaven. Almost got me. I must have increased it too much cause he ... excreted his bowls. I still swear it smells in there."

He chuckled he finished cleaning the wound. Next came the gun that stapled the wound closed while spraying a light bacta mist and a line of synthetic flesh.

"Once I realized I want in Kansas anymore, an old holovid, I tried to find something familiar. This galaxy is lightyears ahead of our own, but some of the people and places are almost exactly the same. But there was nothing that was home for me. The order doesn't exist here and i couldn't find ..."

He stopped as his voice got husky. He was about mention his search for her, hoping she was here too but that was selfish. He cleared his throat and finished. Standing here sat back into the pilot's chair and sighed.

"I couldn't find anything for me. So I worked my old ways. Smuggling,merc work, transport. But it was to find ways help others as a Jedi who was not in any data base. That's what I've been doing. That's it. What about?"

He leaned back he looked at her wondering what Jedi order she had joined. How many padawans she had trained. Had she fallen love and had a life here. He was afraid of the answer as well as hoping she had found something to give her peace in this new galaxy.

[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

Katarine sat still while he was cleaning her shoulder. He didn't need too. Truthfully she had forgotten all about it since she was too busy watching him. She winced when it started burning, but otherwise was trying to commit the feelings of his hands on her skin to memory. It did not cause the same sensation as anybody else, especially the dark people in her life like Daxium or Slade. Ellion's touch didn't make her dizzy and disorientated. Instead it gave her butterflies, made her heart race, and filled her with happiness. She was starting to hope this was real and hope was a very dangerous emotion. It could kill you if you let it.

She smiled when he talked about what he had done to the Shistaven. He finished too quickly and moved back to his chair, telling her about his noble quest to help people even in a different galaxy. She felt a twinge of guilt. When she was a Knight she used to be like that. She should still be like that. Instead of being selfish and letting her heart control her fate. Maybe the philosophy she lived by, to never hide her heart, was no longer one she should be living by?

She sighed and put her head back on the arm rest. "When the Council separated us I went back undercover with the Jedi investigators. For a while I did what I was supposed to but ... I missed you. Eventually I was sent to break up an illegal shockboxing ring that was being used as a cover for targeted murders. I was around a few powerful darksiders and I realized the darkside clouded my senses in unique ways because of my connection to Dax. The closer I was to it the less I could miss you. The less i could feel broken. I lost site of my mission and found myself spending time in enemy territory just to cloud my senses. I never used the darkside. I still can't but being around it was the only way i could see you, talk to you, or stop hurting over you. Eventually I pulled myself out and went back to Mon Calamari, intending to help with an undercover assignment the Rebels had for me. I never made it. Instead I woke up here in this galaxy. Old habits died hard so I went back to keeping myself clouded." She couldn't look at him. It felt horrible to tell him any of this, but she wouldn't lie to him. She just wished she could have been doing something noble like he had been.

"I ended up on Coruscant because I was looking for a Scientist who could explain this Netherworld thing to me. I wanted to see if i could get back to the other dimension." She trailed off, wondering if she should mention she couldn't feel her twin and was worried about how long she could survive without that connection. She felt weaker the longer she stayed here.

She saw no reason to concern him with such things. Instead she wrapped her arms around herself and pulled her knees closer to her face. Tears were leaking out of her eyes again, completely blurring the black one so she couldn't see out of it. She felt the hole in her chest opening again, as if it was threatening to consume her. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, holding it as if she had to hold herself together.

"Please be real." She whispered, mostly to herself.

[member="Ellion Corsair"]

 

[Ellion Corsair]

He reached over to pull her gently in his lap, his arms around her. Kissing her forehead he sighed. "I'm real love. I'm real." Opening his emotions he let them out in the open. His guilt, his loneliness, his longing for home, his aching for her, he let it all float out there.

Lips lightly brushed her cheeks kissing away her tears. "You're better then that, better then me. I'm just a rogue, nothing special. You, you can make a difference in this galaxy, like you did in the last. You're beautiful, smart, funny, and caring. You honestly care for people. That's your strongest gift, it's where your strength comes from. You are special."

A hand came up to stroke her hair. "I get a sense of finality when I've mediated in the force about being here. For me, there's no going back. But maybe there is a way for you. We can keep looking if you want. Whatever you decide I'm being you princess."

He grinned ruefully meaning every word he spoke, no matter the loss he would feel at her departure should they find a way for her.

[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

Katarine pressed her cheek to his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He kissed her tears and she smiled. She still wasn't convinced he was real, but feeling him in the Fore helped. She squeezed him tighter.

"You are wrong. There is nothing non special about you. You have one of the best hearts in this galaxy. Trust me Ellion. It's what I noticed about you fist."

He mentioned his meditations and the finality of the situation, seeming to think she wanted to go back. Katarine sat up, staring at the blue eyes that had been invading her dreams for months. "I want to be wherever you are. I don't care if it's this galaxy, the last galaxy, or hell. All I've ever wanted since I met you was to be with you." It was the truth. Katarine didn't care what he wanted to do. She'd follow him anywhere he wanted to go.

She sighed, a look of guilt coming over her face. There was only one problem. "I don't want to go back. I don't want to leave you. I'm just...." She bit her lip and looked away from him. How could she even dare worry about someone who had hurt him? He should break her neck even if it was her family. It was ludicrous.

"I'm worried about Daxium. I can't feel him in this galaxy. I don't know if we can ... survive... like this." She signed and rested her head against his shoulder.

"I want to stay with you as long as I'm alive to do it. As long as you want me." She felt the familiar fear of rejection and like always decided to be sarcastic and take the edge off.

"Or at least until you decide to babysit more kids. Seriously what do you plan to do with them brats?" She stuck her tongue at him.

[member="Ellion Corsair"]

 

[Ellion Corsair]

He chuckled about the 'brats'. "I honestly don't know. It felt right, it was right, to get them out of there. I haven't built up a large contact list here in this galaxy, and the contacts I do have are about jobs, most of which required my attention as a Knight. I'm not sure. Any suggestions on that front?"

He looked down at her in his lap and grinned his cock eyed grin. "Darling, you're stuck with me then. I'm not leaving and I'm not letting go." He lightly kissed her bare shoulder. "As for your twin and your connection, maybe you still are connected. We know the force is in everything. Maybe it transcends dimensions unifying realities as well. A force nexus, wormholes, I don't know ... Maybe it was the will of the force to jumble realms. Maybe there is a Daxium in this reality. We'll figure it out, we all ways do."

While he was talking he was also pressing little kisses up her neck and under her jaw. "I've missed you beautiful. But you need to realize I'm real and that dark side stuff you were doing. That's crap. Remember the cave when we landed on Yinchor, and you lot into me for using pain and the Darkside for control? Well the tables are turned Missy. A Jedi doesn't surrender to fear, sorrow, loss but faces it. Overcomes it. Comes out stronger on the other side. You know this to be true. I can feel your guilt. And I won't lose you to despair or self pity. Or are you telling me you like wallowing in darkness, to risk becoming like Malice, Muad, Ravage ... Like Styx?"

He ended his words next to her ear lobe his words almost a whisper now.

[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

"I suggest heading towards Republic territory. There are still children in this galaxy. Surely there are boarding schools. An education and a place to live might be as good as they can hope for , at least for now." At least they had each other.

"Darling, you're stuck with me then. I'm not leaving and I'm not letting go." She smiled, squeezing him tighter. Sometimes it was so easy with Ellion. Each and every time she'd doubted his feelings he had simply reminded her he wanted her. She should know by now but it always surprised her. He was nothing like her ex husband, who she had to beg to be around. Ellion was just uncomplicated and honest. She didn't understand how he couldn't see how special he was.

She nodded about Daxium, speechless at the selflessness of his assurance they would figure it out. If not for Ravage than Styx would have never been.

She snorted at his scolding, her face in the nape of his neck so she didn't have to meet his eyes. A Jedi.... it made her want to roll her eyes. Could she even be called a Jedi anymore? She'd never used the darkside.... but her emotions certainly ruled her world. No she did not want to be like Malice... or Styx... or Muad... or Ravage...

Her eyelashes fluttered against his neck as her eyes shot open. Was THIS how Ravage felt? Abandoned? Alone? Betrayed and doomed to a broken heart for eternity because he couldn't have his version of an Ellion Corsair? She flinched and automatically reached for her twin... but there was nothing there but emptiness.

All she had to do was stop being selfish and the galaxy would suffer one less mad man, one less psychopath, one less broken heart, and yet here she was completely absorbed in her own grief and her own wishes. She snorted again. Some Jedi.

She realized he was expecting her to answer him and finally pulled away gently so she could face him. Her eyebrow was raised. "Are you scolding me Mr. Corsair? Need I remind you I kicked your tail in training and I'm happy to do it again?" She smiled at him, the sarcasm shielding her from dealing with the real issue like always. She would have to deal with the emotions eventually. It was the only way to rise above them. if she were a Jedi that is. If that was still going to be her path she'd have to follow his advice.

She rested her head against his shoulder again, truly content for the first time in a long time. She felt like she could sleep for a decade after the busy day they had. The other part of her realized she was covered in her own blood as well as Erics, so should probably go wash. The thought of leaving Eli, even for a second, made her cringe inwardly. He might vanish if she did that. She clung tighter to him.

[member="Ellion Corsair"]